I think it’s a problem how much stronger Ancestral items are than regular items.
The following post has been rewritten/structured by AI, but all the opinions are mine. Original post:
no AI post
When reaching Torment 1 and unlocking Ancestral Items, the gearing loop becomes “fill every slot with ancestral”. Almost every affix on an ancestral item will eclipse a regular item baseline, without the “ancestral upgrade” on an affix.
The situations where you would consider a regular legendary over an ancestral one;
- The Ancestral Upgraded affix is useless and the other affixes roll low.
- The regular item has 2 good affixes and the Ancestral only has 1 (enchanting).
- The regular item is an amulet with a powerful Passive Skill rank.
Problems this causes:
- Legendaries feel useless but still need to be picked up in case it has an Aspect upgrade. This is particularly tedious in Headhunt zones (Cocoon Event) and Roothold dungeons. In Rootholds I have often experienced having to empty my inventory multiple times in the same run.
- Ancestral legendaries are not as cool because they are pretty much the only usable dropped items, they become the default.
- Comparing items in your inventory vs equipped is not as interesting, because the determining factor is usually how many good affixes are upgraded, if any.
Basically, the gear comparisons become less interesting upon entering Torment, when it should be the opposite. The Ancestral Upgrade mechanic on drops is very interesting and I believe this should be added onto 750 item power items instead of being exclusive to 800 item power items, but same rarity as now.
Suggested changes:
- Make all legendary items cap out at 750 or 800, so the only difference between Ancestral and regular legendaries is “Ancestral Affixes”. Lower legendary droprate to compensate.
- (difficult fix) Add a true auto-salvage mechanic, where you salvage an item upon looting it, instead of the item spawning as a material. This could be part of Torment 3 or 4, or some kind of toggle (like turning off xp gain in World of Warcraft).
- Add a new tooltip on dropped items that show Legendary Aspect upgrades, so you can ignore the rest, like a loot filter of sorts.
Torment 1 & Ancestral Items – Gear Progression Feels Worse
When reaching Torment 1 and unlocking Ancestral Items, the gearing loop shifts to:
“Fill every slot with Ancestral.”
Almost every affix on an Ancestral item will outclass a regular Legendary, even without an Ancestral Upgrade on an affix.
When Would You Pick a Regular Legendary Over Ancestral?
The Ancestral Upgraded affix is useless, and the other affixes roll low.
The regular item has two good affixes, while the Ancestral only has one (for enchanting).
The regular item is an amulet with a powerful Passive Skill rank.
Problems This Causes
Legendaries feel useless, but you still need to pick them up for Aspect upgrades.
- This is especially tedious in Headhunt zones (Cocoon Event) and Roothold dungeons, where you often empty your inventory multiple times per run.
Ancestral Legendaries don’t feel special since they’re the only viable drops—they become the default.
Item comparisons become less interesting since the main factor is simply how many good affixes got upgraded (if any).
Basically, gear comparisons become less interesting upon entering Torment—when they should be more exciting.
The Ancestral Upgrade mechanic is a great system, but it should apply starting at 750 Item Power instead of being exclusive to 800+ items (while keeping the same rarity).
Suggested Changes
Cap all Legendaries at 750 or 800
- The only difference between Ancestral and regular Legendaries should be the Ancestral Affixes.
- Reduce Legendary drop rates to compensate.
(Difficult fix) Add a true auto-salvage mechanic
- Instead of items dropping as materials, auto-salvage should occur when looting.
- This could be a feature for Torment 3 or 4 or a toggle option (like turning off XP gain in World of Warcraft).
Add a new tooltip for dropped items that highlights Legendary Aspect upgrades
- This would function like a loot filter, allowing players to ignore the rest.