Class Changes and You, feat. Mounts and Armor
Jan 30, 2017 11:27:50 GMT -6
Post by Vincent on Jan 30, 2017 11:27:50 GMT -6
The issue: So there you are, you realize you made a mistake picking your class and you wish you could be a different one, but that is 1000 Gold down the drain that you wanted to use on something else. What’s more, if you spend that gold now, unless you pick up a mount from the class change it becomes a loss in its entirety once you reach 500 posts and attain apotheosis into board godhood.
Proposed solution: My proposition is that a class change should be effectively done away with. Instead you can pay the 1000, or perhaps even more to adopt an aspect of the desired class. For example a mount or a weapon training you otherwise could not access.
The reasoning: Normally I would try and split this into a narrative and a mechanical reason separately but I find they line up fairly nicely. It makes little sense. From a narrative standpoint it becomes a powerful tool to show a character going through a big change, same as a promotion would, but why would the character suddenly lose their skills they may have attained previously? For example Vincent is a Hero class with access to both the axe and the sword. I decide I would like to give him a class change to a general to reflect a decision or perhaps role that got put upon him. He can do so as both classes have access to axes. But after he can no longer use a sword.
Why this makes no sense: He has used a sword for years and is highly skilled and well versed in this having obtained both single bladed and duel bladed feats. It is ingrained into his character and it makes 0 sense to suddenly ditch that.
Another example: The poster boy of the class change is Hal, the character. He used to be a wyvern rider but became a soldier. Narratively it is a powerful decision but does not make much sense as potential future development is concerned. Hal’s mount is not dead only retired, there is due believability that he could call upon the beast for more flight and aerial combat but because the class says no he cannot. Nor can he obtain a new mount as an alternative. It becomes a restrictive tool in as many ways as it could be freeing but due to losses in gold it is ultimately a loss in its entirety.
Other cases of expanded proposal: Mercenaries are said to have a shield, Knights and generals have Heavy armor, Bishops have slayer. There are several pieces of classes that are given for free that others do not get. In the case of Knight’s and their armor it is an easily overlooked or ignored aspect. It also highly reduces the appeal for items such as armor slayers. The same as a dragon slayer or horse slayer. These are all fantastic items that get reduced to paperweights while everyone guns for magic weapons. Why? Because they have no relevance except fighting a niche category. Even regal weapons are overlooked for now (I expect a surge in popularity soon though).
Mechanical Proposal: Mounts and armor should be made readily available as purchasable for classes that meet the requirements or those that want to spend the extra gold. For example a knight can have heavy armor at creation for free. A General promotes accessing top armor for free. Mercenaries similarly with a shield and Heroes with a heavy shield. A thief on the other hand would have access to none of it. But through saving up he could possibly get armor of his own from the store. OR
Even mounts. The appropriate classes should have one from the beginning, the 4 choices being Horse, Wyvern, Pegasus, and now Griffon. What is different about them all has been established and why could someone not learn to ride one overtime without fitting a particular preset mold?
Of Magic and Weapons: Mixed classes have been a big point of debate on balance and new players wanting to play their favorite dark knights and tacticians. I do not necessarily vote we bring in alternative classes for this but what if for a little extra gold we opened the door to the opportunity? Yes, my suggestion extends to fighters with magic and mages with axes.
But what about my magic sward?: Magic weapons have received numerous buffs to try and balance them to standard magic. Honestly if applied appropriately I don’t care what spells the mage is slinging they can be at a loss. Magic weapons have the distinct ability to cast advanced magic on the move without exhausting the wielder. On the other hand a mage gets more magic per dollar but it exhausts them, they can’t cast on the move, and that leaves them open while STILL able to be countered by a regal weapon. Everything is broken if applied cleverly.
Alternative implementations: I stand behind all of my ideas but I know that growth periods are important and classes exist for a reason. This brings me to the Champion and Archsage who obtain apotheosis to board godhood. These were made to reward members that reached the magic 500 post marker. There were few, still are few, but the gap is ever closing. My alternate implementation would be to not give these classes everything they wanted but allow for the chance to make the purchases to access new weapon specialties, armors and mounts.
Final Remarks: This suggestion would be a far more freeing alternative to class changes and allow a more fluid system to character progression. To piggyback off of Nayru’s suggestion, if class skills were to be introduced as well, your choice of class will retain full integrity. If not then classes would simply introduce what you start with and promotions act as free advancements.
I encourage ideas and feedback. This is just the start, (Hopefully), to a productive conversation. I know there are reasons for all things and some of these suggestions I have never seen others make but they seem to be concepts overall ignored in game.
Proposed solution: My proposition is that a class change should be effectively done away with. Instead you can pay the 1000, or perhaps even more to adopt an aspect of the desired class. For example a mount or a weapon training you otherwise could not access.
The reasoning: Normally I would try and split this into a narrative and a mechanical reason separately but I find they line up fairly nicely. It makes little sense. From a narrative standpoint it becomes a powerful tool to show a character going through a big change, same as a promotion would, but why would the character suddenly lose their skills they may have attained previously? For example Vincent is a Hero class with access to both the axe and the sword. I decide I would like to give him a class change to a general to reflect a decision or perhaps role that got put upon him. He can do so as both classes have access to axes. But after he can no longer use a sword.
Why this makes no sense: He has used a sword for years and is highly skilled and well versed in this having obtained both single bladed and duel bladed feats. It is ingrained into his character and it makes 0 sense to suddenly ditch that.
Another example: The poster boy of the class change is Hal, the character. He used to be a wyvern rider but became a soldier. Narratively it is a powerful decision but does not make much sense as potential future development is concerned. Hal’s mount is not dead only retired, there is due believability that he could call upon the beast for more flight and aerial combat but because the class says no he cannot. Nor can he obtain a new mount as an alternative. It becomes a restrictive tool in as many ways as it could be freeing but due to losses in gold it is ultimately a loss in its entirety.
Other cases of expanded proposal: Mercenaries are said to have a shield, Knights and generals have Heavy armor, Bishops have slayer. There are several pieces of classes that are given for free that others do not get. In the case of Knight’s and their armor it is an easily overlooked or ignored aspect. It also highly reduces the appeal for items such as armor slayers. The same as a dragon slayer or horse slayer. These are all fantastic items that get reduced to paperweights while everyone guns for magic weapons. Why? Because they have no relevance except fighting a niche category. Even regal weapons are overlooked for now (I expect a surge in popularity soon though).
Mechanical Proposal: Mounts and armor should be made readily available as purchasable for classes that meet the requirements or those that want to spend the extra gold. For example a knight can have heavy armor at creation for free. A General promotes accessing top armor for free. Mercenaries similarly with a shield and Heroes with a heavy shield. A thief on the other hand would have access to none of it. But through saving up he could possibly get armor of his own from the store. OR
Even mounts. The appropriate classes should have one from the beginning, the 4 choices being Horse, Wyvern, Pegasus, and now Griffon. What is different about them all has been established and why could someone not learn to ride one overtime without fitting a particular preset mold?
Of Magic and Weapons: Mixed classes have been a big point of debate on balance and new players wanting to play their favorite dark knights and tacticians. I do not necessarily vote we bring in alternative classes for this but what if for a little extra gold we opened the door to the opportunity? Yes, my suggestion extends to fighters with magic and mages with axes.
But what about my magic sward?: Magic weapons have received numerous buffs to try and balance them to standard magic. Honestly if applied appropriately I don’t care what spells the mage is slinging they can be at a loss. Magic weapons have the distinct ability to cast advanced magic on the move without exhausting the wielder. On the other hand a mage gets more magic per dollar but it exhausts them, they can’t cast on the move, and that leaves them open while STILL able to be countered by a regal weapon. Everything is broken if applied cleverly.
Alternative implementations: I stand behind all of my ideas but I know that growth periods are important and classes exist for a reason. This brings me to the Champion and Archsage who obtain apotheosis to board godhood. These were made to reward members that reached the magic 500 post marker. There were few, still are few, but the gap is ever closing. My alternate implementation would be to not give these classes everything they wanted but allow for the chance to make the purchases to access new weapon specialties, armors and mounts.
Final Remarks: This suggestion would be a far more freeing alternative to class changes and allow a more fluid system to character progression. To piggyback off of Nayru’s suggestion, if class skills were to be introduced as well, your choice of class will retain full integrity. If not then classes would simply introduce what you start with and promotions act as free advancements.
I encourage ideas and feedback. This is just the start, (Hopefully), to a productive conversation. I know there are reasons for all things and some of these suggestions I have never seen others make but they seem to be concepts overall ignored in game.
Kirala-Daughter