Legendary equipment

[revius]

In most cRPGs the best items can be found after killing some boss or other ellite oponent.

 

In Project: Eternity I would like a little dfifferent approach (of course bodies of dead bosses still could be one of the sources of some cool items): the best, legendary items should be acquired by following legends and stories.

 

For example you go to tavern and you listen to some local storyteller, who tells some legend that nearby hill is not actually a hill, but a tomb of some ancient hero. And at this moment starts a quest when you must investigate who this hero might be, how to enter to the tomb and check if this hill indeed is a tomb.

 

General idea is to get some cool, legendary items by following stories and legends that our character might hear during travelling through the world. Of course to make it more difficult, some stories or legends could be just a fiction and some could contain the truth.

So following some stories could be rewarded with some amazing discovery and folllowing the rest of them could lead our team to some trouble (or reward us with something else than powerfull items)

 

What do you think about something like this ?

[Piccolo]

As said in a similar thread earlier, I think a mix is good.

 

It feels too artificial to me when every legendary item is guarded by a high level boss or monster. It also feels unrewarding to me when every legendary item is tied into an important questline somehow... as it just feels like i've followed the path the developers intended me to follow, and found an item every single person playing the game will also find.

 

Some artifacts you should find out about through lore or NPC stories... some should be quest-related... some should be completely random finds... some should be guarded by bosses, and others not... etc.

Edited September 24, 2012 by Piccolo

[Gorth]

I'm probably a minority, but I'm a "minimalist". The less powerful items and artifacts in the game, the better, because it allows to appreciate the one or two I might find a lot more.

 

If they have to have some powerful items, I agree that pacing and distribution is important. What is the fun of getting the sword of spider slaying as reward for killing the last spider in the game? I don't remember which one, that offered a sword of +3 vs. lycantropes for wiping out the last know werewolf. Very funny... not. What I do like is the idea of family heirlooms, where some unique (not necessarily powerful) items comes and leaves with a companion. In BG2, I usually left Anomen, Kheldorn, Valygar etc. with their family shields, armour etc. as it just seemed like "theirs". Hard to explain, but I guess I'm just not a powergamer.

[Laakeririkko]

I think also that there should be a mix. Some , but not the greatest weapons should be tied to questlines, but not all. I always loved how you "could" get daystar and ring of gaxx in bg2 by killing impossible bosses. I want more secret legendary items which you are not forced to obtain by some stupid quest . So no for granpas old armor sets and etc. But i look forward to kill demons and gods guarding tremendous loot which will really reward you.

 

But it also sucks that now i know exactly where i will find every boots of speed and legendary weapon. I would like little randomization in game so replayability would be better. And not every playthrough would be same.

Edited September 25, 2012 by Laakeririkko

[nikolokolus]

True artifacts and relics should be super rare ... like one or two that you can possess in a single playthrough. That doesn't mean that the devs should only create two artifacts or relics period, but getting one should make others mutually exclusive. Not only would this make items feel more special, but it could increase replay-ability.

[HangedMan]

True artifacts and relics should be super rare ... like one or two that you can possess in a single playthrough. That doesn't mean that the devs should only create two artifacts or relics period, but getting one should make others mutually exclusive. Not only would this make items feel more special, but it could increase replay-ability.

I more or less agree with this, I just think it should be 3 or 4. And this would just be the high tier, be-all end-all stuff I'm talking about; I want their to be a decent amount of littler things, like a ring that boosts my AC by a single point, or a scroll that lets me cast Fireball a single time.

[horocaust]

I'm of "less legendary, more personal" persuasion. Sharp sticks of dragon slaying +3 are nice, but I prefer equipment which has its own character, either figuratively or literally, like Igness's (if that was her name) magic teeth which you could give to Morte and which were alive and had personality, or the Blade of Immortal, which was crafted specifically for you and had unique properties that had an impact on the story. Also, things like Ravel's nose picking tools are fun and it would be nice if they were included as well.

[Lohi]

It feels too artificial to me when every legendary item is guarded by a high level boss or monster.

This is necessary for the myth. Or "narrativium" as Terry Pratchett puts it. A legendary item is not legendary if you find it your grandfather's attic. A hero must do heroic acts. It doesn't necessarily have to have a high level guardian, but it does have to have a heroic challenge to obtain it, be that a fight, a journey, a quest, or a sacrifice.

[Haawkings]

Lilarcor<3

 

Oh and, since we are discussing equipments let me add that I think swapping weapons around acordingly to what monster you are killing is a great idea. I mean, good luck stabbing a skeleton to death.

Edited September 27, 2012 by Haawkings

[rf5111918]

It feels too artificial to me when every legendary item is guarded by a high level boss or monster.

This is necessary for the myth. Or "narrativium" as Terry Pratchett puts it. A legendary item is not legendary if you find it your grandfather's attic. A hero must do heroic acts. It doesn't necessarily have to have a high level guardian, but it does have to have a heroic challenge to obtain it, be that a fight, a journey, a quest, or a sacrifice.

 

Agree. It's felt so rewarding when after an epic battle, I got my grubby little paws on the Holy Avenger in BG2.

 

I would also advocate having armor sets in the game, that have additional bonuses, if you manage to collect the entire set.

[Piccolo]

It feels too artificial to me when every legendary item is guarded by a high level boss or monster.

This is necessary for the myth. Or "narrativium" as Terry Pratchett puts it. A legendary item is not legendary if you find it your grandfather's attic. A hero must do heroic acts. It doesn't necessarily have to have a high level guardian, but it does have to have a heroic challenge to obtain it, be that a fight, a journey, a quest, or a sacrifice.

If I found the holy grail inside my grandfather's attic with nothing more than a moth guarding it, would that make it any less of a legendary item (assuming it could somehow be verified as completely authentic)?

 

I would class a legendary item as any unique item that has a significant enough history behind it, and has since been lost. Something people whisper about without really knowing it's whereabouts or whether it even truly exists at all.

 

Finding such an item in the first place doesn't necessarily have to involve some epic journey with challenges along the way. You might stumble upon it by chance, like Déagol coming across the One Ring in the Lord of the Rings. And retreiving the item shouldn't necessarily require any heroic acts or battles with great monsters. The act could be as simple as scooping it up from a river bed.

[Sensuki]

For example you go to tavern and you listen to some local storyteller, who tells some legend that nearby hill is not actually a hill, but a tomb of some ancient hero. And at this moment starts a quest when you must investigate who this hero might be, how to enter to the tomb and check if this hill indeed is a tomb.

 

As much as this is a lot like a D&D feeling. I also appreciate when you arrive at a tomb and it's already been looted :D

[Lohi]

If I found the holy grail inside my grandfather's attic with nothing more than a moth guarding it, would that make it any less of a legendary item (assuming it could somehow be verified as completely authentic)?

If it was real life it would be legendary I suppose. But it would make a lousy story. Most GMs wouldn't let you have an item like that when you first rolled up your character. I would even suggest that an any decent story where you found a legendary item in granddad's attic that you would be unable to use it anyway and would get a quest to uncover its secrets.