Incarnate shard drop identification.


Airhammer

 

Posted

Shard drops are represented with white splash text. I understand that, it's consistent with the theme of "common" drops. This does make it slightly difficult to distinguish between "Incarnate" and "Invention" with just a glance when one is, you know, somewhat focused on the enemies who are in the process of attempting to redecorate the walls with your organs, but since we do have the option of including reward text in a window, it's easy enough to confirm which type of item dropped with a second glance.

However, there's no drop sound associated with shards. None. Zilch. Nothing. So here's a perfect way to help players instantly recognize that a shard has dropped. Give it a unique sound. Recycle the sound used during Trick or Treating. Something. Anything other than the standard drop sound or silence.

This isn't a complaint, it's not really an issue if we're surprised to find that we've got more shards than we realized, but it would be an excellent opportunity to improve on the feedback that we get from this facet of the game.


 

Posted

I want it pink and sparkly! And with rainbow ponies!


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Rabbit View Post
I want it pink and sparkly! And with rainbow ponies!
God help me, but if they made it so that when you got a shard, a pink, sparkly pony rode across the screen trailing a rainbow like an old "the more you know" commercial, I'd crap skittles and explode in a shower of awesome.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminara View Post
I understand that, it's consistent with the theme of "common" drops.
That would be consistent if Incarnate Shards were common drops, which they most certainly aren't. They're probably more rare than actual Rare salvage, at least in terms of drop rate.

I do agree that something more distinct needs to be done with Incarnate Shards. I'd actually like to see either a purple message or at least a red message when one drops, plus a distinct sound.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

 

Posted

I'd like blue text. And better artwork for the shard itself, for that matter.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow View Post
That would be consistent if Incarnate Shards were common drops, which they most certainly aren't.
Right now, they're the most common type of incarnate salvage to drop.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow View Post
That would be consistent if Incarnate Shards were common drops, which they most certainly aren't. They're probably more rare than actual Rare salvage, at least in terms of drop rate.
Shards are common Incarnate salvage items. Actually, they're one step below common, but there isn't a color code to denote that, so they share the white used by common.

One tier above that is the actual common components, the ones obtained by completing specific T/SFs or through purchase with Vanguard merits.

The next step up is the uncommon Incarnate salvage, which is yellow in the Incarnate window. These are the ones which we create by combining a common component with eight shards.

All of this is based on the same theme that was used to create the Invention system, so it's a given that there will be rare Incarnate components, colored orange in keeping with the established pattern. There may even be purple Incarnate components used in the top tier boosts.

The fact that shards are the only Incarnate salvage items which actually drop, or what their drop rate is, is irrelevant. They're color coded white because they're bottom tier salvage for the system in which they're used. This prevents unnecessary confusion which would arise from, for example, players getting orange or purple shard drops and combining them into white or yellow components, which would be in contrast to the existing Invention system, and it means the developers don't have to create yet another color coding system which separately identifies Incarnate drops, which would also be confusing and add another unnecessary layer of complexity.

So it doesn't really matter if shards drop less frequently than purples, or as frequently as rare salvage, or rain down from the heavens like Rikti during a raid, it's where they reside on the Incarnate salvage list that determines color coding, not the drop rate. And since they're bottom tier Incarnate salvage, they're white.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luminara View Post
The fact that shards are the only Incarnate salvage items which actually drop, or what their drop rate is, is irrelevant.
It's just as irrelevant as the colour their names written in. My "Mission Failed" flash text comes out red despite failing missions not being more than very rare, just as an idle pointless comparison.

Incarnate Shards are the only part of the Incarnate system which drops, and their drop rate is almost the lowest drop rate of anything which actually drops, hence why they deserve a unique colour and a unique notification. Whether this notification has to be red, purple, orange or pink is irrelevant, because they need something unique to themselves. I'm partial to red with white polka dot, myself, but that's besides the point.

Shards need their own colour. Ideally something the system doesn't use at the moment, at least for drops, which would be green, blue, cyan, magenta and black, just off the top of my head.

*edit*
And "where they sit in the Incarnate system" is also completely irrelevant, since there's no stated rule that a drop's flash text should reflect its rarity. This was done as a cue to help people tell what it is they got, not as a hard and fast rule that cannot be broken. So if your idea is to help Shards be easier to tell when they drop, giving them a unique colour is the simplest way to go.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow View Post
It's just as irrelevant as the colour their names written in. My "Mission Failed" flash text comes out red despite failing missions not being more than very rare, just as an idle pointless comparison.
Red splash text is for warnings. It has absolutely nothing to do with rarity, of any sort. Your comparison has no bearing or connection to the drop system, how item drops are colored by tier or anything else being discussed in this thread.

Quote:
Incarnate Shards are the only part of the Incarnate system which drops, and their drop rate is almost the lowest drop rate of anything which actually drops, hence why they deserve a unique colour and a unique notification.
Then I suggest starting a new thread to discuss that, because that's not the purpose of this thread.

Quote:
*edit*
And "where they sit in the Incarnate system" is also completely irrelevant, since there's no stated rule that a drop's flash text should reflect its rarity.
Yes, as a matter of fact, there are rules for that. You not receiving a PM to inform you doesn't mean they don't exist or aren't followed. Just as there is a rule which says Defense is purple and Healing/Regen is green, there's a rule which says that splash text coloring is specific to different things. Red for warnings, blue for enhancement drops, white for drops which are common within a system (recipes, salvage), yellow for drops which are uncommon within a system, etc.

The developers don't throw stuff into the game at random, without any planning or design guidelines. Believe it or not, they actually spend more than thirty seconds thinking about how they're going to implement things, and they even try to maintain consistency in implementation. Shard drop notifications are white because shards are common Incarnate salvage, for the same reason that Nevermelting Ice drop notifications are white because they're common Invention salvage and Range recipes are white because they're common Recipes. The developers created those rules for themselves and follow them to maintain consistency. If you have an issue with those rules, take it up with them.

This sidetrack is over. If you'd like to continue to argue, debate or ***** about splash text coloring not making sense to you, start another thread. This one concerns audible feedback for shard drops.


 

Posted

You are wrong.

But fine, if you're going to throw insults in my face, then have it your way. You're the one who chose to derail your own thread with put-downs in my general direction. I hope you're happy with the result.

*edit*
As an idle point of fact, it is neither your right nor your place to tell me what I can post and where I can post it. If you feel I've broken any rules, report me. That's about as simple as it gets.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

 

Posted

I would suggest making the message for incarnate shard drops blue. It makes sense for multiple reasons.

First off, it's a color that's not used for any other drops, so it would be unique.

Second, the common/uncommon/rare color codes follow the color codes for the conning system. Incarnate shards are more common than common incarnate components, ergo, following the same system, they should be blue.


 

Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by firespray View Post
I would suggest making the message for incarnate shard drops blue. It makes sense for multiple reasons.

First off, it's a color that's not used for any other drops, so it would be unique.

Second, the common/uncommon/rare color codes follow the color codes for the conning system. Incarnate shards are more common than common incarnate components, ergo, following the same system, they should be blue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Samuel_Tow View Post
Shards need their own colour. Ideally something the system doesn't use at the moment, at least for drops, which would be green, blue, cyan, magenta and black, just off the top of my head.
I agree completely


Quote:
Originally Posted by Arcanaville View Post
Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

 

Posted

Yes please !!! Give them another color besides white and give them a drop sound as well.

I vote for blue as well.


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Posted

Quote:
Originally Posted by RosaQuartz View Post
I'd like blue text. And better artwork for the shard itself, for that matter.
Have something against recycled base salvage art?


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