First Look: U31 Named Loot

[Thrudh]

No, I just confirmed in-game. Combat Mastery still provides insight bonus and stacks with stunning, vertigo, etc.
My warrior's 6 shield with Combat Mastery +6: +6 Enhancement bonus to the DC to resist the character's Trip, Improved Trip, Sunder, Improved Sunder, Stunning Blow, and Stunning Fist attempts
stacks with my Tiara of Stunning 5 with Stunning +5: +5 Enhancement bonus to DC of character's Stunning Blow and Stunning Fist attempts.

Stunning Shield DC before Tiara: 63
Stunning Shield DC after Tiara: 68

Wow, that's a pretty huge difference... Well that makes that item an absolute must-have for an tactics build... IF it's working as intended. Devs, can you clarify if Combat Mastery is supposed to stack with stunning items?

[Faltout]

Wow, that's a pretty huge difference... Well that makes that item an absolute must-have for an tactics build... IF it's working as intended. Devs, can you clarify if Combat Mastery is supposed to stack with stunning items?

No, it's a bug that we knew about the moment the new random loot hit live and I have bug reported since... 1/14/2016 Bug #24027-110169 Turbine QA - Combat Mastery applies insightful bonus everywhere
So, since it hasn't been fixed in those months, I guess it's the new WAI.

[Nadion]

If the concern of players is that the amount of potency on the item is too strong for the level, removing the equipment bonus doesn't really solved that issue, as you can get essentially the same equipment level of potency from random loot at that level. Yes, it means the power is split across 2 items instead of 1, but the power is still there.

Where as we are only giving out quality bonuses through named items, so removing the quality bonus means that the level of potency this item had, isn't reachable by players at that level. It is the change that truly reduces the possible power attained by players.

There currently isn't anywhere you can get +131 Equipment Potency (From what I've seen lvl30 items seem to top out just over a hundred). You can get it for specific elements, but not universally like this helmet offers. The suggestion that obliging people to use a second item doesn't matter just doesn't stack up. Having to expend a gear slot for each element you want to max out is a non trivial investment which obliges people to choose their favoured elements carefully and weigh the extra power against what else they could put in the slot.

With the the Pansophic Circlet in play however, all that thought and specialisation goes out the window. Instead everyone will just slot the Circlet, and wham bam they are done with spellpower. If the time releases as is, casters will basically be forced into wearing it whilst holding a LGS stat stick for INT/WIS/CHA (on a related note, could we please have INT/WIS back on lootgen rings, and CHA back for goggles and helmets?). Removing the Quality Potency from Tempest Spine armors only makes this worse by denying alternative sources (also, increasing the insightful spell focus on them to +3 is a poor move as it devalues all the the loogen +2 insightful focus items).

Exchanging the equpment bonus for something with a bit more character would dramatically improve this item. As is it is both bland and uninspired whilst being virtually mandatory for all casters. Some better options I can think of include:

1. +5-6 mental stats (Insightful) (Pansophic would translate roughly as "collection of all wisdom" so is appropriate)
2. +5 Spell Focus (Equipment)
3. +6 Spell Penetration (Equipment)
4. +22 Spellcraft/Concentration
5. Kinetic Energy Transformation + Exceptional PRR.

The rest of loot looks ok, although the heroic stuff is a bit on the OP side - but that seems to be par for the course these days.

[niknight]

Having to expend a gear slot for each element you want to max out is a non trivial investment which obliges people to choose their favoured elements carefully and weigh the extra power against what else they could put in the slot.

With the the Pansophic Circlet in play however, all that thought and specialisation goes out the window. Instead everyone will just slot the Circlet, and wham bam they are done with spellpower.

Exactly this! As the Head Designer for Magic says all the time "restrictions breed creativity". There is currently a large enough disparity between single element spell power and potency to require casters to pick and choose their damage spells carefully. This creates a large diversity in builds. Giving everyone this item that neatly condenses all spell power into one slot removes that diversity. Who cares about having to choose between Eldar's, Niac's, Meteor Swarm and the Missiles when you can have them all...

[LightBear]

Exactly this! As the Head Designer for Magic says all the time "restrictions breed creativity". There is currently a large enough disparity between single element spell power and potency to require casters to pick and choose their damage spells carefully. This creates a large diversity in builds. Giving everyone this item that neatly condenses all spell power into one slot removes that diversity. Who cares about having to choose between Eldar's, Niac's, Meteor Swarm and the Missiles when you can have them all...

Yeah, like an item is the only source of spell power.

That said, I do think the numbers of that item are a bit to high when compared to other items, I'd go with these:

• Helmet - Insightful Magical Efficiency 6%,Quality Magical Efficiency 3%, Insightful Potency +50, Quality Potency +25, Green Augment Slot

So drop the equipment potency entirely and lower the insightful and quality numbers slightly and replace the Magical Efficiency with Insightful and Quality.

[LightBear]

Yeah, like an item is the only source of spell power.

That said, I do think the numbers of that item are a bit to high when compared to other items, I'd go with these:

• Helmet - Insightful Magical Efficiency 6%,Quality Magical Efficiency 3%, Insightful Potency +50, Quality Potency +25, Green Augment Slot

So drop the equipment potency entirely and lower the insightful and quality numbers slightly and replace the Magical Efficiency with Insightful and Quality.

Btw, I'd drop the ML to 26 then.

[mikarddo]

Belt - Diversion +28, Sneak Attack (Accuracy +14, Damage +22), Dodge +17%, Combat Mastery +14, Green Augment Slot

The Sneak Attack part is textually bugged on Lam, and to be honest I am a bit uncertainly if its meant to be similar to the effect on the Strange Tidings ring or how exactly its supposed to work. I had hoped that I could read the in game description on Lam, but thats not working.

[Malekithe]

Most of the posts on this thread are by dedicated melees trying to ruin what was otherwise a happy day for casters in general. Leave it all as is, or nerf it all IMO.

as a dedicated sorc/wiz, everytime I get an Upgrade, it is actually a downgrade until I spend millions of plat at auction and elsewhere juggling slots, gems and gear, and when I am done the "upgrade" is usually marginal. A single mistake in this process costs a million more plat. I am certain for most melee this process is not as involved and I highly doubt 3-4 of their slots are forever occupied just to maintain their status as second class dps. I seriously doubt there is a caster anywhere with the devils handiwork set bonus, granted only a rogue could do it well. To a player such as myself, several of these items are not only upgrades, but massive boosts in quality of life within the game, they proposed a shining light at the end of the tunnel that might allow me to use gear of my choosing, to equip all the nice stuff ive gathered without fear of being even more of a burden to my groups in contrast to more "simplistic" classes. Imagine for a moment knowing you can never get gloves of the arcane soldier from DoJ, b/c your gloves slot will forever and always be occupied by insight gloves with ridiculous stats in other attributes that you must wear despite the fact. And all of this, only to remain marginal, not to be competitive...

[Thrudh]

Is the epic helm still being released as is? Or was it tweaked based on feedback?

[bsquishwizzy]

As we are getting closer to U31, it is a great time to get initial feedback on the named loot that will be in the update. Without further ado, here is the list:

HEROIC
Level 13 items

• Goggles - Equipment illusion DC +3, Quality illusion DC +1, Quality Int +1, True sight, Green Augment Slot

Level 28 items

• Goggles - Equipment illusion DC boost +7, Quality illusion DC boost +1, Quality Int +4, True sight, Green Augment Slot

What is the point of having a fantastic illusion DC? You have 1 maybe 2 spells that rely upon it.

Ain’t no one outside of a couple niche builds willing to grind for that.

[Loromir]

What is the point of having a fantastic illusion DC? You have 1 maybe 2 spells that rely upon it.

Ain’t no one outside of a couple niche builds willing to grind for that.

I guess the Quality Int and True Seeing and green slot are worthwhile, but yea...we need more illusion spells.

[Silverleafeon]

Most of the posts on this thread are by dedicated melees trying to ruin what was otherwise a happy day for casters in general. Leave it all as is, or nerf it all IMO.

as a dedicated sorc/wiz, everytime I get an Upgrade, it is actually a downgrade until I spend millions of plat at auction and elsewhere juggling slots, gems and gear, and when I am done the "upgrade" is usually marginal. A single mistake in this process costs a million more plat. I am certain for most melee this process is not as involved and I highly doubt 3-4 of their slots are forever occupied just to maintain their status as second class dps. I seriously doubt there is a caster anywhere with the devils handiwork set bonus, granted only a rogue could do it well. To a player such as myself, several of these items are not only upgrades, but massive boosts in quality of life within the game, they proposed a shining light at the end of the tunnel that might allow me to use gear of my choosing, to equip all the nice stuff ive gathered without fear of being even more of a burden to my groups in contrast to more "simplistic" classes. Imagine for a moment knowing you can never get gloves of the arcane soldier from DoJ, b/c your gloves slot will forever and always be occupied by insight gloves with ridiculous stats in other attributes that you must wear despite the fact. And all of this, only to remain marginal, not to be competitive...

+1

[Elfishski]

Most of the posts on this thread are by dedicated melees trying to ruin what was otherwise a happy day for casters in general. Leave it all as is, or nerf it all IMO.

as a dedicated sorc/wiz, everytime I get an Upgrade, it is actually a downgrade until I spend millions of plat at auction and elsewhere juggling slots, gems and gear, and when I am done the "upgrade" is usually marginal. A single mistake in this process costs a million more plat. I am certain for most melee this process is not as involved and I highly doubt 3-4 of their slots are forever occupied just to maintain their status as second class dps. I seriously doubt there is a caster anywhere with the devils handiwork set bonus, granted only a rogue could do it well. To a player such as myself, several of these items are not only upgrades, but massive boosts in quality of life within the game, they proposed a shining light at the end of the tunnel that might allow me to use gear of my choosing, to equip all the nice stuff ive gathered without fear of being even more of a burden to my groups in contrast to more "simplistic" classes. Imagine for a moment knowing you can never get gloves of the arcane soldier from DoJ, b/c your gloves slot will forever and always be occupied by insight gloves with ridiculous stats in other attributes that you must wear despite the fact. And all of this, only to remain marginal, not to be competitive...

I don't think there are that many players that are "dedicated melees" or "dedicated casters" - between TRs and alts anyone who plays a lot of DDO tends to be both at various times although perhaps leaning one way or the other, to that's probably not a fair accusation. As I've noted, I'm firmly in the "nerf it all" camp, but only in terms of the ridiculous number inflation.

I know when I do get to level 30 on a caster, I think about how much effort I would have to put into rearranging equipment to be useful in endgame content and sigh, then TR, because hitting the necessary DCs/spell pen/etc for those final few quests is SO much harder than everything else in the game, especially without past lives. When I get to level 30 on a melee/ranged, I don't do anything differently and I'm useful in endgame content. For my main character currently a shuriken-throwing monk, I could honestly leave half my gear slots empty and probably wouldn't notice the difference. I totally agree that fitting all the necessary things in for a caster is MUCH harder than ranged/melee and having some nice consolidation items is good.

Just... tone down the ridiculous number inflation, both melee and caster. It doesn't make that much difference, it just makes all other items look like garbage. The helmet with more universal spellpower than is readily available on a single spellpower stands out [and the only reason it's less of a problem is because at the moment I feel like the helmet slot is where there's the most competition for extra-good character defining items already], but there are a lot of other offending items, both caster and ranged/melee.