Item Development - Information

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Celorien wrote:

Oh sweet. Was waiting for this

^


Ty for the Development Info Nick

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Arcis wrote:

why don't you just make it so the mod says "Grants the Icestorm skill" ?

This. Just get rid off the level 1 part.

Nice article and insight into your work!

This gives me a lot more hope in GGG accepting my unique item suggestion.

fuuuuuuuuu

The item description is fine as is, provided that information about Icestorm is available via a google or wiki search.

How is icestorm affected by quality? (i.e. via enhance?)
How does Icestorm scale at level 2, 3, and 4? (i.e. via empower?)

Edit: Answered on page 4: Not at all.
Enhance/Empower affect supported Active Skill Gems. Icestorm is a supported active skill, but not a gem, and hence enhance/empower will do nothing to it.

So looking at this as a veteran player I am left wondering a few things, and please pardon if they sound stupid.

1. The staff grants you the skill Icestorm and is the only way to get it...ok...makes sense. Now, because the skill is granted as such and is not a gem, does that mean that if you put any gems into the staff they will not affect Icestorm? I know things like Bringer of Rain and the like have 'Supported by X-Type of Gem' in them, but this is something that is totally new to me even after a long time of experience with this game.

2. If the skill is standalone and doesn't offer any way for it to be enhanced via support skill gems, then even with the scaling of spell damage from gear, tree, etc, etc, and other things...it may initially come off as lack-luster. Sure, I will likely equip the staff and see for myself what can happen, but I could see a newer player or even someone who has enough knowledge of the gem-linking system to question what would the point of a standalone skill be if it indeed cannot be enhanced.

3. If Icestorm can indeed be enhanced via gems put into it, then I am going to assume that other skill gems will work function as they do when linked up in the sockets in this item, blah, blah, blah?

4. To follow up with 3, if Icestorm can be enhanced then this weapon will be the first one where you could feasibly put 6 support gems into all of the links and effectively make it a 7-Link. Ok...well...maybe not THE FIRST, but you get the idea of where I am coming from, yes?

5. Saying that this item grants a 'Level 1 Icestorm Skill' would make some believe that because it's specifically stating the level that IS will act like a skill gem that you could level up with Empower or the like. Now, I know how you described it means it's only at level 1 and can't be leveled up like a true skill gem, but again, is this accurate?


Sorry if some of those sounded confusing or silly, just wanted to get these thoughts off the top of my head. Trying to look at it more from a 'newer player's perspective' or even a veteran perspective and from what I see...the vagueness could certainly raise issues. Not saying it's totally BAD or that the item or idea sucks, but it is there to go along with what you said about items conveying enough information for players to get a grasp on and the like and to potentially keep them from making an uninformed choice based on not enough info.

Very cool

Wooooooow.

About time we get unique skills!