Will the combat-class changes go live pre-expansion?

[CaptainLagbeard]

If cross class skills change, then I think it would be better to implement them before the launch of the expansion...
But if everything stays the same except they do away with the base classes, it doesn't really matter.

[Atoli]

How do you introduce such a system as an expansion feature when your game supports players without expansions? you can gate content, but how do you gate systems?
I for one think this change should probably be implemented beforehand

You give it to all players at the same time. I still fail to see why that is an argument for getting the changes beforehand.
Why does someone who does not own HW and SB need the changes to apply on, let's say, the 1st of June instead of the 20th?
He has from the 20th until eternity to get used to them. Literally nothing changes between having it a few days earlier or later. It's still inevitably coming.

Same with endgame players. Everyone gets it at the same time, everyone has to get used to it equally, everyone has to level through SB first anyway.
Having the changes in place several days earlier changes LITERALLY NOTHING.

The only "argument" I can see is that people are worried about balance issues, but that's what QA and test server are for, not the live servers.
And let's not kid ourselves, balancing will be adjusted on the live servers anyway come SB, no matter if the date for the combat system change is a week ealier or later.

[DBelmont]

The changes from 1.0 to 2.0 were bridged through extensive beta testing. If the changes are that intense for 3.0 to 4.0 and beta is not there, it is obvious to expect a couple of weeks of adding the changes for people to adjust.

It is irrelevant on whether or not that was the case for other games, cause 2.0 to 3.0 didnt introduce any fundamental changes to existing classes, therefore there was no need for that.

In the end, it all boils down to whether the changes will be that big or meaningful.

[XiXiQ]

I would rather see it a month or so beforehand, say in their last major patch. Either way, I'll not be buying stormblood until I am convinced it's not going to be a button nightmare.

[SnugglesD]

But since there will be abilities that you won't get until you reach level 70, What would be the point in having to relearn my job before the expac comes out, just for me to have to relearn AGAIN after it comes?

Why couldn't I just relearn my job during my progression from 60-70?

I think you're missing what most of the combat changes will be. No one is asking for their new abilities early. What people want is the new ui tools for tracking things like buff stacks and dots and the hotbar changes. Ability changes are small by comparison.

[Felis]

The changes from 1.0 to 2.0 were bridged through extensive beta testing. If the changes are that intense for 3.0 to 4.0 and beta is not there, it is obvious to expect a couple of weeks of adding the changes for people to adjust.

2.0 is a new game. It is not an expanion from 1.0. And new games have beta. And SB will not be a rebuild again.

[Malzian]

2.0 is a new game. It is not an expanion from 1.0. And new games have beta. And SB will not be a rebuild again.

Yep, as a legacy player from 1.x I can tell you that the code for the game along with everything else is 99.99% different. They kept a couple of things and a couple legacy systems but that was a total systemic overhaul. This is an overhaul to one system, so while it is warranted to be part of an expansion it does not meet the criteria for Beta testing on any scale outside of internal.

[KusoWat]

2.0 is a new game. It is not an expanion from 1.0. And new games have beta. And SB will not be a rebuild again.

There are beta tests for pretty much every other mmorpg, including their expansions, except this one.

Besides the point, as I said, have major functional changes being put in before the expansion could be important. Not the new 62-70 abilities...but the changes to the combat system which is supposed to change combat gameplay as a whole.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

There are beta tests for pretty much every other mmorpg, including their expansions, except this one.

Besides the point, as I said, have major functional changes being put in before the expansion could be important. Not the new 62-70 abilities...but the changes to the combat system which is supposed to change combat gameplay as a whole.

They arent really changing the combat system.

Making provoke available to all tanks regardless of Gladiators level isnt so much a combat change as a QOL measure lol....

[Remus]

I don't see why not. Would be good for people to see how they have changed the combat pre-expansion and make changes which they need to make. I really don't want to spend the first hour re-organizing my hotbar when expansion is live haha.