Weaken Gear on Death Instead of Losing Gear

Just an Idea to think about:

Problem(s): Gear Fear and Drop Rates

• New players take a long time to get their first green set just to queue into a map and get steamrolled and immediately lose it

• This creates a sour taste for players learning the game and also slows down their learning curve

• Finding gear means nothing unless it’s your class

• As classes are added to game means less gear for your class in game = drop rates constantly have to be balanced every time new class introduced

• People scared to play with Legendaries and Purples due to losing them in one match

Potential Solution: Instead of losing your gear when you die your gear weakens.

A couple ideas for this:

• Gear loses one tier on death

  • Gems are lost if an item gets devolved to a green

  • Armor crystals replace gear on dead bodies

    • No matter who you kill the gear they drop will be usable

    • Less chores/downtime disenchanting/selling gear you can’t use which is less time spent in the menu = more time in game

  • Potentially once certain requirements are hit gear can no longer devolve lower then green (I don’t think this is needed but throw it on just in case since Green gear is super easy to get after a certain point)

• Gear has a magical quality on it that loses strength on death, after X numbers of death that gear is destroyed

  • Same sub-bullet points as idea above this

Both solutions make balancing loot drops easier and makes PvP encounters less punishing while still rewarding the winners and punishing the losers.