Since there’s been quite a bit on this already, I’ll try to keep it brief.
First, it should be noted that a Race Change item is desired by many players. If you don’t have a desire to change your race, that’s okay. There are, however, many who created characters at launch and have only recently realized that the race just isn’t what they thought it would be.
Second, a Race Change item would generate more revenue for ANet since it would most likely be introduced through the gem store. If there’s a reasonable way to implement something desired by the players without hurting the vision of Guild Wars 2, ANet should be willing to design it.
Let’s get into what the Race Change item would do.
I propose that this item function exactly like the Makeover Kit. It changes your body physically, and that’s it. The Asura create tonics that allow people to LOOK like other things. Now they’ve managed to extend that technology to imitating other races. This Race Change doesn’t really change your race though. You just APPEAR as someone from another race.
Personal Story. Personal story must be fully completed before changing characters. This will A. insure players experience the game a great deal before switching races B. circumvent issues with race-specific personal story and a race change and C. provide a basis for immersion regarding how others will refer and react to you as your original race.
So when someone saves the world from Zhaitan, people tend to remember that person. You’re the hero of the world. Heroes in our world are remembered quite well. Martin Luther King Jr will always be remembered as a man that fought for civil rights. It’s also commonly known that he was an African American. The same would be true of someone who saved the world from utter annihilation. People will remember his or her race. Since the Race Change Kit is known to only change the appearance, people will recognize you by your name, associate you with your great deed of defeating Zhaitan, and may or may not refer to you by your original race. It keeps immersion intact while avoiding additional script writing due to the race change.
Now that personal story and immersion are moot points, what about cultural armor? I feel that cultural armor should be kept soulbound and disallowed from being equipped. This will keep people from wearing armor from a race they no longer look like. If you decide to change back to your original race, you can equip that amor again.
Won’t people exploit this to get achievement points more easily? As far as buying new cultural armor, you should be able to buy the cultural armor of your new race. Here’s why this isn’t game-breaking. The [Race] Specialty Armors achievement requires that you soulbind the cultural armor. Since cultural armors are soulbound on acquire, a level 1 character can get the achievement as well as a level 80. The only difference is that you’re required to make an additional character slot, something that costs gems to have. Since this kit would also cost gems, the effective cost and difficulty to get the achievements would be the same, if not being more costly for the race change route.
I hope ANet gives this some serious thought in light of what is already allowed in the game. Immersion is something each player should be in control of. I personally have a hard time enjoying my Charr Warrior because he looks goofy to me. I’m not knocking the design. I love playing the Warrior profession, but aesthetics are a large part of how I experience the game. It’s clear others feel the same way given the sales of the Makeover kit. It’s wholly unrealistic to have someone get a sex change, facial reconstruction, and complete body reformation, but it’s something you’ve implemented to save people the hassle of remaking a character just for the sake of aesthetics. I hope you see that this solution is something purely aesthetic. I actually love the Charr storyline and culture. I’m just not convinced I want to always look like one.
The question comes down to this: would you rather make people choose between progression and immersion or allow them to keep both at their discretion? In other words, let the player decide how he or she best enjoys the game.
(edited by Mar.5180)
