Why shard armor changes are good, and bad

[Meirril]

<p>I know there is a 13 page post on Rygorr Armor already. Honestly, after 4 pages everything gets lost in a crowd.</p><p>Everybody is focusing on today and yesterday. People complaining (and praising) the changes arn't thinking about the next expansion. I've been concerend with how new players are going to get equipped for AoD when the experienced adventurers arn't going to run DoV content.</p><p>Well, I now have my answer. There is no need for adventure quests that give gear to get you ready for instances. You just go into the crafting channel and ask for a full set of Thurgadin armor. Boom, done. As you earn some extra plat, you start replacing that Thurgadin armor with (cheap) Rygorr armor. As DoV stops being the top end of the game, the prices of Scintillating gems will drop significantly. A year from now they will all be less than 30p.</p><p>So that is good, right? What is the bad?</p><p>Removing shards from this armor set is an indication that the content the armor comes from is no longer valued.</p><p>We're going to be level 90, new AoD content will enter the game and...all previous 90 content will become trivial. This isn't a guarentee, but a prediction. I don't think the developers are designing alternate content where you make choices between using top level DoV items and top level AoD items. I'm thinking that AoD is going to follow the progression mold that we're use to seeing.</p><p>That is bad. Part of the joy of not raising the tier every 2 years should be having more content to enjoy. But what is happening is that older t9 content is being trivialized by new content, not suplimented. Gear from new content makes previous content trivial. New gear doesn't offer choices, it is a strict upgrade.</p><p>Development needs to sit down and take some time to think of a way to encourage people to use ALL the t9 content. Go back and make new versions of the old zones. Change population, alter drop tables, maybe come up with a new token system that won't become trivial in less than a month. Something that fits with the new paradim they are trying to introduce with the new grouping system. Right now, that thing is shoehorned into the game, and the game wasn't designed for it and that shows.</p><p>The top end of t9 loot needs to be defined, and new gear introduced into the game needs to fit those guidelines but still be interesting. Take 10% off the raw stats, introduce some interesting procs and abilities. Make something sexy instead of just another cookie cutter +0.3 improvement on all blue stats, +6 to primary stats progression. There are ways to get people excited about gear without making it more powerful. Start designing instances to favor certain abilities, so people start desiring gear with those alternative abilities. Right now design needs to be more creative, less of following the rail that level progression has been for the entire run of EQ2.</p>

[Lempo]

<p>Just exactly what content do you think is being release in AoD that people need to be awarded free gear that is nearly raid quality for?</p>

[Anklesteiner]

<p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p>

[Lempo]

<p>foiled my attempt, no they were not aware, simply trying to justify to themselves/others that it is ok to get gear like this (and at the same time are probably against SLR lol)</p>

[Koleg]

<p>I am always shocked at the sheer level of short sightedness there is in general populations ....</p><p>#1 as above .. you don't need Ry'Gorr armor w/ or w/o Jewelery upgrades to be successful in BYoD becasue you will not be using your own toon.</p><p>#2 Top Heroic gear in DOV currently is EOW / Drunder Crafted ... Ry'Gorr pales in comparison.</p><p>#3 I am of the opinion that when you gear more people, previously unable to progress due to a forcable Gating mechanic, that there will be more instance running not less.</p><p>#4 I HOPE that players start to siege Drunder ... (pst .. its the only way its going to get smoothed out)</p><p>#5 GU62 (Feb'12) will bring new content that makes Great Divide and EW look like commonlands and Antonica.  If SOE fails to deliver decent, well thought out and rewarding content this time that all the rage quit subs over all the QQ nerfs over the past year will look like a rain drop in a Huricane.</p><p>#6 GU62 will be Hard .... we needz the lootz nowz!</p>

[ffd700]

<p><cite>Lempo@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>foiled my attempt, no they were not aware, simply trying to justify to themselves/others that it is ok to get gear like this (and at the same time are probably against SLR lol)</p></blockquote><p>Yet you are pro SLR and against this change?  The lines have blurred so much, what is the difference?  Nobody spends shards on raid loot, just some plat.  So now for legendary gear you just need plat too.</p>

[Koleg]

<p><cite>Ultraheavybeat@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Lempo@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>foiled my attempt, no they were not aware, simply trying to justify to themselves/others that it is ok to get gear like this (and at the same time are probably against SLR lol)</p></blockquote><p>Yet <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">you are </span><span style="color: #ff0000;">Lempo is </span>pro SLR and against this change?  The lines have blurred so much, what is the difference?  Nobody spends shards on raid loot, just some plat.  So now for legendary gear you just need plat too.</p></blockquote><p>Primarily becasue if the Base is "given" Ry'Gorr they won't need to buy SLR, but I would think that once the base gets a taste of the power of gear they will be looking to eat up all the SLR they can get their hands on.</p>

[gourdon]

<p>GU62 is supposed to include the Freeport revamp and some sort of PQ in the Commonlands.  It could very well be that Ry'Gorr armor will soon be obsolete between rewards for BYOD and the new PQ.  Then no one will need to run DoV dungeons for Primal Velium Shards to gear up, just like no one needs Void Shards or Marks of Manaar to gear up.</p>

[Troubor]

<p><cite>gourdon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>GU62 is supposed to include the Freeport revamp and some sort of PQ in the Commonlands.  It could very well be that Ry'Gorr armor will soon be obsolete between rewards for BYOD and the new PQ.  Then no one will need to run DoV dungeons for Primal Velium Shards to gear up, just like no one needs Void Shards or Marks of Manaar to gear up.</p></blockquote><p>I thought the new PQ wasn't a t9 one though, but around t3 (20th level), thus why it's in the Commonlands.  It could be that BYOD dungeon rewards will make some or all of the velium shard sets obsolete though.</p><p>Having said that, I actually wonder the opposite in a way.  Not with BYOD (and if I'm wrong about the PQ, the PQ) rewards being better then at least Ry'gor, but if instead of a new token with the next expansion, if since this expansion adds gameplay/rules, not content if they are actually going to keep using Velium shards instead of dropping the current token like they have in the past.  Thus, Thurgadin & Ry'gor are "free" as far as shards go since one or two more recipies using Velium shards will now be found.  Drunder apparently will still fit in the progression thus it still has a shard cost under my hypothesis, although with greater ore yield for crushing items and Drunder also dropping in the Drunder zones it's dropped in progression. </p><p>Or to put it another way, earlier expansions we "left" the end game zone to move onto a new one so to speak.  This one sees us in Velious still, and probably still there to at least the start of the expansion after it.  The tokens used would more likely be the same, we're not in a new area where the "currency" for armor trades and adorns would be different.</p>

[Koleg]

<p>One of the main issues at this point is that DOV launch was only 25% (or less) of the content it was suppose to be.  GU61 added in some more but currently we are only 50% (or less) of what DOV is suppose to be.  So basiaclly we have 1/2 an X-pack spread out over a years time and another 1/2 of an X-pack spread out over next year (+/-).</p><p>Things like Freeport Revamp, DF, ByOD and Mercs are only distractions in the Magic show which headlines "Watch Me Make this Content Disapear, before your very eyes" ... *Poof*</p><p>You can tell becasue the players at the Top End are bored enough to defend and justify Gating mechanics... which if they (SOE) had any content at all worth progressing through they (Top End players) would be way too busy with new SLR gears rather than the same old tired twice a week x2 or Krytoc's yawn x4 gears.</p>

[Meirril]

<p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>I'm aware that AoD will be a feature only expansion, with content moved to a different release schedual independent of the release of features. Now how do you plan on refering to the new released content? By LU or by the closest expansion to the release of new content? I would choose association with expansion so it more closely conforms to what we're use to.</p>

[Anklesteiner]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>I'm aware that AoD will be a feature only expansion, with content moved to a different release schedual independent of the release of features. Now how do you plan on refering to the new released content? By LU or by the closest expansion to the release of new content? I would choose association with expansion so it more closely conforms to what we're use to.</p></blockquote><p>Except that content will all be featured in Destiny of Velious related zones and even the developers refer to it as "Destiny of Velious content".</p><p>Try again.</p>

[Felshades]

<p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>Cause it'll all be added in a GU.</p>

[Felshades]

<p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>I'm aware that AoD will be a feature only expansion, with content moved to a different release schedual independent of the release of features. Now how do you plan on refering to the new released content? By LU or by the closest expansion to the release of new content? I would choose association with expansion so it more closely conforms to what we're use to.</p></blockquote><p>Except that content will all be featured in Destiny of Velious related zones and even the developers refer to it as "Destiny of Velious content".</p><p>Try again.</p></blockquote><p>Except that we only have currently half of the continent of velious discovered and theres PLENTY of space for more stuff.</p><p>Bring on the Temple of Veeshan.</p>

[Anklesteiner]

<p><cite>Nadirah@Crushbone wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>I'm aware that AoD will be a feature only expansion, with content moved to a different release schedual independent of the release of features. Now how do you plan on refering to the new released content? By LU or by the closest expansion to the release of new content? I would choose association with expansion so it more closely conforms to what we're use to.</p></blockquote><p>Except that content will all be featured in Destiny of Velious related zones and even the developers refer to it as "Destiny of Velious content".</p><p>Try again.</p></blockquote><p>Except that we only have currently half of the continent of velious discovered and theres PLENTY of space for more stuff.</p><p>Bring on the Temple of Veeshan.</p></blockquote><p>...Isn't that what I just said?</p>

[Hermmit]

<p><cite>gourdon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>GU62 is supposed to include the Freeport revamp and some sort of PQ in the Commonlands.  It could very well be that Ry'Gorr armor will soon be obsolete between rewards for BYOD and the new PQ.  Then no one will need to run DoV dungeons for Primal Velium Shards to gear up, just like no one needs Void Shards or Marks of Manaar to gear up.</p></blockquote><p>Yes, because this game needs yet another tier of armor, lol.  The commonlands PQ will be gear towards commonland levels, not lvl 90.  It's suppose to tie in with the Freeport revamp. </p>

[Kenazeer]

<p><cite>Hermmit wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>gourdon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>GU62 is supposed to include the Freeport revamp and some sort of PQ in the Commonlands.  It could very well be that Ry'Gorr armor will soon be obsolete between rewards for BYOD and the new PQ.  Then no one will need to run DoV dungeons for Primal Velium Shards to gear up, just like no one needs Void Shards or Marks of Manaar to gear up.</p></blockquote><p>Yes, because this game needs yet another tier of armor, lol.  The commonlands PQ will be gear towards commonland levels, not lvl 90.  It's suppose to tie in with the Freeport revamp. </p></blockquote><p>They are making lower tier stuff for the EQ2X crowd.</p>

[Alenna]

<p><cite>Meirril wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Anklesteiner wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>You are aware that there will be absolutely no new zones in AoD right? The only new "zones" that will be created are ones built by users in the Create-A-Dungeon feature. Other than that, AoD will have no new zones of any kind - no new overland zones, no new instances, no new raid zones.</p></blockquote><p>I'm aware that AoD will be a feature only expansion, with content moved to a different release schedual independent of the release of features. Now how do you plan on refering to the new released content? By LU or by the closest expansion to the release of new content? I would choose association with expansion so it more closely conforms to what we're use to.</p></blockquote><p>except the GUs now coming as stated by smokejumper and the Devs  the zones adn Content added in the up coming GUs will be DoV content not AoD.</p>

[Onorem]

<p>Please don't tell me what I am or am not thinking about. If they're worried about tomorrow, make the change tomorrow.</p><p>SF gear is horrible compared to DoV gear...(except for a few still overpowered for the effort raid pieces...)</p><p>DoV killed SF...and that was horrible enough. This change is worse. A no-content "expansion" isn't justification for this change. This gear is horrible. Itemization is still horrible. They've said they're going to fix it...but all they do is change the old stuff that was less horrible into the new horrible scheme.</p>

[Taboo2]

<p>The only thing that bothers me about the removal of the shards needed for gear is why keep bringing the process back if its just going to be cast aside. The void shards and now the velium shards. Just throw out that mechanic altogether, it is frustrating to have done all the runs and grinds to get the complete set only to have the accomplishment trivialized by it no longer being required.</p><p>I do raid casually with a competent raid force so I personally only have some shard pieces on my alts, but running the instances with the casual players and seeing and hearing them get excited about getting the shard gear sets has been fun. It's almost their raid zones. Taking the effort out of the achievement is almost the same as one other SOE decision and it seems to be an ongoing theme at times. In SWG when the game revamp to that allowed players to create a Jedi from the start instead of earning the rank it drove players away in droves. Simplification, dumbing things down, making it easier, is not why most of us have chosen to play this game. If I wanted simple and dumb I'd be playing WOW.</p><p>Implement things like all instances having 3 levels of difficulty and drops that reflect the level. Make all instances scale so we can play content from old zones and spread out the zone population. Add more wandering random mobs, ones seen once or twice a day with rare loot tables and have them spawn randomly across a zone to avoid camping</p>