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What's the reason behind soulbinding?
Zeus.CM
Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 1,788
General mmo question...I've always wondered, why this exists in mmos? Why every time I wish to use some shiny sword it has to be permanently bound to my character. Let's say I'm level 60 (out of 80) and I spend considerable amount of money to have a nice sword. Once I outlevel it, that expensive sword becomes worthless to me because I can't sell it and I can't even give to my alts. It's like buying a new car, you drive it for a while and suddenly it's value is halved because it was used except in my case value goes to zero...
My guess is equipment recycling. It would mean that the supply of that sword will oversaturate and inflate its price, is that it?
Comments
Yep, exactly, at least to my understanding. Otherwise equipment would saturate, drop in value due to over supply, and with tons of easy cheap equipment available there would be no reason to ride the gear treadmill.
I really hate the mechanism of soulbinding.
The logic is understandable with quest items. But with ordinary drops ?
I really rather have the mechanism of Lineage 2: Overenchanting.
You can enchant an item multiple times, but its tough to get the overenchanting scrolls and the item always has a chance to break (I think thats 25% or something).
The final effect is the same - actual items are rare. But the reason why they are rare is because there is a good reason why players would want to make them rare, instead of forcing them with soulbinding.
Soulbinding keeps new items valuable. If old items weren't removed from the game, the economy would end up in a situation where every player wants to sell the equipment the got while low level but don't need any more. There would be many more willing to sell than buyers, and the value of equipment would drop close to zero.
If the value of equipment would drop, not only would it affect trade, but it would make killing a boss for/crafting/questing for new low level equipment a waste of time when compared to just buying the low level equipment you need cheaply from someone other. It would create a situation where players don't really have incentive to see the low level content made by devs while they are leveling.
EDIT: Ofc if the equipment would permanently break, lose it's stats, or break while enchanting, that could also remove the equipment from trade just as effectively as soulbinding. But personally I prefer soulbinding in themepark games, those games are about progressing and playing them just to replace something they you lost is anticlimatic. In a sandbox environment, a mechanicsm like equipment breaking permanently might be better alternative then soulbinding /EDIT
Indeed the L2 way is the good way, wish more games took the same path. And it's 33% failchance.
It can be used by developers as a way to destroy currency in the game (to prevent inflation).
It also encourages players to repeatedly do an activity (keep them busy). Forces players to invest time for each of their playable characters instead of just using "hand me downs".
It ties in with the "carrot on a stick" method of gear progression.
In other words, it boils down to two reasons: currency and time sink.
Correct.
Correct. It's the opposite end of the item removal spectrum from durability/breakage.
There isn't a "right" or "wrong" way to play, if you want to use a screwdriver to put nails into wood, have at it, simply don't complain when the guy next to you with the hammer is doing it much better and easier. - Allein
"Graphics are often supplied by Engines that (some) MMORPG's are built in" - Spuffyre
Yes, economy and reward reasons, if items are soulbound you can throw them at players in heaps, players will be happy (of sorts) without breaking the time investment or anything.
Flame on!
I've played through multiple characters in WoW and on the ones I have used Hierloom gear while leveling you'd be amazed at how much MORE of a grind it feels like when you aren't hunting for and working for new items to equip while you level.
For those that dont' know, Hierloom gear can only be purchased by high level characters and is bound to all characters on your entire account (so you can give it to alts) and it changes stats based on your level so it keeps up with you as you level.
It's great for convenience, even gives you a little boost to XP gain, but I found it to be not as fun because A) your appearance never changes and
hunting for new gear and getting new / lucky drops and working w/ crafting as a way to stay geared etc. is a WHOLE LOT more fun than using Hierloom gear.
True, but you have to ask yourself if it is because you dont get gear, as you write, or because the leveling char has absolutely nothing to do to advance the account or the main char, due to bot craze and tier design, thus the new quested gear becoming the only entertaining thing in making an alt.
Flame on!
The lesser of two evils is still evil.
There is nothing more dangerous than a true believer.
I for one do believe that there should be more ties between characters on the same account.
I like how GW2 had a shared bank for example. I also think housing is a good choice for shared account assets.
I like account wide achievements.
Usually though, as you state, the higher level or more skilled/seasoned characters provide all the benefit for the lower alt with nothing going back in the other direction.
How would you make alts contribute to the account as a whole and their more veteran brother/sister characters?
In genereal it is harder in wows system, that champions that overleveling is always preferred, imagine you would have to gather skins of shadow on a 55-60 character for the shendralar faction back in the day of tbc and wotlk.
However many things can be done, monetary or token rewards for one-time story quests you can do while leveling, similar rewards from all quests, even tied to the number of heirloom items you carry (the more the more tokens), and if the tokens would offer a good reward, maybe even last tier marks at some rate, there is your incentive.
(But shared housing and achievments counts, too.)
As i said, it all boils down to the anti bot and tiered design, where a lv 20 CANNOT UNDER ANY CURCUIMSTANCES do anything that would be a significant help to a higher level.
As a matter of curiosity, i gathered my first 3k gold before level 20 on deviatefish
Flame on!