Get rid of the random weapons.

[Gentar]

Get rid of the randomly generated item weapon system. Need I even explain? Planeshift constantly yearns for realism, so this is about the most unrealistic thing added next to the leveling sytem. It seems to me like a cheap way of getting around making weapon models. Its just ridiculous when one broadsword hits a 7 and another that looks identical, hits a 4000. I\'m sorry but it just seems ridiculous.

At least if they are going to do it make the changes small compared to the original weapon. For instamce, maybe you can pick up a rusty falchion that has slightly negative stats, or maybe a sharpened flachion that has a few bonus stats. Not some crazy \"Bear\'s Polished Dagger\" that hits 500\'s.

[Karyuu]

Gentar, this was all a test of the system :) Plans for item removal are well, planned. The insanely high and mighty weapons will go. I thought this was common knowledge by now? ;)

[arcain]

they will go completely?and gentar i love the idea about rusty and shapend..but you have to have some kool weapons to like plished bear dagger or what ever..that just makes things asome..i mean they dont have to hit that much but..well you know

[Zan]

I\'m hoping that you can\'t get any functional weapon from killing monsters .. a broken or nearly broken one at best. Weapons should only be produced by smiths and npc monsters just provide materials. Broken weapons dropped by monsters could be recovered for metals or fixed but not used directly.

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by Gentar
Get rid of the randomly generated item weapon system. Need I even explain? Planeshift constantly yearns for realism, so this is about the most unrealistic thing added next to the leveling sytem. It seems to me like a cheap way of getting around making weapon models. Its just ridiculous when one broadsword hits a 7 and another that looks identical, hits a 4000. I\'m sorry but it just seems ridiculous.

At least if they are going to do it make the changes small compared to the original weapon. For instamce, maybe you can pick up a rusty falchion that has slightly negative stats, or maybe a sharpened flachion that has a few bonus stats. Not some crazy \"Bear\'s Polished Dagger\" that hits 500\'s.

Know what else is unrealistic?  Killing someone and not being able to take their possessions.

[stfrn]

Originally posted by zanzibar

Originally posted by Gentar
Get rid of the randomly generated item weapon system. Need I even explain? Planeshift constantly yearns for realism, so this is about the most unrealistic thing added next to the leveling sytem. It seems to me like a cheap way of getting around making weapon models. Its just ridiculous when one broadsword hits a 7 and another that looks identical, hits a 4000. I\'m sorry but it just seems ridiculous.

At least if they are going to do it make the changes small compared to the original weapon. For instamce, maybe you can pick up a rusty falchion that has slightly negative stats, or maybe a sharpened flachion that has a few bonus stats. Not some crazy \"Bear\'s Polished Dagger\" that hits 500\'s.

Know what else is unrealistic?  Killing someone and not being able to take their possessions.

Almost as unrealistic as viewing combat as way to progress.

[Nikodemus]

Originally posted by zanzibar
Know what else is unrealistic?  Killing someone and not being able to take their possessions.

Also unrealistic are mobs respawning every 70 seconds. I\'d say, if we want to have realistic loot from them, this insane respawning have to end.
Also it would be nice if NPC\'s like gladiators, or mercenaries (which are like us, only computer controlled =P) would have similiar stats to us.
On my state of knowledge where planed body dev. skill is just pure ooc for PL and explanation of hp consists many holes it is hard to make any decision what should be and what shouldn\'t.
But well, i try. And yes, maybe someone smart will come and interpret in some new way, because the way how i think about it currently isnt liked by others

[rakshak]

One of the major factors why newbies like me fail to recognize the power of a new \"random\" weapon they just discovered by chance is that they have to drop it in the \"eye\" icon to view the stats. Just if there was an easy way to see the stats like just hover your mouse pointer over it, it would be far more easier and user-friendly to recognize weapons.

Furthermore we can color code weapons. Like, the same scimitar, with higher damage could be given a reddish shade. One with even higher damage looks more red. And a scimitar with ultra high damage looks bright glowing red. That way other players will also be able to see what I\'m wearing. And it sure would diminish the requirement for new graphics, at least somewhat!

[zanzibar]

\"Almost as unrealistic as viewing combat as way to progress.\"

Entirely unrelated, but you\'re correct.

I\'m not sure exactly what the particular problem in question is though that this guy is trying to get at.  To me, the problem isn\'t the fact that you can loot a weapon which is sometimes very poweful or expensive.  The problem is that people are able to camp spawns and use it as a source of in-game income, and additionally that powerful weapons aren\'t leaving the in-game economy once they\'re looted.

Right now, there are a number of possible jobs which exist as a function of in-game mechanics, but being a \"fighter\" in the arena was just completely out of ballance until this past weekend.  You could make more than 25k in less than half an hour.  Now, Thiele reported to me that it took him an hour and a half to make 20k, so things seem to be relatively more ballanced.

Is this what the main concern is with lootable items?  Because I think that the devs have taken care of it if Thiele wasn\'t just in a rut of bad luck.

If it\'s simply the idea of player having access to powerful or rare items, I think that it would be silly if crafting was the only way to infuse such weapons into the game.  Surely, they\'re already ~out there~ and enemy NPCs would be in possession of them.  It only makes sense that once in a while they appear as loot.

What doesn\'t make sense however is that a rogue which drops a fire longsword was using a normal longsword in battle.  The only way to justify this in RP is to say that the rogue didn\'t realize what he was carrying, but there\'s no identify function in planeshift so this doesn\'t make too much sense.

If it\'s only a ballance issue, then I\'m going to wait until things like crafting and ore refining are added to the game before I pass judgement.  It\'s just too early to tell from my perspective as a player.  Another problem is that being a \"fighter\" in the arena and being a \"hunter\" of things like clackers and tefusang are entirely interconnected; you graduate from one to become the other.  Doesn\'t it involve different skills to hunt animals than it does to fight with humanoids?  Shouldn\'t people be somehow encouraged through game mechanics to be either one or the other?  How should being a professional fighter provide income for players in game?

[zanzibar]

Originally posted by rakshak
One of the major factors why newbies like me fail to recognize the power of a new \"random\" weapon they just discovered by chance is that they have to drop it in the \"eye\" icon to view the stats. Just if there was an easy way to see the stats like just hover your mouse pointer over it, it would be far more easier and user-friendly to recognize weapons.

Furthermore we can color code weapons. Like, the same scimitar, with higher damage could be given a reddish shade. One with even higher damage looks more red. And a scimitar with ultra high damage looks bright glowing red. That way other players will also be able to see what I\'m wearing. And it sure would diminish the requirement for new graphics, at least somewhat!

Actually, there is a lot of push here to get rid of visible stats completely.  That means that no player can see the speed and slash of weapons they\'re carrying.  Instead, they have to rely on the advice of others, on testing out the weapons, or from common sense.

It\'s the way it was before the wipe.  But now, people just \"examine\" their weapons and instantly know exactly how their weapons behave.  I and many others find it unrealistic and even unpleasant because it took away colour from the game.

[TwinS4ever]

Originally posted by rakshak
Furthermore we can color code weapons. Like, the same scimitar, with higher damage could be given a reddish shade. One with even higher damage looks more red. And a scimitar with ultra high damage looks bright glowing red. That way other players will also be able to see what I\'m wearing. And it sure would diminish the requirement for new graphics, at least somewhat!

I would like that!!

[Karyuu]

Originally posted by TwinS4ever

Originally posted by rakshak
Furthermore we can color code weapons. Like, the same scimitar, with higher damage could be given a reddish shade. One with even higher damage looks more red. And a scimitar with ultra high damage looks bright glowing red. That way other players will also be able to see what I\'m wearing. And it sure would diminish the requirement for new graphics, at least somewhat!

I would like that!!

Not going to happen. Realistically, weapons don\'t have \"damage,\" they have qualities. Sharpness, material, balance, etc. The only way a blade would have a different color is if it was imbued with magic somehow, or I suppose if some pigment was added during the making process - but I\'m not too clear on how possible that is, if possible at all. Other players have no reason to see what you\'re wearing, unless you\'re bent on showing off - a blade is a blade, the only way it would matter is if you have skill to use it.

[zanzibar]

Well, it would be nice for instance if fire weapons left a trail of flames when you moved them around.  \"Blue steel\" weapons could also be tinged blue.  But that\'s asking a lot from the devs and I\'m sure there would be issues with lag.

[Nikodemus]

It would make sense that some magically enchanted weapons would left visual effect. Only we wouldn\'t be allowed to see it often, since magic weapon isn\'t somehink common, at least shouldn\'t.
And it is possible to permanently make metal blade of some color. It may be done by adding atoms of some substance to the crystal structure of given weapon. In this case only thin surface of this weapon have such properties. It may change color for instance.
Curently in order to harden steel, two methods are used. Eighter carbon or nitrogen is componed into the surface of steel crystalic structure. (the nitrogen method is harder and more expensive)
By this the hardened piece of steel is very durable, and more  fragile on the surface, but inside it is normal steel. So the material as whole is better. It has also a lit differet color, weak purple if i remember right.

[Dregan Tepis]

Originally posted by zanzibar
Actually, there is a lot of push here to get rid of visible stats completely.  That means that no player can see the speed and slash of weapons they\'re carrying.  Instead, they have to rely on the advice of others, on testing out the weapons, or from common sense.

It\'s the way it was before the wipe.  But now, people just \"examine\" their weapons and instantly know exactly how their weapons behave.  I and many others find it unrealistic and even unpleasant because it took away colour from the game.

Ah yes, another \"good old days\" statement.

/me starts to feel sick....

Look, stats and numbers are there to visualize what cannot be seen in a game. And I would like to see a push in the other direction. The stats have been there since the early days from D&D. If you got a better way, by all means try it. But if you look at athletes, they know what they are capable of in terms of time, pounds, and distance. Why shouldn\'t we? A well-made weapon is better than a crap one. And considering how this is a fantasy game, then why would you want it to be more realistic? There should be god like weapons, rare and valuable. And there should be a minimum skill and strength to use it. But you should know what the weapon is capable of; it is that way in real life. I can tell a really good knife from looking at it. If you can\'t design a 3D image of what a fast sword looks like when it is not moving, then leave the stats alone. If you want realism, then go buy a sword instead of a computer to play this game.

And as far as \"get rid of random weapons\", if you kill something, you should get rewarded. Ok, you have a valid point with monsters carrying tria and weapons, unless they swallowed them from their last victim.

Ok, maybe this is more about the bad attitude towards power leveling. Fine, than make it a longer and harder process to level than it is now. Make the monsters appear randomly. And make the weapons you receive from a Rouge, ect. equal to what you are fighting ( you have to kill a rouge that hits for 250+ to get a fire broadsword ). But don\'t try to fix a problem with a solution that makes no sense.