[Declined] Armor Stacking

[Gerv]

The ability of light armor classes and medium armor classes, particularly DoK and WP , to stack physical mitigation in the form of armor to reach levels of close to or over the 75% physical armor mitigation cap is an issue for the following reasons:

1) allows these classes to increase their individual survivability well beyond intended design
2) reduces viability of group compositions that do not bring a significant, reliable, armor debuff (non WL and Mara)
3) reduces the effectiveness of physical rdps - Engineer, SH, SW.
4) Influences class balance, favouring WP and DoK groups who can, on top of high armor, increase their healing resource pool upon being hit (via tactics) and have access to AoE detaunts

This is achieved by stacking flat value armor increases via talismans along with potions.

Current Armor values for Light armor classes: 1043 at Sov: 1431
Current Armor values for medium armor classes: 2087 at Sov: 2860
theoretically with 7 slots (5 gear 2 weapon) at 180 + 210 from jewl set = extra 1465 + pot (660) = 2125 armor bonus
Total Current LA: 3168 at Sov: 3556
Total Current MA: 4213 at Sov: 4985

Add to this Futile strikes, RD and CW and you have a very stable healer, even in LA.

Solution:
a) code to limit armor talismans to be only slot'able in the 5 armor pieces
b) convert armor talismans to a % bonus rather than flat value - a % based on total armor value of equipped 5pc gear set
c) re-work talisman values: White = 2% increase, Green = 3% increase. Blue = 4% increase & Purple = 5% increase
add a maximum item level, in addition to minimum level to prevent players slotting purple min rank 5 talisman into top level gear.
d) Armor talismans gain a max item level 3 ranks above the minimum i.e. a min rank lvl 28 talisman can be inserted into max item level 31. To prevent a cornering of the market in the top tier of talismans and enabling all players to gain some form armor increase if so desired without costing 400 gold for gear item rank 40 +, the talismans min rank 34+ (3%, 4% and 5%) of each rarity have no max rank.

Thus, currently, LA 1043, 5% = 52.5 x 5 = 261 + 660 = 921 armor bonus Total = 2174 (+jewl)
Thus, at Sov LA 1431, 5% = 71.5 x 5 = 358 + 660 = 1008 armor bonus Total = 2649 (+jewl)

Thus currently, MA 2087, 5% = 104 x 5 = 522 + 660 = 1182 armor bonus Total = 3479 (+jewl)
Thus, at Sov MA 2860, 5% = 143 x 5 = 715 + 660 = 1375 armor bonus Total = 4445 (+jewl)

if values are still too large, the potions can be adjusted to % vales as well as adjusting the value of Dwarf armor tactic if deemed too powerful and restricted to 1 race.

To compliment these changes, armor debuffs would need to be re-worked to be % based as well. That is a separate issue and not discussed.