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[Proposal] Craftable Dropped Sets

Alanar
Alanar
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Problem 1
Crafted gear is significantly worse than dropped gear in most circumstances, reducing the equipment skill lines to temper factories.

Problem 2
Players have to choose between wearing amazing motifs or best-in-slot gear.

Problem 3
Research is completely irrelevant once all traits have been unlocked.

Problem 4
Inventory management for dropped sets is very difficult.

Solution
What if you could research a specific dropped set item and could then craft that item using different motifs, producing a new set item that is bound to you. This would simultaneous solve all of the above problems, allowing equipment crafting to be relevant at the highest level, giving players the option of customizing their gear with amazing motifs, making research valuable in end-game, and simplifying inventory management, and at the same time increases the value of dropped gear from completing content.

Bonus
A dropped-gear-crafting system would also give a foundation for other interesting expansions in the future. For example, what if once you unlocked all available traits for a given dropped set item, you could craft gear in that set with two traits instead of one, perhaps with a special expensive trait stone from the master writ merchant? This expansion would again increase the value of both dropped set pieces and crafting, making all dropped traits useful, at least for research, and making the very best gear in the game require strength in both areas and also opening up 36 new trait combinations for each piece.
Edited by Alanar on April 28, 2017 8:54PM
  • DirtyWizard
    DirtyWizard
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    I really like the idea of somehow being able to obtain the dropped sets in a specific style, or at least being able to change the style somehow (Tie in with crafting/research whatever). At this point in the game, there are dozens of awesome motif styles, but for the most part, they are not seen since people are wearing dropped sets. Props for thinking of a way to make research relevant after all 9 traits have been learned. Not sure how researching dropped sets would play out, but I can for sure get behind any way to change style of armor!
  • Maole1989
    Maole1989
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    I agree there is so much potential to elevate the crafting system. Would simply being able to restlye gear eg dropped sets be an easy solution to the problem? Either way I like the idea you've proposed. :smile:

    Researching all 9 traits and learning numerous motifs is no easy feat. Being able to do something like this would be really meaningful and extremely rewarding for those who put in the hard yards with crafting.

    As a side note: There was another post I read that suggested researching set bonuses to be able create new and competitive crafted builds. I thought this was a good idea as well but sounds similar to yours.
    Edited by Maole1989 on May 2, 2017 6:00AM
    [1 Corinthians 13] [John 15:13] [John 3:16]
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  • STEVIL
    STEVIL
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    The issue from the whole game perspective is that the *purpose* of the current drop set system is to encourage replay of content - the grind for right piece right trait is a stated design goal not a by-product.

    Even if you went with a "set token" that needed farming in the zone or delve or dungeon or trial or arena, it would still way undercut the urge to repeat massively.

    Small counter is the grind for jewels... since those cannot be crafted.

    My preference would be to give crafted sets a "unique" capability that is more than cosmetic.

    One easy thing is to remove weapons from drop sets or 3pc and 5pc counts.
    let weapons for 5pc be the sole purview of crafted sets.

    Then all weapons* worth having come from crafted sets and all jewels worth having come from drop sets and the "competition" between crafted sets and drop sets vanishes and is replaced by collaboration between them.

    * Now for maelstrom and master weapons you have two options.
    * leave them as the sole exception - drops only - leaving the massive weapon trait grind..
    * change them to jewels which have a much less oppressive trait search rng.

    If all reasonable builds needed crafted sets. then you would see more pressure to create functional crafted sets that are up to snuff.
    if all reasonable builds also required drop sets, cosmetic elements could be allowed to be changed without impact on crafted.



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  • Zvorgin
    Zvorgin
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    The gap between BiS and high end crafted sets isn't big enough for me to grind weapons with specific traits. I did it once and ran dire frost about 100 times, won't do that again. Also, the look of items is important enough to me that I won't use some items, BSW and Lich shields for instance are Daedric (I think that's the style) and are simply ugly and dying them has no impact, now the Pact motif Kag's shield is a thing of beauty to this Pact homer, love the dual dragon heads.

    So while it is a stated goal that rng is to make people run the content more, I have actually completely stopped running PvE content for loot because the RNG is so bad and there is no reward most runs because everything is BoP. I'd be happy to run dungeons if RNG were more favorable (if there was as set cap for the number of runs before you could get the item you want, this at least gives the player a light at the end of the tunnel!) or I could sell the nice items I get but don't want.

    I do agree that there needs to be more relevance for end game crafting, and changing the styles of items seems a natural place to add functionality without increasing the requirement to use crafted gear.

    The last boss in a dungeon could drop the style change material for that set, so if you want to change an item dropped in a dungeon, you have to have a stone to do it. Keeps content relevant but let's players also customize their looks. I also would be a fan of trait change drops from final bosses in dungeons as well because currently RNG in this game keeps me from PvE'ing out of spite.
  • MajesticHaruki
    MajesticHaruki
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    +1 for this idea. It's a pity wasting months to complete many motif sets and then being limited to these mediocre craftable sets. Since plenty of dropped set items have a high value, there could be a system of research on a unique item. Let me explain. Let's say I drop Necropotence gloves divines and the style is dunmer. I could take these gloves to a clothing crafting station, "extract" the essense "necropotence+divine" and apply it to a new pair of gloves with my style of choice. I wouldn't be able to change the level AND trait of the item, only the style.
    PC/EU @MajThorax Sorcerer and Housing Decorator prodigy
    In my spare time I collect materials and run away from mudcrabs
  • S'yn
    S'yn
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    The biggest problem with dropped sets is basically cosmetic. You can be a combat God, but you'll look like a quilt. Alternatively you can be mega-dapper, but hit like an old lady. Can't we find some sort of compromise, or is the whole point of drop sets to force us into buying costumes from the cash shop?
  • CTSCold
    CTSCold
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    A possible option could be that each motif comes with a limited use costume. Upon learning the motif you learn the ability to make a costume of that motif in each weight that has a limited time worn or durability or some such.

    This would allow ZOS to keep the grind for gear while giving crafters something worthwhile to make and sell.

    Probably never happen though as it would affect crown store sales....

    This would of course need to occur in tandem with a crafted gear revamp to make them viable in more builds.
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