The Spirit Realm

Choosing Burning Affliction to make any arguement is pointless. It's a focus line that has been phased out. The changes to code meant that a magic focus now applies to both DoT and DD.

Currently itemisation for visible slots is the archetype armours which become class armours. There really aren't any options to wear anything else.

You throw around the word "Never" several time but that is completly inapropriate. It will change. Everything changes. All the time. Focus effects will "Never" move until the Dev's re-evaluate and re-appraise the situation and then it will change. I refer you to Cultural Armour, which the devs said was fine and is now being changed. There is no such thing as "Never"

I disagree. Using BA as an argument shows one more aspect of variety in itemization that SoE has "phased out" - the idea that there can be competing focus effects. There's nothing wrong with having a general affliction focus that is weaker, in power, than the individual resist foci. That they chose to discontinue it is revealing - it shows that their current philosophy is "less is better." Maybe it's laziness, maybe it's that programmer's preference for Occam's Razor carrying over to game design, but whatever it is, I don't like it.

As for "never," their evaluation is based on player complaints. If you don't complain, nothing will happen. Never is obviously hyperbolic, but I suspect my post wouldn't have the same tone if I just said "ah, but it'll probably change, so..." I know what the current itemization scheme is. And frankly, I think it sucks, particularly in SoF where it's so much easier to see how standardized everything is (TSS & TBS were a bit more subtle, at least for the non-visible slots).

So, alacrity of the anuek was on the following visible slots (for shaman):
Primary.

Please to remembering since you are complaining about the standardisation of visible slot focus your arguments supporting choice in the past should stick to choice in visible slot gear/focus.

You will be able to get SOME FORM of all your focuses on a non-visible slot. Much like you can currently do.

The only difference is that when you go to the next expansion, you can count on your next arms having the same X_focus for you to upgrade into.

Having foci in the same slots moving forward and having minimal itemization (or otherwise) are 2 seperate issue. You almost came yourself to that conclusion. Most shamans did not enjoy having to pour over or worse finding out that a preceived upgrade did cost them a focus because they didn't pay attention. Predictable foci are not mutal exclusive per se with item variety.

As a shaman you currently have to coordinate 11+ foci + spec alt - pointing to just one of them and saying that is was availabe in more than 1 slot is not helpful.

The only other way I can think of fixing this problem would be to add an extra aug slot to each piece of gear that will add just foci. That way everyone could still have their own choice to choose what they want and people like me that don't get to farm every piece of gear from a certain expansion can still get the upgraded foci that are really needed to raid/group.

It could really be a solution for all. Make a type # for group gear and a type # for raid gear and then make vedors like they did in TBS. I love raiding don't get me wrong but when you have full raids all the time it takes a very long time for everyone to farm a full set of whatever gear you are trying to get. If they went with the aug solution you could sit on some of your DKP and really get the items that are best for you without losing the foci that you want. That would also help with customization as no one would ever have the same gear.

I just wish that they would redo the chain graphic on the Vah Shir though. I cant stand it. Oh, well life goes on.

/rant off

Rylok
Vah Shir lvl 80 WITCH DOCTOR (damn I want that title)
Haunted Dreams (Drinal)