Sir NotABot
Member
The difference between Heavy/Exceptional Plate Vambraces is ~6 Gold! But the only difference in performance is 1/2 a point of pierce... well, and 1/2 a point of coverage, but I couldn't see any difference. That seems off.
Gear Prices Are Wacky
- Thread starter Sir NotABot
- Start date
Peasant135
Member
Exanima rounds the values in UI window to the nearest 0.5 units (half a circle). So the difference between two stats, that are nominally the same, could be up to 0.5 points. Still what's the problem? I'd say you are getting a pretty sweet deal.
Tony
Insider
Exceptional items are supposed to be very high priced since they are the best quality items in the game. In real life the prices for such items were actually even more expensive than they are in-game since they were made by the best craftsmen (which charged a premium for their goods). The plus side to this is if you're starting out and broke you can still afford the lower quality items since they are now much less expensive; this way you can at least afford to wear some protection rather than none at all (how it used to be when all the different quality items were priced the same).
Sir NotABot
Member
The problem is we're paying 6 gold for 1/2 a point of Piercing protection. That doesn't seem a bit off to you?? I don't mind paying a premium for high quality equipment, but usually it's worth it.
Tony
Insider
Also better coverage. The better coverage for the exceptional quality basically reduces the "weak spots" the piece of armor has and so it has better overall damage reduction.
Homiccus
Member
With all due respect - I think you're looking at this from a 'power-gamer's' perspective. Same as I usually do. At first this seemed to be off and a bit unbalanced. I mean, yeah, 6gp (which is, what, ~600% increase?) for ~17% increase in coverage and ~3% increase in protection is insane.
But then Exanima / SG are supposed to be realistic. And the truth is that @Tony is right - exceptional gear should be expensive as it is the top quality. Heavy vambrace is just a 'standard quality' vambrace made of thicker metal. Exceptional is the highly polished version, with engraved brass strips riveted to the edges - an armour piece made as much for protection as to show off the wealth.
Fact #1: the cost of armour is mostly labour needed to shape and finish it, with some 15th century sources citing the cost of material at about 10-15% of the total cost of the armour;
Fact #2: the polishing takes up to 80% of the total time required to make the armour. You can save a lot of time and therefore some serious thaler by not finishing the armour to mirror polish. This is why most of the mass produced 'munitions armour' from the English Civil War period was painted - to offer a degree of protection against rust but also to cover the rough handiwork.
So, if this is the case with our 'exceptional' gear in Exanima, then the wacky price difference is understandable.
Madoc
Project Lead
Indeed the most fundamental difference between the two pairs of vambraces above is not the quality modifier, but the craftsmanship and design of the object. At the same exact quality level, the vambraces on the left are already over 4 times the price, and they are commonly found in superior and exceptional quality. The latter cannot be found in top quality variants and are intended as a cheap functional design.
Syllabear3
Member
Only the poor complain about prices. I allways buy the most expensive even if they have the same quality, thanks to my skills.
Sometimes is hard to be so skilled and rich...
Sometimes is hard to be so skilled and rich...
Peasant135
Member
Don't forget humble and graceful
Sir NotABot
Member
Wow, personal reply from Madoc. I have to say, I have almost 500 hours logged in the game... I took almost a year off, and I've been amazed at the great updates you guys have been releasing. I can't wait for the finished product.
As for the vambraces, I figured the real value had to be in the pretty-pretty-shiny nature of the thing. Thanks for all the great responses.
Paying 80% for the last 20% is pretty standard, in games and in real life.
You can get most of the quality by throwing a bit of money at something. Those final few percent of quality, though, that's what you'll really pay the big bucks for.
Think about buying graphics cards or other electronics and the difference between the newest card/cpu/ram/HD etc and the one which is ALMOST the newest or of buying a new car vs. a used ALMOST new car. You'll always pay a premium for the former.
You can get most of the quality by throwing a bit of money at something. Those final few percent of quality, though, that's what you'll really pay the big bucks for.
Think about buying graphics cards or other electronics and the difference between the newest card/cpu/ram/HD etc and the one which is ALMOST the newest or of buying a new car vs. a used ALMOST new car. You'll always pay a premium for the former.
Orlacktherof
Member
We ask the same question about designer and non designer clothes even if both are made in the exact same sweatshop in whatever 3rd world country they're made in.
