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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsTriple specs appear to be at least possible
by Adam Holisky 
Mar 30th 2009 at 7:00PM
Today Bornakk, a blue community poster, said that right now all Blizzard intentionally wants is to have two specs be available, but that they "...want to see how the system works out first," before considering triple specs. I think it's pretty safe to read between the lines here and take it to mean that it's possible and has at least been discussed by Blizzard to some extent if community people (and not a developer like Ghostcrawler) are already talking about it. Remember here that community folks usually don't talk about development related things without running it by or hearing it from a developer first.
Triple specs would offer even more flexibility to play the class in whatever way is possible. A druid would be able to switch between a healer, tank, and caster role in a single instance / raid. A paladin would have the same amazing flexibility. While each class right now has at least two specs that can really shine in specific situations, triple specs would allow three-role hybrids to become amazingly powerful characters.
Of course, some might see that as a reason not to allow triple specs. I'm sure that thought has crossed the minds of the devs as well. After all, if you can do everything under the sun with your one Paladin, why play a Warlock In Plate Death Knight?
Bornakk goes on to say that respeccing has always been part of the core came, and that they want to keep it around. They want to obviously improve the respeccing process, but not completely replace it. From a gameplay perspective this makes a lot of sense as well. We need to have some sort of consequence and reward system – a game in god mode is no fun after all. Want to play a healer when you're speced for DPS and tanking? Pay 50g. This two spec system coming up in patch 3.1 is obviously better than it was before dual specs, but the cost/reward system is still there.
Bornakk makes the additional point that if they were just going to remove this cost/reward system, then they might as well just allow quad specs or what have you.
This is an interesting subject that I think many people will want to keep an eye on. While I don't see triple or quad specs coming out anytime soon, I think it's obvious based on Bornakk's comments that we shouldn't just write them off. World of Warcraft version 4.0 anyone?
Patch 3.1 brings us Ulduar, dual specs, significant changes to all the classes, and more! We've got you covered from top to bottom with our Guide to Patch 3.1.Filed under: Patches, Analysis / Opinion, Blizzard, News items
Reader Comments (Page 7 of 7)
JohnS Mar 31st 2009 6:01PM
Starforsaken, instead of refuting my points, you chose to make personal attacks on me and my guild and lamely tried regurgitating parts of my argument back at me out of context. Whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess. I'll respond to you anyway, in case you're only masquerading as a troll and really wanted to discuss.
It shouldn't be about "finding a better guild". (Incidentally, my guild is the 2nd largest on the server and is ranked 10th in terms of raid progress, currently. Thank you very much.)
And yes, we pause quite often for people to hearth and respec. We need 2 priests to go Shadow for Instructor Razuvious. We need at least 1 druid to respec Resto for Patchwerk (and a 4th tank makes it easier as well.) These respecs eat at our allotted raid time. Our time is valuable, especially on weeknight raids. Dual will be a tremendous time-saver.
Whether or not your guild engages in this practice does not detract from the point that it will benefit many, many raids, from guilds both large and small. That is why raiders have been clamoring for it, and it is why it is being implemented.
You're asking for a "good" reason to play a uni-tasking DPS class such as a warlock? Every class offers a unique playing style that has NOTHING to do with the ability to conveniently respec. If you enjoy playing a warlock before dual spec, won't you *still* enjoy it afterward? If not, what is WoW to you? A min/maxing numbers game with no flavor?
Dual spec will not affect PvP at all, except perhaps to get more people PvPing who otherwise wouldn't bother because of the cost involved. Thus there will be a *larger* playing field of people for you to kill, if PvP is your forte. Either way, dual spec does not harm anyone, it only helps.
Chamual Mar 31st 2009 6:49PM
As a raiding Paladin that uses each spec in a raid in any given week I would love to see triple specs as it would save me a ton in gold each month. With dualspecs coming I can't decide which two to pick (tank + one other) and am hoping repecing your second spec is quite simple so I can change between retribution and holy easily.
Having said that, currently our guild (which cleared everything in TBC, and has plagued proto drakes in Wrath) is struggling to find pure DPS members.
We seem to have hundreds of druids, shamans, priests and DKs but only have 1 raiding warlock, no hunters, 1 DPS warrior and only 1 rogue that occasionally raids.
Whereas in TBC we couldnt get an enhancement shaman for love nor money (really needed it for Sunwell prenerf), no it seems all you can find are hybrid classes and deathknights...
With all the love going to hybrids (easy respecs, competative dps etc.) why would you not roll a Druid or paladin and have every type of playstyle open to you?
Triplespecs would be good but combined with the class homogonisation that Blizz did at the start of Wrath there really is no reason at all to roll a pure DPS class as an alt anymore.
Aaron A. Mar 31st 2009 8:33PM
"I can't decide which two to pick (tank + one other) and am hoping repecing your second spec is quite simple so I can change between retribution and holy easily."
Based on what we've seen, respeccing will be almost exactly the same as it is now. When you go to the trainer to forget your talents, you'll forget the currently active spec. Standard fees apply, and if you want to tear down and rebuild both of your specs, you'll need to pay twice (not sure whether it'll follow the current escalating model, or if it'll escalate separately for each spec, like how each of a Hunter's pets has its own fee scale.)
Another perk, and one that I wish they'd implemented sooner, is a "Confirm" button for talent choices. Rather than having your talents locked in immediately, you can fill out your talent tree, see how different configurations look, then press a button to lock in your talents.
Pandion Apr 1st 2009 12:41AM
I see alot of love and hate for multiple specs in here when in my honest opinion the mechanics of it just need tweaking.
My main character is a paladin and i have gear sets for 4 different situation and pay alot of gold each week happilly to be able to use them all ( PvE tank/dps/healer & PvP) .
Yes this costs alot but it's something i'm willing to spend for what i'm getting back for it.
The real reason i got excited about dual-spec coming in is that i finally get to save 2 different sets of glyphs. ( i look so stupid tanking with healing glyphs)
Triple-spec or more is something i would love , but to balance it out i think they should just change it so that you still need to go to a trainer to reset and pay the same price we do now but being able to save different sets of glyphs and action bars.
It would make me really happy if the 1000g i spend opens up a 2nd gear window so that i would no longer have to have 2 or 3 frostweave bags filled with gear on me.(currently i carry 2 proffesion related bags , 2 frostweave bags with gear and only have backpack empty for loot)
The system as is now ( pre 3.1 ) works fine for me , it comes with a price but that's worth it to me to be able to play the different roles , the real annoyance for me is to have to memorize ( or as i do now use add-ons ) to get the proper talent points spent , get the proper gear and have the proper action bar setup.
I would even pay 100g over the 50g now if it would mean i could instantly select a new spec and have it change my gear , glyphs and action bars to go along with it.
Really for me the real annoyance of respeccing is not spending the gold , but spending the time to do everything related to it (gear/action bars etc.)
Apophasis Apr 8th 2009 3:57PM
My main concern about multi-specs of all types is actually the opposite of the fear that hybrid classes will be gods.
What we forget is that it takes time and effort to be good at a role, be it tanking, healing or yes, even maxing dps. My fear is the flood of 'healers' and 'tanks' that multi-specs will unleash. Or just as bad, the expectations of a raid leader that someone can just 'change to healing spec'.
Undergeared for the role and with little or no experience. Hurray!
And that is why, I think the system will balance out. I have zero problem with dedicated hybrids getting a saving on respecing. I'm thinking of guildies and those I regularly group with who have put the effort into mastering two aspects of game play. If they are 'gods' its because they have spent the time and effort to learn two different play styles and making their lives a little easier is no skin off my nose.
In the end, I'll avoid pick up groups for awhile as first time healers discover healing is more complex that just a mix of talents and that tanking takes different skills that just hitting stuff. Some of them will put in time and effort to take advantage of this new toy, and all the power to them. And those that have already mastered two playstyles will have an easier time of it, and good for that as well. As for the others, they will largely have wasted 1000 gold and wiped a few groups.
And as a pure DPS class...I really can't of too many occasions where my raid slot will be in danger. Dual specs allow for two specs, not two toons. If a raid balance requires X tanks and OT's, Y healers and Z dps, I really don't see a 'pure' class being replaced...why...for someone that can also do what you are already doing? I think most raids if they find they need to utilize respecs mid raid, will settle into the XYZ balance with the addition of W floaters or wild cards. A small number (maybe 2 in a 25 man) that can shift a bit into other areas. One boss a dps race? Shift. Trouble keeping the tank up? Shift. Another offtank makes the fight easier? Shift.
Anything else would be a chaos of re balancing. And since most raids already have at least 2 hybrids in a 25 man (more by far, but let's assume 2 *good* hybrids) its more about creating a new role for them.
Just gotta find a better label than 'Floater' :p
Rage Apr 9th 2009 10:13AM
I think many ppl are over reacting to the idea of triple specs. It’s not going to take away anything, it will if anything give everyone new ways to be creative and I can say at least for myself reinvigorate my goal of mastering my class. To master your class you need to be fully experienced in all of its trees. Every class has 3 tree’s so all will benefit from its addition. Hybrid classes will now truly bring the flexibility their players made them for and other players will benefit by not having to wait long periods of time looking for a healer or a tank. It will likely create new challenges as not everyone knows how to heal, tank or dps properly (it’s part of the fun learning something new).
As for the homogenization of classes I have said it before and I will say it again what truly separated classes at least in BC was your CC and for some reason Wrath is all about AOE. I like fast runs but there was something to be said about forming a tight group marking up your mobs and having people flawlessly execute your plan. You use to have to think before a pull and know what mobs did and have a plan to deal with it. Plus you had to understand what your party members abilities where. If you want to fix wrath make aoe tanking hard! LOL, remember salv?
Rage Apr 9th 2009 10:33AM
Well said! It can take up to 30mins to respec trying to find glyphs and such. I have started buy them in bulk so I don’t have to worry about them not being on the AH when I need them. The other real annoyance is having to reset your bars each time you respec. It will be nice to be able to fully respec between pulls.
Rage Apr 9th 2009 11:02AM
I see some ppl’s concern about loot when it comes to hybrids. I will tell you that in my guild it has been more of a bane to me. If I request an item more often than not I’m passed over for a pure spec even if it’s a minor upgrade to them. And I get reason like that’s not your main spec. (that I have been playing for 3wks straight!) And when I try to finish out my so called main spec pcs guess who isn’t getting loot again! Are guild uses a loot council which is somewhat fair though it usually leaves me cursing they do try to balance the raid out. I can see it getting tricky in pugs. I imagine most groups will go with the one loot per wing setup and let the rolls decide who gets what. That alone should make most very careful about what they choose to roll on.
Cat Apr 14th 2009 8:15AM
Triple spec only makes sense. A Mage can be Fire, Frost, or Arcane.
Why do they have to 'retrain' to something they can already be?
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But I also think this could hurt the MMO of aspect that they wish to keep. This could cause guilds and people to leave out certain players from a raid. These players (rouges mainly) are getting shafted enough in raids. For this reason, blizzard could have a solo way of doing dungeons (i.e. bring NPC's with you). Which would cause people to leave people out all together, but nice for those with a quite personallity and wanting to solo a lot (like a rouge getting the big shaft all the time).
Anyway, just options since we're 'messing' with mechanics.
meow,
Cat