#0 - Dec. 15, 2009, 10:32 p.m.
Q u o t e:
Gear inflation is just part of MMOs, or at least the kind of MMO that we make. Players are going to freak when they see the Cataclysm gear (because believe me, we did), but it's also exciting too. :)
Naturally, he provided no specifics. I do understand this somewhat because he probably didn't have the redone items in front of him, but I'd still like to see something. Begging blues for answers gets one nowhere here, so I decided instead to try to create a method similar to how Blizzard will end up rebuilding the items and see how they look.
As a starting point, I'll go with an item I'm familiar with: Journey's End.
wowhead link: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=40388
base stats:
87 agi
114 stam
57 crit
75 haste
228 AP
We know that 1 Agi will provide 2 AP in Cata and that items get 2 AP per 1 itemization point spent on AP on them. Thus,
228 AP / 2 = 114 item points
Now, the remaining Agi is contributing 2 AP now instead of 1, so I'll subtract that from the 228 AP to figure out how much AP I have left to make up.
228 AP - 87 AP = 141 AP
141 AP / 2 = 70.5 Agi ~= 71 Agi
Of course it's not even. Blizzard might round down here, but I'll round up for Agi and down for Stam. Why? Because I have a hunter and this is my preview, that's why.
With the AP on this item restored, I have to figure out my remaining budget and something to do with it. First things first:
114 item points - 71 Agi = 43 item points
The crit and haste are both staying, the agi is set, and I don't want to increase this item's power any more to keep it realistic. Blizzard mentioned Stam increases on many items, so that's a logical choice.
43 item points * 3/2 points to stam conversion = 64.5 stam ~= 64 stam
With that set, time to determine the final numbers.
87 base agi + 71 added agi = 158 agi
114 base stam + 64 added stam = 178 stam
Projected Cataclysm stats for Journey's End:
158 agi
178 stam
57 crit
75 haste
To give a comparison, I'll provide the base and projected stats of Heroic Distant Land.
http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50695
base stats:
159 agi
147 stam
122 crit
122 haste
244 AP
244 AP / 2 = 122 item points
244 - 159 = 85 AP
85 AP / 2 = 42.5 Agi ~= 43 agi
122 item points - 43 IP->agi = 79 item points
79 item points * 3/2 = 118.5 stam ~= 118 stam
Projected Cataclysm stats:
202 agi
265 stam
122 crit
122 haste
Wow. The amount of stam is especially crazy. Freak-worthy? Maybe.
For the plate tank items, it's simpler. But it can also get pretty crazy.
Blightborne Warplate (wowhead: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=50024)
Base stats:
123 str
207 stam
108 defense
108 dodge
58 hit
This looks pretty simple, right? Just take the 108 defense and turn that into stam. But that yields:
108 defense = 108 item points * 3/2 = 162 stam
207 stam + 162 stam = 369 stam
Based on that, either some of those points are getting deflected into str or bears are getting a new stam multiplier. You can make arguments for both, but I'll stick with the latter to keep the handwaving down somewhat. To wrap this up:
Projected Cataclysm stats:
123 str
369 stam
108 dodge
58 hit
I'm going to pray my room holds out as I do this final piece for casters. The big problem here is that 1 SP isn't 1 item point; it's actually 6/7, as I derived from the gems. I also don't know how much SP each point of Int will give, so I assumed 1 SP per Int to keep this simple.
Robes of the Umbral Brute (wowhead: http://www.wowhead.com/?item=45272)
base stats:
85 stam
86 int
58 crit
82 haste
123 SP
123 SP * 6/7 ~= 105 item points
123 SP - 86 Int = 37 SP->37 Int
105 item points - 37 Int = 68 item points
68 item points * 3/2 = 102 stam
86 Int + 37 Int = 123 Int
85 stam + 102 stam = 187 stam
Projected Cataclysm stats:
123 Int
187 stam
58 crit
82 haste
If there's sufficient interest, I'll do a workup for an ICC caster item. Also, if you find any significant holes in my math or reasoning, let me know.
Finally, if you happen to be small, red, and have pincers, your input is especially appreciated.
