Aviana

Patron Power Respec -- thumbs up!

I think the ability to remove and sell/trade 10 enhancements from a respec makes respecs a part of the in-game economy.

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In the history of the world, has any merchant EVER priced something high to discourage people from buying it?

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Ask this question of an economics teacher. It's about supply and demand. Priced too low, everyone buys one, and your profit gets eaten in overhead. Then the market crashes once demand has been filled.


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Just a small nitpick: I was commenting on the 'reason' given by other posters for the high price as "to discourage buying it", not on the price itself.

Mostly I'm just glad to see an economics teacher posting! Please get thee to the Market forum.

Competition is also alive and well -- every time someone offers a new product or service someone else will offer it soon after, and cheaper. That said, I'm absolutely shocked by how many times RMT services have been brought up as an alternative on this forum. RMT = bad consequences all around, I thought - for the game and personally.

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@Perfect_Pain
NCSoft isn't selling enough items to sustain the game, much less grow the game, on microtransactions alone. And have you played some of the games that are free with only microtransactions? I don't want COH turning into that!

The Wedding Pack got VEATs into i12, ahead of schedule and budget (scheduled/budgeted for i13). That was certainly a plus! People and development cost money, and as Randy Pitchford (CEO of Gearbox) said, "The difference between some games that have a great promise but don't quite fulfill it and the really great games is often about budget allowing the commitment to quality that most game makers have."

NCNC has a great commitment to quality. The "cash store" lets them improve their budget without raising fees. I don't see a problem.

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In the neer future several "Competitive" games will hit the market. With flashy new graphics, New storylines, New powers, New everything. And this game will remain 4 years old and grow to 5 years old so on and so forth.

For 3+ years CoX only asked us all for a Subscription Fee. And for the we got 2/3 Free issues per year. And everyone was happy.

Then they tested the waters with the First Microtransaction.. Good versus Evil goodie pack.. then was another goodie pack.. then more and then the bridal pack.. then server transfers.. then name changes.. then more slots.. now respecs..

Now sure none of that was/is needed. But in the beginning, when we thought it was gonna be like every blue moon they have them, then sure why not. But now. Its not the same as back then.

I see no reason why they cant just open up the microtransaction store.. where people can buy just about everything in game and just drop the sub fee.

We can pay NCNC for ingame currency and for better prices than the RMTers.. we could buy recipes we want.. we could buy all the current stuff they are selling.. and even more.

Just really seems like this is where its headed..

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They will keep the sub fees and include microtransactions but price them exhorbitantly high so as to discourage people buying them. Because that makes the most sense to some people, apparently.

And in a weird way they are right, only not the way they meant.

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Its a convenience/impatience tax, really. If you have to have it *now* and the other options aren't immediately available, viable or desirable for whatever reason, there you go.

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Good point.

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They don't want to discourage it. But they don't want it to be trite and effortless, either.

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Possibly. I can see it, anyway.

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It fits the general respec MO. Think about it: you can only "earn" three (or four) respecs through grinding. They hand out free costume changes like candy in vet rewards, but you only get one respec per year. And the recipes are SUPER rare. They obviously want the notion of respeccing to be something you work for... or at least have it be something more notable than a 10 minute stop at Icon.

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I just keep thinking of the clueness newbies who see the $10 'Redo' on the signup page and think, "Whoa, that's good to have around because I have no idea what I'm doing. It's pricey so it must be worth it." Only to find out later they could earn one. But of course NC Soft isn't responsible for someone making an impulse buy without researching it first...

But if someone's motive for pricing high to imbue more value is usually to sell more. But this is an MMO and there are more things to consider, like the integrity of the game...so yeah, I can see what you're saying.

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Merchants will price something high in order to imbue it with more perceived value, which may or may not be going on here at COH, but no one ever prices anything to discourage people buying it. If you want to discourage people buying it then you don't offer it.

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They don't want to discourage it. But they don't want it to be trite and effortless, either.

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Possibly. I can see it, anyway.

What? No it doesn't...at least not the way he said it:

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*edit* Just to be completely unsubtle here - Yes, I am suggesting that NCSoft deliberately priced it "high" to try and discourage you from buying it. If you really, really, really, really have to have one, there it is. Otherwise, find a way to get it for free in the game. At least if you DO break down and buy it, you're paying NCSoft instead of a RMT'er.

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In the history of the world, has any merchant EVER priced something high to discourage people from buying it? Does that even make sense? No.

Merchants will price something high in order to imbue it with more perceived value, which may or may not be going on here at COH, but no one ever prices anything to discourage people buying it. If you want to discourage people buying it then you don't offer it.

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<QR>

I spent more than $10 on lunch today. On lunch. And three hours later I was hungry again. Kinda seems like a waste huh?

My point is that $10 really is nothing for those of us that have a job. For those folks that don't, the free time that they do have should allow them to do whatever they do to earn the inf to purchase the respec recipe.

It seems to me that this goes a little way towards balancing the Hardcore vs Casual players situation.

Oh, and those of you that think this is just horrible. That NCSoft wants to "soak us for money, boo hoo" or words to that effect, let me just say that last I heard NCSoft is a business. And their business is making money. If they don't make money then they can't pay their people, they can't hire more people, etc. Those of you that are criticizing them for adding this option are essentially criticizing Wal-Mart when they add new items to their stock. More things to sell to their customers means more choices for their customers and more money for the company. Please allow me to welcome you to the Real World(TM), where everything runs not on gasoline or electricity, but on money.

Of course if you don't want to pay $10 for a respec please remember that no one will hold an Assault Rifle to your head and force you to do so.

- I'm Peregrine Falcon, and I approve this message.

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OMG...

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I know, right?! LOL...

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Here's the thing, the people who will benefit the most from this are the people who have no idea it's coming. I am talking about all the players who do not surf the forums and probably have never even heard about Mids. I was a casual mostly solo player on for a mission or two at a time for the first 6 months. Hell, I never even did a TF until I got a more powerful rig. I would have killed to respec my character at level 20 after I found out how awesome stamina is for an SR. This was back when the 20's were a big PitA. Didn't know about Pinnbadges, didn't have any people I teamed with on the regular, etc. Will I ever use this, probably not. But, I also am a more informed player as everyone on the boards are.

I applaud this option for the more casual gamers out there, the people who play for a couple of hours on the weekends, play while the baby is asleep, have a computer that can barely handle the game, or play as a way to connect with their children. This makes life easier for them.

To just drop the money and be able fix something they learned about the hard way. Those are the people we need to get hooked on the game like all us forumites and hardcore gamers. Things such as this are big QoL additions for them.

Good job Devs. Two thumbs way up from someone who may never use it, but knows a bunch of people who will.

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The reason the casual player might not know about respecs or builds is because there is little to no actual game documentation about it. Are you seriously applauding the devs for charging for something that makes up for information they should provide but don't?

That is why I was concerned about the freespecs.

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Someone starts charging ($10, no less), if you have any wits about you at all you are going to think the supply is going to be decreased in order for people to want to buy it in the first place. (At $10, no less.)


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If you have any wits about you at all, you'd realize what a horrible business decision it would be to suddenly take away things that have existed for years in the game just because they decided to offer a monetary way to obtain them. The loss of respect and subscriber dollars over something that greedy would be huge.

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We were talking about freespecs, not all respecs. Plz read again kthx.

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Just a quick follow up:

We have no plans of getting rid of freespecs. Each Issue that brings with it major power changes (which is pretty much every single one, eh?) will bring a freespec with it.

We have no plans of getting rid of the respec trials.

We have no plans of getting rid of the dropped Respec Recipes.

We have no plans of getting rid of the Veteran Respecs that your account earns.

This is simply another way to get a Respec onto your character.

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Good to know. This info probably should have been included in the original announcement though. I'd suggest Lighthouse edit it to add this in.

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It would probably be a good idea to go ahead and edit it in there, yes, but anyone who seriously thought this announcement meant they'd be dropping the other ways to get respecs (especially Vet Rewards, trials, and recipes) was just being silly.

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O rly?

Someone starts charging ($10, no less), if you have any wits about you at all you are going to think the supply is going to be decreased in order for people to want to buy it in the first place. (At $10, no less.)

I'm not shocked that the veterans are happy in this thread after being pissy in the thread about the jetpacks with cards. Would be nice if people could look at the overall picture and not just what would benefit themselves.

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Just a quick follow up:

We have no plans of getting rid of freespecs. Each Issue that brings with it major power changes (which is pretty much every single one, eh?) will bring a freespec with it.

We have no plans of getting rid of the respec trials.

We have no plans of getting rid of the dropped Respec Recipes.

We have no plans of getting rid of the Veteran Respecs that your account earns.

This is simply another way to get a Respec onto your character.

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I'm relieved to hear this, thanks for letting us know.

I don't like this idea but since there are still all the in-game options I can live with it. Color me disappointed if this means less freespecs in game, though. New players don't necessarily know to build a toon to different specifications. It didn't even occur to me to do a respec until I got a freespec and was told by my sg mates to use Mids to figure it all out. Then my eyes were opened to what a mess of a build I had and on that particular toon I'm on my fourth try attempting to get her the way I want her.

It seems a bit shady to charge for something that is almost required for new players and that has to be used with third party software in order to gain its full benefit.

NVM.