Race changes

RAZORNZL · September 2015

I have never been big on reading forums and i realize this may be a topic that has been brought up a bunch but i was wondering if there was any talk of being able to change our races either via crown points or just as a option in game?
And if not what does everyone think about it?

I myself would happily pay a few dollars here and there to change my race around as i am very happy with my class choice i just like trying out new race passives with it.

Anorak · September 2015

I don't mind seeing racial changes in the store, but what I really want is a racial passive change. This would be an item or something that you could use on a character to get redguard passives or imperial passive on a khajiit ect. I think it would be fun and allow variation while you can customize how you look.

Stinkur · September 2015

As an argonian templar I would love to pay 25 bucks or something to switch to Breton./High Elf for the passive +10% magicka......

Prizax · September 2015

Yes, we will get race changes eventually... when? I don't know, hopefully before Orsinium or end of the year.

Between it will be nice if they give a free race change to those characters that were created like 1 year ago or so... :P

TheShadowScout · September 2015

It has been discussed - a lot. There have been some developer responses too, over all that time...

Yes, they are working on it, in all likelyhood, any race change will come together with a whole character recustomization option (since people who do change their race will likely want to adjust their appereance again, and not just keep the old slider settings and hope for the best... especially when changing between humanoid and animalistic races...)
We will get it... eventually... which can mean anything and everything from next month (unlikely) to next year (far more likely)...
Though it will almost certainly not be free, but cost a good chunk of crowns. That's how the game is now as BtP, though I expect those who feel the need to change their race here or there, will pay the cost. I myself see no reason for any of my characters, but... if I did, I'd put my money where my mouth was.

And some people still whine for racial passive changes, so they can cherry-pick their most favorable combination, something that has TES fans frothing at the mouth when they consider how it'd allow to take a steaming big dump on the TES lore we grew to love. Something I hope will never ever happen, not unless they flat out remove the "Elder Scrolls" part of the game fluff. The racial benefits are after all parts of the TES experience, always have been... redguards being good at fighting or bretons and altmer being good at magic or orcs and nords being tough is not something I'd want to see vanish with a flimsy "customization" excuse just so the min/maxers can min/max even more...

Alucardo · September 2015

Race changes? Absolutely not.

Alucardo · September 2015

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Yes, they are working on it

I saw them mention they are looking at racial passives, not allowing race changing, which shouldn't be an option anyway.

AngryNord · September 2015

Anorak wrote: »

I don't mind seeing racial changes in the store, but what I really want is a racial passive change.

Only if they remove Elder Scrolls from the game's title first.

Nerouyn · September 2015

TheShadowScout wrote: »

The racial benefits are after all parts of the TES experience, always have been... redguards being good at fighting or bretons and altmer being good at magic or orcs and nords being tough is not something I'd want to see vanish with a flimsy "customization" excuse just so the min/maxers can min/max even more...

Racial benefits, with a few exceptions (I'm looking at you Bretons) in the single player games have typically been trivial. Sometimes nice starting out but are quickly eclipsed by character advancement, potions, equipment etc. ESO's racial passives unfortunately aren't like that. If all Altmer got was +50 magicka, as in Skyrim, and spell power didn't scale with magicka, as in Skyrim, we'd see a lot fewer Altmer Sorcerers. Etc. etc.

While the idea of race changing seems odd / unrealistic to me, I think the developers dug that grave for themselves when they went this route with racials. They tried to convince both those who do and don't want really impactful racials that the game is how they want it, but that didn't work. So I think at some point the weight of dissatisfaction that so many players have with their characters will force the developers to offer it.

Iluvrien · September 2015

RAZORNZL wrote: »

I have never been big on reading forums and i realize this may be a topic that has been brought up a bunch but i was wondering if there was any talk of being able to change our races either via crown points or just as a option in game?
And if not what does everyone think about it?

I myself would happily pay a few dollars here and there to change my race around as i am very happy with my class choice i just like trying out new race passives with it.

I hate the idea. I have no desire to see it in the game. Ever. However if other people are desperate to the point of quitting over the lack of it then I can understand why the devs might want to add it to the game.

As a side note your first sentence tends to read as "I can't be bothered to use the search function to see what has already been said about this subject... so I am going to post anyway and wait for you to do it for me". Please consider this when starting threads on really common subjects in the future. Please?

AGrz5585 · September 2015

I have to say I'm fine with race changes. Racial passive change I'm not fine. Some games have done it, that have a big RP player base that complained about it and ended up not affecting that player base at all. SWTOR have decent cashshop barbershop. Each slider had a cost (whatever that games equivalent of crowns is), $0.50 to $1 per slider, or if you changed your race it was a flat out $10 and all recustomization was free. I think something along those lines would work at fairly well here.

nine9six · September 2015

Saving Crowns for when this (and other) worthwhile purchase shows up in the Crown Store.

I have over 11K Crowns, and I will blow every one of them on re-customizing my toons. Names, Appearance, Race, etc.

corrosivechains · September 2015

I really don't understand the reasoning behind wanting not only this feature but to pay for it as well. The majority of us (especially those unhappy with their racial choice) chose their characters for a reason...the main reason being that it was their favorite race in one of the single player Elder Scrolls games. Instead of asking to pay for things like race changes and faction changes, which ultimately create greater disparity...there needs to be a greater demand for greater balance.

And since we have one paid for race that is kind of locked into it's racials, that should be the baseline for which the other races are balanced against now. All that happens when you allow race and faction changes is the problem WoW now has...something like 70% of the population sits in one(the winning) faction, with 40-50% of that faction represented by one race.

That prospect isn't even remotely fun.

a.skelton92 · September 2015

RAZORNZL wrote: »

I have never been big on reading forums and i realize this may be a topic that has been brought up a bunch but i was wondering if there was any talk of being able to change our races either via crown points or just as a option in game?
And if not what does everyone think about it?

I myself would happily pay a few dollars here and there to change my race around as i am very happy with my class choice i just like trying out new race passives with it.

Hopefully not. Either re-roll or stick with what you have. I wanted to change my v7 characters race, so the first thing I thought was to make a new character. I am now back to v ranks.

And before anyone says; "I have a job, a wife, 2 kids, 5 dogs, 2 guinea pigs and bills to pay I could not possibly do all this again".. I too have a job.. In fact I have a self employed business to run 6 days a week 12 hours along with my partner I like to spend time with.. I am as casual as they come and if I can do it then so can other people.

Besides it discourages people just to reroll every week to the next fotm race, and It would be stupid to see 300 wood elves running about just because their stamina was increased by 1%..

This is not personal against you, just my opinion.

TheShadowScout · September 2015

Nerouyn wrote: »

Racial benefits, with a few exceptions (I'm looking at you Bretons) in the single player games have typically been trivial. Sometimes nice starting out but are quickly eclipsed by character advancement, potions, equipment etc. ESO's racial passives unfortunately aren't like that. If all Altmer got was +50 magicka, as in Skyrim, and spell power didn't scale with magicka, as in Skyrim, we'd see a lot fewer Altmer Sorcerers. Etc. etc.

True, and I would not be opposed to rebalancing the racial passives some more... they should be a slight difference, not something whole builds depend on!

Nerouyn wrote: »

While the idea of race changing seems odd / unrealistic to me...

...except its already in the game. Greenshade offers a quest where alchemy turns an dunmer into argonian (trying for Khajiit, actually, gbut getting the potion wrong...); and in Rivenspire there is a mystical goblet that turns anyone who drinks from it goblin... also in Sentinel there are a few permanent (until reversed) humanoid-to-animal alchemical transformations...
Thus lorewise, all that's needed would be a really, really good alchemist to get a transformation potion right....

AGrz5585 wrote: »

...SWTOR have decent cashshop barbershop. Each slider had a cost (whatever that games equivalent of crowns is), $0.50 to $1 per slider, or if you changed your race it was a flat out $10 and all recustomization was free. I think something along those lines would work at fairly well here.

I would think so as well... a cost per slider changed would make it much more easily usable then a gate charge to re-enter chargen...

Any recustomization features will likely be used quite a bit once they're available. People who made their character, and overlooked one little detail. People who made their character and then found something looks different in live ganme then it had in chargen. People who want to adjust their character to reflect their changes as they progress through the story. People who choose some name with too little thought, then found out it doesn't fit the naming options for their race. And yes, even people who choose their race for the passives, and now really feel the need to chase the min/maxers dream.

It would be a bit callous to just tell anyone who is at such point "Oh, just throw away the months/year you spent playing, levelling, crafting research and reroll" - far too likely to give them one more reason to leave and find another game, and the developers don't make profit of people who leave - they make profit of people who pay extra to get what they want.

And then there are always those who say "nyar" to the whole idea and cite the "FotM chase" as the sole reason. To which I say, if anyone really wants to spend the money to change their race every couple weeks - let them! Just puts more money in the developers warchest, just buys more programmer workhours to being new content for the rest of us... everyone wins!

Anorak · September 2015

AngryNord wrote: »

Anorak wrote: »

I don't mind seeing racial changes in the store, but what I really want is a racial passive change.

Only if they remove Elder Scrolls from the game's title first.

I honestly don't see a problem with this they are hidden stats that no one will ever see them. Also you need to consider that this is ESO were you are not bound by stupid limitations such as race. You can do whatever you want and that is how it should. Also the racial passive change would work in sets not allow all max stats to be raised making it op

Anorak · September 2015

AGrz5585 wrote: »

I have to say I'm fine with race changes. Racial passive change I'm not fine. Some games have done it, that have a big RP player base that complained about it and ended up not affecting that player base at all. SWTOR have decent cashshop barbershop. Each slider had a cost (whatever that games equivalent of crowns is), $0.50 to $1 per slider, or if you changed your race it was a flat out $10 and all recustomization was free. I think something along those lines would work at fairly well here.

What is wrong with the racial passive change? It doesnt affect rp at all as you don't see nords running around with huge sheilds that just float there to represent their cold resist or damage reduction.

HungryHobo · September 2015

Anorak wrote: »

I don't mind seeing racial changes in the store, but what I really want is a racial passive change. This would be an item or something that you could use on a character to get redguard passives or imperial passive on a khajiit ect. I think it would be fun and allow variation while you can customize how you look.

3 x stam regen buffs... or 3 x magicka regen buffs! woo!

Paazhahdrimaak · September 2015

Stinkur wrote: »

As an argonian templar I would love to pay 25 bucks or something to switch to Breton./High Elf for the passive +10% magicka......

Yup now that resto staff is at 50.

Please ZOS no race changes. Have them start an alt.

milesrodneymcneely2_ESO · September 2015

Why in the world does anyone care whether or not someone can change their race?

It's a standard paid service in almost every MMO out there, and it's a GREAT way to generate additional income for more content.

If you don't like it, maybe - and I'm just throwing this out there - don't use it?

Anorak · September 2015

HungryHobo wrote: »

Anorak wrote: »

I don't mind seeing racial changes in the store, but what I really want is a racial passive change. This would be an item or something that you could use on a character to get redguard passives or imperial passive on a khajiit ect. I think it would be fun and allow variation while you can customize how you look.

3 x stam regen buffs... or 3 x magicka regen buffs! woo!

Keep the templates the same and just have all the redguard passive on khajiit ect. I explained that in the other post. I'm not saying choose your own passives because that would be op

Junkogen · September 2015

corrosivechains wrote: »

I really don't understand the reasoning behind wanting not only this feature but to pay for it as well. The majority of us (especially those unhappy with their racial choice) chose their characters for a reason...the main reason being that it was their favorite race in one of the single player Elder Scrolls games. Instead of asking to pay for things like race changes and faction changes, which ultimately create greater disparity...there needs to be a greater demand for greater balance.

And since we have one paid for race that is kind of locked into it's racials, that should be the baseline for which the other races are balanced against now. All that happens when you allow race and faction changes is the problem WoW now has...something like 70% of the population sits in one(the winning) faction, with 40-50% of that faction represented by one race.

That prospect isn't even remotely fun.

Problem is that they think it is balanced. That's why we want a race change to be able to "balance" it ourselves. I wish it would be free since ZOS changed the game on us, but they won't. The whole thing is frustrating and makes me not want to play.

newtinmpls · September 2015

No.

Other MMOs fine.

Anything based (even nominally) in the ES universe - no.

eNumbra · September 2015

Its cute that people think this won't happen, or that it shouldn't because this is an Elder Scrolls game.

Buckle up guys, it's coming eventually, you won't be able to stop it.

newtinmpls · September 2015

Junkogen wrote: »

Problem is that they think it is balanced.

Oh I would never defend any of this by describing it as balanced. Races have never been balanced in any ES game, and this is hands-down-by-FAR the worst yet - and every time the dev's "improve" it, it gets worse.

But I still would say NO.

Life isn't fair, and ES is a dark and twisty universe.

Buck up and embrace the unfairness. And then go kick some *ss.

MrGrimey · September 2015

I'd rather have racial balance than changes... And just because imperial is a paid for race, doesn't mean it should have the highest main stat boost. It needs to be balanced as well

Anorak · September 2015

MrGrimey wrote: »

I'd rather have racial balance than changes... And just because imperial is a paid for race, doesn't mean it should have the highest main stat boost. It needs to be balanced as well

I hate to say it but they won't change it as they want it to have something no other race can get. Also no other race has a max hp increase but i imagine if they got one they would give them 12% as health is less valuable than stam or magica.

SedoUmbra · September 2015

RAZORNZL wrote: »

I have never been big on reading forums and i realize this may be a topic that has been brought up a bunch but i was wondering if there was any talk of being able to change our races either via crown points or just as a option in game?
And if not what does everyone think about it?

I myself would happily pay a few dollars here and there to change my race around as i am very happy with my class choice i just like trying out new race passives with it.

I think Race change is an immersion breaking, easily exploited idea. It will take the 'RP' out of 'RPG' and make it a P2W

Van_0S · September 2015

So, who is going to race change an argonian?.

I don't why they are there for us to choose in the first place ( you know what I mean)

eNumbra · September 2015

SedoUmbra wrote: »

I think Race change is an immersion breaking,

Immersion breaking is a pretty bad cop-out of an argument.

Horses and other mounts appear out of nowhere. Other players appear out of nowhere when they log in and disappear when they log out. The mount issue is far more noticeable than the players; but honestly there isn't much in the way of immersion, really. This isn't a single-player, story driven adventure. There's far too much going on and far too many menus to ever be bothered by the idea that a player went into a house a Nord and came out an Orc.

Anorak · September 2015

SedoUmbra wrote: »

RAZORNZL wrote: »

I have never been big on reading forums and i realize this may be a topic that has been brought up a bunch but i was wondering if there was any talk of being able to change our races either via crown points or just as a option in game?
And if not what does everyone think about it?

I myself would happily pay a few dollars here and there to change my race around as i am very happy with my class choice i just like trying out new race passives with it.

I think Race change is an immersion breaking, easily exploited idea. It will take the 'RP' out of 'RPG' and make it a P2W

Really? because last time I checked it was paying for convince as you don't have to level up a whole new character if you choose to be competitive. Also yes as you can see the dark elves fire attacks explode 10x larger and khajiits have sparks flying whenever their 8% crit bonus gives them a crit. The RP would be ruined if it was the other way.