Is the benefit of no full respecs worth its costs in lost players?

The main benefits I can think of

1) you can't cheese by making a perfect leveling build and then hot swap to your endgame build.
2) GGG gets added player time as players are forced to level a new character if they want a different build


The main costs

1) some players won't even try to the game due to the respec system
2) Some players will try it but quit because their build turned out to not be viable
3) experimentation is punished


My personal opinion is that a lack of full respecs was the major detriment of Diablo 2 and I was actually glad when they eventually added an item to reset skill points. (stat points is a bit trickier imo though) Before then I simply got power leveled if I wanted a new spec so it's not like the lack of respecs added anything but inconvenience. The fun in ARPGs is at "endgame", not leveling.

In this game, the most hardcore players will have more than enough currency to do major respecs when they want. They also are super efficient at leveling and know the core mechanics like the back of their hands. So it's really only the new or potentially new players that feel the full brunt of full respec costs.

I'm resigned to using net builds when playing this game. But it does remove some immersion and joy from the experience. When I played Torchlight and Torchlight 2 I immediately go the mods that let me fully respec as I didn't want to have to look up builds for a single player game.

"

The fun in ARPGs is at "endgame", not leveling

1000% disagree.

"

PrivateRiem wrote:

"

The fun in ARPGs is at "endgame", not leveling

1000% disagree.

1000% disagree with your disagree

Been playing since league 1, and leveling through the same acts 3x per character has become more of an annoyance over being fun

lvl 60-65 When you start mapping is where the fun begins

- Play premaded meta builds
- Earn currency and waste it on regrets
- Do that you want - experiments, brick your characters, etc..
- ???
- Profit

I find respec stinginess fairly arbitrary due to full respecs each patch. On the other hand I also wouldn't want it to be too cheap to completely respec a week into a new league to fotm build. I wouldn't have a problem with a respec orb as rare as exalts.

No? I think, and I'll try to elaborate on that...

Anecdotal, but, "no respecs" is a pretty big factor in why I play. I have Diablo 3 - been there, done it all, nothing to achieve. In PoE, each experience is a separate undertaking, it's rewarding to bring your next build to fruition - not something you just do at will.

Also, I could be wrong, but I think this is sort of PoE's niche. This is what PoE's core players want. Sure, they could change it and join the rather large pools of "easy" games, but will they ever do better trying to siphon different players from a more saturated market? My guess is not...

One more bit of anecdote, I'd liken it to why I was super excited to play on legacy Everquest servers. By today's standards and gamer expectations, it's probably unplayable, but to age 30+ players that grew up on it, it's comfortable and rewarding.

As an aside, you can respec, it just takes a bit more effort, but perhaps less than rolling a new character. This just adds another layer of build development: How can I level and adjust to end-game w/ minimal investment? Not to mention, they pretty frequently give full respecs, opening up new experiences for you entire pool of leveled characters.

What aspect of your character can't you respec? Trade for regrets and you can respec all you want. You just want stuff for free.

I'll tell you... I lose interest in a character as soon as I respec it. I might play it a week or so before retiring it, but the respec never leaves me feeling a sense of ownership of the character. Feels like cheating. Probably is... even if it's allowed.

There's a reason cheats aren't allowed in games. It lessens the sense of accomplishment, and that's pretty much what we play for.

I think if they would simple give you 1 or more full respec the whole leveling and planning character is lost and people would not even bother thinking about paths to follow but simple go straight into end builds.
I think by the time you need that respec you should be able to farm good and should have no problem getting some of the orbs needed to respec your character.

Also unless you play on HC you can pretty much run the end game build and leech till you can use the build efficient. There are so many areas where you can farm safely even in bad gear/passive points.
I mean people run normal and part of cruel using skills that get no benefit from the passives.
You simply use an aoe spell kill some shit till you level up, do the boss kills when you just leveled up so you don't lose xp and just corpse kill it.

Its like 8-12 hours to make a new character, maybe even faster with expansion now. Don't see whats the problem.

If someone can't handle it, they are free to play a game of their choosing that caters to their specific needs.

"

FrodoFraggins wrote:

Is the cost of no full respecs (in lost players) worth its benefits?

I'd have to say yes.

I'd also confidently wager that there are people currently playing who would have already become bored and left the game if they had full and unlimited respecs.

"

FrodoFraggins wrote:

The fun in ARPGs is at "endgame", not levelling.

I find the journey just as much fun as mapping even if what you're building turns out to be not-that-great.

Like my first Breach character, a Blade Flurry Marauder using the Goddess Unleashed. (I'd focused too hard on managing her Blessing and getting complete elemental debuff immunity that the damage was very lacklustre.)