How many subclasses are there REALLY?

Uazole2 · June 19

ESO's calculations of over 3000 subclass combinations is kinda right, but not really, they didn't account for duplicate builds starting from different classes. The actual count of unique subclass configurations is 1708. There are 1330 combinations where 2 skill lines are replaced and 378 setups with just 1 skill line replaced. So 1708 total unique combinations.

Remember that all 3 class lines that are used in a single build can be reproduced in 3 ways, only the name of the base class will be different.

virtus753 · June 19

Uazole2 wrote: »

ESO's calculations of over 3000 subclass combinations is kinda right, but not really, they didn't account for duplicate builds starting from different classes. The actual count of unique subclass configurations is 1708. There are 1330 combinations where 2 skill lines are replaced and 378 setups with just 1 skill line replaced. So 1708 total unique combinations.

Remember that all 3 class lines that are used in a single build can be reproduced in 3 ways, only the name of the base class will be different.

Since base class determines class mastery effects for Scribing and which sets you can make use of from IA, using a different base class is more than just a difference in name.

Uazole2 · June 19

Please explain your statement "make use of from IA". I don't understand. As for scribing spells, you are correct in that the base class will restrict which of those can be slotted.

I appreciate the differences, but the fact still stands that there are only 1708 unique spell line combinations.

preevious · June 19

He means the sets from infinite archive. They are base-class-locked, so, your base class matter if you wanna use them.

virtus753 · June 19

Uazole2 wrote: »

Please explain your statement "make use of from IA". I don't understand. As for scribing spells, you are correct in that the base class will restrict which of those can be slotted.

I appreciate the differences, but the fact still stands that there are only 1708 unique spell line combinations.

The person above put it more succinctly, but to explain it with examples:

Let’s say I have a character who has Herald of the Tome, Aedric Spear, and Assassination.

Can I use the Aetheric Lancer set from IA?

Only if my character is base Templar. Not if the character is base Arcanist or Nightblade. Even with the same three class line combo.

Can I use a Nightblade set from IA to get that red glow effect?

Only if my character is base Nightblade.

For Scribing, you can absolutely slot the same combinations of scripts on any build. But the base class changes what effect(s) the class mastery script produces.

With the Herald/Aedric/Assassination build example:

If base Arc, I generate crux.

If base Templar, I get a boost to weapon/spell damage and armor. (I get 33% less than a Templar with Restoring Light, though.)

If base Nightblade, I get resource restore or crit chance.

I cannot use a base Templar or Nightblade but choose to generate crux. Only a base Arcanist can do that, so the base Arc has a big advantage in combat over the other two when using beam as the spammable. (The passive crux generation from Banner is very noticeable and allows the Arc to beam more often rather than needing to spend extra GCDs flailing to get to 3 crux.)

So Aedric/Herald/Assassination is not the same as Herald/Aedric/Assassination, if the first line listed is the one kept from the base class. I think it’s not unfair of ZOS to count these as unique from each other since they do not allow for the same builds. (But Herald/Aedric/Assassination is the same as Herald/Assassination/Aedric, since there is no difference in terms of 2nd and 3rd lines, only base class choice.)

TX12001rwb17_ESO · June 19

virtus753 wrote: »

Uazole2 wrote: »

ESO's calculations of over 3000 subclass combinations is kinda right, but not really, they didn't account for duplicate builds starting from different classes. The actual count of unique subclass configurations is 1708. There are 1330 combinations where 2 skill lines are replaced and 378 setups with just 1 skill line replaced. So 1708 total unique combinations.

Remember that all 3 class lines that are used in a single build can be reproduced in 3 ways, only the name of the base class will be different.

Since base class determines class mastery effects for Scribing and which sets you can make use of from IA, using a different base class is more than just a difference in name.

You know that would be very easy to change.

virtus753 · June 19

TX12001rwb17_ESO wrote: »

virtus753 wrote: »

Uazole2 wrote: »

ESO's calculations of over 3000 subclass combinations is kinda right, but not really, they didn't account for duplicate builds starting from different classes. The actual count of unique subclass configurations is 1708. There are 1330 combinations where 2 skill lines are replaced and 378 setups with just 1 skill line replaced. So 1708 total unique combinations.

Remember that all 3 class lines that are used in a single build can be reproduced in 3 ways, only the name of the base class will be different.

Since base class determines class mastery effects for Scribing and which sets you can make use of from IA, using a different base class is more than just a difference in name.

You know that would be very easy to change.

I’m not a developer with access to ESO’s code, so I really don’t know that. From what I’ve gathered from comments made by ZOS and by players who are developers, some things in this game are apparently much harder to change than one might think, depending on how they have been coded (as opposed to how they might have or arguably should have been coded).

ZOS has also spoken several times about how hard it would be for them to change base class specifically, which has been preventing them from offering true class change as an option. I don’t know whether that might be related to how they would go about opening up class mastery script effects and IA class sets.

I’d be happy to get a comment from them on these restrictions beyond just confirming that they exist. I’m not aware of any statements they’ve made indicating whether they’re open to changing this.