JSE with Perks!

I remember back in the early days, any time I'd do Brayflox, I'd look forward to looting that one chest at the end, because it had one of the few pieces of JSE.. a ring.

The ring was only slightly better than other rings you could get, and was only good for one class, but I saved each one I got so when I leveled another class, I already had it.

We need more JSE, specifically ones that either Alter/Expand/Add abilities.

Such as -

Duration -

Beserker's Helm - Add 5 seconds to Beserk Duration and 3 seconds to Pacfication effect.
Necklace of the Arch Dragon - Adds +5hp to regen ticks (also effects Medica I/II)

Added Effect -

Inferno Greaves - Dragonfire Dive now adds Enfire to attacks for 30 seconds.

Busker's Tricorne - Bard Songs now cost 10% less MP.

Gauntlets of the Flipping Bird - Provoke effect now adds additional enmity on use.

Altered Effect -

Ring of the Pious Immolater - Alters Convert to exchange 20% Hp to produce Shroud of Saints effect.


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Just some examples of the types of unique equipment I'd enjoy seeing. Not saying the ones I mentioned are the best options, but I think they made a clear statement to what I'm aiming for.

One of my favorite things of FFXI was how there was some gear that was near timeless, despite it's stats, if only because the ability was unique. The intent wouldn't be to be an item you'd necessarily use all the time, but that could add some gear based strategy to content.

1.0's AF had such enchantments. They were removed in favor of removing gear requirements, to allow players to wear what they want. It sort of worked. I mean, we have a community idea of what's 'best in slot' but it ultimately comes down to the players wearing what they feel is best. Will we see the return of gear enchantments? Maybe, will only know after Heavensward launches, but I highly doubt it.

The problem with JSE, is as Yoshi-P discussed some time ago. Is that if it's powerful enough, once acquired is it permanent BiS or mandatory gearing. Which removes it's uniqueness. Or if it's too weak, it'll fall out of favor and the development time spent designing and balancing will have been wasted.

Flat bonus' is either to static to have an issue as you level or too large and skewes lower gear tiers.
-A increase or added effect to an ability will be replaced as gear gets better and the effect is negated by greater stats.
Scaling bonus' is either to powerful and that piece becomes permanent and mandatory until a massive gear reset.
-Once you look past the neat text, all a Scaling bonus is just +Stat to specific ability or abilities.

This type of gearing would prove problematic during relevant content. It's power and unbalancing design would negatively effect the meta of the game.

The closest way to balance this type of gear is to use the WoW approach. Create the bonus' as a set type gear and limit it's use to either added effect, or increase in current effect. Requiring multiple pieces of lower tier gear to be equipped means that players can't choose to use an overpowered bonus in higher gear content, since your overall stats will be lowered vs. an appropriate tier geared player.

Hell, I'd be fine if they'd use GC gear again. That set bonus just felt cool; make use of sanction again! GC feels so irrelevant when it could have been a great way to help players gear up before getting ready for current dungeons. Such as, turn in GC seals for ilvl 100 gear, making you more able to do DR-EX for poetics to get magiteck gear, or for running WoD for that gear.

I have never use any gc gear. I noticed that some of them has this sanction ability that you mentioned. What does it do?

Sanction is similar to the food buff in that you can use an item purchasable from your Company quartermaster or a buff granted by the Company Mage to activate the buffs of specific Company gear.

And just like wow, the set bonuses become mandatory and your class becomes balanced around them.

No thanks.

I like job specific stuff because it can allow them to graphically design aesthetics for specific jobs, but when you add bonuses like that, the bonuses become mandatory.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nadirah

And just like wow, the set bonuses become mandatory and your class becomes balanced around them.

No thanks.

I like job specific stuff because it can allow them to graphically design aesthetics for specific jobs, but when you add bonuses like that, the bonuses become mandatory.

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I think not, the idea was that the GC gear with set bonus/sanction was a stepping stone to get you to the BiS gear, so by definition the GC would still be inferior, despite bonuses, compared to theend game gear it helps you get. So it would be far from mandatory.

A better way is to allow for "Effect Grafting" sort of like glamour. You get the effect through a quest or something, then graft it to your current gear as you do glamour. This would allow for effects to not make one item mandatory while also allowing progression, ie...

"Boosted Flash" obtained in Tower of Ancients
"Boosted Flash 2" obtained in Coil 1

And so on. Sure some effects would prove more useful then others, but that's a thing in mmos in all aspects of said games. Once you have said effect, you would then be able to attach it to any gear you like.