In the 'Info" tab under 'Statistics' there's a pie chart showing class choices. Why not let players choose their class when they create the character, but display that pie chart along with a brief description of each class. Then they can make an informed choice. It's rather pointless for the rest of us to stand around and say I think 'courtier' is boring therefore newbies should be barred from choosing it. As I said before, I know most people think Trader is boring, but I actually like it, and it annoyed me that I wasn't allowed to choose it.
Well I am the main one against it as far as I can tell, and I have never said the classes suck or are boring. I enjoy every single class, the only two I haven't been yet are infil and hero and I know I would enjoy both without playing them but I wouldn't recommend either one to a new player. What I am saying is a newbie, whom aren't usually the most interacting with others, shouldn't start off as a class right away that isn't very fun without interacting with people. The need for h/p gets them traveling and interacting, either because they are in a war for a little bit or because they are wondering chasing down monsters, either one has them interacting with people, preparing them for a fun time with the other classes. I even supported the suggestion to remove an h/p requirement for courtier and instead just do a time requirement.
Eirikr, there is a huge issue with first point. There is a 15 day minimum between class changes I fully support, and if a new player decides he doesn't like courtier, he isn't going to stick around to wait. If a new player decides he just hates being a warrior, then I see that player not sticking around for very long.
To your second point, as I already said, I don't see the classes as bad, just bad for a new player to start in.
At Buffalkill, like I said a new player doesn't actually know what he will enjoy right away, but with new players almost always having a low initiator of interaction early on, the class of courtier won't be that fun of one, which is why forcing some interaction will prepare them to have fun as a courtier or other class that requires interacting, especially initiating, to be fun.
As well, I supported allowing all stewards to become traders, which in most instances will just require requesting the lord, if not it would be switching your estate to a rural lord, then requesting because they generally have few if any knights. If they can't ask a lord to make them steward, I don't see them talking with foreigners to actually make trading successful.
