Preventing item obsoletion upon rebalance

General Discussion
1

There is a very simple algorithm that D3 could implement that would prevent items from becoming obsolete when stat ranges change during a rebalance patch, and it goes like this:
value = min + (max - min) * roll

where:
roll = random(0.0, 1.0) for some degree of precision
min = stat range minimum
max = stat range maximum

For example, let’s say version 1 of item X has a stat with a minimum value of 450 and a maximum value of 550, for a total range of 100 (easy math). The RNG would generate a number between 0.0 and 1.0, and for this example, let’s say it rolled 0.32. This rolled value, and only this rolled value, is the value that’s saved for this stat in the player’s profile. The value of the stat then becomes
482 = 450 + (550 - 450) * 0.32.

Now let’s say the game gets a patch (version 2) with stat changes for items. The stat for item X that the player looted in version 1 has its range change from [450, 550] to [750, 1000]. Under the current system, the disgruntled player would have to loot item X again in order to take advantage of the buff, because the value of the stat that has been saved is the raw value. However, with the proposed system, the game would generate the value for the stat based on the saved roll value and the new range, meaning that the stat’s value now becomes
830 = 750 + (1000 - 750) * 0.32.
This new stat value remains a fair scaling of the stat given its original roll.

To be clear, I am not proposing that the values of 482 (version 1) or 830 (version 2) be the values that are saved for the stat, or that the game would generate these values during the patch process, but rather that the game would save only the 0.32 value and generate the final stat value upon instantiating the item in game.

This system should apply to all stats for all items, including legendary powers. A primal item would then become an item that (forcibly) rolled a 1.0 for every stat and would not become obsolete during the next rebalance patch. Set bonus values could also use this system and either always roll a 1.0 (fixed value, like it is now) or a range.

The bottom line is, developers would be free to rebalance the game without discarding a player’s past progress.

If it’s too late for D3, then please, Please, PLEASE use this system for D4 and the many patches that will inevitably follow the initial launch.

3 Likes
2

Yup, nothing worse than grinding for 7 years to get a perfect version of a leg only to have it buffed the next season and your perfect version is useless. If sets are updated, regular legs should be too.

3

They already have done this, but only for retroactive nerfs. If the item in question would be stronger, you need to farm a new one. This has always been the case with the sole exception of existing set bonuses (albeit the new Captain Crimson, Cains, and Aughild sets are all new).

One such example was back in 2014: The Furnace originally had a chance to deal a percentage of a monster’s current health (I think in D2 it was known as crushing blow). Of course this meant the item could transcend difficulty scaling as the damage it dealt increased with the monster’s life total.

To address this issue, and put The Furnace in line with other items, it was redesigned to its current version (40-50% elite damage). And this patch was retroactively applied to existing versions with a linear scaling (6-8% crushing blow mapped to 40-50% linearly).

Another example of such a retroactive nerf is the Rimeheart; originally it had a chance to instantly kill frozen enemies. These nerfs were applied to the existing weapons so that players could not abuse the system with legacy items.

4

I think you missed the point of my post, which was to make all items future proof, no matter if they get buffed or nerfed. That way, if you get a great drop at time A and it gets rebalanced at time B, then it’s still a great item at time C, for A < B < C, assuming a linear time scale.

1 Like
5

They think it’s solves the stash issues this way. Just keep sets and scrap everything else that isn’t used in the current meta.

6

But with the existence of both Legacy of Nightmares / Dreams now, ancient legendaries are worth keeping if you don’t care about the meta and want to try different builds.

1 Like