Hi. I know there is a lot of contention right now on expertise but I just wanted to add my view.
I don’t think the game currently appreciates that everyone has a preferred or unique play style. I personally don’t enjoy content that I absolutely must get a group for so getting groups to run elite landmarks just doesn’t appeal. Nor does PVP appeal to me. So Outpost Rush again is even less appealing than elite landmarks.
Whilst I am very appreciative of the potion you can make to farm mobs for gypsum… surely you can see that this is not engaging play?
What’s more engaging and enjoyable is working towards things. In my innocence I assumed the hours and hours needed to unlock gear on faction or winter convergence vendors should increase expertise… I was really disappointed to see that it does not. Surely you recognise the huge time investment needed to get to the highest tier and then the investment to get tokens to buy stuff. Why is that seen to be less useful than going to an elite landmark and smashing things over and over?
Come on guys… you need to work towards people feeling like their game play style does not penalise them. There is absolutely no reason why an appropriately unlocked in game vendor purchase should not increase expertise. There is a huge time investment and the gear is usually capped at 520 anyway. At some point you need to see how off putting and frustrating this game feels to those who don’t want to do PVP or daily group elite runs.
So my feedback is simple - I’d like it so that unlocked vendor gear acts as though it’s dropped and increases expertise. It’s not enough that vendor purchases are not capped. That is not engaging solo game play mechanics.
The same really should apply to self-crafted gear. But that’s a whole different subject.
Those items you mentioned - from vendor and self crafted gear - aren’t affected by expertise. Also the bought stuff when you buy them before the patch that enables the Downscaling via expertise.
Hey… yes I’ aware. My point is… it should also increase the expertise as you have accessed gear of 520 now. The cap not applying still means you keep getting useless drops between 500-520 due to the lower expertise. Expertise still significantly impacts your gear drops.
I agree with your point that purchased gear from a vendor should set your expertise to that mark. It is fairly insignificant (520) and wouldnt negatively impact anyone really.
I do not agree with your request to make a single player path to the best gear in game. You have little to no use for such gear if you arent participating in group content. There are pleanty of opportunities to raise your GS available to you. You have a choice of participating or not. This is a Massive Multiplayer Online game after all.
Setting the expertise to the same level as self crafted gear is way to powerful and a slap in the face to all non - crafter. I am a crafter btw. Also buying some vendor stuff like in the winter event shouldn’t raise your expertise. Getting a weapon from 500 to 520 for pretty less effort is not balanced.
Some more ways for solo players is an option though.
I’m confused… where did you see, in my post, a request to make a single player path to the best gear in the game? All I set out was hard earned gear should have an impact on expertise. And drops are not and should not be the only way to increase expertise. That said… 520 expertise is negligible and you can’t access anything better from purchase anyway. It’s more the point/principle.
And just FYI… solo play does not mean solo players don’t deserve better gear options, just on the premise they don’t go hard content. I do… I just don’t want to have to do every elite zone over and over with 10 random people. I prefer 1-3 people I know - if that means I’m locked out of Myrk everyday - that’s fine. I don’t mind doing it occasionally when I have time. Doesn’t mean it’s less deserved or earned because players don’t have the desire or time to grind out things daily.
The crafting already gives you access to high gear if you unlock it. I’m not asking for more.
AGS has already added ways for more casual player to increase their progression on expertise with gypsum.
I hope the elite zones don’t become soloable or even groups of three. This is a multi-player feature of the game. Solo content exists in crafting, gathering and for the most part questing. You have access to 520 gear and reliable ways to increase your expertise solo.
If you wish to do multi-player zones you should need a group. My group clears the open worl content with as little as 7 people. Sure we have to skip a commander or two, but we are able to do it all when we have 9 of us there. It’s easy enough in my eyes. We enjoy the challenge much more than joining the zergs.