TOPIC: Ultra Rare Combo Item - Supreme Ring of Elemental Command

*mouth agape*<br /><br />Kewl!

<br /><br />Two-Piece Eldritch Set Power:  By carrying two items of Eldritch power, a character is infused with the very ancient and powerful druidical magic which has not been conjured for many millennia.  Character spell casters ignore any monster's Spell Resistance, healing spells do +10 points of healing and melee attacks ignore any damage resistance.  Any Druid or Ranger with two Eldritch items gains one character level.<br /><br />

<br /><br />I for one say WOW!!!!!!!  My Druid is going to ROCK!!!!!

<br />I have always tried to leave the exact details up in the air with regard to Set powers so that I would have some flexibility with effects so I can adapted them to changing conditions and components of the game.  It would be very limiting to announce the complete Elemental set 5 years in advanced...but if that is what you guys want, then that's what I will do from now on.  I just reserve the right to create complete 3-piece sets in one year so I can make immediate ideas come into fruition.<br />

<br /><br />I have things in my personal life that lead me to be a bit more of a curmudgeon these days, so perhaps thats the cause of my discontent, but:<br /><br />

I have to say that I feel really icky about the tone and tenor of the high-end token discussions going on right now, and in particular all this pre-planning of the high-end combos.<br />

<br /><br />I've been involved with TD for many years and one of the key things I have come to love about the TD design process is that it is very flexible, agile, and fairly organic (I.E. designed on demand).  Much of the agility and flexibility come from the fact that a number of details are left nebulous and/or undecided.  Then, later in the process, as new issues come up, decisions can be made to fill in gaps and make the event more cohesive and fun.<br /><br />The tone in this years token discussion (and in particular the tone in this thread) has been one of an implied/explicit demand for all the details to be laid right now.  This is way before people can even buy the all the parts and way way way before the modules and the TD game in general have caught up.  <br /><br />This demand (and its answers) are stealing from the flexibility of TD's future.  All told, I expect that defining this now is really going to cause more pain complicating future designs (and/or causing broken promises) then the pain that people feel is being mitigating by it's early definition.<br /><br />This is tying twine around the wrists of TD, and if the pushing for early definition continues, is going to put TD's future in a straight-jacket.<br /><br />I really think we are better off when we accept statements of "it will be really cool" from Jeff and don't push for the details until its closer to the point where the details are needed for the game.

Competitive v.s Casual player.  You have to appeal to both otherwise you wont win (as a game designer)

<br />Competitive v.s Casual player.  You have to appeal to both otherwise you wont win (as a game designer)<br />

<br /><br />Very, very true.  And I've certainly played my share of video games that try to cater to one or the other and not both.  You cater to the extreme player and don't offer a reasonably easy mode for the casual player and the game gets shelved and/or traded in.  You don't make a hard enough hard level for the hardcore player, and they do the same.  It's all about finding a way to make it work for the whole spectrum.

Jeff, thanks for releasing the Eldritch Power details - I'm not sure if you should feel obligated to always release all details at the start of set abilities, but I can see it was necessary in this case since the investment is so high (4 Ultra-Rares for the Supreme Ring, 7 Ultra-Rares for the Rod), and the Supreme Ring is fairly weak, so you needed to show that the investment will pay off in a few years.  <br /><br />I wonder if the 2 Item Eldritch Set will be able to be passed around like the Ring of Focus is.  For instance, if I (the Druid) has the two Eldritch Items, can I hand them to the Cleric at the end of a Room, have the Cleric cast a bunch of healing spells at +10 points of healing per spell, and them get them back before we go into the next room?  <br /><br />I'm looking forward to going to 6th Level in a few years, although I'll bet I'll have to give up my Dragonscale Armor set to do so, if the Rod of 7 Parts takes a weapon slot.  I hope that it is slotless, like the segments are. 

Jeff, I hope you haven't released all of the details. If you surprise us later, it's just too bad for those who don't like it.

Jeff is holding off on giving the details on the Rod of 7 Parts - that is a pretty big piece of info for us to look forward to. 

<br />Jeff is holding off on giving the details on the Rod of 7 Parts - that is a pretty big piece of info for us to look forward to.  <br />

<br /><br />My only question is if we can use the 'Eldritch' Rod along with each of the individual segments, since it didn't sound like the overall power included those benefits. (IE: Do I need to go back and pick up a second set of segments?)

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<br />Jeff is holding off on giving the details on the Rod of 7 Parts - that is a pretty big piece of info for us to look forward to.  <br />

<br /><br />My only question is if we can use the 'Eldritch' Rod along with each of the individual segments, since it didn't sound like the overall power included those benefits. (IE: Do I need to go back and pick up a second set of segments?)<br />

<br /><br />My guess is that you could use a Rod of 7 Parts and the individual Segments at the same time.  I've been trying to get at least two of each part for that reason. 

<br />Jeff, thanks for releasing the Eldritch Power details - I'm not sure if you should feel obligated to always release all details at the start of set abilities, but I can see it was necessary in this case since the investment is so high (4 Ultra-Rares for the Supreme Ring, 7 Ultra-Rares for the Rod), and the Supreme Ring is fairly weak, so you needed to show that the investment will pay off in a few years.  <br /><br />I wonder if the 2 Item Eldritch Set will be able to be passed around like the Ring of Focus is.  For instance, if I (the Druid) has the two Eldritch Items, can I hand them to the Cleric at the end of a Room, have the Cleric cast a bunch of healing spells at +10 points of healing per spell, and them get them back before we go into the next room?  <br /><br />I'm looking forward to going to 6th Level in a few years, although I'll bet I'll have to give up my Dragonscale Armor set to do so, if the Rod of 7 Parts takes a weapon slot.  I hope that it is slotless, like the segments are.  <br />

<br /><br />I hope it can't be passed around - to me that would sort of "cheapen" it.  I think it should be like the AoW or HoP - you can be the only bearer if you want the effects.

<br />

<br />Jeff, thanks for releasing the Eldritch Power details - I'm not sure if you should feel obligated to always release all details at the start of set abilities, but I can see it was necessary in this case since the investment is so high (4 Ultra-Rares for the Supreme Ring, 7 Ultra-Rares for the Rod), and the Supreme Ring is fairly weak, so you needed to show that the investment will pay off in a few years.  <br /><br />I wonder if the 2 Item Eldritch Set will be able to be passed around like the Ring of Focus is.  For instance, if I (the Druid) has the two Eldritch Items, can I hand them to the Cleric at the end of a Room, have the Cleric cast a bunch of healing spells at +10 points of healing per spell, and them get them back before we go into the next room?  <br /><br />I'm looking forward to going to 6th Level in a few years, although I'll bet I'll have to give up my Dragonscale Armor set to do so, if the Rod of 7 Parts takes a weapon slot.  I hope that it is slotless, like the segments are.  <br />

<br /><br />I hope it can't be passed around - to me that would sort of "cheapen" it.  I think it should be like the AoW or HoP - you can be the only bearer if you want the effects.<br />

<br /><br />The pattern has been if it raises a level it cannot be traded.