Armamentarium

This is an idea that I’ve pitched a few times either in discord or trade chat, but figured I’d post it here for potential feedback and visibility.

The idea is that I think it would be interesting to introduce rare unique “named” armor pieces that either have powerful procs, powerful stats, or both. These could be drop-only, or obtained via quest, but not crafted. In addition to these “named” armor pieces, the current set armor (e.g. Master Warlord etc) could then be given a set bonus only obtained by wearing all 6 pieces of the set. An example could be that the Master Warlord set gives an extra attack + 20 armor reinforcement, while the Master Windwalker set gives an extra dodge + 40 armor piercing. These are just examples of bonuses, but they should be sufficient to compete with the powerful “named” pieces.

The main goal of this idea is two-fold:

1) Introduce new rare armor pieces to be discovered so that players can strive to obtain them for interesting builds

2) To provide choices for players to make

In my opinion, giving players choices creates a more engaging experience. Having to decide whether to equip a powerful “named” armor pieces vs. receiving the set bonus from wearing all 6 pieces of a specific set may be fun compared to all hitters going full warlord without question. One important aspect to this idea is that it still utilizes the current armor in the game, but takes it a step further.

I’d love to hear any thoughts or ideas on this topic.

+1 I like it. I’d also like to see the current gear sets reworked a little better in a future patch, piggy backing from your set bonus idea, you could add bonuses that encourage using specific spells within specific spell circles, like a bonus to enhance your summoned creature power, just as an example.

I like the idea of wearing a number of matching set pieces that you will get an added bonus. If one were to wear 2 Windwalker pieces, one would get a small bonus. If one wore 4 pieces, one would get a little better bonus. If one wore all 6 pieces, even better. So, it would be possible to mix and match armor types to get 2 of each for a small, added bonus for matching sets or 4 and 2, etc.

-=Master Gear=-
Example 1: (2 Windwalker pieces = +1 dexterity, 2 Warlord pieces = +1 strength, 2 caster pieces = +1 intelligence)

Example 2: (4 Windwalker pieces = +1 dexterity, +200 health, +10% MDM, 4 Warlord pieces = +1 strength, +400 health, +10% Armor Reinforcement, 4 caster pieces = +1 intelligence, +200 health, +10% T/E/N SDM)

Example 3: (6 Windwalker pieces = +1 dexterity, +400 health, +10% MDM, +10% Armor Piercing (AP), 6 Warlord pieces = +1 strength, +600 health, +10% Armor Reinforcement (AR), +10% MDM, 6 caster pieces = +1 intelligence, +400 health, +10% T/E/N SDM, +5% All Spell Resist (ASP))

-=Expert Gear=-
Reduce bonus of master gear health, MDM, SDM, AP, AR, ASP by half, rounding up to 3% in case of ASP.
100 health, 200 health, 100 health, 5% and 3% but keep attribute bonus.

-=Proficient Gear=-
Same pattern here, keep attribute bonus, 50 health, 100 health, 50 health, no MDM, SDM, AP, AR, nor ASP bonus.

-=Familiar Gear=-
Continuing, attribute bonus, 25 health, 50 health, 25 health, no other bonuses.

Objective of this added bonus is to reinforce Malevolent's custom build idea, adding a nice way for players to build a character suited to their style of gameplay and make things more interesting.

I agree with that line of thinking. Having bonuses for 2,4 and 6 would help construct builds in line with including "named" gear. I'd imagine many people would aim to have 4 set pieces and 2 named pieces, but it would all depend on the stats of named gear compared to the tiered set bonuses. It would be fun to see some named gear sporting procs or big boosts to piercing or reinforcement.

The issues that arise are that: 1) this requires further development, and 2) it will require maintenance of balance. I think for the longevity of the game, the pros outweigh those cons as both build customization and seeking unique named armor drops would likely spark the interest of many players. Just something to keep in mind for the future.