How would easy respec's hurt the game?

Cost should be lowered for EA. But play d3 if you want to see how free respec philosophy feels. In other words, everything will feel pointless.

PoEs aren't MMOs, they're SP games first, so most people won't have the issue here of the «real game» involving dozens of players of similar level having to all play at the same time in the same dungeon.

The only MMO I've ever really tried was WoW, and I can understand why players there have this mentality, it's actually impressive how boring early game is there.

Meanwhile, this same mentality of «the "real game" only starts after finishing a large fraction of the game» seems to sadly have infected D3 and now D4 too. (You can't even play with the seasonal mechanics in the main D4 campaign !!)

It's a vicious circle, because the more this «skip the early game» mood takes on among the players and devs, the less attention is paid to, you know, actually make early game more fun.

Thankfully, GGG is not one of them : for instance I really appreciated the «easter eggs» they've added to the campaign with the updates for Necropolis and Settlers of Kalguur !

It wouldn't at all, same with campaign skip.

Still seems like people are comparing this to a full release title, not a beta/EA game. YES, if they make build-breaking nerfs/buffs, I think there should be a free respec "token", for now. Thats only fair so people/beta testers don't get burnt out.

At the end of the day, come full release, respec cost should be a thing. Just don't make the idea out of reach like D4 did for the longest time. And that was a "full release" game. Hell, that game should have released in EA/beta for about a year lol

D4 was effectively in beta for a year until Loot Reborn, just like how D3 was effectively in beta for two years (until Loot 2.0 / end of the Real Money Auction House / introduction of seasons and rifts with Reaper of Souls).

It doesn't matter much what devs call it, it matters what it is in practice.

(Just like how PoE1 actually released 6 weeks before D3, but GGG still kept calling it «closed beta» despite having opened the game up for everyone (willing to pay $10)).