Tiered system of epics/items for casual players

[Creme]

This is something that WoW and some other games have; although in WoW, it's PVP gear versus Epic Gear, but the items are tailored to the activities/playstyle preferences of the playerbase.

Perhaps this would be something that could be implemented in some fashion.

Maybe a lower level of gear/items for players that don't have or want to invest the time into more strenuous, time consuming activities?

Also, currently, many of the EPICs in game are only equippable by multiclassed characters (or those that choose wisely in their one and only class). Maybe a string of minor epic mobs with piece drops to put together items equippable by single classed characters.

I know someone mentioned that there is nothing for a crossbowman.

[gopher65]

Maybe a lower level of gear/items for players that don't have or want to invest the time into more strenuous, time consuming activities?

HZ already has that. It's called triple teched gear. That is HZ's version of "magic" non-epic items. Regular, Teched, Epic. Each step takes more time. Unfortunately all the encounters in the latter game are designed to be done by multiclassed characters in teched gear, so that kind of defeats the purpose of teched gear being the upper-end non-epic gear, doesn't it?

[Creme]

HZ already has that. It's called triple teched gear. That is HZ's version of "magic" non-epic items. Regular, Teched, Epic. Each step takes more time. Unfortunately all the encounters in the latter game are designed to be done by multiclassed characters in teched gear, so that kind of defeats the purpose of teched gear being the upper-end non-epic gear, doesn't it?

This brings to mind old old threads of how long it takes to get a full set of triple teched gear made and the difficulties therein and of course, accompanying complaints.

Now in the old old olden days (pre-merge), a double teched set of gear was extremely difficult; the comp drop rate was brutal (anyone else remember the zombie finger mage quest?).

Anyway, in a way that's true, triple teched T5 gear could be considered the non-epic gear, but that doesn't mean that there can't be a tier in between, mini-epic, and as I mentioned, there are plenty of classes left out in the cold unless those players multiclass.

[Justa Mirage]

There was a cool set of 3 piece jewelry that was handed out during an event, but only one of our guild has 1 piece of it... if you had all 3 pieces, you got the special ability of the item...

They are no longer in the game as well, which is a shame, I loved the idea of matching stuff that adds more magic to you by having the complete set.

[Creme]

There was a cool set of 3 piece jewelry that was handed out during an event, but only one of our guild has 1 piece of it... if you had all 3 pieces, you got the special ability of the item...

Well, there are the set pieces like Matthias, etc. (can't remember all the names off the top of my head). There was also the old scarab jewelry (kind of turquoise or sea green colored). The scarab jewelry was off some mobs in the Tazoon desert; some type of scarab come to think of it, go figure. The set pieces were rare drops off T5 & T6 mobs.

[Drevar]

As I suggested in the other Epic mob/loot thread, I would like to see more Asheron's Call style distributed camping. This is a method of acquiring exceptional items via regular day to day hunting and kill questing a variety of mobs rather than camping one specific boss or area.

Let me give you a very specific example.
In Asheron's Call, all golems of all types and levels have a chance to drop a pyreal mote (higher level golems drop "bigger" versions of this). No special quest or extra effort is required, they drop as normal loot similar to tech comps and hoard. You combine the motes into slivers and slivers into nuggets, bars, and finally an ingot With that ingot you can then create a special weapon. There are different levels of each weapon so that it is not a one shot deal. You can continue to collect more and create higher level weapons as you advance. These weapons are also special in that they can be modified in specific ways via crystals and other quest items like oils, etc. that grant additional and very role specific bonuses (specific mob slayer type, specific elemental damage, etc). If you want one of each type, you can choose to create one of each, there is no "one-shot you're done" limitation.

There are probably near a hundred types of golems spread over literally thousands of spawn points in the world, so there is no prime spawn bottleneck to cause problems like a single or limited camp does. The higher level golems drop the larger pieces (in addition to other level targeted loot) to encourage higher levels to hunt them instead of mass killing the smaller golems which only drop the tiniest pieces.

This method is very casual friendly because you can log on for 30 minutes, kill a few golems and loot a mote or two and log off. You have advanced your quest at your own pace and on your own time. If you advance in levels past the target weapon you were hoping to create, there is no wasted effort, as there is a better version available every few levels. In Istaria it would naturally fall by tier. There is no need to wait around for a boss group to organize, risk dying to the chaos or lag or sheer rediculous attacks some bosses have, and then only have a tiny chance of actually getting any meaningful loot.

Some may argue we already have this in the form of tech comps. Techs don't follow along for the ride, so to speak. All the work you put in at Tier 2 is obsolete when you move up to Tier 3. Even at the inter-tier steps, eg iron scale to iron plate, you have to totally remake your equipment if you want to stay at optimal performance. Note that somewhere along the way, full teched gear became the norm, rather than something special. It is also very possible to outlevel your gear before it is even made; working your butt off for tier 3 tech comps and ending up getting to level 60 which opens up Tier 4. If you use the AC method, all those common components are not lost, you simply use those same items to make the next tier version instead. With Istaria comps, you either settle for a single T3 tech on items that can now take *two* Tier 4 techs, or you start the whole process over again and hope you don't get to level 80 before you reach your goal again. As far as completed gear becoming obsolete as you level, well thats just the way things work. Chances are good you will have leftovers to start off your new item as the exact same materials are used; any leftover tech components are pretty much ballast unless they are shared with techs you want to use as you level another school later on.

Drev

[Galilee]

I think that sounds real good, Drevar. Would indeed take away frustration and add fun, also for more casual players, I think.

[Justa Mirage]

Yea, in another thread I mentioned how I played AC for 6 years...

At the end of the Aerefalle quest, they finally fixed it so 12 keys would litter the floor for everyone to be able to get one, instead of everyone having to loot the corpse and get a key, thus having people waiting in line to open the corpse.

AC did a lot of things right when it came to loot and loot tables.

[gopher65]

I considered those set pieces as part of the epic loot. Basically I think of anything as epic if it is not player crafted and either: 1) No longer available (shoulder gargoyles), 2) still ingame, but difficult to get a hold of (Reklar, Valkor, SoG).

Loot doesn't have to be good to be considered epic by me, it just has to be difficult or impossible for a new player to get a hold of, and non-player-crafted.

[Justa Mirage]

We tell the new hatchies in the guild "Wanna come out with me and meet a glowing green wolf? He drops neat stuff!" and have the other's say "Nooo don't listen, you will die horribly."

The only thing we have are blighted items, we need "pre-teched" items that come off of mobs but not as good, that come off any mob, not just WA mobs. Maybe an Elm Longbow with PowerShot 1 (when powershot II could go on an elm bow). Look! I found refurbished helm with a socket. Stuff like that.