It would be different.

The meta game would be even more restrictive at an end-game level. Some skills would be obviously BIS for given roles and that's what people would use.

We'd have less variety in PVP for the same reason.

And while individual players would have more options for how they want to play their characters, we'd honestly have less distinct playstyles. As it is, my Stam sorcs play differently from my stam DK and very differently from my Stam Warden, even if they all use bow/DW.

In short, it might suit people who want the feel of the single player TES games where you could experience a distinct playstyle when swapping different weapons but not feel pidgeonholed in to one thing or another. But for anyone who likes ESO's end-game content or PVP (two things not present in the single player TES games), this would remove the distinct playstyles provided by classes even though the weapons/staves all have established BIS skills.

Personally, I think ESO's classes serve their purpose to create variety of gameplay in a way that - let's be honest here - the classes of previous TES games never really managed, at least judging by my experiences in Morrowind and Oblivion and it was removed in Skyrim except for the Warrior/Mage/Thief stones. ESO, like the TES games, makes weapons available for everyone...and then distinguishes its playstyles by class first, then weapons.

I would have liked no classes.

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO wrote: »

No.

it's like people think they're big and stronk just because they post a big firm "No." or something...

Anyway, eso would definitely be very different if say, class skill lines were replaced with destruction, alteration, restoration, etc. So different it's really hard to imagine what the game would even look like...

I dunno. I don't really have an opinion either way because as it stands, it's just an idea; there's nothing to suggest what it would look like or how it would function once implemented into how ESO works as a game when compared to a singleplayer TES game

The restrictions imposed by class based systems are essential for creating a balanced MMO experience whether you like them or not.

I'm happy with the classes as a bundle of skill lines, BUT, I'd like a FFXIV like option to switch between classes and level them all.
So my character could be every class, but one at a time. Even if it was restricted by forcing you to use the same skill points pool, it would be okay.
(I played like max 10 hours of this game, but a friend of mine has spent thousands and thousands of hours on it, and this system is perfect for the mono-character I am).

classless MMO play worked for secret world

dont see why it wouldnt work in other games ... but changing ESO after so many years is asking too much,

perhaps ESO2 could use that model

diversity isnt based solely on classes possessing different skills that do different things ... that actually only leads to balancing issues

diversity can also be graphics/animation based ... you can have analogue skills (skills that effectively do the same result) but that look completely different when activated

Not sure returning to that anti-class system is a good idea...

Pick a class with skills you never use so that you can be 100% in the things you want and still only level 1...
and all that jumping everywhere to level acrobatics!

I would love for classes to become skill lines akin to Weapon skill lines.

There's no lore reason for a mage who learnt to summon a daedra minion (Sorcerer) to be unable to learn how to raise a dead (Necromancer) or to cast an invisibility spell (Nightblade).

Stamina can already switch between 2H, DW, and Bow.
But Mage can't learn new spells outside their base school (Conjuration, Necromancy, ...) but Destruction/Restoration.

Of course, for it to be fair, as classes are mostly comprised of magic abilities, new Stamina weapons would be needed. Like a spear with an extended melee range (around twice as much than current melee weapons), or a crossbow (could be a armor piercing weapon with the drawback of a slow firing rate).

No thanks, I'd hate everyone running around with the same FOTM set of skills, and without which players would be kicked from groups. Variety is the spice of life for all but the most diehard min-maxers, and classes are the best way of generating variety.

How bad would it be if the classes worked like Lycanthropy and vampirism? Acquired in game through a quest instead of chosen at character selection? And you could switch between classes like you can be a werewolf and then a vampire. I'm not asking for it, I don't expect the system to change, but would something like that be okay for everyone?

Chronocidal wrote: »

diversity isnt based solely on classes possessing different skills that do different things ... that actually only leads to balancing issues

diversity can also be graphics/animation based ... you can have analogue skills (skills that effectively do the same result) but that look completely different when activated

I would disagree. Diversity is not a matter of graphics. It's distinct gameplay.

My Stam Sorc, Stam DK, and Stam Warden all use DW/Bow. But they play very different. My Stam sorc is an AOE monster chewing through mobs surrounding her. My Stam DK starts off with putting DOTs that build to overwhelming damage. My Stam Warden takes timing to pull off her powerful bursts.

Similarly, my MagDK Tank and MagSorc tank play differently. My MagDK is the master of battlefield control and group buffs, able to chain and lock down mobs, and healing herself at the same time as she kills enemies. My MagSorc melts mobs with her lightning, relying on damage shields and her matriarch for self heals.

And when I used a MagWarden and MagPlar healer, again, they played differently. My Mag Templar had powerful burst heals, while my MagWarden kept up a steady stream of incoming heals and group protection.

In short, all of the classes can play the different roles. Balancing how well they do that relative to each other is, as you say, a balance issue. But the distinctiveness of their gameplay and the diversity of the playstyle comes from how they accomplish their task. This is far more than just graphics/animation.