Rare Weapons (in General)

From Item meta stats. Katana and a few weapons below it:

Katana 611
Scythe 134
Two-Handed Flail 472
Great Axe 349
Halberd 314
Lochaber Axe 293
Beaked Axe 91
Claymore 139
Morning Star 95

Now isn't the Katana supposed to be "rare"? ;)

(of course I'm deliberating ignoring the 3191 whips that are the next weapon on the list)

"rare" is relative to demand...

I thought it was seen as rare, based on CB.

Whether it spawns in stores or not.

Sigh ... it was a facetious comment based on the fact that katana's are probably one of the least "rare" weapons. Hence the smiley.

Which was the whole basis of a thread of mine a little while ago about players not needing to move up the weapon ranks when you can pick up a Kat in auctions for 10-20K, cheaper than the store sells things like Beaked Axes...

there's just too many items in the system, nothing is that 'rare' anymore. A couple of million can buy you any (base) equipment on CB.

A Katana [74x2] (+2) ($9,772) ends in 01:51:37

10K in the Weapon Store gets you;

A Battle Axe [44x6] (+0) $10,639

Which would you purchase? And which would you advise a new player to?

That Katana auction ended at $10,261.

Less than a Battle Axe from the store...

If you're going to run a tank you're better off getting some Helms, train UC and fight until about 300k MPR then switch to a decent (rare) weapon and move the UC XP into evasion/bloodlust/archery. You should have a decent basic stats at that point as well, and have saved some money because you've been using a 'free' weapon.

I can't remember the last time I bought anything other than a whip or rapier in the store...

Of course that's not necessarily advice I'd give to a new player. ;)

That' the point Johnny, no one would give a new player advice on purchasing a Battle Axe, or Tular. They would be advised to make a Mage, UC Tank, Rent a Rare, use a Famliar for damage, or just save the 10K for a Kat/xec from auctions.

Which ever way it is, no new player will be advised to buy anything past a whip/rapier from the store. And there's no reason for an existing player either.

They are they, just like DCMs and Huemes, as newbie traps.

Actually, we commonly recommend two-handed flails and other high-base "commons"...

Why? When they'er so much moer expensive than a Kat/Exec, and not always in the store, like rares.

There's no 2H Flail in the weapon store or Auction atm, for info.

When they insist on getting a good weapon, we point out the best one available at the time. A thf is often that item. If something cheaper and better is in auction ending soon, we'll recommend that.

But why give a temporary quick fix in something like a 2H Flail, when for the same amount of cash (if not less...) they can rent a better weapon while waiting for a Kat/Exec to appear in auctions?

I remember Jons answer to this being players liked 'moving up' through the weapon ranges, as part of character growth.

But with NUB cash rewards and the cheap as chips prices of the low end rares, does *any* player actually move up through the weapon ranks any more?

It just sems to me to be so easy to (at the most, if something like UC/DD isn't used...) start with a small weapon, as MPR allows, then just buy straight into the rares.

Sorry! Really not trying to hammer my opinion home but from Rentals;

A Blacksword of Nan Elmoth [92x145] (+38) $2,527,966 $10,000 7 days 3 / 18 days

You couldn't buy a 2H Flail for that.

And if the problem is the high NW going over WA and raising PR too much, then rent a smaller weapon, for the same sort of money.

Like;

A Blacksword of Nan Elmoth [92x86] (+6) $687,951 $10,000 7 days 3 / 1 day 09:17:34

With the NUB rewards, WA should grow nice enough to allow the use of rented rares while waiting to purchase your own Katana (after the inital use of your base Rapier/Whip)

And exisitng players should already have thier own items sorted.

Maybe so, but some newer players insist that they own their own equipment, and 'now', we point them in the direction of what they want. Can't force someone to take the best route if they prefer to take another...

True, which is why it's a newbie trap, like the DCM and Heaume.

Don't forget the CoC... :(

Speaking of which, I'd like to make yet another enhancement request. It would make a CoC much more useful if you added a special ability, like reduce AMF affects on CoC to 1/3 of it's current level. Most of the complaints I've heard about it are about the AMF hits they take. Perhaps even treat it as physical damage.