Set bonuses bound to shells, possible solution

[Trollokdamus]

I was thinking of it for quite some time.

The official reason for not changing the Tier 1 gear is:

The tech that allows us to distribute set bonuses as part of the armoring is new, and there are limitations to how much we can change items that players already possess. That means we can have the set bonus on all armorings that were created for 1.2 or later, but that old armor still has the set bonus on the shell item.

If you can't change items possessed by players, why not making completely the same sets in terms of look, mods and name, but with bonuses bound to armorings, call these sets "MK2" or something and replace the original ones with them?

 

Let these "new" sets be obtainable in 2 ways.

 

First way - for the very same price or dropped by the very same bosses as the original gear, replacing it.

Second way - by exchanging them for original sets.

 

By doing so you allow those who have, let's say, an original Columi headpiece, to exchange the item for identical Columi headpiece MK2, which has its set bonus bound to armoring. Also, you make new players and alts get the MK2 stuff by default.

 

My suggestion doesn't require you to create anything new, just copy/paste the gear, add "MK2" to its name, make set bonuses bound to armoring just like you did with the newer gear, and give it to vendors/put it into loot tables instead of the original one.

 

Not something that is hard to do on your part, i'd say, but this will make many players happy.

 

Update:

Since many people prefer to put BH gear mods into the original Tier 1 stuff in order to retain the set bonuses, i'd like to change my suggestion a bit. Let the new Mk2 gear have its set bonuses bound both to shell and armorings. This change, hopefully, will satisfy everyone.

Edited September 14, 2012 by Trollokdamus

[TUXs]

Agreed. They have the "tech", they lack motivation. Exchanging items is common place in this game, this would be no different.

[Uluain]

If this is at all feasible, it sounds like a good idea to me.

[Kelha]

/signed.

 

Please Bioware? The Rakata look isn't bad but again... customization's supposed to be a hallmark of this game. If you can't, could you please give an explanation as to why this might not work?

[FunkyOne]

/signed.

 

Please Bioware? The Rakata look isn't bad but again... customization's supposed to be a hallmark of this game. If you can't, could you please give an explanation as to why this might not work?

 

 

Because they would have to add something. Quite a few somethings.

 

First they'd have to add the new armor. It would be more involved than Copy, Past, and type Mk II. They'd have to change the boss itemization so they gave out the new stuff.

 

Change the vendor list so it sold the new stuff.

 

Create and itemize a new vendor that did nothing but trade stuff in and out to get new Mk II gear.

 

Make Sure that Vendor took in all versions of the old armor... augmented, unaugmented, various augmented slots, and so on down the line...

[Urael]

Because they would have to add something. Quite a few somethings.

 

First they'd have to add the new armor. It would be more involved than Copy, Past, and type Mk II. They'd have to change the boss itemization so they gave out the new stuff.

 

Change the vendor list so it sold the new stuff.

 

Create and itemize a new vendor that did nothing but trade stuff in and out to get new Mk II gear.

 

Make Sure that Vendor took in all versions of the old armor... augmented, unaugmented, various augmented slots, and so on down the line...

 

And test it so that it dosen't break anything that is in game currently.

[Asavrede]

So dont do a replacement of existing items, but at least add new version to the vendors, so you dont buy the "old tech" ones still - that part makes no sense that they haven't done it already.

[Sportiva]

Because they would have to add something. Quite a few somethings.

 

First they'd have to add the new armor. It would be more involved than Copy, Past, and type Mk II. They'd have to change the boss itemization so they gave out the new stuff.

 

Change the vendor list so it sold the new stuff.

 

Create and itemize a new vendor that did nothing but trade stuff in and out to get new Mk II gear.

 

Make Sure that Vendor took in all versions of the old armor... augmented, unaugmented, various augmented slots, and so on down the line...

 

So basically you are saying that they would have to do their jobs?!?

[Macheath]

There are limitations on how much they can change items? Really? THEY DESIGNED THE GAME. They, quite literally, can do anything they want to the items you currently have on your character. They are omnipotent in their own game, and that excuse is drivel. What they are really saying is, "We could... but it would be a lot of work, so we're not going to."

 

They did this kind of thing all the time in Beta. I once logged into beta to find every single one of my equipped items changed. BioWare successfully changed the stats and very nature of the items without even unequipping them from my toon. Some of them had their level requirements changed, so that when I unequipped them, I couldn't equip them again because I no longer met the requirements. Almost all of them were fully modifiable previously, but BioWare had taken all the mods out and changed them from modifiable, to unmodifiable, adding on static stats to the items instead. And they mean to tell us that they can't edit the mods of the equipment you currently have equipped? I call BS on that.

 

That's the level of power they have over items. It's not beyond their means to change the items "that players already possess." In fact, I suspect it would be relatively simple to change the set bonus flag from "armor shell" to "armor mod." Lots of grunt work, checking and re-checking to make sure every item in the game with a set bonus switched over correctly, but not actually that technically challenging. They'd also likely run into some problems with mods that have been removed from the default shell and placed into other shells. Some of those might be missed, and may have to be handled in individual player tickets. But again, that's more grunt work answering customer service tickets, and not all that technically challenging.

 

BioWare, you need to give us a better excuse than, "We, the game programmers, are unable to change the programming in the game." That sounds asinine.

 

-Macheath.

[Trollokdamus]

First they'd have to add the new armor. It would be more involved than Copy, Past, and type Mk II. They'd have to change the boss itemization so they gave out the new stuff.

If you're talking about the structure of loot tables, no need to change that. Pull out old tokens, put in new tokens in their place.

Change the vendor list so it sold the new stuff.

Create and itemize a new vendor that did nothing but trade stuff in and out to get new Mk II gear.

No need for a new vendor.

Let's take a Columi headpiece again as an example. Today we have 2 ways of obtaining it from vendor. First way is by buying it for Columi commendations, while second way is by handing in a token earned in FP HM or Op SM. In fact, there are 2 identical headpieces on vendor list, the one with commendation price and the one with a token price.

What i'm suggesting is to remove a headpiece from vendor entirely, and put in a Columi headpiece Mk2 instead. This "new" headpiece will be obtainable in the same way as its predecessor by handing in comms or a token. The only difference is the third way of obtaining it will appear - by handing in an original item shell. So, instead of having 2 Columi headpieces on vendor list, as we see now, we are going to have 3 of them.

Not a big difference.

Make Sure that Vendor took in all versions of the old armor... augmented, unaugmented, various augmented slots, and so on down the line...

Well, i personally don't see this as a major obstacle. I doubt that it's impossible to make vendor recognize the shell no matter of its current state.

And test it so that it dosen't break anything that is in game currently.

While this, i have to admit, IS a major obstacle, unfortunately.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Trollokdamus

[Lazzer]

The solution is simple, change all armour that is on the merchants to have the bonus on the armour mod and not on the shell and allow you to sell your armour back to the merchant for the appropriate comms, the number of comms you get back depends on the ranking of the mods in it, the type of the comms you get back depends on the shell type.

[Trollokdamus]

BioWare, you need to give us a better excuse than, "We, the game programmers, are unable to change the programming in the game." That sounds asinine.

While i agree with you completely, i realize that this is Bioware's attitude, the way they do things this days... It can be seen in every aspect of the game. And, unfortunately, it's not something we can affect no matter how hard we try.

The only thing which may make them reconsider their ways is a massive rapid outflow of players, which is not happening yet.

The solution is simple, change all armour that is on the merchants to have the bonus on the armour mod and not on the shell and allow you to sell your armour back to the merchant for the appropriate comms, the number of comms you get back depends on the ranking of the mods in it, the type of the comms you get back depends on the shell type.

I guess this won't work for Rakata gear since there are no Rakata comms in-game. And the whole idea is to let players exchange old stuff for new one painlessly.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Trollokdamus

[Screaming_Ziva]

Because they would have to add something. Quite a few somethings.

 

Change the vendor list so it sold the new stuff.

This shouldn't really be hard at all.

 

Create and itemize a new vendor that did nothing but trade stuff in and out to get new Mk II gear.

 

Make Sure that Vendor took in all versions of the old armor... augmented, unaugmented, various augmented slots, and so on down the line...

 

Don't they already have something very similar to this in the Battlmaster -> War Hero vendor?

[Yogol]

The only thing which may make them reconsider their ways is a massive rapid outflow of players, which is not happening yet.

 

Euh... were have you been the last months: about 3/4th of the players left...

 

And to the OP... this would be a good change all around, to keep set bonusses on any type of armor you put the armoring in. That would allow everyone to wear whatever armor they want, social gear included.

 

But, instead, like always when they have a good idea, they only did half the job and placed it only on selected pieces of gear. Lame, lame.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Yogol

[Arkerus]

All of this gear will eventually be totally obsolete, even more so with version 1.4 coming soon. Its simply not worth the effort to do so.

[Lazzer]

While i agree with you completely, i realize that this is Bioware's attitude, the way they do things this days... It can be seen in every aspect of the game. And, unfortunately, it's not something we can affect no matter how hard we try.

The only thing which may make them reconsider their ways is a massive rapid outflow of players, which is not happening yet.

 

I guess this won't work for Rakata gear since there are no Rakata comms in-game. And the whole idea is to let players exchange old stuff for new one painlessly.

 

Good point, but I suppose if you have the shell then you should be able to swap it for the loot token provided the mods in it are of the correct quality (or higher).

[Lazzer]

All of this gear will eventually be totally obsolete, even more so with version 1.4 coming soon. Its simply not worth the effort to do so.

 

It already is, Tionese shell + BH mods = Rakata equivalent gear.

[Trollokdamus]

Euh... were have you been the last months: about 3/4th of the players left...

Well, i know that the game is bleeding subs slowly. Was talking about something more rapid, more shocking for them. Like a half of the remaining playerbase in a month or two, or something.

All of this gear will eventually be totally obsolete, even more so with version 1.4 coming soon. Its simply not worth the effort to do so.

The thing is, SWTOR raiding structure resembles WoW BC (pattern 2007-2008) one. I mean it's very staged. First you do FP HMs and/or EV/KP NM; with gear from there you can slowly start EV/KP HMs; with gear from there plus a couple of BH pieces you can start EC NM/HMs. With gear from there you can start TfB NM/HMs. As long as we have this staging structure, most of gear, starting from Columi, won't become obsolete for quite a while. Well, of course it will for top-end raiders, but not for the majority of casual players who my suggestion is aimed for.

So yes, it's definitely worth the effort.

Good point, but I suppose if you have the shell then you should be able to swap it for the loot token provided the mods in it are of the correct quality (or higher).

This may be an alternative to my suggestion, but not all Rakata gear owners still have the original Rakata mods at their disposal. Some people may replace the original mods with better optimized, but worse quality ones.

Edited September 12, 2012 by Trollokdamus

[aeterno]

I don't think this needs fixing tbh, its a blessing in disguise.

 

Set bonus being tied to shell means you can strip the black hole gear and put the mods into rakata to get campaign rate gear without ever even setting foot into EC HM.

[jmnormand]

They cant because they do not have the resources. They have dug themselves a pretty deep hole and it is just not a priority...

[arunav]

If BW wanted to fix this, they would. They simply have other priorities, primarily steering the entire game into a F2P model.

 

It sucks for those of us who don't have campaign gear to make unique orange sets with. After getting WH gear, it really is a nice option to find any orange gear you like and put it on your character.

 

But, with a level cap increase on the way, I believe this will basically be a non-issue. After gearing through the level cap, the first post-cap raid should be easy enough to tackle for set the bonus armorings.

 

Until then, you have the choice to drop to a 2 piece bonus (hide head and wear boots), or go without a set bonus, which for some classes isn't that big of a deal. I can't speak for EC HM, but the other content is doable with only augmented gear.

[Suzina]

We all agree this would be easy to do. There's no technical limitation preventing them from just replacing all the rakata gear on the fleet vendors with new gear sets of the same stats/look/set-bonus. They've done similar things in the past already.

[Noxside]

Why go through all that trouble when they instead can add an Appearance system?

[Lazzer]

I don't think this needs fixing tbh, its a blessing in disguise.

 

Set bonus being tied to shell means you can strip the black hole gear and put the mods into rakata to get campaign rate gear without ever even setting foot into EC HM.

 

You only need Tionese shells for that, you can pretty much get that level of gear just doing HM FP dailies and never need to enter an Op at all.

[Trollokdamus]

I don't think this needs fixing tbh, its a blessing in disguise.

 

Set bonus being tied to shell means you can strip the black hole gear and put the mods into rakata to get campaign rate gear without ever even setting foot into EC HM.

Hmm... yes, you have a point. I've overlooked that part.

Ok, change of plans. Let the set bonuses be bound to shell AND armorings on Mk2 gear. Problem solved Gonna update my original post with this.

Edited September 14, 2012 by Trollokdamus