Pretty decent reward though

I like that the classic gears included 'useless' stats.

It didn't make sense that a very powerful, experienced priest whose abilities are hightened beyond what is natural to also be incredibly mediocrely intelligent. The level 50 cleric should be fairly intelligent, even if it doesn't improve their mana.

Perhaps the real mistake was having stats with zero impact. Really they could have just merged int/wis.

True. I think technically you could be an int healer or a wis purecaster but itemization won't let you be any good doing so. Merge them or make them affect resists and mana regen so you have a reason to raise both or at least not have a stat entirely wasted.

I don't think agi/dex have enough of an impact to warrant being their own thing either. They could be merged or made better.

Good point. dex doesn't really make a difference when low, agi doesn't make a difference when high. If you merge them they kinda have different phases of use across the spectrum. I like it :D

Yeah a few missed opportunities regarding stats that didn't become common until later games I.E. quest lines only being available above a certain level of intellegence or wisdom or things like Dex/Agi giving a chance to avoid a trap you otherwise set off.

In general I think the very initial release did a better job of making all stats relevant with emphasis on things like trade skills ect. From there expensions were just focused on adding mobs and loot mostly for raiding opportunities a never really added diversity to the game other than different landscapes.

IIRC a dev said they really botched tradeskill implementation claiming they did them because they felt like they had to. Tailoring is notoriously garbage and slightly improved in velious but seeing there's nothing between 158 and 262 unless you're a particular race is a complete joke. Add the fact that if you're not like, a cleric/druid/mage/wizard, maxing your int/wis is somewhat of a bitch, if you're a hybrid/melee forget it.

Not sure for classic era but outside banded, blacksmith seems mostly useless unless you want to do spirit of grazicor... which is still more useful than baking/brewing/pottery.

The only ones I feel they somewhat nailed is jewelcrafting and research and research isn't super fun since if you fail or don't find the mats it might gimp you.

I feell like the tailoring and blacksmithing up to banded fit quite nicely into the game up to level 20 vanilla.

Sometimes the post 20 game feels like an afterthought tbh.

Pottery is useful for the Thurgadin Gate potion, and I think far more people use it than any of the Garzicor items.

But, your general thesis is correct: tradeskills were largely an afterthought until Luclin (and that was really just the start of them being useful, with that super popular Protection of the Cabbage quest item).

Spicey dark elf steaks, (made from darky guard meat) that grant 3-5 mins of illusion: dark elf would have added flavour. (sorry) Kill guards for hours. Make steaks. Sell fs weapons, shields to the stupid clueless merchants.

I like u Duik, but ur taking "u r wot u eat" too far.