Items quality

[Dain]

Is it just my opinion or the new made uniques can't be compared with the old ones?

[Yavathol]

Where is the line drawn between old and new?

I know of a few recent additions that are very welcome in my arsenal.  Of course, you can also find me hunting down Carrion's Sword of Infinity quite often as well.

Maybe we just remember them as better.

[Dain]

don't know ... the recent years ... i would say from 2001/2002. maybe after the mud changed when lots of wizards retired and some areas dissapeared as well.

[Kherec]

People don't take the time to code intriguing backgrounds for uniques like they used to. I mean, look at Brom's Demonblade, Leowon's Darkbringer or Sorrowsong. Can you honestly point to any newly created uniques that matches the thematical value these weapons do, for example?

That is a sad loss for the mud, somewhere along the way the uniques lost that constant reminder. Today they may have a story that you understand if you get it, or use it for the first time, but after that it is just a lifeless tool.

As far as 'powerful' goes, it's only natural that things can't be as good or better than old things, the nature of inflation (or the efforts to stop inflation).

[Yavathol]

When it comes to thematics, and I am a big fan of the background story, the items you suggest are absolutely excellent.  I would, however, suggest that there are a handful of new items that also approach this level of detail.  Of the top of my head:
Nasigoreng's Roamer
Asarnil's Axes of Inti and Mamaquilla
Mirage's - well all of Grondal's equipment

There are other items with good background as well, if we choose to look at them , they just aren't all uniques.

[Oasis]

I think the game has changed to the point that Uniques are no longer as important as they once were.  Unique weapons still hold people's interest, but how often do you see unique armours offered on the Trade line?  It's also so restricted now within most guilds that the collection of unique items is pointless.  There are some exceptions, of course (Knights, Adventurers, Masters, etc.), but overall as the restrictions were increased within the guilds, the interest in eq decreased.

Some of my favorite old time items that have been downcoded or removed:

Fafnesbane's Gram
Ebharing the Sword of Death
Knatul's Staff of Power

Down with guild restrictions on EQ!

Oasis

[Dain]

well what can i say?
yes, Kherec has a point and a good one, but i don't think it's fair. while i won't comment on items background story - that is after all the creator's business - the 'power' of most of the new ones can't be compared with the older ones. Imo this diminishes the players interest for an area and for the item itself, which in the end leads to an area rarely visited.

[Snafu]

Uniques don't have to be powerful to be interesting. They aren't ALL about killing, which is one of the points of having uniques...If all uniques did the same things...even though they may have a unique name...are they really unique? Just a thought Although, a good background story can make it more interesting and fun

/Snafu

[Wolfenhex]

I know I've been able to add some really cool unques to the game in the past year or two (not gonna say anything more about them than that), and I've seen plenty of wizards adding great stuff too.  There are a lot of great new unique items/weapons/armours/etc.. out there in the MUD, the problem is people stick to what they know and don't go off trying to find the new ones.

Personally I'd go looking for new unques because they aren't that well known and haven't been abused and downcoded yet.

[Valdor]

I agree with Wolfenhex. Most players stick with what they know and are too lazy to take the time to find new good items. They know what's good and what's not because they hear it from other players. Which completes the circle.

But, there's a whole nannyworld out there filled with very good uniques that most players don't know about. Lots of times I offered such uniques on the trade line and I could hear people think: "Hmm, those are not the words 'silk gloves'...don't know...won't buy."

Those who like the background stories are usually also the ones who explore and take the trouble to find these items. The lazy players might hear rumours, and will ask dirs to this new good unique. If it's not too difficult, like when it needs exploring and stuff, the item might become popular.

[Yavathol]

As a player who enjoys exploring greatly, and who has some favorite unique items that remain unkown to most players...

I humbly request that we cease this line now - the less people know about the swords Silvermoon and Roamer, The axes of Inti and Mamaquilla, the small crystal, the white staff, the amulet of divine power, the beam of light....
Well, the less who know, the more often the items are available for me!

Yavathol (voted the most unlikely to bid for silk gloves)

[Kadagar]

So how about createing a list of unique items and list in what area (not dirs of course) they are, similar to the list Kherec made over the healing. That way people might be encouraged to go out and explore new areas while hunting for these items.

[ladychris]

I don't think it would be a good idea, Kadagar, it would encourage lazyness even more   There are ways to know who created an item, if you accidentally stumble into it (by buying it on tradeline for example) and decide you like it so much that you are rdy to put your life at a stake to be able to use it again    So everybody can create his own list of favourite items with the area they are to be found in. I still remember how happy I was when i found my first unique (it was the Slakksword). Not the first unique i happened to own, but the first I actually knew how to get  

[Oasis]

I think Kadagar may be onto something there.  I wouldn't suggest listing the items, but maybe a counter or something to tell you how many you have wielded/worn/used.  I'm not sure that's even possible from a coding standpoint.  

I know that I'd be interested in a club that gave you a ranking or something based on items you've discovered.  Maybe it would spark more interest in trying different EQ.  Just a thought.


Oasis

[Yavathol]

I'm also not sure how feasible such a club would be, not just from a coding standpoint, but also because many people get their uniques from friends or Tradeline without ever learning how to get them.
We already have a club that gives rankings for exploring new areas, and other than a handful of the members of the club (which is only a small fraction of players) it hasn't truly encouraged more exploration.

I think that if a player wants information on where an item can be found, then the simplest way is to purchase the item from the Trade line, or ask someone who has it.  Plenty of resources for narrowing down the areas that an item comes from.  After that, it should be up to the players to locate the items and secure them for themselves.