Whatever happened to the itemisation revamp?

[TuinalOfTheNexus]

<p>There was a post by a dev a few months back, saying there were looking at itemisation with a view to making some significant changes.</p><p>You can find the thread <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=348077" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p><p>But nothing seems to have come from this.</p><ul><li>The Epic x 2 mobs in Castle Mistmoore still drop loot that is <i>in no way</i> commensurate to the challenge. Vikomt gives a wood chest 90% of the time. Princess Cherista and Huntmaster Viswin drop loot that isn't any better than the heroic mobs in the same zone - and in some cases identical to heroic drops (class chests).</li><li>It's still far easier to farm Masters from green, soloable, ^^^ nameds, than to loot them with a group. Rather than promote grouping, EQ2 tends to penalise it, with the same drop rates from high end heroics as for soloable content. Why spend 3 hours in CMM with a group when you can solo 9 nameds in Catacombs with the <i>exact same</i> master drop chance? This is perhaps a more controversial point, I'll admit.</li><li>Continuing on the theme of CMM, the final named from the Bathhouse ring event drops loot that is a total joke for the hardest heroic ring event in the game.</li><li>Fabled class sets continue to have a mixed bag of effects that vary from extremely nice to extremely worthless. Taking the Guardian set, which is actually one of the better ones, the 7-piece focus is rather useless because mitigation was made worthless in the most recent combat revamp, and most raid tanks are in offensive stance 90% of the time. In general the effects reflect a limited understanding of each class and its role in a raid.</li><li>Legendary class sets have some huge differences in utility. The Templar set (33% casting speed), is flat out better than the Shaman or Druid sets in any situation, and again reflects a limited understanding of gameplay.</li><li>The Flowing Cape of the Dark Lord remains as perhaps one of the best examples of how awful EQ2 itemisation is. For an epic signature quest, requiring an x2 raid of level 70 players (and a good few hours running round killing 60+ heroics), the reward is a cloak with +25 spell damage and +25 to healing spells. To put this in context, there is a cloak from Gnomeland HQ, usable at level 37, from a quest soloable at 40, that gives +25 spell damage.</li><li>The Sol Ro deity cloak from a heroic questline, gives +65 spell damage. A fabled cloak from Emerald Halls, arguably the hardest raid instance in the game, gives +50 spell damage. Both cloaks have no other stats - the Ro cloak is simply better.</li></ul><p>There are many other examples, listed in the thread linked earlier in this post. Since it's stated that this is a "high priority" for the team, I can't understand why patch after patch passes without any attempts to fix the more glaring issues (CMM epic loot and the Flowing Cape spring to mind; many players at 70 would rather grind CoV / OoB or solo farm green nameds not because it's fun but because the risk/reward in CMM and for many quests is simply not worthwhile). One of the most major issues is that a competent player will earn substantially more pp/hour (in terms of both cash loot, and items they can sell) individually if they solo, rather than if they group. At the very least this should be equal.</p>

[Noaani]

<p>I do not remember where it was posted, but a dev (i nelieve it was Archonix, may be wrong though) said that this post was less about redoing surrent items, more about making sure new items that go in to the game meet players expectations.</p><p>It is understandable why SoE would be reluctant to change items already in game, and items that are currently possesed by many players.</p><p>If you read over that thread, and the similar thread on EQ2flames, you will notice that a few of the ideas there have made their way directly to items that drop from avatars, and I would think there are a few more to be found in the new raid zone coming up.</p><p>So, the reason there has not been an itemization revamp is simply because they have no intentions of doing one, nor have they ever had those intentions (this is not to say I wouldn't like to see one, I just dont expect to see it).</p>

[Killerbee3000]

itemization is screwed beyond point of no return currently.... but... keep in mind soe is getting another chance at getting itemization right with rok.... i dont think they gonna bother with redoing the complete itemization of all non rok zones though...

[Rocksthemic]

I have pleaded with them to fix the castle mistmoore loot many times, but it falls on deaf ears. Apparently some of the most challenging, engaging content in the game was a waste of time to make, because they don't encourage anyone to go do it. I discovered the flowing cape of the dark lord on Unrest server, and was shocked to see how horrible it was. Before the opening of the Unrest dungeon, castle mistmoore was the ONLY place to get the legendary legs and chests for the EoF set. I consider it VERY poor planning on SoEs part that they didn't redo the loot in castle mistmoore (at least the group x 2 stuff upstairs) when they did the Unrest dungeon. The ring event in the baths does actually drop a decent item, a set of plate gloves that are good for priests. However getting to the baths, completing the ring event, and then have a CHANCE for the named to spawn, and if the named pops having a CHANCE to get a decent chest out of it... many won't go there unless they enjoy the challenge. I don't think they should go back and redo everything with EoF, because some of it is ok. However... I think the castle mistmoore stuff needs to be fixed. It's a shame that such well designed, fun, content is seen as nothing but a waste of time to anyone with a brain.

[Rocksthemic]

Sigh... apparently the devs will never comment on this. Either they know they never will have the time and budget to fix it, or they just consider contested content for heroic groups a failure, and refuse to consider it. Either way, I'm done I think. Not done with the game... but I will just go in, and do my sage camp like a good boy. I will waste the ENTIRE zone that was full of well designed ring events, content, and challenge, and go sit in the corner, camping only the sage because that is the only mob in there that drops loot of appropriate risk vs. reward. Remember those words, SoE... RISK vs. REWARD ! ! ! ! it doesn't have to be dead <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[TheBu]

<cite>Noaani wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I do not remember where it was posted, but a dev (i nelieve it was Archonix, may be wrong though) said that this post was less about redoing surrent items, more about making sure new items that go in to the game meet players expectations.</p><p>It is understandable why SoE would be reluctant to change items already in game, and items that are currently possesed by many players.</p><p>If you read over that thread, and the similar thread on EQ2flames, you will notice that a few of the ideas there have made their way directly to items that drop from avatars, and I would think there are a few more to be found in the new raid zone coming up.</p><p>So, the reason there has not been an itemization revamp is simply because they have no intentions of doing one, nor have they ever had those intentions (this is not to say I wouldn't like to see one, I just dont expect to see it).</p></blockquote>this is the way they should make updates.. I am glad to hear they said they wer looking to make the new items meet players expectations instead of changing current items. Besides most the items will be old tier anyways

[SmCaudata]

Fabled set bonuses need to be reworked completely.  All 3 of the swash set bonuses are rather crappy.  To top it off, the armor isnt' really that amazing anyway.  I understand not wanting to revamp tons of gear in EoF and such... but at least look at the set bonuses on the fabled gear.  Here's the rogue and pread lowdown. The assassin 7 pieces is twice as good as a top tier swashbuckler EoF AA. The swash set bonus is 10% double attack... which is about half the damage zone wide.  The brigands get 8% crit which makes it a very nice set.  Rangers get 5% ranged double attack, which is actually a pretty big boost damage wise.  The swash 3 and 5 piece bonuses are basically completely useless on raids.  The 3 set swash bonus would be nice in big groups and with a very high delay weapon... otherwise I basically have no reason to wear any of the stuff besides resists. Either make all the set bonuses nice little extras or make them all really nice like the assassin and brigand sets.  Having them scattered around like that is just laziness really in not figuring out damage potential.  I know that other archetypes have very similar legitimate complaints.  These complaints have been out since EoF launched... it is about time they are adjusted.

[Slayer505]

Kellindril@Antonia Bayle wrote: <blockquote>Fabled set bonuses need to be reworked completely.  All 3 of the swash set bonuses are rather crappy.  To top it off, the armor isnt' really that amazing anyway.  I understand not wanting to revamp tons of gear in EoF and such... but at least look at the set bonuses on the fabled gear.  Here's the rogue and pread lowdown. The assassin 7 pieces is twice as good as a top tier swashbuckler EoF AA. The swash set bonus is 10% double attack... which is about half the damage zone wide.  The brigands get 8% crit which makes it a very nice set.  Rangers get 5% ranged double attack, which is actually a pretty big boost damage wise.  The swash 3 and 5 piece bonuses are basically completely useless on raids.  The 3 set swash bonus would be nice in big groups and with a very high delay weapon... otherwise I basically have no reason to wear any of the stuff besides resists. Either make all the set bonuses nice little extras or make them all really nice like the assassin and brigand sets.  Having them scattered around like that is just laziness really in not figuring out damage potential.  I know that other archetypes have very similar legitimate complaints.  These complaints have been out since EoF launched... it is about time they are adjusted. </blockquote>QFE While you're at it compare the Zerker and Guardian set bonuses, and the Warlock and Wizard set bonuses.  I know we Zerkers got the shaft on set bonuses even worse then Swashies did since NONE of ours is useful except (arguably) the 9% double attack (7) bonus and that only since the warrior double attack nerf and assuming you don't have the Mayong Hammer, Illusionary Arm, or a Stamina specced Dirge.  The focus on our legs is a sick joke (+10 in combat regen... yay?)  Please, please, PLEASE look over these bonuses again.  It looks like in the case of the Berserker set whoever made the items had no idea what they were doing and just threw on some random bonuses, hoping they would be good enough.  Right now my only incentive to pick up zerker set pieces is if they are upgrades from my current armor.  The set bonuses are completely pointless.

[rubels]

<p>The problem with sets IMO is by the time you get the (7) set bonus ... trust me your ripping the set apart.</p><p>The itemization in this game is horrid. There needs to be a hard level cap for there to be true itemization and progression. The reality of it is all raiders right now are basicly farming t8 legendary gear that will probably be on par with items around lvl 75 ish instant gear. </p><p>Progression should be solo , heroic and raid . </p><p>There cant be exceptions otherwise you will have what we currently have. Masters being the norm , why wear treasured when you can buy fabled are perfect examples. </p><p>This leads to the removal of core aspects of the game such as tradeskilling, grouping and raid progression.</p><p>I understand that casuals should have the ability to solo and im fine with that but when we are looking at it from the grand view of itemization the solo player should be forced to group to obtain legendary items and raid to get masters and fabled. </p><p>Until SOE is willing to put there foot down and commit to a standard , level cap and progression that is realistic you will have a unbalanced game. The unbalanced game will then result in the continual tweak aspect that we see constantly as of right now with the negative effects of removing the above mentioned core aspects of the game Ie Tradeskilling , grouping and raiding.</p><p>- Krovax</p>