What makes the item system so bad?

[Archon_Wing]

Problem is that I feel like these sacrifices just lead me on a merry go round. Giving up one for the other, and it just doesn't matter.

This sounds like RPG existential angst. If trading the various stats around isn't your thing, why on earth are you playing this game? This is the very core of the roguelike gearing progression.

-Jester

Nonsense.

I'm sorry that my analogy is too abstract. I am pointing out that the item changing is moving as a circle, aka no progression.

For example, a 30% increase in offense, and a 15% decrease in defense power is progress. It is very likely that you may use your skills to get further. You made a sacrifice, but the cost to benefit ratio is clearly to that of the benefit side. Some may even argue that a 40% decrease in defense is fine too, depending on what you are dealing with.

However, increasing combat abilities by a marginal amount and reducing your treasure hunting ability (Gf/MF) by a marginal amount effectively leads to no real gain. It's just like rearranging the same thing and realizing you just spent your gold on nothing, really.

Have I spent lots of gold on such extreme endeavors? Yes, actually.

And FYI, I play because:

1.) Boredom, or GW2, while fun, has made me dizzy
2.) Hardcore
3.) Paragon Leveling
4.) Some people are still playing and need help
5.) I like seeing colorful crap drop when I kill monsters. I really do. It's the only game of late that has provided me with that.

So please, try not to focus the problem with why I play this game, or some variation of me having the wrong expectations, k? It's fine if you think my gear choices are inferior and that I could improve; Chesspiece has already rightfully noted that some of these issues are of me somewhat unable to look out of the box. If you're going to waste your time trying to psychoanalyzing off that one point, don't pollute the thread.

I'll repeat again. 6 affixes makes the situation difficult when many affixes are basically mandatory. It just doesn't allow people enough leeway to suit their playing style.

I'll use a less controversial example this time. Single resists in general do not provide as much resists as all resist. This doesn't allow stuff like say, someone who specifically is built for a certain section to withstand arcane attacks in a party. Sure you can stack both all resist and arcane resist, but then it still becomes someone wearing all resist items that happen to have arcane resists. All resists is just a better trait even when defending against a particular element.

In addition, you can't have more than one of a single elemental resist on an item, furthering the superiority of all resist.

Unless, you're a monk of course. However, in that case you're just using a certain passive to give you all resist anyways. That's just not nearly as interesting.

There was a certain gimmick a while back where they'd stack fire resist, and once they got to Diablo, turn off OwE and just use fire resist. However, changing skills would remove your valor buff, so that idea quickly went to the wayside.