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How to make Lvl 70 Gear Needed and Desirable

AuthorMessage
Defender
Feb 12, 2011
122
*I posted this in another forum but I believe it fits best in the Dorms.

I wanted to pitch in with my own comments on this highly debated topic.

I believe the only way to make level 70 gear in any way shape or form, desirable, is to ensure that the new enemies we will face in whatever new world they are working on next will be tough enough for us to need it.

You'll remember the elephant in Mirror Lake with a -90% damage shield? If more enemies were to cast this type of shield (or similar protection) then the pierce ability would start to outweigh the benefit of critical damage increase gear.

Another way to improve it would be to have more enemies blocking critical attacks. What if they too were to cast the absorption spell that provides 95% increased block against critical attacks? This would remove or reduce the benefit of critical attack gear in the new world (i.e. the old WW gear) and increase the benefit of spell penetration offered by level 70 gear.

With the new gear providing defense against, for example, fire, ice, and myth - i.e. non related schools of magic - it might make sense for the new world enemies to produce mixed class magical attacks - similar to balance magic but with elemental and spirit attacks all mixed up.

This approach will also allow for a natural progression of spell development across all schools of magic. If each school would gain the ability to learn mixed attacks (at both low pip and high pip levels) it would allow KI to produce new spells without the need to always develop bigger and better spells for each class. By developing 2, 3, 5, 7, etc pip based spells for each school, the schools might learn new spells at a higher rate than one new one every 10 levels - something to be desired.

These spells might be gained from related schools in Wysteria or other new game trainers. I share a quick example for thought - what if Myth school learnt a new spell called, "Hades" (in Greek law, he is the brother of Zeus and ruler of the underworld). Perhaps the new spell might then produce an attack spell that does base damage of 400 Myth to each opponent, 305 Death, and 275 Fire for each round over three rounds (i.e. Fire is not related to Spirit magic and therefore is unexpected and, often unaccounted for when casting shields - but fire, death, and myth are all part of the underworld).

This kind of evolution would allow players to produce mixed attacks that make the need and/or desire for mixed defense attributes provided by level 70 gear worthwhile. It would also allow for new spell development in terms of protection - such as Storm producing a whirlwind that orbits the player for 5 rounds and reduces attack damage from fire, ice, and life by 15% (or it might reduce each specified attack by different percentages).

The development of this kind of magic could be endless. Allowing Balance school to learn multi attack and defense magic (e.g. defense against myth, death, life, storm, and ice all in one spell and at 35% each shield) would allow them to still do what they do best - likewise for blade development and mixed attack spells like Hydra and Chimera.

Improving the critical attack rating of new enemies will also motivate players to turn in old WW gear in favor of higher critical blocks against those enemies capable of doing serious damage in a wider range of magic.

Anyway - I hope these thoughts are helpful and that someone at KI might find them a good jumping off point in considering the overall developmental arch of the game.

Thanks for reading and if any of you think this is a good idea or, at the very least, one worth exploring, I'd be greatful if you could please post a response and help KI read this post and consider it!

Thanks!

Hero
Sep 08, 2008
712
Hmm. You are right. That would force wizards to use the new equipment in order to overcome certain challenges and fights.

But, like I just said, that would "force" a player to change equipment, and stats, just to overcome a certain challenge.

While certain fights and challenges force a player to strategize with spells and configure spell decks, it is a different thing entirely if you have to do that with the equipment. Because, lets face it, I will wear my Waterworks uniform until the day it becomes completely impractical to wear, or until it starts killing me in every fight because monsters have become simply way too powerful.

But until that time comes, I do not think people would be happy to have to switch equipment in order to overcome certain challenges and fights. Especially since equipment is usually tailored and stitched in order to reflect a player's personality/style/taste.

Defender
Feb 12, 2011
122
Well I think that's my point - that from the new world onwards, it will no longer become useful to wear WW gear.

But it's also more than just wearing WW gear - I think you get to a point where the game just needs to improve in order to survive - there needs to be a new sense of accomplishment in order to keep players interested.

After a while, repeating the same experience again and again gets boring no matter how good it is. Ask yourself - do you still place any kind of value in Golden Pearls? I know I don't. They are so readily given in Mirror Lake that they no longer hold any special meaning to me.

The only way to move players onto the next level of gear is to create a reason for them too. Right now we don't need the peirce traits that the new gear provides, so why would anyone switch?

Hero
Sep 08, 2008
712
Thing about expansions I never liked. The apparent need to raise level cap and make everything obsolete. I believe there are always ways of adding variables, new content, and different aspects to a game instead.

The only thing that would seem resolve the whole equipment issue now is a nerf to waterworks equipment - forcing players to resort to the 70 equipment, or strengthen the 70 equipment - an incentive for 70 players to use the 70 equipment. But... why fix something that is not broken? Which is players keeping their WW equipment.

But KI has already stated that they don't like to nerf and change things unless it is absolutely necessary. So, I think that in the next expansion, which will most likely involve yet another level cap and the continuation of either the Morganthe or Wintertusk plotline, new equipment will be added that would become the new "gear to have."

Defender
Feb 12, 2011
122
Shiningfantasia wrote:
Thing about expansions I never liked. The apparent need to raise level cap and make everything obsolete. I believe there are always ways of adding variables, new content, and different aspects to a game instead.

The only thing that would seem resolve the whole equipment issue now is a nerf to waterworks equipment - forcing players to resort to the 70 equipment, or strengthen the 70 equipment - an incentive for 70 players to use the 70 equipment. But... why fix something that is not broken? Which is players keeping their WW equipment.

But KI has already stated that they don't like to nerf and change things unless it is absolutely necessary. So, I think that in the next expansion, which will most likely involve yet another level cap and the continuation of either the Morganthe or Wintertusk plotline, new equipment will be added that would become the new "gear to have."


I have to disagree with you on this point. Nerfing is not the "only thing that would seem to resolve the whole equipment issue." That was the whole point of my post.

Let's assume for a moment you own a car. Let's assume that car is a 15 year old Honda with over 100,000 on the clock. By all accounts, if you continue to look after the car it will continue to perform for another 100,000 miles.

Let's also assume that Ford have now provided a car that can run for 100,000 miles, has better fuel efficiency than your old car, and has an inbuilt GPS - something your old Honda does not have.

You might simply say that you don't need the GPS or better fuel efficiency because you only drive in the town where you grew up and you hardly ever use it anyway - all good arguments why you don't need to upgrade.

Now let’s assume you get a job in a new city that involves you commuting to work on a 2 hour round trip every day - you might then decide that better fuel efficiency and a GPS so you don't get lost is now worth the upgrade.

I'm sure you can follow this example - there was no need for anyone to "nerf" your current vehicle.

Putting in new conditions for a new world will not devalue WW gear and it's current effectiveness in the rest of the game. Creating new conditions in new game worlds allow for new gear to become desirable.

This is played out in the real world just like the car example I gave - you are responding to my post using a computer and the internet - if you are so opposed to development - why not pull out a pad and pencil and send me a letter instead? Or, as you have suggested, I could simply come around to your house and "nerf" your computer for you by replacing the mouse and computer with a horse and a barn - that way you could send out a pony express to get your message to me or maybe even "upgrade" to telegraph and mail using Morse code.

I think my nerf favoring friend that you get my point, no?