Glorious Alpha Two Testers!
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Phase I of Alpha Two testing will occur on weekends. Each weekend is scheduled to start on Fridays at 10 AM PT and end on Sundays at 10 PM PT. Find out more here.
Check out Alpha Two Announcements here to see the latest Alpha Two news and update notes.
Our quickest Alpha Two updates are in Discord. Testers with Alpha Two access can chat in Alpha Two channels by connecting your Discord and Intrepid accounts here.
Comments
I think the real question for you to explore is "how would a system like this HELP towards social interaction?". When you realize it wouldn't, your idea becomes less likely to become a reality.
Ashes is an RPG.
If this was something Intrepid saw as an issue, they have an easy method for getting past it.
1) Since you can do any profession, you will have more competition over resources
2) This competition is twofold, both in trade (higher demand for ore, because everyone can be a blacksmith) as well as gathering (bigger crowds wanting to gather herbs from the same bush)
3) Overal the web of interactions becomes much larger if everyone CAN be anything, but only 1 thing at a time.
Your suggestion is already changing the way you look at classes, roles, characters and players. As such, at the very least, it need to be VERY carefully considered, and weighed against what Intrepid want from their class system.
Now, one of the key things in the example I gave of WoW's LFG system that was completely unforeseen, yet had a major negative impact on the game (on the genre, tbh), is the way that system allowed players to treat each other as disposable. If someone wasn't up to the task, just boot them (or vote them out) and a replacement can be instantly ported in for you.
What this suggestion of yours will do is mean that any single player in the game can replace any other single player in the game. While it is not as drastic as WoW's in that the player still needs to get to you, it is adding to the disposable-ness players will feel towards each other.
However, in conjunction with the family summons that Intrepid want to do, this could well see players treat each other as even more disposable in Ashes as they do in WoW - as that family summons will allow you to bring that player straight to you, under specific circumstances.
The system really doesn’t achieve anything g except add content you can do on 1 character and removes the need to relog if you want to play something else. I’m done arguing about it in this way, because every negative effect you say will happen is already possible just by relogging to an alt.
Either all you guys take the stance: 1 class and no alts OR my system. You just can’t argue with all your points, if the same is possible just by creating an alt.
No one wants to be that one person in the group that can only do one thing.
You are looking at your idea as being a replacement for alts.
It is not.
What it is, whether you like/accept it or not, is an extension on the progression of individual characters. That is how most players will look at it - not as some optional thing they could do if they felt like it. This isn't the case at all.
There are many valid points being presented, you are just coming up with nonsensical means to discount them.
However, *IF* it did come down to this, I would vote for no alts.
Player decisions having meaning is a core aspect of Ashes, and the first decision players make that has meaning is their primary class. Make it so this decision doesn't matter, and you set the tone for the whole game, giving people reason to assume other decisions they make will also not matter as Intrepid will just give them an easy path out.
I'm curious, have you not actually played many MMORPGs before?
It could also be that you are very blessed in terms of what you've experienced in those games.
I can definitely see how, with a specific set of experiences, you could come to the conclusion that we are delusional and the result won't be as described, and I'm happy for you.
But since this is a trivial matter to avoid doing, and not everyone is as fortunate as you have been, allow Intrepid to protect those who have not had your experiences.
People expect anyone playing their main to max out that characters progression, no one outright expects players to have alts.
Now, this doesn't stop a person from maxing out many alts if they wish, but as I said, it is about player behavior towards each other.
What if there is a threshold? For example double the experience needed to reach 50 for every prestige.
Something to make clear it is a hardcore mode.
All that does is stretch out the progression a little further.
It would force some people to think about which class to take as their second and third (most people would have a DPS, tank and healer or bard), but it wouldn't put a stop to the general behavior.
bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Currently you can swap between 8? 8 what?
We can have two archetypes "active".
There are not 64 archetypes. There are 64 classes.
Currently we can swap between 8 Secondary Archetypes.
RPGs do not necessarily get "better" with as many progression paths as possible.
This is like asking to be able to run down the field holding the ball in your hands while playing soccer because it would better than being restricted to not using your hands. Games are "better" when able to make a goal in as many ways as possible - including throwing the ball in the goal with your hands.
Which works great for American football and for basketball, but not for soccer.
Games have rules and restrictions.
Different games have rules that are more restrictive than others.
Original tag is objectively "better" than freeze tag or TV tag?
Simon Says is "better" when we can progress to the front of the line without having to freeze when "Simon" looks at the group?
Heh. Well, considering your prestige system doesn't exist in any major MMOs, and those MMOs have been successful for decades, that evidence speaks for itself. Maybe it would bear more fruit by asking more questions and learning more instead of getting defensive about "your system" (which really isn't yours since prestige classes have been around since 3rd Edition DnD).
Current system:
Create 8 alts, level each to max level, and have immediate access to 8 classes by relogging (primary archetype free swap, only relog required) and access to 64 by relogging and swapping process
My suggestion:
Create 1 character, level to max, prestige 8 times (which is more work than levelling 8 alts, which you can still do if you prefer that) have access to all 64 classes without logging out, but having to go through a process to swap including primary archetype
Everything you guys have said regarding “negative consequences” (again, besides Noaani) is already holding true in the current system.
So I cannot see why none of you can see the upsides, when they are clear.
"1) Since you can do any profession, you will have more competition over resources
2) This competition is twofold, both in trade (higher demand for ore, because everyone can be a blacksmith) as well as gathering (bigger crowds wanting to gather herbs from the same bush)
3) Overal the web of interactions becomes much larger if everyone CAN be anything, but only 1 thing at a time."
Let me rephrase a bit. What I mean by social interaction, I mean working together to work as a community. Leaning on one another to make friends, create trades, engage with other players more than just the typical mmorpg allows us to do.
Your idea of competition over resources divides us. The competition is great but division of community is trash and I would argue that the competition will be the exact same with both styles.