Upgrade System Initial Thoughts Feedback Thread

[FluffNStuff]

AWESOME!!! Then, the most obvious question, WHERE can we get the GEMS?

OOPS, in the CRAFTING THREAD, DUH!!!!

[Crowsfoot]

1) Can items with gems in them be sold/traded?

2) What are the odds of a superior bond occurring?

3) Can you infuse an item with more than one of the same type of gem?

4) Can you take gems out if items they are I fused to, or are they destroyed when you do this?

5) do gems have a certain level? Or are they all different levels of gems?

[Carapace]

1) Can items with gems in them be sold/traded?

2) What are the odds of a superior bond occurring?

3) Can you infuse an item with more than one of the same type of gem?

4) Can you take gems out if items they are I fused to, or are they destroyed when you do this?

5) do gems have a certain level? Or are they all different levels of gems?

1) Yes you can sell them with the upgrades. The details for what you buy show up on the expanded information tab for that item. This means you can purchase something, gem it up and resell it for more!

2) It's fairly rare, but roll of the dice rare and not mythic from a crate rare

3) Yes, you can put 3 separate STR Gems in the same item for example

4) You cannot "remove" a gem, however you can "replace" a gem. You can replace it with the same kind of gem trying to get the awesome version as many times as you would like.

5) Gems are dynamic in that there is only one per stat, but the amount of bonus you receive varies based on the item level of the item. As a level 20 twink or as a level 36 Elite runner you will use the same gem, and receive benefits scaled to the level of the item used for upgrading.

[FluffNStuff]

1) Yes you can sell them with the upgrades. The details for what you buy show up on the expanded information tab for that item. This means you can purchase something, gem it up and resell it for more!

This is what I was afraid of. Before this goes live can you find some way to identify as much about the item as possible on 'glance'. This will help reduce the potential for bait and switch scamming and selling regular gemmed items as superior gemmed. There also needs to be a new way to search in the CS to isolate only crafted items, and preferably by number/type/quality of gems on the item. If not then players will be slapping all different types in together to try to confuse people and ditch out of failures. It will just happen.

[Instanthumor]

This is what I was afraid of. Before this goes live can you find some way to identify as much about the item as possible on 'glance'. This will help reduce the potential for bait and switch scamming and selling regular gemmed items as superior gemmed. There also needs to be a new way to search in the CS to isolate only crafted items, and preferably by number/type/quality of gems on the item. If not then players will be slapping all different types in together to try to confuse people and ditch out of failures. It will just happen.

Actually, there is a way to identify them on first glance, or so I believe. If you look at Sam's weapon inventory, they all have those dots/empty spaces next to them, and if I'm correct, if they were to be upgraded, then they would be colored in with their matched upgrade (str, dex, or int). But I'm not sure what the differences are between the regular gem, and the 'Exceptional' gem.

[Samhayne]

In follow up questions, people wondered about how buying/selling/trading of items will work with regard to their upgrade slots.

When you are trading, or gifting or using the Consignment Shoppe, you can see what gems are in the item from the icon.

Further, you can inspect the item to view an expanded view of the items stats that displays what gems are socketed into the item.

Here are example screens from the Consignment Shoppe where I have listed an Entombed Hammer of Warfare that has one Blood Gem socketed into it for a +3 STR bonus.




Here is the Hammer inspected:

[Prahasit Prahi]

In follow up questions, people wondered about how buying/selling/trading of items will work with regard to their upgrade slots.

When you are trading, or gifting or using the Consignment Shoppe, you can see what gems are in the item from the icon.

Further, you can inspect the item to view an expanded view of the items stats that displays what gems are socketed into the item.

Here are example screens from the Consignment Shoppe where I have listed an Entombed Hammer of Warfare that has one Blood Gem socketed into it for a +3 STR bonus.




Here is the Hammer inspected:

Coollll!!!!
and one more good thing is we are able to see the commas hope to see this update soon!!

[FluffNStuff]

Actually, there is a way to identify them on first glance, or so I believe. If you look at Sam's weapon inventory, they all have those dots/empty spaces next to them, and if I'm correct, if they were to be upgraded, then they would be colored in with their matched upgrade (str, dex, or int). But I'm not sure what the differences are between the regular gem, and the 'Exceptional' gem.

Look at the picture in step 4. I would imagine that they'll use the same graphics to visually differentiate between the two when in items.

In the original teaser (this is in the spacetime insiders forum) the yellow gem on the mythic weapon was glowing. I assumed back then that the middle one glowed for aesthetics. However, I am inclined to believe that the yellow gem was in fact a superrior bond.

Aka: the good stuff glows.

In follow up questions, people wondered about how buying/selling/trading of items will work with regard to their upgrade slots.

When you are trading, or gifting or using the Consignment Shoppe, you can see what gems are in the item from the icon.

Further, you can inspect the item to view an expanded view of the items stats that displays what gems are socketed into the item.

Here are example screens from the Consignment Shoppe where I have listed an Entombed Hammer of Warfare that has one Blood Gem socketed into it for a +3 STR bonus.




Here is the Hammer inspected:

OK, you guys made a FANTASTIC game, but I sometimes wonder if you play it [LOL]

In PL, gold was EVERYWHERE, heck, it was practically pouring out of Alien Oasis. A player could liquidate themselves to a million in no time and pay for any non-top gear they wanted. In AL, liquidating loot won't even pay for the pots you used to farm it, let alone buy you better gear. This means for a player to get gold they have three+ options:
1) Pay real money to get it from crates or the store.
2) Sell items to those who paid real money.
3) Sell items to those who sold items to those who paid real money (etc+) .

So we now have a huge difference between PL, where the majority of players were farmers selling to each other and some plat players to AL where pretty much all non plat players NEED to Merch. I believe it is an EXCELLENT system where players can pay if they wish to avoid that part of the game, or play for free or low cost and experience it. Capitalism at its finest, work or pay
Now the issue is that because the Merchant system was so small in PL and has EXPLODED in AL I fear that it is not being taken into account as well as it should, and I don't mean price controlling or limiting or that kind of thing (Capitalism remember, the market will take care of itself). What I would like to see is more safeguards to prevent scamming, as the increase in merchants naturally means an increase in bad merchants. The comma addition is step in the right direction, but that is a response and not an action. That image you show from the Auction is not a real image, as in not what a real player would search for (of course). What would they search for to find that? Entombed hammer? I assume then there will be bunch of entombed hammers listed in one range, say [200k-300k], then entombed hammers with one socket regular in another, say [400k-500k], with 2 regular [700:800k],then with 2 superior maybe in another range, say [1.4-1.6m]. Those are the honest merchant listing. Now lets look at the dishonest merchant listings: Entombed Hammer, 2 Regular: 1.35m, 1 Regular: 1.3M,698K No Sockets: 899K,1.3m. Now, why would they do this? Because the SYSTEM makes it easy for a player to confuse the two and it looks like a bargain to a Merch (which most players are) and they know someone will fall for it.
This is just one example on one item. The merchant system in AL is a fantastic addition, and whether they know it not, both PLAT AND NON-PLAT players NEED EACH OTHER because of it, so anything that can be done to prevent scams in the first place will save a lot of head aches for both honest players and the forums

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(edit) Perhaps I am being overly cautious, and I guess there is an easy way to tell. Sam, would it be possible to see 4 entombed hammers listed there, one without, one with one regular red, one with two regular gems and one with 2 superior gems? Would give us a better idea what it would look like 'in action'. I understand if you are low on plat so the 2 superior gems one could take a while depending on your luck

[octavos]

In follow up questions, people wondered about how buying/selling/trading of items will work with regard to their upgrade slots.

When you are trading, or gifting or using the Consignment Shoppe, you can see what gems are in the item from the icon.

Further, you can inspect the item to view an expanded view of the items stats that displays what gems are socketed into the item.

Here are example screens from the Consignment Shoppe where I have listed an Entombed Hammer of Warfare that has one Blood Gem socketed into it for a +3 STR bonus.




Here is the Hammer inspected:

umm yea..should be noted.....Comma?!?!!? finally..now all STG need this.

[FluffNStuff]

OK, so if out FAVORITE weapon only gets a regular gem, we can keep trying till it gets superior, correct. What is the general odds of each?