I have already put in a /bug on this topic, although it took two reports. Its seems I am a bit to long winded for the /bug dialog window. Melodic Incarnadine armor does not boost crushing. The armor is one of the mastercrafterd tier 8 chain armors. It is useable by scouts, Defilers, and Mystics. It would be somewhat silly for the plate wearers to wear chain armor, even though they can. The armor boosts piercing and slashing, the two scout skills. However, the armor is also aimed at Defilers and Mystics. Their combat skills are crushing and piercing, not slashing. Furies and Wardens use slashing, I think, but Defilers and Mystics use crushing; Furies and Wardens can not wear chain armor. This armor is desirable to Defilers and Mystics while soloing, such as during the Rise of Kunark quest lines. It is the armor that boost str, agi, and int. Str and int boost the Defiler's an Mystic's damage output; they have healing covered with their primary spells. Defilers and Mystics have a hard time soloing compared to many classes. They need all the help they can get; their DPS is among the lowest in the game. The missing plus to crushing would be very useful. The missing crushing also limits their equipment choices. There are not many good solo Defiler and Mystic weapons as it is, and further limiting them to just piercing weapons (spears only actually, not all pierce weapons are useable by them) is not a good thing. Their low "to hit" would make the boost to piercing more or less mandatory. Their weapon choices effectively are further limited to one handed weapons, removing the two handed spears from their choices; one of their AA lines requires a shield. Please hotfix in a boost to crushing on this armor. Its absense appears to be a simple oversight. There appears to be no balance issue with adding a boost to crushing to this armor; the change would have no effect on scouts who do not use crush weapons. Boosting crushing to this armor also seems like a "simple" fix suitable to the hotfix game modification path. Thanks -Leucippus Edit: fixed two typos
I put the /bug in before I made the original post (see first sentance) However, after reading some other posts, I just realized something else: These items should probably have +ranged on them too, for rangers. I will be putting in a /bug for +ranged just after I finish this post. -Leucippus
Hmm, the ranged skill is associated with a different slot than the crushing/piercing/slashing skill. Maybe that different association is why ranged is not grouped with the other three typically. -Leucippus
Leucippus wrote: The adjective "melodic" makes it pretty clear at which classes it is aimed, in my opinion . Then again I think all +pierce, etc. skill boni should be changed to +all melee. That way all classes would benefit equally. In the current system users of two weapons types often get less bonuses from an item as users of only one type. The same applies to +combat art and +spell damage. Hybrid classes that use both have a clear disadvantage as they need both bonuses to get the same benefit as classes that only need one.
After some sleep, I think the +ranged not being on them is a different issue. Also, see FyreFlyte's post here: http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...82� I suspect the +ranged would be part of the greater issue that post relates to. -Leucippus
I honestly don't see why a Defiler/Mystic would choose Melodic armor over Reverent. Reverent has Str, Wis, and Int. Best of all three stats any Shaman would want for soloing or grouping. What, if any, melee damage boosts does the Reverent get? Just because a class can wear something doesn't mean it's targeted at that class. Look at all the healer targeted RoK quest armor that Brawlers have to settle for.
Snowdonia@Runnyeye wrote: +45 to spell damage Also, I am not convinced wisdom is as great as it is made out to be for healers, particularly when soloing.
The melodic armor, as the name suggests, is aimed at scouts, bards specifically. Hence, no crushing or similar boosts, since scouts specialize in slashing/piercing. This is not likely to change.
Leucippus wrote: Can't speak for Defilers as I don't play one but I can tell you that a melee spec'd Mystic should not have any trouble soloing through the questlines in RoK. I was able to solo my mystic through every single quest to 80 with the obvious exceptions of the few heroic quests in City of Mists and the dungeon instance quests. It wasn't even particularly slow as I was among the first in my guild to actually hit 80 and I've actually had to help some fighters through quests that I was able to solo. My point is not that I am uber (far from it), but rather that the mystic is a solid solo class. It isn't flashy and you aren't going to turn in big numbers on the parse (generally) but you can most certainly survive and excel in the solo questlines of RoK. Strength, Wisdom and Stamina are your friends. Intelligence is a tertiary also ran but if you are soloing a mystic spec'd for int (spell) damage then you are causing yourself a lot of unnecessary pain. But even if you are, the Reverent works fine.
Kittsune@Unrest wrote: What he said - but otherwise I think these are now very viable in the early t8 levels to wear - and quite possibly (situationally speaking) could be viable through 80 for non raiders. Thanks Domino - now to address weapons....pretty please...
For armor created for bards, well troubadors at least, +disruption, +subjugation, and +ordination would be at least as appropriate, if not more appropriate, than +piercing and +slashing. Bards are spell casters after all. The overwhelming majority of my troubador's damage is mental spell damage. The majority of the actions she takes is casting various spells. Currently, my main adventurer is an 80 wizard, my two adventuring alts a 74 defiler and 70 troubador. The troubador is upset with the state of Norrath at the moment, and is resting for a while. I sense the topic drifing. -Leucippus P.S. remember dirges and troubadors are two very different classes. There exists more to either class than just their mana regen song. Also, do not assume that which is desireable for a dirge is necessarily desirable for a troubador.
As a melee mystic =) I'd definately not even look twice at melodic armor for any reason other than appearance. Not my stats. I'll also echo that there is no way a mystic (melee specced) is having much trouble doing solo stuff in ROK. As well as my smaller defiler solos at her level, I can't imagine a defiler that knows what they are about would have all that much trouble either if specced in a solo friendly set up. As it stands I'd still like to see reverent with str/sta/wis or str/agi/wis rather than have the intelligence boost on it personally =) but reverent will do for the moment. (esp t8 stuff with the nice bonuses!) And as a defiler I like the brigadine stats. (sta/wis/int), pretty perfect there with the wisdom for power, stamina for more HP (always useful for defiler heals & stuff) and int for spell damage.
