(Helping GGG in) Creating a unique item: a breakdown of the breakdown

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Charan wrote:

Despite my horror at the past few days on here, I've decided I'll respond to this thread, since you guys...yeah, warm and fuzzies. :)

dragons are not fuzzy!
plenty warm though, what with the fire and all.

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Charan wrote:

I have a personal interest in ZiggyD's item. I'm sorry if its existence meant cutting off your item ideas, Kthx, but keep at it. I suppose it is inevitable that with this many designers, there will be unconscious overlap of certain ideas.

I guess we know who the silent benefactor was now!

I'm not going to go blabbing it around -- but since you're here and since you're reading, I figured a hint would suffice. :)

I have two uniques yet to be made, and this thread details how arduous just one can be. I heard ZiggyD's idea on his interview with ACE and was like, yes. Make it so. And he's done so much for this game and the community.

So...it will be made so.

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Charan wrote:

I'm not going to go blabbing it around -- but since you're here and since you're reading, I figured a hint would suffice. :)

I have two uniques yet to be made, and this thread details how arduous just one can be. I heard ZiggyD's idea on his interview with ACE and was like, yes. Make it so. And he's done so much for this game and the community.

So...it will be made so.

I should've begged you to sponsor me one so I could make a pair out of my uniques :(


RIP dawn/dusk dream.

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Charan wrote:

I have a personal interest in ZiggyD's item. I'm sorry if its existence meant cutting off your item ideas, Kthx, but keep at it. I suppose it is inevitable that with this many designers, there will be unconscious overlap of certain ideas.

I would hope that his unique unset ring would not prevent mine from being a reality. The only thing similar is the item base.

I also really like his idea :)

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Kthx wrote:

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Charan wrote:

I have a personal interest in ZiggyD's item. I'm sorry if its existence meant cutting off your item ideas, Kthx, but keep at it. I suppose it is inevitable that with this many designers, there will be unconscious overlap of certain ideas.

I would hope that his unique unset ring would not prevent mine from being a reality. The only thing similar is the item base.

I also really like his idea :)

i'm sure for jewelry and the likes, the base item wouldn't come into play. There are what, 3 prismatic ring uniques? and 2 paua / iron ring uniques as well?

bump

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Daresso wrote:

bump

Frankly, I'm surprised this thread ever needs bumping. I quite like your chest by the way, has a pretty permanent spot on a molten strike build of mine.

Really interesting to read pretty much this entire thread.

The only thing I wanted to contribute is my love for the folks who've designed unique items.

Probably my single most memorable moment in PoE is thanks to Zahndethu's Cassock. I made a low-life build before Solaris Lorica was in-game, and used the Cassock to help max out my chaos resistance (and be more awesome). Nobody did low life builds without shavs, but I killed merciless Weaver with my 250 hp exposed to the world. The adrenaline of the fight combined with the no-death, successful execution of my ridiculous vision, is probably the most successful and joyous encapsulation of what PoE can be to me. To do that on a budget of about 10 chaos was just fantastic, and probably a large part of why I'm still playing PoE to this day (and why I know it's flavour text by heart). It didn't even rely on the 'interesting' stats on the chest, yet it's still the only reason I could even dream about doing the build when I was a new player.

(The fact I was using Lori's Lantern also helped make the flavour text all the more visceral)

While I don't have a story like that for all the diaternal folks who have been posting in this thread, I can honestly say that many user designed uniques are why I continue to be interested in PoE. While ele-buzzsaw may sate some people, I have no interest in making or playing a build that's so mechanically simple. I want a build that not only feels unique, but plays uniquely as well, and one of the few was to do that (save exotic skill combinations), is through uniques. The personal touch they impart on a build, both mechanically and emotionally, can make the game so much more pleasurable to play. At this point, I have dozens of uniques stashed away, waiting for a final puzzle piece (budget, a buff, a skill tree change), so that I can execute the numerous visions I have for builds. 1.5 may finally let me do a Dyadus build I can be proud of.

They impart a very special aspect to the game, even if it's completely unintentional. For example, I remember teaching someone about The Goddess Bound, and it's unique recipe, forming a brief but welcome personal connection because of it. I've had many similar interactions, theory-crafting with strangers, often for hours, about how to use an unloved or often dismissed unique.

In short, I hope that the multi-faceted joy your uniques often bring to people is at least some consolation for what seems to often be a laborious, compromise laden process. The impact of designed uniques is very real. Whether thematic or mechanical, people will find a reason to love your unique.

Cheers for that, Comrad. You are absolutely correct: the effect of my 'goddess' thread more than made up for everything. People even made a channel over it. I have folks on my friends' list to whom I still talk after that collective hunt for the recipe. It was one of those precious experiences that make it all worth it.

And good to see even more love for the big dragon Z. He really is an irreplaceable member of this community.

And no, this doesn't need bumping. I am fundamentally against the idea of bumps-for-bumps'-sake, and have never, and will never, bump my own threads. I think this is an ongoing discussion that will occasionally pop back up.

Really an interesting and enlightening read.
Even though I'll probably never be in a position where I could easily pay that amount (if they ever reintroduce creating uniques again), I appreciate the insight it gave.
The balance issue always seemed a bit of a problem to me. Not just when creating uniques, but also when creating new skills etc..
That's why personally I don't like buffs or nerfs much. Especially in a system as complex as PoE's, there'll always be repercussions to innocent bystanders, if you will, while some OP build is the actual intended target.
I wouldn't say this is GGG's fault. I'd say it is inherent in the underlying system, which is to complex to adjust by turning a gear here and adjusting something there. The outcome might be something you didn't expect at all.