BiS items: Rare or Unique?

[jayd]

Originally Posted by yerkyerk

I like when different items serve different purposes. Uniques nor rares, sets or magic items should be the best. They should all offer different advantages over each other, which makes it hard to decide what's best.

In D3, you only have two choices: Effective Health Pool (which is disguised in a somewhat complicated mathematical formulae containing Armor, Dodge Chance, Vitality, Resist all, etc...) and Damage Per Second (which is rather straightforward). EH and DPS are the only stats that matter, it's not a difficult intuitive choice what item is best, it's an annoying, unnecessarily complicated math equation.

In your view, if plain ole magic items can be better than legendary, then why is it legendary? Why have the tiering at all?

Also, can you explain what you perceive to be the choices in D2 or TQ? To me, they also seem to reduce to EH and DPS (with some sort of math in between). I am probably forgetting something though.

[yerkyerk]

Originally Posted by jayd

In your view, if plain ole magic items can be better than legendary, then why is it legendary? Why have the tiering at all

A perfectly rolled magic item in D2 would generally be a lot worse than a decent unique. However, if you were specializing in some area, a perfect magic item could give you the highest numbers, providing you sacrificed a lot for it.
As a summoner necro, I used the Arm of King Leoric, but I did search for a wand that gave me +3 to summoning skills and +3 to summon necro and +3 to skeleton mastery. While that necro wand would generally be a lot worse, it would allow me to increase the damage from my sumons just a bit more and perhaps even give me an extra skeleton. I never found it ofcourse, those things are pretty rare (if they even spawn at all, I forgot how the Graverobber's modifier works with low level skills).

Originally Posted by jayd

Also, can you explain what you perceive to be the choices in D2 or TQ? To me, they also seem to reduce to EH and DPS (with some sort of math in between). I am probably forgetting something though.

I wrote about that here. Uniques and runewords in D2 offered more than just EH or DPS.

[Executioneer]

Originally Posted by yerkyerk

They should all offer different advantages over each other, which makes it hard to decide what's best.

variety and choice would prove luxury, while the choice itself should be the reason. as yerk said, it'd be better to have a wide variety and pick what's best from the lot. moreover, different builds would need different items, especially when trying to make the best use of hybrid classes.

[madned]

had to look it up, vaguely remembered the term weak dominance. right, game theory. course even weak dominance kinda sucks from a variety standpoint since usually there are no drawbacks.

so obviously we're looking for non-domninance. being better somewhere will cost ya...probably in opportunities.
in terms of gear, generally not a fan of cursed gear. uniques seem like they should be well unique.

i'd favor giving them singular enchantments or better yet singular combinations. kinda like having staff affixes on suit of armor in d2.

I was actually really fond of the crafted gloves in d2. lessee, blood was shooting for speed and lifeleech. power? was for knockback and speed. couple of reliable affixes mixed with chance for the icing on the cake. tended to give up resistances on those gloves. the other option was clewclaws? for slow and something, forget what, ah right cleglaw's pincers for knockback and slow. knockback on gloves being somewhat exclusive. sure I Could have gone for windforce...if i could ever find the fricken thing.
also the slow was nice, but sacrificed the speed. ah d2, where the heck did i put those saves. no no, can't do that, too many other games unplayed.

life should not be solely about numbers. quite a bit about numbers ok, solely no. give me some status effects in all the wrong places. suprise after all occurs in the mind of...uh the beholder?

[t0lkien]

Might I say: Itemization and the Visual Contract

... and by extension, that normal magic items should never be more powerful than uniques, or sets etc. It's ok to have some overlap, but uniques, legendaries, and sets need to be top shelf items always. I have never understood why any game implemented it differently. Random is great, but hand designed awesomeness is better, and provides clearer gameplay goals, and maximizes loot lust.

Just IMHO, but lots of us feel this way.

[jayd]

Originally Posted by t0lkien

Might I say: Itemization and the Visual Contract

... and by extension, that normal magic items should never be more powerful than uniques, or sets etc. It's ok to have some overlap, but uniques, legendaries, and sets need to be top shelf items always. I have never understood why any game implemented it differently. Random is great, but hand designed awesomeness is better, and provides clearer gameplay goals, and maximizes loot lust.

Just IMHO, but lots of us feel this way.

Read it. Agree with all of it.

I would go so far as to say that it shouldnt stop with items. Count particle effects (skills, spells, etc) in there too.

[jayd]

Originally Posted by yerkyerk

I wrote about that here. Uniques and runewords in D2 offered more than just EH or DPS.

Thanks for the link. I will have to check it out.
Even if I totally disagree, I just really want to understand where you are coming from, at least

[Detective]

I like the idea that uniques and sets are amazing and some of the best items in the game... BUT... I also think that rares should have a chance to be the absolute perfect item for a slot for a spec for a class. (Very specific use)

I think a unique and set item should do the job more than adequately enough for multiple builds, but if you want to get the absolute best item for a slot for your specific build - that should be a random PR rare.

Playing Hardcore in D2, I enjoyed stacking the damage reduction stat. While leveling, the "best in slot" item was usually a rare or even just a magic item sometimes. After playing D2 for years softcore before that - it was fun to go back to a game, and have a completely different mindset for the gear hunt.

edit: I also like the idea of having very specific uniques and sets that are built for a specific purpose too