Add shift damage gem

[Hung]

Hello,
Right now, the hand_dam gem (golden yellow topaz) affects druid shifted damage. That makes the gy topaz extremely valuable gem. As both monks and druids want it. Right now, I think, it's price is comparable to some tier3 gems. While it is only tier2.
I propose to do following:
1. Introduce a new damage type called shift_dam. Make it affect shifted damage instead of hand_dam.
2. Introduce a new tier2 shift_dam gem.
3. For a while(say 6 months) allow people to trade their gy topazs for the new gems.

[Josiah]

It would be nice if gems that are used in two slots (neck/neck, wrist/wrist) have a higher droprate than other gems.

Still, the gytopaz has obviously earned its place as one of the more elite of gems. Others, like Star Rubies, get their accolades merely by being rediculously rare. Gytopaz reins supreme among gems by being the most powerful. I think that might be worth the premium.

Admittedly, I purchased mine when they were selling for 8 mil each rather than the 25-30 million they cost now, so perhaps I just don't feel your pain. Its always been a struggle to find people selling/trading them.

Immediately after a huge buff to gem drops might not have been the ideal time to complain about the system.

Thanks for the recent gem update Breeze!

[Hung]

I totally agree: thanks, Breeze!
However pain of not having gy topazs isn't only mine.

Also my proposition isn't only about gems. But about introducing completely new type of damage.
I think that hand_dam affecting shifted damage is quite unintuitive feature. Many players simply dont know about it.

Moreover the new damage type would be cool addition to the game mechanics. Right now, we have wide variety of different specific damages: weapon_dam, hand_dam, spell_bonus, heal_bonus(which is also damage against special type of monsters), etc. There are even kick_dam and flail_dam.
Introducing shift_dam would solve previously mentioned issues. Also it would provide honorable area builders with whole new dimension in the eq creation sphere.

[Gorka]

I don't disagree with the premise... but then I would have 3 GYT runes stuck on inferior equipment that would need removing instead of 2!

I've waited years for the current opportunity to unsocket a rune simply because the game got changed on me in the past and little to no thought went into how much that screwed players at the time.

I have 2 runes stuck on ashens, and 1 rune on a twisted thorn for my druid. At the time I made these decisions because they were actually the best items in the game. There needs to be some restitution when players get screwed this.

To be honest I already feel "entitled" to have both GYT's removed from my ashens... and some imms I talked to at that time were actually sympathetic to what had happened... but by participating in JB's quest I'm choosing to be let by gones be by gones, but I don't think what happened to us is fair at all, nor is it too late to give the players restitution for what happened by unsocketting their runes free in these cases.

But it just needs to be said that making this change will screw some druids... and the right thing to do would be to exchange the GYT's they have on wrist eq for the shapeshift dam rune.

[Filk]

1. Bad and crude idea. You totally missing that its not only about that rune. You gonna change whole class vector of development just because you dont get enough gems.

2. Your problem isnt in druids. Your problem is hand dam is the stat that almost all classes could use. And alot do: monks, warriors, bards, clerics, necromancers, druids. Only thiefs and mages prefer another things, though i am not sure even about mages.

But you pointing at druids and offer to change them...

[Hung]

Again, it's not only about gems.
First and foremost, it's about nonobviousness of the current system, where hand_dam affects shifted damage. I've met even experienced players, who didnt know about that.

[Filk]

Its actually strictly logical. SInce hand dam should called unarmed dam first and foremost
You dont fight with hands as a monk. You just fight without external weapon. So do forms.
Its unobvious though, i agree.
So we should add notes about this to shapeshift and hand dam help files. Problem solved?

[Josiah]

I agree fluffy, I've always called it 'unarmed damage', and I feel like that would have been a better name for it.

[Hung]

Of course, renaming it to unarmed damage will help. As well as doubling rate for gems that take two slots.

However it wont affect the foundation of the issue we're discussing which is huge disbalance:
Right now, the unarmed fighting occupies roughly like 70% of the entire fighting sphere. While the weapons fighting have only remaining 30%. And the reason of that disbalance is that unarmed fighting combines monking and shifted fighting.
If my proposition will go live, then the monking with fists, strikes and deathgrips will have like 40%.
Weapons fighting with steel, broadsides and charges will still have its 30%.
And the shifted fighting will take the rest 30%.
We'll have nice and balanced proportions.
And renaming of hand damage to unarmed damage wont be required.
And gy topaz will become much accessible.

[Filk]

You cant make such changes after 7 years of game play. Because you ruining gameplay of players who rely on that stat for years, polishing their eq and stats around it.