jewels discussion: bringing RNG and Economy to the Passive Tree

I'm just hoping that mods are all within the same ranges at all levels and that the only real difficulty in crafting one will be in getting the particular set of mods that suits your character. The different types of jewels should make it easier to roll and so long as there's no ultra rare BiS mods like tyrannical on weapons, tri-res on armour, etc. then it should be fine. If there is, then we're fucked.

Uniques on the other hand are an odd beast. Threshold ones treat sockets almost like a new gear slot, conversion ones are interesting though make character creation item reliant, while ones with simply unique mods are the most like a regular notable. The latter is likely gonna be the easiest to balance and allow for some interesting builds, the first two more likely to supplement existing ones.

I also think the intention of jewels is to allow more character metamorphosis, by causing you to possibly want to change your build even if you planned it out beforehand. I like this aspect, though it also isn't entirely different to finding a regular unique or good rare. The only real difference is that you're very likely to not upgrade from them regularly like regular items, which is good. I see jewel crafting as similar to flasks in that they're only a minor currency sink and can be used easily and for a long time even without perfect stats.

I love these changes.

In my eyes, these changes don't "bring RNG to the passive tree", they simply offers you a choice. A way to min/max your build. Personalize it even further. I seriously doubt that these jewels becomes mandatory, so, as said, it becomes an addition, not a "change for the worse".

Do you not know how the jewels work? The sockets are specific nodes in fixed positions. You have to spend a passive point to take it and you can bypass them, they are all either off a main path or have a parallel alternate path. You don't get to put the jewel wherever you want. You aren't forced to path through them.

So you chose to have the slot or not. I don't see how it is different from my examples of a node that allowed you to use an extra flask or two pairs of gloves.

If you chose to have the slot assuming you will put a specific unique jewel in it I don't see how that is any different from building around a specific unique item. If you already have the unique you are good to go. If not you need to find it or trade for it. If you don't find it and can't afford it then what? Yeah some babies in that situation cry that rng ruins their fun but most of us will just tell someone they are dumb for building around something before they have it.

Gear already affects passive trees, or at least it should. If you spec the str for a mjolnir and then can't get one is rng messing with your passive tree?

watch in a few weeks john will have all the op jewels.

then hes gonna laugh at all of us.

gotta watch out for those key family jewels.

seriously tho..
some of the unique jewels may in fact be pretty rare, but we will see.
it seems to me GGG has some of your concerns in mind john, when it comes to
how they are being implemented.
the unique jewels look like build enablers or niche/novelty jewels that might be on
a rarity par with some unique maps.

And then the rares most likely have only 4 affix slots rather then 6, to specifically ease the type of rng gated passive tree you are concerned about.
sure, some people will craft awesome jewels faster then some others..
but if you can trans/alt/aug/regal a 3 good affix jewel..
the disparity between your jewel and someone with access to exalts/eternals is
one mod not three like it would be on another gear piece.
that's a huge change, and it seems to me that was purposely done to soften the curve
between the wealthy and poor in regards to how they can augment the tree.

at the end of the day issues will arise, this is why they are doing a beta.
and, I am willing to give ggg the benefit of the doubt knowing how much effort and time has gone into this content.. I'm sure these jewels have been quietly being worked on for a lot longer then most of us think.

and besides john.. if it is indeed an issue you wont be on the wrong side of the fence :)
you can get all the jewels you need.:) just ask.

"

GDSLICK wrote:

watch in a few weeks john will have all the op jewels.

haha yeah. try "a few years". and even that's an "if".
there's a reason why I hate Path Of Exile's take on RNG, and I have a feeling the hate is mutual.
and I think it will not soften the curve between the "wealthy" and the "poor". rather the other way around.

@mucker, I addressed the "you can avoid Jewel slots" claim in OP.
and I hope I don't need to explain why avoiding paths going through Jewels, narrows your options of travelling the tree.

@all,
while it is true we should give GGG the benefit of the doubt for now, I think it's also quite clear Jewels bring RNG to the tree, and Trade with it.
previously, the tree had 0% RNG.
if you wanted something, there was 100% chance you can have it, if you can path to it.
whether or not your decision to go for that node/notable/keystone was influenced by the 999 other forms of the game's RNG (and primarily, the loot one), is a different story.

even if the Tree will have 1% RNG (and I assure you that's a Titanic-sized understatement, knowing how GGG do stuff) after Jewels are introduced, that's a change for the worse in my book.
there should be no RNG in the tree, and no fkn "economy" in it either.
god knows we already have too much of both in every damn other part of the game, ffs.

i thought this was pretty funny:

"well, aside from the fact the "rich" can literally buy enough Regret Orbs to re-spec an entire build."

only the rich can afford 70c. lol

"

Wall street. WTF man lol

I can't even take most of this seriously. You can enjoy the skill tree jewels as much as you enjoy any other part of the game "self-found". To claim that this is yet another disadvantage is irrelevant, because YOU are the one that enforces that disadvantage on yourself.

If you would just come right out and say "I don't trade because I'm bad at it", then it would give the argument a SHRED of legitimacy. But any way that you become hampered as an "SFL" player is because of you and you alone.

All of us are going to love the new complexity and added tiers of GGness that we can flip/lucky RNG our asses off for. While you sit there and make posts with a jealous tone about it.

Same shit, different day.

Don't try to use logic with SFLers bro. It just doesn't work, it is like trying to socket a jewel into a non-jewel passive point. :P

"

FireWalkWithMe wrote:

i thought this was pretty funny:

"well, aside from the fact the "rich" can literally buy enough Regret Orbs to re-spec an entire build."

only the rich can afford 70c. lol

hahaha

contributed absolutely nothing to the discussion, but thanks for the thread bump guys.

next time though, if you mouse-walk into a discussion thread, try to comment on more significant parts.
a.k.a not that one which is so secondary to a secondary, it was put under a Spoiler, or the one which was replied to (and you'd know that if you bothered reading more than 1/4 of the first page).

"

johnKeys wrote:

contributed absolutely nothing to the discussion, but thanks for the thread bump guys.

Are you going to bother addressing BMBI's original post, or are you conceding that you have no defense against his argument?