World of Warcrafthas changed its itemization philosophy over and over again that today’s version of endgame gear barely resembles the one the game shipped with, andDragonflightseems to be moving forward with what players have become accustomed to sinceBattle for Azeroth. WhenThe Burning Crusadelaunched, it introduced Jewelcrafting and gem sockets to the game, providing an additional layer of fine-tuning a character’s stats beyond the enchants of vanilla.
This system largely endured throughoutMists of Pandaria, where it achieved its peak. Players were allowed to reforge their gear’s secondary stats, upgrade their items through Valor points, and had guaranteed gem sockets on the vast majority of their equipment slots. To some, the song-and-dance that came withobtaining a new item inWorld of Warcraftwas becoming tedious – to others, this extensive customization represented the freedom to always shape their gear to match their specialization. WhenWarlords of Draenormade sockets rare and tied to chance, the potency gain from gems had to be flattened, as it would have provided an unfair advantage to lucky players.
RELATED:World of Warcraft: Dragonflight Announces Launch Test
Therein ultimately lies the problem: as gem sockets are still tied to luck inWorld of Warcraft, their potency inDragonflightmust also remain solid – but not too strong. According to Wowhead’s datamining, the gems and enchants inDragonflighthave experienced some last minute changes by Blizzard Entertainment, reducing the stat increases they provide by about 62.5% of the original value. Not all values have suffered a decrease, as the tertiary stats on bracer enchants were buffed by 25%.
Thelaunch ofDragonflightis fast approaching, and it makes sense the developers at Blizzard are performing some final number adjustments across the board. Moreover, manyWorld of Warcraftplayers already assumed that the gems and sockets were due for a nerf. Though some fans will no doubt mourn the loss, so long as sockets are based on chance, this is ultimately the smarter way to go.
WithDragonflightrepresenting a return toWorld of Warcraft’s roots with its talent and loot system, as well as its focus on professions, one can’t help but wonder if Blizzard Entertainment missed an opportunity to bring the old socket system back. Ever sinceWarlords of Draenor, Jewelcrafting lost a significant chunk of its appeal and gold-making potential, and much like Inscription, it sits in an awkward position compared to professions such as Engineering. Though theitemization inDragonflightis not without its issues, and has ways to grow, it is in a much healthier place than it used to be inBattle for Azeroth.
World of Warcraftis available now for PC.Dragonflightlaunches on November 28.
MORE:World of Warcraft: The State of the Alliance Going into Dragonflight
