Augmented Items Abound! (07/13/2009)

[Arximiro]

Noritsune Kote with 2% haste, do want. :D

[Xno Kappa]

Sweet, more full-time Domaru SAM's.

[Gergall]

I hope to god that they take away the limit on how times you can do the augmented weapon quest. If they mean that you augment the weapon 5 times per weapon then it might be ok especially if it's accumulative. It would suck soooo much if you can only augment a total of 5 weapons only once each. I'd love to see this become like mini relic quest with 5 progressively tougher fights for 6 people that slowly gave you a better augmented weapon but I have hard time believing it.

I really didn't think the article was ambiguous at all.

You buy a weapon.
You fight a NM to earn a random augment.
OPTIONAL: Don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Satisfied with your augment, and/or used up all 5 optional do-overs? Buy another weapon (same type or different type, your choice) and start over.

[ronin sparthos]

Randomness makes the items that are augmented the focus instead of the gems. If it was just gems (or whatever) then you only effect one craft. If it is the items that are effected then you effect every craft that can be augmented.

Since augmented items can't be resold on the AH, each time you don't get the augment you want you have to get a new item to augment, which means that crafters can make items that people actually want to buy.

Stagnation is what really needs to be avoided, and that is what we currently have. Augments artificially created demand for items that people want to augment. Because of the limitations on Augmented items (non-rare/ex) that means that a lot of crafted items, as well as BCNM and Assault items, will have their demand increased. Increased demand means more profit for crafters/BCNMer/Assaulters.

I understand that people don't like RNG's, but you need to look beyond your personal annoyance and look at the global effect of augments on the economy.

You do not need a system to be totally random to avoid stagnation. Gems or whatever could easily be split across crafts or made craft specific giving people chances to make money on those synths as more and more people demanded these items to spin the roulette wheel. More people would give the system a try if they felt they had some control over output even if it's not absolute control and that would demand vanilla/base gear - two avenues for crafters to make money.

Pre-50 augments were nice because you could just throw 2k items into the RNG and lose nothing if it spit out crap but lets ramp that up to 200k/item and how many people are going to keep at something like that when you have no control whatsoever in what will come out the other end?

If you had a gem or socket system you'd see more people making calculated decisions ("im gonna save up for a CHR gem so I can attempt to better my Sha'ir Seraweels!) even if the system still worked similar to crafting where said Seraweels could become nice (+2-3) or worse (-2-3). The difference between these two augmenting systems is in one case you have blind randomness where people on budgets won't risk losing good gear on the luck of the draw and a more refined system where the results are still random but you can decide what stat is going to be random.

[Esvedium]

I really didn't think the article was ambiguous at all.

You buy a weapon.
You fight a NM to earn a random augment.
OPTIONAL: Don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Still don't like your augment? You can refight the NM for another random augment.
OPTIONAL: Satisfied with your augment, and/or used up all 5 optional do-overs? Buy another weapon (same type or different type, your choice) and start over.

Oh please be like this! 5 chances to get what you want before your shinies are ruined would be acceptable.

[Zumi]

So far I totally avoided the whole FoV augment system. Wasting a ton of good items for a slight chance it might turn out good wasn't worth my time.

[Malacite]

Go go STR +3 on Hachiman Kote +1 >.>b


Seriously can't wait to see what this can do with items like +1 Haub or Wyvern Helm +1...


Again, sucks shit we can't augment NM drops or I would love to see what this could do to Alky and Hagun or even dare I say it Ebow...


OH JESUS HELLFIRE +1 IS ELIGIBLE!

[ringthree]

Has a huge amount potential. If nothing else it should hopefully help crafters and in turn maybe farming certain things will be more profitable now.

I hope to god that they take away the limit on how times you can do the augmented weapon quest. If they mean that you augment the weapon 5 times per weapon then it might be ok especially if it's accumulative. It would suck soooo much if you can only augment a total of 5 weapons only once each. I'd love to see this become like mini relic quest with 5 progressively tougher fights for 6 people that slowly gave you a better augmented weapon but I have hard time believing it.

I think the idea goes like this.

1. Craft specific item for Pixie Augments.
2. Fight monster to get Augments.
3a. Like Augments? Go to 4.
3b. Don't like Augments? Go back to 2.
3c. If 5 tries on Augments, go to 4.
4. Augmented item happiness or go to 1.

[orson]

Hopefully it's something like that. It may even be starting out there will different 5 fights each of which offer different augments.

[Stromgarde]

Go go STR +3 on Hachiman Kote +1 >.>b

Seriously can't wait to see what this can do with items like +1 Haub or Wyvern Helm +1...

Again, sucks shit we can't augment NM drops or I would love to see what this could do to Alky and Hagun or even dare I say it Ebow...

OH JESUS HELLFIRE +1 IS ELIGIBLE!

If you can augment a warwolf, what's stopping you from augmenting a hagun? They have the same flags, or more accurately, lack the relevant ones.

[Tobatobu]

hmmm... is fire bomblet augmentable?

Nope its stackable.

The following equipment cannot be traded: Exclusive, Rare, Augmented, signed, stackable (arrows, bullets, Holy Ampullas, etc.), Charged (Ecphoria Ring, High Breath Mantle, etc.), nation aketons, grips, and items with no level requirement (e.g. fishing rods).

If you can augment a warwolf, what's stopping you from augmenting a hagun? They have the same flags, or more accurately, lack the relevant ones.

The price.
I can't wait to see the people who augment their Hagun hoping for STR, DEX or ACC and end up getting -1 STR and +10 Water resistance.

[ringthree]

You do not need a system to be totally random to avoid stagnation. Gems or whatever could easily be split across crafts or made craft specific giving people chances to make money on those synths as more and more people demanded these items to spin the roulette wheel. More people would give the system a try if they felt they had some control over output even if it's not absolute control and that would demand vanilla/base gear - two avenues for crafters to make money.

Pre-50 augments were nice because you could just throw 2k items into the RNG and lose nothing if it spit out crap but lets ramp that up to 200k/item and how many people are going to keep at something like that when you have no control whatsoever in what will come out the other end?

If you had a gem or socket system you'd see more people making calculated decisions ("im gonna save up for a CHR gem so I can attempt to better my Sha'ir Seraweels!) even if the system still worked similar to crafting where said Seraweels could become nice (+2-3) or worse (-2-3). The difference between these two augmenting systems is in one case you have blind randomness where people on budgets won't risk losing good gear on the luck of the draw and a more refined system where the results are still random but you can decide what stat is going to be random.

The question then becomes do we want one or a few new synths to be usable, or do we want all old synths to become usable again? I still think the latter is a better situation. There would be a short-term boost to the items that are being socketed, but once you have it, the gems would be your only concern. We don't need new synths if the old synths still aren't worth synthing. The augment system works to revitalize all synths instead of just jacking up the price on all new items and leaving the old synths still worthless.

And you are making the rather bold assumption that there would not be an RNG built into what ever gem socketing system that would be created.

The problem you have is with the RNG of the system/game. That is a legitimate complaint, but in this case it works. Removing the RNG from this high-level Augments would just give people what they want the first time, and it would not increase demand. Increasing demand is what I believe is the goal of this system.

Believe me, I like the idea of a materia/socketing system that you can control, but it isn't an improvement to anything, it's just one more stat bonus to add to your gear. I can look past the problem with the RNG on this one and see the benefit to the economy as a whole. This is a net beneficial change to the economy, with in the parameters of the game, it's programming, and it's uniqueness.

BTW, I am not trying to be combative over this, I do understand and appreciate your concern, and I respect your opinion. In fact, you are one of the posters that I respect most on BG. In general, I completely with your ideas about point systems in the game, they should be increased and be more rewarding. I just believe because of the way that Augments function and their effect on the ability to sell items, that the RNG is actually useful in this situation to improve a horribly stagnant economy.

[Stromgarde]

hmmm... is fire bomblet augmentable?

Imperial Egg - Bahamut - FFXIAH.com

[Tobatobu]

The question then becomes do we want one or a few new synths to be usable, or do we want all old synths to become usable again? I still think the latter is a better situation. There would be a short-term boost to the items that are being socketed, but once you have it, the gems would be your only concern. We don't need new synths if the old synths still aren't worth synthing. The augment system works to revitalize all synths instead of just jacking up the price on all new items and leaving the old synths still worthless.

And you are making the rather bold assumption that there would not be an RNG built into what ever gem socketing system that would be created.

The problem you have is with the RNG of the system/game. That is a legitimate complaint, but in this case it works. Removing the RNG from this high-level Augments would just give people what they want the first time, and it would not increase demand. Increasing demand is what I believe is the goal of this system.

Believe me, I like the idea of a materia/socketing system that you can control, but it isn't an improvement to anything, it's just one more stat bonus to add to your gear. I can look past the problem with the RNG on this one and see the benefit to the economy as a whole. This is a net beneficial change to the economy, with in the parameters of the game, it's programming, and it's uniqueness.

BTW, I am not trying to be combative over this, I do understand and appreciate your concern, and I respect your opinion. In fact, you are one of the posters that I respect most on BG. In general, I completely with your ideas about point systems in the game, they should be increased and be more rewarding. I just believe because of the way that Augments function and their effect on the ability to sell items, that the RNG is actually useful in this situation to improve a horribly stagnant economy.

I think they should allow you to remove existing augments or reaugment items for a price.
The price would need to be high enough that it encourages purchasing some of the cheap items off the auction house vs reaugmenting, but still allows you to augment something like a hagun.

So if they charged people like 500k for some item that allows you to reaugment an item, yeah it would be expensive, but you could just buy a new Thunderstaff and try again. This helps the crafters. The really expensive stuff, usually can't be crafted, with the exception of HQ items and some of the greater HNM items like Cerberus Mantle.

[Xanthe]

RNG

Range. That was bothering me...

[Mistress Stowastiq]

Something nice for crafters at least.

As a crafter, I was thinking the same thing but from the way it is written, it looks as if the weapon wielder must also be the crafter.

[To participate in this quest, players must first craft a suitable weapon via a set of new recipes that will be introduced in the coming version update.]

[ringthree]

Range. That was bothering me...

Random Number Generator.

[ringthree]

I think they should allow you to remove existing augments or reaugment items for a price.
The price would need to be high enough that it encourages purchasing some of the cheap items off the auction house vs reaugmenting, but still allows you to augment something like a hagun.

So if they charged people like 500k for some item that allows you to reaugment an item, yeah it would be expensive, but you could just buy a new Thunderstaff and try again. This helps the crafters. The really expensive stuff, usually can't be crafted, with the exception of HQ items and some of the greater HNM items like Cerberus Mantle.

Yes, but it takes more gil out of the economy which is something I don't think the game needs right now.

[ringthree]

As a crafter, I was thinking the same thing but from the way it is written, it looks as if the weapon wielder must also be the crafter.

[To participate in this quest, players must first craft a suitable weapon via a set of new recipes that will be introduced in the coming version update.]

It is a little unclear, but I would at least be heartened by this comment in the note:

This quest will offer something for everyone, as each member of the victorious party who has accepted the quest will be eligible to reap the augmented reward. Even players who have not accepted the augmentation quest will be compensated for assisting fellow adventurers with a bounty of their own.

[Kaslo]

Imperial Egg - Bahamut - FFXIAH.com

I have debated augmenting mine for more CHR for Eyes on Me...