If it will have classes we can just go and (or continue to) play any other MMO.

The classes in ESO don't determine what role you play, they just offer different skill lines for versatility. You could be a templar ranged using a bow, or a sorcerer wearing heavy armour acting as a tank, it's not at all streamlined like a lot of MMOs.

This criticism is especially funny to me when 4/5 TES games have had classes. Skyrim isn't the only game in the series. Having four classes (which only have 3 unique skill lines each so they really aren't classes at all) makes it easier to balance, seeing as how this is online and stuff, ya know?

They could be more versatile.

We've had classes in TES before but they've been freeform, ie: you can still do everything if you put enough time and effort in. However in ESO choosing a class precludes 9 skill-lines from you ever being able to touch.

Since your 5-skill hotbar + 1 ultimate already limits your build, I don't see why they couldn't let people have access to everything. The only thing they'd have to do is also limit the passives. But then if everyone can have every passive, maybe not.

You should see it as obilivion with a few twitches.

^ This. OP is just trollin' I think. I would rather he necro'd this discussion than make a new thread consisting of one contentious claim and zero supporting arguments.

No it's more like Oblivion but those skills for your class are the only things you can do in the game.

I have no trolling or whatever mind.

Arena and Daggerfall had classes but you could create any class and shape it into whatever you want, even name it whatever you want. You could cast arcane spells even if you did not have high magic skill but you could cast them anyway as long as you had mana. That versatilty is what makes Elder Scrolls Elder Scrolls imo.

Sounds like you made up your mind, toodles in whatever game you find; I don't know why you posted just to basically say you won't play.

I agree a custom class option, with some balance tweaking (mostly with the passives) would be good.

The way I'd picture it is the custom class you get to choose any 3 of the 12 class skill-lines. So I could be N1,N3,S1 as I personally wanted, or D1,T2,N2.

You'd still be limited, but at least you could get more interesting hybrid action.

I personally would go N1,N3,S1. I love the Nightblade offensive stuff, my weapons would be dual-wield and bow, but I also want to throw lightning magic but I do not want to use a staff.

In a TES game, MMO or SP, I should be able to do just that.

I am trying to say to devs that they will lose customers like me if you go this way. Whats wrong with this?

Nothing, but many people blindly defend the will of the devs as if they are utterly omnipotent and no one could possibly challenge their vision. *shrug* You see that crowd in more or less every large IP out there with a large enough fan-base. They are best ignored because they bring nothing useful to the table.

Not saying anyone here is doing that per se.

You know, I think that might actually be an interesting compromise. The MMO players (mostly) like it the way it is, and the TES players want more versatility. Keep the class lines currently there, and just let the player choose what three they want. For the MMO players who like it as it stands, they can just choose the three class lines from the class they're playing now and they're set.

Great idea, actually one of the best I've seen in a while. The only problem would be balancing. Someone could just find the "perfect" combination of class lines and that could lead to one build dominating most of the others.

I aggree with you. I like the general play of nightblade (which actually was also the class I played in daggerfall) but you cannot cast arcane spells which was a really import aspect in older ES games like daggerfall. Using ilusion spells like invisibility to boost the play style.

Or maybe, just maybe, some of us actually know things about this game and know the classes are very much very open. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't really know what they are talking about.

Just stating, "If it will have classes we can just go and (or continue to) play any other MMO" (in regards to your OP) can lead to being perceived as trolling as you have no supporting facts for the statement or sources, and it appears you are trying to provoke an argument. You just said one sentence, and as this is a highly sensitive topic right now, it can easily be attributed that you said that just to start an argument.

As to address your point you are trying to make:

Classes have to exist in MMO's. Personally, I like how they are right now. They're pretty loose for an MMO as it is. However, Capitol's idea could be a nice compromise if the balancing issue could be worked out.

Of course they will lose customers doing it their way, they will also lose customers doing it the way you are suggesting, it's impossible to satisfy everyone, try it out, if you don't like it, don't play it, simple.

Yes, the custom classes could I'm sure be tinkered with to find utmost tanks, DPSers and supports but that would be at the expense of the base classes current versatility.

And I concede that this would need serious tweaking balance-wise, and passives would need to be limited just like actives currently are.

Also I am not advocating getting rid of the current classes completely. There is something to be said for offering plug-and-play elements, especially for the large console market that is now available to this game.

Some of us do yes, and while I will always agree that the class system is fairly open when compared to, say, WoW or another cookie-cutter AAA MMORPG fair, it is still very limiting when you come from a TES game or another MMO with a more open skill system. It could be improved to be more versatile without destroying what's currently on offer.

There are, however, those in this community who simply defend every decision the devs make, regardless of logic or reason, just like there are those who criticize every decision the devs make, regardless of logic or reason. I'm sure you've encountered a few of them already on both sides of that coin.

I agree, saying that kind of makes it sound like trolling, sorry OP.

As to your second point, classes do NOT have to exist in MMOs. Where did you get that impression? There are plenty of MMOs without them and their systems work beautifully.

I..I didn't say..huh?

You're still going to be able to anything.

A Dragonknight could be made into a full caster if you use Destruction Staff and Mages Guild skills and maybe the limited fire magic spells from the class skills. You don't have to be melee because of the class.

A sorcerer could spec up with Fighter Guild, Two-Handed, and Armor Skills and be pure melee.

Well as you seem to fail to understand, they aren't even interested in ordinary TES-Solo-Game-Players.

There will be a TES 6 for you and all ppl with your mind set, which in fact is a great mindset.

Elder Scrolls Online is a spin-off dedicated to MMO-players.

Surely they'll be glad for each copy sold, but they focus on MMO-Gameplay.

And just as GW2 and TSW have proven: you need classes and role in an MMO to keep things going and gameplay interesting.

This basically.

The classes really aren't that limiting. You can make the classes into anything you really want it to be and still be pretty damn good at it.

Yes, they don't HAVE to exist. Perhaps I shouldn't have used that word. However, in terms of balancing, it is far easier to balance a game when there are classes and far more interesting. Having a free-form, one-character-can-do-everything mindset usually doesn't turn out that well.

Surely you aren't still of this belief are you? 2 years ago I might have agreed with you, but combine the fact that they have stopped calling it an MMO, have added first-person combat, and are releasing the game on consoles (where there is a TES audience of 11 million and an MMO audience of almost nobody) you kinda gotta give this perspective a second thought.

MMO nomads are not as numerous nor are they as reliable as the TES audience. If they are still only marketing to MMO gamers they have already lost and this game is going belly up once all the nomads go back to their first-love game, which, let's face it, is probably WoW.

Except that a one-character-can-do-everything system is already balanced. There's no actual balancing needed. It's classes and limitations that actually create the need for the kind of balance we're talking about. If everyone can do everything then the only thing giving you a disadvantage is your time investment.

Now that system isn't perfect either, I prefer UO's skill system where you can do anything you want but not everything all at once. And if you find a skill is not to your liking you can unlearn it in favor of another skill. It also prevents FOTM. UO has 5 pretty well-balanced high-end PvP builds that really give people a breadth of play-styles.

Interesting article on balance everything should read: http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/balance.shtml

OP hits us with an argumentative question and then goes offline; a master at his art.