SWTOR

[Evildrider]

I'm just going to warn all you BC folks right now...if we really do end up on an RP server, I am going to roleplay the shit out of this.  My nerdboner is now fully engorged.  I may even type in a British accent.

Is that like in italics?

[Teleku]

I'm just going to warn all you BC folks right now...if we really do end up on an RP server, I am going to roleplay the shit out of this.  My nerdboner is now fully engorged.  I may even type in a British accent.

And I'm just going to warn you that I'm going to respond to you in 4chan script kiddie speak every time you talk to me like that.

[Cyrrex]

I'm just going to warn all you BC folks right now...if we really do end up on an RP server, I am going to roleplay the shit out of this.  My nerdboner is now fully engorged.  I may even type in a British accent.

And I'm just going to warn you that I'm going to respond to you in 4chan script kiddie speak every time you talk to me like that.

That would be fantastic!

In all honesty, I doubt I could manage to keep up any sustained RP for any length of time.  Still, if we are going to be on an RP server, it is probably worth a tiny bit of extra effort.

[Lantyssa]

How many of you AC switching Jihadists have played the beta?  

Do you mean those in favor of switching, or those in favor of not allowing switching?

I'm in favor.  I'm in beta.

I'm just going to warn all you BC folks right now...if we really do end up on an RP server, I am going to roleplay the shit out of this.  My nerdboner is now fully engorged.  I may even type in a British accent.

No worries.  Only a few here have seen me even go close to full RPer.

[Sand]

Class stories are for base class, not AC. One of the more compelling arguments for allowing AC swapping.

I have read both sides of the argument here, not without some amusement.
What Sky says above has been my big question. If what he says is true there is no reason not to allow AC switching.
If the class story continues all the way up through lvl 50 then it would of course make no sense to allow you to simply instantly "respec", but if the story ends at lvl 10 as he says then there is no reason not to have some "respec" mechanism in game.

[Furiously]

By rping the shit out of it you mean the unfortunate landing party from the enterprise who suffered a terrible transporter issue trapping them far far away long long ago?

[Margalis]

Role play an actor on the set of the next Star Wars movie, constantly asking where the craft services tables are.

[Sky]

but if the story ends at lvl 10 as he says

That's not what I said.

Sage and Shadow would both have the Consular story, which runs the length of the game afaik.

Another roadblock to AC swapping would be that they're often set up different. Continuing the Consular example I've been using thus far, the Shadow uses a double saber and the Sage uses a single saber. So for loot rolling, you now have Shadows rolling on the highly contested single sabers (Sage and both Jedi Knight ACs) as well as their own double sabers. It's not quite as simple as Rift's soul/role switching because they are actually set up as different classes after level 10.

By the time I'd worry about having to reroll another, say Consular again, I'd have already played through every other base class on both sides. Why would I want to reroll a Consular to play Sage before I'd played a BH or a Sith or a Scoundrel etc etc? The Trooper is definitely worth playing if you've already played a BH - the mirroring is very loose and that's not even taking story into account. Seems like a silly concern about not being able to have everything. There are 8 classes per side, the base class thing is just to consolidate the story.

[Mosesandstick]

Yup. If you want to have the two ACs of the same class you have to play through the "same" experience.

[eldaec]

The Trooper is definitely worth playing if you've already played a BH - the mirroring is very loose and that's not even taking story into account.

Eh?

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

Story and graphics aside, even BW have started referring to them as the same class.

My own plan is largely to play one AC on each side, so I can at least pretend they are different.

[Sky]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

[Evildrider]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

The classes are mirrors but they aren't exact copies.

[luckton]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

The classes are mirrors but they aren't exact copies.

Brings us back to my re-skinned/re-animated comment earlier.  The numbers and effects that the skills do turn out to be the same, it's the execution and 'visual flair' that differs.

[Nevermore]

Another roadblock to AC swapping would be that they're often set up different. Continuing the Consular example I've been using thus far, the Shadow uses a double saber and the Sage uses a single saber. So for loot rolling, you now have Shadows rolling on the highly contested single sabers (Sage and both Jedi Knight ACs) as well as their own double sabers. It's not quite as simple as Rift's soul/role switching because they are actually set up as different classes after level 10.

Uh, that's not a roadblock.  In WoW that's a feature.  Hell, my Druid needs 4 different sets of armor and two different weapons and I don't even keep a separate tanking set.

[tazelbain]

Do Sith skills have goatees?

[Murgos]

Thought I would share this:

Writers finished a major milestone for post release content. We’re going to keep half of the voice actors in Hollywood employed for years.

So, they are already well along on post launch content.

[Bunk]

Yup. If you want to have the two ACs of the same class you have to play through the "same" experience.

You could argue this the other way: If I want to play the same class a second time to see how the story differs if I go Goody Twoshoes vs. Evil Bastard, at least I can pick the other AC!

Honestly though, once I heard that gear types were totally different between two ACs of the same class - that seems to be a pretty good reason to limit or not offer switching.

[Sand]

but if the story ends at lvl 10 as he says

That's not what I said.

My mistake. When you said the stories were for base class not AC, I mistakenly assumed you meant they stopped at lvl 10 and for the remaining 40 levels there was no specific class story.
Then based on your clarification I wouldnt support being able to switch AC's at all.

[Rasix]

 

[Sand]

What? Im not in the beta so I dont know whats going on and only have my interpretation of his post. Which could have been read to mean that from levels 1-10 (base class) there is an origin story with associated quests you follow along, but during AC level (11-50) you are doing random quests and world wide story line similar to WoW. This is how I interpreted his post.

He meant the story continues along all 50 levels but which AC you choose doesnt alter that story.

Based on his short post it was an easy mistake/miscommunication to make.

[Sky]

I lean toward Bunk's line of thought if I were to ever play the same class through for the other AC. Though again, I'm not sure why you'd do that. Just because they consolidated the story doesn't mean it's the same class any more than it was in EQ2. Unlike EQ2, there's a valid reason (writing and VO overhead) for doing it here. I'm ok with that.

[koro]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

How do you mean, no? The names and animations may be different, but mechanically and numbers-wise, they are identical. Any difference is play style from Trooper to Bounty Hunter is pure perception.

[luckton]

I assume thats not early access for non-guilded pre-orders?

http://buy.swtor.com/us/

Look in the fine print at the bottom.  I'll highlight it for you.

CUSTOMERS WHO PRE-ORDER STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY THE GAME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH. EARLY GAME ACCESS IS THE PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE THE OFFICIAL GAME LAUNCH WHEN PRE-ORDER CUSTOMERS MAY ACCESS THE GAME. EARLY GAME ACCESS MAY BE UP TO 5 DAYS. THE LENGTH OF YOUR EARLY GAME ACCESS DEPENDS ON THE DATE AND ORDER IN WHICH YOU REDEEMED YOUR PRE-ORDER CODE AT THE CODE REDEMPTION CENTER. SEE PRE-ORDER FAQ FOR MORE DETAILS.

[Fordel]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

Yes. Mechanically they are IDENTICAL. Same abilities/talents/numbers. The differences are purely visual.


The only actual mechanical difference, is that a BH would use Pistol or Two-Pistols, while a Trooper would use BlasterRifle or Assault Cannon. Everything else is window dressing.

[Surlyboi]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

Yes. Mechanically they are IDENTICAL. Same abilities/talents/numbers. The differences are purely visual.


The only actual mechanical difference, is that a BH would use Pistol or Two-Pistols, while a Trooper would use BlasterRifle or Assault Cannon. Everything else is window dressing.

And if you're playing this just as a numbers game, rather than for the experience and the fun, go play Eve and call it a day.

[Samprimary]

Well, why say that? It is a valid point of contention to note that they've ended up with the classes as just mirrors of each other.

Does seem like kind of a bummer (I'd want a sniper to be different from a gunslinger, por exemple) but realistically it's evidence of sanity in the faction balance design.

[Fordel]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

Yes. Mechanically they are IDENTICAL. Same abilities/talents/numbers. The differences are purely visual.


The only actual mechanical difference, is that a BH would use Pistol or Two-Pistols, while a Trooper would use BlasterRifle or Assault Cannon. Everything else is window dressing.

And if you're playing this just as a numbers game, rather than for the experience and the fun, go play Eve and call it a day.

Who said I'm doing that though? I like window dressing!

[Sjofn]

I'm just going to warn all you BC folks right now...if we really do end up on an RP server, I am going to roleplay the shit out of this.  My nerdboner is now fully engorged.  I may even type in a British accent.

<fistbump> I know in my heart I am going to RP my smuggler. And I don't care who in Slap knows it!

[Evildrider]

A smuggler of raisins?

[Kageru]

And if you're playing this just as a numbers game, rather than for the experience and the fun, go play Eve and call it a day.

You are always playing both, unless you are simple-minded enough you honestly don't notice or enough of a hard-core RP nerd you can overlook it.

[Sky]

They have literally the same skills, stats, abilities and talent trees.

No.

Yes. Mechanically they are IDENTICAL. Same abilities/talents/numbers. The differences are purely visual.

Ok, that's the end of the discussion, since we can't make any sense out of what each other is saying without breaking NDA.

[eldaec]

Honestly not sure I could maintain the silly accents long enough to RP on the republic side.

[Surlyboi]

And if you're playing this just as a numbers game, rather than for the experience and the fun, go play Eve and call it a day.

You are always playing both, unless you are simple-minded enough you honestly don't notice or enough of a hard-core RP nerd you can overlook it.

Or, you can enjoy the goddamn story and turn off the min/maxer part of your brain and just play.

[caladein]

Or, you can enjoy the goddamn story and turn off the min/maxer part of your brain and just play.

Enjoying the story or not has little to do with what we're discussing.

If the mirror's story is engaging enough to overshadow playing a very similar experience mechanically (assuming you're playing the mirror AC as well), especially if you've put a lot of time into a main on the other side, that's great.  When it's not though, you're stuck playing a less powerful version of a character you already have with a different skin.

That's a weakness.  Maybe it's one that you don't care about strongly, but it's there and a drawback to playing classes that you've already played the other side's version of.

[Evildrider]

Or, you can enjoy the goddamn story and turn off the min/maxer part of your brain and just play.

Enjoying the story or not has little to do with what we're discussing.

If the mirror's story is engaging enough to overshadow playing a very similar experience mechanically (assuming you're playing the mirror AC as well), especially if you've put a lot of time into a main on the other side, that's great.  When it's not though, you're stuck playing a less powerful version of a character you already have with a different skin.

That's a weakness.  Maybe it's one that you don't care about strongly, but it's there and a drawback to playing classes that you've already played the other side's version of.

They may be mirrors but they play a bit differently, not a whole lot but enough to make it a bit of a different experience.