Crazy idea I had for Epics 2.0

[Pojodan]

I was laying in bed last night unable to sleep and started thinking about ways to improve EQ (As I'm sure we all have done)

One thing that gets me about the game currently are epic weapons.  They where the uberest of uber items back when Kunark was released, with the release of Velious they became a more mainstream weapon until you where able to get into the highest guilds and take down the toughest monsters for something slightly better.  Luclin saw them become slightly more easy to replace, PoP made them viable only until you got a ways into things.  And the LDoN hit the coffin nail on the head with it downright easy to outright replace the epics making them only really viable for their raw stats (And in the case of the cleric, the clicky effect).  This has turned the 'epic' into a 'Nice sidequest to do in your mid-50s to make that period of time easier'

Naturally this has been brought up 100s of times before, but usually only as 'Yeah, there should be an Epic 2.0', well here's my idea for it:

A new Lost dungeon is found in Kunark (Makes sence since the epics started out there) and the Wayfarers set up camp there.  In their studys of this dungeon they find a substance of curious power akin to the other substances they've found that can be made to augment various gear and weapons.  However it will not stick to anything they try it on.. perhaps you can take a sample of this and show it around?  Turns out that handing it to the NPC that dealt with the epic weapons (Dumul for Beastlords) will realize it's potential in that it would only apply to something that had a significant meaning to those that use it... namely one's epic.

This NPC then sends you off to collect a few items for a conconion that will allow them to study it further (Fairly easy to find stuff, dropable so you can get it without trouble).  This research brings him to a conclusion that the substance will apply to the weapon but you will need to make a sacrifice... namely the weapon will be striped of it's power (The effect, the stats will remain, perhaps the particle effect will be gone when weilded), however this will open up a new augment slot (Slot 9, perhaps).  This requires gathering more components that are a bit more difficult to get, perhaps NO DROP, maybe on the difficulty of the 5th aneversary fireworks staff.  

After he strips the power from the weapon he then discovers that there isn't enough of the matterial to make an augment and hands the striped weapon back with his regards and a suggestion to talk to the wayfarers who found the matterial.
Upon returning to the wayfarers they inform you that they lack the supplies to get it, however a strong individual such as yourself can surely get the right amount, right?  Uppon doing this the ability to open the dungeon becomes available to you, but you have to be the one that gets the mission/raid, others that are not doing the quest can be in your group/raid, however.
Now, you are given three options for gathering the needed matterial:
1) Raid: 3 groups are required, working similar to a LDoN raid but on about the difficulty level of, say, Plane of Hate Innoruk or Plane of Fear Bertoxx, so mid-range guilds can pull this off with somne challenge.  On killing the boss he will drop 2-4 'Globes of X matterial'
2) Single group: Similar in difficulty to LDoN normals.  'Sections of X matterial' drop randomly with about the commonality of augments in LDoN (0-6 per adventure abouts)
3) Solo: Scour Kunark.. any and all MoBs in Kunark can drop 'Shards of X matterial' extremely rarely
Return to the Wayfarers with 1 Globe, 4 Sections, or 10 Shards, and they will present you with a 'Refined Globe of X matterial', this can then be handed to one of5 NPCs.  Each NPC has different specialties in altering the matterial into an object that that be added to your previously power striped epic.  One can make it purely deadly (High damage add), One can add Spell effects (Improve the current effect), One can add new spell effects (Adds clicky effect akin to Ornate/Elementals), Once can add element effects (Add high resist mods), One can improve all around (Moderate Damage add, moderate improved effect, moderate resist add)
This is then added to the epic via the augmenter pool.

Warriors, Rangers, and Beastlords will have to chose one of their peices to have this done on and cannot do it to the other one.

Examples:
Beastlord Off-hand:
High Damage add: +7 damage, -1 Delay, +50 HP, + 5 to all resists, original effect
Inprove spell effects: +4 damage, +25 HP, ATK +60, Haste 45%
Add clicky: +4 damage, +25 HP, Effect: Spiritual Dominion Must Equip: Cast time 2.0 secs
High Resists: +4 damage, +75 HP, +20 to all resists
All around: +6 damage, +75 HP, +10 to all resists, ATK + 40, 41% haste

Cleric:
High Damage add: +10 damage -4 delay, +50 HP, +5 to resists, original effect
Improved Spell effects: +8 damage, +25 HP, +100 Mana, Effect: Soul Restoration (98% exp rez) Must Equip: Cast time 4.0 seconds
Add Clicky +8 damage, +25 HP, +50 mana Effect: Hand of Virtue
High Resists: +8 damage, +50 HP, +50 Mana, +20 to all resists
All Around: +9 damage, -2 delay, +50 HP, +75 mana, +10 to all reists, Original Effect with lowered cast time

You get the idea...  
An organized guild could do the upgrade in half a day for several people, but someone could solo it over the course of a week (All classes could solo since All the non-dropable items would be off of MoBs no higher than level 20)

Oppinions?  Flames? Copyright Infringment claims? Attacks on my personality? Offers for jobs?

[Deiadrox]

Nice idea.. But DAYAM.. those are some sick weapons lol.. I dunno if SOE would appreciate making such an ub3r quested item.  A nice click would be Ferocity tho /grins evilly.

[Tastian]

I wish they hadn't called the quest "epic" and then most of this wouldn't happen.  People keep looking at what something was called and then use that to justify what it is and should be.  Kinda reminds me of a female that keeps getting roughed up by the guy she lives with, but stays because he's her "boyfriend" or "husband".  Look it's a title that was given at one that may or may not have been accurate, but the point is it's over.

Epics used to be much more "epic" than they are now.  Back when they were something only some of the best guilds were getting done originally and required trips to some of the hardest zones to kill some of the hardest monsters.  The epic quests themselves aren't even epic anymore.  Lots can be solo'd, or atleast big portions of them, many many more zones are in the game and content has totally changed.  You want something "epic" get time access or even EP access.  There's something that requires 1) A solid force 2) time 3) Going to hard spots and kill hard stuff (mostly).  4) has some solid lore there's an epic quest.  

"An organized guild could do the upgrade in half a day for several people, but someone could solo it over the course of a week (All classes could solo since All the non-dropable items would be off of MoBs no higher than level 20) "

Your ways of upgrading these epics clearly illustrates what I think the biggest problem with epics is.  That is many see them has being as attainable and as common as they are now and yet still think super high quality weapons should be attained in very easy 1-3 group type of ways.  

Look I think it'd be great if there were more decent quests in EQ, but it's just not viable.  I honestly wonder how many people actually completed epics back when they went live and how many have just done the beastlord epic or something post luclin/PoP and don't quite get it.  KS'n, camps, run arounds, etc were all through the roof back then.  Epics were annoying and hard.  If "epics" were still to be epic they'd have to take drops from like time or something, or in this case maybe GoD now.  

Sorry if this comes across badly, but I guess it's just become a sore spot over the years.  *shrugs*

[Pojodan]

Hee, that's alright Tastain, I too agree that the whole epic idea came a little too early and has become too trivialized.

As I see it the notion of upgrading the epics could be either 1) Doable by anyone that can get the original epics or 2) Only doable by those in the top guilds, like how the original epics worked.

The problem with #2 is that this means that you'd have to have drops in PoTime or GoD in order to do this and then the upgrade would actually have to be worth it.

The thing about my idea is that it puts the epics to a quality a bit above what you can get out of LDoN (Take a look at the Slave's Hidden Orb, it's ratio is about the same as the 'High Damage' aug I suggested)

The underlying idea here is to breath life back into the epics.  Perhaps some limitations would be set on the quest such as needing at least 100 LDoN wins, or have the end weapon be Required level 65, or something to that effect...  I just hate to see such a fun and involving part of Everquest be burried under one shot raid gear.