08-22-2004, 09:33 PM
What matters is the ilvl of the item. This has practically nothing to do with the required level.
The ilvl of an item is determined by the mlvl of the monster that drops it. ilvl = mlvl.
Normally, in nightmare and hell, the monster's mlvl is determined by the area level. Normal monsters have mlvl = area level. Champions have mlvl = area level + 2. Uniques, superuniques, and minions have mlvl = area level + 3. Certain monsters, such as act bosses, are exceptions, and it works differently in normal difficulty.
Shopped items have ilvl = clvl + 5. There are caps on this ilvl in normal difficulty, but not in nightmare or hell. Gambled items have a random ilvl from clvl - 5 to clvl + 4. Imbued items have ilvl = clvl + 4.
This ilvl, combined with an item's qlvl (quality level; a property of a base item; broad swords, for example, all have qlvl 15) is used to determine the item's alvl (affix level). This alvl then determines what affixes can spawn on the item. Each affix has an associated level requirement.
As you can see, the level requirement is really only very loosely related to the ilvl. You really can't determine what the ilvl is just by looking at it. All items dropped by hell Baal have ilvl 99. However, depending on what the affixes are, they might require anything from clvl 1 to 86 (counting only magic items). It doesn't matter what the item is; if it's from Baal, it's ilvl 99, and that's what used when you craft things.
The ilvl of an item is determined by the mlvl of the monster that drops it. ilvl = mlvl.
Normally, in nightmare and hell, the monster's mlvl is determined by the area level. Normal monsters have mlvl = area level. Champions have mlvl = area level + 2. Uniques, superuniques, and minions have mlvl = area level + 3. Certain monsters, such as act bosses, are exceptions, and it works differently in normal difficulty.
Shopped items have ilvl = clvl + 5. There are caps on this ilvl in normal difficulty, but not in nightmare or hell. Gambled items have a random ilvl from clvl - 5 to clvl + 4. Imbued items have ilvl = clvl + 4.
This ilvl, combined with an item's qlvl (quality level; a property of a base item; broad swords, for example, all have qlvl 15) is used to determine the item's alvl (affix level). This alvl then determines what affixes can spawn on the item. Each affix has an associated level requirement.
As you can see, the level requirement is really only very loosely related to the ilvl. You really can't determine what the ilvl is just by looking at it. All items dropped by hell Baal have ilvl 99. However, depending on what the affixes are, they might require anything from clvl 1 to 86 (counting only magic items). It doesn't matter what the item is; if it's from Baal, it's ilvl 99, and that's what used when you craft things.