TERA Online Item System Guide

TERA Online Item System Guide

Recently we wrote about how to use the many and varied enhancement crystals found in TERA. At the time we touched briefly on the weapons and armor they are paired with, but did not go into too much detail. We got some great feedback, and an even greater batch of requests for more, More, MORE information about gear.

You ask, we listen.

What’s Old Is New Is Even Newer

Since the last North American focus group, TERA has undergone some significant user experience upgrades. We felt we needed more diverse items. Not only more of them, but more options from which users can customize their play styles.

Just some of the ways a warrior gets ready for work in the morning!

One of the things we heard most often was that at a certain point, players were just not getting new gear fast enough to keep pace with more dangerous opponents, and those opponents were not dropping items commensurate with their challenge. Compounded by characters within a given class using the same weapons and wearing the same clothes, it was hard to really get into what makes the individual play experience so special.

Today’s game now sports ten times as many weapons and armor items as we showed off early in 2010, and that’s not all. We’ve added different enhancement crystals, more ways to get items, revised quest rewards and procedures, and changed the way crafting interacts with the leveling curve. There are even “unique” items that are only available through specific in-game channels.

Clothes make the elf.

There are now items named after rare monsters encountered in the field, as well as “bosses” within instanced dungeons. Some drop from the creature directly, while others can be purchased with tokens earned through instances or quests. Battleground reward items designed for PvP are another new feature, as well as an increased chance to craft something truly special while you’re whittling away through those boundless stacks of gatherables.

Where to Get Those Wonderful Toys

Daneen McDermott (one of EME’s writers and a hardcore gamer herself) explains, “Everything you get off a monster is useful. There are no “junk” items taking up space in your backpack. If you or someone in your group can’t use a weapon or armor set, you can pass it along to another one of your characters through the shared bank, or try to extract some usable components from it for crafting.”

Equipment items come to you in a variety of ways and forms. Monster drops and quest rewards have more varied rarity, and can be easily distinguished from similar items by the color of the name. Common (white), Uncommon (green), Rare (blue), and Superior (orange) items begin distinguishing your character from the other sword and spell slingers almost immediately.

The grades aren’t just a rarity system. They also represent power. Uncommon (and higher) grade items have special qualities built in—like extra enhancement crystals that can never break. As the grade of item goes up, so do the number of special qualities. Some qualities are available only on items earned by defeating instance bosses, so be on the lookout!

Replace, Recycle, Reinforce

Another new feature, the enchanting ability, allows you to improve an item in the field, combining your favorite gear and other materials into something even better. The ingredients used to enchant the item don’t have to be of the same rarity, and you can even use an equivalent item from another class entirely!

The new item will have increased basic stats (attack, defense, and so on), and at certain levels, the process activates additional abilities. Items that can be enchanted in this way have an expanded panel (see above), with the potential powers (gray) listed. Once an item has been reinforced to the appropriate level, the power is ready to go. There may even be a visible effect from the process, further distinguishing your gear from the off-the-rack pack.

And That’s Not All!

There’s a simplified crafting system, new item types (such as throwable weapons) and more variety in color and appearance, and a lot more to tell you about as we get closer to launch. The temptation to just keep writing about them all is strong, but the temptation to sign off and go play TERA is stronger!