Mono-class or Pure-class

eashi · May 23

To me pure-class as a term sounds kind of gross and implies superiority. Like pure-bood, to use a pop culture reference. I feel that mono-class is a much better term overall. It’s sub-class not in-pure-class so mono-class works on that level too.

Regardless I am curious to see what people think and have to say on this topic.

DoofusMax · May 23

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

"Garbage man" or "sanitation engineer" (or when Jonathan Winters used to shill for Hefty, "we men in gar-bahj"). The community mostly settled on "pure-classed" as the antonym of "subclassed" about a year ago. Language is malleable so you could possibly generate broad enough support to change that usage, but it works well enough in describing the thing it's attached to.

Soarora · May 23

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Pure sounds better as a word. Mono makes me think of the disease.

konrad.reibinger · May 23

“pure” always gives me vibes from “Harry Potter” and sounds like it discourages subclassing.

tomofhyrule · May 23

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Some people read way too much into things.

"Pure" as a word just means "free of other elements." That is literally what we mean. I play a Class that is not using lines from other Classes, done. There is no "I'm better than you" in there.

The word "Pure" is also used in many other contexts, like in science. If we have "Pure gold," we know that it is 100% gold with no alloys. If I am making a compound in a lab and I purify it, there are no other compounds in there. That is the word for it.

It is people ascribing the meaning of "better" to the word "Pure" (which is not it's actual meaning!) who are then getting mad that other people are using a word which they've ascribed a different meaning to.

LunaFlora · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

Mono means one (from Greek monos).
Monoclassing, it is referring to using one Class so that is better to me.
i have also used "base classing" as ZOS the game refers to our Class as our base Class.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mono
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/base
(edited to add: no idea where i read or heard base class, in-game and eso website posts say "primary class")

Pure sounds like an awful choice for refering to using only one Class.
a lot of its definitions and synonyms are not very accurate for this usage

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pure
1. Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.
Synonyms: pristine, untouched, virgin.
Antonyms: dirty, flawed, impure.
2. Free of foreign material or pollutants.
Synonyms: crude, natural, unrefined.
Antonyms: contaminated, impure.
3. Free of immoral behavior or qualities; clean.
Synonyms: innocent, chaste.
Antonyms: corrupt, guilty, sinful.

BretonMage · May 23

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Idk I don't think "pure" anything sounds superior in general, unless you're in a lab, maybe.

Gabriel_H · May 23

The primary definition of pure is: Not mixed. /shrug

DenverRalphy · May 23

Single Malt?

BardokRedSnow · May 23

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

I saw the first sentence and voted pure immediately, keep your irl politics and tendencies irl. It is just a videogame.

Hapexamendios · May 23

Other, I use a different term (please specify below).

Not going to worry about it. If I'm on a DK, I'll just say DK.

eashi · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

BardokRedSnow wrote: »

I saw the first sentence and voted pure immediately, keep your irl politics and tendencies irl. It is just a videogame.

This has nothing to do with politics?? It has to do with the definitions of the prefix. SeeLunaFlora’s post. If you are projecting politics onto this that is your doing not mine.

eashi · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

LunaFlora wrote: »

Mono means one (from Greek monos).
Monoclassing, it is referring to using one Class so that is better to me.
i have also used "base classing" as ZOS the game refers to our Class as our base Class.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mono
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/base
(edited to add: no idea where i read or heard base class, in-game and eso website posts say "primary class")

Pure sounds like an awful choice for refering to using only one Class.
a lot of its definitions and synonyms are not very accurate for this usage

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pure
1. Free of flaws or imperfections; unsullied.
Synonyms: pristine, untouched, virgin.
Antonyms: dirty, flawed, impure.
2. Free of foreign material or pollutants.
Synonyms: crude, natural, unrefined.
Antonyms: contaminated, impure.
3. Free of immoral behavior or qualities; clean.
Synonyms: innocent, chaste.
Antonyms: corrupt, guilty, sinful.

This is basically why I made the poll. Thanks for posting it. By definition mono- seems to be the better prefix for this but I have noticed the community has taken to pure- I was curious if it was just the discords/guilds I run with or the community at large.

eashi · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

tomofhyrule wrote: »

Some people read way too much into things.

"Pure" as a word just means "free of other elements." That is literally what we mean. I play a Class that is not using lines from other Classes, done. There is no "I'm better than you" in there.

The word "Pure" is also used in many other contexts, like in science. If we have "Pure gold," we know that it is 100% gold with no alloys. If I am making a compound in a lab and I purify it, there are no other compounds in there. That is the word for it.

It is people ascribing the meaning of "better" to the word "Pure" (which is not it's actual meaning!) who are then getting mad that other people are using a word which they've ascribed a different meaning to.

Read LunaFlora’s post with the actual definitions for the prefixes. Pure- has other connotations other than “free from other things.” If something has been made pure it is implied it is better than the original thing. It is free from impurities. If we want to talk about science that is what it means to purify something in chemistry. It implies that sub-class lines are impurities.

eashi · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

DoofusMax wrote: »

"Garbage man" or "sanitation engineer" (or when Jonathan Winters used to shill for Hefty, "we men in gar-bahj"). The community mostly settled on "pure-classed" as the antonym of "subclassed" about a year ago. Language is malleable so you could possibly generate broad enough support to change that usage, but it works well enough in describing the thing it's attached to.

I mean I am not trying to argue semantics mostly trying to figure out what people are using and what they think of both options. All of the replies have been very informative so far

I want discussion on this but I am not opposed to either term.

eashi · May 23

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

Soarora wrote: »

Pure sounds better as a word. Mono makes me think of the disease.

Interesting. I don’t directly associate the prefix with that but I understand why someone might. Thanks for the reply.

gariondavey · 12:15AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

I like pure
Even a term like pure bred is used in animal breeding
I see no issues whatever in any phrasing like this

Xarc · 12:35AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Well, it is not a poll that should decide that.
Even ZOS hasn't decided this.

The term "pure class" came about by itself from the community on the subclassing discussion threads.
But in view of this self-nomination even ZOS ended up using it in its patch notes etc.

LunaFlora · 12:55AM

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

Xarc wrote: »

Well, it is not a poll that should decide that.
Even ZOS hasn't decided this.

The term "pure class" came about by itself from the community on the subclassing discussion threads.
But in view of this self-nomination even ZOS ended up using it in its patch notes etc.

ZOS uses both pure- and mono-classing in patch notes.
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/691059/pts-patch-notes-v12-0-0#latest
This system is HIGHLY iterative and will likely see significant changes over time, as its primary goal is to lessen the gap between subclassing and “pure” or “mono-classing.”

wolfie1.0. · 1:25AM

I think i prefer classic class

I like to keep things classy

tomofhyrule · 1:58AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

eashi wrote: »

tomofhyrule wrote: »

Some people read way too much into things.

"Pure" as a word just means "free of other elements." That is literally what we mean. I play a Class that is not using lines from other Classes, done. There is no "I'm better than you" in there.

The word "Pure" is also used in many other contexts, like in science. If we have "Pure gold," we know that it is 100% gold with no alloys. If I am making a compound in a lab and I purify it, there are no other compounds in there. That is the word for it.

It is people ascribing the meaning of "better" to the word "Pure" (which is not it's actual meaning!) who are then getting mad that other people are using a word which they've ascribed a different meaning to.

Read LunaFlora’s post with the actual definitions for the prefixes. Pure- has other connotations other than “free from other things.” If something has been made pure it is implied it is better than the original thing. It is free from impurities. If we want to talk about science that is what it means to purify something in chemistry. It implies that sub-class lines are impurities.

And yet we could also look at the implications of those suggested alternative prefixes in a negative light just as easily:

"Monoclassing," suggesting that people who choose that are only using a part of what is desired and rejecting the full experience. Or "Base class," suggesting that those who like it are basic and unwilling to move into a more evolved experience.
See, if we use those words, then we can imply that the people who are not subclassing are the unenlightened dullards, while those of us who do Subclass are doing it right. It's hard not to notice that, the people who disdain the word "pureclass" are the ones who like their subclassed builds better.

And yes, I do consider it an impurity if I am forced to break my characters' 6+ pages of lore because some raid lead really needs me to slot something that completely goes against how I have written my character because they need to clear a boss 0.2 seconds faster. That is not what I want for my character. That is an impurity on him. He was written and built to be a fire-breathing, rock-stomping, dragon hearted Orc, not some rock- and ice-themed Hermaeus Mora cultist.
But remember: people who like Subclassing also consider it an 'impurity' if their (e.g.) ranger character built around Assassination/Animal Companions/Storm Calling has to be shoved into Vengeance and loses 2/3 of their identity.

The English language has several variations of things like that, notably the US political version of "life" and "choice" being made into opposites of each other so that both sides of that debate can claim the moral high ground (and also imply the other side is taking a stance against the other one). And that's as far as I'm going with that one, because I am only using it as an example of how language can be weaponized and not using that debate as an actual discussion.

BretonMage · 2:38AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Mono means single, but all classes include 3 skill lines, many of which vary in their focus. So it actually feels wrong to call a class a monoclass if you're going to have say, Deadric Summoning, Storm Calling and Dark Magic in a class.

Otoh pure just means not mixed, and is the opposite of hybrid. People in TES have been talking about pure mage and pure warrior builds long before ESO came about. It seems entirely appropriate to call it that.

And again, any idea that pure is superior, in general usage, is only in personal interpretation. Complexity is usually more interesting to me anyway so I honestly don't see the problem.

DenverRalphy · 2:58AM

Interesting that nobody seemed to really care about any perceived implication when pure classes were the underperforming option.

SilverBride · 3:00AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

I don't see Pure class meaning anything other than all the skill lines are solely from one class.

SwordOfSagas · 3:31AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Lol this is cazy tbh, sounds a bit like cancel culture to me. And by the way whats wrong with being ''pure blood''?

eashi · 3:38AM

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

SwordOfSagas wrote: »

Lol this is cazy tbh, sounds a bit like cancel culture to me. And by the way whats wrong with being ''pure blood''?

Apart from the fact they are vilified in the context of Harry Potter? I mean nothing inherent but that does depend on context. That was the pop culture reference I was making.

SwordOfSagas · 3:43AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

eashi wrote: »

SwordOfSagas wrote: »

Lol this is cazy tbh, sounds a bit like cancel culture to me. And by the way whats wrong with being ''pure blood''?

Apart from the fact they are vilified in the context of Harry Potter? I mean nothing inherent but that does depend on context. That was the pop culture reference I was making.

Harry and Ron are pure bloods wdym.

tomofhyrule · 3:50AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

eashi wrote: »

SwordOfSagas wrote: »

Lol this is cazy tbh, sounds a bit like cancel culture to me. And by the way whats wrong with being ''pure blood''?

Apart from the fact they are vilified in the context of Harry Potter? I mean nothing inherent but that does depend on context. That was the pop culture reference I was making.

And yet there are other pop-culture references as well.

Fore example, I'm really hardcore into Mass Effect. The asari in Mass Effect also have "purebloods" when one asari mates with another asari instead of diversifying the gene pool by mating with a member of a different species. These "pureblood" asari are looked down upon in that society as unclean, and even may develop severe genetic disorders that leave them unable to bear children and require cloistering the affected in a monastery until the end of their days. So there, "pure" is a mark of shame.

So again, this is an example of taking the context of one thing and applying it to another.

And as has been said...

DenverRalphy wrote: »

Interesting that nobody seemed to really care about any perceived implication when pure classes were the underperforming option.

It is hard not to notice that some of the people voting "pure is bad" have come out on the forum strongly against running pure- or mono-class builds and some have even been seen raging about the prospect of Class Mastery.

hmm... maybe we should just call everything by ZOS's terminology then: you can be "Subclassed" or be a "Class Master." I'm sure that makes things better...

Psyphiman · 4:19AM

Personally, I find the term “Class Mastery” offensive. Sounds like inequality to me.

Elvenheart · 4:49AM

Pure-class (or pureclass) is my preferred term for it.

Soarora wrote: »

Pure sounds better as a word. Mono makes me think of the disease.

This was my first thought too 🤣

LunaFlora · 10:38AM

Mono-class (or monoclass) is my preferred term for it.

i personally just care about accuracy and always felt like pure was the wrong word to use.

i hope the Class Refresh will make the Classes more interesting and fun by themselves.
i want to have Warden builds that use all of its lines, but it will never replace what Subclassing offers.

The Elder Scrolls Online

Mono-class or Pure-class

Mono-class or Pure-class 90 votes