#33 - June 17, 2009, 1:33 a.m.
This is a classic case of the items being designed more-or-less correctly, but the class not working right. Paladins and warriors should want stats that buff their shields. The solution is not to remove block value and block rating from gear (and by the same logic eventually everything but Stamina and armor). It's to make shield mitigation, damage and threat exciting and meaningful.
It's a more fun job than you probably realize. Item designers get to interact a lot with encounter designers (because that's where a lot of the items come from) and class designers. Our designers are pretty empowered in general so they get to have a large impact on the game itself and aren't just handed a list of 800 items to create (though there is some of that too). Our current item designers are pretty happy working here.
But yes, if you are a whiz at itemization and have some bold new ideas for how to make items both exciting and useful for players, then you're the kind of person we want. It does require relocating to OC California.
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