NEStalgia: Soulbound Equipment

ID:99420
 
Jul 29 2010, 10:16 am
Keywords: nestalgia
The concept of "Binds on Equip" or "Binds on Use" items is common in MORPGs. This brilliant game mechanic removes excess items from economy while still allowing players to find and trade rare items as they please.

I've been debating whether or not to implement a gear binding system into NEStalgia since day one. The plan was to wait and see how the Marketplace panned out and whether or not item trading became a big thing... and now we know the answer to that question!


A Soulbound item on the left, one that will bind upon being equipped on the right.


Here's a quick rundown of how this works:
  • "Binds on Equip" is represented by "EQUIP BINDS" in the item description HUD. This means that once you equip the item it becomes "Soulbound" forever.
  • Soulbound items cannot be placed on the Marketplace or traded to other players. You may sell them to NPC Vendors for gold.
  • Items are bound to a player's key and not a specific character. As such, subscribers will be able to use the shared vault to transfer gear for use on their alternate characters.
  • All Rares (the colored weapons/armor dropped from monsters) and Uniques are now "Binds on Equip".
  • All of your currently equipped gear will be automatically unequipped the first time you log into v1.20 to prevent it from becoming Soulbound.
  • "Binds on Pickup" items can also be found, represented by "PCKUP BINDS" in the HUD. These become Soulbound the moment you pick them up.
  • Examples of Binds on Pickup items: Any item given as a quest reward or that is found in treasure chests in the overworld.

Pretty standard MORPG stuff. The Binds on Pickup function mentioned above is actually just an evolution of the existing "No Auction" flag on quest rewards and treasure. The Black Sanctum may feature a set of Binds on Pickup drops from bosses, but that's down the road a bit past v1.20.


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In other news, I just found out that I'm finally going to be able to make the move from Los Angeles up to Seattle! Although work on NEStalgia will continue in my spare time, I'll be MIA from BYOND for the next couple weeks as I pack up and head north. My release target for v1.20 is still August - just a bit later in the month now.
Jul 29 2010, 11:40 am
I'm floored by how many people don't really understand that this will drive up the value on the market of these items. In fact, it might even be more pronounced in non-binding equipment. My only two cents to add in would be to increase the vendor resale value on them up a bit. The Obliterator goes for 175 right now. It really shouldn't go for less than 1k, since the market price is a solid 2500% markup over the vendor price. Give people a little less to whine about when their next upgrade comes around.
Jul 30 2010, 10:10 am
In reality there are maybe 2 or 3 players who actually have a problem with this new system... and from talking to them I can tell that it's largely because they don't understand it.

I'll make adjustments to resale values etc. accordingly based upon how things shake out. I'm always open for changes if they make the game better!