Curse

lord_shar · Jun 02, 2007, 12:08 AM // 00:08

Most FoW armors (especially for core-classes) look unremarkable and quite primitive compared to newer expansion armors like Vabbi. This is probably a direct consequence of better resources and talent being available to ANET after its initial GW Prophecies title posted nice company profits.

I've made more than enough ecto to buy several suits of FoW armors, but FoW's lack of visual appeal has always stopped any serious consideration of buying a complete suit. I have one online friend who regrets their FoW warrior armor purchase -- simply not enough visual bang for the investment.

In short: people can spend a lot, but all that shows is spending power, not taste.

Aera Lure · Jun 02, 2007, 12:52 AM // 00:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by lord_shar

In short: people can spend a lot, but all that shows is spending power, not taste.

Humbug.

I do agree with you that there are some more detailed sets, but more detailed =/= more elegant or better designed necessarily. I'll also agree with you that for my own tastes, there arent many fissure sets I would actually buy.

The Herbalizer · Jun 02, 2007, 01:13 AM // 01:13

fow armour hasnt deserved respect or status cred for a long long while. like so long i cannot remember, im thinking around 2006.

its so common that my guild got like 20 people to all meet up in grotto with fow armour on and got called alot of nasty names, sadly i missed it

i only buy if it looks good. my war will never own purely because too many war have.

hi pavia / treya

Edge Martinez · Jun 02, 2007, 01:29 AM // 01:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by freekedoutfish

Do people see someone in FOW armor and think "Nice one" or do they think "Bah, I bet their just rich"?

Neither for me. The only FoW armor I like is the Mesmer's, and I'm not dressing up a pack mule... more than he already is with 15k enchanters. I don't begrudge people at all if they wear FoW armor. If they like it, more power to them. It's just not my cup of tea, as I prefer other sets. And I doubt long time players begrudge them either, because we know how to make money in game.

I can feel Obsidian Armor peoples pain though. With the drop in ecto, alot more people are going for it, and it is becoming less and less unique. How do I feel that pain? Some armors were very unique, and you'd see at most 2 people in it in some of the busier areas, because the stats weren't ideal. Now with inscribable Prophecies and Factions armor, you see alot more of the formerly unique skins... like 15k Drakescale, and 15k Bonelace.

Criminally Sane · Jun 02, 2007, 01:40 AM // 01:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mai

Armor is armor, nothing more.

I respect players who deserve it not simply because they have a FoW set or the likewise of high end items.

Thread over. Respecting someone for owning an item/armor is meaningless.

Lord Sojar · Jun 02, 2007, 04:01 AM // 04:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

FoW armor is like a title in some ways. Costs about the same as some and is about as common as some. Its still not as common as some other armor types, but its certainly far more so than it used to be back in the Prophecies-only era.

Prestige symbol? Not so much. Not to me anyway. Not any more or less so than any number of titles which can also be purchased. It certainly stands for investment of time in the earnings needed to get it (because I do not ever first assume someone eBayed it). Certainly means the player has or had access to a means of good income and the dedication to see it through. I respect that always. In the end, I am always more impressed with someone's play and attitude towards others than their armor. That's the most "prestigious" thing in the game.

I got mine for my monk back when the only option for +energy armor was either tatoos or Fissure. Hated the tatoos and absolutely loved the look of female fissure. So there you go. For me it was simply ascetics. Choice of dye and if you mix with other parts and how you choose to do so is also a very nice thing to see and i look for that I admit. Fun to see what people do in that regard. Mine is a mix (Treya only wears FoW chest and pants).

Yeh Pav, Sojar my monk is the same way, just the pants and chest. Speaking of which, I haven't seen you in FOREVER. How is my old friend? :P

Plague · Jun 02, 2007, 04:21 AM // 04:21

I see people in Obsidian armor all the time. I can't say I've ever been impressed.

Make an armor that is rewarded to those that are capable of beating an impossibly difficult mission, far beyond the difficulty of say, Urgoz's, and we'll talk about respect.

That's like asking me if I respect people I see in limos. Of course not.

lord_shar · Jun 02, 2007, 04:28 AM // 04:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

Humbug.

I do agree with you that there are some more detailed sets, but more detailed =/= more elegant or better designed necessarily.
...<SNIP>...

Who said anything about more detail quantity = better aesthetics? I certainly didn't lol

Kool Pajamas · Jun 02, 2007, 06:31 AM // 06:31

Not at all.

If it's one of the few nice looking armors(most fow sucks imo) I may compliment it, but it doesnt mean anything about the player other than he/she has money.

sindex · Jun 02, 2007, 06:50 AM // 06:50

With Ecto prices falling just a bit shy of Rubies, it’s hard for me to say now. I mean it’s still way expensive nevertheless, but the value in looks (especially that of the original professions) is defiantly falling in the way of eye candy. At least to me that is, it’s all about personal preference. However that could all change if A-net decides to make another set for FoW armor or another new elite realm area. Alas that idea would rattle a few people cages, in sense if they already have FoW armor already.

Aera Lure · Jun 02, 2007, 06:55 AM // 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Herbalizer

fow armour hasnt deserved respect or status cred for a long long while. like so long i cannot remember, im thinking around 2006.

its so common that my guild got like 20 people to all meet up in grotto with fow armour on and got called alot of nasty names, sadly i missed it

i only buy if it looks good. my war will never own purely because too many war have.

hi pavia / treya

Hey Herb.

Yeah, its all personal preference. I only ever buy armor because I like it.

Patrick Smit · Jun 02, 2007, 06:59 AM // 06:59

As most people I just like the looks of a few, mesmer is the only one I would consider but currently I'm not willing to invest as I'm not playing with him much. And since the introduction of insignias on other then NF armor (Mesmer NF doesnt look too nice imo) there are even nice possibilities with tyrian armor. The enchanters looks nice too and is fully colourable.

Warrior FoW is kinda Michelin, while primevial or kurzick is too common, Ill go get him maybe elite sunspear if it is an improvement or normal sunspear ones. While templar may be an option, but its kinda chubby

erkun · Jun 02, 2007, 07:21 AM // 07:21

The FOW armor... is just an armor set. No inherent bonuses that other armors cannot provide. And not all of them look good, anyway. The things that really amaze me are those PVP titles. Seeing someone flash those fame emotes makes me drool.

Aera Lure · Jun 02, 2007, 07:24 AM // 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by lord_shar

Who said anything about more detail quantity = better aesthetics? I certainly didn't lol

I was only disagreeing with "all that shows is spending power, not taste." Some people like certain fissure sets. Really just comes down to preference. That's why I got mine, but its certainly true to that for others it has more to do with prestige and a way to show spending power.

Quite primitive, unremarkable, lack of visual appeal, not enough visual bang for the investment compared to newer sets that have more talent and resources behind them. I was reacting more to that than you're specifically saying less detail = less aesthetics. That was simply how I paraphrased, because again, some people like the aesthetics shown in some of the fissure armors, and others dont.

Aera Lure · Jun 02, 2007, 07:29 AM // 07:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rahja the Thief

Yeh Pav, Sojar my monk is the same way, just the pants and chest. Speaking of which, I haven't seen you in FOREVER. How is my old friend? :P

Heya Soj. That's a good way to go with monk fissure, yeah. Saves a bit, if that matters, and can end up looking a bit more unique. There's some great options to replace the other pieces.

I "retired" for a while, but it obviously didnt stick lol. I missed the game. Having a great time playing again. Suppose that's all that matters, right?

Eilsys · Jun 02, 2007, 07:39 AM // 07:39

I guess I don't really have anything to add, but I do agree with some previous posters that, yes, it is somewhat of a symbol of status to newer players. Heck, even a suit of Droks Tormentor's armour was rather impressive to me, as a new player ("Wow, 70 AR! And it costed *how* much?"). I'd love a set for my second Monk, but I'm fine with 15k Canthan on my main one.

And about the cost; I've been playing for a long time, and I definitely am nowhere near the amount I need for a set. It may be easy if you farm a lot, but it certainly takes a lot of time/effort spent playing if you aren't lucky and get a nice drop or two.

kobey · Jun 02, 2007, 07:39 AM // 07:39

I got myself a warrior set 2 months after release of faction cos i tot I was quitting and decided to spend my gold.

Forgot the reason why I din quit. Bought another 2 sets (ele and ranger) during NF.

Guess the reason why I bought fow armors is because I dun really know where else to spend my money at. To me, r8 and r13 weapons are the same as long as the req are met

Oh forgot to add, I also bought those fow armors cos i liked them. However it still hurts a little that ectos prices have dropped to half of wat it used to be, and almost everyone can buy a set now

ogre-mage · Jun 02, 2007, 07:47 AM // 07:47

I have FoW armor for Necro, Ele, and Monk, because they actually look good. Took me a long time to get even one set, and my monk set I admit I 'ebayed'. But for the most part, yes. Fow armor did at one point mean that the wearer was a good player. It still does, it's just dramatically cheapened by the cheapness that the game has become. With ectos @ 5k a pop, and 1mil @ about 80-90$, any asshole who wants to look good can get a set. I really think the game was in its best place when ectos were about 10k, and the economy was actually an economy.

I hate that my months upon months of effort have come and amounted to practically nothing.

Eilsys · Jun 02, 2007, 07:55 AM // 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by ogre-mage

I hate that my months upon months of effort have come and amounted to practically nothing.

Why, did Gaile steal your Obsidian set or something? If you still have the armour, I think it's a bit silly to claim other people have ruined your ownership of the armour somehow. And if it has, you probably bought it for the wrong reason.

lord_shar · Jun 02, 2007, 07:57 AM // 07:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

I was only disagreeing with "all that shows is spending power, not taste." Some people like certain fissure sets. Really just comes down to preference. That's why I got mine, but its certainly true to that for others it has more to do with prestige and a way to show spending power.

The complete quote was "In short: people can spend a lot, but all that shows is spending power, not taste." The latter passes no judgements on personal taste... just the buyer's available buying resources. Besides, the two factors are completely independent of each other.

It's important to quote accurately if you want to maintain context.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aera Lure

Quite primitive, unremarkable, lack of visual appeal, not enough visual bang for the investment compared to newer sets that have more talent and resources behind them. I was reacting more to that than you're specifically saying less detail = less aesthetics. That was simply how I paraphrased, because again, some people like the aesthetics shown in some of the fissure armors, and others dont.

My original post was prefaced with "Most FoW armors...", not "All FoW armors." Some FoW armors do look nice, but others lack the attention to separate them from non-ascended armors.

The account about my guildy regretting their FoW armor purchase was true... no need to re-explain this part.

Detail quality was never covered in my original post, but since it is obviously present in more of the newer armors, it does demonstrate evolution and improvement in ANET's graphics modeling team. When 3D modelers use more polygons and textures to render an object, whether it be a sword, helm, or monster, the extra attention usually results in better visual quality. Let's face it: low-poly-count objects are easier to crank out but don't usually look as realistic as higher-poly-count objects.

Seriously, if you like a particular suit of armor, you should get it if you can afford the asking price. What others think doesn't matter.