I heard that in ESO you will be able to change your class role on the fly... Please tell me this isn't true! I quit playing Rift because my guild would always ask me to play a role I didn't like... If I start an archer character, I want to shoot things, not sing songs as a bard! This kind of system obligates players to play character roles that they don't enjoy playing just to make sure a group or raid succeeds. No fun!

Doesn't sound like an issue with roles. Sounds like an issue with the people you play with.

But yes by changing weapons and perhaps armor you'll be able to switch up. Doubt it will be on the fly though. You may not be able to do it in combat. Its more of a personal choice thing. As its YOUR character, play the way you want. If you feel pressured to play a way you don't then stand up for yourself and/or find better people to play with.

Have to agree with Pang. If the people you are playing are forcing you to play something that you do not enjoy time to find another group of players. They could always recruit more people to fill the missing role.

I dislike being able to "respec" or otherwise drastically and inexplicably change the core of your character's nature on a whim. But I'd be OK with stuff such as a fighter switching his sword and board for a two-handed weapon to be less tanky and more hitty. But I'm not OK with him suddenly being able to use magic and heal people if he couldn't already do so.

Bear in mind I'm not saying respecs shouldn't exist - I think they should, in some form. But it's not something you should do on a whim. It should take effort and be costly. If your character is just a toolbox you switch in and out (like in Diablo 3) I find the whole character development pillar of the RPG is lost.

You make a good point, however - I enjoy raiding, and being in a top or close to top guild. No top guild is going to accept a player that isn't willing to change roles to how they see fit. So since the mechanic exists, I either have to play a role I don't want to, or join a more casual guild. Facing this decision when I played Rift is why I ended up quitting.

I agree with you. But unfortunately, what I heard on an alpha youtube video review, is that you *can indeed* change a fighter to a healer role, etc. Maybe it's too early to be freaking out - but I've just been so disappointed by every MMO to ever come out since EQ. I've become quite the pessimist.

I don't think we'll be able to switch specs at all, will he? From everything i've heard, it sounds like the way we spec is how we'll have to play, but that we can mix and match.
Example: Stealth healer, Mage-tank, Illusion ranger, etc etc.

You will be able to change your role while out of combat. But you will not be able to do it as well as someone who has that role as their specialty.

While true, its again your choice. If you choose to join those types of guilds then with it comes certain expectations and being able to multii role usually is one of those things.

I've always raided in every MMO I play as well so I know how it works. I've never had this issue because when I join a guild to raid with I shop around and find the right fit. I also except that if I join a certain guild with it comes expectations on my playing, thats my choice though. Personally I've never had an issue with switching roles, because seeing and overcoming the encounters is where I get my fun from and not so much which role I was performing.

Guilds specialize in different things. Some guilds raid, others pvp, others rp. If the guild you join require you to play certain classes and specs that is up to them. If you accept then you agree to playing those specs. If you tire of it... leave and find another guild. Ultimately it is your choice on what you want to do.

We don't even know if there will be "specs" or not.

What we do know is that classes in ESO will be rather opened ended. Meaning picking a class simply determines which class specific abilities we have. Beyond that though we can use and skill up in any weapon or armor in the game. We also know that there are abilities tied to weapons so changing a weapon will change/add some abilities on our action bars.

It looks like so far from what we know that the combination of what class we picked initial and what weapons armor we use determines how we play and what roles we fullfil, and not some skill tree or spec we spend points in like other MMO's. We might have perks and such like the single player games but those will likely simply enhance our roles not determine them.

It is more like, "do you want to continue tonight or log off and go to bed early?" So if you all decide you want to continue on without who ever is leaving you can at least do that , you back up a bit and get out of combat, Joe sets all his healing abilities on his hotbar and you continue on. If you don't want to you don't have to but I think it might be better to have the choice and I am glad ESO will be like that.

afaik you can switch your SKILLS on the fly, you wont be able to just switch your gear. (well you can, but you're gonna be 'bad' with it...)

IF you have maxed out everything. thats when you can truly just switch on the fly

Like I said before, I prefer playing in a somewhat high end raiding guild. If I am not doing that, I am not having fun. If I can't play my preferred role, I am also not having fun. So the role-switching game mechanics are a no go for me, since all high end guilds will expect you to switch roles at their whim.. At that point, I would just move to another MMO that more fits my style. Not just find another guild. What svcks is that I always just seem to go through the same heart-breaks every time i get excited for a new MMO. 38-Studios seemed to be on the right path as far as making an EQ-like game, but they have since disbanded.