ArenaNet:Guild Wars 2 suggestions/Dynamic Character Changes

Dynamic Character Changes (Discussion)
From the original Guild Wars I found myself if I wanted to try some new things I'd have to create a completely new character to do that. This would become particularly annoying when I ran out of character slots and was forced to make tough decisions on which characters I should keep or which characters I should delete. Along with this is the fact that characters save their weapons, skills, and armor do not change at all over time. This creates very rigid characters that have only changability in three categories while everything else remains utterly the same. So with the boredom that arises with some characters, trying something new is increasingly difficult the further into the game you get. The way to alleviate this is with dynamic changes over time to characters. First example to fix this is have any character able to choose any profession once those professions are 'unlocked'or 'learned' on that character, with a max ammount of core professions that can be learned, while still allowing the purchase or learning of any secondary profession. Such as core professions are available from the beginning, while more advanced ones are unlocked. And at any time a character can change professions and secondary professions to fit the situation or just to try something new without creating a completely new character.

As for dynamic changes of the characters at hand, based not on weapon, skills, or armor, certain actions can effect what the character turns out appearing as or even what personality might occur. A great basis for this system is in Nightfall where decisions have effects that are long lasting or short lasting, but decisions do effect the outcome. Say that a player has the choice to help a citizen or hurt them. If they choose the former their standing might improve, thus causing probable rewards, unlock other things, or even change the appearance of that character for the better, such as a kinder face or even a sort of aura of goodness. As for the latter it may cause possible negative effects (or positive depending on the character play happening). This would include lower standing, or perhaps a trail of fear that NPCs react to, a dark aura of negativity, and perhaps things as scars or other effects which may appear. If the player wishes to revert decisions it is simple as doing something good in turn or something bad in turn.


 * Why this is a good idea
 * Players are not stuck creating several characters just to play the game to the fullest. Instead they can focus on one or two characters and adjust those characters depending on the situation at hand. An example would be a character leveling up a warrior type class, but then feels like playing monk for something new, but at one point a group of friends needs him as a warrior. Instead of switching characters completely, it is easy as pushing a button. Also since Guild Wars has continually been about non-level grinding, making these profession changes won't be too hard to start something new, where a player can jump right into the action.
 * Certain players are tired of static natures of characters, making it feel that once you are done in the creation phase nothing new can really happen, thus making a mistake a lingering problem down the road. Having dynamic characters based on decisions in which players are aware of the consequences makes it so that throughout the adventures players can change their characters to fit their needs at that time instead of starting all over again.


 * Why it may not work out
 * The fact that appearances are heavily reliant on professions makes it difficult to imagine a single character which can have many professions. Furthermore several players enjoy having all sorts of characters with different names, attitudes for playing them, and specified goals for each character. Having it combined in one or two characters might seem like things aren't getting done as fast as one would like. Finally since the armor system is also based on profession, unless it is changed where armor is used by many professions, keeping several sets of armor for a single profession might seem daunting and a waste of space.
 * As far as dynamic character modelling is concerned the technicals of such a thing is a daunting challenge for any developer, and further a thing that might prevent a player from just going all out into certain goals. The idea that this decision might effect a player in a way that they might not like lingering in the back of their minds might make them more reserved of trying new things, not knowing the actions for which they are taking. Like as seen in GW: Nightfall choosing Margrid over the Master of Whispers has huge implications, and might keep people from making a good decision right there and right then.

Another dynamic change should be that you can change you appearnce after the initial character creation, this change shouldnt create any real issues as the avatars appearance would still be limited to that of the profession (same as when you make a new char).