Baid321 said:I know that the game will be heavily based off group play with some raiding for people who like it. Seems like majority of players are thinking raiding at the end levels is going to be the way to get the best gear and loot. Is there something I missed where this is the case??
I'm hoping that crafting will be another way to get really good gear. With the ability to customise items that they mentioned in the last newsletter a crafter could take a piece of raid gear and improve it even more than the original drop. The same could be said of group gear drops and any other item available in the game. I think that crafters will be in high demand at all levels of the game and that is something to be pleased about because it will result in a healthy player run economy that will add some extra depth to the game. I always find games with weak crafting elements tend to be a bit boring where as games which require players to work with crafters have much more depth on the item drops and the decisions players take on what gear to actually wear.
I love that feeling of having to spend significant amounts of time on choosing what gear to use for your character. It just makes things so much more interesting.
Iksar said:I think the main problem I have with assuming a raid boss has the best loot is...why? Just because they are powerful doesn't mean they have the best stuff. Look at the real world, countless artifacts, weapons, etc were passed off/stolen/lost in time. Granted things in real life aren't magical, but it shouldn't make a difference. I mean unless everything lives forever in Terminus then I think it stands that some of the most powerful items may have found themselves in the possession of non-raid targets. DnD is often full of examples of rogue mages stumbling upon powerful staves/medallions/etc or warriors who happen to find immensely powerful swords/armors which they then use to rally up some followers etc. Using the LotR example, Smeagol had The Ring for centuries but he was far from powerful etc.
We can't use a "real world" perspective because of the magical barrier in game that stops a raid from engaging single group content. So debating whether or not single group content should ever have items just as powerful as raid drops is tricky. Like I said, I've fought single group content in VG that was harder than some of the raid bosses I fought. So you could make the argument for risk vs reward. BUT, and IF, a raid was able to engage that single group content we would have wiped the floor with it eliminating any of the risk it posed. And this is the conundrum. Risk vs reward inside a world with limitations on what a raid can and can not engage.
But I agree with you and I even said that NON raid combat should have items just as powerful as raid drops as long as the content is very challenging. And just not on a 1:1 scale. In some way raiding HAS to provide something more. I think you could make the case that there is plenty of risk in some single group content so the risk vs reward thing kind of negates each other. I do think the risk of raiding is on a grander scale tho with lots of moving parts and plenty of more people to mess things up but this doesn't mean it is always harder than single group content. What I think sets raiding apart other than having to feed more mouths is the dedication it requires of players. At least in MMOs that create huge raid zones which cause raiders to have to hammer out raid bosses on a nightly basis. Raiders have to set days out of their week to dedicate to raiding and commit to it. I finished the Griffon questline in VG BEFORE they raised the level cap which was one of the HARDEST things I've ever done in an MMO but never did I have to commit to a schedule to get any of it done. I simply logged in and got a couple of guildies together and attempted the next target.
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The idea that rewards should be tied to the number of people who show up is not what brings me back to this or any other game. I raid, it's fun, but tight knit groups struggling together where there is zero room for error has always been the tie that binds me to a game. The idea of a raid endgame and comparing 10-20 year old games to this one, is dragging us backwards. As many mentioned, you might want to let them design it with an end game that is much more fluid before you decide you only care about reaching max level and then gathering 50 people to down a few monsters and logging off. There are tons of games where the end game is only that. There are very few attempting to cater to this audience.
Im not being combative of superior, but I hope everyone gives the design a chance. You might be surprised at the results of not expecting exactly what every other game does
Mod Edit: Consolidated double post which is against forum guidelines.
I would like to see highest tier crafted gear be just as effective as high end group/raid gear at a bare minimum In my mind, the crafted gear should hands down be the best gear available. Not only do crafters participate in the group/raid content, they spend countless hours working on their craft. Although I ended up a hardcore raider, most of my friends did not, and due to the obvious gear difference they were unable to effectively participate in newer areas of the game unless carried by myself and another raid geared individual. Which, if we're honest, is not a lot of fun for someone who likes to be useful to a group. Sadly, all of them were crafters, but lacking raid gear made all the difference.
That said, raid gear is, as kiz stated, a badge of honor. I would like to see something exclusive to raid vs group gear. Not particle effects, bc everyone likes a shiny! However, clicky buffs, area/raid/boss centric and restricted designs and/or colors, etc., would be well received I think. Ofc, crafting gear using materials from these areas should include the areas unique traits.