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Q u o t e:


There are ways to deal with this other than bad itemization of lower tier gear.

1. Higher-tier gear has new stats. We saw this in BC with stuff like haste, apen, and expertise (kinda).
2. Higher-tier gear has more sockets.
3. Higher-tier gear is more interesting (procs, use effects, etc.).

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Problem with 1 is simply; after a few expansions and tiers, how many freaking stats do you HAVE in the game? Do you abandon the older ones? Do you make items with a dozen, two dozen, three dozen different stats?

Problem with 2: Sockets aren't all that exciting on their own either, and unless you fix the real underlying problems of stat weights relative to value, people are just going to slap the same old crap in there.

3 is the best solution, but also takes the most development and design time. Plus after a while you're bound to start repeating yourself on effects.

I'm not saying that the automatic answer is definitely to just itemize lower-tier gear poorly, but it's not a simple problem with a quick fix.

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Q u o t e:


Problem with 1 is simply; after a few expansions and tiers, how many freaking stats do you HAVE in the game? Do you abandon the older ones? Do you make items with a dozen, two dozen, three dozen different stats?

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Some of each.


Abandon unpopular stats.
Combine some stats (what's now spellpower used to be +dmg, +heal, +fire, +frost, +shadow, +nature, +arcane)

Besides, having 20 tanking stats isn't necessarily a bad thing. It allows a bigger variety of items. If there are 20 tanking stats and put 5 on each item, that's 15,504 different possibilities. You could go through an expansion and have no 2 items have the same combination of stats.

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Q u o t e:
Besides, having 20 tanking stats isn't necessarily a bad thing. It allows a bigger variety of items. If there are 20 tanking stats and put 5 on each item, that's 15,504 different possibilities. You could go through an expansion and have no 2 items have the same combination of stats.

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And then players riot because they have too many stats to deal with (like they did in TBC).

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Q u o t e:


Some of each.


Abandon unpopular stats.
Combine some stats (what's now spellpower used to be +dmg, +heal, +fire, +frost, +shadow, +nature, +arcane)

Besides, having 20 tanking stats isn't necessarily a bad thing. It allows a bigger variety of items. If there are 20 tanking stats and put 5 on each item, that's 15,504 different possibilities. You could go through an expansion and have no 2 items have the same combination of stats.

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But it's also VERY casual-unfriendly and quite probably needlessly complicated.

It can also be frustrating to players as Alandrek pointed out above me; the initial reaction of "I have to balance ALL THIS @%*%???" can make people unexcited about their gear upgrades.

Again, I'm not saying that it absolutely can't work. But it has some major flaws, and isn't necessarily any better than the current way they're doing it.

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Q u o t e:


Some of each.


Abandon unpopular stats.
Combine some stats (what's now spellpower used to be +dmg, +heal, +fire, +frost, +shadow, +nature, +arcane)

Besides, having 20 tanking stats isn't necessarily a bad thing. It allows a bigger variety of items. If there are 20 tanking stats and put 5 on each item, that's 15,504 different possibilities. You could go through an expansion and have no 2 items have the same combination of stats.

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The problem with having 20 different tanking stats (which would equal 15,504 possibilities) makes balancing encounters nearly impossible without the players being able to REALLY customize gear (and I mean on a per-piece basis as opposed to a set of gear where you'd swap out one, two or even three pieces per encounter/raid) For example, say they buffed block up to something actually WORTH gearing for and introduced a new stat that, would allow a tank to beef up their mitigation apart from armor... how would they balance for that if only a few pieces of gear out of hundreds dropped with those stats on it? Would they then want tanks to gear FOR THAT, or shield tanks to gear for that AND Block rating/value? Would they want DK's and Druids to gear for some dps stats and this new stat, or to forsake it completely? Tanks with it would be OP, or tanks without it would be waaaaay underpowered.

They'd have to rework how most of the item system currently works, in addition to reworking how tank stats NOW are effected. Also, as i mentioned earlier, you'd have to be able to customize gear on a PER ITEM basis, and I mean more than just enchants/gems.

At least, that's how I see it anyway.

I do NOT want that job.

I just hope they hire someone who understands tanking itemization.

SBR/SBV on tier gear?

Really, Blizzard?

Really?

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Q u o t e:


Problem with 1 is simply; after a few expansions and tiers, how many freaking stats do you HAVE in the game? Do you abandon the older ones? Do you make items with a dozen, two dozen, three dozen different stats?

Problem with 2: Sockets aren't all that exciting on their own either, and unless you fix the real underlying problems of stat weights relative to value, people are just going to slap the same old crap in there.

3 is the best solution, but also takes the most development and design time. Plus after a while you're bound to start repeating yourself on effects.

I'm not saying that the automatic answer is definitely to just itemize lower-tier gear poorly, but it's not a simple problem with a quick fix.

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I actually think number one is a good solution. However, your interpretation is a bit different than mine. What I would say is keep the same few awesome stats like haste or armor pen. These stats are not neccessary for any class or spec to perform well like crit or defense rating or mana regen stats. These stats also differ from the base class/role defining stats such as spellpower, str, agi. These stats being added only in later tiers ensures more of an even split resulting in better overall stats for the later tiers. This has to be done with some amount of intelligence, because an item with ridiculous amounts of a certain stat like spellpower or crit could become best in slot, but provides a nice boost and more fun to the later tiers.

The early tiers need to be itemized with healers having enough mana regen to last the expected encounter and dps having enough to make enrage timers and tanks being able to survive major burst, but other than basic minimums items do not have to be perfect by any means. Then the middle tiers get a little better itemization and the better gear for those tiers starts showing the special stats. Final tiers get amazing itemization and all those special stats are fair game. I also feel that the final tier should have less items overall such that the need for diversity does not stretch the well itemized items in the wrong ways. There are only so many ways to be perfect and more options makes it harder to find the perfect item which should be a reward for those in top tier content.

Set bonuses should follow a similar pattern with entry level bonuses being meh, but not useless. Middle tiers should have great first set bonuses with meh second bonuses to keep people from being afraid to break those sets. Final tier should have great first bonuses and near-gamebreaking full set bonuses(which should require every single item in the set).

PS- Please stop putting socket colors on gear at random. Think about what a class wants and try not to make every single piece a debate on whether to socket the way you want or the way the item wants.

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Q u o t e:

SBR/SBV on tier gear?

Really, Blizzard?

Really?

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Good point, but you come off a little jerkish in the presentation. I give it a 6/10.

I just made...

http://www.wowitemcreator.com/view/323719/Helmet_of_the_Impenetrable_Fortress.html

Can I has be item designer?

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Q u o t e:


Good point, but you come off a little jerkish in the presentation. I give it a 6/10.

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I do that a lot.

I don't care, either. :p

@the OP: They don't need to hire anyone new, just promote the guy who put armor pen on those Ulduar 10 tanking glvoes.

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Q u o t e:
... the next tier is just "oh joy, this item has 1-3 more of each stat". It's better, but it's boring as hell.

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I disagree. My favorite thing is finding an upgrade that has the same stats, but is an upgrade in every way (even a small upgrade). I hate (for instance) losing defense but gaining dodge, or trading strength for hit, even if the item is an upgrade overall. It just makes me go back and regem or re-enchant things and it's really annoying. Upgrades with the same stats are more fun, especially if the new graphic is cool.

It's more or less the same as the job I hold now and I'll be plain: the only thing that makes my job bearable is the sheer amount of work prevents boredom. That and it's not actually my primary job; research and analysis is. It's just that there's less of that to do than data trending, so...

I don't think it being part of an actual commercial game would make it any more interesting than any other sort of database entry position.

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Q u o t e:
@the OP: They don't need to hire anyone new, just promote the guy who put armor pen on those Ulduar 10 tanking glvoes.

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Maybe they have the open position because they just fired/demoted/reassigned that guy?

Can you wait until I graduate?

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Q u o t e:
This is a classic case of the items being designed more-or-less correctly, but the class not working right. Paladins and warriors should want stats that buff their shields. The solution is not to remove block value and block rating from gear (and by the same logic eventually everything but Stamina and armor). It's to make shield mitigation, damage and threat exciting and meaningful.

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You keep renewing what little hope I have left...

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Q u o t e:

It does require relocating to OC California.

[Not tracked]

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That's a problem for most people. oh well, cool reply gc.

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Q u o t e:
Can you wait until I graduate?

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agreed on that one

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Q u o t e:
Can you wait until I graduate?

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don't wait for prolich. he (I'm assuming, anyway, because this is the internet) would actually be competition for me.

I'm not getting this part

Demonstrable understanding of MMO gameplay and its related issues

Does that mean previous experience working on MMO's?

I know a certain unemployed someone with a certain degree in mechanical engineering from a certain reputable college that might be interested in this job because it seems fun as hell.