Specialization should at least be semi-permanent: current system has too much flexibility already. Also continuous “respecs” ruin the point of hybrid builds to some extent. I haven’t played any other MMORPG so I can’t compare to other games of the kind, but when looking at some classic RPGs I feel like in WoW one’s identity is somehow obscure, specially since arena system came out (hey, now monkeys get epics too!). We all have pretty much the same talents and gear (just compare yourself to any other player with the same progress, class and role as you). In the case of talents it’s just a “sure we chose the same basic talents for our role but I decided X would also help me when doing Y, while you.. etc”: it doesn’t feel right the way it is now but at least gives us something unique. If we were also able to choose between full specialties just like that, it would be even worse.

I’ve always thought doing quests to unlock certain stages of the talent trees (or even particular talents) would be nice, similar to profession specialization only doing something more like a quest rather than buying stuff and clicking on “create” (speaking of which, crafting specializations suck; other than a few trainer items and the final epic set for level 70 there’s no difference between crafting specialties Give more recipes, Blizzard!). Paying some gold to a guy to make me forget stuff in order to learn some other stuff doesn’t sound good.

Anyway, I don’t think such a huge investment would be worth it.. It’s just my impression, but even crazy spec-hopping players willing to change between roles that often only do that for a limited period. Of course people would do it all the time if given the chance, but there’s probably no such need at the moment.

Personally, I think Blizzard will not allow a talent spec change, because they seem to already put so much work into balancing each of 3 trees for each class for PvE, Raid and PVP. Keeping in mind that some servers are PvP and PvE/PvP distinction is minimal. The problem that Blue has alluded to is getting more solo ability for healers and tanks to increase their respective popularity. Blizz made 33% of + Heal count toward DPS in 2.2. No concession for tanks yet, but I think Blizzard’s nod toward increasing the number of tanks and healers will be to make more specs that look like the Feral talent tree, which is basically a dual dps/tank spec (and a good one). For example, I think we will see more +threat in the Retribution tree of palidins and more +damage in the Restoration trees of Druids and Sha-people.

As for a new mount as a money-sink- how about group transportation? Santa’s sleigh with 8 fabled reindeer? I dont know that any speed limit will ever be set in WoW, as you could always go faster…. and they can always design something cooler to ride.

Has Blizz said absolutely “no player housing.” We do know that a woodworking profession is on its way for WotLK. It is hard to imagine that would be a very interesting profession if all you could make were arrows, bows trinkets and staves (no wooden armor as in LW, BS, Tailoring). Maybe player housing from this profession with a substantial fraction of the cost going to Blizz will be the next money sink?

Also, Thanks for the plug on your site for my blog, I appreciate that and have some rigorous numbers just a few days away that I hope will be nice for the drood community.

Oh, and I already have the ability to poo on people in bird form. =D I have an emote and everything!

Transportation has a lot of options. Look at luxury cars =) A lot of ppl grinded for Netherdrake, so it is just up to designers to make players want some Yellow Neon Sky Fish which will ride at 320% speed and allowing you to swim at 100% while allowing you to poo on opposite faction from the sky.
Or maybe some nifty trinket which allows you to port ppl, like warlock summon.
And remember that BoE epics still sells for thousands gold.

And I think that’s the sole reason we won’t see this. Blizzard is trying to force people to 1 spec. That was the whole reason for the 50g respect costs. This was implemented before BC, back when gold was harder to farm: people were more inclined to remain one spec. Post BC, gold is so abundant, the side affect allowed for more switching of specs. I would imagine Blizzard would attempt making flipping specs harder, not easier, in the upcoming expansion (although, I doubt they would outright make an apparent attempt).

Plus, even if I was able to switch between two, I wouldn’t know which to goto. ^_^
My Feral dps gear is far better than my Balance gear, but my feral DPS sucks butt ballz.

I think that a talent template system would provide a tremendous benefit: you would no longer have to agonize over how much you’re spending to respec as you’ve already made the committment/investment to allow yourself to respec as often as you’d like. And while on average people that “constantly” respec may do so only twice a week, it’s probable that they would do so much more frequently if they had an option like this (I know that I would).

If they follow the same route they did with many of the BC quests, they’ll make it so you have to be exalted with a number of factions within the quest line. That alone will create a large enough series to account for epic mounts x 2 easily.

I don’t need the need for talent templates. It doesn’t provide any benefits over the current respec system, not to mention, it’ll cost less for most people. I think average repec for people that constantly change is twice a week.

@Kaera: Certainly this would appeal to hybrid players and healer players (who are all hybrids really since no one is limited to only a healing spec) than pure classes like the Rogue and the Warlock. Even so, pure classes can benefit from a spec that’s optimally balanced for PvP, a spec that often differs from their ideal raiding spec.

@Zackoria: Even with Dailies, I could see it taking a player 3-6 months to save up enough to purchase a new Discipline. And hile I generally consider the Suggestions Forum a gaping black hole where good ideas go to be ignored, I have taken your suggestion and posted this idea: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=3268472067&postId=32333516928&sid=1#0 =)