Runes suggestions

[Addah]

I've been thinking lately about runes and overall progression, trying to solve the problem of players focusing only on end-game items, skipping over so much content like runewords and leveling.

If you're going to respond, please evaluate each category individually for pros and cons because it covers a wide range of things that overall have an impact.

Before I list my ideas here are some assumptions:
- New players either get stuck without items early-game or get a full item Set free allowing them to skip to end-game gearing (M'avina, Aldur, Immortal King, Tal'Rasha, etc are free sets given by older players to new ones)
- Maybe 75% of Runewords are not used since they're quickly outmatched in power, not worth spending the Runes
- The "Need" for Leveling is completely skipped by players experienced with inferno cows
- End-game players can progress 50x faster than anyone else by logging 60 mules, ruining the fun


Flooding the Rune/Item markets
People with fast computers who can run 64 game clients will progress with rune/item finding faster than anyone else.
When someone finds absurd amounts of Runes and end-game items quickly they will expect many High Runes when selling them because they have less value for the runes/items.
Compare the 40+ client players with newcomers running solo games and you will understand part of the problem in the server market.
You might argue finding/selling more end-game items would make them cheaper, but that's only if players can re-sell them again, plus consider most players find these items at a slower rate than mega-farmers do.

Solution:
a) Maximum drop-rates with 8-20 players in a game, instead of scaling up to 64
b) Limit 1 connection/account/IP if possible


Medium-High Runes and their purpose
When everyone thinks Ber+ are the only High Runes the economy suffers.
The problem is linked to the utility of Runes from Um to Sur, and the fact that players skip all the other Runewords by easily finding stronger items on the ground or getting them free.
Lastly, when you have a Xer rune you basically have any lower rune because of free downgrades, Ohm could become a new High Rune if it wasn't instantly obtained by having any higher rune.

Solutions:
a) Add more Crafting/Rolling/RNG items that require Runes
b) Create Runeword gloves/feet/belt
c) Make Scroll of Rune Downgrade cost 1 gold, so it's not unlimited but still convenient, giving value to Um-Sur


Item/Level progression
Any player experienced with Inferno Cows can effectively skip the entire "need" to level, focusing completely on gearing up.
Item Sets like M'Avina, Immortal King, Ta'Rasha, etc are so common that they only cost 1 Ber rune, and polite people give them away free to newcomers on the server as starter items, meaning they skip straight to only needing end-game armor and a couple off-pieces.

Solutions:
a) Maximum XP-rates with 32 players in a game, instead of scaling to 64
b) "Slightly" reduce XP rates, the XP rate is so high you won't even advertise the rate on the website
c) Make Set items listed above more rare so newcomers have an objective, not going straight to end-game items
d) Remove XP gain from Spectator, or greatly nerf it

[Lampogriz]

remove exp gain via spectator mode and rushing possibility or just turn it off

[Scorchz]

remove exp gain via spectator mode and rushing possibility or just turn it off

This ^

[Addah]

remove exp gain via spectator mode and rushing possibility or just turn it off

I updated Item/Level progression with the idea and added other stuff based on feedback.

Any thoughts on runes and if some of these ideas might help?

[LordManhammer]

So, you want to change or remove features of this server because people don't want to trade for your runes? Farm some better runes or just don't trade with those people. I for one am not a fan of nerfing things in favor of increasing the value of a couple items. There are other more desirable ways to go about it. Although, no matter what you do, there will always be items or currency that are more desirable to the elite player. In a player driven economy it is impossible to impose a set value on an item. Especially on a server with a small population. The only true way that I see that happening here would be to either stop selling gold for real money or to remove high runes or all runes from the gold vendor.

[Equalibrium]

best way to slow down progression is to just remove all runes from gold shop and remove the upgrade rune scroll. down grading is fine as it means you need a hr to be able to get what you need. upgrade makes runewords ptw for early game.anything in the cash shop should be purely cosmetic.you could also cap all drop rates at the 8 player game rate so you can have 64 in game but drop rates wont be effected. imo this will draw out the game experiance enough for the time between resets.

[Addah]

I've edited a few of the options

best way to slow down progression is to just remove all runes from gold shop and remove the upgrade rune scroll. down grading is fine as it means you need a hr to be able to get what you need. upgrade makes runewords ptw for early game.anything in the cash shop should be purely cosmetic.you could also cap all drop rates at the 8 player game rate so you can have 64 in game but drop rates wont be effected. imo this will draw out the game experiance enough for the time between resets.

The runes only really matter when the ladder resets because nobody is going to spend 800 gold on a Ber rune.

Upgrade scrolls aren't as overpowered as you say because you could upgrade items regardless with the cube recipes excluding superior items, also ethereal armor can't be enchanted so long-term you only want ethereal weapon. If there was an "add X amount of sockets" scroll then that would be pay to win.

I agree cap all drop rates at 8 players would get the job done but it might be better to cap at 20 players instead so people don't set such a low "player limitation" on the games they create, and games rarely get over 20 players now without people stacking their mules, unless ladder is fresh.

The same thing with drop rates I could see helping with XP rates to moderate progression a bit more and help with long-turn objectives.

Having Rune Downgrade scroll cost 1 gold would hugely benefit Rune trading and value at lower levels.

remove exp gain via spectator mode and rushing possibility or just turn it off

Disabling it is a bad idea because it means a very unique feature is removed from server advertisement, but nerfing the XP gained by 50-75% or removing it would give players enough incentive to go out and actually play to level up after a certain point.

[Equalibrium]

I've edited a few of the options




The runes only really matter when the ladder resets because nobody is going to spend 800 gold on a Ber rune.

Upgrade scrolls aren't as overpowered as you say because you could upgrade items regardless with the cube recipes excluding superior items, also ethereal armor can't be enchanted so long-term you only want ethereal weapon. If there was an "add X amount of sockets" scroll then that would be pay to win.

I agree cap all drop rates at 8 players would get the job done but it might be better to cap at 20 players instead so people don't set such a low "player limitation" on the games they create, and games rarely get over 20 players now without people stacking their mules, unless ladder is fresh.

The same thing with drop rates I could see helping with XP rates to moderate progression a bit more and help with long-turn objectives.

Having Rune Downgrade scroll cost 1 gold would hugely benefit Rune trading and value at lower levels.



Disabling it is a bad idea because it means a very unique feature is removed from server advertisement, but nerfing the XP gained by 50-75% or removing it would give players enough incentive to go out and actually play to level up after a certain point.

thats my point mate . at ladder reset you buy runes for enigma get lvl 65 on your st barb and insta clear everything till your geared for end game and then just farm. if you have to farm those runes your progression from the start is slowed. im coming at this from a hc point of view so my xp is probably diffrent to most of the comunity in all fairness. but for me that is a simple way to slow down progression. you used to have to build a sorc to farm fast in early game at ladder reset which came with risks attached now as i say you get 65 on an unkillable class equip enigma and troll the rest.