Dual spec Q&A with Ghostcrawler
by Mike Schramm 
Feb 12th 2009 at 1:30PM
Nethaera has posted an interview with Ghostcrawler about one of the hottest anticipated features coming to the game: the dual spec system. Players have asked for the ability to switch between two specs for a long time, and GC has finally laid out some real information about how it might work. Some of the interview we've heard before (that glyphs and hotbars will be saved, and so on), but there are quite a few bombshells:- You'll have to be max level to use the dual spec system, and you'll have to pay a one-time fee (not yet specified) to the trainer to use it.
- Blizzard has apparently cemented how it will work: you'll need to be at a Lexicon of Power to change out your spec, or Inscribers will be able to make one (maybe reusable, maybe not) that will be summonable by "a ritual of several players" (no number given yet).
- Respeccing will change only one set, so if you want to respec both specs, you'll have to pay twice.
- We'll be getting a "Gear Manager" that will let us quickly and easily change out gear, either for the two specs or just to "strut around town." (This is the official Itemrack we've heard about.)
- Hunters will be able to respec their pets at will, and they will get a new long cooldown ability that will let them remotely access their stables.
- Players who respec will be able to configure their talents before they are saved.
- And while the system is starting with two specs, Blizzard is considering adding more in the future.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items, Features, Classes, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)
Sigue Feb 12th 2009 1:48PM
I want this so hard.
Trevor Feb 12th 2009 3:59PM
That's what she said.
VSUReaper Feb 12th 2009 2:35PM
PLEASE GET THIS DONE SOON!!
200+g for a night of respecs b/c of heroics and raids is getting stupid. Just let me pay the fee (500g? 1000?) to just respec according to what the raid needs.
Oh, we dont need me to tank this raid, but we need 1 more dps, sure I will come. Let me drop 50g
Ok, the tank DC'd in OS, go back and respec to tank. Mk. 50 more gold
The other tank wants into the naxx raid? She doesnt have an offset and I do? One sec.... 50 more g
Then I need to respec back at the end of the night to be ready to do my heroics, PVP, and such the next day.
WTB 2xspec faster!
Eternauta Feb 12th 2009 3:58PM
@VSUReaper
100 agree!
Switching between solo and raid specs for free is all I want as a tank.
Jon Do Feb 12th 2009 4:44PM
The delay is because the Lexicon used to swap specs is... the Ice Stone.
And in case you hadn’t noticed, um, it melted.
So there will be a server-wide Glacier Event in patch 3.1 in which all the players do dailies for a few months until they rebuild the Ice Stone (with the help of a Scourge zombie army).
Then they purchase the “I got Ice Stoned” title for 10Kg from a vendor who bears a striking likeness to Arthas, and they can respec.
Unless the Ice Stone melts again, during patch 3.2, when all respecs will be nerfed to cost 0g
Cam Feb 12th 2009 6:50PM
@Jon Do
Best coment ever.
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"You'll have to be max level to use the dual spec system"
This made my heart drop, seems i'll still have to drop quite a few houndred gold while leveling (i love healing low level instances).
Other that that it look great, the lexicon change is easy to remember as you don't have to remember where the different class trainers in the cities are (even if you ought to have learned them after 80 levels (the last 20 of wich gives you new spells every level). Also, the ritual seems to be a great way to limit respeccing wildly in instances, atleast if they put in a costly non-reuseable reagent. Might also give me an incentive to make my shammy alt learn inscribtion.
As my highest level hunter is level 32 i can't talk a lot about the pet change but swiching from a tank pet to a dps one in a instance sound quite good.
Phil Feb 12th 2009 2:17PM
I for one have been anticipating the Dual Spec system. The only part here I am slightly dissapointed with is that it will only be available at max level, I have a priest sitting at 60 and would love to be able to switch back and forth from shadow for soloing to holy for grouping.
armi0022 Feb 12th 2009 1:49PM
Yes! It's getting closer...
Jeffy Feb 12th 2009 1:49PM
I'm stoked for this feature. Being a Pali Prot Tank, sometimes I want to dps, and other times I want to heal. Of course, having multiple sets of gear will consume much bagspace (bank or otherwise), I can't help but feel this will propose new loot issues as to which spec is actually one's "main" spec. This pretty much entitles anyone to roll for any item than can use. I could be DPSing one run but a nice tank item drops. Since tanking is technically my main spec to me, am I allowed to roll or not? Hopefully this issue will be circumvented somehow.
Beli Feb 12th 2009 1:56PM
For a PUG run, i say you get to roll for whatever gear fits the role you're playing in that run, unless otherwise agreed upon at the beginning of the run.
For a guild/friend run, you really shouldn't have a problem with rolls - everyone should know what you're main role in the guild is, and be ready and willing to help you gear up for it
Kassu Feb 12th 2009 1:53PM
You roll on that spec's loot which you came as, unless nobody else needs...
Robert M Feb 12th 2009 1:56PM
I would imagine it will be handled by your guild, but if you are a tank in the raid, you get dibs on tank drops. A lot of good it does the raid if you are rolling on gear that you don't even use for progression.
Need for main spec
Greed for off (if you don't have an echanter)
Pass if you can't use it
or
Need for main
If no one needs, then ask if you can need for off
Let the enchanter greed
Pass if you can't use it
This aren't unreasonable ideas. Anytime I pug that's pretty much the agreed upon method, before I make the first pull.
You get priority for what you came specced as, not as what you might spec next week.
Jayeless Feb 12th 2009 2:38PM
I already run into this problem some; as a Death Knight I can easily switch between tank and dps roles just my changing out gear rather then having to respec. So I can clear trash as dps, and then toss on tank gear if the boss fight requires an extra tank. Even with the future advent of multi-specs, I doubt I'd go that route with my DK.
And since I can both tank and dps various fights within the same raid, even the "roll for what role you're running as" becomes kinda nebulous - do I not roll on a tank piece that dropped just because X fight only required two tanks; do I not roll on a dps piece that dropped because Y fight required 4 tanks; or do I have to declare a "main spec" that I'd be rolling for before even stepping into the raid?
(When I run 10-mans with my guild, it's not a problem, but 25 mans requires running with allied guilds as my guild doesn't have the interested numbers to run 25s yet)
Andostre Feb 12th 2009 3:31PM
To me, this sounds like one of the purposes of a guild. To have rules in place that everyone follows. PuGs are a different matter, of course, but PuGs are never a sure thing, anyway.
Arktic Feb 12th 2009 3:51PM
I'd made a suggestion on the official forum a while back to change the loot system to have 4 dice:
1 - Need Main Spec
2 - Need Off Spec
3 - Greed DE
4 - Greed Other
5 - Pass
This would help break up the Need/Greed issue a bit for PUGs, how ever as a Pally who may be DPSing, and roll Need Main on a DPS item because that is your "Main Spec", then when you roll Need Main for Plate Tanking gear, someone's going to notice and it will be just like if you were ninjaing with the current system.
Lemons Feb 12th 2009 4:08PM
@Jayeless
You should probably just pick one and go with it. Yeah it's awesome that your some sort of autobot who can transform at a moments notice between dps and tank mode, but if your rolling on both types of gear you're really just screwing the people in your raid who can't switch so easily.
Most tanks tank ALL THE TIME, and most dps dps ALL THE TIME. It's not really fair for you to double dip and be rolling on gear that is really more beneficial to them simply because they'll get more use out of it.
Demgar Feb 13th 2009 11:25AM
With 5 people in the group there are rarely more than two people rolling on an item anyhow. If you lose a roll, shrug and congrats the guy who won.
Heroic gear is pretty transient these days anyhow and easily replaced with better. No need to make a flow chart, just roll on stuff you can use.
Robert M Feb 12th 2009 1:49PM
One time fee?
Yay, more gold dump! Not that I expect it to be free to purchase the abilityto dual spec, but let's seriously hope that it's much more reasonably priced than the other gold dumps in the game.
rosencratz Feb 12th 2009 2:28PM
The system sounds very much as i believed it would, working very similarly to the way pet stables do for hunters.
You still have to pay to respec the second slot so we don't lose our gold dump but it gives you a back up if you want it and i'm glad they decided now was the time to introduce the gear storage system they mentioned a while back. It only makes sense to introduce both simultaneusly. Should be some good times.
The question is, as a Aff warlock do i spec for trash/boss or raiding/pvp'ing.... hrmmm.
TheKarmaPolice Feb 12th 2009 2:31PM
You just know it's going to be like 10,000g or some bullshit like that