After 2 years of waiting heavy armors still look awful :(

Hello, I started playing this game when it was still in beta, then through the first few months from release. I always found the game mechanics and the graphics pretty good, but the lack of cool-looking armors has always been a big turn-off for me.

When I play this kind of games I want my high-level characters to stand out, I want their armor to look epic... but in PoE armors look pretty ugly, regardless of your level. I was hoping to see some changes after so long, but nope. I have seen that a cool skin has been added to the microtransactions (elite set and its alternative version with flames), but is that it? if you want to look cool your only option is to pay? plus, what's the point of leveling up if anybody with a thick wallet can look awesome from day one?

I think cool-looking gear should be made available only to characters above a certain level, money or no money. Moreover, it would be nice to see a decent number of cool sets to choose from.

I can understand your frustration as it is mainly a pride thing for players. If you reach that rank and level, you want the whole world to know by showing off the high ranking earned items. Whereas right now, anyone with money can buy the same armor and look just as cool. Maybe if GGG made a few new armor sets and restricted them to in game rewards for rank/lvl only. Not purchasable via coins.

That would solve the whole pride issue, as well as feeling like you have nothing to show for your playtime if a new player has the same gear.

So regarding the forum topic, I don't think it's a "Armour" looks awful dilema. It sounds like you just want to standout for what you've earned.

-Arax

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CamGGG wrote:

Post some examples up of what your definition of cool is mate. Feedback like this is best when we have some examples of visuals.
Keeping in mind that we cant make armour to the point where it outshines the MTX as it will effect GGG income and of course the game development in general.

Are you talking about unique art or the more basic looking stuff?

This game needs to revamp the look of its basic gear to start with (useless to say that uniques should look even better than the basic stuff!), and by basic gear I mean especially the gear you get after a certain level (e.g. above 40 or 50). It's fine if starter's gear look like salvaged metal plates and rags, but as a character progresses along the the story new better-looking gear should be made available. You did this very well with the helmets, so I don't understand why it's taking so long to upgrade the rest of the armors as well. Is it so hard to make armors that match those helmets?

Your idea that good-looking gear would affect negatively the success of this game is a bit flawed in my opinion, consider this: no cool gear = no players --> no players = nobody will buy your mtx.

Obviously there are players who don't care too much about the looks of the gear and are simply happy with the mechanics of the game (which are undoubtedly good), however, you are going to miss all the players like me, who do care about the looks, and want to hunt for cool pieces of armor and weapons to show off their high level. Your mtx won't fix that, because, as I said in my first post, anybody with some cash can have those armors.

With regard to examples of what I consider 'cool', I posted several a long time ago (over a year ago in fact!), here are the threads:
http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/508649
http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/27290

and below you have a few more examples of what I consider cool stuff, I hope it helps. I want to see this game succeed as much as you do, but trust me when I say that potential players are scared off by the look of your gear.

I concur and I'm also like Torvas, where mechanics isn't everything and aesthetics means a lot.

A lot of the designs have been reused (which is completely 100% understandable), but I think it would be a nice addition to update them in the future.

I created an image in MS paint..


Note: I only took the first pure armor pieces, but whats written below applies to all armor types. (eva, es, eva/es etc..)

1. Lack of matching pieces
I personally would like to see "tiers", where every tier is matching to some extent. It doesn't need to look like a set, but tier 1 could be matching in the way that it looks like you literally found all the pieces on the coast or from dead enemies and they are rusty/torn/ruined.

2. Items based off of items is meh (or not done right imo)
As an example I'll use the items; Chestplate, Warplate and Arenaplate. They kinda evolve in said order, and I find this concept cool, but if you don't like the look of one of the items, chances are you don't fully like the looks of the rest..

3. Reused Design
Arrows point them out in the image I posted (there are many more for the other armor types as well).
I understand that its time+resources that decides these things, and with Act4 underway you might not have either for updating identical looking pieces, but I find and believe it is important, especially for the leveling process.. You don't want to go "oh a new item, looks exactly the same as the one I have except the stats are higher.." (lame imo!)


Examples of armor I find cool

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CamGGG wrote:

Keeping in mind that we cant make armour to the point where it outshines the MTX as it will effect GGG income and of course the game development in general.

This might be a good investment long term due to the 'Skin Transfer' MTX you can buy from shop

more awesome art = more tough transmog decisions = lots of changing transmog = need lots of Skin Transfers = $$$

Hi

Templar in ES gear, what could be more scarier?

cheers

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CamGGG wrote:

"

This might be a good investment long term due to the 'Skin Transfer' MTX you can buy from shop

more awesome art = more tough transmog decisions = lots of changing transmog = need lots of Skin Transfers = $$$

That's a very good point, totally agree! Its not my decision on what gets done, but all the examples given are good, the forsaken masters set I tried a bit of the practical armour approach with some epicness, and I liked the result.

I'll link Erik this link and get his thoughts on it.

Thanks for the input! :D

This so much! The forsaken masters has the good looking stuff!

Elreon's Ashrend chest >>>>>> Our Ashrend chest

What drew me towards this game away from other ARPG's is exactly what you guys wrote in the Game Overview, and I'll quote:

"We're sick of the recent trend towards bright, cartoony RPGs. The art style we chose for Path of Exile is dark, gritty and realistic."

Less flashy neon, more realistic practical armours!

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Sinzeek wrote:

We're sick of the recent trend towards bright, cartoony RPGs. The art style we chose for Path of Exile is dark, gritty and realistic.

Less flashy neon, more realistic practical armours!

Agreed