Aselrik
03-31-2022, 12:52 PM
I love DDO, and I love the complexity of DDO. However, certain kinds of complexity are less fun, and as even more things are added to the game, I think it's a good idea to streamline older systems. Of course, SSG has done this a number of times before.
Suggestion 1: Change non-weapon augments to work off the ML system. I believe I've heard before that armor/clothes/jewelry is not currently set up to procedurally work off ML. I don't know if this is still true, but if so, I think this is an important backend change to implement. However, it does work this way off crafting now, so maybe it already does?
Then, change ability and skill augments to be a single level, like "Ruby eye of Force" or other weapon gems. Each level giving +X. Of course, these don't scale linearly, so either an equation would need to be implemented to do a reasonably equivalent progression, or it'd have to draw from a table. For simplicity, I would make it draw from the crafting table. In other words, adding a "Diamond of Spellcraft" would add a bonus to the item, just like if you crafted on "Spellcraft" to the item.
If this is done, something that could also be done to help "future proof" certain items is to always replace 1 ability/skill on the item with a white slot, if it has room for a white augment slot. That way, even if the item isn't 100% up to current stats, you'd always have room to make one stat/skill current.
Suggestion 2: For other types of augments, particularly the non-scaling kind, change the ML to more closely match certain clusters of gear. In particular, drop the ML of level 16 augments to level 15, and ML 22 augments to 21. This is because the mechanic of iconic characters and past lives "anchors" gear to be preferable to be level 15, and especially with the sharn gear, it's best to keep gear at ML 15. This is for the sake of a person's own sanity, of course. As for changing 22 (festive gems, mostly) to 21, this is because Borderlands gear is the other major anchor, especially for newer players (epic 20 gear, while it's less grindy now, is still going to lag behind borderlands, which is quite simply, the most attainable).
I would also look at changing other augments to be more in line with these certain breakpoints. IE, Globe of True Imperial Blood
Suggestion 1 & 2 (alternate): Allow players to equip items with over-level augments, but those augments simply do not provide bonuses until a sufficiently high level. This way, players don't have to worry about a level 16 augment in their level 15 iconic gear, or a level 22 augment in their level 21 borderlands gear. This is probably a more major engine change, though.
The main benefits here are: Less "napsack" problem solving for arranging gear sets for certain levels for past lives. No longer needing to compare augment and crafting tables when planning gear. Less crowded/confusing DDO store (and maybe more skills available in DDO store? Atm, there's only 3 skills available)
Suggestion 1: Change non-weapon augments to work off the ML system. I believe I've heard before that armor/clothes/jewelry is not currently set up to procedurally work off ML. I don't know if this is still true, but if so, I think this is an important backend change to implement. However, it does work this way off crafting now, so maybe it already does?
Then, change ability and skill augments to be a single level, like "Ruby eye of Force" or other weapon gems. Each level giving +X. Of course, these don't scale linearly, so either an equation would need to be implemented to do a reasonably equivalent progression, or it'd have to draw from a table. For simplicity, I would make it draw from the crafting table. In other words, adding a "Diamond of Spellcraft" would add a bonus to the item, just like if you crafted on "Spellcraft" to the item.
If this is done, something that could also be done to help "future proof" certain items is to always replace 1 ability/skill on the item with a white slot, if it has room for a white augment slot. That way, even if the item isn't 100% up to current stats, you'd always have room to make one stat/skill current.
Suggestion 2: For other types of augments, particularly the non-scaling kind, change the ML to more closely match certain clusters of gear. In particular, drop the ML of level 16 augments to level 15, and ML 22 augments to 21. This is because the mechanic of iconic characters and past lives "anchors" gear to be preferable to be level 15, and especially with the sharn gear, it's best to keep gear at ML 15. This is for the sake of a person's own sanity, of course. As for changing 22 (festive gems, mostly) to 21, this is because Borderlands gear is the other major anchor, especially for newer players (epic 20 gear, while it's less grindy now, is still going to lag behind borderlands, which is quite simply, the most attainable).
I would also look at changing other augments to be more in line with these certain breakpoints. IE, Globe of True Imperial Blood
Suggestion 1 & 2 (alternate): Allow players to equip items with over-level augments, but those augments simply do not provide bonuses until a sufficiently high level. This way, players don't have to worry about a level 16 augment in their level 15 iconic gear, or a level 22 augment in their level 21 borderlands gear. This is probably a more major engine change, though.
The main benefits here are: Less "napsack" problem solving for arranging gear sets for certain levels for past lives. No longer needing to compare augment and crafting tables when planning gear. Less crowded/confusing DDO store (and maybe more skills available in DDO store? Atm, there's only 3 skills available)