Raid Progression Screwy: Boost HM Drunder Loot.

After my initial post yesterday, thought some more.
Honestly, this has to be done much sooner than GU64.

GU64 is due in what, August?

Thats still essentially 2 months away before more viable raid content is added... thats way too far away.
Already there is massive attrition due to lack of useful content to raid, and you want to put off fixing that for another 2 months yet? Bad decision.

This reitemization really MUST go in as a regular patch, and ASAP.

Kander,
Thanks for finally posting on June the 14th 2012 after you'd said in this thread http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/...topic_id=506761 on September the 14th 2011 that Drunder HM loot was being looked at.
Some questions regarding the new loot (can we expect an answer before February 14th 2013?) :
When is GU64?
Will the drop-rate of this replacement gear still be heavily favoured towards scouts and fighters? (see linked thread for proof that scouts and fighters have twice as much loot to aspire towards than healers and mages for the same subscription)
Will the mythical weapons that currently "drop" still drop?
Will healers and mages have a mythical weapon to aspire towards (they do pay the same subscription!)
Will any mythical drop-rate still be so extremely low that only Beastlords have any realistic chance of a "proper" mythical weapon? (non-Beastlords pay the same subscription so why can't we have mythical weapons?)

To answer a few questions:
GU 64 is July.
Items that had red slots will keep them.
Itemization will be very similar to Skyshrine itemization.
Mythical weapons will not be replaced. They will still drop. Drop rate will be increased.
The re-itemization is partly to address the issues with Drunder previously being scout and fighter heavy. Along with a few other things. There are a lot of other changes that will be in conjunction with this coming in GU 64. Unfortunately, I cannot give specifics until we announce them.

*snip*
Seems you answered my questions while I asked them

Kander wrote:

Wow!
Kander - Thank you for a fast reply ... lets hope this becomes the new standard!
Quick repeat of an earlier question though:Will healers and mages get a mythical weapon?
New Questions:
Will the scout mythical weapon still be a ranged item - so near useless (except for stats) for anyone but a ranger.
Will melee classes get 2 mythical weapons as Beastlords do?

kalaria wrote:

Its sometime in July, but I sorta agree with this posters comment.
We are hemoraging players, and while finally announcing this plan will help mitigate losses, quicker action would go further.
I'm not saying rush the job, but if a handful of mobs were done sooner, or trickling this stuff in over time, it would have an even greater impact on motivating the player base.

Kander wrote:

When you say "items that had red slots will keep them," does that just mean the old items are not being changed and the new ones won't have red slots, or will the new weapons, belts, cloaks and charms have red slots?

A bit off topic for this thread but let me throw it out anyway:
Will the upcoming loot changes in GU64 effect the group instances as well? Or is this only touching the raid instances?
Thanks!

Kryvak@Everfrost wrote:

Kander,
Yes, can you please clarify and sorry for being annoying. I understood what you wrote as....
You will not be nerfing existing drunder hard mode gear by removing the red slots, but the next sentence about it being similar to Skyshrine is slightly confusing.
Similiar to Skyshrine as in there are no red slots on cloaks, charms, ranged, and belts or just similar in the way the blue and green stats are handled?
As Kryvak asked, will the NEW Drunder Hard Mode cloaks, charms, ranged, and belts have red slots? PLEASE say yes!

Dethdlr@Butcherblock wrote:

I don't believe it effects heroic instances as there were no drunder 'challenge' heroics.

What it sounded like to me was that they are changing the loot tables, but not retroactively changing the loot we already got from the zones. The new versions of the old items with red slots will have red slots, meaning new belts will also have red slots, new cloaks will also have red slots, new charms will have red slots.
Still, not sure if he meant they're completely changing the loot tables or just adding MORE new items to them...
If they are going to increase the HM drunder gear to be better than skyshrine gear, then I expect they are going to make sure Plane of War armor is superior... at least I hope they do.

Shanak85 wrote:

This is what we are trying to get confirmation on, because if this isn't the case and they remove current Drunder Hard Mode drops from the loot table, that means any guild that steps into Drunder HM will need to farm Kael/Drunder EM for red slotted belts, charms, cloaks, and ranged. This would also mean that guilds need to farm Drunder Hard Mode for these red slot items as soon as possible before they are removed from game and we are stuck with +130 stat or +148 stat items for those slots.

Reading Kander's mind I believe the new items will have red slots (charms, belts and cloaks) and not be itemized with the 2.0 procs instead.
Otherwise, it would be kinda silly to keep the runes dropping.

Ulrichvon wrote:

This is how I read it as well.
Another thought for people to consider, they can't just upgrade your loot or allow you trade it in. Not considering the major problem of all the people who already transmuted loot, half the reason for this being reitemized is because of the completely skewed loot tables where there was far more fighter/scout loot. Mages/Priest would get shafted even more if it wasn't done this way.

Kander wrote:

Pls for the love of god, KEEP extra riposte chance on plate tank BP AND add it to all SS ones. In their current form, no serious raid tank out there will ever wear the SS group/raid ones.

Kander wrote:

Are you saying the drops from the 5 total raid bosses (Not sure is Sevalak is considered challenge) that are challenge in SS are the only things that are going to be better than HM drunder?
Vyskudra
Sevalak
Dozekar Challenge
Ikatiar Challenge
Dagarn Challenge
or is there more in this category?

Are saying the HM drunder boots will be better than the Drakizite boots,
But...... the Drakizite Leggings will be better then HM drunder?
Or are you saying the Drakizite armor will be superior to HM Drunder armor?
The Storm Armor looks to be the EM version for SS.

Just for example

Challenge drops - Once again not sure if sevalak is considered challange
Hammered Drakizite Cuirass of the Underdepths
Hammered Drakizite Greaves of the Underdepths
Hammered Drakizite Pauldrons of the Underdepths

Normal EM drops

Storm Dragonscale Legguards
Hammered Drakizite Gauntlets of the Underdepths
Storm Dragonscale Braces

Hammered Drakizite Gussets of the Underdepths
Hammered Drakizite Helmet of the Underdepths
Storm Dragonscale Tonlets

Hammered Drakizite Sabatons of the Underdepths

unsure where this one drops
Storm Dragonscale Chestplate

You're making something in your mind that isn't there in the game. The names of the pieces of gear have nothing to do with indicating difficulty. It's showing what zone they drop from. Storm is from Sevalak's, Drakizite is from Underdepths. He is saying PoW > HM SS > HM Drunder > EM SS. Yes, Sevalak is a HM mob.

Actually I received an answer to my questions and Sevelak sadly is not a Challenge mode Boss. His drops are EM. He is just harder than he should be.
And like the last sets of armor have been in named sets i figured they would stick with it.
Drunder
drunder HM
DoV EM
Dov HM
PoW

The challenge mode
Underdepths

• Dozekar Challenge - Chest - Drakazite
• Ikatiar Challenge- Shoulders - Drakazite
• Dagarn Challenge - Legs- Drakazite

Dracur Prime : Vyskudra

• Vyskudra - Head, Hands - Storm

SS Easy Mode gear
Dracur Prime : Sevelak Awakened

• Sevelak - Chest
• Sargon the Destructor - Legs
• Trash drop Feet, Forearms

Underdepths

• Putretor the Rotting / Sevalor - Forearms
• Belkreiz Blazeclaw - Head
• Dagarn D'Venom - Hands
• Tel'koran Bloodmaw - Feet

Both the storm Feet/Forearms and drakazite Feet/Forearms are identical
I do not see a Challenge mode Set of Feet or Forearms
i also do not see a easy mode version of shoulders.
So the items from Drunder Hm are going to be in between these two which means the Feet and forearms slots will be identical to SS stuff?
Storm Dragonscale Legguards

+172 wis +172 sta

20.1% Crit Bonus

6.7% Ability Casting Speed

10% Potency

9.5% Spell Weapon Attack Speed

21.4% Attack Speed

728 Mitigation

Drunder HM legs
179 180 Sta Wis
21 Crit Bonus
7 Ability Cast speed
10.5 Potency
10 Spell weapon Attack speed
22.4 Attack Speed
742 protection
Hammered Drakizite Greaves of the Underdepths
+187 wis +187 sta
21.9% Crit Bonus
7.3% Ability Casting Speed
10.9% Potency
10.4% Spell Weapon Attack Speed
23.3% Attack Speed
756 Mitigation
yeay for itemization .............bleh

I'd like to see drunder hm named drop one "prime" tradeskill item, each.
And perhaps clarify if the long overdue reitemization will be all new items, or if existing drops will be upgraded.

Enrico@Permafrost wrote:

Kander wrote:

There is no clarification needed. He point blank said old items will not be touched or upgraded. It will be all new loot tables to replace the current ones.
The only thing not 100% clarified so far is if the new cloaks/charms/belts/ranged will have red slots. Everyone is reading into his post and inferring that they will indeed have them, but that is still a guess and not confirmed at this point.
The discussion about mythical drop rates and missing archetype mythicals is a side issue and a separate problem in itself that needs addressing.