As everyone knows, 1.8 will bring major infantry changes. I won't go into the various arguments here, but just want to gauge the CPM and CPM1 candidates' views regarding an infantry respec/SP refund. The main options are:

1. All SP in dropsuit command, dropsuit upgrades, and weaponry trees refunded.
2. All SP in dropsuit command and dropsuit upgrades trees refunded.
3. All SP in dropsuit command and weaponry trees refunded.
4. All SP in dropsuit command tree refunded.
5. No SP refunded.
6. Other (specify).

I encourage CPM and CPM1 candidates to state their preferred option. If you like you can also provide supporting reasons.

4: the large amount of changes to all suits, plus the introduction of all racial suits means that a respec in this tree is needed

However, the weapons and dropsuit skills are barely being changed at all apart from new content, i feel that a respec here is not needed, as the changes in 1.8 are pretty much non existant

As everyone knows, 1.8 will bring major infantry changes. I won't go into the various arguments here, but just want to gauge the CPM and CPM1 candidates' views regarding an infantry respec/SP refund. The main options are:

1. All SP in dropsuit command, dropsuit upgrades, and weaponry trees refunded.
2. All SP in dropsuit command and dropsuit upgrades trees refunded.
3. All SP in dropsuit command and weaponry trees refunded.
4. All SP in dropsuit command tree refunded.
5. No SP refunded.
6. Other (specify).

I encourage CPM and CPM1 candidates to state their preferred option. If you like you can also provide supporting reasons.

We mustn't confuse CCP's current news blackout with an unwillingness on their part to deal with these issues. One does not mean the other.

CCP tend to go quiet in the last months before Fanfest anyway, usually they're in a sprint to finish stuff for announcment at Harpa. There has been a modestly sizable shift in resources around the company in the last few months. Nearly all Dust development is now done under one roof at CCP Shanghai according to IRC. A number of new staff have been taken on there and more to come if the jobs section of CCP is anything to go by.

The other thing to remember is that 1.8, save for some last minute tinkering based on feedback was likely finished and ready to go a few weeks ago. And 1.9 is likely slated as a fix patch only with no content. Right now, they'll be working in the next named expansion pretty much full time.

We mustn't confuse CCP's current news blackout with an unwillingness on their part to deal with these issues. One does not mean the other.

CCP tend to go quiet in the last months before Fanfest anyway, usually they're in a sprint to finish stuff for announcment at Harpa. There has been a modestly sizable shift in resources around the company in the last few months. Nearly all Dust development is now done under one roof at CCP Shanghai according to IRC. A number of new staff have been taken on there and more to come if the jobs section of CCP is anything to go by.

The other thing to remember is that 1.8, save for some last minute tinkering based on feedback was likely finished and ready to go a few weeks ago. And 1.9 is likely slated as a fix patch only with no content. Right now, they'll be working in the next named expansion pretty much full time.

Ryme, multiple CPM have already spoken up on respecs. In support, I believe. Just not in this thread.

The ultimate point that I think needs addressing is that there MUST be a point where we can say this respec will be the very last one. And CCP NEED to stick by it.

We can not go on with demands for respecs for every single balance change or new module added to the game. This is a game of consequence pure and simple. Players must be made aware that any choices that they make can not be undone, can't be ticketed and can't be changed by QQ'ing in the forums.

As an example, say that in 4 months CCP releases the fabled pilot suit.

They release all racial variants, the skills required to unlock it and modules that support it. If all racial variants are availble from day one, then there is not single argument, not one, that could persuade me as to the the need for a respec. If a player, new or veteran wants to skill into that suit, then grind for it. It is as simple as that.

My personal position, is that I am entirely against respecs, and that CCP eventually needs to put their foot down on the issue. EVE ships have been radically redesigned, without offering respecs to people with skills in the class.

That being said, the community as a whole, not just on the forums, but in-game as well, has made their position on it very clear, and from my observation, even people generally against offering respecs largely feel a respec should be provided. In that case, it should be option 1. In 1.7, vehicles were offered a full refund of their vehicle command (dropsuit equivalent), vehicle upgrades (dropship upgrades equivalent), and turret operation (weaponry equivalent) trees, and dropsuits should be afforded the same opportunity.

So, personally against it, but I'd have to represent the community here, and push for it.

Eve players can't respec so why should Dust mercs?

Namely, because Dust isn't Eve.

Namely, because Dust isn't Eve.

I think the CPM is unanimous in its support of a respec for 1.8. Personally I would go with option 1 at the minimum. The issue of giving some sort of repsec has been an issue communicated to CCP multiple times by the CPM.

Namely, because Dust isn't Eve.

I think the CPM is unanimous in its support of a respec for 1.8. Personally I would go with option 1 at the minimum. The issue of giving some sort of repsec has been an issue communicated to CCP multiple times by the CPM.

You were quoting me out of context there.

I think I made it clear that on that first post and the ones since, that on this one occasion I do support a respec but only because CCP royally screwed up by not releasing the racial suits in one go from day one.

Once there is full racial parity in the suits and what vehicles we have and as long as CCP release further suits or vehicles with full racial variants, then it is my full belief that CCP should draw a line under the whole question of respec and say no more. I wouldn't even support a paid for respec without serious consequence for that choice (like a 25% cost in your SP total)

Dust isn't Eve but its in New Eden, a persistent sharing universe where decisions have consequence. To have a way of correcting mistakes in SP expenditure when you can't as monthly subscriber in Eve goes completely against the spirit of New Eden and makes Dust no better than COD and not worthy of inclusion in the New Eden universe.

My preferred option is that we didn't need one at all but if wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets.

I'm personally opposed to having respec's at all. It was fine and understandable during the beta but once the game was launched that should've been it. This is a game of consequence after all.

However, because CCP launched the game without most of the racial suits and without a complete weapon class and messed up the vehicles. Because the NPE singularly failed to explain the skill system in a way to prevent people making the wrong choices, I'm forced to concede that on this one and only this one occasion a respec of Dropsuit Command and Dropsuit Upgrades is going to be required. As well as a chance to change racial portrait. I have mine because in the closed beta I wanted to be assault and only the Caldari started with skills suitable for that choice. Yep, I've been playing it that long.

Weapons are fine at the moment in my opinion. You want to spec up a particular weapon use some of your Dropsuit refunded SP.

In future I would hope that if and when any new class of suit or weapon is released, the full racial variants will be released on day one too. As long as that happens, there is no argument that could be given to justify a further respec.

I'm also opposed to a respec for Aurum. Again, this a game of consequence. Your choices should matter and you should live with them. Eve players can't respec so why should Dust mercs?

For the EVE vs Dust argument, here are my thoughts on the matter.

In EVE, a new pilot can pretty quickly fill a role in a fleet for PVP. They are assigned to train up on their speed and EWAR so that they can tackle. This can take as little as a month or two before they are proficient in it. For Dust, this is not the case. There are no good roles that a new player can fit into nor can they really hide within a larger group due to the 16v16 nature of pub matches.

For all the cries that a respec will favor the vets who skilled into the FOTM suits and weapons, it will benefit lower SP players even more. A respec will give them the chance to use their learnings since they began to shape their character how they want it. I agree that this should be the last large respec that CCP gives. Anything else should be specific to the skill tree impacted should a large change be made to it.

One thing that I think would be beneficial to this game is to give a respec token to each new player that starts the game. It can be used up until a certain SP cap. This will allow them to experiment with suits and weapons early on and then respec and focus on what they want to do long term.