Love the fundamental design idea Kuro. I think it is a large step in the right direction, and I hope the devs will look at your insight and draw from it no matter the outcome. I would like to toss out an idea for your critique. Maybe this gets too complicated but wanted your opinion.

It took a while to go through the whole thread, so if I missed where you addressed this scenario I apologize. Also, maybe this idea just dove-tails yours except changes one of your initial base assumptions (that you made out of necessity); that we would not be required to re-rank each advanced class separately, but that a 50 Gladiator would have full access to both the Paladin and Dark Knight talent trees.

Would there be a possibility of maintaining the original classes in a form that expands the basic functionality of the classes. The initial classes we have now can be adjusted to provide general skills that support the base functions of that type. For example, gladiator is a general tanking class. Archer would be general ranged attack skill support.

A player could choose to follow a specialized, talent tree class at 20, or they could stick to the general class. If they did the advanced class, they would be given the skills of that specialization and everything necessary for the class, but may not have some of the general skills that a generalist would obtain. Traits such as 5% shield bonus, extended guard or parry stance, etc would be available to the general class. Some of the traits or skills could even be shared. (Shield Bash available to Paladin at 35 while 25 for Gladiator) The real balancing would be in the distribution and usage of ability points.

Why leave the original class? It could be used to provide a limited, carefully balanced group of cross-over skills. They would be expensive to slot and of limited ability, but would give the flexibility some of the broader thinking players may want.

The general idea would be a three tier system of costs.

AP = Ability Point
General Classes = Classes we have now. (Gladiator, Pugilist, etc)
Specialized Classes = New advanced classes. (Paladin, Dark Knight, etc)

The 1st tier would be the immediate class one is using, based on the weapon one is wielding. The player could slot any skill within the immediate tree from 21 to 50 in the class tree and 1 to 21 in the general class tree for the normal AP cost.

The 2nd Tier would be the general class of the tree structure. For Dark Night, the general tree would be the Gladiator class tree, starting from rank 21 and up. These skills could be slotted to specialized classes within the immediate tree for twice the AP cost of the skill.

The 3rd Tier would be the general classes of other class trees OR for a specialized class skill or trait within the same tree structure. For example, a Dark Knight slotting a Pugilist skill/trait OR a Dark Knight slotting a Paladin skill/trait. These skills could be slotted for four times the AP cost.

Skills and Traits for advanced tree branches not within the same tree are not available to be slotted.

I realize this is the same system as you have described with some tweaks. Just wondering if you think an idea like this is feasible, and throwing it out there. If someone wanted to spend crazy AP to slot raise from their 50 Conj to their Paladin, they could, but SE could still subject it to significant cross-class penalties.

Is the grind of a general class on top of a specialized class to much to ask? I know the min-maxers will do it, but would it be too big a turnoff to casuals?

/textwall m(_ _)m