Feature request: Unrestricted Respec Option or Toggle

Console Discussion
41

Yes more respec please.

42

If you read my whole post, you’d see that I don’t think it’s a good idea anyway due to the in-game economy hit that would likely happen.

But I gotta say, adding unlimited respecs would not dumb the game down. You would still have to learn how to play and experiment with what works and that time would still be spent all the same, requiring the same thought.

ARGUABLY MORE - as people might discover new, previously unused builds that are still not really known about due to the fact that it’s so difficult to respec.

It’s sort of ridiculous to imply that someone would be dumb for wanting to experiment when it’s their first time playing Diablo 2.

1 Like
44

Just speaking as somebody who has already played with endless respec before in some mods: I think that it would be a mistake to add endless respec to D2R. I hope that the developer never adds it to it.

My experience of endless respec has been that it can be fun to experiment with it for a short time. But it eventually undermines enjoyment of the game in the long-run, because it breaks how engaged and rewarding it feels to plan a build and to stick to it in D2.

Call that strict approach to builds in D2 purist and dated. But it simply doesn’t feel to me as if I’m as engaged in any sort of long-term strategy about my character’s build anymore, when I know that I could be just endlessly respec’ing that character at any time instead.

In other words: Even just knowing that I can use endless respec at anytime (whether I take advantage of that feature or not), makes trying to stick to a long-term plan for a build anymore feel meaningless and it saps the fun out of that.

That being said, I do not think it would cause that problem for everybody, if players can only do endless respec in an additional mode (such as in a separate ‘free-play mode’ or some such), which strictly has its own saves and those saves can never be moved in or out of that mode.

2 Likes
45

Doh, the gamers blood is getting thinner and thinner nowadays
 No interest in playing a game that requires some thinking, researching, calculating, comparing and planning? No need for sweat in brain? Than play a modern “easy-life” game. There are enough of it.

I remember the times, we’ve spent a tons of hours researching in internet, doing our homework instead of just slay and grind, I’ve used even a notebook with pen to write memos down
 And I did enjoy it indeed! Who can still handwriting today?..

To the topic: the d2 is not really that complex, but still it offers (or requires) some grade of immersion in its universe. Limited reset belongs to this experience. Limited stash too, not stackable items too, your irrecoverable death in HC too

If you don’t look for it, choose another game
 No offend, there is just no game out there, which meets all expectations, so please let the old good d2 as untouched as possible

46

Lol. I want to shoot demons with a bow and arrow in my down time. It’s a video game. I want to actually play it, and not research for 20 hours before hand and plan every single detail.

To everyone else:

This whole thing is about choice and options. You don’t have to respect if you don’t want to. Just keep following guides like a bible, writing stuff down and researching.

It’s just a proposal for an option to be there if people want to use it.

And yes, I want to use it. It literally changes nothing besides possibly affecting the in-game economy concerning Tokens of Absolution as VyperIII described.

It’s still the same time spent levelling, looting, adding skill points, and slaying monsters. Only difference is, someone might not elect to follow a guide word for word and make another carbon copy character.

They’ll instead theorize and try different things.

Saying that it ruins the game is complete nonsense. I’m literally still playing Diablo 3. 11 years later. I still fire up Borderlands 2, every now and then after beating everything in the game. Respec does absolutely nothing for the longevity, lasting appeal, and replayability of an RPG game. That’s a bunch of nonsense.

Arguing that no one should have it because you don’t personally want it is just selfish.

There is nothing hardcore or even challenging about following an internet guide word for word, or building the same old spec that’s tried and true.

And to Mr.Gamers-have-thin-blood: What’s more ‘gamer’? Following a recipe or theory crafting a build?

I’m laughing hard at some of these comical responses attempting to control how people you will never meet will use this entertainment product that they also paid for. The sense of propriety is hilarious.

Like petulant babies throwing their toys out the pram and pouting.

3 Likes
47

NOOOOOOOOOO
GO PLAY D3

builds loose their value with limitless respecs.

There would be zero point to replay a character and make a different build if you could just respec them whenever you want.

You alreadt have 3 free respecs!

&

You have the option to make unlimited respecs by grinding out essences from bosses and then cubing them. To make a respec tool.

Builds need some semblance of permanency or the loose their value!!!

HORRIBLE SUGGESTION PLEASE STOP SUGGESTING IT.

PLAY THE GAME.
TRY NEW BUILDS.

this is one of the reason why D2 has tremendous replayability.

The only major issue is no lobbies & you cant party up with people on console cause its broken

3 Likes
48

I think this would be a good option to have for single player. Especially for those that are playing for the first time and want to try out different builds before jumping into online. If the unlimited respec option is enabled, then they can have it disable achievements/trophies. I wouldn’t want to see it enabled in battle.net though. I like the system they have for online as it is.

49

Oh I will. And I’ll play this game too. And any other game that I wish to.

No they don’t. Also, if you dont want to respec, then don’t respec. What do you care if someone across the world decides to respec? How does it affect you?

I want more. A lot of other people want more. What’s it to you? Don’t respec if you don’t want to.

More nonsense.

Make me.

You foaming at the mouth against an option that will promote exactly this because you want want this instead. Literary greats couldn’t even conceive such irony.

Yeah, because no one plays Borderlands 2 anymore. Oh wait, they put DLC years after initial release. And people are still playing it.

This actually is a major problem. More players are unhappy about this and it should be addressed.

Optional things are optional. You can choose not to use them if you don’t want to.

That’s the beauty of choice.

Why are you so intent on taking away other people’s choices?

50

There would be an option for it, go and play an offline character? Where you can respec at your hearts desire. Maybe this isn’t the game for you? It’s definitely not for everybody

51

I would not be opposed to this, but only if it is added to non ladder or offline characters. That would keep the right appeal to the right players. It would be more appropriate and would allow those in ladder to keep their hardcore mindset of “climbing the ladder”, and those in non ladder or offline to be free to experiment since there would be no leaderboard.

2 Likes
52

What’s the difference if it’s online or offline? You wouldn’t have to use it if you didn’t want to. Why is it so important to you that other players are locked in to their builds? What difference would it make to you personally?

I’m playing this game aren’t I? I paid money for it too. I played it 20 years ago, and paid money for it then. I suppose that this game is perfectly fine for me.

It makes sense to disallow it for ladder characters. It would undermine the competitive and short nature of ladder. Makes sense, and good point.

I also don’t think that unrestricted player respecs would be appropriate for ladder.

53

If you have unlimited respecs, then you’re just going to have people respecing to get through the more challenging aspects of the game. Certain builds don’t do well in certain areas of the game, especially when you get into hell. My blizzard sorc is going to struggle against cold immunes. But with unlimited respecs, I’ll just change it over to a fire or lightning build and then go back to blizzard when I get through. I’m also limited to where I can farm, but now I can farm any area I want because my choices can just change on a whim. Certain builds excell at certain areas of the game. This includes magic finding, which would affect the economy more than just the tokens of absolution. Also, what about PvP? This change will have a lot of trickle down effects that changes the balance of the game.

That’s why offline would be the perfect spot with the only restriction to you, if used, is no access to the achievements/trophies. That way you can change your build as much as you want and it will affect no one but you.

54

The only way it’d negatively impact MFing or the market due to what I presume you’re referring to as oversaturation, would be if respecc’ing somehow reduced the time it would take you overall to do the runs. Which, it wouldn’t, it would take longer because of the time you spend sitting there allocating points rather than rapid fire speed running farms that you are specialized to.

You would also need gear appropriate to support said build, else your build is going to fall apart and you won’t be able to complete the run. Which takes time and thought to acquire as well.

If you have several builds that you’ve gotten gear for and it doesn’t wind up saving you time on your runs, how does this affect the market at all, exactly?

1 Like
55

So? A massive part of this game is to use what’s available to you to clear the content. Builds and skills fall included.

There’s nothing challenging about not being able to beat something, and then having to either:

  1. Reroll a character as busywork to get back to the boss fight.

  2. Go buy/trade for a Token of Absolution with another player.

  3. Goto your stash and use one of the many you are hoarding farmed on a higher level character.

There are so many hoops and ways around it that arguing in its favor is just futile and silly.

It really is just an inconvenient leftover from a bygone era that people will wink wink nudge nudge their way around.

Doing more busywork, and wasting time leveling a character again doesn’t make you more hardcore. It’s a waste of time, especially over an outdated mechanic with multiple loopholes.

So? Have fun and enjoy variety in life. Or don’t. Ultimately it would up to you. Again:

You don’t want to, then that’s fine. Why do you care so much if another player does it?

Just throw an Insight on your merc and have him kill them, or skip the cold immunes. It’s not rocket science.

And you think this is fun? Do you play videogames to have fun? Perhaps we have different ideas of fun.

Ah another pointless mechanic that is being phased out in modern RPG games. A whole playerbase running around in MF gear while their amazing endgame gear collects dust in a stash.

But you know, switching gear to handle a boss: completely kosher.
Switching skill points: “Delete that guys’ copy of the game! How dare he?!”

Yup. Makes perfect sense.

Diablo 2 PVP?! Someone cares about this in 2021?!
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

I don’t care about achievements and trophies. I just want to slay demons and not jump through arbitrary hoops.

56

What’s the problem with having it strictly in offline? There you’re not affecting anyone else but yourself. You get the option to respec on the fly and play the game how you want to and still get the enjoyment that you’re looking for. Certain builds have strengths and weaknesses. Yes, you need to sink the time in if you want to have a different build that excells in a different aspect of the game. That’s part of what this game is. You either like it or you don’t, it really is that simple. Spending the time needed to build a new character might be “wasted” time to you, that’s also why they put in the option to farm for a token to respec. It’s less time consuming than creating a new character. The trade off for that, is you don’t have that build available unless you get another token and go back. Part of the game takes an investment of your time. If you don’t have that time available, then this suggestion will have the OPTION for you to play in a mode that isn’t going to affect others.

And yes, I do enjoy not being able to farm certain locations with my sorceress. And if I want to farm those areas, I go and make a character that can. LOL at you thinking that switching up your gear is the same as respecing an entire character. That’s part of the allure to this game for me that’s kept me playing it for 20 years.

I also personally don’t care about PvP, but I’m not being daft and understand that a major change to the game like this will affect that part of the community that does enjoy PvP and other aspects of the game.

57

But it gives me the ability to farm certain areas that would otherwise be unavailable to me on a build. If I want to farm those areas I just respec and go and farm those areas with this change. Right now, I need to have another character build that can farm those areas. If I don’t have the time available to me to do that, then I don’t do it and that’s perfectly okay. If I want to hit those areas, then I sink the time needed to build a character that can do it.

58

Here’s a very detailed description that will be faced by many players:

My friend and I want to play together and both want unrestricted respecs. We have no intention of playing with you, or anyone else for that matter.

Unfortunately, my friend and I have to make online characters to do this. ViperIII wants to play with his fiancé. His fiancé also finds restricted limited respecs to be baffling and pointless.

I know what I am asking for. Thanks.

Yes. Fortunately, players are limited to having on build at any given moment, even with unrestricted respecs.

I thought this game was about fun, like most games. Also slaying demons/monsters and stealing from their dead bodies. And building characters. A feature greatly undermined by limited respecs because now most people follow a step by step guide in hopes of not messing up. Fun indeed.

Sure. I don’t like it.

It’s utterly pointless as I have already pointed it. Don’t understand why you’re obsessively holding onto this, and preventing others from doing it.

Why is it that you never seem to explain why you want to prevent others from doing this? Asking again.

Again: Don’t respec. No one is twisting your arm.

It’s more time consuming than just allowing unrestricted respecs.

Ok, but I want to play with my friend. And don’t worry, neither of us will ever want to play with you.

Well some people engage in self-flagellation. To each their own.

My proposal accounts for personal choices and tastes. Yours, on the other hand, doesn’t.

Ah yes. Changing numbers that affects your characters performance is so very different than changing some other number that also affect your characters performance.

Thank you for the distinction and clarification.

People won’t stop playing the game due to unrestricted respecs. Case in point: People STILL play diablo 3, borderlands 2, etc.

Allowing them to change up their builds and challenge each other quicker and more effectively is daft?

Please, tell me more.

59

You’re wanting a change that isn’t going to just affect you though. Because it’s not just you that’s going to use it. Others playing online will use it, abuse it and it changes the core of the game. You and your friend may not want to play with me, Viper and their fiancĂ© may not want to play with me, but others will. The balance with the skill progression and stat distribution is just fine with how it is. And sure, a staff giving +3 to blizzard or frozen orb is TOTALLY the same thing as respecing and dumping 20 points into the skill :roll_eyes:. The current system isn’t pointless, but okay.

Sure, you’re only allowed to have access to that one build at that exact given time but hop into town and spend a couple of minutes and boom, access to whatever other build you want. You don’t see how that will completely change the game from what it was? You bought the game knowing exactly what you were getting. If you don’t have the time to spend in it like you once did, then I don’t know what to tell you. If I’m not having fun in a game, you know what I do? I just don’t play it. It’s a crazy concept, I know.

And changing the game this drastically will definitely make people stop playing or not play as much. I have much less time in Diablo 3 than Diablo 2. I didn’t like the progression in that game or the way skills worked. It didn’t keep me hooked like Diablo 2 did. If I want to clear a certain area that’s harder for me solo, then I hop online and find someone with a suitable build and play alongside them and get assistance. This isn’t a minor change like auto gold pick up or a miss indicator, it will completely change how the game is played. You knew what you were buying before you bought it, the game has been out for 20 years.

And yes, this change makes it so you don’t need to actually invest time into a build to use in PvP. You just level up one of each character and respec to what you want. It will make the game stale very quick, especially in PvP.

1 Like
60

I don’t understand why this is a concern.

There are multiple choices for end game loot farms already that are fairly equal, there isn’t really a “best spot” to farm for loot, and even if there was one with a certain edge for what you’re trying to find
 (0MF runs in hell cows for RW bases vs. high mf Pit runs for example vs Trav vs CS) you can’t control the elemental / phys / magic immunities of champions that you’re going to be randomly encountering while you’re there
?

So this perfect build you’re referring to sinking time into seems to be non-existent.

Let’s say you’re a Frozen Orb Sorc with some cold piercing but not much, so mobs that are CI are a hassle, you run the pit hoping to find some loot, you come across a few CI champions and say well - I guess I’ll switch to fire and finish this run that I always do, but I got unlucky and there are a lot of resists here for me - you switch to your fire set, continue running and the next two champion packs are both fire immune. Looks like you wasted time.

See my point? It doesn’t matter in this regard. The time you spend to respec invalidates the benefit of a free respec, because in D2 it all boils down to how fast you can do things.

The exception in my eyes is Ladder. As someone mentioned above due to the competitive nature of it, it shouldn’t be allowed there.

61

Yes it would. It would allow people to not even make any attempt to plan their builds just go with the let’s try this cause my choice in talents don’t matter cause I get to respec all the time. Sorry but not learning about your talents is dumbing the game down

1 Like