The Announcement You Have Waited For

[Feather_of_Sun]

Folks, I think Melange is the same guy that brought us Dun'robar rings, Drow weapons, Master Teblyn and House of Rusted Blades which everyone loves. The quest was decent and the items decent too.

While Melange made the quest House of Rusted Blades, I am to be blamed for all the itemization in Updates 14, 15, 16, and 17 (MotU through Epic Gianthold).

Melange started doing some item work with Update 18, and is carrying it on into Update 19.

Now that Melange is trained up on item creation, he may be doing more of it in the future. =)

[Wizza]

While Melange made the quest House of Rusted Blades, I am to be blamed for all the itemization in Updates 14, 15, 16, and 17 (MotU through Epic Gianthold).

Melange started doing some item work with Update 18, and is carrying it on into Update 19.

Now that Melange is trained up on item creation, he may be doing more of it in the future. =)

We all loved eGH items. That is the direction that items should take, not the old CitW loot.

Please Feather, think about it. They are named items for a reason, we have random gen loot for Random effects on item.

And think about the rogues. The only Epic item with Assassinate's DC is Epic midnight greetings.

[Teh_Troll]

We all loved eGH items. That is the direction that items should take, not the old CitW loot.

Hey . . . I loved the CiTW loot.

[Wizza]

Hey . . . I loved the CiTW loot.

I meant the very first release of CitW loot. When it was random as hell and NOONE liked it. Then it got changed to what we see on live.

[Feather_of_Sun]

I meant the very first release of CitW loot. When it was random as hell and NOONE liked it. Then it got changed to what we see on live.

There was never any version of the Caught in the Web items that had randomization.

When the items were still being designed, I mentioned on the Lamannia forums that I was considering making the staff randomly select a spell power type, but that never happened- instead I implemented it with Impulse.

[Gwyxxx]

U17 Loot was a great work. I don't speak only of GH Items, but all the restyling is very very impressive.
Whats the secret? A large number of loot, someone with random (limited random), someone with static characteristic, someone with slot. So everyone has something good for his taste.

Sometime i can find very usefull objects that are not the main objects of the update.
For example i farmed the Intricated Elite Goggles (Heroic Elite a Static Object with changing diamond) with my 25 character, just because i needed a Spot Google with a slot for my tr character.

I don't like run elite, I admit it. But GH Helms, for example are very good also in hard version.

Now feed us with news... we are starving children!!! (please)

[Wizza]

There was never any version of the Caught in the Web items that had randomization.

When the items were still being designed, I mentioned on the Lamannia forums that I was considering making the staff randomly select a spell power type, but that never happened- instead I implemented it with Impulse.

Exactly.

This is the exact reason why Random effects shouldn't be on every single named item. We don't like, we don't like to grind for an EE Item with the chance to find it with an useless effect on it.

Again, they are called Named items for a reason. Leave Random effects to random loot and change the Named items to be proper Named items, a small step above Random loot gen. Or else why would they be called Named items?

I'll state it again: eGH was awesome. Many proper Named items and a few with Random stats (eGH and goggles from ToR). This is what we like. A SMALL list of Random effects on a SMALL number of named items, not on ALL of them.

Anyway, I see that you are replying but you've never even mentioned a possible review of the Named items we've seen. That makes me believe that you don't intend to do any change to them. Too bad.

[HatsuharuZ]

One example of randomness that I personally find acceptable is in the Dragon helms found in GH Tor. I've seen the blue ones with either wisdom or intelligence. Thankfully they are tradable so one can potentially swap for the version that one wants.

An example of horrible, unacceptable randomness would be the Cormyrian items in the Eveningstar Challenges. They can have ANYTHING on them, and they cost a lot of time and effort to make.

So, if you must have random effects on items, FoS and Melange, please limit the number of mutations and make the items tradable.

[Melange]

One example of randomness that I personally find acceptable is in the Dragon helms found in GH Tor. I've seen the blue ones with either wisdom or intelligence. Thankfully they are tradable so one can potentially swap for the version that one wants.

An example of horrible, unacceptable randomness would be the Cormyrian items in the Eveningstar Challenges. They can have ANYTHING on them, and they cost a lot of time and effort to make.

So, if you must have random effects on items, FoS and Melange, please limit the number of mutations and make the items tradable.

Any and all random effects that are in U19 are following your former example - a small number related mutations that may have different value to different players. They are tradable and sellable until equipped.

I will admit that 2 of my 12 items have a single random mutation on them. One has a random spell resistance element. One has a random spell focus. Have lots of fire resist but lacking acid resist, you will prefer one version of the item over another. Feel free to trade for the element you need most. Cast lots of evocation but no conjuring? Trade your conjuring focus item for an evocation focus one. These items are meant to give players a way to customize their gear to their play style, but without bogging the item down with mutations that you will never use, requiring us to remove other mutations to keep that item balance stat-wise.

[Wizza]

Any and all random effects that are in U19 are following your former example - a small number related mutations that may have different value to different players. They are tradable and sellable until equipped.

I will admit that 2 of my 12 items have a single random mutation on them. One has a random spell resistance element. One has a random spell focus. Have lots of fire resist but lacking acid resist, you will prefer one version of the item over another. Feel free to trade for the element you need most. Cast lots of evocation but no conjuring? Trade your conjuring focus item for an evocation focus one. These items are meant to give players a way to customize their gear to their play style, but without bogging the item down with mutations that you will never use, requiring us to remove other mutations to keep that item balance stat-wise.

We may have liked them if only a few of them were like this. Like only Helms and Goggles in the whole Epic Gianthold update.

Every single named item with one or even two Random effects? No thanks. We don't like playing the lottery. If we did, we'd farm Random generated loot.

[UurlockYgmeov]

12 new items of unimaginable evil power???


YUM!!!!

now go forth and gather screenshots all my evil minions!

[Tyrande]

12 new items of unimaginable evil power???
YUM!!!!
[...]

Hmmm.... where did I hear that before? That's right, that mimic & lost lunch beholder from Acute Delirium!
He's funny...

Anyways, wrong world... This is Forgotten Realms. Originally I thought may be they should named the twelve new named items after the twelve named moons, but Forgotten Realms have only 1 moon and a bunch of no named asteriods...

[oradafu]

So what are these new items, I'm sure you're asking right now. I have an answer!

In Wheloon:
The Shade's Hood - a Helmet
Shadowsight - Goggles
Glorious Dawn - a Ring
Trapsmith's Crossbow - a Heavy Repeating Crossbow
The Morning Star - a returning Shuriken (not to be confused with a morningstar)
First Blood - a Bastard Sword

In the Storm Horns:
Frostbite Blade - a Scimitar
Thunder and Lightning - Handwraps
Elemental Fury - a Short Sword
Giant's Fist - a Maul (and a really painful one at that)
Nether Orb - an Orb/Shield
Consuming Darkness - another Ring

I only have two complaints about the list. First, again there's not an unique useful Docent in another update. (Granted, the armors included in this Expansion stink, so everyone got skunked.) Second, since there's a small number of items added to this expansion compared to the last one, there are two Monk only items when one of them could have been something used by more than one class.

I love new items, dont get me wrong ..

But...

No Dagger or Kukri, considering the new rogue enhancements? There is like what, 10 named Kukri's in the game, counting two epic versions? Most of those are level 2-12. By comparison there are 40 Daggers and 13 Dwarven Axes (counting the different levels of Mountains Fist).

I'd like to point out that the numbers for Daggers and Quarterstaves are a bit skewed. The numbers are inflated since the Devs have made several of those weapons that are caster only and several others that are weak junky caster/melee hybrids.

With that said, yes, there needs to be more named Kukri added.

[PsychoBlonde]

Please, avoid Random effects on NAMED ITEMS.

We have Random loot gen for that. And while you are at it, change the other ones we've seen already.

Not sure if it'd be worth it, but I kind of see the semi-random items as an opportunity to get some solid weapons with banishing/disrupting/smiting on them, as they basically NEVER put those bonuses on named items.

Of course, you might need to pull 100 of them to GET that . . .

[CoasterHops]

We may have liked them if only a few of them were like this. Like only Helms and Goggles in the whole Epic Gianthold update.

Every single named item with one or even two Random effects? No thanks. We don't like playing the lottery. If we did, we'd farm Random generated loot.

Ohhh my god, its already been stated that only two of the twelve new items have random attributes and those look like decent ones at that - Spell Focus, yes please and an elemental resist, I think you need to read posts before you start derailing the thread.

[patang01]

Many of you read Feather of Sun's announcement that I was pulled in to help with the named loot for U19. In his post he promised you 10 new named items from me. I put forth some proposals and made what I could and the end result is not 10 new items.

It is 12 new items. Each quest will be getting one more named item added to its possible loot and Through a Mirror Darkly and What Goes Up will each get one more on top of that.

So what are these new items, I'm sure you're asking right now. I have an answer!

In Wheloon:
The Shade's Hood - a Helmet
Shadowsight - Goggles
Glorious Dawn - a Ring
Trapsmith's Crossbow - a Heavy Repeating Crossbow
The Morning Star - a returning Shuriken (not to be confused with a morningstar)
First Blood - a Bastard Sword

In the Storm Horns:
Frostbite Blade - a Scimitar
Thunder and Lightning - Handwraps
Elemental Fury - a Short Sword
Giant's Fist - a Maul (and a really painful one at that)
Nether Orb - an Orb/Shield
Consuming Darkness - another Ring

Moah rings, another xbow, goggles, handwarps? Nice. A bunch of interesting items that fill niche stuff for lots of different builds. Very interesting. I hope the Nether Orb is not going to be another nullify Orb, we already have one.

[patang01]

Item stats will come soon.

Reminder, these 12 items are in addition to the named Bracer, Dagger, Necklace, Dwarven Waraxe, Belt, Cloaks, Heavy Mace, Longsword, Gloves, Large Shield, and Boots

Cool, hopefully you'll fix those 'old' things.

[patang01]

Any and all random effects that are in U19 are following your former example - a small number related mutations that may have different value to different players. They are tradable and sellable until equipped.

I will admit that 2 of my 12 items have a single random mutation on them. One has a random spell resistance element. One has a random spell focus. Have lots of fire resist but lacking acid resist, you will prefer one version of the item over another. Feel free to trade for the element you need most. Cast lots of evocation but no conjuring? Trade your conjuring focus item for an evocation focus one. These items are meant to give players a way to customize their gear to their play style, but without bogging the item down with mutations that you will never use, requiring us to remove other mutations to keep that item balance stat-wise.

Random spell resist can be traded. It's not terrible as long as the base items stats are good. Random spell focus can also be VERY good, as long as the rest is good. Unfortunately there are a lot of focuses and getting +5 transmutation or illusion won't make for a good item. But it might be the one thing you're going to have to drop for 20 shards.

But I hope you'll realize that the old items has some terrible random effects on them. Axiomatic? No one uses that - I wouldn't be able to knock someone down and stash that stuff on them for free.

Just keep random effects very focused so it's desired and if it doesn't fit your build you know someone else will like it.

[soloist12]

Item stats will come soon.

Reminder, these 12 items are in addition to the named Bracer, Dagger, Necklace, Dwarven Waraxe, Belt, Cloaks, Heavy Mace, Longsword, Gloves, Large Shield, and Boots

Are these existing items being re-done as well?

[Rubbinns]

So Feather and Melan are responsible for Web and EGH. Big Thank You for the loot ;D Carry on pls.