Version 2.4 of D2R is going to implement many changes to the skill trees of the character classes. Some of these changes will inevitably make certain builds more or less powerful, most likely the latter as most high level builds will have gravitated towards optimal for the current version. It is possible that characters with previously strong builds could struggle to continue on hell mode where poorly optimised builds easily make characters struggle already; except now through no fault of a player who has carefully built their character over hours of play through normal, nightmare and hell may find themselves with a poor build overnight.
However, in D2 there are only 3 “free” respecs available and further respecs require relatively infrequent drops from Hell mode bosses. Including Baal and Diablo, which a significant weakening of a previously optimised build could make quite hard to obtain.
May I suggest that given the scale of these upcoming changes that all characters have all 3 respecs restored to allow for re-building with some experimentation. Or better still make it easier to respec infinitely.
In short, rebalancing and refreshing characters is a good idea, but it must also come with an opportunity for existing characters to be readily re-tuned for the new rules. Changing the rules and then locking characters into builds optimised for the previous rules is simply unfair.
What build is gonna be nerfed and weakened so heavily it’s not gonna be able to complete hell when previously it was able to? Is that actually happening, or are you just talking about theoretically? Either way, getting 1-3 resets with the patch, would be nice indeed, however I would not expect it and plan accordingly (aka farm some tokens now). And I certainly wouldn’t expect, and don’t think it would be good, to have respecs be as easy as “just costing some gold” or whatever.
Theoretically, scanning through the propsed changes and some seem quite major. It remains to be seen what they actually mean for currently optimised builds.
I don’t agree that it is reasonable to be expected to grind all of the Hell bosses to get a respec to simply to modify a build that was carefully optimised in order to tune for significant rule changes.
Diablo 3 has very liberal respec rules and personally I prefer that (although in general I prefer D2); I feel that it gives the player far more opportunity to experiment and come to their own conclusions about builds. I see it as a good thing if more players experiment and derive builds instead of using build guides to avoid the risk imposed by limited respecs.
However, I do take your point that making respecs completely free (or effectively if it is gold) may not be to the tastes of all players. That they may feel like it takes the careful planning out of the game. I don’t know how to balance the ability to experiment freely against a desire for a need to carefully build and think ahead about it. I would perhaps also suggest that the ability to respec need not be the same on ladder vs normal play, on normal play I would perhaps expect it to be more liberal to allow experimentation with ladder being less liberal to encourage competition and careful thought.
However, you cannot simultaneously expect people to carefully craft their builds and then fundamentally change the rules on which that build sits without providing a way to “re-tune”. Carefully crafted does not reasonably exist as a challenge on top of unpredictable shifting sands. If blizzard wants to more aggressively rebalance the game they should liberalise respecs, at least for non-ladder players.
Did you know there used to be no respecs in Diablo 2? Just a bit of fun trivia, to show how far we’ve come. It wasn’t added to the game for almost ten years, arriving in patch 1.13 back in 2010. Just imagine playing D2 from 2000-2010 and never being able to respec your character. Hell, some of us here remember it quite clearly/fondly (fondly at times, not so fondly at others, for pretty obvious reasons). So idk. Like I said, would I say no to some free respecs, or reset the Respec counter for characters with the new patch? That seems fair/reasonable to me, for sure. But I really don’t think it should be as easy as Diablo 3, otherwise…nothing matters, in the worst sense. No one will ever have any identity because it will always be changing. I don’t think that’s a good thing for Diablo 2. Or if you want it so badly, then you can farm/trade for essence/token, it’s really not so much to ask, especially compared with 2000-2010 where we literally had no respect option. I get that it’s 2022 now and we expect everything to be given and provided for us with no effort on our part, I just don’t believe that’s the Diablo 2 way, no matter how “nice” it might be.
I must admit I was a lot younger when playing it back in the original’s era. I had forgotten that no respecs existed at all initially.
I humbly disagree with the notion that liberalising respecs would diminish the game (perhaps a compromise that is harder than D3’s easier than farming all of the Hell bosses could be found?). Personally with my character I would do as you say, farm the necessary parts and respec. But I think that resetting the respecs at least on a major patch would be a reasonable adjustment.
Anyway, happy monster slaying! Hopefully Blizzard at least consider the respec reset.
Or if you’re afraid that any build gets nerfed to the point you can’t farm a token. Farm it before the patch comes out?
Small edit: maybe this is coming from PoE where you get a respec after big patches, but there the respec is heavily impacted by the economy. In D2 you can farm it pretty quickly
When I used to play Asheron’s Call, they always gave us a respect when they made major changes to the game system. Hopefully everyone will get one when this patch hits.
If it’s in their ability to give us respecs, I’m sure they’ll at least consider it. I’m not sure it’s even possible for them to do such a thing though. Asheron’s Call iirc was an MMO, so it makes more sense there for them to be able to do things like that.
I’m sorry I disagree, I don’t think having to kill most/all of the Hell bosses dozens of times for rare drops is “pretty easy”. I don’t think casual players should be locked into tired build optimisation from old versions because Blizzard change the rules.
Essence drop rate is like 1/13 and bosses drop up 3-6 items per kill meaning essences really aren’t “rare drops” and they really are “pretty easy” the bosses in D2 have long been a joke as far as difficulty/challenge is concerned.
If they truly can’t do it (which I doubt), then they should take responsibility for their “rule changing” another way: Liberalise respecs. Casual players should not be forced to run inefficient builds every time Blizzard change the rules.
Blizzard is turning this game into D3, with changes
and updates every season most likely.
As a solo self found player, I want a respec every new big patch.
I don’t want to try to get essences from bosses every patch.
I am fine with no respecs, as it was in the original, but that
wasn’t a live game.
This game could sink fast with to many changes, but if they do come,
I want to be able to change my skills, cause I never asked for
these damn changes.
I disagree. Also, how does more liberal respeccing negatively effect you? Normal (non-ladder, non-hardcore) is not competitive and most players are playing solo or perhaps with a few friends relatively casually. I doubt most of those want to grind all the Hell bosses multiple times just to adjust their build to Blizzard’s new rules. Indeed I suspect a lot of them would rather like the opportunity to experiment more with builds without excessive grinding or having many characters of the same class.
But again, since normal is not a competition, why would it be a problem? If you want the kudos of building a top-tier character without having to experiment/respec, none of this would stop you.
Another wonderful thread asking for a free respec. How hard is it to bank Akara quests for later use or farm essences, seriously people. None of the existing meta builds and the gear you’ve acquired will change how your build plays. They are simply making other builds possible.
Stop trying to turn D2 into D3 please. If you want to play D3, go play D3 where you can freely respec as you wish. D2 used to have ZERO respecs. You made a mistake, you reroll the character or live with it. It’s honestly a luxury that they added the 3 respecs you can get in the Akara quest AND added essences to make tokens to get more. I’m sitting on like 25 tokens atm I’m not even using. Some people just want everything handed to them I guess.
In the old version we started a new char if we screwed up because there were no respecs maybe we should go back to that time.
I don’t see how any of the patch changes wich are literally buffs effect you negatively to ask for respecs.
You just want a free respec to try out something different after those changes but are to lazy to farm a token for it.
The essences aren’t rare drops they are pretty common and should be available from your casual gameplay
This makes complete sense bc so many specs now have “pointless” points spent. I.e. the javazon’s power strike is no longer included in the damage synergy for lightning skills. MEANING for all maxed players those points in power stroke become worthlessly spent. Need a respec to get value from them…