Personally I'm not really sure I like the idea of changing mf, but Blizzard seems intent on changing it anyway. So if changing MF is the only option then here is my personal solution. I like option 4 the best, but it has too many downsides, such as swapping a regular non-mf piece of gear and being penalized for 3 minutes. So here is my proposal. Make it so only when you equip an item that increases your mf you are penalized for 3 minutes, and remove the part where your mf drops to 0% for the 3 minutes. Here are a few examples:
Your total mf is currently 100%.
Take off an item with 15% mf on it.
Exactly what you expect to happen happens. Your mf drops to 85%.
Now you are at 85% mf.
MF was not increased and no penalization was incurred.
Now put back on item with 15% mf on it.
Your mf remains at 85% for 3 minutes.
3 minutes later you are back at 100% mf.
You switched an item that increased your mf, and are penalized for 3 minutes.
Now you are at 100% mf.
Switch 15% mf gloves for gloves with 10% mf.
Your mf drops to 95% without having to wait 3 minutes.
Your mf was not increased and no penalization was incurred.
This modified option 4 will basically minimize any negative secondary affects that may impair your gameplay due to the mf changes. Please comment and state whether or not you like this change and discuss why. Thanks.
If it could work in the existing tech, I think I could see this as a valid compromise. As I don't know how the systems have been put in place, I'm just not sure it would be realistically feasible. +1 for putting some thought into it, I'd say post it on the official MF post so it gets seen.
I was going to post something pretty similar to this, though under the auspices of option #3. It amounts to the same thing as using the lowest MF you had at some point in the last 3 minutes with sampling happening whenever a new item is equipped. I think this is the best solution though, and it's simple enough to add a tooltip, a different colored font and a number in () to indicate what's going on here.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
...and if you disagree with me, you're probably <insert random ad hominem attack here>.
It's better than the original #4 but I still like #2 and #3 (with using the avg) because they don't affect normal players as much.
Your solution still harms players that switch gear (typically for more/less survivability for a fight) that just happens to have MF on it. For example, my current shield has 20% MF and when I switch it for a kill (typically at the start of the fight), I wouldn't get this benefit. It would be a bearable solution but I would be a bit letdown that my MF on my shield is now completely worthless since I don't normally run with a shield.
Option 3: Use your average MF% or your lowest MF% of the last 5 minutes
Or in your case 3 minutes.
But yeah, I think this is the best idea there is.
I think the problem with their original option 3 is that you can basically see a pack coming, put on your MF gear and wait for the system to update or just use the MF gear for normal monsters so the system knows that you're using the MF gear, then kill the pack with different gear. It pretty much makes the system exploitable again, just in a different way.
I like the average idea except that it still seems like it could cause problems. The system listed in this post seems to be the most reasonable mix of the systems. I'm just afraid that the Average MF system was suggested by Blizz because this type of system might not be technically doable in D3.
I still suggest putting in the official thread if you haven't already.
I like this a lot. It doesn't penalize someone like me who runs around in gear that has MF + stats and never swaps (and, if I do swap, it is only to take down some tough Act III pack and I don't care about MF at that point anyway).
Thanks guys, and yes I did post it in the official thread. I'm just afraid it won't get seen in the masses of posts.
The funny thing is that I posted the same thing on the Official forums (twice), but like you said, I think nobody will ever see it. Good job putting that idea on Diablofans :3 I hope Blizzard ends up looking at it, since it wouldn't hurt MF and legit players.
Quoting myself from the Forums:
Option 4 - But Zero'ing only your newly equipped gear AND Keeping the MF from NV buffs and old equipped set. (Basically, Setting a Cooldown on NEWLY equipped items for MF to actually work)
That means that you would keep your MF and get no benefits from actually gear Swapping.
(Also, Not punishing people that legitimately need to Swap a 2h/Dual Wield for a Shield in combat, as an example)
Even tho, I actually enjoy gear Swapping, because it makes me an easy target and Drops without my MF gear are just... plain bad.
Besides all that, add a gear-swap option along with Option 2 or 4. (At least for Weapon/Shield swaps, just like in Diablo 2)
The funny thing is that I posted the same thing on the Official forums (twice), but like you said, I think nobody will ever see it. Good job putting that idea on Diablofans :3 I hope Blizzard ends up looking at it, since it wouldn't hurt MF and legit players.
Yeah, the idea is to appeal to blizzard's goal of eliminating gear swapping while also trying to prevent any unnecessary inconveniences due to the change.
This is nice, but if they dicide to implement solution 4 as it is now, i will be happy. Just becouse it kills MF swap without hurting normal players.
#4 as is does hurt normal players.
if i swap to a shield for defense against an elite pack i see that looks like trouble, it will make my MF 0% and i will have to wait 3 minutes to engage them with my normal MF%
Your total mf is currently 100%.
Take off an item with 15% mf on it.
Exactly what you expect to happen happens. Your mf drops to 85%.
Now you are at 85% mf.
MF was not increased and no penalization was incurred.
Now put back on item with 15% mf on it.
Your mf remains at 85% for 3 minutes.
3 minutes later you are back at 100% mf.
You switched an item that increased your mf, and are penalized for 3 minutes.
Now you are at 100% mf.
Switch 15% mf gloves for gloves with 10% mf.
Your mf drops to 95% without having to wait 3 minutes.
Your mf was not increased and no penalization was incurred.
This modified option 4 will basically minimize any negative secondary affects that may impair your gameplay due to the mf changes. Please comment and state whether or not you like this change and discuss why. Thanks.
You have correctly identified that the penalty only really needs to be incurred if you're increasing MF, and not if you're decreasing it.
Your solution still harms players that switch gear (typically for more/less survivability for a fight) that just happens to have MF on it. For example, my current shield has 20% MF and when I switch it for a kill (typically at the start of the fight), I wouldn't get this benefit. It would be a bearable solution but I would be a bit letdown that my MF on my shield is now completely worthless since I don't normally run with a shield.
I think the problem with their original option 3 is that you can basically see a pack coming, put on your MF gear and wait for the system to update or just use the MF gear for normal monsters so the system knows that you're using the MF gear, then kill the pack with different gear. It pretty much makes the system exploitable again, just in a different way.
I like the average idea except that it still seems like it could cause problems. The system listed in this post seems to be the most reasonable mix of the systems. I'm just afraid that the Average MF system was suggested by Blizz because this type of system might not be technically doable in D3.
I still suggest putting in the official thread if you haven't already.
The funny thing is that I posted the same thing on the Official forums (twice), but like you said, I think nobody will ever see it. Good job putting that idea on Diablofans :3 I hope Blizzard ends up looking at it, since it wouldn't hurt MF and legit players.
Quoting myself from the Forums:
Yeah, the idea is to appeal to blizzard's goal of eliminating gear swapping while also trying to prevent any unnecessary inconveniences due to the change.
#4 as is does hurt normal players.
if i swap to a shield for defense against an elite pack i see that looks like trouble, it will make my MF 0% and i will have to wait 3 minutes to engage them with my normal MF%
And may the odds be ever in your favour.
Emmo#2406
Let's try not to derail the thread please, and thanks guys for the support.