The one thing I can't stand in this game

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.

Have you considered preparation?

Mids is a life saver. Respecs really are not hard to come by these days.

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 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.

Quote:

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.

Ha! I was about to post the exact opposite thing and finally edited it out.

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?

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

I think we've fed it enough.

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

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.

----- Union's finest underachiever -----
Farewell CITY of HEROES
The First, the Last, the One.
Union: @ominousvoice2059

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 ).

Quote:

Originally Posted by rian_frostdrake in co at least i assure you that respeccing anything but your very last few powers gets prohibitively expensive .

Which is the reason I never started playing CO. I made an account and went to research a few things while it downloaded. As soon as I found how respeccing worked, I deleted the client install and never looked back.

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zombie Man 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

I knew about all of them (including that post; I did read it before I re-activated my account). There is still a limit on how many specs it's possible to get for my real character (i.e., not taking into account test server respecs) with a reasonable effort (and paying 150M influence for a respec recipe is not something I consider a reasonable effort) and without paying real money for them.

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OminousVoice 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.

I don't want to belittle you, but I did a big amount of research, got Mids, learned to use it, read mostly every builld topic on the forums for the AT I was thinking about using (and a few for other ATs that featured powers I wanted to know more about), read every single piece on the Paragon Wiki about Enhancements, did some more research on the wiki and forums to decide on what IOs (and, thus, spec) I should end up using, created a spec, to only then re-activate my account and make a new character.

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.

Contact me in-game: @CheeseSlicer

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.

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?

133-160 million when I just checked.