Free spec swapping for queued activities

[huth]

Characters can queue up as any role that is available to their class and will automatically switch to the suitable specialization when entering the Dungeon, Raid, Battleground, or Arena without any gold cost. For example, a paladin might be questing as Retribution but queue up in Dungeon Finder as a Tank. When the paladin enters the dungeon, they will automatically switch to Protection.

From the Beta Patch Notes - Character Changes - Specialization System Changes.


I imagine that would be of some interest to our kind, what with our diverse assortment of specs.
I doubt it will work for Balance/Feral swaps, but then again, there'd be no real point to that most of the time.

[Sonnillon]

It works now as well fyi at least from tank to DPS and visa versa. If I queue for pvp as guardian and feral, while being in guardian spec. My queue pops, I am listed as DPS I am auto swapped to feral talent tree... So basically I don't see it being something new at least for PvP, for dungeon yes it'll be a nice step forward. But currently in pvp you cannot swap back to guardian during prep if you are listed as DPS.

[huth]

Well, it definitely doesn't happen for PvE queues yet. And with the spec changing changes in Legion, that's a pretty big deal.

[Sonnillon]

Well, it definitely doesn't happen for PvE queues yet. And with the spec changing changes in Legion, that's a pretty big deal.

"for dungeon yes it'll be a nice step forward."That's what I did say in my post ^^

But now it'll depend how good of a chance that will be for group finders in PvE. It would completely suck when you would be stuck to your spec which role you were listed and got into the group with. That kinda is meh if you couldn't swap to spec X or Y from the one you entered with - you know for reasons of taking over tanking/healing w/e when it's needed.

However on the upside if you queued as a healer and you used the option to get a faster queue when you are actually a DPS then yes, it's a good thing that you are stuck in a spec.

But hopefully they'll makethe PvE part work so, that you are still allowed to swap for other specs for gold once you are already in an instance.

[Feril]

Well, at least you don't get (doubly) punished for queues.

You still get severely punished for testing and for helping others, though.

[huth]

Severly? Hardly. It's not free, sure, but the cost is still fairly moderate. It's also not a punishment, as it isn't meant to discourage changing specs at all.

[Kioga]

Except that we have ALREADY paid to have dual spec. Now I have to pay again if I want to switch specs just to try out a new build on a training dummy.

What's more mind bogling is that becuase the only way you can change for free is to que as that role, people will now be learning the spec in dungeons rather than praticing on training dummies, which creates the clusterF!@% that Proving Grounds was implemented to stop.

[huth]

people will now be learning the spec in dungeons rather than praticing on training dummies

So for the vast majority of players, nothing changes? Because, let's be honest here, most player never practiced on the dummies like that in the first place, nor can you learn much from it other than executing the basic rotation, which generally isn't particularly hard in the first place.

[Kioga]

So for the vast majority of players, nothing changes? Because, let's be honest here, most player never practiced on the dummies like that in the first place, nor can you learn much from it other than executing the basic rotation, which generally isn't particularly hard in the first place.

Except that, for the last two expansions, you had to at least complete the proving grounds for a spec before you could enter a dungeon using it. Proving Grounds are gone too, last I heard.

[RedGamer030]

Interesting. I still dislike the Gold cost to switching specializations...

[Rivin]

Except that, for the last two expansions, you had to at least complete the proving grounds for a spec before you could enter a dungeon using it. Proving Grounds are gone too, last I heard.

You only had to complete silver (which is a joke) and only for heroic WoD dungeons. It wasn't required for anything in MoP, nor was it required for WoD LFR.

And no, they're not being removed, they're just going back to not being required to enter heroic dungeons anymore. People can still use them to practice if they want.

[Kioga]

I think we should put things in context:

Yes Proving Ground reqs were simple but most of us are seasoned players that actively explore all facets of our classes, so the requirement was never really aimed at us to begin with. The req came becuase we seasoned players were complaining about every Tom, Dick, and Harry that decided they wanted to tank/heal without any knowledge of the class or perhaps even gear to do so, queing up for runs because it gets them in faster than queing as a Dps.

A majority of players only did normal dungeons 1-3 times while they were leveling up and getting the gear to get into heroic. Normal dungeons are desgined to be more forgiving than heroic and mythic so someone trying out a new spec doesn't hurt or slow the group down as much.

Proving grounds provided a barrier to the lazy players that were looking for a way to skirt the system. Now Blizz is removing that barrier while also incentivising players to abuse the LFG system for free spec changes.

[Rivin]

The point is Proving grounds provided a barrier to the lazy players that were looking for a way to skirt the system. Why would Blizz remove that road block?

Because heroic dungeons aren't the endgame of dungeons anymore. Good players will move on to mythic and mythic+, where queues don't exist, and those problem players won't be a problem.

[Kioga]

Fair point: maybe the req is outdated but doesn't this still seem to hinder players that tank/heal more so than pure dps?

I realize dps sometimes change specs for certain fights but I don't feel like they change as often as tank/healers do especially while questing and leveling. It makes me scratch my head becuase Blizz says they are trying to encourage people to more world content while also adding things in like leveling 1 artifact at a time and implenting a cost if you want to switch to a spec that might be better suited to a quest or objective.

From what I have read, its not intended to be a gold sink, so why bring back the cost at all?

[huth]

From what I have read, its not intended to be a gold sink, so why bring back the cost at all?

To discourage unnecessary spec swapping. Though if it is really used as often as some claim, it will be a gold sink.

[Bullarkie]

To discourage unnecessary spec swapping. Though if it is really used as often as some claim, it will be a gold sink.

Did they explain what "unnecessary spec swapping" means and why it matters?

It really seems like they're just adding more gold sinks to get that WoD garrison gold back.

[Nerxyrall]

Its still only 100g right? And only if you swap to "not primary spec"?

I dont really mind, since it isnt much and i dont have a problem with small gold sinks here and there.

They apparently want to kinda push you to play one spec instead of 2 (or more). But now i can play Moonkin/Heal and Guardian without changing my second spec by a trainer. So thats a big plus for me and thus i gladly pay a few gold here and there. Ecspecially if you dont pay anything if you queue for a dungeon/raid.

Edit: And talent swap is free now.

[Wolfheart9]

Its still only 100g right? And only if you swap to "not primary spec"?

I dont really mind, since it isnt much and i dont have a problem with small gold sinks here and there.

They apparently want to kinda push you to play one spec instead of 2 (or more). But now i can play Moonkin/Heal and Guardian without changing my second spec by a trainer. So thats a big plus for me and thus i gladly pay a few gold here and there. Ecspecially if you dont pay anything if you queue for a dungeon/raid.

Edit: And talent swap is free now.

Only 100 gold if you max out the amount of swaps, it starts at like 6 gold or 16 or something like that, and gradually builds up to 100, so you have to switch A LOT. It also resets eventually if you don't swap for x time.

[Rivin]

Its still only 100g right? And only if you swap to "not primary spec"?

I dont really mind, since it isnt much and i dont have a problem with small gold sinks here and there.

They apparently want to kinda push you to play one spec instead of 2 (or more). But now i can play Moonkin/Heal and Guardian without changing my second spec by a trainer. So thats a big plus for me and thus i gladly pay a few gold here and there. Ecspecially if you dont pay anything if you queue for a dungeon/raid.

Edit: And talent swap is free now.

Current beta testers are saying it starts at 15g and caps at 62g, and decays quickly.

[Nerxyrall]

Okay so its so little that nobody should be bothered to complain. On the other hand it is so little why have it at all ^^

Small goldsink then. The only Problem with it is, in my opinion, that people who swap specs to help (mostly) others or their guild gets punished a bit.

But 15g-62g who cares and i have like ~100k gold at the moment -->not very rich (allthough we are in garni=moneymachine-mode)