Hey guys. I want to take a moment to chat with everyone about the state of fusion. Fusion is a great system with not a whole lot of downsides in the current form. You get to create the perfect enhancive set and is only limited by the number of slots, which makes anything over 2 to be extremely appealing. Fusion went under review this year shortly after the Firebird was released, as we needed to discuss the future of enhancives. No one denies that fusion complements our enhancive system. But for the longevity of our game design, we need to make it a little more modular.

Fusion is undergoing some sweeping changes, but Ebon Gate is offering a final stab at the "old-style" fusion system. Going forward, we will have a "new-style" fusion that will have more upkeep. We're not changing any of the fusion items you currently have. They will likely retain their value and then some. The now "default" fusion setting of 2 slots somehow became a norm, and it was never intentional.

This was not GM Auchand's decision, he is the original designer of the system. He'll be working with me and our Combat and Magic Systems Development team on fusion sometime after Ebon Gate. Until then, you can still use the fusion shaman.

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~Wyrom, APM

>>They call him Wyrom, not afraid to get dirty; work all day, in game by 5:30; loresongs eloquent, item embellishment, double speed development... ~Silvean

Thanks for listening Wyrom and for changing it back to two slots, those of us in the vocal minority appreciate it when you hear our concerns.

-Dark

P.S. Please don't kill me when you see me next.

New-style, or 2.0, will likely be a whole new system. I'll announce more information after EG.

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~Wyrom, APM

>>They call him Wyrom, not afraid to get dirty; work all day, in game by 5:30; loresongs eloquent, item embellishment, double speed development... ~Silvean

<< New-style, or 2.0, will likely be a whole new system. I'll announce more information after EG. >> ~Wyrom, APM

What people want to know but don't want to ask is this: if I buy 100 2-slot fusion items for resale, will the new fusion system thwart my planned exorbitant profit? It sounds like a risky investment to me.

I am Kinda hoping 2.0 means you can add an orb slot to existing gear to be honest:)


John
Aurach

>> You'll have to take the gamble. We're making some much-needed updates.

I'm honestly quite curious. I'm hoping that the system is expanding to allow for fusion items in other slots, such as rings, pendants, etc. while putting reasonable restrictions, such as only 6/8/10 active orbs on a character. That way, getting the lucky extra slot items is less of a permanent power break.

>You'll have to take the gamble. We're making some much-needed updates.

Let's take resale out of the picture. I currently have 0 fusion items and 0 fusion orbs. I don't have any items in my locker worth turning into a fusion orb right now. If I buy 1 fusion item and 0 fusion orbs at EG, will I be out of luck for getting orbs for that item in the future?

>>Let's take resale out of the picture. I currently have 0 fusion items and 0 fusion orbs. I don't have any items in my locker worth turning into a fusion orb right now. If I buy 1 fusion item and 0 fusion orbs at EG, will I be out of luck for getting orbs for that item in the future?

The old-style orbs and gear are really not something to worry about. This is the last time they will be available.

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~Wyrom, APM

>>They call him Wyrom, not afraid to get dirty; work all day, in game by 5:30; loresongs eloquent, item embellishment, double speed development... ~Silvean

The old-style orbs and gear are really not something to worry about. This is the last time they will be available.

WYROM

But I just invested a ton in duskruin 3-slot fusion armor. I wont be able to make orbs for this brand new armor again after this event?
I was also sort of hoping the offer of adding 1-slot more to make it 4-slot like at last years Rtcf? This was a long term goal but I had thought I could at least look forward to something.
Seems a system overhaul right now will have far reaching effects.

<I was also sort of hoping the offer of adding 1-slot more to make it 4-slot like at last years Rtcf?>

Did this happen? I don't recall ut if would have been CCF last year not RtCF.

I only remember the adding of a fusion slot as one of the grand prize options for the last mini DM run.

Is this a case of everything thoroughly changing, or is it mostly a coding difference that won't make much difference to the regular orb-consumer?

V V V V V

https://twitter.com/gs4_tahminarre

I can't be the only one who doesn't like the sound of "more upkeep" can I?

I'm not sure how fusion was deemed 'too convenient' considering I have to:
-find fodder enhancives.
-Find a fusion shaman (almost exclusively at a pay event).
-Pay exorbitant orbing prices to said shaman in silver.
-Get fusion gear (by far the cheapest part of this)
-Pay huge charging prices through bounty points. (16k BP for my rather modest setup)

To end up with two enhancive boosts that I probably could have had through stacking jewllery for 1/10th the cost.

I'm not even sure I can earn 16k BP in the time this thing will stay charged. Calling it low upkeep seems completely contrary to reality.

>>I'm not even sure I can earn 16k BP in the time this thing will stay charged. Calling it low upkeep seems completely contrary to reality.

That seems all about right to me, though charging is variable and all. But, yeah. Unless more upkeep means because your equipment gets damaged from drilling holes in it and making it fusion equipment.

V V V V V

https://twitter.com/gs4_tahminarre

>I have a box of enhancives that I plan to someday actually use, but any time I start to I stop because the upkeep is already more than I care to bother with.

Yeah, this is how I generally feel about enhancives. Large pain in the butt for small amounts of gain. Also draping my character in jewellery like tinsel on a Christmas tree, I find personally distasteful.

But you know what I do like about fusion and enhancives?
-They don't require 80 bajillion unlocks, requiring you to hunt GM like it's your job.
-Fusion can be mage enchanted (kinda--pain in the butt, but possible!).
-Enhancives are one of the ONLY usable things that come out of the treasure system.
-Orbing things is one of the few ways to get a decent number of silvers paid from PCs to NPCs.

I have to imagine with these factors that there are quite a few active sets of fusion out there. Whereas the % of Voln and Ithzir armor that will be forever stuck at T1 and sitting in lockers is probably astounding.

I would much prefer to see fusion expanded upon. Non armor/weapon fusion. Make orbing a utility for one of the classes that has none. Monks, I'm looking at you. Though if you want to give this to wizards I would happily take it. More, interesting, player-based interactions with enhancives. Like maybe a priest can pray on your thing to keep it from crumbling for a while. Or have a bard sing a song on your enhancive so you get a warning that it's almost out of charges and you have a chance to refill it before it disintegrates.

There are a lot of cool things that can be done to increase player fun and buy-in to this system. Adding 'upkeep' sounds like a good way to get all but the most hardcore to checkout.

Wyrom, am I reading this right? "Old-style" orbs makes it sounds like moving forward there will be "new-style" orbs that will not be compatible with "old-style" fusion arms and vice versa.

I had an item that I was hoping to swap at the Spire and then orb to complete the enhancive set on my main, but I have alternatives that I could orb right now if there's going to be an issue with compatibility moving forward.

I don't even use the existing fusion system myself because I don't want to deal with the upkeep (to be totally honest I now have 1 character using a fusion weapon with 1 orb in it.)

But using Tav as an example at the other end of the spectrum, isn't he maintaining max SA, max Dex, max Strength, max a couple other things just from the bounties he completes?

My guess is that the thought is that this is a bit overkill/unbalancing to have that many bonuses available 100% of the time.

Not trying to be antagonistic, but that really, really sounds like "I don't want to put forth the effort to get a bonus, therefore I think NOBODY should be able to do it." Pretty much sour grapes, if you ask me.

-Taakhooshi, and Me

For the Story of Taakhooshi:
http://www.gsguide.net/index.php?title=Taakhooshi

I don't even use the existing fusion system myself because I don't want to deal with the upkeep (to be totally honest I now have 1 character using a fusion weapon with 1 orb in it.)

But using Tav as an example at the other end of the spectrum, isn't he maintaining max SA, max Dex, max Strength, max a couple other things just from the bounties he completes?

My guess is that the thought is that this is a bit overkill/unbalancing to have that many bonuses available 100% of the time.

-- Robert

People running max enhancive sets (e.g. +95 melee AS or +70 bolt AS) are not that rare. The point I was trying to make earlier is that doing this with just fusion is nearly impossible. That's why I found it surprising that fusion specifically was being targeted as too powerful.

Enhancives are powerful. Fusion is not; it is an RP tool. It lets people have a modest amount of enhancives without the random trinkets and the full page wear/remove script. Enhancive wearables have a huge price/power advantage over fusion items.

Finally, lest my comments be misconstrued: I am not advocating nerfing enhancives in general instead of fusion, nor do I intend perjorative connotations of any kind towards those who wear tons of enhancives.

>>Wyrom, am I reading this right? "Old-style" orbs makes it sounds like moving forward there will be "new-style" orbs that will not be compatible with "old-style" fusion arms and vice versa.

"Orbing" is the main thing changing.

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~Wyrom, APM

>>They call him Wyrom, not afraid to get dirty; work all day, in game by 5:30; loresongs eloquent, item embellishment, double speed development... ~Silvean

No there will be multiple shapes... like hearts, stars, and horseshoes. If you're lucky and find some four leaf clovers and the shaman will be around more than just for blue moons? It'll take pots of gold to buy them, but if you can afford it, they will be sunshine and rainbows.





... Red balloons?

<< Yeah, this is how I generally feel about enhancives. Large pain in the butt for small amounts of gain. Also draping my character in jewellery like tinsel on a Christmas tree, I find personally distasteful. >>

A griffin pin from Sylinar's Spire can help you in a couple of ways. First, it removes the "Christmas tree" effect by hiding most enhancives. Second, you can use it to identify which, if any, of your enhancives are depleted of charges. My enhancive removal script Touches the griffin pin before removing my ehancives to check for empty enhancives. If you're not interested in going to Sylinar's Spire, you can probably find a few for sale by people who have been more than once.

https://gswiki.play.net/mediawiki/index.php/Stylized_golden_griffin_pin