It is simply coded to allow all variations of Critical/Power/Defense+secondary stats. Changing it to only allow sensible combinations would mean a HUGE amount of work, because every craftable item will need to be checked for combo's which do and which don't make sense. I highly doubt the developers will have time for that.

 

Not to mention things can change, what happens if they remove it for 1.2 then in an expansion next year, they add some companions that are ranged tanks that DO use a sniper rifle?

 

Also, what one person considers useless (IE: Presence) another finds valuable.

 

As long as they do away with the "You already know that schematic" along with the improved RE chances that are comming, I think will be enough for the moment. The worst thing they could do would be to change it to the point where people start demanding they change it back.

The problem with "useless" stats is they arent. Yes I will openly admit that some combos are usless to player toons. However they are not useless to some compaions.

 

Not quite true. Some are truly useless.

 

You can make off-hand only, non-shield items, with +shielding. In order to benefit from this stat, you have to have a shield in your offhand. Needless to say, that makes it rather impossible to hold that non-shield offhand item.

 

Also, while medium armor tanking gear can technically be used by heavy armor tanks, why would they?

Not quite true. Some are truly useless.

 

You can make off-hand only, non-shield items, with +shielding. In order to benefit from this stat, you have to have a shield in your offhand. Needless to say, that makes it rather impossible to hold that non-shield offhand item.

 

Also, while medium armor tanking gear can technically be used by heavy armor tanks, why would they?

 

I think it's important to differentiate a couple of things:

 

1. Stats you can't see who'd use, for example Sniper Rifles with defense. You might not want to use it, but it still technically does something.

 

2. Useless stats, for example Sniper Rifles with Shield Rating. NOBODY, player or companion, can use a sniper rifle and a shield at the same time.

 

Medium tank armor is the former. The latter is more important.

2. Useless stats, for example Sniper Rifles with Shield Rating. NOBODY, player or companion, can use a sniper rifle and a shield at the same time.

 

Of course, if they ever added a sniper rifle using tank companion...

Yes. Vanguards do use shields, but I was not aware that they actually perform a tanking role outside of soloing. The ranged tank thing is weird.

 

Corso Riggs is also technically a ranged tank but I seriously doubt many folks use him with Bowdaar available, who uses Strength btw.

 

Also, the only people who ever buy my purple +Aim tanking gear are sages. Just sayin'.

 

Oh yes, we tank, and we do it both at range and in melee range, although we are most effective at melee range thanks to our super-tazer rifle stocks. Tanking only solo, lol...

Yes. Vanguards do use shields, but I was not aware that they actually perform a tanking role outside of soloing. The ranged tank thing is weird.

 

Corso Riggs is also technically a ranged tank but I seriously doubt many folks use him with Bowdaar available, who uses Strength btw.

 

Also, the only people who ever buy my purple +Aim tanking gear are sages. Just sayin'.

 

Actually, no, more Smugglers seem to use Corso, and he is indeed a (companion) tank. You get him first, so by the time you get Bowdaar, Corso is better geared. Plus Bowdaar isn't as effective with his AoEs turned off, so Corso is a better tank for Scoundrels who use a lot of CC.

 

In fact, I thought all the classes got a ranged tank companion, so not sure why you think it's so odd.

Edited March 10, 2012 by dizzyMongoose

Actually, no, more Smugglers seem to use Corso, and he is indeed a (companion) tank. You get him first, so by the time you get Bowdaar, Corso is better geared. Plus Bowdaar isn't as effective with his AoEs turned off, so Corso is a better tank for Scoundrels who use a lot of CC.

 

In fact, I thought all the classes got a ranged tank companion, so not sure why you think it's so odd.

 

It is the idea of a ranged tank that I find odd. I am aware of their existence across the board as companions. Tank is hard enough to accept as there is no real-life comparison, but at least a dude who is in your face refusing to allow you do anything other than fight him can make logical sense. A guy standing at range is going to have a harder time keeping your attention when you want to kill something else. It's just a problem I have with the concept, that is all.

Actually, it is not so much the concept, as the title that bothers me. "Ranged" does not work with "Tank". You never tank at range, they only have the title due to the type of weapon that they use. So its a bit confusing.

Well you are wrong on at least one count there: The Knight companion, Doc, uses a scattergun (shotgun) and uses cunning as his primary stat. As stated by others above, there are stat combinations that companions use that are not used by players.

Sorry, but you just shot your own argument in the foot, there. Every player character (and companion who I've investigated, including Doc, just to check you didn't mistype) who uses a scattergun has Cunning as their main stat. Cunning is what scatterguns should have. It's scatterguns with Aim that need eliminating.

 

Yes there are a couple of combinations that PCs don't use on one side or another. Can anyone give any examples of the ones I mentioned? There are still combinations found out in the loot tables which no entity that a player can add equipment to uses, and the developers can easily access that information.

Yes. Vanguards do use shields, but I was not aware that they actually perform a tanking role outside of soloing. The ranged tank thing is weird.

 

Corso Riggs is also technically a ranged tank but I seriously doubt many folks use him with Bowdaar available, who uses Strength btw.

 

Also, the only people who ever buy my purple +Aim tanking gear are sages. Just sayin'.

 

Yeah, I pretty much only used Corso up until I got Guss on my 'slinger. I've got a leadership rifle on him at the moment, but trying for a veracity like I got with the techblade. I'm not wholey sure about using oranges on comps. I have most crafts at 400, so not aversed to try to get purples with the right stats.

Yes there are a couple of combinations that PCs don't use on one side or another. Can anyone give any examples of the ones I mentioned? There are still combinations found out in the loot tables which no entity that a player can add equipment to uses, and the developers can easily access that information.

 

There is my assault cannon with cunning and shield/defence.

Sorry, but you just shot your own argument in the foot, there. Every player character (and companion who I've investigated, including Doc, just to check you didn't mistype) who uses a scattergun has Cunning as their main stat. Cunning is what scatterguns should have. It's scatterguns with Aim that need eliminating.

 

Yes there are a couple of combinations that PCs don't use on one side or another. Can anyone give any examples of the ones I mentioned? There are still combinations found out in the loot tables which no entity that a player can add equipment to uses, and the developers can easily access that information.

 

Thanks for pointing that out, but... you are the one who is mistaken, friend. If you bothered to read the post that I was responding to, and quoted in my post, you would realize that I was correcting another person who had said that cunning scatterguns were useless. When you say every player character, you mean scoundrels. One class that is hardly represented in the player base. But that is beside the point.

I'd assume the "no shotgun or vibriknife needs aim or cunning" was a mistype.

 

I think it was awkward phrasing. I believe "no shotgun or vibroknife needs aim or cunning, respectively" was closer to the meaning.

 

As another point, I'm not sure why some posts lump defense into the set of useless stats. Obviously some classes/companions get more use out of it than others, but everyone can at least use it in the sense that every class has a defense stat.

Regarding the silly stat combos being removed, I have seen this discussed, but I cannot remember where I saw it. There have been similar issues is almost every other game crafting structure, and eventually it does get cleaned up. UO had this issue, WoW had/has it (still has some goofy stuff there, like the ranged items with tank stats, or shields with ranged stats). It is a common problem, and you certainly don't want to spend time REing these things for an even fancier piece of useless junk or unsellable/unusable schematic. Just don't know when it will get fixed, because these issues do not seem to be gamebreakers.

Is there a more recent version of this thread, or is it worth this one being revisited?

These issues are still a problem, even moreso with new items and augments.