Evoras said:TL;DR
There is no need to 'dumb down' item stats/descriptors. If items are 'the sum of their parts', and all game stats have use, then there will always be more than one BiS for any given circumstance. Certainly, there will inevitably be some great combination that turns out to be 'best' for a given class fighting a given enemy.... but this will be rarer than the standard 'item X' is always BiS for all players/this class.
This means players will have a few 'versatile' items rather than whole 'sets of gear' to have to switch between.Evoras, typed waaay too much this time, and may have lost sight of his point!
No no no. Losing sight of my point, talking about what you think, nothing could be more fun to read. Keep going =)
I agree with the idea of dumbing down or simplifying stats on items being counter productive. On the contrary, I am suggesting instead to amplify their importance, increase the level of complexity associated with discovering what items are in whatever blanket situation you assign a value of BiS to, and extend the "online guide" threshold. You touched on pretty much everything else. The overall mechanic is based on nothing but awareness of the stats. And presented as a way for min/max players to have a tradeskill or secondary skill like Fishing, act as a platform, instead of internet forums, for their deployment of the aforementioned BiS tables.
If that skill were to offer say, a group benefit, by taking the probability cloud (that is already technically in place in the engine) and shrinking it to return higher values for a set amount of time. Like SoW for stat rolls, you've got yourself something.
The whole idea is to trade nothing but awareness, for a new facet of game experience. And I think it would be fun. Fun enough to neglect my fishing skill, almost.
My two-penny’s worth :)
I like the idea of Random Stats. I believe it helps provide a longevity to the game. In Theory just because you get the staff you want doesn’t mean it’s the best. In fact, with random stats you may never get the "best". Instead you get a few over time, and based of your needs choose the version of the staff that is best for you. Also means if that one God Tier (Best Stats possible) item drops it could be like winning the lotto for someone. Sure, you are going to have a few downs along the road and a few items that are meh, but it will have you looking forward to that possible upgrade each time you adventure out to fight the fight. I'd hate to have top tier items in every slot with no possible upgrades within 2 years. Instead what if I had best in slot for that encounter, but could still get better based off a small change in stats.
As for quest items. I believe these items should be static. You complete a quest and you should get the same item as everyone else. Same stats, same everything, because you can only complete the quest once. However, when it comes to crafting and looting. I'd love to see stats on items randomized a little. I believe this only adds diversity to the game, adds interest in the market, and increases the sense of satisfaction when you get that once in a lifetime item Stats.
Overall, this makes each player unique, and having static stats on items regardless of where you put them means you will just have everyone going after the same items until they get them. Then there is no point is trying to get them again this is how areas become unused IMO.
I'm not saying you need a huge difference on stats, but small changes in stats and possible effects mean you could in theory play forever and never achieve the BiS item for every slot you have for any one encounter. To me, that sounds amazing, and means I'll be playing and achieving new things for years and years without even having to worry about when the next expansion is...
I've got to say that I'm not a fan of randomized stats on equipment. There is something to be said for knowing what you are getting. The idea of camping the same item until the RNG gods give me something I can use on top of the RNG even letting the item drop in the first place is just frustration in the making. I'd rather there be many different drops with situational BiS (if that even becomes a thing, really) is better than getting different stats and stat values with every drop.
DragonFist said:I've got to say that I'm not a fan of randomized stats on equipment. There is something to be said for knowing what you are getting. The idea of camping the same item until the RNG gods give me something I can use on top of the RNG even letting the item drop in the first place is just frustration in the making. I'd rather there be many different drops with situational BiS (if that even becomes a thing, really) is better than getting different stats and stat values with every drop.
Ditto.
For a hack'n'slash single player with multiplayer option type, such as Diablo and Path of Exile, this works. For a social MMO, not so much.
