Changing your character at level 1

[Harrow]

Honestly... what's the point of importing your chatacter if you then change significant aspects of it. It seems strange to import a character but then go through the whole character creation process again anyway. I can see customizing appearance again and, if they significantly change or add some abilities, let me choose new ones. But race, sex, class, stats? I wouldn't.

I'd guess it's because there might be things you can import other than story choices. I think it's already been hinted at that you get some sort of bonus for importing a high-level character or for having certain items in your imported save, and you can't get that if you just start from scratch and pick story choices from a menu.

 

I'd say, if nothing else, you should be able to change your class. You're getting de-powered to level 1 anyway--who's to say that, when you re-learn how to fight, you can't learn a new way?

 

My main reason for wanting to be able to chance race and sex is that I hope PoE2 offers new options that weren't available in PoE1, like new types of godlikes, and if we say that the Watcher's race and sex can't be changed, then it makes sense not to have any new race/culture options, either--after all, the Watcher couldn't have them in PoE1, and they're the same Watcher. And I think it'd be easy enough to handwave away without needing some sort of weird "soul transfer" phenomenon. Just say, well, people get it all wrong when they talk about the Watcher. Turns out rumors mutate, people in the Dyrwood don't agree on what the Watcher looks like, and most of them say he/she's a <race> from <place>, but it turns out they're wrong and he/she is actually <other race> from <other place>.

[tinysalamander]

I'm fine with everything but race and sex. That would be silly IMHO. Eothas' munching your soul can explain class, and hair style and stuff are inconsequential.

 

You just never tried to romance Eothas

[Brian6330]

My personal opinions on what should be changeable:
 

Cosmetics - Definitely

Class - Yes

First level skill choices even if you stay the same Class - Yes

Stats - Yes, but only to a limited degree, say being able to subtract up to 8 points and redistributing them, to keep more in line with "import" a character

Voice Package - Of course, with some more variety this time around if possible. In PoE 1 I find a somewhat fitting one, but not exactly what I imagined. Side-note: How often voice responses to clicks and similiar things are made would be nice to adjust in a slider or something similar. I grew a bit tired of the feedback towards the end of the game from every click, especially while just exploring.
Background, assuming it is even still in game - No, you got beat down, but Eothas didn't time travel and make you change your life choices

Subculture - No, just weird
Race - No

Sex - No

Name - No, we didn't lose our memory.

 

Additional:
Factions you've associated yourself with - No
Any notable monsters you've killed or allies lost - no

[Quillon]

If anything can be made optional, make it optional! Why should anyone else care if I'd change my human barb into an elven wizard? Maybe I just want to see the reactivity and don't care for the rest. If you don't want to change some aspect of your character, just don't change it

[KP the meanie zucchini]

Appearance, Class, and Portrait should be definite. Two are cosmetic but fairly light changes and with the changes in mechanics I'd hate to be stuck in a class I don't like because it was my PoE class.

 

(Sub)Race and Background wouldn't make narrative sense since they are changing the mechanics then you might as well allow it.

 

Name and Sex are cosmetic but at this point you may as well make a new character.

[Stratagemini]

I think you should always be able to change your hair and beard, even in the middle of the game. Honestly, that's just a haircut and a shave (maybe you'd need a razor or shears to do it, but still).

 

If you're starting over from level 1 you should be able to change your class too. especially because there are major mechanical changes to the class system. Same with first level skills. And Stats. Anything with mechanical changes from how it worked in PoE1 you should be able to alter. Voice packages might be different too so you should be able to explore them.

 

You shouldn't be able to alter your name, or Race, sex or National origin (unless those got mechanical changes when I wasn't looking?). I think the backgrounds were tied to class choices so you may end up having to alter those.

[JerekKruger]

If anything can be made optional, make it optional! Why should anyone else care if I'd change my human barb into an elven wizard? Maybe I just want to see the reactivity and don't care for the rest. If you don't want to change some aspect of your character, just don't change it

 

This is very much my feeling. Of course if the Conquest equivalent allows just as much choice as importing then it doesn't matter, but even so I'd let people change anything they want because why not?

 

By the way, I get the feeling from the wording of a lot of replies to this thread that people are not answering what they think should be allowed so much as what they themselves might change.

 

EDIT: to those who think players shouldn't be allowed to change, say, race or gender: why not?

Edited February 2, 2017 by JerekKruger

[Karkarov]

Name and Sex are cosmetic but at this point you may as well make a new character.

Good question. 

 

If someone really does want to change EVERYTHING about their character they are importing.... Why aren't they just making a new character, and going through the picking a world state stuff?  There is definitely a line where the amount of changes get silly.

 

I mean there is only one sequential game I recall that allowed you to change even your sex from game to game.... and it was Saint's Row.  Even in that silly over the top series characters would still find it odd "Didn't you used to be a guy...?"

[ThatUndeadLegacy]

Im fine with changing classes yet changing races is pure immersion breaking for me. I say keep it the same race. 

[ThatUndeadLegacy]

I think the change race gender could be really interesting. Remember you essentially die at the start of the game and ,as an awakened soul, maybe you could have jumped into another body--functionally giving the player the option at the start of the game to play the same character in a different body

Or maybe galvino is there, and in one moment of brilliance, replicates the expirement he did on the devil of caroc

 

 

The full narrative scope of this would be difficult to do adequate justice though, since it would involve a lot of responsive flags from characters you knew: 'so, this orlan female is actually the amau watcher I knew a few years back?'

 

Lots of good opportunities for humor, though- (another thing mentioned in stream)

That doesn't make much if any sense to me, even in a universe where strange magics exist, you nearly died but not actually died.

[JerekKruger]

If someone really does want to change EVERYTHING about their character they are importing.... Why aren't they just making a new character, and going through the picking a world state stuff?  There is definitely a line where the amount of changes get silly.

 

Two reasons: (i) the conquest type system might not allow you to pick every single decision that is imported with a save and (ii) importing a game with your desired state is probably going to be quicker than going through the conquest system.

 

Again: no one would be forced to change anything they didn't want to, so why would you want to disallow others from changing things like race and gender?

[Micamo]

I don't see any reason why not. There aren't any actual branching decisions in the game that are based on a particular background/culture/race/class/gender. These things only change your stats and flavor how NPCs respond to you. So it's impossible for changing your character to create a continuity problem.

 

(Only class-specific options that actually change the outcome of a quest I can think of are the Cipher options, but you can usually have Grieving Mother do those for you.)

Edited February 3, 2017 by Micamo

[Karkarov]

Two reasons: (i) the conquest type system might not allow you to pick every single decision that is imported with a save and (ii) importing a game with your desired state is probably going to be quicker than going through the conquest system.

 

Again: no one would be forced to change anything they didn't want to, so why would you want to disallow others from changing things like race and gender?

So Eder not only lost his levels, but he now has selective amnesia, and doesn't remember that the Female Fire Godlike used to be a Male Orlan?

 

There is a reason I mentioned the only game I have ever seen that lets a player take it this far is Saint's Row, and Saint's Row is not exactly the bastion of immersion and rich narrative.

[teenparty]

I always think of the class as a major part of my characters identity. That is why they lock down the lvl 1 class choices for the companions. 

 

 

 

Again: no one would be forced to change anything they didn't want to, so why would you want to disallow others from changing things like race and gender?

 

 

Because if they allow that, it may mean that they'll focus less on continuity. I don't want a fresh start. I want to continue my adventure. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by teenparty

[JerekKruger]

So Eder not only lost his levels, but he now has selective amnesia, and doesn't remember that the Female Fire Godlike used to be a Male Orlan?

 

Because if they allow that, it may mean that they'll focus less on continuity. I don't want a fresh start. I want to continue my adventure. 

 

Then don't change your race or gender, but don't insist that others shouldn't be able to.

 

I can pretty much guarantee that no line of dialogue will effected by allowing the player to change their race or gender. If you disagree, try to come with a plausible line of dialogue where someone makes reference to either of these two aspects, and explain how allowing players to change them would force this line to be removed from the game.

[IndiraLightfoot]

New stretch goal at 2.6M: Receive Berath's Blessing! Start a new game with gifted bonuses.

Err, is this some kind of New Game+?

[Karkarov]

New stretch goal at 2.6M: Receive Berath's Blessing! Start a new game with gifted bonuses.

Err, is this some kind of New Game+?

Uh no.  Berath's blessing was one of the buffs you could get in Eternity 1.  It is trying to say "create a new character and still get everything you could have gotten as a legit character import!"

[DCParry]

 

Two reasons: (i) the conquest type system might not allow you to pick every single decision that is imported with a save and (ii) importing a game with your desired state is probably going to be quicker than going through the conquest system.

 

Again: no one would be forced to change anything they didn't want to, so why would you want to disallow others from changing things like race and gender?

 

So Eder not only lost his levels, but he now has selective amnesia, and doesn't remember that the Female Fire Godlike used to be a Male Orlan?

There is a reason I mentioned the only game I have ever seen that lets a player take it this far is Saint's Row, and Saint's Row is not exactly the bastion of immersion and rich narrative.

Yes, but why would you care?

 

 

I think all elements should be changeable. There is literally no downside to allowing it. It would impact those who don't change their race and class in no way at all, and it would provide a better experience for those who do want to change it.

 

I find it strange that we shout for and champion the option for a billion pause options and combat toggles, but this seems to be an issue.

 

EDIT: Also, not to be pedantic (oh, who I am kidding, I love being pedantic), we are actually talking about changing race and sex. To my knowledge, gender is not addressed in a particular manner in the game.

Edited February 7, 2017 by DCParry