“dual spec ruins your identity! you would get known as a prot warrior or a holy priest! with dual spec that won’t happen!”
Firstly, I’ve almost never actually seen this happen. Very rarely does someone become known as a “(spec) (class)” unless they only ever play that spec and nothing else. Even so, this argument is just an appeal to emotion, not an actual argument.
Secondly, this is TBC, not retail. Specs are an extension of the class, unlike in retail where each spec may as well be its own individual class. Talent specs in TBC merely enhance the abilities you already have and maybe give you 1-2 new ones. For the most part, classes have CLASS identity, not SPEC identity.
Thirdly, how does being able to use two specs somehow make you unable to be known for one of them? I’m already known in my guild as a great tank and a great healer, even without dual spec. Because I’ve played both specs enough to have people recognize me as being good at them.
“your choices matter! talent choices are supposed to matter!”
They don’t matter when you can pay 50g to change them any time you want, as many times as you want. You’re essentially arguing that our playstyle choices should be confined to one spec because…because they just should.
“we need the respec costs as a gold sink!”
So you just make dual spec cost 1000g like it did back when it was first released. Problem solved.
Also, right now it’s not a very good gold sink because most people aren’t doing it. Most people aren’t respeccing back and forth all the time, simply because the gold cost is too high / they don’t feel like farming a whole ton. I only respec twice per week; going heals for 2 raid days and then back to tank/dps again.
“guilds will force people to have two PvE specs and swap between them in between each raid boss!”
Okay, first off, that’s a problem with the guild being insanely sweaty, not the game. Even so, you could just make it so you can only swap specs in a Rested area. Problem solved.
“it wasn’t in original TBC!”
Neither was the Tinnitus debuff. Or paladins having both factions’ seals. Or having only Kara/Gruul/Mag available at launch. etc. etc.
The “#nochanges” train left the station a long time ago, and turned out to be a disaster.
The needs of the playerbase have changed radically since 2007. We’re not satisfied just being confined to one spec / role. I’d absolutely love to be able to swap between healer and tank on a moment’s notice, without having to run back to Azeroth and pay 50g each time. Especially considering that it’s nigh impossible to farm in a healing spec (outside of things like gathering or fishing), I’d rather just pay 1000g once instead of having to farm up 100g for the respec and respec-back.