Welcome back, everyone!
It’s every ARPG player’s favorite time: loot!
Let’s take a closer look at the main criteria used to categorize your gear.
Classes
The class of an item refers to its category, ranging from weapons like rifles, revolvers, and shotguns to accessories such as rings, trinkets, and poker cards.
Affixes
You're probably familiar with the term, but if you're not: affixes are modifier lines attached to an item. They can range from simple stats like Increased Attack Speed to more complex ones, such as Reduced Reload Movement Penalty.
They are categorized into prefixes and suffixes, and each modifier can only appear once on an item. That means you cannot have another Movement Speed affix if your item already has one.
Items also have a limit of six affixes, and they cannot have more than four prefixes or four suffixes. For example, if you're trying to add a new prefix to a five-affix item that already has four prefixes, the crafting will fail.
The pool of affixes available to an item is directly tied to its class. Rifles have a different pool than gloves, for instance. However, some affixes can appear across multiple item classes.
Here, we can see the difference between an item in our inventory with three affixes and our equipped item, which has only two.
Qualities
An item’s quality directly affects the strength of its affixes. The higher the quality, the greater the bonus. It's important to note that this bonus only applies to affixes, not base values and/or implicits.
Rusted
Barely holding together. Corrosion eats at its surface, joints grind when moved, and every use risks total failure. It’s functional in the loosest sense of the word.
Quality Effect Bonus: 0%
Worn
Used hard and repaired often. Scratches, dents, and faded markings tell a long story of service. It still works as intended, but shows clear signs of age and fatigue.
Quality Effect Bonus: 20%
Sturdy
Well-maintained and dependable. Built from solid materials and cared for properly, this equipment performs reliably under normal conditions with no unpleasant surprises.
Quality Effect Bonus: 50%
Pristine
Immaculate and expertly kept. Free of flaws, wear, or defects, it looks and performs as if it just left the workshop—often better than most ever will.
Quality Effect Bonus: 100%
You can see above that this item has a higher Chance to Chain thanks to its increased quality.
Masterwork
Pinnacle of craftsmanship. Every detail is intentional, every component perfectly balanced. This equipment exceeds expectations, offering superior performance and an enduring legacy worthy of admiration.
Masterworks are generated with curated, predefined modifiers and generally cannot be modified through crafting currencies or mechanics unless explicitly stated.
Tiers
An item’s tier determines its base stats and the tier of affixes it can generate. It’s represented by Roman numerals, from I to VIII (1 to 8).
A tier VIII item can roll any affix in its pool, from tier 8 down to 1, while a tier III item is limited to tier 3 and below.
Rings, Belts, and Amulets do not have tiers, while Trinkets have tiers from 1 to 4.
Above, you can see a comparison of Weapon Damage between a Tier I and a Tier VIII item.
It’s important to note that, even though high-tier equipment is more likely to generate higher-tier affixes, it can still roll lower ones.
As always, all of this information is subject to change, especially the numbers and visuals.
For this demo, you can expect to see equipment from tiers I to III and all five qualities, including the first batch of Masterwork items.
Now it’s time to combine everything you’ve learned from the Tarot and Poker cards and decide how you want to play The Dark West.
If you missed them, here are quick links to each:
Tune in next week for more from the world of The Dark West.
Don’t forget to check out our official Discord server, where you can help shape the game through polls and by sharing your feedback.
And if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to wishlist The Dark West!