Changes for Phoenix Armor

Hello dear UORers, I want to start a discussion on a rather specific item: the Phoenix Armor.

The Phoenix Armor is a high end BOD reward, and provides you colored, named, newbied, not-by-normal-means-repairable (fort powder necessary), stealth preventing, meditation-destroying, NON-exceptional ringmail armor pieces.
A complete set weights 53 stones (pretty much) and provides 23 AR in total. Due to it being a high-end rare BOD reward, a complete set has been valued somewhere between 3 and 5mil.
In comparison, a complete barbed leather set weights 16 stones, provides 31 AR in total and is medable. It costs roughly 2k. You can increase the AR value even by using a different helmet.

With the low armor rating and due to its prevention of meditation the Phoenix Armor can hardly be considered practical. I know there are several complete sets outside, but I never saw anybody apart from me wearing a piece so far. I only wear it for RPing, e.g. at dungeon crawls or Paw adventures, when I roll out with my Phoenix Thief guild tag.
One could argue, that the suit is not made for wearing and only a deco tool, but this makes the newbied-feature unnecessary. It's meant to be worn in my opinion.

In conclusion, we have a high-end armor set that is not practical in any sense and without a real market (last pieces of deeds and complete sets haven't sold as far as I know. I think the BODers don't even make them anymore because of the lack of market demand).
I doubt that this is a desirable situation and want to propose some changes/improvements for the armor. Just some brainstormed ideas in order to start a discussion:

PvM suggestions:
- Increase armor rating to exceptional quality, something around 40 AR? (easy implementation).
- Make them repairable. (easy and quite unimportant change)

Probably too much:
- Add some kind of fire property (it's called Phoenix for some reason!), e.g. a chance to burn attacking monsters for fire dmg making it feasible for non-tamers to manage small things like the Tier 1 champ spawns. Only for monsters, not PvP!
- Another idea for fire properties: Add a chance to reflect fire based spells. Only monster spells, not PvP! The percentage should be chosen that way that the armor is not overpowered.
- Some kind of bonus for a COMPLETE set? Fire resistance?

RP suggestions:
- Add a Light Aura: There have been some discussions about miners helmets providing light like torches. Something like that for the Phoenix armor would be neat and fitting RP-wise.

- Prevent fire based monsters (e.g. fire elementals or all the lava monsters) from attacking the wearer unless he attacks first.
Probably too much:
- Crazy idea: Make ONE phoenix monster tameable with the armor for a limited time or let you choose to summon a not-so-strong phoenix hawk for a high-amount of mana and a limited time, similar to the eight-cycle daemon summon.

Disclaimer: I am by far far from(!) neutral on this topic as I own one of the sets. I could very well live without any changes and would still use it for RP. It's just a bunch of suggestions, because nobody really wants or uses this type of armor. Right now, it's just a wasted BOD reward opportunity. I am sure, the staff has enough other projects going on, but some of these proposals can be implemented very easily (Increase of AR or light levels).

I'm usually not opposed to ideas like this, I mean, I want daemon bone armor to be improved too. However, I'm not sure if I'd like to see a bunch of ugly orange men running around the world.
Now you may say this would be a rare occurance but if you make this suit highly desirable, there will be more and more people fielding them in no time at all.

You could also make it literally indestructible. That way theres a trade off. Yes its inferior in protection to even a similar suit of iron, but it will never break and you keep it even after death.

Fun suggestions - also, last I checked, it also causes dex loss whereas standard ringmail now does not.

I had a set, but ended up selling it because of 1) value decreases over time, 2) dex loss, and 3) low AR.

I wouldn't be against seeing it get some perks, but overall don't really have an opinion on it.

You are right, they shouldn't be common sight and I can hardly estimate the real amount of them sitting in BOD books waiting to be made.

If you consider, that they are non-medable (I think they should stay that way, will edit the OP), you would see them only as often as you see chainmail. Mainly on dexxers or RP knights. So a very rare sight when you consider the costs of getting a set.

The most reasonable thing, I can assume, is an increase in AR to exceptional levels and maybe some kind of yellowish shine for RP.

I'm all up for improving the armour, it should reflecting to a greater armour value than even valorite ringmail.
In fact, make them even med friendly (why not? It's an armour made of phoenix stuff, phoenixes can meditate) but we make it more Felucca.

Make it shining too.

I'm all up for both changes (to a reasonable level, no taming phoenixes please) but let's make it clear we're not Trammel here.

It should NEVER be blessed.

That stuff costs 3-5mil per set and is a high-end BOD reward (very rare). Without blessing/newbied it will only be used in CTFs or instances...

But without any reasonable AR, it's not used at all. Just try to find a balance in between. Meditation + high chainmail armor makes it overpowered.

I like the idea.

Just afraid that there will be people afking everywhere in orange suits...


*Thinks*
Maybe it could be a reason for Sea C Avenger to change his clothes every once in a while.
*laughs*

Haha, but don't forget one thing. These things can be destroyed, e.g. with enough hits from a mace.

I agree that it should have some better AR. I don't think out needs special fire properties. I always thought it was called Phoenix armor because it keeps coming back.

Edit: stupid phone autospell

If RP value is the goal, adding a light effect would be the best option.

I'd love to know why the "no, dont touch it" voters chose that way. I mean, 23AR for a 53 stones set that costs more than 3mil is pretty lousy, or not? Why vote against normal usability? I can understand why people would vote against fire properties tough.

There's no denying that phoenix armor is already one of the finest tools in the bank sitters toolbox.

I have never seen a piece in a players bag. And I have seen alot bags!

I think adding a light aura is the best idea. I won't affect any other part of the game, adds some cool RP value, anyone can ignore it by using light filters.

Voted no because I really think the newbie status is enough. It is already thoroughly unique that way.

Making it stronger for PvM just gives the TRAMMEL-LOL crowd more ammunition to bitch about. Adding RP components is a nice touch, but I would prefer that those kinds of properties are more accessible to the masses.

I voted no because it is meant as an aesthetic rare not really for using in the field of battle.

Upon further thought though a little function like holding a torch for RPers would be cool but other than that I wouldn't want anything messed with certainly not any elemental effect or anything and increasing its usability I don't really agree with because it was never meant to be used in a standard fashion IMO.

.

ya i always viewed it as Deco. Like deamon bone or ranger armor.

And on this server - pitted armor and other types of holiday rare armors....

On one hand you say its worth 3 mill and on the other you havn't seen any of it buiying and selling... so maybe its overpriced at 3 mill but as a cool rare....

Not even sure why its newbired... Deamon Bone, Pitted Plate,etc arn't newbied
Hell Ranger Armor looks like regular spined .. not even special hued ....

(I voted +RP bonus, but the more i think about it ... i dont like the newbiedness either )

It should be at least Exceptional in defensive capability, IMO. It's like 3000 times the cost of actual exceptional ringmail, so it's not like it's some advantage the wearer couldn't otherwise afford to have at essentially all times. And Ringmail armor is terrible anyways. I mean, magic ringmail of hardening would still be better defensively than exceptional ringmail, and you wouldn't pick up hardening ringmail if you saw it on the ground at a bank.

It should also be blessed, like it actually was in era.