Change origin

Not sure if this can ever be fixed, but can there be a way to change a characters origin? I have a few 50s that that I have made and still play but don't like there origin that I started with. I don't to remake the character all over again. I just figure there is name changes why not origin. Just would be nice.

Little history lesson, since I saw this pop up.

Origin does nothing now. Way back in days of yore, as in pre-beta for the game, origin did. It determined how many powers you could get and how far you could develop them. That, quite obviously, was scrapped.

However, Origin remains one of four things we can't change - along with AT, primary and secondary sets.

I suspect that part of the character 'definition' has Origin as such a deeply buried, foundational aspect that being able to change it would break... well, many things, and like all "it might break," it'd probably break a lot more than we suspect.

Little different situation from name changes, where they really *have* to leave that for last and leave it open for editing - otherwise we'd have so many copyright violations VIPs would be paying $500/month to keep up with the legal bills.

Now, I don't know that that explanation is right or not - it's something that's been asked for for a long time, though. If it *would* be easy and not cause problems, hey, I'm all for it. Characters evolve. I just suspect fairly strongly that it's not.

See my Guides and Tutorials

My recollection is that this has been asked for before, and every time the response has been that it's fundamental to how the character's data is stored on their end. They would literally have to rewrite a very old, very basic part of the game - without breaking anything in the process. This is very, VERY unlikely to happen.

I've rerolled two characters, in their 20s (and this is back when that actually took a couple of weeks' worth of evenings to get), to fix their Origin. I'm sure it'd be even easier now. If the characters in question are old ones with anniversary badges etc that you can't get again... I guess you'll have to decide which bothers you more, not having the badges or not having the "right" Origin.

Since we'll probably never be able to change origins, at least it's very easy to write an explanation into a bio explaining a change in origins, or multilple origins.

There's also a rumor floating around somewhere, only slightly supported by in game developments, that suggest origins may become more important again in the future.

It's only a rumor, but it would be nice to see some new origin specific contacts or something.

As far as why the respec won't ever happen, you already have the answer from a couple people now. Keep in mind that the current development team often runs into snippets left over from the early days (only a few of them were around back then IIRC) that they don't fully understand the effects of. Two quick examples: the aggro formula (aka it's never getting fixed because literally nobody understands how it works to begin with) and whatever it was that they broke in bases a little while back that made everyone's base defenses go haywire. It's nearly impossible to guess what might go wrong if they allowed you to change your origin.

As a workaround, I suggest using the events of story arcs in game as a springboard for ways you could write a short explanation in your bio. Pool powers and APPs could help give the effect you want. For example, say you have a natural character but you start thinking magic would suit him better. You could pick up Mu Mastery and say that learning the arts of the Mu made him appreciate and understand the magical arts.

@Rorn ---- Blue Baron ---- Guardian

I need this.
Well, I want it...Wanted to change origins for a couple of characters.
I know I could just ignore it, but I like my characters well done in every single way I can.

I would change origins on a couple toons as well, if it was possible (and free).

I also always thought that if you wanted to have origins in the game, a lot of toons would best be described with 2 origins. Like: natural / tech, or mutant / science.

In my philosophy of the game, the arcs should be realigned into origin-specific storylines, so players that choose a particular origin (or origins) would be encouraged to play different material. Of course, the whole game's content should be open to for everyone, but it just seems to me that if you choose, say, a natural origin character, it would be logical and satisfying to play him in a natural milieu. (Like a martial artist who goes up against primarily martial arts foes, mercenaries, and street gangs.)

This is a common theme in comics. While exceptions abound, typically the Fantastic Four fights science foes (Galactus, Dr. Doom's robots, the Kree Sentry, the Skrulls, the Red Ghost, the Inhumans, etc.), the X-Men fight mutant foes (the Hellfire Club, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, etc.), Dr. Strange fights magic foes (Dormammu, Baron Mordo, Dracula, etc.), Iron Man goes up against tech foes (Unicorn, Melter, Titanium Man, Crimson Dynamo, Controller, etc.), and so on. It's because their origin draws them into conflict with foes who have similar means and interests.

But more importantly, I suppose, I'd like to have the ability to change a supergroup name (for free).

It just occurred to me, they could change the origin like this:
- You select the new origin.
- The game creates a character with the same name, AT and power set, but the selected origin.
- Set the XP to the XP of the old one and lvl-up the new toon selecting the powers and the slot in the same way.
- Then it proceeds to place the same (or equivalent if they are origin restricted) enhancements in the slot.
- Then it sets the new toon to the default toon and deletes the old one.

The only problem is that has to be done off-line and may be resource intensive. Something like the copy tool for the test / beta servers but with more process. So maybe it's not that there's no way but the cost in doing it.