The one thing I can't stand in this game
Have you considered preparation?
Mids is a life saver. Respecs really are not hard to come by these days.
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You have 3 builds to choose from. F one up, level up a different one.
I dont understand how someone can f up a toon so often, or just want to change powers like they were costume slots. Okay, maybe PVP builds, but other than that, I am yet to run out of respec options on a toon.
Most likely the game just aint for you. Too bad really, because the more the merrier.
I actually agree with you on this. I really don't understand why respecs are locked down the way they are. Well, I think I DO understand: it's the old school mentality that being able to change constantly breaks character immersion.
I hoard respecs. When the inherent Fitness came through most of my characters went over a year without a respecing because I was afraid of making a mistake and getting stuck. And this game, compared to many others, is one where if you don't know exactly what you are doing, you can completely screw up a build.
One thing that sometimes works for me: use the first build to experiment, draw lessons from the results to make the second one a serious build.
Truth be told, a character with relatively messed up power and slot selection still has high enough performance to get through the game.
And this game, compared to many others, is one where if you don't know exactly what you are doing, you can completely screw up a build. |
I think you have to have some extremely high standards to say you can screw a build by not knowing what you are doing in this game, and that's coming from someone who brings up +4/x8 vanguard soloing in highend performance discussions left and right. What is YOUR basic goalpost, groups of extreme/extreme AE AVs?
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In a nutshell: restrictions on how often I can respec are the big reason why I can't play this game for any long stretch of time.
I mostly love this game. I've tried to play it a few times across the years, I love some of the concepts, I really like how the direction Paragon is taking the game. But, for whatever reason, I can't stand to play any MMO where I can't respec any time I want. The first time I want to respec and find I can't - or I get stuck when leveling because I can't decide how to spec, given that changing my decision in the future will be either hard or impossible - I simply leave the game. It's what happened 3 times already with CoH; I try to play, make a new character (as I can't bring myself to play my old characters), but in a few days I end leaving in frustration because I either can't decide how to distribute my slots and powers, or else I find I really want to change my spec. This last try, I ever tried adding 4 months of game time at a time, to see if the larger money investment could make me stick. It just meant I wasted money, since I played for a week or two and abandoned the game just after. None of the ways to obtain respecs are actually enough for me. The respec recipes are simply too expensive, the free respecs too few and far between, and respecs are one thing I would rather leave the game than purchase in the cash shop (since I consider them about as essential for my enjoyment of the game as, for example, being able to resurrect my character). BTW: I'm not actually asking for the game to change regarding respecs; I just wanted to explain the reason I could never stay in the game. While I would be thrilled if they were reworked into something I could live with, after this last try, I'm moving on. |
I always plan out my toons from level 1 to 50 ahead of time so I know what power to pick and how to slot each power.
To quit over something you can so easily fix yourself is silly and pointless in my opinion.
Uber Talgrim - level 50 emp/dark defender
Uber Rod - level 50 dark melee/regen scrapper
Rod Valdr - level 50 invuln/SS tanker
Talgrim - level 50 ninja/dark mastermind
OMG!! Please add these costume designs now!
i usually just run with the toon until 50 unless i really messed up in power choices, usually i can manage till 50 when i have a planned build (which i usually set up sometime before i hit 50)
as mentioned mids is extremely helpful for this
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Mids. Use it. Love it.
You have 3 builds to choose from. F one up, level up a different one. I dont understand how someone can f up a toon so often, or just want to change powers like they were costume slots. Okay, maybe PVP builds, but other than that, I am yet to run out of respec options on a toon. Most likely the game just aint for you. Too bad really, because the more the merrier. |
I'm not the kind of player that reacts well to being so restricted by all his previous decisions. Not in a game, at least.
It's not even that I need to respec too often. It's something psychological. I need some assurance that, should I want to try other play styles through respecs, I will be able to do so, and to change back if I don't like the new spec; I need some assurance that, no matter how often I mess my build or how much time I take to discover an error, I will still be able to correct it. Without it, even if I don't actually need to correct some error, any choice when leveling up starts becoming so hard for me to make, I end up leaving the game in frustration.
Also, when given options, I like to experiment, create, refine; I like to try all options, tweak them as I go, document results, almost reverse-engineer them. I'm the kind of player that abuse save games so I can see all possible outcomes of an encounter, to the point I could rebuild the dialogue trees; being denied this kind of freedom drastically cuts my enjoyment of the game.
My worst case wasn't even with CoH; it was in DDO. Akin to this game, DDO offers respecs as either random rewards for high level content, or as items to be bought from the cash shop, so for all effects I treat respecs there as if they didn't exist at all. And it has simply too many options when leveling up. I reached a new level (not sure if it was 2 or 3), spent an hour uselessly trying to decide how I would want to level my character, gave up, did a few more instances, came back to level my character, spent another couple hours without being able to decide, and uninstalled the game.
If I know I can change my previous choices with a minimum of fuss, without any limit to the number of times I can change them, I don't have any problem leveling up. Knowing I can redo my choice any time lets me pick whatever option I think is the best without any frustration, since I know that, even if I did choose poorly, I won't be bound by the choice.
As you said, CoH seems to just not be the game for me. At least with it's current design goal of making the speccing decisions important by making it hard to keep respeccing.
After Invention Origin Enhancement Sets were introduced, yeah, it's a quite complex system. More so because enhancements are such an integral part of a build - and obtaining them has too many random elements.
I hate to say this, but this is a big fail on your part. I'm guessing that you don't like to play any games then, as I'm sure most if not all do not let you respec any time you want. At least MMOs.
I always plan out my toons from level 1 to 50 ahead of time so I know what power to pick and how to slot each power. To quit over something you can so easily fix yourself is silly and pointless in my opinion. |
As for easily fixing the problem, how?
By planning the characters beforehand? I change opinions during the leveling process, and often end up wanting to do quite different builds than when I started. It helps me last a few extra levels before wanting to respec, but that's it.
By paying real money for a respec? A respec is something I will absolutely not purchase, no matter how cheap it is. If I'm already paying a subscription, I flat out refuse to pay anything extra for things I consider really essential to my gaming experience - and respecs is something I consider essential. I would (and did, on previous occasions) leave the game way before even considering purchasing a respec.
By purchasing respec recipes? Last time I looked at them, they were just too expensive to even consider purchasing. The time needed to farm for them, or for the influence to purchase them, is just too high to be classified as "easy".
By waiting for a free respec to be granted? No, thanks. Takes too long and is not reliable.
As for easily fixing the problem, how?
By planning the characters beforehand? ... By paying real money for a respec? ... By purchasing respec recipes? ... By waiting for a free respec to be granted? ... |
There are also 3 respec task forces per side which cost nothing and don't take too long to run through. Although that only gives you 3 respecs per character over 50 levels, over and above the freespecs which come out about every issue, and it sounds like you want to respec your characters every couple of levels.
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theres several alternatives to respec'ing all the time
- mids
- builds
- copy char to test server (few times, many times as you need) etc
There's has always been (so far) a free respec with each issue. And since issues come out on average 3 times a year, well, that's 3 free respecs per year. Then, if you're a subscriber, one more per year. Then there's earned ones (3-4). Then there's the in-game respec recipe. Then there is purchasing one. Then there is a second (and third) build. Then there is unlimited respecs on the Test Server (because you 'buy' with fake money there).
We're drowning in respecs.
Respecs: Earned, Trial, Veteran, Free, Recipe
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Whilst I currently have freespecs and vetspecs coming out of my ears, I tend to treat them with a degree of value. I tend not to respec my toons until they're 50 or in the high 40s.
The answer is not to stop playing, but rather play more. Get a feel for the archetypes and their basic power types, get an idea of how to slot each basic type of power in order to produce a functional build. To clarify, if you play melee toons then your basic three single target attacks will likely be 6 slotted with 2 acc, 2 dam, 1 rech and 1 end. Your basic armour toggles may be 5 slotted with 2 end and 3 res or def. Start with TOs/DO/SOs until you hit 50. You can find plenty of guides detailing all the powersets and their optimal slotting right here on the forums, they're are probably the best place to start.
I tend to get an idea of where I'd like my focus to be as I level up. In which case I use Mids to plan your build accordingly. Once I'm happy with the numbers and my toon is at or near 50 only then do I respec. I fill it back out with my left over SOs and work towards acquiring the IOs I need. Sometimes the resultant 'empty' build can be more or less effective than the functional leveling build, but once I start slotting those IOs it gets better and better.
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There's has always been (so far) a free respec with each issue. And since issues come out on average 3 times a year, well, that's 3 free respecs per year. Then, if you're a subscriber, one more per year. Then there's earned ones (3-4). Then there's the in-game respec recipe. Then there is purchasing one. Then there is a second (and third) build. Then there is unlimited respecs on the Test Server (because you 'buy' with fake money there).
We're drowning in respecs. Respecs: Earned, Trial, Veteran, Free, Recipe |
With the ease of emailing Respec recipes and salvage between your characters, and the availablity of Respec recipes, a respec above and beyond the freebies is a snap. If the point is to run a build and change it just a hair to experiment (move a single enhancement slot, etc.) then such "temporary" builds would seem ideal for the Test server.
For me, respeccing is such a pain that I try to avoid having to do it. My power trays get trashed, I have to sort through my enhancements and get them back to the right powers... blecch. It is like wanting to straighten out your garage; I do it when I must, but never on a whim.
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Before I start: the thread was to point out why, even though I mostly love the game, I can't stand to play it for over a week or two.
It might seem strange, but restrictions on respecs, for me, are about as bad as enforcing permadeath on the game. They are a really big deal for me.
I'm not exactly asking for more respecs or easier ways to obtain them. I understand there are players that think restricting respecs is important to assure a desirable level of planning and commitment to the character. It seems like the devs opinion matches this, so I'm going back to other games that better match my idea of how a MMO (or, more specifically, respecs, given that I actually like the other aspects of CoH) should work.
Don't forget Guild Wars (the main reason I actually started playing that game was because respecs are unlimited and free) and Guild Wars 2 (unlimited specs for PvP, easy and apparently unlimited and free respeccing in PvE, in a game with good systems and a fair level of polish? Count me in ).
in co at least i assure you that respeccing anything but your very last few powers gets prohibitively expensive .
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The game developers work on the assumption that players shouldn't make big changes to their characters. I tend to avoid games where this is true.
There's has always been (so far) a free respec with each issue. And since issues come out on average 3 times a year, well, that's 3 free respecs per year. Then, if you're a subscriber, one more per year. Then there's earned ones (3-4). Then there's the in-game respec recipe. Then there is purchasing one. Then there is a second (and third) build. Then there is unlimited respecs on the Test Server (because you 'buy' with fake money there).
We're drowning in respecs. Respecs: Earned, Trial, Veteran, Free, Recipe |
It's also a psychological issue for me. There is a limit on the number of respecs I can get before having to spend real money on them. Even if this limit were quite high - say, a hundred or two respecs - the fact it's a limited number would still feel stifling for me. More so because I consider easy access to respecs to be almost as important to my fun in the game as being able to rez my character - and I don't think I'm going to be able to change this. My current attempt at playing CoH was also an attempt to see if I could bring myself to play a game with limited respeccing, and it failed miserably.
Whilst I currently have freespecs and vetspecs coming out of my ears, I tend to treat them with a degree of value. I tend not to respec my toons until they're 50 or in the high 40s.
The answer is not to stop playing, but rather play more. Get a feel for the archetypes and their basic power types, get an idea of how to slot each basic type of power in order to produce a functional build. To clarify, if you play melee toons then your basic three single target attacks will likely be 6 slotted with 2 acc, 2 dam, 1 rech and 1 end. Your basic armour toggles may be 5 slotted with 2 end and 3 res or def. Start with TOs/DO/SOs until you hit 50. You can find plenty of guides detailing all the powersets and their optimal slotting right here on the forums, they're are probably the best place to start. I tend to get an idea of where I'd like my focus to be as I level up. In which case I use Mids to plan your build accordingly. Once I'm happy with the numbers and my toon is at or near 50 only then do I respec. I fill it back out with my left over SOs and work towards acquiring the IOs I need. Sometimes the resultant 'empty' build can be more or less effective than the functional leveling build, but once I start slotting those IOs it gets better and better. |
At the time, I though that would be enough to get over my problem with respec restrictions. Unfortunately, it wasn't. In a few days I couldn't bring myself to level my character, even though I wanted to continue the quest lines.
Games that restrict respecs are just not for me.
If you ever need help with a build, the forums are a great place to ask. If you are unsure on a build you've made on Mids, or just want someone to post you a build (the former is preferred but the latter does happen often), just post in the relevant section and people will try their best to help you out.
I hope you do find a solution which doesn't involve you leaving the game for good. It's always a shame to see people leave due to being unhappy with something about the game.
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I always find the different styles of play interesting to see. Myself I've used all of 5 o 6 respects total in 7 years on 70+ characters. And those where for changes in the game, ie fitness, and giving easy access to the tier 3 movement powers.
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What do you want us to tell you? We have more than enough respecs for any reasonable player and if that's not enough there's a whole server where you can change your build as many times as you want.
And that's still not enough for you? What do you want, unlimited free respecs? Well, I guess the game is already so easy that making it even easier won't do any harm...
What exactly is the point of this thread? If the game isn't for you, then, well, the door's right that way...
I don't have the game in front of me, so I'll ask: How much do respec recipes go for these days?
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133-160 million when I just checked.
I don't have the game in front of me, so I'll ask: How much do respec recipes go for these days?
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Last 5 sales as of 2:57 PM PDT are 160m; 133,333,333 (x3); and 175m.
As to the OP's request for more respecs - I can't imagine anyone being willing to do respec's over and over on a character. Unless you are such a low level that even bothering to respec is a waste of time, its an ugly, drawn out process. I have respec's coming out my ears (6 vet respec per character, up to 4 earned respecs in game from the respec trials and the villainside patron arc, which gives one out as well and as Zombie_man mentioned, 2-3 freespecs a year) and I ration them out carefully - not because I think I am going to run out, or consider them valueable, but because doing a respec is such a royal pain.
Personally, I don't see how having unlimited respec's is going to make a character any 'better' than the limited amount we currenltly have - if you suck at building a character, its really not going to matter how often you rebuild it, you will likely still suck. It takes longer than an hour, a day or even just a week of playing a build to really know how well it works. So if the OP is really desperate to rebuild constantly I say let him - anyone who spends all thier time in a respec menu is not going to be playing the game, so its a self defeating goal.
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In a nutshell: restrictions on how often I can respec are the big reason why I can't play this game for any long stretch of time.
I mostly love this game. I've tried to play it a few times across the years, I love some of the concepts, I really like how the direction Paragon is taking the game.
But, for whatever reason, I can't stand to play any MMO where I can't respec any time I want. The first time I want to respec and find I can't - or I get stuck when leveling because I can't decide how to spec, given that changing my decision in the future will be either hard or impossible - I simply leave the game.
It's what happened 3 times already with CoH; I try to play, make a new character (as I can't bring myself to play my old characters), but in a few days I end leaving in frustration because I either can't decide how to distribute my slots and powers, or else I find I really want to change my spec. This last try, I ever tried adding 4 months of game time at a time, to see if the larger money investment could make me stick. It just meant I wasted money, since I played for a week or two and abandoned the game just after.
None of the ways to obtain respecs are actually enough for me. The respec recipes are simply too expensive, the free respecs too few and far between, and respecs are one thing I would rather leave the game than purchase in the cash shop (since I consider them about as essential for my enjoyment of the game as, for example, being able to resurrect my character).
BTW: I'm not actually asking for the game to change regarding respecs; I just wanted to explain the reason I could never stay in the game. While I would be thrilled if they were reworked into something I could live with, after this last try, I'm moving on.