Return of Reckoning

So, about armor potions, i agree that them making skills like Aetheryc armor or guarded attack fairly useless is something that should be adressed however, i dont think any of the proposals given are good ways to adress it.

Currently, for some classes more than others, you need to run armor potions, they are not just the best option, they are your only option and not using them is gimping yourself, to make some examples, a robe class in full merc without any armor talis, has 24% physical reduction from armor, a single armor pot puts that to 38%, thats a giant reduction and a lot of times what keeps you alive.

So you are removing a 14% damage reduction against physcal for everyone, can we a really afford that? Also bear in mind that a SH/SW can remove 900 of that armor from ranged, while a marauder/ib/bg/WL can remove 1k from melee, both with common builds that dont waste points just to get more armor debuff. That leaves light armor classes with just the armor from the pot and even that will be reduced a bit.

So while i agree with the principle of the suggestion, pots should not make up for skills, while goin from 100% to 80% damage reduction for a tank is not a big deal (yeah i know it caps at 80%) going from 24% to 0%, really is.

So unless you plan to give the flat value of armor pots to everyone while you remove them, i dont think giving phyhsical classes a flat out 14% damage buff is a good idea.

Also, about the effort argument, really guys, you all talk about effort but you all probably do the same as i do, pick them from the guild bank and pay for them from gold, there is people who like to spend some time farming, god knows i am not one of them.

A move on armor potions should also equal a move on armor debuffs. If we move to a % based armor potion, then I also believe armor debuffs should move to a % based amount. This way an armor debuff affects each archtype equally as well. Although that maybe a move for another discussion.

We are discussing potions atm - Penril.

Some of the things suggested would involve drastically changing potions. I would hope there are easier ways to deal with it.

Let potions buff matching stats by the percentage of the value they provide the player compared to their normal stats.

What this means.

Player uses a +300 armor pot. Which adds 25% to their gear-based total of 1200 armor. If they also have a buff that adds +400 armor, and the pot is active, then potion buff converts from +300 to +25% x 400 = +100, resulting in +500 armor.

This would allow potions to stack to some degree, with the castable buffs taking priority, while still being effective on their own. It would also keep the usefulness of armor potions primarily directed at classes that use them more efficiently, and be a something of a nerf to super-turtle-tanks who would not receive as high a % bonus on their self-cast armor buffs.

I'd like to add that option 3 (without stacking) was how potions worked when the game launched. But noone used em due to the short times and thats when they added the increased up to 60min stat potions.
I think removing stat/armor/ressist potion in general is a good idea due to the overalpping effects of abillties. But then there's the problem what to do with Apothicary and it's gathering proffessions. So here's my sugestion about that. What if in addition to heal/ap potions. Apothicary is the only crafting/gathering skill that can make magic essence for talisman making.

@wargrimnir: that's very, very hard to make work. A simpler variant is to convert armor potions to % physical damage reduced. Effect is greater the lower your armor mitigation is.

I'd go with making potions weaker 1-2 times talisman values and let them stack with abilities.

Durations could be left as is imo. 16-34pts is about 7-9 renown points so no biggy and ppl would still use them. Blue ones could have a shorter cd 5min instead a give tad more 20-40. Removing 2 potion limit would let you pop a blue over a green and get the increased effect for 5 mins and after that effect of green one.

Armor/resist maybe should be lowered a bit.

Pros
Makes the gap btw have and have nots smaller
mending abilities/specs
Apo still meaningfull

Cons
Solo play, well not really all soloers will be affected and vs grps you are fckd
Slightly higher armor/resist max values (stats don't matter as much)*

*Just tune down armor tallies same ammount as they always was over performing anyway

Potions 60 min ,stack with ability buffs.

Potions ranking for armor sets.

Rank 30 potion : annihilator , Mercenary , Ruin . Stat & armor value 60/500 .
Rank 32 potion :Conqueror . Stat /armor :70/600 .
Rank 35 : Invader . Stat/Armor :80/700 .
Rank 38: Warlord. Stat/armor :90/800 .
Rank 40 : Sovereign .Stat/armor :100/900 .

Would not even consider the above, because it adds to the armor stacking problem.

I don't like the short potion suggestions as the gap btw hc and casuals will widen when apo/scav/butch becomes a full time jobs.

Remeber ol times from pvpmud where a nolifer spent a zillion farmed coins on heals on his bday and killed everyone. No skill only grind and infinte heals dictating the outcome. Making them pots more exclsive will make them more influential even though the example isn't spot on it highlights that issue and also is a fun story.