Race and Class changes ... how would this even work?

RizaHawkeye · August 2015

Okay, there are a number of threads where people are asking for these kind of changes. This is not that thread.

What I'm not even seeing is how this would work in a way that would benefit the person making the change. Which makes me think I'm missing something obvious (more likely) or people aren't thinking this through (much less likely).

Okay, so imagine you're a level 50 Bosmer Nightblade and you're willing to spend the equivalent of $25.00 in crowns (or whatever) to change your race and class to a Nord Dragonknight. You buy the scroll, vanishing ring, potions ... whatever ... and then you use it. Now your race is changed and your class is changed.

Obviously, all those skill points relating to the Nightblade class are returned to you (like when you respec). If you put anything into Bosmer passives, they would be returned as well.

But now you have a bunch of skill points and you're not leveled up in any Dragonknight skills or Nord passives. They would all be at level 1. You would then have to grind, grind, grind until your skills and passives were high enough to even use these points (the one's for morphs and ultimates). Sure, I'm assuming you would keep your other skills experience, but the ones that you changed would all be at 1.

The only way it would even be beneficial is if the experience somehow transferred with the race/class change. So whatever experience you had in the first Bosmer passive would become the experience you have in the first Nord passive, and so on. Is that the idea?

Because really, the grinding thing doesn't seem that attractive to me.

BaconMagic · August 2015

Do we have to do this? The other threads are kinda making this seem very redundant.

RizaHawkeye · August 2015

BaconMagic wrote: »

Do we have to do this? The other threads are kinda making this seem very redundant.

Of course not, Bacon. There are thousands of other forums you can go to.

ChibiMechaX78 · August 2015

You really should've just commented in the appropriate threads as this didn't really need an entirely new thread itself.
I mean I guess the threads didn't combine Race and Class changes in one topic, but still this topic isn't far enough from the topics in the other threads for it to need a new thread.

Rikal · August 2015

A major rule of design I was taught is the KISS principle. Keep it Simple.

I'm thinking if these features are ever implemented, new skills should just start at one and that's part of the deal. As it is now, if you start a new skill line at a high character level, the skill levels up much faster already. It might not be that big a grind to have them start at one.

phairdon · August 2015

What happens if the players did not buy an edition of the game, allowing them to play any race in any faction? Your race options might be kind of limited. You would need to start from scratch in a new faction.

MaxBat · August 2015

ChibiMechaX78 wrote: »

You really should've just commented in the appropriate threads as this didn't really need an entirely new thread itself.
I mean I guess the threads didn't combine Race and Class changes in one topic, but still this topic isn't far enough from the topics in the other threads for it to need a new thread.

Agreed, this topic does seem to be popping up at an alarming rate and has been since the PC release over a year ago. A comment in a thread might well have been sufficient. But maybe the OP was trying to avoid bias and bullsh*t that's going on in the other threads? And it does seem to be a sincere question, not arguing for a change.

@RizaHawkeye : To answer your question, I'm not in favor of the idea at all, but I would imagine any skill/class change would not include an experience transfer. You buy the change, you start at 1.

I really doubt this will every happen. People have been arguing this for well over a year.

ChibiMechaX78 · August 2015

phairdon wrote: »

What happens if the players did not buy an edition of the game, allowing them to play any race in any faction? Your race options might be kind of limited. You would need to start from scratch in a new faction.

Race and Class switching isn't the only thing people wish for, but also Alliance switching which to me also feels it'd be a bad idea for PVP because if people can switch populations would fluctuate to which side is winning more consistently.

phairdon · August 2015

ChibiMechaX78 wrote: »

phairdon wrote: »

What happens if the players did not buy an edition of the game, allowing them to play any race in any faction? Your race options might be kind of limited. You would need to start from scratch in a new faction.

Race and Class switching isn't the only thing people wish for, but also Alliance switching which to me also feels it'd be a bad idea for PVP because if people can switch populations would fluctuate to which side is winning more consistently.

In total agreement with you about faction switching. Can only see it being benefitial for getting out of a low populated pvp campaign. Same problem happens with my other mmo. People gravitate toward to the top 3 worlds for their version of pvp, because of population imbalance & the easy win factor. Costs a lot of real world money to transfer to top home worlds. Whereas the company running the game give discounted or free transfers to the lower populated home worlds to try & spread the game population out.

Class switching. As stated above, you need to start from the beginning as you have not learned any of the skills.

RizaHawkeye · August 2015

MaxBat wrote: »

ChibiMechaX78 wrote: »

You really should've just commented in the appropriate threads as this didn't really need an entirely new thread itself.
I mean I guess the threads didn't combine Race and Class changes in one topic, but still this topic isn't far enough from the topics in the other threads for it to need a new thread.

... But maybe the OP was trying to avoid bias and bullsh*t that's going on in the other threads? And it does seem to be a sincere question, not arguing for a change ...

Honestly, I just wanted a quick answer - because I didn't see race/class changes as even a valid possibility. I suppose I just wanted to ask on neutral territory.

But yes, in hindsight, I should have just thrown it one of those threads and let it go.

Apologies to the forum.

TheShadowScout · August 2015

Race changes... I imagine those would be no big deal, they could refund the points in racial passives, or simply change the passives and leave the points spent as they are, the passives are sort of matching, and generally you max them all anyhow by the time you get to veteran ranks...

And yes, the racial limitations would apply, so those without any unlock purchases would be limited to choosing the other two rances in their alliance... (but if you shell out for a change, you might as well buy the "any race, any alliance" unlock)

Class change is much more iffy, due to the mentioned class skills. They could of course just chnage the skills and keep the progress, which is what I would do if this ever was implemented... let people pay extra for respec if they feel the need... not like the gold for a respec is hard to earn once you hit the veteran ranks after all...

Alliance change... well, the fear of PvP migration I cannot really share, since that is already possible just by switching campaigns... who'd pay real money for something they can do another way in game? I see it more of an "oh, all my friends now went AD but I made this character in DC because I liked redguards... and I'd like to quest with them... but not redo all my work" option... The iffyness with that one is the quest structure, so it likely would be only available once people play through all of cadwells and avoid any oopsies in that progression...

phairdon · August 2015

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Race changes... I imagine those would be no big deal, they could refund the points in racial passives, or simply change the passives and leave the points spent as they are, the passives are sort of matching, and generally you max them all anyhow by the time you get to veteran ranks...

And yes, the racial limitations would apply, so those without any unlock purchases would be limited to choosing the other two rances in their alliance... (but if you shell out for a change, you might as well buy the "any race, any alliance" unlock)

Class change is much more iffy, due to the mentioned class skills. They could of course just chnage the skills and keep the progress, which is what I would do if this ever was implemented... let people pay extra for respec if they feel the need... not like the gold for a respec is hard to earn once you hit the veteran ranks after all...

Alliance change... well, the fear of PvP migration I cannot really share, since that is already possible just by switching campaigns... who'd pay real money for something they can do another way in game? I see it more of an "oh, all my friends now went AD but I made this character in DC because I liked redguards... and I'd like to quest with them... but not redo all my work" option... The iffyness with that one is the quest structure, so it likely would be only available once people play through all of cadwells and avoid any oopsies in that progression...

Changing campaign is just that. You're still playing for the same alliance/faction. The references to alliance change is about changing to a new alliance, so players can be on the popular/winning side.

TheShadowScout · August 2015

Yeah, I know. But, just saying... the "winning side" usually depends on campaign. I know some are firmly in the hands of one alliance (the so called "buff servers" they sit on to have those advantage in all areas), while others are nicely fought over and change color all the time (much better for PvP enjoyment, those). So there often are people changing campaigns to be on the winning side... why would they pay real money to change their alliance when they can do that, hmm?