ETA on Advanced Class change?

The devs designed the game so that no single character could access tanking and healing abilities at ANY time, not just at the same time.

What does the devs' TOTAL AND COMPLETE silence on this matter tell you? Is it possible that maybe there is not as much support for class changes as you would like to think? Is it possible that they have no plans to allow class changes, despite that ambiguous statement made about a year and half ago?

You keep saying "The devs did this and the devs did that," If the devs change this and change that, then it won't matter at all what the devs did.

The idea of AC change makes you angry, for whatever bizarre reason. Get over it. It's not here yet. It might never be here.

This is exactly what many want and have stated such in this very thread.

I said he'd have a point, not that I would agree with that point. DPS-only will still be tops at DPS.

You assume anger where there is none, simply a desire not to dilute this game any further than it is and not to hand everything to those that are unwilling to use the options already at their disposal to achieve their desires.

If you want to keep denying it, fine. I can't make you confess.

Really?

Do you have any links to show that marauders/sentinels and snipers/gunslingers top the DPS charts on a consistent basis as those are the only classes that are DPS only?

Are you only stating how you think it should be?

Unfortunately this particular issue of class imbalance already exists as you pointed out.

Bounty Hunter/Trooper and Inquisitor/Consular have access to all three roles (four if you consider ranged DPS and melee DPS separate roles) across their Advanced class. While Agent/Smuggler and Warrior/Knight have an AC that is purely DPS.
If anything allowing an AC change would open up a little flexibility for those playing as a Sniper or Marauder.

The trick of balancing the implementation of an AC change is to make it cost the right amount, enough that it is still feasible to the casual player (those most likely to want to use the facility) and not so cheap that hardcore players could abuse it (ie swapping between heal role and tank role in the same operation).

Putting a cooldown on it is an easy way of addressing potential abuse. Cost wise I'd place it in the same sort of price range as name changes, species change or server transfers. Not something you really want to be doing every day but it's there should you desire.

Ootinicast posted a synopsis of the San Diego cantina tour and it was stated that new Advanced classes would appear before a new class (although neither are currently in the pipeline) it would be hoped that any new ACs would address this basic class/role disparity providing Agent/Smuggler with a tanking AC and Warrior/Knight with a healing role. It would also be a neat way of introducing the martial arts class many seem to want in the Bounty Hunter/Trooper class with an AC that can use tech blades or tech staffs.

And as the game matures, class balancing, new content and future plans can all cause the original design brief to be replaced.
Personally I think the decision to seperate out the ACs as they are and not provide an AC change option at launch was to generate a greater number of classes to compete with those MMOs that had been around for longer. If that was the intent I'm not sure I agree with it, the Devs main sales pitch was all about the introduction of story and the epic Star Wars adventure. Seperating out the Story class into the two Advanced Class that you cannot change between has always felt somewhat artificial to me.

The quote that I have put links to in the past was made by the lead designer 8 months ago (November 16th) and was less than ambiguous.

Usually devs don't comment unless they have anything further to add to a previous statement. So I would imagine their position is, it's been discussed, it will happen eventually. That may not mean soon.