Let's Help Design the Diamond supporters Uniques

I'd like to see some items, which would increase coop aspect of game. I'm a greenhorn, so maybe some of this stuff is already in game.

Item, which heals party members, but person wearing it is loosing health.

Item, which increases damage for party members, but person wearing it can't do any damage.

Item, which can resurrect player, but then disappears/destroys itself.

"

QuantumQrack wrote:

So, as a diamond supporter, do you just get to screw around with stats, or do you actually get to artistically design an item?

Anybody have any cool designs for weapons or gear?

For me it was a three step process: submission of item idea, balancing and realisation with the devs, then creating/fine-tuning the visual representation with an artist.

First I formulated the idea of the item based on the guidelines set by the devs -- base item, theme, that sort of thing.

After I gave some rough ideas and my flavour text (you think my forum posts are long? HA they're nothing!), the devs created a google doc with just the stats and the flavour text, which they could edit and I could comment on. At first I was a bit shy about doing so but soon enough I realised they wouldn't have shared it with me if they didn't want my feedback. So we went back and forth -- virtually every stat was changed, actually, barring the most important one, the 'curse' of the item.

As that neared something resembling a balanced, viable item, the devs updated the document with the first visual impression of the weapon. Although it was an amazing piece of art, I had a few issues with it and that's when my contact with the artist began. We went back and forth in PM, with me yet again being painfully exact. I showed him some guide images, and he continually provided me with updated designs until, maybe a week or a bit later, he came up with the perfect design for the item.

And that's pretty much it. I still don't know the exact final stats, since some of the attributes are sort of vague, like '(mid-range)' or '(high-range)', but the important thing is the item does precisely what I imagined it would do.

The whole process took about two or three weeks.

"

QuantumQrack wrote:

So, as a diamond supporter, do you just get to screw around with stats, or do you actually get to artistically design an item?

Anybody have any cool designs for weapons or gear?

The Pre-Purchase page explains all that...and yes they do get to design the graphics too.

CharanJaydemyr

You mentioned the idea of a cursed unique.

My favorite one would also be a cursed item.

If I had the 1K prerrogative to design a unique item I would make a cursed item.




The cursed item would work like this in Path of Exile:

Its a dark gem, but belonging to the unique item table, with letters written in gold.

As a gem you can apply it to any items that can have sockets.
When attempting to remove the gem you will be informed that it requires an orb of regret.

The dark gem can have quality %, level and it progresses like other gems. So its a unique item that evolves based on player time and effort spent.

The curse bestowed to the character can only takes effect when the item with the gem is equipped.

What it does?
It does a few things:
There is always a chance within 5 to 30 minutes (random) that it will trigger the "cursed event".

When the event happens, the game screen gets a black and white shader tint effect to it for a few seconds, alongside a sound effect and a subtitle message to alert the player that "It started again".

Once it starts, waves upon waves of undeads and/or demons will spawn enemies within an minimum-maximum distance from the character. Not too close and not too far from the player. The number of enemies spawned will be a few dozen, either a random number or a fixed number based on the gem level.

The type of enemy has to fit the theme of the curse, Dark evil bad type of enemies, either undeads or demons or something else. These enemies level will be the same as the character level at the time the event started, regardless of the area or difficulty mode the character is. So anyone lower level than you in cut-throat for example will be in severe danger if someone cursed comes to their realm. (Like in dark souls)

That effect happens at random time intervals, above 5 minutes and below 30 minutes each occurrence, regardless of the other enemies around. So the curse can trigger in a very bad time and place. Of course, it doesnt trigger while in town.

When the cursed event starts, it also increases the aggro range of all enemies by 50%. So every single enemy in a wide area will converge to the cursed character. Player, your better be ready.

During the event a dark fiery aura surrounds the character and every few seconds the player is close to enemies it has a chance to generate dark charges! (just like endurance, power and frenzy charges, but pitch black)
The chance is based on gem level, higher level, higher chance to generate charges.

Each dark charge causes the character to lose 1% life per second per dark charge for the duration of the dark curse. The character can mitigate this effect with his own life regeneration and drinking life flasks. Sometimes, depending on circumstances, a viable strategy will be fleeing... by getting out of range of all enemies within the range for the current duration of the dark charges.

As if the curse is causing heavy bleeding and pain to the character, maybe with a voice over "cue" of the character class to better express that can be added. Said verbalization of the curse done by the character can be either screams of pain or anger or heavy breathing, grunts or curses. Anything that makes sense to the class.

On the other hand, each dark charge:
1. Increases attack speed and cast speed by 5% (useful for all classes);
2. Reduces enemies resistance to Chaos damage by 8%;
3. Turns 12% of all the damage dealt by the character to Chaos damage;

where character loses life, gets sieged by enemies, but becomes more effective and do chaos damage,
Sort of an "Avatar of Chaos" mixed in with a Berserk Mode effect that happens once every few minutes outside of player control, with huge circumstancial and constant drawbacks. As the player draws more aggro from a far distance, while facing more enemies spawned specifically for the cursed event and losing life constantly as a penalty.

The idea is that the player must kill everything as quickly as possible before he dies from the curse. Certainly not a begginer item.

Dark charges can be granted/shared with team members if they have the passive skill.

The players loses all dark charges after x seconds from the time it regenerated the last dark charge. The duration of the charges depends on the level AND quality of the gem.

In short, player has to keep aggroing enemies non stop and still somehow manages to remain alive.

The player cannot start this "cursed event".

The "cursed event" DOES NOT stop if the player unequips the item with the dark gem on it.

Since the cursed event happens randomly between every 5 to 30 minutes per dark gem equipped, having more items equipped with a dark gem offers the benefit of the event being toogled more often. So the average time it would take for the cursed event to toogle will be reduced by each extra dark gem the player possess.

It can be cloned by a Mirror of Kalandra and there is a meaningfull benefit to possessing more than one of these unique items. (trigger the event more often)

The actual effects bonuses/penalties/duration of the curse will always be based on the dark gem that generated the cursed event.

Overall turning the game momentarily into a nightmare for whoever has the balls to use it.

"

Interesting wrote:

CharanJaydemyr

You mentioned the idea of a cursed unique.

My favorite one would also be a cursed item.

If I had the 1K prerrogative to design a unique item I would make a cursed item.




The cursed item would work like this in Path of Exile:

Its a dark gem, but belonging to the unique item table, with letters written in gold.

As a gem you can apply it to any items that can have sockets.
When attempting to remove the gem you will be informed that it requires an orb of regret.

The dark gem can have quality %, level and it progresses like other gems. So its a unique item that evolves based on player time and effort spent.

The curse bestowed to the character can only takes effect when the item with the gem is equipped.

What it does?
It does a few things:
There is always a chance within 5 to 30 minutes (random) that it will trigger the "cursed event".

When the event happens, the game screen gets a black and white shader tint effect to it for a few seconds, alongside a sound effect and a subtitle message to alert the player that "It started again".

Once it starts, waves upon waves of undeads and/or demons will spawn enemies within an minimum-maximum distance from the character. Not too close and not too far from the player. The number of enemies spawned will be a few dozen, either a random number or a fixed number based on the gem level.

The type of enemy has to fit the theme of the curse, Dark evil bad type of enemies, either undeads or demons or something else. These enemies level will be the same as the character level at the time the event started, regardless of the area or difficulty mode the character is.

That effect happens at random time intervals, above 5 minutes and below 30 minutes each occurrence, regardless of the other enemies around. So the curse can trigger in a very bad time and place.

When the cursed event starts, it also increases the aggro range of all enemies by 50%. So every single enemy in a wide area will converge on the cursed character.

During the event a dark fiery aura surrounds the character and every few seconds the player is close to enemies it has a chance to generate dark charges!
The chance is based on gem level, higher level, higher chance to generate charges.

Each dark charge causes the character to lose 1% life per second per dark charge for the duration of the dark curse. The character can mitigate this effect with his own life regeneration and drinking life flasks. Sometimes, depending on circumstances, a viable strategy will be fleeing... by getting out of range of all enemies within the range for the current duration of the dark charges.

As if the curse is causing heavy bleeding and pain to the character, maybe with a voice over "cue" of the character class to better express that can be added. Said verbalization of the curse done by the character can be either screams of pain or anger or heavy breathing, grunts or curses. Anything that makes sense to the class.

On the other hand, each dark charge:
1. Increases attack speed and cast speed by 5% (useful for all classes);
2. Reduces enemies resistance to Chaos damage by 8%;
3. Turns 12% of all the damage dealt by the character to Chaos damage;

where character loses life, gets sieged by enemies, but becomes more effective and do chaos damage,
Sort of an "Avatar of Chaos" mixed in with a Berserk Mode effect that happens once every few minutes outside of player control, with huge circumstancial and constant drawbacks. As the player draws more aggro from a far distance, while facing more enemies spawned specifically for the cursed event and losing life constantly as a penalty.

The idea is that the player must kill everything as quickly as possible before he dies from the curse. Certainly not a begginer item.

Dark charges can be granted/shared with team members if they have the passive skill.

The players loses all dark charges after x seconds from the time it regenerated the last dark charge. The duration of the charges depends on the level AND quality of the gem.

In short, player has to keep aggroing enemies non stop and still somehow manages to remain alive.

The player cannot start this "cursed event".

The "cursed event" DOES NOT stop if the player unequips the item with the dark gem on it.

Since the cursed event happens randomly between every 5 to 30 minutes per dark gem equipped, having more items equipped with a dark gem offers the benefit of the event being toogled more often. So the average time it would take for the cursed event to toogle will be reduced by each extra dark gem the player possess.

The actual effects bonuses/penalties/duration of the curse will always be based on the dark gem that generated the cursed event.

Overall turning the game momentarily into a nightmare for whoever has the balls to use it.

As...Interesting as this idea is (no, I'll never stop using your name like that), I think the devs would have gone into mild seizures had I emailed them something that elaborate. I had no intention of changing the game quite so dramatically, merely to create an item using existing mechanics to reflect the concept of the cost of power. That was in a way just as challenging as coming up with something entirely new, as I believe you have done. Working within constraints brings its own set of problems and rewards. :)

I can tell you I'd never, ever willingly equip that gem you've created...unless the curse itself was unknown.

A curse comes in two forms: known and unknown. The unknown curse would work best for yours, I think -- a surprise element would enhance the impact factor of the experience you've described. Sure, you've equipped this incredible gem/item, but you have no idea what's really going on, what's about to happen. The cost of power is not asked of you, but demanded. Stolen. Free will is not a factor. The perfect example of the unknown curse would be the genie's bottle: three wishes offered, but each granted causes more problems than the last, until you're out of wishes and the world's gone to hell.

No unknown curse, however, can last beyond one usage of the item. In terms of Path of Exile (being online-only), word will get around what happens when you equip this gem and before you know it very few people will be equipped your 'surprise curse' item...thus it becomes, against your will, a 'known cursed' item. Curiosity might get the better of some people, but that's not quite the same thing as the promise of power with no apparent drawbacks.

Once the curse is known, the drawback MUST be justified by the benefits. Using a known cursed item is not about surprise but about willingly paying the price. This is much more my style, as I am constantly asking people (but never in so many words), what are you willing to give up for what you want? What do you sacrifice and what do you gain? I find this an ancient and yet endlessly current theme.

When a person chooses a curse, it's much more intriguing to me than when they're just slammed with one and have to deal with it, although both can make for very cool scenarios.

Alright.

I wouldnt mind the curse being unknown :D

"

Interesting wrote:

When the event happens, the game screen gets a black and white shader tint effect to it for a few seconds, alongside a sound effect and a subtitle message to alert the player that "It started again".

What if they log out to avoid facing the event?

I could see that gem being rather interesting in Cutthroat leagues. I suspect you'd need to make it a scouring orb rather than a regret orb due to the current one-click functionality on the latter.

Question is, as Charan said, what would make the curse worth it?

It's a beautiful idea and one I'd file away for 'quests' rather than merely 'unique items.'

I have a few ideas. I will post them up for input tonight :)