I’ve been working on creating max modes… max ac, max damreduct, max hp, max saves poison… Ok, well I lied about creating one of these modes… but good eq is about balance, and for one to find balance one must first understand that which is possible… So I worked out the changes I’d need to make to my standard tank set to maximise my AC… obviously this had to include massive sacrifices that are not worth it… but just as a thought experiment. I found out, it is possible to have -16ac with no potion effects. My avatar light is currently +5mar, -0.2ac +dam. My standard tank set is -15.1… with max weapon damage, 25 str/dex/con.
You are using:
Gorka engraved upon on it ()socketed Rhodochrosite Rune()
insight attached to it)
insight attached to it)
charm attached to it)
to it)
buckle attached to it)
attached to it)
quickling’s soul attached to it)
Adamantine Chains of Vigor attached to it)
the arch-magi attached to it)
rose attached to it)
attached to it)
attached to it)
it)
it)
attached to it)
Omah attached to it)
Changes required for -16ac… Choose your POISON…
Change avatar light -0.2 (-1 DAM)
a thief’s shadow bending half-cloak -0.1 (-2 Dam Reduct + MAX DEX)
Change Alexandrite for Violet Garnet -0.1 (-1 Dam Reduct)
Golden Belt of Splendor -0.1 (+ MAX DEX)
an adamantite-plated knight’s war robe -0.1 (-2 Dam Reduct)
Adamantite-plated Snakeskin Gauntlets -0.1 (-5 WD)
Adamantite chains -0.1 (-DAM)
Hooked fauchard -0.1
Sub 8x40 Cuirass for…
Adamantine Cuirass of the Ancients +0.1
Mithril Sleeves of the High Paladin -0.1
a polished spectrolite charm -0.1
Have I missed anything?
So -16 is possible, but it’s arguably a lot weaker than a more balanced -14/-15 form. Regarding 3x40 eq system… the 8x40 eq pieces are not good value for money in an AC sense, but more value in a stat sense. It’s probably true that 6 3x40 pieces are better than 2 8x40 pieces in most cases.
Although there is a path for great eq… unfortunately there is really only one main path. Meaning that most high level players of a particular class will all be wearing the same eq except for maybe 3-4 pieces. Some slots still don’t offer much choice. The dumb trick that is +MAX DEX +0.4ac on other items also tends to create more problems than it solves. So things are pretty good, but there isn’t really much choice at the high end.
For unknown reasons, robes have changed little in the last 15 years and tend to lack clasps. Belt/Hand slots tend to be weak, and nothing seems to ever out shine Devilskin Gauntlets (melee chars). Drachma shields are pretty rubbish, no drachma shield with dam reduct is a glaring omission when you consider what shields are used for. But that’s not to say that things aren’t good, they are… there just isn’t variety - unless you are into wearing useless forges - which are still being under utilized.
Also it needs to be pointed out AC isn’t everything, you should wear as much dam reduct and weapon dam as possible. With powerful blind procs on choppers, gauntlets, clasps these days - AC is perhaps less important in tanks than it was.
Although arguably, there could be EVEN MORE variety in drachma eq, perhaps the biggest improvement the game could make, is a system which provides stat rewards for handing in useless forges…as to some degree forging is a lot less important in the game these days as it once was, yet it should be a major part of the game… as important as eq, xp, drachma and coins. It shouldn’t be difficult to provide a new clasp (perhaps for the light or robe) that levels it’s stats based on repeatedly feeding it the over 100 useless eq forges for rewards targetted to a users choosing.