Why are ascendancies class locked, and why are there classes at all?

[Arachnite]

I mean, you can be a mercenary infernalist or a monk chronomancer right now, as any class can use any skill and passive.

So what does having ascendancies locked to classes add? Why are there classes at all?

Why don't you just select one of the weapons at the beginning to start out with and then select any ascendancy after succeeding in the first trial?

I am not saying that I expect anything to change but I wonder what the reasoning behind the class system is when it seemingly has no real impact.

[Dr. Rockso]

The reasoning is because they can.

[Arachnite]

Ok, that is a very circular reasoning ;)
So there is no hidden logic I am not seeing?

[DarkFenix]

Why are there classes? To give players choice in building a character. Why are ascendancies class-locked? To make the choice of character meaningful.

You're literally saying "classes have no real impact" even as you talk about the very things that make them have impact.

[CdbSora]

The ascends are locked to specific classes because specific classes start on different points on the passive tree. A Witch using a crossbow and a mercenary using a crossbow, while both using the same skill category, will have completely different looking passive trees before even accounting for ascends.

While you could argue that you should just be able to choose one of the starting points + any character model you want, that's just a character creation screen, which for better or worse the devs have said they don't want to do.

[5ean5ean]

Originally posted by Arachnite:

I mean, you can be a mercenary infernalist or a monk chronomancer right now, as any class can use any skill and passive.

So what does having ascendancies locked to classes add? Why are there classes at all?

Why don't you just select one of the weapons at the beginning to start out with and then select any ascendancy after succeeding in the first trial?

I am not saying that I expect anything to change but I wonder what the reasoning behind the class system is when it seemingly has no real impact.

Bc this isn't Burger King.

[Funpire]

Originally posted by Arachnite:

I mean, you can be a mercenary infernalist or a monk chronomancer right now, as any class can use any skill and passive.

So what does having ascendancies locked to classes add? Why are there classes at all?

Why don't you just select one of the weapons at the beginning to start out with and then select any ascendancy after succeeding in the first trial?

I am not saying that I expect anything to change but I wonder what the reasoning behind the class system is when it seemingly has no real impact.

Probably because the game is using hard codes from POE1 that are too difficult or impossible to remove. That's the most likely answer.

[Arachnite]

Originally posted by Funpire:

Originally posted by Arachnite:

I mean, you can be a mercenary infernalist or a monk chronomancer right now, as any class can use any skill and passive.

So what does having ascendancies locked to classes add? Why are there classes at all?

Why don't you just select one of the weapons at the beginning to start out with and then select any ascendancy after succeeding in the first trial?

I am not saying that I expect anything to change but I wonder what the reasoning behind the class system is when it seemingly has no real impact.

Probably because the game is using hard codes from POE1 that are too difficult or impossible to remove. That's the most likely answer.

Ah thanks, that makes sense at least!

[Paranochat]

Originally posted by Arachnite:

Originally posted by Funpire:

Probably because the game is using hard codes from POE1 that are too difficult or impossible to remove. That's the most likely answer.

Ah thanks, that makes sense at least!

Ah, so you choose the answer that actually makes the least sense of all, I think I see where this is going...

[Pok]

... he was kidding xD its not that hard coded.

from an arpg perspective, how do you explain an mercenary to be wandering on the Path of an Infernalist? im curious?
the ascendencys are specialisations of the klasses and its an RPG-at least so every klass has a backround.

if you want to know the why, then deep dive in the history of arpgs since 1990 ^^ much of it is historical grown.
in short -> ppl can dive deeper in the gaming dream if they can choose a class.