True and ancient focus tier 6

[Ydiss]

Hi

I tried searching for this but the keywords are a bit too common so apologies if it's been raised and discussed already.

Playing through the content again, we were a little surprised to see that the majority of items in Fear and VP had true focus effects. The exception is the quest armour, which is all ancient. All items in ascent are also ancient.

In general, T1 is Shissilian, T2 is Dragon, T3 is Vampiric, T4 is Chaotic (except for powerful armour) and T5 is True, where T7+ is dark.

You'd expect T6 to be Ancient but, except for Ascent, barely anything drops Ancient focus items.

If you look for some ancient focus effects (for example, bile and malady and that's not an exhaustive list) you'll notice a dearth of available items (except for ldons and haven augments, which can be used to fill some gaps but this isn't practical for more than one, maybe two focus in reality and, unless you donate a lot for distillers, is very impractical for gearing a raid with ancient)

In all raid zones, looting an item with a focus effect will upgrade that focus over an item from the previous tier. This isn't true in Fear or VP, despite there being a focus specifically for that tier.

Is this an intentional design choice? I initially thought it might be to encourage the quest armour but that still leaves quite a few gaps (not to mention the precedent for that is powerful armour, which adopts T5 focus, not T4; with the same approach, T6 armour would be Dark focus).

It's not the end of the world, I'm more curious than expecting it to change. I just can't think of a reason it is better this way. It feels a little out of place with the server's otherwise very logical progression curve, which makes me think it's an oversight.

[Nilbus]

I'd agree it's to encourage the armor combines (which used to be needed to get plat out of the system). If the focus is available in non armor slots (rings/ears/necks etc) then one less reason to spend the time farming the gems from VP (or doing the gloves quest).

There are a few focuses that aren't on the armor and those could probably use some more sources in t6. Bile, malady, swiftness, quickening, and prolongation. Some are only available on augs, the others have 1 option (either an event item or from ascent/tactics) those could probably be added to another drop (or if another t6 zone is added spread out there)

[Ydiss]

I agree.

Looking into it a bit deeper, I've worked out the representation of True and Ancient from T5 to T6. Most foci are well represented. There are three that aren't. This list is including PoA (including Powerful Chest quest armour), World Bosses (tier 5), PoF, VP, T6 quest armour, Ascent and The Sea Beasties bosses.

Focus & Volume (Armour Quest)

• Ancient Health 4 (3)
  
• True Health 3 (0)
  
• Ancient Fire 3 (3)
  
• True Fire 5 (0)
  
• Ancient Thunder 3 (1)
  
• True Thunder 2 (0)
  
• Ancient Distance 4 (1)
  
• True Distance 4 (0)
  
• Ancient Frost 3 (3)
  
• True Frost 5 (0)
  
• Ancient Preservation 4 (4)
  
• True Preservation 6 (3)
  
• Ancient Savings 5 (4)
  
• True Savings 2 (1)
  
• Ancient Minion 2 (1)
  
• True Minion 2 (0)
  
• Ancient Quickening
  
• True Quickening 4 (0)
  
• Ancient Swiftness
  
• True Swiftness 3 (0)
  
• Ancient Prolongation (1)
  
• True Prolongation 3 (0)
  
• Ancient Bile 2 (1)
  
• True Bile
  
• Ancient Malady 1 (0)
  
• True Malady 2 (0)
  
• Ancient Enhancement 4 (3)
  
• True Enhancement 5 (0)

For most foci, it makes sense that PoF and VP have some True focus effects, as this bulks out the missing foci from T5 (which is light on content compared to T6). The three foci that are poorly represented are:

Ancient Quicking
Ancient Swiftness
True Bile

No items have these focus effects on (except Ldons/Haven augments).

I'd suggest making the following changes:
Brain of Cazic Thule (12279 off Cazic Thule): Change from True Quickening to Ancient Quickening
Aged Hoop sof Scales (69447 off Druushk): Change from True Swiftness to Ancient Swiftness
Aged Pulsating Gem (69428 off Nexona): Change from True Distance to True Bile
[Maybe] Wrap of the Ascended Mind (17642 off Chaotic Severilous): Change from True Preservation to True Bile

With those changes, there are no focus effects missing.

Any thoughts?

[Lillu]

Thanks Ydissm you are awesome as always!

I'd personally would add new items to the system rather than change existing ones. PM me your suggestions please and we can see what we can do.

[eustace11]

The quick and dirty way to do it is to add all those foci to the ring of Weevil the Insane. Kill 5000 mobs in Sol Ro and get all the foci! Whee!

In all seriousness - add a gem slot to that ring for a Fiery Diamond please. That will take care of the problem.

*Zeevil the insane, not "Weevil". http://www.thehiddenforest.org/webtools ... ?id=121734

Fiery Diamond of Bile http://www.thehiddenforest.org/webtools ... ?id=121660

[Ydiss]

On it

[Ydiss]

PM sent!