Suggestion: Learnable and switchable classes (optional and free)

Bobargus

Hi,

I would like to suggest a free option that allows your character to learn all classes in the game, provided that you have access to them. Before i continue, this is NOT a suggestion thread about unifying all classes into a classless system.

Imagine that, with an update, representatives of each class are added into the game. After an intoductory quest, the representative agrees to teach the targeted class to your character. This quest, alongside with the idea of learning another class is optional.

After the quest is completed, you are given the ability to switch between the unlocked classes. Only one class can be actively used at a time, in order to maintain the balance. The points that are spent on a class will remain spent, but unless that class is chosen and activated, all the active and passive skills of that class will remain disabled.

Lastly, you will have to level up the newly learned class from level 1, as if you have created a new character, in order to simulate the idea of your character trying to broaden their horizons and learn something new.

Thank you all for reading my post. Please feel free to post what you think about this as well.

Amottica

No

Sure, people will say yes because it is free and allows us to change classes, but It is far from having a realistic chance.

We pretty much know that if class change opportunities would happen it will be a class change token that will be sold in the cash shop. So far Zenimax has not seemed interested in that but things can change. For free, that will not change.

Muizer

No

This does not add much to the already available option to start a new character. It probably would be a lot of work to create though. So on balance I would prefer ZOS to spend their time on other things.

Gibrans

Free? Not in our lifetime, ZOS would charge top dollar for something like that.

AvalonRanger

No

ESO=MMORPG.
This poll is nonsense.

Bobargus

AvalonRanger wrote: »

ESO=MMORPG.
This poll is nonsense.

To give an example, Eden Eternal is an MMORPG with an in-game, free, changable class system. If possible, please tell me why this poll-suggestion is "nonsense".

Dragonnord

No

What? No. No "class change" please. The game is fine as it is now.

We already had enough with AwA that killed the essence of using alts as unique characters.

Please stop mixing stuff.
 

TaSheen

Other

I would never use anything like that myself, but I don't see any reason (other than that it would be heavily monetized, certainly not free) not to have at least a class change token.

I'm not though interested in a FFXIV style "job change ability" inserted into ESO. IF ZOS decides to do something about class changing, it would likely be a token since they're already invested in the token options for everything else.

Kisakee

No

TaSheen wrote: »

I would never use anything like that myself, but I don't see any reason (other than that it would be heavily monetized, certainly not free) not to have at least a class change token.

I'm not though interested in a FFXIV style "job change ability" inserted into ESO. IF ZOS decides to do something about class changing, it would likely be a token since they're already invested in the token options for everything else.

A single use class change token would need to cost 200€+ to make up for the loss of everything that's getting bypassed by such a system (buying riding lessons, sky shards, skill lines etc) or the respective playtime aka populating-the-server-time to make the game look alive. As this isn't going to happen a cheap token would slowly kill the game so the answer needs to be "No".

RicAlmighty

No

This will literally never happen, so it's not really worth discussing. You may as well ask for the Crown Store to be completely removed from the game as well. Both of them have an equal chance of happening.

loveeso

Yes

FBS94 wrote: »

Hi,

I would like to suggest a free option that allows your character to learn all classes in the game, provided that you have access to them. Before i continue, this is NOT a suggestion thread about unifying all classes into a classless system.

Imagine that, with an update, representatives of each class are added into the game. After an intoductory quest, the representative agrees to teach the targeted class to your character. This quest, alongside with the idea of learning another class is optional.

After the quest is completed, you are given the ability to switch between the unlocked classes. Only one class can be actively used at a time, in order to maintain the balance. The points that are spent on a class will remain spent, but unless that class is chosen and activated, all the active and passive skills of that class will remain disabled.

Lastly, you will have to level up the newly learned class from level 1, as if you have created a new character, in order to simulate the idea of your character trying to broaden their horizons and learn something new.

Thank you all for reading my post. Please feel free to post what you think about this as well.

Yes! Great idea! It would improve the game a lot. Ignore the naysayers

LunaFlora

Yes

i would Love it!
however realistically i don't believe it would be free if it happened.

thorwyn

Sounds like a stealth class change token to me.
Did I miss any features that would make this worth the effort, or is it just the fact that Legolas remains Legolas instead of Legolaas and Legolaaassss? Where exactly are the differences to just rolling another char?

Amottica

No

Muizer wrote: »

This does not add much to the already available option to start a new character. It probably would be a lot of work to create though. So on balance I would prefer ZOS to spend their time on other things.

And this is another good reason.

Veryamedliel

No

We have a new disguise for the "give us a class change token!" threads I see: "learnable and switchable" characters.
Call it what you will, it ain't happening. Reasons why have already been posted above, as they have been in each similar thread.

You want to "learn a class"? That's why you can have multiple characters on your account. Keep it if you like it, delete it otherwise. Don't want to use those or are they full? "learn" it on the PTS free of charge.

fizzylu

Yes

So basically the FFXIV class system, and I would say that it's not a bad idea for any other MMO since it works just fine in that game.
FFXIV players still use multiple characters despite this class system so trying to say it would defeat the purpose of multiple characters is simply not true. Racial passives will still exist, many MMORPG players like to have different characters with different aesthetics/themes, and there are plenty of reasons why having multiple characters could still be beneficial (more dailies, for example).
I also think this could bring some much needed life to class concepts and design. A lot of FFXIV players love the class based quests, how it adds to the game and their characters. Then for another example; one of the most favored features WoW has ever had were their classhalls, class artifact weapons, and the quests tied to them back in the Legion expansion. So yeah, I do not see how this would be a bad feature for ESO to have.
....but like usual with actual good and interesting ideas, I cannot see Zenimax ever putting the effort into such a thing. They'd more readily slap a class change token into the store and instead take inspiration from the worst features of other MMOs (endless archive=WoWs much hated Torghast, not really sorry).

DreamyLu

Other

Not the slightest chance! It would mean for ZOS to invest a budget for which there will be no paying back? Come on...

Generally, to survive, a game need sufficient financial income. It's not possible to invest money into something if there is no financial benefit in return. That would be death of the game over time. Welcome into the real world.

Shagreth

Yes

Absolutely. But the dinosaurs of ESO will surely disagree. We need new and exciting features like this to shake up the game.

finehair

Yes

I don't know why people are voting No to this because of personal reasons such as "awa already destroyed everything" or "it would be paid not free" and voting no.

If you don't want it, don't use it. You can still create a new character from scratch to play another class.
you can still make your character play only one class and never lvl others & play other classes on alts.
no one is forcing you to use this kind of system, it is for people who wants it. why do you say "no" to something that wouldn't effect you in anyway, but effect others in a good way. very strange behaviour.

I for one, don't even use eso+ because I don't want to pay Real money since steam made everything expensive in my country compared to our incomes. However if such system were to be introduced in a new chapter zone with these "class master npc" only available there, I would buy it.
I want to be able to play all classes in (pvp, trials, dungeons, zones, questing) on my main character.

Only downside for zos is that it would prevent people buying skill/skyshard/horse upgrades from cash shop.If anyone is buying them at all.

Trejgon

Other

This suggestion does not address in the slightest the fact that ZOS have came out and publicly stated, that implementing any sort of a class change, poses a number of serious technical challenges, that they did not have any plans on even sitting down to figure out how to solve those technical hurdles that prevents them from doing a class change token.

I am all for being able to flip the class of my main, but I am also realistic in my expectations, so unless ZOS decides that they have a room in their schedule to tackle this topic, I would not expect anything on that front to happen, free or paid.

LesserCircle

Yes

After playing another MMO that offers this as an option I would say yes, it's really useful and it makes sense.

Khenarthi

No

Class changes - at a fee - are not even possible yet. Besides, with 8+12 character slots, what is even the point?

AvalonRanger

No

FBS94 wrote: »

AvalonRanger wrote: »

ESO=MMORPG.
This poll is nonsense.

To give an example, Eden Eternal is an MMORPG with an in-game, free, changeable class system. If possible, please tell me why this poll-suggestion is "nonsense".

....

First of all, other game title example is totally meaningless.
This is Elder Scrolls world, remember? it's not just something MMORPG.

We're not "Dovakin" in fourth age of Skyrim. We're just nameless mortal in the second age of Elder Scrolls universe.
We're just tiny people who wrote trinket note which will be found by Dovakin in the cave 1000 years later.

We're not super hero who can do every role like the "Dovakin".

But, we're one of the parts of second age history of Elder Scrolls universe.
Every our player character has own background story(or nothing?).
For me, class is each character's personality, not just kind of game system.

If I want to play other class, just make new Elder Scrolls world character.
Give the "name" "appearance" and "class" for starting new story.

AvalonRanger

No

After Arcanist class released, there're much of "green effect" in the group dungeon.
Every 4 member were Arcanist. So boring.

If we can change class so easily, then each time new class show up we'll see those creepy scene.
No thanks.

Hapexamendios

No

Sounds like a rudimentary job system to me. If anyone wants that type system, there are options they can play. Not needed here.

Trejgon

Other

AvalonRanger wrote: »

FBS94 wrote: »

AvalonRanger wrote: »

ESO=MMORPG.
This poll is nonsense.

To give an example, Eden Eternal is an MMORPG with an in-game, free, changeable class system. If possible, please tell me why this poll-suggestion is "nonsense".

....

First of all, other game title example is totally meaningless.
This is Elder Scrolls world, remember? it's not just something MMORPG.

We're not "Dovakin" in fourth age of Skyrim. We're just nameless mortal in the second age of Elder Scrolls universe.
We're just tiny people who wrote trinket note which will be found by Dovakin in the cave 1000 years later.

We're not super hero who can do every role like the "Dovakin".

But, we're one of the parts of second age history of Elder Scrolls universe.
Every our player character has own background story(or nothing?).
For me, class is each character's personality, not just kind of game system.

If I want to play other class, just make new Elder Scrolls world character.
Give the "name" "appearance" and "class" for starting new story.

Technically speaking, we are "Vestige" whom saved Nirn from planemeld. (and/or saved tamriel from couple other world ending affairs by other entities than Molag Bal, in no specific determined order but all of that happened within one hellish year of second era.....)

That being said, if Vestige was capable of altering their profession, I guess that would put them above likes of Nerevarine, Hero of Kvatch or those heroes of the first two elder scrolls games (Agent and?). Dovahkin has cheated his way out of that one by not having a profession/class in the first place >.> 2nd era tamriel may not be ready for this grade of power :P

Tandor

No

Dragonnord wrote: »

What? No. No "class change" please. The game is fine as it is now.

We already had enough with AwA that killed the essence of using alts as unique characters.

Please stop mixing stuff.
 

This. A hundred times over.

Morgaledh

A single use class change token would need to cost 200€+ to make up for the loss of everything that's getting bypassed by such a system (buying riding lessons, sky shards, skill lines etc) or the respective playtime aka populating-the-server-time to make the game look alive. As this isn't going to happen a cheap token would slowly kill the game so the answer needs to be "No".

QFE. This is what everyone overlooks, and the only comment that really matters. Things have to be monetized, and in an mmo, time is the most valuable thing there is. One of the biggest reasons anyone would want to switch classes on an existing character (I know I'm in this group, and I know lots of others too) is to avoid the long riding lesson process, the skill leveling process, etc. that is attendant on new characters and still experience a different class. Ok, so these days one can buy these things, with real money from the crown store, and so everyone does, and no one actually goes through the riding lessons and skill lines, right?

Wrong - of course not; some do, maybe many do. But most don't, you know that and I know that. ZOS takes a calculated risk letting someone buy their way past all of those time sinks, the risk being that many will, but most won't do it. They'd rather have longer-term players who spend less in bursts, than shorter-term players who spend a lot in bursts, since longer players means that the game goes on longer, etc. (well, they'd prefer longer-term players who spend a lot in bursts, but I don't think that's really the majority of the base... I hope it's not!)

In order to make a class change token worthwhile in a monetary sense, it would have to cost what all the other time-savers cost, combined (obviously), and then they'd also have to figure out exactly how much the player time they're losing allowing someone to skip all of this is actually worth. It wouldn't be cheap - $/€200 seems low to me, when you think of what some of the high-end houses can go for, but ok. Maybe they could do this, but the high cost would be prohibitive for something that seems on the surface like it should be a simple and easy offer. But @Kisakee is correct, there's no way it would be a low cost token, since that would, with one use, suck weeks and weeks of playtime out of the game, and time in-game is the most valuable commodity for any mmo. Anything a company does that reduces the amount of time a player must spend in game has to be weighed very carefully against any putative benefit to the company. Leveling riding, or unlocking skyshards, or grinding skills up may not be the most fun things a player does, but those things are bread and butter to an mmo, since they keep you spending time in-game, in addition to the fun stuff you'd do anyway (quests, dungeons, whatever). There's nothing nefarious about this, it's just a business model that keeps customers occupied so they don't go somewhere else and do something else. Brick and mortar stores do it by how they lay out their floor space and where they place their displays, etc. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Zastrix

Yes

Yeah that's not going be a thing though. [snip] Do you think they'll miss out on the opportunity to have you pay for:

1. Vampire/Werewolf curse
2. Fighters/Mages/Psijic Order skills
3. Skyshards, loads and LOADS of Skyshards

[edited for bashing]

Tandor

No

Morgaledh wrote: »

A single use class change token would need to cost 200€+ to make up for the loss of everything that's getting bypassed by such a system (buying riding lessons, sky shards, skill lines etc) or the respective playtime aka populating-the-server-time to make the game look alive. As this isn't going to happen a cheap token would slowly kill the game so the answer needs to be "No".

QFE. This is what everyone overlooks, and the only comment that really matters. Things have to be monetized, and in an mmo, time is the most valuable thing there is. One of the biggest reasons anyone would want to switch classes on an existing character (I know I'm in this group, and I know lots of others too) is to avoid the long riding lesson process, the skill leveling process, etc. that is attendant on new characters and still experience a different class. Ok, so these days one can buy these things, with real money from the crown store, and so everyone does, and no one actually goes through the riding lessons and skill lines, right?

Wrong - of course not; some do, maybe many do. But most don't, you know that and I know that. ZOS takes a calculated risk letting someone buy their way past all of those time sinks, the risk being that many will, but most won't do it. They'd rather have longer-term players who spend less in bursts, than shorter-term players who spend a lot in bursts, since longer players means that the game goes on longer, etc. (well, they'd prefer longer-term players who spend a lot in bursts, but I don't think that's really the majority of the base... I hope it's not!)

In order to make a class change token worthwhile in a monetary sense, it would have to cost what all the other time-savers cost, combined (obviously), and then they'd also have to figure out exactly how much the player time they're losing allowing someone to skip all of this is actually worth. It wouldn't be cheap - $/€200 seems low to me, when you think of what some of the high-end houses can go for, but ok. Maybe they could do this, but the high cost would be prohibitive for something that seems on the surface like it should be a simple and easy offer. But @Kisakee is correct, there's no way it would be a low cost token, since that would, with one use, suck weeks and weeks of playtime out of the game, and time in-game is the most valuable commodity for any mmo. Anything a company does that reduces the amount of time a player must spend in game has to be weighed very carefully against any putative benefit to the company. Leveling riding, or unlocking skyshards, or grinding skills up may not be the most fun things a player does, but those things are bread and butter to an mmo, since they keep you spending time in-game, in addition to the fun stuff you'd do anyway (quests, dungeons, whatever). There's nothing nefarious about this, it's just a business model that keeps customers occupied so they don't go somewhere else and do something else. Brick and mortar stores do it by how they lay out their floor space and where they place their displays, etc. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

In addition to charging a rate that would result in no loss of revenue, they'd also need an additional amount to cover the not inconsiderable cost of actually designing, developing and testing the new system, coupled with an allowance for any increased customer support demand arising from it. They'd also be aware of the risk that making major changes to one system in the game could break other systems.

LunaFlora

Yes

i don't get why those things are a problem. i and many others want to change classes instead of make a new character to keep recipe and motif knowledge and quest completion. which you cant buy with crowns, yes you can buy some motifs in the crown store but not all of them.