Stat Gems

I just did a search and hadn't seen any previous threads suggesting this.

I'd like to suggest the possibility of the inclusion of stat gems. At the moment, the only gems we can socket our gear with is skill gems. Also, currently, there are only two explicit avenues for increasing base stats: through gear attributes or through choosing a passive stat increase at level-up. Leveling up itself does provide a increase to stats like HP, MP, and Evasion, but not to the hard stats that they are attributed to (i.e. Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence).

Adding stat gems would not only give the player a different variety of items to choose from when socketing their gear, but would also give a better sense of player agency of character customization as allowing for alternatives to the aforementioned avenues. Although my motive isn't to suggest stat gems as a way to clandestinely gripe about having to choose stat passives at level-up, it would nonetheless free a player's sometimes forced choice into having to elect a stat passive to fulfill some requirement on a piece of gear.

As far as balancing stat gems, I would suggest two things:

1) Make their initial values low so that it would give the player incentive to level them up and apply quality via a new currency or the use of Gemcutter's Prisms.

2) Enforcing stat gems to either be restricted to be an equiapable one-of (i.e. only one socketed Strength gem can equipped at a given time) -OR- restricting stat gems to one per piece of gear (i.e. a six-socketed armor can only possess ONE stat gem, and the same goes with other socketable equipment)


Obviously, beyond the main stat trifecta, there could be a variety of other stat gems - HP, MP, Hit Chance/Accuracy, Movement Speed, Magic Find %, etc.

...and, what would these gems do?

Um, increase an individual stat. Duh?

"

Razormaid wrote:

Um, increase an individual stat. Duh?

So now builds that don't need most of their gems can dump excess gems and load up a bunch of life or strength gems, especially ones like Mjolner and equip even better gear to exponentially increase their clear rate.

Normally I'd be all for it, since it's much like charms from D2. But with the mechanics of PoE I just don't see it being helpful for the game.