Infraction for Finkum: General Idiocy

• Bad Luck · 06/05/08, 10:43 AM

Post: Wrath of Lich King Stuff (was 'Blizzcon' thread)
User: Finkum
Infraction: General Idiocy
Points: 1

Administrative Note:

Message to User:

http://elitistjerks.com/f15/announcements.html

Don't quote split.

Original Post:

Originally Posted by Lamaros

You obviously haven't paid that much attention to the the discussion that has been talking place here, otherwise you would realise that the issues you have are well... lets take a look:

I have in fact been following the discussion for some time; there is no need to be rude. Your whole post struck me as unnecessarily adversarial.

Originally Posted by Lamaros

1. Bad itemisation is bad itemisation, and isn't really the point of this discussion. Bad equipment won't be used whatever system is in effect.

2. Item design currently does, or has in the past, resulted in items which are desirable by only one class or spec, or very few classes or specs. When that loot has dropped and those classes/specs already have it or aren't present then that loot is wasted. The proposed homogenisation will deal with this issue along the same lines of tokens and badge gear.

2a. You will note in the "What is all loot were badge loot?" that some people don't like the idea of making every single piece of gear in the game token or badge loot. Homogenisation is one way to address this issue without going down a "no actual loot in dungeons" road.

3. Homogenised gear will be less likely to be poorly itemised, as designers won't have to try and keep 30+ different possibilities in their head but can design around some basic principles and leave the class/spec adjustment to the class/spec balance. This should be a boon to itemisation.

Addressing each of your points in turn:

1) You will notice I mention this only in passing. I agree that it is not the main issue at stake here.

2) No one is disputing that some drops are wasted/useful only once etc. I mentioned other ways that this can be addressed without gear homogenisation.

2a) Nowhere did I say that all loot should be badge loot. The thread encompasses many possibilites other than just badges/tokens, despite its name.

3) The item designers are clearly capable of making well-itemised items NOW (see the majority of Sunwell loot as an example). It's really not that hard. I am inclined to think regarding recent loot that poor itemisation, where it exists, is a result of developer bias (mages are supposed to need spirit damnit!), rather than incompetence.

It's not as hard as you think. Make all healing gear +damage gear? Just adjust the healing spell coeficients for the difference between old +healing and the new +damage. Considering all the balance change, new talents, etc that is going on with WotLK this is not the big issue you think it is.

This is an example of where homogenisation is easy. Spell crit and spell hit are examples of where it is hard(er).

Within reason, an abundance of different stats makes gear choice more interesting. There are of course places where this is not true (spell hit/melee hit mechanics for paladins are a good example). I am not opposed to combining stats where there is good cause, but I am opposed to combining stats just so that everyone who uses a particular armor type can make some use of every piece of armor of the said type.

This is just flat out wrong. If there is a warlock drop, a mage drop and a priest drop and I am a warlock I will pick the first. All warlocks will, and we'll all look the same. If there is a DPS caster drop #1, a DPS caster drop #2, and a DPS caster drop #3 then all of a sudden I have three items to wear, not 1. Combine that over every slot and you will find that the possible gear combinations for Mages, Warlocks and Priests is all of a sudden far far higher, not less.

No. Realistically one of two things will happen:

1) One set of e.g. bracers will be vastly superior to all the others (one with 3 sockets, a good spread of stats, whatever) and everyone will want them. Others will be used only until this uber ser of bracers is available.
2) Some bracers will be stronger for particular classes (e.g. ones with heavy spirit and damage, low crit will appeal to holy priests). Things will work similarly to the way they do now, with the disadvantage that the items will be usable by many classes/specs, but designed specifically for none.

Additionally, if (as seems likely) gear homogenisation is also intended to reduce loot table bloat, then we can expect fewer sets of bracers being available per tier.

In fact, this solution helps this is a way that your preferd situation does not. More badge and tier gear designed for specific classes means that specific classes will only be wearing their badge and tear gear, which will all look the same.

At the moment, all priests look (somewhat) alike within a tier (discounting tier gear). Assuming 1) above, all four casters will look alike, making the situation worse. If 2), then things will proceed similarly as they do now (except that, as mentioned, there will likely be fewer bracer drops in toto for all cloth users than there is currently).

I'm glad Blizzard is designing things and not you, because you can't even see the contradictions in your own position.

Again, no need to be rude. You read as if you have some personal grudge against me. My interpretation of how matters will stand is not contradictory within itself.

e: If by "mangle" Paladin mechanics you mean 'fix' then yes you have a poi... wait, why wouldn't you want them to fix Paladin mechanics? Do you dislike Paladins that much?

I don't know how else to express the proposed AP -> +heal conversion other than mangling. It makes no sense logically or lore-wise. It's changing class mechanics to suit gear, rather than developing gear to suit mechanics, which is basically what my whole issue with gear homogenisation is.