Talk:Variable attribute

I don't understand the note on the table. "Variable attribute curses wands?" A curses wand that... doesn't require curses? Why are there two rows for dark instead of one row with multiple attributes in a column? --Fyren 14:47, 9 September 2006 (CDT)
 * Okay, I've cleaned things up. -- Gordon Ecker 19:46, 13 September 2006 (CDT)

Oddly, variable attribute weapons tied to Curses only have dark damage even though you can get both cold and dark damage curse weapons as loot, and there are variable attribute wants even though regular restoration weapons aren't available. -- Gordon Ecker 00:07, 7 October 2006 (CDT)

Nightfall
Has anyone seen variable attribute weapons linked to the other caster attributes since they added wands and staves for the remaining attributes in the October 25th update? -- Gordon Ecker 21:21, 22 November 2006 (CST)

Umm.. What?
Having never heard of these things, the page did nothing to clear matters up for me. I've been left more confused. --Bob III 23:03, 20 January 2007 (CST)

Is this referring to the way a certain type of item (say, a Raven Staff) can be dropped with any one of various required attributes? If so, I'm going to have to take issue with the word choice.

Variable: 1 a : able or apt to vary : subject to variation or changes b : FICKLE, INCONSTANT

Using this (what I consider the standard applicable definition of "variable"), I was left to imagine some sort of exoctic weapon with a req that changes.

The req on any given item is not variable as it cannot change. The reqs would be more accurately described using antonyms to "variable" (constant, static). There is some analog with the concept of a variable in statistics, but that is a noun rather than an adjective as is used here.

Admittedly, I have no suggestions for a concise label for such items at the moment.

Also, there are only a handful of pages that link here, and none of them are the examples listed.

Do people agree, disagree? --Bob III 22:05, 21 January 2007 (CST)


 * I can't think of any more concise terms for items which can have any one of several possible linked attributes. The only other option I can think of is multiple attribute items, which fits the Prophecies pre-order items better. -- Gordon Ecker 05:54, 28 January 2007 (CST)


 * Yeah, I still have nothing to offer on that. So, perhaps I could just lobby for a rewording of the explanation? "A variable attribute item can be linked to any one of a number of attributes". How does that question go: 'Who or what does the linking?' The answer to that is ambiguous, as is the question of when the linking is done. I think that's what confused me so much when I came upon this page. --Bob III 15:27, 29 January 2007 (CST)

What does this do?
I'm looking at this table and scratching my head about what it actually is trying to say... There is not explanation as to what the columns/rows correspond to, and the data inside seems random. Monks can get a wand/staff/focus item that deals fire damage, and they will ALWAYS be Divine, but only wand/staff with light damage that is ALWAYS Smite? What about the other two attributes? No variable item EVER comes in healing/prot? What? O_o This whole thing makes absolutely no sense to me...  Plus all endgame items come in every attribute, so this is completely worthless anyway. RoseOfKali 01:42, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * It's a very messy table, and one can argue it's worthiness. But to clear up your confusion, the damage type don't correspond in anyway with shields or focus items, and the data is super outdated.  The table did have a useful function back in the days... -User:PanSola (talk to the [[Image:follower of Lyssa.png]]) 02:09, 25 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Rewrote the article's introduction, so hopefully it makes more sense. Note that I am NOT vouching for the accuracy of the article in its current state, I am only explaining what the article's purpose was supposed to be. -User:PanSola (talk to the [[Image:follower of Lyssa.png]]) 02:43, 25 February 2009 (UTC)


 * The new explanation makes a little more sense (and no, I didn't think that offhands deal elemental damage, that's just how it was grouped and I didn't bother to specify, just like the article). I think this could still be somewhat relevant for things like Zodiac Staff, but this article is still too generic to be of any real use.  Many variable attribute items come in "all caster attributes," while others come in all primary (except Mesmer which is Inspiration), and others are limited by profession or further to only a couple attributes of a single profession.  This article does nothing to distinguish between them, and is quite misleading, as you don't know if it applies to the specific weapon type you are interested in.  Each caster weapon article does a good job of outlining the attributes it can be linked to, and usually if someone needs this kind of information it's because they are interested in just one or a couple different weapons, not the all of them at once.  Also, where do you think they will go look for it?  On the weapon's page.  Does anything public even link here?  I've used many weapon quick references before and have never seen this until I stumbled into it in the weapon QR category and went "what's this?"  I think this article should actually be deleted due to being severely outdated and misleading, because I don't think anyone is going to expand and correct it, and there's no point to doing so.  The only way to "rescue" this article is to actually make it into a complete list of variable attribute weapons and specify which attributes apply to each of them.  Shields: Warrior, Paragon, both.  Foci: all caster, primary (Me=Insp), other (like Idol can be Blood or Curse only).  Same for Wand and Staff.  I mean, this is categorized as a weapon quick reference, and it kind of isn't one, it hardly mentions any weapons, and only as some random examples.  RoseOfKali [[Image:RoseOfKaliSIG.png]] 04:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)