this whole expansion feels like it was some intern boiler room operation
7 Likes
“Too large” not “large” too large means its negative
I call bogus. If a 60 point gem is worth more than the 127+ stat points from titanforging, you guys have seriously messed up stat balance, and gems are not the problem.
I just checked and I have both ilvl 380 and ilvl 415 7th Legionnaire’s Sabotons in my bags at the moment. Total stats on the 380 are 810. Total stats on the 415 are 1106, not counting a tertiary stat. The difference is 296 stat points over 35 ilvl. For 15 ilvl, which is the minimum for titanforging, the difference is now over 127 stat points, and will continue to grow as ilvl goes up.
The only ways you can think a 60 point gem can be more useful than 127 stat points are:
A. One particular stat is more than double the usefulness of another, or maybe you’re looking at a case where the distribution of stats on the socketed piece of gear is already much better than that on the higher ilvl gear, even without the socket. In these cases, the problem is that the stats are unbalanced. As Ion has previously said, the fix to this is to balance the stats better; it’s not to nerf gems.
B. You’re looking at a benthic gear strategy that involves getting a base piece of equipment with a socket before doing any upgrades. However, that strategy is a win even if we were restricted to uncommon +30 gems, because the big expense of benthic gear is in the upgrades, not the original cost. Once you’re talking about multiply upgraded items, the cost of getting the right item to start with is negligible, and thus is worthwhile for even a tiny improvement in the gear. Personally I think it’s okay to let people design their gear this way, but if you don’t like it, you need to change the benthic system, not nerf gems.
C. You’re looking at a PVP gearing strategy, especially in a team environment. What’s happening here is that, because of how PVP scaling works, ilvl is a major detriment, so the stat distribution, including with gems, is much more important than the absolute amount of stats on an item. In fact, in a team environment, because damage is scaled and healing is not, it can in some cases actually be an advantage to have lower gear with less stamina, even without sockets, because it increases the advantage healing throughput enjoys over damage throughput. These issues are exacerbated by the high differential value of secondary stats in PVP, where some secondaries are regularly worth more than twice as much per point as other secondaries.
The solution to that would be to fix PVP gear scaling. For example, you could replace the current ilvl damage scaling with a simple cutting of the value of all stats over a certain threshold in PVP. If the threshold were ilvl 200, for example, an ilvl 500 (200+300) item would scale down to work like the ilvl 300 (200+100) version of that item in PVP. Note that this scaling would have to apply in world content as well as in PVP since healing doesn’t differentiate between PVE damage and PVP damage; however, given how fast the current item inflation trivializes world content, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing. You could then increase the strength of mobs in world content at a more reasonable rate between patches instead of the insane differences we’re seeing now.
60 point gems in ilvl 400 items are less powerful than even 30 point gems in the ilvl 300 items we had as new 120s. The idea that 60 point gems matter more now than 40 point gems did then, when they were perfectly acceptable, is preposterous. If anything, the 60 point gems should be buffed to 80 points, not dropped to 50 points.
I do understand that better gems empower the players to personalize their characters the way they want. I understand this makes game balancing more difficult for Blizzard, especially when players identify obvious stat value differences that Blizzard hasn’t noticed. But supposedly you guys claim you want to be able to let players get the enjoyment of personalizing their characters. If you really want to let us do that, then don’t nerf one of the few ways we have to do that.
Otherwise, just admit you want us to play cookie cutter characters because development convenience is more important to you than actually letting players enjoy their game play.
8 Likes
You know nerfing after something is live is terrible for game design
I would recommend next expansion getting all your ducks in a row before releasing expansions/patches.
Making horrible systems then nerfing things into oblivion is boring and unfun.
6 Likes
They’re just a small indie developer. They don’t have betas and test realms yet. Geez
9 Likes
Maybe don’t make sockets so darn rare?
Right now gems are basically worthless because sockets are so few and far between, but gems so bountiful.
You can pick up the new epic gems for like 500g on my server.
7 Likes
THis was not needed. I swear it seems like no one in control at Blizzard even cares any more
5 Likes
And there’s still no buff timer on Draught of the Ten Lands, right?
It’s almost like you guys should’ve never had Titanforged gear to begin with. Give people a clear gearing path rather than randomly socketed upgrades.
Nobody likes this stupid slot machine, remove it already.
5 Likes
What’s the point of PTRs ands betas if you’re going to hype +60 gems, and then severely nerf them after the patch has already gone live – and we have already paid our subscription money? What other advertising promises are you going to break next under some phony pretext? I know it’s a novel idea, but maybe you guys at Blizzard should try having some consideration for your customers.
4 Likes
This is why i say TBC wasn’t that great of an expansion over all, JC was just another boring gold sink & enchanting already existed for upgrading gear. Blizzard don’t know what to do with JC except try to not make it mandatory, because they can’t remove it out right.
Blizzard still trying to fix issues BC introduced 10 years later, whether it’s flying, arena effecting balance or jewel crafting.
So what about those same situations that happen with things like ring and asserite where the higher item level is ignored and vendored/de because of itemisation, stat balance, or traits?
The fact that a 10 stat difference is suppose to fix this issue in regards to socket vs non socket kinda proves that stats on gear are a mess atm
2 Likes
lol are you f…ing kidding me with this bulls…
3 Likes
ok so that just means i payed way too much for a 10 stat diff.
JC should now lower their asking price by about 16.66% U.U
insert other reeeing and screeching over the change
that is all carry on, thanks for the update.
ps really like the Heart of Azeroth changes in 8.2
My pleasure at having gem sockets in gear would be improved if I could trade or sell the gear. Which I can’t. So yes, thanks again Blizz for that improvement to professions…(not).
1 Like
So nerfed gems because the items that are plentiful and don’t take constant chasing of the carrot, with a socket were too powerful against the items that are complete RNG and only come from constantly chasing that carrot … at least they’re being upfront about the time-played metric this time.
1 Like
Feels like or is?
1 Like
Epic gems were too epic? Gasp
If only there were ways to test this out beforehand
3 Likes
But how does this change anything. moving 10 stats away from the socket does nothing, i still use 400 rings with sockets instead of the 415-425 even with 40 mastery gem in them. the stats you gain is much higher. the obvious fix here is to just give everything a socket. leave titan forging but anytime it does titanforge it gets a socket. similar to how primal ancient items become perfect ancient items in diablo. your never gonna get people to stop using lower ilvl gear with sockets over non socketed ihigh lvl pieces unless you massively buff the base stat gains of higher ilvl gear to beat out the raw stat you get from sockets.
1 Like
if this is about bethnic gear, then the sockets is not at fault on those its the insane effects that are currently going to work in new raid. the 385 base boots with crit damage will out sim any 425 boots and if it got a socket it will beat even 445 gear. thats nuts and its not because of socket.
2 Likes