More Horizontal Progression please

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I'm trying to get Nektulos-Tuor to explain his definition of it, since he's only providing very nebulous, sometimes contradictory statements, like:


versus


According to the first quote, one best choice was horizontal, as long as it "wasn't too powerful over another in the same situation". According to the second quote, from the same post, one best choice was vertical.

I was hoping he could quantify where the line for "too powerful" is.

Nektulos-Tuor:

If, on fight 1, item A is +1%, item B is +3%, and item C is +2%, but on fight 2, item A is +7%, item B is +3%, and item C is +4%, I assume you'd say that's horizontal.

If everything else was kept the same, but on fight 1, item A was +40%, and on fight 2, item B was +50%, I assume you'd say that's vertical? (Even though everyone else seems to agree that's still horizontal.)

How about if on fight 1, item A was +10%, and on fight 2, item B was +12%? Or 18% and 14%? At what point does the switch flip that makes it go from horizontal to vertical, in your definitions?

Vertical means, there is only one best choice. Would you take an item that has 100 strength, or an item that has 50 strength? Duh, you would take the one that has 100 strength.

Your fighting an ice monster. Take one that has 50 ice resist, or 100 ice resist? Duh, you would take the one that has 100 ice resistance!.

There is no difference in that. However there is a difference in these.


Say an item has instead...

"12% chance on hit to ward (prevent damage) to your health for 1000 for 10 seconds."

Vs

"12% chance on hit to heal yourself for 1300."

Vs

"12% chance on hit to heal yourself for 750 and deal 750 damage."

They are all good choices. Some might be better in some fights. However they are ALL GOOD for every fight! That is true horizontal progression.

For example, picking a DPS class and choosing which one you want is an example this game has of good horizontal choice, you pick the class that suits you, there is no one class that is better for certain fights they are just different.