From the Twitch Q&A: enchanting and ceiling

[Boeroer]

Hi,

 

in the twitch stream mentioned bove, Josh and Aarik talked about enchantments and that they plan to establish some kind of "sealing" for enchantments on weapons so that it's less likely that you'll keep one and the same weapon from the beginning of the game to the end (because you can't enchant it to the same levels than you can enchant later weapons, it's capacity is sealed).

 

Actually, I totally hate that idea (and I don't use that word often).

 

One of the things I really like about PoE1 is that you can easily find an early unique weapon (or armor) that totally fits your idea of your character build, even if it's not very powerful, but has a good enchantment like marking, wounding, draining or disorienting or whatever.. or only looks supercool, don't underestimate that. And then you can enchant it to higher qualities while you advance in the game. The weapon "grows" and develops together with it's wielder. I think that's a great, great thing to have.

 

How do you fellow forum members think about that? 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Boeroer

[IndiraLightfoot]

Boeroer: I couldn't agree more. Those weapons have been one of the most fun things since they were introduced. Sad to see them disappear.

[Boeroer]

Just imagine that you've put together the White Crest armor, including helmet, and the White Spire estoc on your favorite character. And they look so good together that you totally freak out and never want to use other equipment again.

 

And then, after a few hours into the game, you'd have to throw the White Spire into the trashbin because you can't enchant it anymore and it becomes too weak to beat some generic lvl 12 monsters. Sad, sad times!

[Andraste]

Yeah, I love being able to do it for roleplaying reasons. (My current Priest of Eothas is going to use Gaun's Share all the way through the game, because he thinks finding it in Gilded Vale was some kind of sign from his god. He's likely to be disappointed when the sign turns out to mean 'FYI, I am coming back to eat your soul later, so use this draining enchantment to stay alive until then!')

Edited February 6, 2017 by Andraste

[JerekKruger]

I tend to agree, but for me the reason is probably a little different. I want as much choice as possible when it comes to equipment, and this is reducing choice. For example, let's pretend I want to use sabres in PoE, and I pick up Resolution in the Endless Paths. Later I pick up Purgatory, which has a higher quality enchantment (Exceptional vs. Fine), but what if I prefer Resolution's Reliable enchantment to Purgatory's Draining? Well in PoE this is fine, as I can enchant Resolution to Exceptional or, indeed, higher, but by the sounds of it in Deadfire I wouldn't be able to do so (or wold be in some way penalised for doing so).

 

There's also the fact that in CRPGs characters seem to be constantly throwing away magic swords and replacing them with new ones, something which always seems odd when compared to fantasy fiction where there is usually just one "The Magic Sword", the retrieving of which is often part of the main quest. Obviously there's a reason for this in CRPGs, but the enchantment system promised to reduce this item attrition which, for me at least, improved my immersion.

[mumbogumshoe]

I fully agree. I might be totally weird in this regard but I don't like it very much in RPGs if you have to throw away your gear every couple of levels and use new, more powerful stuff. Especially with weapons, I get strangely attached to them, they become part of my idea of that character. Being able to upgrade a weapon and keep it all the way to the end is great! It's not that I'm missing out on the fun of finding new, more powerful stuff because of that. Rare crafting materials do that job just fine. 

[JerekKruger]

I fully agree. I might be totally weird in this regard but I don't like it very much in RPGs if you have to throw away your gear every couple of levels and use new, more powerful stuff. Especially with weapons, I get strangely attached to them, they become part of my idea of that character. Being able to upgrade a weapon and keep it all the way to the end is great! It's not that I'm missing out on the fun of finding new, more powerful stuff because of that. Rare crafting materials do that job just fine. 

 

You might be weird indeed, but you're definitely not alone, I feel the same.

[IndiraLightfoot]

I fully agree. I might be totally weird in this regard but I don't like it very much in RPGs if you have to throw away your gear every couple of levels and use new, more powerful stuff. Especially with weapons, I get strangely attached to them, they become part of my idea of that character. Being able to upgrade a weapon and keep it all the way to the end is great! It's not that I'm missing out on the fun of finding new, more powerful stuff because of that. Rare crafting materials do that job just fine. 

Yeah, I reckon this feels very refreshing. I don't want to see this feature getting dropped.

I might go as far as saying that it's one of my ten favourite features in PoE!

Edited February 6, 2017 by IndiraLightfoot

[Blarghagh]

I don't mean to be a nag, but judging from the description I think the term you're looking for is ceiling. You can stack enchantments until it hits the ceiling, not until it's "sealed". Don't have a problem with your arguments though, although I guess it's kind of boring if you keep the same stuff all the time. Is that a big enough problem to implement such a ceiling?

Edited February 6, 2017 by TrueNeutral

[teenparty]

I really enjoyed having the most impregnable larder door in existence - held together by durgan steel and ornamented with two kraken eyes.

[Blarghagh]

I really enjoyed having the most impregnable larder door in existence - held together by durgan steel and ornamented with two kraken eyes.

 

The guy wasn't lying when he gave it to and said "it doesn't look like much, but it's great quality"

[teenparty]

 

I really enjoyed having the most impregnable larder door in existence - held together by durgan steel and ornamented with two kraken eyes.

 

The guy wasn't lying when he gave it to and said "it doesn't look like much, but it's great quality"

 

There is a flag in Caed Nua that signals whether the Watcher is home. If the flag is raised, then thieves know there is no point trying to break into the larder.

[draego]

If i remember right this was a design goal of POE1 that you could find weapon you like and use it until the end by updating the enchantment. I wonder what changed about this goal? It seem perfectly reasonable to me to find cool gear and try to make it useful for the whole game.

[AndreaColombo]

100% agree.

 

To me the whole purpose of the enchanting system was to be able to keep good-looking gear viable throughout the game. I hate to be forced to swap gear I like for gear I dislike aesthetically just because mechanics.

[Aranduin]

Agree but I think we need a bit more of information first.

[injurai]

I think it would be neat to have an "heirloom" mechanic. Where you can create a certain set that can continue to get better the longer you hold onto it. Perhaps the more you use it the more you earn further slots for enchantments.

​

​That way getting new loot is still a thing, but you can also have a side set that your are progressively working on.

[chad56s]

I, too, dislike the cycle of throwing out the old and bringing in the new every couple of levels. What can I say? I get attached to stuff and, when finding new gear becomes a requirement, I feel less excitement and more, I don't know, relief I guess. "Phew. Finally got New Magic Sword 2.0. I'll use it in the next dungeon and chuck it when I find 3.0." Gear starts to feel impersonal and boring.

[jones092201]

Small thing-- bi think 'sealing' is actually 'ceiling' - ​ as in there is a 'ceiling' for items on their amount/power of enchantments.

[Boeroer]

Yeah right. Should be ceiling I guess. But sealing also made sense when I heard it. Blame the fact that english is not my mother tongue.

 

I changed the title.

Edited February 6, 2017 by Boeroer

[jones092201]

agreed. Weapon Sealing does sound like the kind of term in the game would use. Who knows, maybe it is.

[IndiraLightfoot]

Yeah right. Should be ceiling I guess. But sealing also made sense when I heard it. Blame the fact that english is not my mother tongue.

If you want, Boeroer, you can change the title. Just pick advanced editor when you edit your first post, then change the name of the title. No need of course.

[Boeroer]

Yes, I know. I already did, hehehe.

[L4wlight]

Hi,

 

in the twitch stream mentioned bove, Josh and Aarik talked about enchantments and that they plan to establish some kind of "sealing" for enchantments on weapons so that it's less likely that you'll keep one and the same weapon from the beginning of the game to the end (because you can't enchant it to the same levels than you can enchant later weapons, it's capacity is sealed).

 

Actually, I totally hate that idea (and I don't use that word often).

I feel you. Thats an awful awful idea that leads to the boring road of homogenization, nerfing one of the (at least for me) defining features of PoE: freedom in building your character the way you want, sometimes even in unusual but creative ways.

Edited February 6, 2017 by L4wlight

[Archaven]

I like the idea of a signature weapon that can be progressively upgraded and enhanced. something like celestial fury, carsomyr, etc.

[Ignatius]

No. Part of the reward for going into dungeons and completing quests is finding new items. Good move by Josh.