It would be good for the game to add all the defiant equipment on the existing item vendors in PoK that already sell Defiant Gear (Ear, Ring, Neck, Face) for sale in PoK.
Filling out the vendor doesn’t remove the ability to farm and sell items, it just adds a ceiling to player price. For example, Simple Adept Items are already listed for 34p, which would limit the price gouging on defiant items, negate the full dependence on RNG, and make content more viable outside Hero’s Journey for those that would like to adventure. It’s a big improvement for low level characters and helps the early EQ experience feel better.
this is how its done currently, and it doesnt work, new players do not have 20k to spend on a level 5 item.
What for ? Starting from lvl 1 player-made trio jewelry set is better than entire level-matched Defiant gear set combined. And player-made Acrylia weapons (or looted Shissar or Velium weapons in DN) are better DMG/DLY than Defiant up-to level 40'ish, at which point player-made weapons start shining again even in stats. At about lvl 60 Elaborate Defiant - equivalent gear can be bought in the Buried Sea expansion, and starting from lvl 70 Elegant Defiant armor is already available from merchant in TDS, as well as TBM equivalent in PoTranquility or Ancient set n SoD expansion. Addidng Defiant armor to merchants' inventories does nothing at all.
You're talking about items that aren't as available as simply putting items on a vendor. It's not about adding BiS items to a vendor. It's about creating a steady, reliable path of gear progression through early levels. Vendors exist with Defiant items for sale, and adding the rest of the defiant items creates a steady progression.
And I am guessing those items would cost a lot more to make and for a new player to buy. Even if you add all the defiant items to a vendor a player could still chose to buy other items that are better.
A level 1 newbie can barely afford their own spells, not everyone is a twink. Playermade stuff is rarely priced reasonably for their level...
Guess again. Those items are very cheap to make. Much cheaper than the cost of Defiant gear purchased from a merchant. Although, it takes a knowledge of EQ to know where to look for them and how to make them. In my opinion, EverQuest is all about that, it's not about "gimme" approach of buying Krono for $$, selling it for pp and then buying everything one needs. If you are leveling up your alts and looking for a twink gear - asking for a PoK merchant with everything for your alt is just lazy and in my opinion completely ruins the game. If you are a genuine lowbie character on a live server - just play the game, make friends, ask questions. If really struggling - ask for help. Lots and lots of players will help you out. I've made and donated dozens of trio jewelry sets with augs to multiple lowbies, both twinked alts and genuine newcomers. I have gone out of my path numerous times to camp and farm twink gear for lowbies. I am a pack-rat, I have many various twink gear in my banks, and I am not the only one. Newbs should ask and they shall receive. This is EverQuest, not EverBuy.
These newbies also would not be able to afford Defiant gear from merchants. So, what those merchants are for then?
This shows you're not speaking from experience. I just completed the tutorial zone finishing as a Level 10 mage with all my spells and 74 platinum. Walked up to the PoK Item Vendor 1-49, and purchased Crude Defiant Adept's Earring (2), Crude Defiant Adept's Necklace, Crude Defiant Adept's Mask, Crude Defiant Adept's Ring (2) and each item cost ~9 platinum.
I am not sure I buy the idea that the tradeskill items sold by a player will be cheaper then the defiant armor on a merchant as it isn't hard to check the bazaar and seeing items up for sale that are going for more then they do on a vendor. Not to mention the request already says you can already buy most of the items on a vendor and this would be just completing the set. I don't see any reason not to add these items to a vendor or what impact this will have on most servers that don't have much of a low level population to support anyone who would be selling items to them. Anyway you look at it they can chose to buy a better item for a player or a basic item from a vendor to fill a slot. If the player made items are really better, cheaper and easy to find it won't matter if more defiant items are added to the vendor.
It is impressive how much a new player can make in the tutorial if they loot everything they can as well as completing all of the quests. There are lots of barrels that have some decently priced items in them.
Im guessing most newbies have tutorial gear, and might upgrade every 15 levels. The success of such a merchant would likely depend on the prices of the merchant, and how easy it is to fill those slots with quest/achievement rewards. Counting on newbies to engage in Baz is naive with the current economy. Making the low-level experience easy(or at least soloable) might be a good long term decision. Introducing some 75+ defiant gear might be a good idea also. Many moloing newbies get stuck once they get to SoD. Shards Landing had good trash-loot, but upgrades are kinda sparse before that iirc.
I am speaking exactly from my own experience point. I have started from lvl 1 newb on Bristlebane during EoK era. My very old OoW era account was long gone. And I had to gear up myself and I have played a single F2P account. And I've managed to level up and gear up, and it was FUN! And looting needed Defiant gear, or merchant-farming in PoK for a missing piece was FUN! And making my first million of pp by mastering up jewelcrafting was FUN! All before lvl 70 and all F2P. This is my experience and I've enjoyed it alot. So, your mage is not one of those "A level 1 newbie can barely afford their own spells ". You can afford your spells. And I was not speaking about your mage.
Early spells are pretty cheap, and there's a vast difference between affording spells that cost 3g versus Bazaar items selling thousands of platinum. I just want to add that I didn't stick around to farm, prioritize higher value items (Staffs sell for ~4p), or add any additional bag space other than getting the backpack from the bank.
I admit that my own experience with not being able to afford spells, was before they introduced the tutorial. That might have been hyperbole on my part. But it is not my impression that the bazaar is for newbies at all. It is pretty much only for twinks at this point. And twinks probably don't buy defiant gear anyway... I think the best thing they could do to help it, is to make it easier for newbies to sell items, and newbies don't have a dedicated baz-account. Some of them are probably even FTP. I have always been a favor of the "auction house" concept, but that is probably off-topic.
Let's compare some items. Crude Adept's Ring costs 9pp MAGIC ITEM NO TRADE Slot: FINGER AC: 3 STR: +4 DEX: +9 STA: +6 CHA: +3 WIS: +7 INT: +6 AGI: +7 HP: +8 MANA: +11 SV FIRE: +1 SV DISEASE: +2 SV COLD: +1 SV MAGIC: +1 SV POISON: +1 Recommended level of 10. You could have made (or asked to make) Cost to make: 4pp For extra 28 pp you can upgrade it to And at lvl 20 for 11pp you can upgrade it to: And that is for 8 invisible slots: earrings, ring, mask, necklace, wrists. 190 HME x 8 = 1520 HME at lvl 20. Dwarfs all the remaining Defiant gear combined. And costs much much cheaper than 8 visible Rough Defiant armor slots at about 45 HME per slot (less than 400 HME total or so). Just loot whatever Defiant gear drops while you level up. Adding merchants with Defiant armor to PoK does nothing but delutes gaming experience for true lowbies.
Great info, you're just showing that there would still be more progression outside of what is available at vendor for those that seek it out.
You are correct that those items a cheap to make and are viable even with low skill(54 skill is free from Crescent Reach iirc). It is realistic to make, at that point in the game. However it is not really a good argument to not having additional options in the form of vendors. Again, depending on prices... Those augs are hard to come by at low levels though, Underfoot Diamonds don't drop in low-level zones...and they require a much higher skill.
