Top tier gear, if crafted by players doesn't necessarily mean "end game" in the traditional sense. It's top tier sure, but a player with hard earned gold in the market and an artisan that makes top tier gear from purchased materials can meet and trade.
Hopefully there is not one end all set of sets of armor. There will, hopefully, be many different versions for all the specific play-styles. That's one of the reasons I avoid the term "end game" when it comes to gear. I also don't think the traditional meaning applies here. But sure, call it what you will.
Ashes have stated, per lexmax, some gear will have level restrictions. We can assume level 50 gear won't be donned by a player at level 10, but I don't know that for sure right now. Rather or not it can be worn by lower levels I would be against soulbound gear regardless of it's level. Besides, for corrupted players there is the chance they drop loot, if they were maxed out in top-tier gear they would never have to worry about that. According to the current system as I understand it, that would be unfair.
As for unlocking metropolises, I am hoping it requires more people and not more people of certain levels. If it's an xp value, many many players constantly doing task can add up just as quick as a bunch of level 50 players doing quests at their level. It will likely be a nice mix of both.
The 40 man raids should not be locked behind level 50 (or close to that level), that would imply "endgame" and IS does not like thinking that way.
Considering there are 64 classes, even if you main archetype is mage that probably won't mean that every one of the subclasses for mage benefit from the same stat bonuses :P
The whole "64 classes" thing is a misnomer. You have 8 archetypes that are going to be what you rock for skills. The second archetype you get later down the line at level 30 (stated, but not confirmed as set yet) only affects skills from the main archetype as "flavor". Not all skills will be able to be modified with all types of augments from the secondary. Just because you go Ranger/rogue doesn't mean you will be able to make your arrows invisible or have yourself enter stealth each time you fire. People are building up unrealistic images and impressions (hype) of how their pet class is going to operate, and the backlash when it doesn't work out they way they imagine is going to be huge. Sort of like how the Skyrim fanbois took a huge dump all over ESO when it didn't turn out to be what they thought was coming, or SWTOR trying to be an MMO instead of a single-person rpg with good storylines that your friends could group with you on some stuff, thus leading both to f2p in under a year.
The whole "64 classes" thing is a misnomer. You have 8 archetypes that are going to be what you rock for skills. The second archetype you get later down the line at level 30 (stated, but not confirmed as set yet) only affects skills from the main archetype as "flavor". Not all skills will be able to be modified with all types of augments from the secondary. Just because you go Ranger/rogue doesn't mean you will be able to make your arrows invisible or have yourself enter stealth each time you fire. People are building up unrealistic images and impressions (hype) of how their pet class is going to operate, and the backlash when it doesn't work out they way they imagine is going to be huge. Sort of like how the Skyrim fanbois took a huge dump all over ESO when it didn't turn out to be what they thought was coming, or SWTOR trying to be an MMO instead of a single-person rpg with good storylines that your friends could group with you on some stuff, thus leading both to f2p in under a year.
Most people should be aware of this ? The way I look at it is that the archetype that you choose first could be called the 'main frame' of the class while the secondary archetype builds around this, thus creating one of the 64 classes, if someone is expecting that each one of the 64 classes will be completely different from each other then I feel sorry for them. (Though there will obviously be differences).
Yea in some of the videos I've seen it is portrayed as different skills, when in fact all it is, is just a skill enhancement on top of base skills of your primary class. And I actually do like the loot lvl restrictions as it stops low levels absolutely owning low level mobs or players with gear from raids or legendary crafted. *Edit typo*
I personally hate the idea of what most players consider "endgame" where you race thru 95 percent of the content as fast as possible to repeatedly play the last 5 percent until you get all the equipment possible, then complain that the game is boring until they release new content, which you race thru to get to that last 5 percent and so on and so forth... I can't see how you avoid level restrictions on items. You cant have super twinks running around at 10 with 50 gear.
Depends what you consider to be end game, for some (myself included) end game is simply everything you do once your character reaches max level and has the best gear you can get, after that you got sieges, dungeons, exploring, building, crafting that to me is end game.
But all that can be done before max level. So once your character reaches max level they are in "endgame" mode? That's not the actual definition, it would be more of the things you can only do once reaching max level. In Ashes there is not, supposedly, going to be any.
I see your point though, technically since you can't level anymore your characters progression is done. In Ashes however they are shooting for a huge lateral progression system outside of combat skills and leveling. If IS stays true to that your character will be able to continue to progress even if they are not gaining levels.
Your "endgame" here is just max level. Not really the same thing.
i guess the phrasing was bad but really end game has a different meaning to every person, I think end game is all of the high level content (high level dungeons, crafting high level items etc).
I don't see why top tier gear can't be given to low level characters and the fact people are throwing that term "soul bound" is ridiculous if you want to have a advanced crafting economy that they promised. If anything I would like to see a level 5 character running around with level 50 gear and Intrepid counters this by making any character that isn't within 5-10 levels gear degradation is 60% faster. So that player better buy a lot of gold to keep the gear from being a permanent loss.
@Tomoyuki, I agree with everything except the "...buy a lot of gold..." part. If you aren't within a few levels of your gear it should degrade quicker and be more expensive to maintain. Just with earned gold
The problem is that it's very off putting for new players to see people running around with who knows how good gear on lol lvls, which acutally leads me to my second point levels, if a game has levels they are there to restrict things so you can't have all skills at the start, all the best gear and so on.
@Azathoth Well this is just a difference on another thread regarding gtc's, but yea I think gear degradation should be pretty liberal. I think it would be hilarious when I kill a player multiple times, where they end up losing all their equipment. I honestly think we can avoid the pitfalls of previous mmo's and be a lot more flexible. Maybe someone has a better idea other then faster gear degradation.
If I had my way I would say through constant use 60% faster gear degradation (degrades as you get to level requirements like lvl 40 10% gear lvl 50) and deaths from you pk'ing or pvp 80%. This makes it where choices aren't limited, but there is consequences and I think this is the focus on this game.
I think some of the heavy oriented PvP crowds, especially those that want less penalties for PK, might have an issue with that idea. I, however, would like it as long as gear degradation can be reduced with higher skills in said gear or craftsmanship.
I think some of the heavy oriented PvP crowds, especially those that want less penalties for PK, might have an issue with that idea. I, however, would like it as long as gear degradation can be reduced with higher skills in said gear or craftsmanship.
Well to be honest I want less penalties with pk and heavy into pvp, but I like the idea of accelerated gear degradation. I feel that the risk vs reward shouldsn't be skewed and there are other mmo's that can fit pvp tastes of "easy" for some of the posters replies I have seen in regards to pk'ing fears and also pvp in general. I think there is some massive differences between people claiming to be pvpers in my view so far.
Comments
And I actually do like the loot lvl restrictions as it stops low levels absolutely owning low level mobs or players with gear from raids or legendary crafted.
*Edit typo*
I can't see how you avoid level restrictions on items. You cant have super twinks running around at 10 with 50 gear.
So once your character reaches max level they are in "endgame" mode?
That's not the actual definition, it would be more of the things you can only do once reaching max level. In Ashes there is not, supposedly, going to be any.
I see your point though, technically since you can't level anymore your characters progression is done. In Ashes however they are shooting for a huge lateral progression system outside of combat skills and leveling. If IS stays true to that your character will be able to continue to progress even if they are not gaining levels.
Your "endgame" here is just max level. Not really the same thing.
If you aren't within a few levels of your gear it should degrade quicker and be more expensive to maintain. Just with earned gold
If I had my way I would say through constant use 60% faster gear degradation (degrades as you get to level requirements like lvl 40 10% gear lvl 50) and deaths from you pk'ing or pvp 80%. This makes it where choices aren't limited, but there is consequences and I think this is the focus on this game.