New runewords why?

General Discussion
1

People constantly make suggestions for new runewords but, i dont think game needs more of them. We already have plenty of very strong ones making set unique or rare obsolete for same itom slot.

On other hand game is missing plenty of unique items for a lot of item types, mostly elite ones.

I would honestly like to see some ideas from people about making missing uniques. Doesnt have to be in this topic, just in genesl on forum. Something to think about for creative individuals :slight_smile:

Seening new op runewords all tge time is getting boring.

15 Likes
2

Interesting idea. The game is clearly missing normal unique throwing weapons as there are none. It would be helpful to have a list showing missing uniques in game (or list of bases or item types with no uniques)?

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3

I don’t think rune words should have ever been added. The LoD expansion fundamentally changed the game such that it is no longer true to its original D2 roots. It ruined the game.

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4

Well i think that runeword are great as you need more parts to complete them but theyshould not overshadow most other item qualities in same item spot. I also thing rune effects should be more stronger in non runeword items.

5

But they were added to the game ex post facto. All ex post facto changes are bad.

6

I cant agree with that, for me expansion elevated basicly every aspect of game :slight_smile:

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7

I agree with the thoughts in the OP, and I’d almost take it a step farther and say before we even adding missing unique maybe we should get existing unique & set items (especially elite ones) buffed up to the point of being worth using over RW. Or maybe bring RW down if power creep is a concern, but as long as they are careful to make them “about as good” and not exceed the GG RW then I think we’d be okay. Just close the gap but let the GG RW stay GG b/c of the difficulty of acquiring multiple HR plus a base.

Perhaps that could be done in the same pass as adding missing uniques though! [quote=“WhoDatNinja-11938, post:3, topic:163077, full:true”]
I don’t think rune words should have ever been added. The LoD expansion fundamentally changed the game such that it is no longer true to its original D2 roots. It ruined the game.
[/quote]

I think they are a cool idea and were overall implemented pretty well, but where I think they went wrong with the 1.10 ones is that some are crazy OP for the level or rune requirement, and they overshadow existing set and unique items.

The original RW were added with LoD Expansion, so not really ex post facto, IMO. 1.10 and 1.11 could maybe have a stronger argument for that, but they still happened during a time when developer support for D2/LoD was pretty strong, and 1.10 brought other non-RW related changes, so at least there was intent to have 1.10 RW balanced around that (obviously successful execution of that balance can be argued). I agree D2/LoD losing serious support not long after 1.10 did put us in a bad spot since a lot of the changes didn’t necessarily end up with a game as well balanced as previous patches, but I don’t think that’s entirely the fault of RW.

2 Likes
8

Here you are:

Aerin Shield
Akaran Rondache
Akaran Targe
Alpha Helm
Ancient Shield
Antlers
Archon Plate
Ashwood Bow
Assault Helmet
Avenger Guard
Balanced Axe
Balanced Knife
Blade Bow
Blade Talons
Boneweave
Bramble Mitts
Cantor Trophy
Carnage Helm
Ceremonial Spear
Cestus
Choking Gas Potion
Circlet
Clasped Orb
Claws
Cloudy Sphere
Colossal Sword
Colossus Girdle
Colossus Voulge
Conquest Sword
Coronet
Crown Shield
Crusader Gauntlets
Crystal Sword
Crystalline Globe
Decoy Gidbinn
Demon Head
Demon Heart
Diamond Bow
Diamond Mail
Dream Spirit
Eagle Orb
Exploding Potion
Falcata
Falcon Mask
Fanged Helm
Fascia
Feral Axe
Fetish Trophy
Flying Knife
Fulminating Potion
Gargoyle Head
Ghost Spear
Ghost Wand
Giant Conch
Glaive
Glowing Orb
Gorgon Crossbow
Grand Matron Bow
Great Bow
Great Hauberk
Great Pilum
Great Poleaxe
Greater Claws
Griffon Headress
Guardian Crown
Hand Scythe
Harpoon
Hatchet Hands
Hawk Helm
Heater
Heavenly Stone
Hellforge Plate
Hellspawn Skull
Heraldic Shield
Highland Blade
Horadric Malus
Horned Helm
Hunter’s Guise
Hurlbat
Hydra Edge
Hydraskull
Hyperion
Hyperion Javelin
Jared’s Stone
Javelin
Jawbone Cap
Jawbone Visor
Katar
Lacquered Plate
Legend Sword
Lion Helm
Loricated Mail
Maiden Javelin
Maiden Pike
Maiden Spear
Matriarchal Pike
Minion Skull
Mirrored Boots
Mithral Point
Mummified Trophy
Mythical Sword
Oil Potion
Overseer Skull
Pellet Bow
Pilum
Polished Wand
Preserved Head
Protector Shield
Quhab
Rage Mask
Rancid Gas Potion
Reflex Bow
Reinforced Mace
Rondache
Royal Shield
Runic Talons
Sacred Feathers
Sacred Globe
Sacred Targe
Savage Helmet
Scarab Husk
Scissors Katar
Scissors Quhab
Scissors Suwayyah
Seraph Rod
Sexton Trophy
Shadow Bow
Shillelagh
Short Spear
Simbilan
Small Crescent
Smoked Sphere
Sparkling Ball
Spiculum
Spider Bow
Spirit Mask
Stag Bow
Stalagmite
Strangling Gas Potion
Stygian Pike
Stygian Pilum
Sun Spirit
Suwayyah
Targe
The Gidbinn
Throwing Axe
Throwing Knife
Throwing Spear
Troll Belt
Unraveller Head
Vortex Orb
Vortex Shield
Walking Stick
War Dart
War Fist
War Javelin
Wirt’s Leg
Wolf Head
Wrist Blade
Wrist Spike
Wyrmhide
Wyrmhide Boots
Zombie Head

TBH, I didn’t expect the list to be that long!

Obtained by getting all armor and weapon item codes (armor.txt, weapons.txt) and removing enabled unique items’ base item codes (uniqueitems.txt); then translated to item names and sorted. There is some noise there (such as thrown potions).
I intentionally skipped misc items, as most of them are no supposed to have unique version (rings, amulets, jewels and charms do have - but we could also have unique quivers, for example).

I could do the same for set items (setitems.txt), but the list would be much longer.

7 Likes
9

My point was that all arguments about “you can’t change X, it will ruin the game and it’s not true to its roots” are inane because the game has been constantly changing since its release. The arguments really boil down to personal preferences not any sort of notion of what constitutes a true and authentic “Diablo Experience.” In other words, can we get some better arguments and reasoning from this community? If Blizzard actually knew what kind of experience Diablo should be, they wouldn’t be changing it constantly. I don’t think they know. It’s like Blizzard products tend to be in a never-ending beta state.

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10

Fair enough and I think I agree for the most part, as especially D2R was billed as being a live service game that would add things the fans want, but was anyone making that argument in this thread? Zax pointed out that we already have a ton of RW, some balanced more than others, so that it might be more value added for people to suggest new uniques. I didn’t get the feeling that the reason he didn’t like new RW suggestions was that more would “change the game from original inception”.

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LMAO when you type it like this, its kind of insane how huge the list is lol.

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Sure, well I have been doing that for some type (had two topics about it recently, not sure if you saw those). My idea is to have items actualy worth using, they dont even have to be on same level as runewords.

1 Like
13

I would love more uniques, and honestly just making current uniques more useful would go a long way.

Too many of them are straight up junk, and especially if you’ve made a RW already for that slot. It just gets left
On the ground…

5 Likes
14

Eh I come up with new runewords if its warranted(like Resist Cold/Lightning compliments to Flickering Flame’s Resist Fire) but if we’re looking for new Uniques, I have one here that might interest the D2R community at large.

Boreas’ Touch: Elite Bramble Mitts ← New Unique
126 Defense
50 Strength Requirement
Required Level: 67
+100% Enhanced Defense
Adds 147-262 Cold Damage
Can Not Be Frozen
Slow Target 20%
+10-15% Cold Skill Damage(varies)
-20% Enemy Cold Resistance

Thought of some gloves that yield unique Slow while granting solid Cold Skill perks, including rare -Enemy Resistance for Frostmaidens. It does lack IAS for them but I think they’d take that over what the Gloves yield. Similarly Cold Sorcs would consider using this, although it does lack FCR(which is a trade-off).

Edit I came up with a new Jewelry Set named after the Ancients :slight_smile:
Name of Set: TBD

Amulet: Madwc’s Fury
Required Level: 70
+1 to All Skills
+20% Increased Attack Speed
Add 80-320 Lightning Damage To Attack
-20% Enemy Lightning Resistance(2 Items)
+20% Lightning Skill Damage(Full Set)

Ring#1: Talic’s Defiance
Required Level: 70
+3-297 to Attack Rating(Based on Character level)
Adds 185-350 Fire Damage To Attack
+20% Faster Cast Rate
-20% Enemy Fire Resistance(2 Items)
+20% Fire Skill Damage(Complete Set)

Ring#2: Korlic’s Remorse
Required Level: 70
Adds 100-250 Cold Damage To Attack
Can Not Be Frozen
Slow Target By 30%
-20% Enemy Cold Resistance(2 Items)
+20% Cold Skill Damage(3 Items)

Partial Set Bonus:
+10 to Strength(2 Items)

Complete Set Bonus:
+2 To All Skills
+10 to Strength
+30% Faster Run/Walk
All Resistance +20

All told the set yields +3 to All Skills, which is pretty competitive to Maras + 2 x SOJ/BK setup. Grants +20 to Strength with full Set(nice stat boost to any class), 20% IAS(comparable to Highlords), 20% Faster Cast Rate(2/20 Ammy + 10 FCR rings = 40 so extremely competitive), 30% Faster Run/Walk(really nice for any class), All Resistance +20(low end of Maras), CBF(which is a Ravenfrost alternative), +Attack Rating(Angelic alternative, albeit not as strong), -20% to Enemy Resistance(-40% if you dual wield one of the rings with the Amulet. Fire/Frost Maidens and Fire builds would love this) and +20% to Elemental Damage(which is approaching Griffons Territory but this is an Elite Jewelry set focused on Elemental Damage).

4 Likes
15

Yeah, we have plenty of RWs already, I’d like to see some new uniques and even some new usable sets.

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16

Runewords - it has been done wrong in 2001. Don’t get me wrong, i like Enigma, Infinity, Fortitude, heck, Mosaic even, but it’s not how runewords should be made in 1st place.
Instead of huuge affix wall they should be applicable to magic/rare/unique items, adding some additional modifiers. Like Enigma imprint would be for example:

Jah + Ith + Ber
+2 all skills
+1 to Teleport
+X to strength (based on char level)
varies - +45% frw || +magic find based on char level || +775 defense

applicable to any armor with at least 3 sockets. This way runewords would not replace good rares/uniques, whose still would play important role in itemization.

17

I think part of it might be that people suggest runewords because they think that’s the most likely thing Blizzard will add seeing as they haven’t touched uniques at all and only did a few changes to sets in 2.4 (which applied retroactively) and removal of the KB on BK sword in 2.7.

It might not be that they want more runewords but see it as the only viable avenue to actually getting changes.

I agree with the sentiment here though, there’s too many runewords already IMO and I’d much rather see weak existing sets and uniques get buffed then new stuff get added. Hell, I wouldn’t mind runewords (mostly Spirit and Insight, maybe Grief and a few others [in addition to melee changes so that nerfing Grief doesn’t feel bad]) getting nerfed if they rectroactively nerfed existing ones but they’ll never do that so. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1 Like
18

There should be new runewords that add Mosaic proc to lots of different skills. And Mosaic should be enhanced to have a bigger, even more complex animation.

19

Along with DarkHelmet’s cool idea for a new jewelry set named after the Ancients, I proposed a new elite throwing set…

Madawcs’ Anguish

Madawc’s Ancestral Tomahawk
Set Winged Axe (Main Hand)
+250% Enhanced Damage
+40% Increased Attack Speed
-33% Target Defense
+20-30% Chance of Crushing Blow
+15 To Strength
Damage Reduced By 10%
Replenish Quantity
Ethereal

Madawc’s Tribal Hatchet
Set Flying Axe (Off Hand)
+200% Enhanced Damage
+50% Chance Of Open wounds
+33% Piercing Attack
+1-99 Max Damage (1.0 Per Clvl)
+15 To Dexterity
+15 To All Resistances
Replenish Quantity
Knockback

Complete Set Bonuses
+2 To Barbarian Skill Levels
+5 To Shout (Barbarian Only)
When a critical strike is executed, it now grants Level 5 Frenzy for 15 seconds
+150% Extra Gold From Monsters
+15 To Vitality
+10 Life After Each Kill

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20

I guess people have narrow vision about D2. I agree we don’t need more runewords. D2 has variety of different item types in it. High runes are the least that drop for me. Most of are useless uniques and sets that could get some work.

That gives disappointing feeling of nothing good coming from loot that probably made people complain about drop chances in the first place. Everyone only wants high runes at this point and it’s an issue.