More Horizontal Progression please

[Nektulos-Tuor]

If I'm a DPS, why do I care about healing? My role is to deal DPS so, again, option 3 is superior in all situations. Your definition of vertical.



Okay, now option 4 is superior for a DPS in every fight. Still your definition of vertical.

You've still not answered the question I actually answered: How big does the advantage a piece of gear has, even if it's only on a single fight, for progression to be considered vertical rather than horizontal?

I'll try and make my point clearer.

Gear A: Attack +50.
Gear B: Sometimes attacks three times.
Gear C: Occasionally launches giant fireballs at the enemy.

It became vertical the second you gave one specific effect a damage type then declared that damage types matter greatly.

On paper, these all look like different ways to do damage. No matter which one you choose, you're getting some sort of bonus damage, and though it may vary how much.

Based on this information alone, this matches your definition of horizontal progression, correct?

Let's say on boss fights 1 through 4, they all perform pretty almost identically.

Still horizontal progression, correct?

Vertical.

Now boss fight 5 is introduced, and he's slightly weak to fire damage. Suddenly gear C is about 5% on this fight.

Am I still horizontal progression? Or am I vertical now?

Vertical.

What if boss fight 6 is introduced, and if it's attacked rapidly in succession, it takes more damage from each hit. It's also weak to fire. Gear B is a massive 25% better on this fight, but because of the fire weakness, gear C is 15% better.

That is not only unbalanced from a class design standpoint but also from an item standpoint. That is straight up vertical though, there is a huge advantage in one item thus making all other items pointless to that fight.

Horizontal or vertical?

Vertical.

Then bosses 7 through 20 are introduced, and they're all about even again.

Horizontal or vertical?

Boss 21 is immune to fire.

Horizontal or vertical?

Vertical. There is no choice but to use non-fire effects against him.

They would only be horizontal if said boss took the same amount of damage regardless of type. So a well-balanced proc would be instead of a fireball, it would be a boulder that did physical damage.

Gear A: Adds an extra attack that deals X damage.
Gear B: Sometimes attacks three times dealing damage.
Gear C: Occasionally launches a saw that deals damage.

It shouldn't matter what type, unless all the types are the same. If they are different then its unbalanced procs.