Frank wrote on May 6
th, 2016 at 3:21am:
This is a contentious issue. Here is the problem:
Old Loot Scale:
Crafted Raid Loot > Raid Loot > Named Loot > Crannith Crafting > Ran Loot Gen. (Crafted raid loot would be greensteel, enhanced CiTW Weapons, TF)
In this scenario, the Random Loot and CC Loot used an ML system where the ML was determined by the effects. You want Str 6? ML 13. You want to put Something else on there? Say Haggle +3? ML 15. So the two were in sync. Equal loot at equal level. Crafting was "more powerful" because you could get the effects you want at the ML you want in the slot you want. That control has value. And though the items were no more or less powerful, the ability of crafting overall was more powerful. But each item could have at max 2 effects. Same as loot gen. Slots and metal properties were outside the system.
New Loot Scale: (without Cannith Crafting)
Crafted Raid Loot (at level) > Raid Loot > Perfect Ran Loot Gen > LGS > Rare to very rare Ran Loot Gen > Named Loot > Typical to Good Ran Loot Gen.
The problem is that the new RLG (Ran loot gen) is no longer fixed in power. An ML 30 item can have 2 or 3 effects. Randomly. The items with 3 are better than 2. Each effect can have a range as well, and not change the ML. Stat can be 12-16 at ML 30, for example. So you can get an ML 30 Str +12, Con +12, Insight Str +5 item at level 30. (even this item is very rare. Getting 3 effects that are complimentary is not easy. And this is still a VERY GOOD ITEM) Or, you can get ML 30 Str +16, Con +16, Insight Str +7. These two items are vastly different in power. But come at the same ML.
In the past with RLG, all you had to worry about was getting the effects you wanted at the ML. The values would not change. So CC was better because it controlled the one random aspect. But that control never threatened Named Loot or Raid Loot, because they usually had 3-4 (or more) effects and would win on density, if nothing else.
Now you have to get the effects you want at the ML you want and the stat values you want. And an item with 3 of the exact effects you want all at max value in the slot you want is not only very rare, but is more powerful than most (if not all) named loot and some raid loot. Certainly, a +16 Int, +7 Insight Int, +16 Char (or Con) item would be better than an LGS +15 Int, +7 Int, +2 Int caster stick. Certainly CC loot will continue to have the ability to get effects you want at the ML you want. So you will still have the advantage of picking the effects, getting 3 per item, and getting them in the slot you want at the ML you want. Thus CC will have significant power and advantage over RLG. But, what will the values be for the effects? Can you let CC loot create perfect (3 maxxed stat items)? Is that good for loot/game balance? Theoretically RLG can give you that item. But does one actually exist in game today? New RLG has been out for 4 months. There have been hundreds of millions of chest pulls in that time. Has a single perfect item been seen?
Can you give every crafter the ability to pump these out at will? Or does giving Crafting that ability make it mandatory for every player who wants to have optimal loot configurations? Does that invalidate RLG completely?
I think this is the challenge. The other factor is what is required to craft a "perfect" item. It is one thing to say "you can craft perfect items" the same as it is easy to say RLG can "get a perfect item". The reality of RLG is that it is possible to get a perfect item, but you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning while winning the mega millions. If you can craft a perfect item daily or weekly, that is probably a problem. If you would need to gather so many ingredients that it would take months or years to craft a "perfect" item ( but in the meantime could craft +15 Str, +6 Insight Str, +14 Con ML 30 items and the like) , that is a different discussion.
So what to allow and how difficult the best items are to make is a real challenge. The range of stat values in RLG at each level and the addition of the 3rd effect has altered the power equation in RLG - Named - Raid Loot. But the overwhelmingly bad odds of getting the best RLG makes it a non-issue in real game terms. Crafting, however, removes that random odds check and balance. So what to do? Don't let people craft the perfect item or just use the ingredients grind to make it really freaking hard and take a really long time?