Discussion: Purchasable Character Respecs
By
Acemace,
Posted on: 2008-07-31 10:40 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
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It might be perceived as a little sleazy, and a way to milk players for more money. That was my first impression regarding charging for more slots or paying to move a toon between servers. As a computer programmer, I know that these are completely automated, and cost NCSoft nothing at all per transaction.
I haven't paid for either, and may never. I do like that they are there, and that there is some kind of barrier (ten bucks) from people doing it chronically.
I guess for those who've run out of options, and still want to respec, at least it adds another possible route.
Is there any danger to those of us who plan heroes carefully, and have never even needed more than the respec trials traditionally (and now, don't even need those because of veteran rewards)? Nope! It won't costs me anything!
In fact, if it's a way for NCSoft to making a little more money, which keeps our virtual stomping grounds up and running, then it's all good.
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There is nothing in the above post I disagree with.
This is a new revenue stream for those that REALLY want it. Otherwise it has no impact on me. I can still do my trials. still have my vet badges...this works for me.
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Sister Psyche 24.99 to 'fix' your mother in law's head
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Ah but then how much more would you pay if your spouse found out? 
$24.99 is a much safer fee. When the credit card bill comes in it should be much easier for you to come up with a 'viable' excuse
I haven't purchased a server transfer, a rename or the wedding pack and I most likely won't be purchasing this either, but I like having more choices, even if my choice is no thanks.
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Sister Psyche 24.99 to 'fix' your mother in law's head
[/ QUOTE ] I would pay $1,000 for this.
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Ah but then how much more would you pay if your spouse found out? $24.99 is a much safer fee. When the credit card bill comes in it should be much easier for you to come up with a 'viable' excuse
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Thats assuming she wouldnt say "wow, thats the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me"
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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Well, I only have one thing to add:
Are the other avenues no longer working as hoped? You have game sales, monthly fees, wedding pack, GvE, in-game advertising, pay-for slots, pay-for renames, pay-for server moves...
If this game is that starved for money then I an somewhat concerned about the future -- especially the profitability of this scheme.
The alternative could be that this is merely yet another way to earn money in a lucrative fashion much like the various cash shops that have made MMORPGs a good amount of money. Of course, I realize that my post cannot be answered at all...but it's still postworthy.
Here's to hoping that this deal results in better in-game options. I certainly hope the upcoming ideas are better.
As for me? I won't use this. I never intend to use this. I'd rather remake a 50 than use this. It's too expensive for what is being offered. Someone else may use them, but count me out.
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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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Why cant you guys use developer resources for something we really need like email transfer of items/inf? That to me would have made more sense than this. The only times I ever got respec recipes were on characters that didnt need them anyways but the ones that did were on another server. That would have helped me alot more than this.
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Umm... probably because what you're asking for would require dozens of hours of coding, QA, etc., while this probably took maybe 30 minutes to pop out. This is all PlayNC side with a tiny amount of interaction with the server using code that's already there, whereas what you're talking about is an entirely new feature that would have to be coded from scratch, tested to make sure it's not gamebreaking and interacts nicely with every other piece of code, etc.
Honestly, you people. I swear.
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Formerly known as YFNDBA
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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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Disappointing.. Another step towards CoX developing a "Cash Shop" that developes more have and have nots.
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So you're ok with respec recipes going for 30large plus...
Seriously you can see why personnel in other mmo's almost never
interact with their customers, because they can be really uptight
over the dumbest things.
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Overall I really doubt that I'll have a use for this service. Except for the first couple of characters I ever made I have never exhausted my existing in-game respec options.
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Mmmhmm. So really complaining about the price is a tempest in a teapot.
The compulsive just can't stop tweaking respecers will pay it, because it's worth the price to feed their compulsion. You know the guys "If I just had ONE more, I could fix everything that's wrong!!"
For everybody else, the price is just a number that will never affect them.
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Why cant you guys use developer resources for something we really need like email transfer of items/inf? That to me would have made more sense than this. The only times I ever got respec recipes were on characters that didnt need them anyways but the ones that did were on another server. That would have helped me alot more than this.
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Umm... probably because what you're asking for would require dozens of hours of coding, QA, etc., while this probably took maybe 30 minutes to pop out. This is all PlayNC side with a tiny amount of interaction with the server using code that's already there, whereas what you're talking about is an entirely new feature that would have to be coded from scratch, tested to make sure it's not gamebreaking and interacts nicely with every other piece of code, etc.
Honestly, you people. I swear.
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While I don't agree with Ryu, who cares if something takes a bajillion hours if it improves this game? It's a copout answer as far as I am concerned. Especially considering that our development team has grown quite a bit lately.
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Why cant you guys use developer resources for something we really need like email transfer of items/inf? That to me would have made more sense than this. The only times I ever got respec recipes were on characters that didnt need them anyways but the ones that did were on another server. That would have helped me alot more than this.
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Umm... probably because what you're asking for would require dozens of hours of coding, QA, etc., while this probably took maybe 30 minutes to pop out. This is all PlayNC side with a tiny amount of interaction with the server using code that's already there, whereas what you're talking about is an entirely new feature that would have to be coded from scratch, tested to make sure it's not gamebreaking and interacts nicely with every other piece of code, etc.
Honestly, you people. I swear.
[/ QUOTE ]Well that would be 30 minutes less time they would have to spend working on the email system that would be still infinitely more useful than this $10 respec thing.
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Well that would be 30 minutes less time they would have to spend working on the email system that would be still infinitely more useful than this $10 respec thing.
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Has someone been peeing in your cereal lately ER?
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Why cant you guys use developer resources for something we really need like email transfer of items/inf? That to me would have made more sense than this. The only times I ever got respec recipes were on characters that didnt need them anyways but the ones that did were on another server. That would have helped me alot more than this.
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Umm... probably because what you're asking for would require dozens of hours of coding, QA, etc., while this probably took maybe 30 minutes to pop out. This is all PlayNC side with a tiny amount of interaction with the server using code that's already there, whereas what you're talking about is an entirely new feature that would have to be coded from scratch, tested to make sure it's not gamebreaking and interacts nicely with every other piece of code, etc.
Honestly, you people. I swear.
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While I don't agree with Ryu, who cares if something takes a bajillion hours if it improves this game? It's a copout answer as far as I am concerned. Especially considering that our development team has grown quite a bit lately.
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Perhaps all those things that take a bajillion hours to code might one day be funded by little things like this?
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Perhaps all those things that take a bajillion hours to code might one day be funded by little things like this?
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Where did I say that it wouldn't possibly fund this?
I'd rather have a shared vault for recipes, salvage, ehancements and infamy/influence.
That other MMO over there already has an email system.
And how 'bout a 42 month team teleport that recharges in say 5 minutes?
The ability to do a quick-spec -- just change slots or pull down enhancements/IOs.
Where's the suggestion box? I got a few more!
I'm kidding, I know where the suggestion box is.
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Well that would be 30 minutes less time they would have to spend working on the email system that would be still infinitely more useful than this $10 respec thing.
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Speculation that may not be factual. They may not have spent ANY time on the respec for cash system.
Billing usually has access to the character files (for various reasons, including transfers et.al.). Billing flips a counter on the character from "0" to "1", and you have a respec.
The only real development time spent on this is the time it took to write the announcement.
But keep crusading why your own personal favorite dev project should leap to the top of the developer's 'todo' list (ahead of everyone else's personal favorite projects)! Especially if it's something they've never announced any plans for!
(QR)
Question/concern...Not sure if this has been brought up.
When a respec is purchased, does it go straight to the character, or are you given a respec recipe?
If it is a recipe, could people sell it on the market? This sounds like it could lead to a RMT type deal. Buy a respec, sell it at the market, get in-game money.
Thread summary:
More options.
Some will use, many won't.
Lots of wah-wah-wah.
Carry on...
I love the $10 price, all due respect Des 
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Keeps people from using it trivially. Avails it to those who REALLY want it.
If the price needs to be lowered, SuWEET! Devs can look at demand, and if they see no one using it, they can just lower the price to, say, 7.50, and see how much better their profits get, or how much worse. Raising the price after the fact, however, will engender severe hard feelings. I mean, look at all the
well, all the nice people who think this is bad. Kinda like the people saying that the optional in game ads will leave them starving and horribly disfigured.
I dont see myself ever using it, but nice to know its there.
I personally think 7.50 will be the sweet spot for profitability.
And I am all for things to make the game more profitable for the devs. We need to keep the game afloat.
Great Idea Devs more options, more profit, no obligation! This is a wise and forward-looking model.
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Question/concern...Not sure if this has been brought up.
When a respec is purchased, does it go straight to the character, or are you given a respec recipe?
If it is a recipe, could people sell it on the market? This sounds like it could lead to a RMT type deal. Buy a respec, sell it at the market, get in-game money.
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Since you have to go to a respec trainer to cash it in, it can't be a recipe. Recipes craft freespecs, which can be used with /respec. Also, the language of the purchasable respec on the store makes no mention of recipes.
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Great idea, but the price is bit out of whack. $10 is simply too much for this.
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That's pretty much my feelings on the matter.
"Always remember that you're unique -- just like everybody else."
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Overall I really doubt that I'll have a use for this service. Except for the first couple of characters I ever made I have never exhausted my existing in-game respec options.
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Mmmhmm. So really complaining about the price is a tempest in a teapot.
The compulsive just can't stop tweaking respecers will pay it, because it's worth the price to feed their compulsion. You know the guys "If I just had ONE more, I could fix everything that's wrong!!"
For everybody else, the price is just a number that will never affect them.
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Uh huh....and more power to 'em. Every extra dollar helps with the development of this game. I haven't a single iota problem with things like this. I'll never use 'em, but I know there are enough that will to help increase the company coffers.
Edit: Heck, call me crazy but REALLY put a cramp in the 'gold farmers' and set up a 'pay for Influence' gig, or a 'pay for level' program. Wouldn't affect me in the slightest...unless I happened to team with the latter I suppose.....
Yea, yea...probably really extreme ideas that would cause more problems than are worth it, but I just got done watching Eddie Izzard and anything seems possible...
A lot of frugal people in this thread. Personally the time it takes to make the money or farm for drops is far more valuable to me than $10. So whether I need to respec or not is based on my ability to build my character well, however to say it's stupid or you have a bajillion of them already from 430 vet rewards for playing no other game in your life more power to you. But some of us have more than one game in our collection to play and don't want to have to spend hours doing something to get something we want. Some people by the way need respecs because of PVP perfecting of toons. Since most of you people aren't good enough to play in PVP zones then of course you can't see how the freespecs, vetspecs, and trial specs could run out.