chad878262 wrote:Disagree again. My cloak, hood, one ring, amulet and gloves are available (and were purchased) in stores. My armor, belt and my other ring were purchased from other players. My boots I found. Been on the server nearly a year and while I have alts, none are above level 12 and there aren't many of them. My main has goods he has purchased, but there is a difference between "rare" and unavailable because players will rcr or create an alt around a piece of gear because they otherwise wool never find or be able to aquire something similar.
There is not plenty of good stuff, not in my experience.
Almost nothing I wear or use is a store bought item, almost all of them are custom RLG items. Most of them, I buy at the auction for coppers on the crown.
A lot of my items are also things like simple +hp items. I mean, the likely amulet only usually costs around 5000, and it is a great item. There is also the stout cloak, which is often for sale for 2000 or less. +2 and +3 gear at auction is cheap, cheap, cheap.
There is a ton of good and flavorful items. I only have a few +4 items on my chars, a couple wear +4 breastplates, and one was lucky enough to find +4 boots of the sun soul a couple of years ago. That's it.
I have no +4 deflection or shield gear, and I am ok with that. Why?
Potions, scrolls, magic. Potions of mage armor are only about 60 - 70 gold each, and last for 20 - 30 minutes. You can then use armor with other little goodies, with things like maybe extra HP, saves, or spell immunities. Now you are wearing an epic full plate with +4 hp and magic missile immunity, for only about 150 gold an hour.
Indeed, I rarely even care about +anything items except weapons, since greater magic weapon potion suck, but EVEN then, you can buy scrolls of GMW at candlekeep for about 600. It's a lot, yes, but then you have HOURS of a +3 weapon. Now, if that weapon only has keen, massive criticals, and 1d4 acid, it is now a MONSTER EPIC WEAPON. Most players would think that weapon was garbage. "ah geez, keen, 1d6 massive crits, and 1d4 acid? If only it had a good enchantment on it, well, I guess I'll sell it to Maltz for 1250..... I widh the server had better epic loots.... *frown* I'll keep grinding for that +4 longsword with 1d4 acid...."
So the good stuff is best when combined with potions and/or spells. Something I've noticed most people here still do not understand, because as I've said, potions of improved mage armor, Ive offered at auction for 1800 each, and nobody buys. That's hours of +6 armor for fighting goblins or even minotaurs. That's lots of loot grinding and XP.
USABLES ARE WORTH IT. I figured this out long ago, when I realized most people would gladly give 2 gold for 1 XP. Well, pay for some usables in gold, and you are making way higher XP per kill. Indeed, now, most of the items I equip on my characters, I don't even care about the armor bonus, I care more about the other goodies. Why? Because I can add the armor bonus with potions or scrolls.
Another example, what is better: hulryaenn of Rashemon (+3 natural armor, +10 HP, + 1 universal saves) or the likely amulet (+2 WIS, +2 CON, +10 hp)?
Well, since a potion of barkskin costs about 70, (or less with stag beetle shells), and gives +3 natural armor... ..or even better, spiderskin potions or scrolls, if you can use them, give a +4 natural armor bonus and last for HOURS.....
Long story short.... ...and no offense, you don't know what is good yet, because you have not experimented enough with usables.
I said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are afraid to spend gold on usuables, and afraid to use them ALL THE TIME, because of the minor amounts of gold you spend, your progress will be slow and painful.
USE USABLES. Then you will find, THERE IS A TON OF NEAT STUFF FROM THE RANDOM LOOT GENERATOR.
