The tremendous market in aurum paid respecs? I wish I could have the respec concession here for a dollar per character.

They see the money. They choose to not go all Activision for it.

All respecs will do is give everyone the ability to change into the FotM and stomp on anyone not able to use mommy's credit card. Might not be P2W, but you're definitely left behind without paying.

I will also murder a kitten for every additional thread created on this topic.

Did you already get Cat Merc?

I am going to put my foot down and say no to 'respec' at anytime.

Make it a once a year thing and penalized/partial refund of SP.

I am going to put my foot down and say no to 'respec' at anytime.

Make it a once a year thing and penalized(1 sp refunded back at the cost of 2 sp or something) or partial (one of all current levels refunded that are not a requirement for a higher skill.) and we may start talking.

I'd settle for a once-a-year partial, if only to please the masses.

I am going to put my foot down and say no to 'respec' at anytime.

Make it a once a year thing and penalized(1 sp refunded back at the cost of 2 sp or something) or partial (one of all current levels refunded that are not a requirement for a higher skill.) and we may start talking.

I settle for screw the "masses". There's barely any visible support for the idea beyond bad logic and wrong comparisons to neural remaps and the discussions usually die out after the first wave of counterarguments.

The supporters of the idea just don't want negative consequences for their mistakes and don't value the negative effects as integral part of the philosophy.

I'm fine with them not agreeing with fixed skillpoint distribution just as i don't agree with several design choices in other games. I just don't see why a part of this game wich i value highly has to go, when there's plenty of competition that suits their desires.

They like Dust, they don't like bottlenecking of valuable SP into roles and skills that are then arbitrarily ruined or contorted beyond identification. You can like one part of something and dislike others.

Sure they can.

I just fail to understand why a skillsystem that is reduced to more SP = better is of any inherent value to them. The fixed system wants to make specialization an increasing commitment the further you go, thus providing your merc a unique "identity" and the feeling that you make important choices that might turn out wrong.

Take the "identity" thing out by respecs and we're left with meaningless numbers limiting your gameplay experience because you don't buy enough boosters or don't grind enough. What we're left with is a skinner box design and i don't see why anyone would want this in a competitive FPS.

Imagine how much money CCP could earn if, after each day of programming / artistry / etc, the devs (male and (especially) female) went out and sold their bodies for the pleasure of drunken vikings?

They could make a killing.

And I'm sure there's someone out there with a sock fetish.

If I had the absolute say it would be never.

but I don't and I set down my secondary limitation.

I rather improve the tree up a bit than to constantly issue out respecs as more and more options become available.

People tend to commit more readily to something that isn't a perpetual shot in the dark. Quit pushing blame for the the flaws of the Pinto on the nasty Ford drivers.

Well, you have to admit when people make the P2W argument, lots of folks trot out the "they gotta make money somehow!" pony.

Can you elaborate on this please? I'm not sure what to take from this.

If the game is going to keep changing... offer a base amount of 1 per year or something... allowing a maximum of another 1 or 2 per year for aurum. Why not -- you don't get anything special from a respec -- you just get to switch into something else without having to bake an alt for half a year.

What's with the new players who are unable to stand a chance with respecced vets. Anyone can choose to conserve SP for new content when it's released to have an edge but with respecs that's another choice that is rendered obsolete.

I am in favor of respecs as long as we are still in beta. However once the skill tree stabilizes and we attain a modicum of balance for the first time that should end.

Until we get out of beta the whole game is in such a state of flux that players can't possibly make informed decisions. Major skill branches whither and die with each build and hotfix. It's unfair to leave folks stranded in dead branches that were viable when they first took them.

Well, the argument is that it pays to be a vet. Respeccing is yet another superpower that vets have, like proto gear.

Sorry, the metaphor meant something to me that I couldn't guarantee the reader. CCP does substantially change the game at times. The respecs are a nod to the fact that they owe a bit of a re-go to people who have committed to things that have radically changed on them. Until CCP delivers a more predictable product, it's no great act of impurity to offer a way to adjust to the changes.

Why give them an irtificial superpower? Why is it a good thing for the game when vets are to no longer accountable for their decisions and can maintain their superiority in virtually anything indefinitely without any cognitive effort?

One of the best qualities of the skilltree is that there's a limit of power to be be gained through SP thus allowing new players to become relevant even with a fraction of the SP if they make the correct choices. I'm nowhere near protolevel but, as a player, i'd consider a level of choice to be taken from me to be a loss. I want an interesting and challenging experience more than ultimate power.