Race Change Token Refund

squirre1monkey

Considering several factors : (ie: Orc Non-CP bug / nerfs to stamina builds / upcoming changes proposed on PTS), I am wondering if myself and others (many of whom are veteran players who have played since launch / purchase ESO+ / purchase crowns regularly) would consider a refund of crowns spent on race change tokens this last twelve months and a few free race change tokens an act of goodwill?

I know that change is inevitable. I appreciate wanting to appeal to a new players and the casual player fan base. The time and in game gold players invest into developing characters and playing can not be refunded every time builds, gear, skills, and combat is nerfed; however the very real money invested in crowns for race change tokens can be.

I see merit in narrowing the skill gap (to a certain extent so most players can enjoy end game content). However, I am finding many community voices with plausible arguments that these changes don't and won't narrow skill gap (not to mention that some achievements, titles, and rewards should be reserved for dedication and skill or they loose all value).

In my honest opinion, other more valuable changes would create a community where veteran players continue enjoying content, and new players stick around to become veteran players:
FIx Bugs
Revamp Old Underused Items (Not Popular Items)
Make Achievements & Guild Systems Account Wide
Rework Guild & Trader System (to be more Social instead of Gold Driven)
Make Treasure Chests Valuable (Gold Mats / Purple Diagrams / Mundane Runes / Transmute Crystals...)

Getting off track. But yeah.. What do you think about race token refunds?

daemonios

If you chase the meta to the point of changing an existing character's race, you'll do it for any meaningful changes that make some race the next meta. As someone who mains an Altmer magsorc and never thought to switch to Breton for the increased sustain, no, I don't think race changes should be refunded. In fact, the easier ZOS make it to change races, the less accountability there is for balancing, as they can always tell you to switch to meta.

Kadoin

Those tokens exist for metatar -- I mean meta-chasers. No way in heck they will give up something that makes them money without implementing dev time. That's just silly...

Unless you can show a billion page thread about it maybe...

squirre1monkey

daemonios wrote: »

If you chase the meta to the point of changing an existing character's race, you'll do it for any meaningful changes that make some race the next meta. As someone who mains an Altmer magsorc and never thought to switch to Breton for the increased sustain, no, I don't think race changes should be refunded. In fact, the easier ZOS make it to change races, the less accountability there is for balancing, as they can always tell you to switch to meta.

Kadoin wrote: »

Those tokens exist for metatar -- I mean meta-chasers. No way in heck they will give up something that makes them money without implementing dev time. That's just silly...

Unless you can show a billion page thread about it maybe...

I understand where you are coming from with your replies, so I wanted to clarify. I haven't race changed to min/max before the last six months, and I have played since beta. I also don't have meta builds by any means. I'm also not on the forums ranting about any and every change.
I didn't change race after the launch of Morrowind. I remained Orc during a several month period where I converted to non-pet Mag Sorc while I chased the 'Walk It Off' achievement in Chaos Ball BG. Then I converted back to Stam Sorc (my preferred play style even when nerfs made it at a disadvantage). It pained me to pay / use crowns for a race change on my Orc Stam Sorc, but the Non-CP bug made it unplayable as a pvp character. I have primarily reserved crown usage for cosmetics & housing content unavailable in game.
Other changes I made to be relevant and competitive in veteran content. There is a great deal of advice in the community saying racial passives do make a difference, and after finally giving up & giving in I saw what they were talking about.
Following significant claims at balancing, and a multitude of changes over the years I have update fatigue. I imagined by now that things would be balanced and stable. I am tired of having to completely rework characters and farm every three months instead of enjoying new content. Just when the dust settles, another radical overhaul appears on the horizon...
I think refunding race tokens would mean increased accountability, because radical overhauls would have to take lost revenue into account.

Thevampirenight

Well if I was you I wouldn't have race changed for meta because chasing the meta isn't worth it it is actively discouraged by the amount of changing they tend to do. Racials do have boons to them but the boons shouldn't be used for meta chasing. Can still be close to Bis with a non Bis race. My advice is just play the race you want and not worry about the meta potentials with Racial unless for a time your race you play is meta good then maybe benefit for it till the time. Until they change it and then be fine with sticking with the race even after its meta potential is changed. Plus you don't waste money in the process.

Hymzir

I have never used a Race switch token and never will. I have never bought one and never will. The one's we got for free, when they mucked up racials, are still sitting unused. And they always will be. To me the whole notion is absurd.

My characters are what they are, and they can't just suddenly decide to be something else. Sure, it's a magical world and all, but not that magical. TES is actually fairly low key when it comes to stuff like that.

And yes, the wild swings of wheel of fortune school of design employed by ZOS sucks. And it does mean that the effectivness of my characters goes up and down as the fortunes favour or unfavor them. And despite what some poeple like to keep claiming, racials do make a huge difference. They shouldn't, just like in every other Elder Scroll game, but they do in ESO.

But them's the breaks, and I try to roll up with the punches. Adapt to the current status and have fun, even if it means changing my playstyle or fielding a build that's less than absolutely the best available.

But that's just me, everyone else is free to pursue the very utter limits of min maxing if that is your thing. That's why those darn things exist in the first place. To appease those who have to be surfing the cutting edge of what's META.

But they are in no way necessary, it is not something that is a mandatory, it is not a baseline cost you bear just to play the game. So I see no reason why there's a need for a refund on the money sunk into them. Or why we need more free tokens.

It is what it is.

barney2525

I did use my free ones, since I was playing a lot of stamina characters and just was not enjoying them. Had nothing to do with needing to be 'meta'. It was a convenience thing. I would Not have bought the tokens. I would rather delete a character and start over. But, since they gave me 3, I went ahead and used them to change the characters to magicka base.

IMHO

Zos changing skill effectiveness is not a basis to ask for free race change tokens. No longer having the absolute highest parsing in the game is not a basis to change a character, much less ask to be able to do it for free. The character will still be extremely powerful and able to handle all things it could before the change.

IMHO

MEBengalsFan2001

I say no refund. Simply enjoy your character as you designed them. If you are chasing that DPS carrot that is on you, not the developers.

Watchdog

squirre1monkey wrote: »

I think refunding race tokens would mean increased accountability, because radical overhauls would have to take lost revenue into account.

Do you really think ZOS is going to implement something that will actually COST them money? Seriously? Why by the Eight Divines would they even think about doing anything so foolish?

squirre1monkey

Well if early replies are any indication, I'm the only one wishing there was some modest consolation prize for the unending cycle of changes that never seem to actually balance combat or improve performance. I accept that I have buyer's remorse, and should have anticipated it.
What's one more arrow to these weary knees?