Melee Focus Items.

[Naathan]

In the past we have seen some small attempt to put these things in game. For the most part they are either worthless or do so little that you need a masters in mathematics to figure out that those +40 accuracy has just gained you +.5 dps. I think its about time they add focus items to melee just like they have done for casters. I don't mean veng/accuracy/stun resist. That crap has been tried and been seen wanting.

I would like to see some Focus items for pretty much all skills the melee possess. We have all seen 1001 caster focus items, I would like to see the same for us.

I don't mean like it currently is set up where 15% backstab only brings you to your max skill level. I mean where 15% backstab means you have a chance of scoring up to 15% more damage to the mob period, just like caster nukes have a chance of critting.

I want to see % damage based focus items for all skills, Piercing, Slashing, 1hb, 2hb, 2hs, 2hp, throwing, h2h and archery. Where all the percentages mean a chance at extra damage done. Not just to max the skill cap.

I want to see % mitigation mods on all defensive skills. Not the current way its set up now just like it is, but an actual % of mob damage mitigated by the focus skill. Higher percentage chance of blockings, dodging, riposting ect. Not something again that takes quantum physics PHD to figure out that you just managed to dodge .0003% worth of damage after a 30 hour parse. I want to see focus item messages that tell you every time the focus effect came INTO effect and allowed you to block/dodge/riposte ect. The only focus items that are actually semi useful are the spell shield type mods where you can see an actual percentage of spell damage mitigated.

There are currently 4 level's basically of caster focuses with gods knows how many individually named focus items that don't have a I II III or IV on them. Well do the same for low level melee gear, add some of those mods to them and put them on the high level stuff as well.

This game has become too castercentric. Its time melees started moving forward.

[Derrict]

accuracy does more dps % increase than you believe it to be.

[Naathan]

Not the point I was making D.

You ever gone to the bazaar and checked on focus items. The list goes on and on. But where are the baby cleave focuses for the low level melee? Nowhere to be seen. There is nothing, but for lowbie casters there is a wide range of mana preserveation, improved damage, mana preservation, spell haste ect. ect.

Time for melee's to start getting some toys too and I dont mean crappy clicky items.

[Aluaeia]

You don't really realize how bloody annoying juggling gear to get maximum focus effect benefits is do you?

For an elemental/time level priest, there's mana pres (ele boots, aid grimel, quarm neck), beneficial spell haste (fennin belt, ct ear), detrimental spell haste (tethered air cape, mud ring range, cord of potential, quarm bracer), ext range (rztw earring, babnoxis mask, poe ring bracers, p1 bracer, quarm earring), ext buffs (8th shawl, p3 shoulders, coirnav ear, pulsing onyx ring), ext dots (hammer of hours, coirnav shoulders), imp heal (quarm shield, inny shoulders, ele arms, xegony ring), imp dmg, usually broken into fire/cold/magic if you want the max benefit, with too many things to list that you can juggle around, and, uhhh, I'm probably forgetting something here but it's 8 am and I'm extremely hateful at being awake. Maintaining all those foci, plus 15 FT (which isn't *that* hard with time gear, but still a consideration), and useful click effects, faerune or worn eb on noncrap gear, and balanced saves.

Just imagine having to juggle 5-12 focus effects, plus 250 atk, plus haste, plus your max dps weapon setup (casters/priests at least get a shield slot to use for foci and stuff).

It improves efficiency sure, but it's a royal pain to do so (especially if they make it so you need new foci for OoW.

[Thaelin]

Gee. Having to juggle all those good choices really must suck. Yeah, I feel for your inconvenience. You really would be much better off, and happier, without any of it. :crazy

[Fitz AwlScyzes]

Yeah, wish I had all that aggravation to choose from. Almost every aug in EQ right now can be used by casters were as melee only get benefit from about 20% of them. It is blatant bias against pure melee!! And the first person to mention endurance augs gets backstabbed.

[Derrict]

I've already mentioned the idea of implementing quests or drops for augments that improve double attack, dual wield, +backstab, crit rate, etc etc (melee focus). None of the devs or CS peeps seem interested in the idea.

[Dubb]

http://lucy.allakhazam.com/item.html?id=68958

[Wyglaf77]

Dubbs ive been time for several months now and i doubt ill even see that

[Derrict]

Farm Time for a few more months and you'll be in the GoD zones dropping those types of items.

As far as the effects, it's for high end rogues only, the ones who don't really need a big dps boost like the lower end rogues.

[Wyglaf77]

at the rate of deteriorization GoD is causing my guild prolly wont be around in a few months =/

[Dumpty]

Caster focus effects were added to the game to balance against melee "focus items" which have already been around. You may often call them things like haste, Vengeance, Aura of Battle, etc.

[Wyglaf77]

Good way to look at this, go check out the tribute master see how many apply to melee that dont help casters/hybrids either.

[DarthEnderX]

I'd like to see some ACTUAL melee focus items, i.e. focus effects that effect melee tome abilities. Like focus effects that reduce End cost of disc, or reduce the reuse times, or increase the duration.

[Wyglaf77]

A focus that reduces the endurance cost of the assassin's strike line or makes them do more damage or higher chance to crit would be very cool indeed. I could see that working, but they would have to classify the disc lines a little better for it to work on cross class armor

[Tatiana C]

http://lucy.allakhazam.com/item.html?id=68958


Drop from Noqfiel in Inktu'ta not from time. Got one last monday :)



Tatiana (http://www.magelo.com/eq_view_profile.html?num=79211)

[abyssaldoom]

Man, I agree with everything you said, crappy thing is though....its all been said before. Time and time again, and its generated the %dodge mods and %riposte mods. These people making this game have no clue what it is we want. We want more options, and more damn fun. New items isn't enough, more stats on gear when we are already maxxed is not enough, Top end velious rogue will max all stats with a focus. after thats its just about hps, ac, atk. And ac and atk have soft caps, where once you go past them its like so what. It doesn't seem to make much difference. Heres some stuff I want along with what you mentioned.

I want stats to have some sort of meaning, visible tangible meaning.
STR
Dex
AGI
STa

Make them mean something other then what they are now and make the cap on them around 500. And stop making caster spells that can max all melee stats like focus. We rely on casters too much as is. Haste, focus, slow, snare, virtue etc.. You guys were insane to do this. Honestly it would make 100x more sense to have haste and ac/hps a melee skill rather then a buff given out by casters. Why in the world on every raid I can click off Voq/kei every 5 minutes and its back again, but getting haste is like pulling teeth. I'm sick of caster reliance like that, buffs are the biggest mistake in eq. These buffs should be gained by gear and skills that the melee possesses. Buffs from casters should be for casters only.


Need the cap on all melee skills raised significantly. to 300 at least.

Stop with the useless aa's. Give us good aa's that our classes will use, and make them obtainable in a fashion other then grinding exp.

I would prefer to get aa's from some bad ass rogue gm's quest. Make it take the same amount of time if ya want, but grinding exp sucks, i've done it for 3 years. I need some stimulation, some content.

Once again I post what I think are good ideas, that would improve the melee situation and the game in general, and once again these word fall on deaf ears no doubt.