Revisiting respec costs
by Mike Schramm 
Mar 27th 2007 at 9:07AM
We've covered the idea of changing respec costs (and even having more than one talent build) before, but the issue continues to get play-- Good has posted a very in-depth analysis of respec costs and why they need to be lowered or done away with completely.Good claims that the problem with respec costs has to do with the tanking and healing classes. The DPS classes-- Mages, Hunters, Rogues, Warlocks-- can fill their role in any spec, but tanks and healers, Good claims, have to be raid specced to do well in a raiding environment, and putting respec costs in the game just creates a barrier to keep them from playing other parts of the game.
To the normal arguments, Good has answers. Lots of people say losing respec costs will just create cookie-cutter builds, but he says it will actually allow for diversity within groups-- instead of having two holy priests, one can switch to shadow. And for those who say 50g to change respecs isn't much (especially considering how much money is in Outland), he says then it shouldn't be in the game in the first place-- you're just burdening those classes who need to change to enjoy the game.
Still other respec cost suggestions include allowing them to be paid for with BG tokens-- to let PvPers have the chance to switch back. Unfortunately for Good, I don't see it happening. Blizzard wants you to choose a spec and stick with it-- I'm known throughout my guild as a resto Shaman, and that's the way they want it (even if I have to switch to my Rogue to do PvP). The 50g respec cost isn't much, but it'll keep most players from switching, while still allowing those who really feel they need to switch to do so without too much trouble. People who want it all won't like hearing it, but I think respec costs are "working as intended," and will stay so for a while.
[ via Paladin Sucks ]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, PvP, Raiding, Talents
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
dixonij Mar 27th 2007 9:17AM
I think something (if possible to be coded as such) that would help in terms of respec costs would be to lower the respec 'pay' scale for lower players who wish to try out different builds for their characters to get a better feel for the class they play. That, and see what build they prefer to play. Something like halving the costs for lower players or creating some sort of payscale could possibly work.
Mystrana Mar 27th 2007 9:47AM
I think that the respec costs are completely fair, because it would just be too easy without them. WoW is easy enough already without us being able to completely change our builds at whim. (How many people have hit 70 by now, and with how little played time?)
And respec costs need not change because of some claims that healers and tanks can't do their jobs without respeccing. If you've got a shadow priest in the group, look for a druid, try a paladin. Experiment with non-conventional ways of grouping, rather then complain that we should all be able to have the exact same ones. What fun is that?
FireStar Mar 27th 2007 9:53AM
respecs should stay the way they are now. If they Have to be lowered due to complainers, it should be a percentage of their total gold Up To a certain amount.
Falgorn Mar 27th 2007 4:42PM
@Firestar "Hey Hank, can you hold all my gold a sec, I need to go respec for free!".
Free respecs or negligible respec costs really aren't necessary. Furthermore Specific talent builds take time to adjust to and become proficient at. It would also be one more thing to have to remind everyone before raids..
"Has everyone repaired, got pots, and respecced?"
Dan B Mar 27th 2007 10:14AM
I wouldn't mind respec's being cheaper - but not significantly.
What I would like, is an APPLY button added to the talent window so that if you accidentally click the wrong talent, you can undo it without penalty, or if you don't feel like tabbing out to an online talent calculator to make sure you're building your talents out how we wanted.
Flit Mar 27th 2007 10:15AM
Do we have to flog this horse again?
It's dumb for it to be free.
50g isn't hard to come across.
If you don't like the fact that those groups can dps whatever spec, you haven't rolled a survival hunter.
Duggie Mar 27th 2007 10:15AM
WOW is a MMORPG, the last three letters stand for role playing game. When was the last time anyone of you who play D&D, thought ok i'm about to go up against a dragon so i'll reorganise my feats.
Talents are there to represent you charecters specialisation as they develop and level. If you want to respec every ten minutes then you might as well be able to change you race and class at will etc. Talents are as integral to your charecter, as they race, not interchangable like your gear.
Dont'get me wrong, i know that holy priests are never going to be able to grind, but thats Blizz's fault for not providing enough +holy dam gear etc, and for making talents so specialised. Ideally, each class should have talents trees along the lines of (from a preists point of view)
Good at main task (Healing/holy)
Good at secondary task (shadow/dps)
ability to do both well.
Lighttech Mar 27th 2007 10:17AM
I'd like to see free respecs, but there should be a cool down between free respecs, let's say a month or 2. If you need to change your specialization during that month or two, it costs gold and is similar to current rising respec cost.
Flit Mar 27th 2007 10:18AM
"What I would like, is an APPLY button added to the talent window so that if you accidentally click the wrong talent, you can undo it without penalty, or if you don't feel like tabbing out to an online talent calculator to make sure you're building your talents out how we wanted."
This, however, is a brilliant idea. It would be nice to see how a talent will affect my damage BEFORE i apply my points, since i'm lazy and don't want to work out the math most of the time. Brilliant!
prottank Mar 27th 2007 10:56AM
As a Protection Spec Warrior I can say that it would be fun to do some PvP but the spec just doesn't work to good for that. I spec Arms every once in awhile and have fun for 2-3 days until I am called on to tank again then I spend the 50g to respec. It's a never ending vicious cycle. I really don't think a respec should be free but they should change the mechanic in some way. Possibly handing out tokens for certain things to make a respec free? There are numerous ways that Blizz could change the way it works besides just making it 50g everytime.
mity Mar 27th 2007 10:25AM
I have to agree with the replies here, respec-costs are fine as they are. u choose a role to play, in a raid, or PVP, and in general, and that should be the task u spezialize in.
If you really really want to play both tank & healer pally, or dps / healer shammy, or dps/healing preist, do what one of our lox did, and make a second toon, with the alternate spec.
another problem would be, when tanking leather drops, which drood gets it? the feral tank, or the healer that doesnt have any decent tankgear? and tier sets, do the hybridclasses get 3 sets each?
it would be unmanageable and messy, and would lower tyhe quality of play in raids, if everyone was a jack o'all trades.
mity Mar 27th 2007 10:26AM
but, i agree abt the "are u sure" option when respeccing. making a single mistake is very unforgiving atm.
Kragragh @ Undermine Mar 27th 2007 10:33AM
I think it would be lame to free respec. At least the 50g makes you do a little bit of work to get some gold together - too much respecing means that all druids would really be pretty similar, instead of diverse - all druids become semi-interchangeable....let it be complicated. Just because some people want something doesn't mean it would make the game better.
Jonathon Pop Mar 27th 2007 10:36AM
Mystrana you stole my thunder. How much easier does this game need to be? This game is very forgiving. Give them free Respecs and then they will want releasing your body upon death, to spawn you right next to where you died. Give them that and they will want no deposits on Auctioned items... it will never end.
The problem is the loudest voice isn't always the most intelligent, nor is it usually the opinion of the hoi polloi.
Lertes Mar 27th 2007 10:40AM
I used to play Matrix Online (MXO) back in the good ol days, and if I remember correct, you respec was totally free of cost. You could even make a macro so that whenever you were close to a phone booth, you just hit the icon and tadaaa! -respecced. Of course this brought the game some issues, but it also made it a bit more interesting. You never knew what spec your enemy was. Most people did stick to one favourite build at the end of the day.
Superbeef Mar 27th 2007 10:40AM
I think there has got to be a happy middle ground in there somewhere. Free respeccing is a little too easy, 50g may be a little too complacent for certain jobs.
I also think the month cooldown time is too steep as well. Players are complaining because they're respecing any time they want to switch between aspects of the game. And I also agree that Blizzard doesn't want the game too be too easy, and wants you to pick a spec and live with it to a point.
My solution? You first respec per week should be significantly less gold, like 10 instead of 50. But furthermore, aimed as a responce @11, I think Blizzard should include a submission form for your respec. Left clicking adds a point, right clicking removes it, and after you com up with the list you like, you submit it and they ask for confirmation.
Sure, it could create problems, people thinking they clicked submit or the OK after when they didn't comes to mind, but its tons mroe forgiving than the system in place. Essentially, it makes the respeccing more like the talent calculators we have online, which it probably should be. It would have to be done at a trainer too, I think that goes without saying.
Ryan Mar 27th 2007 10:42AM
The fact is, there is a shortage of both healers and tanks, which makes composing groups for instances a real pain in the butt. A major factor in this is the fact that soloing as a healing or tanking specced player is a very painful experience, and you often require groups to do even the most mundane quests. Allowing these types of players to switch between an 'instance spec' and a 'world spec' would go a long way towards making groups much less painful to get started and will result in more successful runs (not by making content easier, but by increasing the available pool of healers & tanks).
Jeff Mar 27th 2007 10:43AM
I think everyone commenting should try and grind with a holy priest for a bit. I'm not saying respecing should be free, but if more people had actually experienced how horrible it is to even attempt this more people would be sympathetic to this cause. I hate having to count on others to help me pay for repair bills and am cornered into professions (herb + alch) so I don't have to lean on others for pots. As a holy priest you have no choice but to run instances and hope you win the d/e rolls for stuff that isn't needed so you can actually repair your gear and buy the insanely over-priced vials to make the BC pots.
Kragragh @ Undermine Mar 27th 2007 10:52AM
@17 - there's a difference between once or twice respec because you don't like something or to try something new, and wanting to respec 3 times a day based on different situations.
ErsatzPotato Mar 27th 2007 11:06AM
"It would be nice to see how a talent will affect my damage BEFORE i apply my points, since i'm lazy and don't want to work out the math most of the time. Brilliant!"
That plus: the game remembers your last spec. No reason you should have to manually reenter the same holy spec over and over. Go to trainer, pay your cash, click the button to snap back to the previous spec. Or maybe you can snapshot any single spec of your choice and snapback to that. Both would be great.
Doesn't make the game easier, but does make it more convenient. A lot of WoW's success is little UI niceties and that one should be added.