[quote=aj0413]
Personally, I'd like a system in which the follwing order more or less applies for items of the same level, in order of item stats and power (with possible blacksmithing and crafting abilities always maxed out):
uniquely upgraded unique items (with a unique ingredient like in BG2)
> upgraded unique items
> upgraded epic/rare randomized items
> unique items
> upgraded crafted items
> epic/rare randomized items
> upgraded normal randomized items
> crafted items
> normal randomized items
(upgraded here means crafting better items by using normal ingredients (like essences in DOS1) to increase an item's stats.)
This looks perfect! The advantage of crafted normal over epic/rare randomized items comes from specificity not raw numbers. (I want a spear = I make a spear). Where a randomized spear has better base damage (say 100-110 on crafted vs 105-117 randomized) and comes with bonuses the crafted won't. You'd still need to have gotten a level appropriate rare/epic spear drop with bonuses you like for the comparison to hold.
The tweaking is all that is left for Larian to do.
but to take a shot at it with completely made up values.
For damage: Crafted is a base (100%) - found white items would be 90%. Epic/rare would be 107/105%. Uniques would be 112-115%.
For stats: white = 0. Crafted =1 relevant. Rare is 2 random. Epic is 1 relevant 2 random. Unique is 3, picked.
Stats would be more variable, because 1 relevant might be str on a 1 h sword, you'd still have level appropriate ranges (3-5) and that 1 pt could be split between two lesser stats such as resistances/civil skills or half stats (like 50% of 3-5 str and 50% of 3-5 finesse).
Not that any of that needs to be implemented, it's just fun to theory craft.
