05-12-2006, 05:03 AM
I posted this in Blizzard's Druid and Suggestion forums looking for feedback, and figured I'd check for the Lurker perspective as well. True, this is all a fantasy that would happen in my perfect world, but one can always hope Blizzard takes notice and at least tosses the idea around a bit.
Any thoughts?
Quote:I will be posting this in the Suggestions forum as well as the Druid forum. I wanted to see what other Druids thought of this idea, as that class gives the best example of a hybrid limited by gear. I've basically taken what Blizzard started with the Tier 3 sets and bumped it up a notch. Reading back over what I've written, it's a bit lengthy. Many thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to read over the idea and give feedback.
Blizzard's taken a step in the right direction by making the Tier 3 sets a total of 9 pieces, but only going up to 8 for the full set bonus. This means one can feasibly swap out one piece of gear while retaining the full bonus. I say "a step" because, especially in the case of Druids, this could be furthered to solve the issues many players have with the sets.
As I have the most experience playing a Druid, I'll use the Dreamwalker set as an example. This is the most extreme case of a need for some variety in sets, as I'm sure many can acknowledge. Whether one feels the "duty" of a Druid in a raiding atmosphere is truly that of a hybrid or as a pure healer, anyone can accept that the sets leave little variety. Cenarion is a casting set, with the majority of the focus being placed upon healing. Stormrage is pure healing gear. Dreamwalker, in its current form, is also pure healing.
What if we were to take the idea of a 9-piece set with an 8-piece bonus a bit further? What I propose is adding a relic as well. Give it a bonus to "damage and healing spells" to cover two aspects of the Druid. That's the first step, and brings us to a 10-piece set.
Now the next, most important part. Whatever means a player is given by which to obtain one of his set pieces, give 5 of them a choice between three different pieces of gear. Make the quest repeatable, but the items unique. For only these 5 pieces, give a Balance, Restoration, and Feral option. But make them all part of the same "set" and therefore capable of contributing to the 8-piece "complete" bonus.
Something like the chestpiece should be the most difficult item to obtain, and rightly the best. I would expect a Tier 3 chestpiece to be alterred so it is indeed a Tier 3 quality piece no matter what one's spec may be. For that piece, I would think only one option should be given. But some of the lesser items such as gloves, boots, bracers, belt, and shoulders could be given options.
This way you don't have the one suit of gear that is overpowered by being able to fill every need a player may have. But at the same time, he may swap out some pieces on his so-called hybrid character while still retaining the epic aesthetic and set bonuses from the Dreamwalker set.
Perhaps instead of the +heal and mana regen on gloves, one could choose a pair with spell crit and +dam/heal. Or maybe a pair of gloves with higher armor and some feral stats with +hit would be more appropriate?
The benefits are most apparent on the hybrid characters, but even those classes with a normally singular purpose in a multiplayer situation could benefit from true "set" items tailored to their spec. If this sort of system were implemented across the board, the hybrid characters wouldn't be the only ones jumping for joy. Tanks will love their Tier 3 set, but Fury or Arms warriors could be given a second option on their gear for +hit, +crit, etc. instead of the hefty +defense on the tanking items. Rogues could be given items that focus on swords or daggers, or perhaps a choice between an item with extra critical strike or a speed increase while stealthed. There's no limit to what could be done, and since the item quests are repeatable, there's no dooming a player to one piece if he makes a decision he later regrets (akin to the trinket reward from Drakkisath).
I chose the number 15 for the set rather arbitrarily, as it was a nice round number to work with. But I'm sure every class could stand to see a relic item or trinket added to the lineup as a possible addition towards that 8-piece bonus. Three or four pieces of gear with multiple options would be icing on the cake.
The goal of this idea is options, and to make those who don't play a "cookie cutter" build actually have an option in a set, without making it a generally weaker set in the process. True, this would mean a bit of additional work on Blizzard's part, but I would say that's a small price to pay for the amount of polish it would add to the loot system in Naxxramas. That doesn't even begin to mention the appreciation the player base would have for such a move.
Thoughts/comments/nexuscrystals/flames appreciated. I'm submitting this idea both for discussion on the players' behalf and as an offering to Blizzard in case it's an avenue they've not considered. If nothing else, I hope it gets the wheels turning and demonstrates that there are options to making set items besides creating entirely new sets for separate specs.
Any thoughts?
See you in Town,
-Z
-Z
