RESPEC ARTIFACT TOKEN

Exactly I was told it would cost me $900 or so USD to level 3 artifacts from 0 to 200 if you had no catalyst for artifacts.

Probably not something they would do. Switching artifacts of rank 120 for $10? Probably. 140 or 160 for $20? Maybe they would allow that, but then if look at rank 180-200, it has to be a really expensive token to pay up for the people who buy packs and packs of nth metal and catalysts.

I'm all for it, now Jack... not likely.

The -50% penalty and full breakthrough catalyst requiriment is probably the worst thing in the game right now, but they don't change things that give them money very often.

I don't see that. If they made a Token which respec'd an Artifact from one Support Role to another, that means that the player is:
1) Purchasing a Power Change Token
2) Purchasing THREE of those Artifact Respec Tokens (since it's not like your Healer needs just one Healing Artifact and is cool with keeping two Tank ones)

That's a pretty decent payday right there that they're missing out on every time a player says "Meh. I'd change to X powerset, but I don't want to redo all these Artifacts again."

Youre missing the math here though. That one player who would have switched powers if there respec token pales in comparison to the player who still switches powers and changes anywhere from 1 to 6 artifacts. The devs would probably rather lose that 50 bucks in hopes of someone spending over 500 bucks. You would have to have 10 people do the respec to make up for the one player who drops 500 bucks because the scorecard is his God.

I see that. I just don't believe it exists to the degree that some players want to claim it does.

The principle of microtransactions is based upon the idea of impulse spending. Impulse spending operates on the idea of small purchases that the customer will discount, because they are so insignificant. By offering small but desireable purchases, the business is able to get the customer to commit to spending more than they otherwise would have. That's why WalMart puts Potato Chips and Soda at the check-out aisle to tempt people into grabbing something cheap and extra. Would they make more money if that person bought a $500 barbecue? Well, yes. But if you put a big pallet of $500 barbecues at the checkout, nobody buys them as an impulse purchase, because nobody spends that much money unless they came to the store already for that purpose.

Microtransactions have been proven to be a highly successful sales model in online games because they are so small and easy to do that it's just a click of a button in order to move forward. That's why Replay Badges and Time Capsules sell so well; people don't think twice about dropping a buck or two.

People DO think twice about dropping $500. Therein lays the difference.

While there are some players that are willing to do that, those are the Whales. They are the 1%. They are the extreme minority, and for the most part, they are going to spend that money regardless. If it's not $500 on an Artifact, it'll be $500 on Time Capsules while chasing some rare Material, or $500 on Replay Badges so they can farm the OP item on Day 1.

But for every one of them, there are likely hundreds, even thousands, of players who do not make the purchase because it's too big, but would do it if it were cheaper. Five customers spending $500 each is still less than a thousand customers spending $3 each. And microtransactions are proven to work better the smaller the purchase required.

This is why so many players are willing to drop $5 to get a Seal of Completion for an Artifact when it's ready, but very few people drop the $500 to buy the Nth Metal and max it out on Day 1. Smaller purchases sell better. And when it comes to digital merchandise, volume of sales is what makes a profit, because each unit sold does not have it's own per unit cost; the only expense is in the up-front developing and after that has been recup'd, every single sale is 100% profit.

Ultimately, nobody can know for sure, because we are not privy to their sales metrics. But I absolutely do not believe that there are hundreds or thousands of people who are spending $500 on Artifacts consistently; the game's development certainly doesn't suggest that they are making half-million dollar draws from every new Episode. I don't see a ton of the new Artifacts fully max'd out on Day 1. But I do see a ton of people wearing the Time Capsule styles the day that the new Time Capsule drops. Because, you know, small purchases sell vastly better, which is why the entire system of MICROtransactions exists.

Neverwinter has this same 'breakthrough' system for their augments. I commented to a friend on how it could get expensive later on. In his view, the game is a hobby, something he enjoys doing. He said 'look all people who think nothing of going to a restaurant / bar and spending $30 or more on some food and some drinks several times a month. And within a few hours, all that food and drink is literally down the toilet. So what's the difference between doing that and spending money occasionally on your hobby, something you get enjoyment out of for years?'

If they made the Respec tokens reasonably priced (artifact level depending) people would be more inclined to buy them than if, for example, they charged $200 USD for a rank 200 respec token.

Plus, you still have to get an artifact to a given level to begin with. Another post on possibly renting artifacts for a limited time could work very well with this. You rent two or three artifacts for an hour or two to see how well they work. If you like them, then you purchase the Respec token. Daybreak makes money, and the player saves a LOT of time and farming.

Since some ppl seem to believe its an either or thing an that somehow the option to respec an art would not make the game $ (more things being bought = profit not loss) I ask this......

How many players realistically Do/will spend the $ to rank arts From scratch AND the power token to change the power Only to loose everything they have done because the arts were no longer useable?
Conversly, how many of sit here an say well, i WOULD buy a power token AND a art respec (or 3) but thats not an option, as is i cant afford to do this all over so i will stay as is and thus spend $0.

This is NOT an either/or thing. Respec tokens for arts would make them $ not lose them $. Also, i have now seen “a $10 art respec token” referenced numerous times and this dollar ammount even used as the justification for why they wont do it an why they will lose $. Someone point me to the DEV comment sayin thats the price tag for the token that has yet to exist.....

Something has to be done about artifacts. They drop 3 times a year and almost every release have 1 that make is important for any 1 role. I 100% agree with this thread and the other that said Artifacts should be account bound

Really? Because I'm not using any of the new Artifacts from this episode.

You one of 5 players I expect to say something like that. Guess you missed the "ALMOST <------ every release have 1 that ......etc". Thanks for playing

You guys are missing the point. You are saying that you don't think there are players out here spending thousands on artifacts. Its because we don't run with the same crowd. You guys are casuals, and let me be clear theres nothing wrong with that, but I know a player who got 15k from unemployment and probably dropped half of that on dcuo artifacts. I know players that rank an artifact to 200 just to try it out then stash it in there bank forever. There are most certainly players out here who spend like that and for everyone who spends like that Dc would need a 100 players to buy a respec token for an artifact.

Im sure there are, i have known some in the past as well. Whales will whale, its what they do. An art respec token wont change that is my point. All it would do is generate more income because it would be something the more casual ppl as well as whales would buy