Crafting: Raid Loot Upgrades

[Kintro]

One thing I'd love to see in game is the ability to upgrade raid loot using collectibles and/or other ingredients to keep them useful. This would increase the number of alternative gear configurations and keep old raids worth running for more than just a couple of items.

Some example upgrades:

Torc of Prince Raiyum: Wizardry III, Greater Spell Penetration VI -> Wizardry VI, Greater Spell Penetration VII
Battle Coin: Competence To-Hit +1 -> Competence To-Hit +3
Jungle Cloak: Hide +10 -> Hide +15
Rattle Charm: Greater Acid Lore, Greater Sonic Lore -> Greater Arcane Lore
Visor of Concentration: Concentration +10 -> Concentration +15
Staff of Arcane Power: Add Spells
Shining Crest of St. Marcus: Improved Devotion VI, Lesser Healing Lore -> Superior Devotion VI, Greater Healing Lore
Kundarak Delving Goggles: Spot +10, Disable Device +10 -> Spot +15, Disable Device +15

These could be done in several stages (ie. Wizardry III to Wizardry IV with one upgrade) with increasing costs.

[Omega2K]

I like these ideas but not if a Raid Loot Upgrade exists... If there is an existing or future Raid Loot item with +15 to a particular Skill, then you should only be able to upgrade the inferior Raid Loot to +13 in that Skill. People have to stay motivated to play new content and Raids for upgrades. If we lose that, there is no reason to play the new Raids...

[Kintro]

I like these ideas but not if a Raid Loot Upgrade exists... If there is an existing or future Raid Loot item with +15 to a particular Skill, then you should only be able to upgrade the inferior Raid Loot to +13 in that Skill. People have to stay motivated to play new content and Raids for upgrades. If we lose that, there is no reason to play the new Raids...

Good catch. The Kundarak Delving Goggles shouldn't really be upgraded as they're mostly replaced by the Tharne's Goggles as are the Sandstorm Goggles.

In addition to this; things that don't need upgrades (Chattering Ring, Belt of Brute Strength) wouldn't get any.

[Junts]

Good catch. The Kundarak Delving Goggles shouldn't really be upgraded as they're mostly replaced by the Tharne's Goggles as are the Sandstorm Goggles.

In addition to this; things that don't need upgrades (Chattering Ring, Belt of Brute Strength) wouldn't get any.

but you suggested an upgrade to the torq??

[SableShadow]

Good catch. The Kundarak Delving Goggles shouldn't really be upgraded as they're mostly replaced by the Tharne's Goggles as are the Sandstorm Goggles.

I'd start running the VoNs again for the goggles if they were +15s instead of +10s. Takes the same slot as my +15 dd goggles, and adds Blind Ward...only a very modest upgrade, but I'd probably do it.

[Kintro]

but you suggested an upgrade to the torq??

They were just suggestions. Plus the torc is only really useful now for one of the three things it has on it. It just happens most people think that's still worth getting it for!

[tihocan]

I kinda like this idea, mostly to give a boost to all these useless raid items nobody uses.

[Kintro]

They were just suggestions. Plus the torc is only really useful now for one of the three things it has on it. It just happens most people think that's still worth getting it for!

Sorry this wasn't a very good reply, it was late!

I included the torc as an example because it's nowhere near as useful as it was when it first appeared in the game:

* Greater Spell Pen VI: The ultimate spell pen item before level 7+ spells were released, now just quite nice since you have to wear another item for the higher level spells.
* Wizardry III: Quite useful when you could only get Magi, now you can get Wizardry VII fairly easily it's redundant.
* Transform Kinetic Energy: Still nice even with the inflated spellpoint pools we have nowadays. Worth the item slot just for this on some builds.

Although there are many other old raid loot items which are far less useful it wouldn't hurt to give it a bit of a touch up.

[totmacher]

didn't the devs say something about raid loot upgrades at some point?

[SableShadow]

didn't the devs say something about raid loot upgrades at some point?

I remember there was talk of extending set bonuses, with more items showing up in later raids to add additional effects. Unless they meant DT armor.

[Kintro]

Epic Dungeons

Ever wished you could run one of your favorite mid-game dungeons at a higher level, have it be challenging, and receive awesome loot for it? With Epic Dungeons, now you can!

* For Update 1, the Demon Sands Adventure Pack has received the Epic treatment. Five adventures in the Menechtarun Desert (including the Queen Lailat raid) can now be played in Epic difficulty.
* Old favorite items that originated in these dungeons can be upgraded into powerful Epic versions by collecting rare scrolls, seals, and shards.
* Epic rewards can be further customized with Epic Augment Crystals, permanently adding new effects to your items.
* Epic dungeons and raids award special tokens that can be traded for Augment Crystals or True Reincarnation Tokens. See Misty in the Tower of the Twelve for more details!
* All members of the party must be 20th level to enter on Epic difficulty.
* This difficulty will only be unlocked if you have completed the dungeon/raid on Elite

woohooo

[sirgog]

Sorry this wasn't a very good reply, it was late!

I included the torc as an example because it's nowhere near as useful as it was when it first appeared in the game:

* Greater Spell Pen VI: The ultimate spell pen item before level 7+ spells were released, now just quite nice since you have to wear another item for the higher level spells.
* Wizardry III: Quite useful when you could only get Magi, now you can get Wizardry VII fairly easily it's redundant.
* Transform Kinetic Energy: Still nice even with the inflated spellpoint pools we have nowadays. Worth the item slot just for this on some builds.

Although there are many other old raid loot items which are far less useful it wouldn't hurt to give it a bit of a touch up.

Transform Kinetic Energy is *significantly* stronger in Mod 9 content than it was previously, due to dungeon scaling - when soloing, mobs deal small enough amounts of damage that you can survive a lot more hits than previously.

[RobbinB]

So I like the basic idea of being able to upgrade some old (now mostly useless) raid items. But if the items were too powerful then the powergamer-casual gamer rift would become pretty darn catastrophic pretty fast. And if the items aren't powerful, then...meh, why bother?

So I was thinking that it could be instituted more as a one-time token or item you get as either a favor or quest chain reward. You would then get to upgrade one raid item from countless possibilities, but one item only.

Another possibility which would allow for multiple item upgrading but help slow down the powergamers out there would be to make each subsequent upgraded item cost more. So if the token/shard/item needed for the upgrade craft process was obtained as a quest reward or possible chest loot than maybe one such token is needed the first time you upgrade an item, but then a subsequent item upgrade requires 2 tokens, then 3 tokens, then 4 tokens, etc...