PvE, Making magic weapons stand out & remain rare.

So the idea is to change the way we look at magic weapons in game and make them truly interesting and useful.

Start with adding a time limit stat on each magic weapon. We'll say 72hrs for this one. Once a weapons time limit is at an end it returns to the loot system. This stat would allow the devs to create overly powerful weapons since the player will not be able to permanently keep the weapon in their possession. The weapons will always recycle through the looting system for another player to find and loot.

A few things

The time spent is only used when the player is logged in.
Another larger timer is used if the weapon has not been equipped for the first time allowing players time to sell it.

More to say but I have to go. Lol

 

On a side note instead of the weapon always completely diapering, you could be left with a normal weapon, and still have that item randomly drop some place else, for memory sake or just to sell, re-smelt, may be use it for molds mattering on how they do crafting.

 

Yuck. It might be a worthwhile and/or workable idea for multiplayer, but I don't want this mechanic anywhere near the single player game.

 

@Sirinan - I was just thinking that I would hate this mechanic in multiplayer It pretty much assures, for PvP (and any hard PvE), that you have to go out and find a magic item every couple of days. Sounds really tedious and annoying.

 

I think this mechanic would be excellent for CERTAIN items. Maybe there's a legendary sword that spawns or drops occasionally, but when the time comes for it to drop again it is whisked out of the player's possession. This could be determined by random generation or by scenario - someone chants a prayer in a location, or hits a magic button, or when the moons align in a certain formation.

If this is done in a subtle fashion, it could help to create in-game myth and legend. It's not a sword that everyone is going to get at the same point in some quest line - it's something that happens to one player, then another, until someone figures out a pattern. I think unique one-drop or limited drop items really add some nice color. The thing is to not make them insanely powerful.

Containers, or equipment that gives non-combat advantage are great places to add legendary qualities. Your horn of plenty and whatnot.

On another note, cursed items add some danger and intrigue to the game - maybe you just got a wicked sword that absolutely SLAYS a Zorn, but is mediocre against other foes. Uh oh, you can't unequip it until you slay 20 Zorn. These sort of quests you just stumble upon are fantastic. And with the addition of chests with passwords, players could create their own quests to pass on powerful equipment. Could there be locks that open only in the presence of a certain object: player casts an enchantment that consumes one of any object, and it will open only when that object is introduced to the chest. Combine with a riddle and you have a lot of possibilities.

 

This thread makes me think of this: http://souleater.wikia.com/wiki/Excalibur ; a weapon with it's own mind, requirements, wants and overall obnoxiousness.

I could go for that sort of "NPC" to be in the game.

 

An option to this is to reset the expiration time when the item is used.

That way if a player is actively playing, the item remains with them. If they store it away somewhere or stop playing, it can be returned to the world to be found again.

 

How powerful would these weapons be? A decider who wins a 1vs1 duel? The one with this weapon wins cause he have a way superior weapon towards a more skillful player?

If so then i would'nt like them in the game since i prefer playerskills to be the decider.

 

Just another way to try to sneak uber gear into the game. Seems like a bit of a kludge to me.

 

Keep the buffs to PvE only and I might think this was a decent idea. As others have echoed I don't want to have to farm/harvest a new weapon every few days to remain relevant in PvP.

 

I don't like the idea at all to be honest. I don't want to explore a dungeon find a good sword and have it disappear as a cool down. It doesn't sond enjoyable at all, it sounds more like a grind mechanic.

 

Not a fan of this. Not sure it has a place as its very OOC.

Of course we will have Glass... ehem... Crystal swords. One use then gone.

Would rather see something like this for cursed items. You get stuck with it and can't drop it. You quest to have it removed and it returns to the loot drop. Of course, as a curse it should do something to make you want to get rid of it.

 

Powerful relics should definitely be in the game but be rare and there should be no duplicates of the same item in the world.

I don't think there should be any auto-loss of a rare if and when you actually get your hands on one.

But there should also be no "insurance" or "blessed" status for a relic--it should always be at risk when you take it out to play. If you are confident, then take it on your adventure, if not leave at home. It should be lootable in pvp or from thievery and also vulnerable to NPC or monster attacks.

If someone "locks down" a relic or keeps it hidden away in their house then after a certain amount of inactivity the game should raise a flag and generate a game event that puts the relic at risk. For example there could be a wealthy merchant that heard "player 1" has an ancient amulet (relic) locked up in his house. So the merchant hires a group of theives to target the player and ends in some sort of confrontation and gives the player a chance to defend the relic. Again this would only occur if the relic was inactive for a long amount of time to get it back into circulation.