I'm wondering though... if the upkeep is designed so that players can only maintain a medium grade armor set, then why are there even blackplates and those expensive horses etc in the game? Only for players to drool uppon? Or do you expect people to play with peasant clothing 90% of the time so that on rare occasions they can equip there plate armor if they want too? (Which most likely leaves them crippled either 90% or 10% of the time as you need different stats in order to fare well with that specific equipment)
I understand that you're trying to create some sort of gold-sink, like most RPG's have, but only 1 gold sink that nobody can keep up with doesn't make sence, unless that which I stated above is your plan.
If say players could earn gold in different ways, perhaps trough trading or crafting stuff in strategus... then there would be certain players who could afford the expensive stuff. But you should ask yourself if that's fair towards the player base who only plays cRPG.
Imo the old system where you would gain gold very slowly was a more succesfull formula for a game like this. And I herby suggest you to revert that, or think thinks trough a little better perhaps.
Edit: I suggest the following;
Make it so that there's different roles for players to play on the battlefield. Like in a real battle, one big army of plated knights would be a tremendously slow mass of metal, and thus leaving it up to the enemy where and how they strike them. A army needs different sort of troops, light fast ones, medium armored ones, and ranged ones to force the enemy into a certain position or pressure them to attack etc.
Now to make it fun and more realistic, heavy armor and stuff does indeed have to cost more gold. Also, it'll have to be a skill intensive 'build' to be able to wear these kind of heavy suites and ride the most fiersome warhorses etc.
So you have to make sure that new players can take on a battlefield role that isn't as utterly useless as a peasant with a pitchfork, but not able to become a heavily armored knight on a plated charger fast either. (That must take a long time of training and a large sum of gold to afford the equipment).
Now older more experienced players shouldn't feel that they are forced into the 'heavily armored class' either, they can become infantry with a pike and take on a specific role to take on those proud knights at their expensive horses, and totally obliterate them if they want.
So maby you'll have to make plated armor be a bit more skill intensive and raise the level cap to be able to wear one of those again. (Not allot of players will play them I suppose as you will leave the retirement system in it's place so creating a new character and get a bonus+a heirloom will still be really attractive)
Anywho, if you would like some help with balancing this game out, don't hesitate to ask some help.
You're doing a great job so far though!
Zophos
I really like the effects of upkeep and I'm using sarranid elite (20k). Good effects imo:
Firstly it will limit high end stuff. If there is a way to get it and retain it indefinitely every grinder will take it and then never take it off. 100% plate. If I am forced to spend 3 rounds in light armor for every round in heavy, this cuts down the heavy users to 25% (even more, since people will just run around in midtier stuff always instead) - that's also pretty fair since it is a pure PvP multiplayer game, if you want people to be easy kill for you you have to be easy kill for them at other time (unless you kick ass without stuff though
(*)).
Add to that, it forces people to think about their equipment and playstyle. In fact, I added a 5k heavy weapon to the armor (started the char as light crossbow hybrid), when I noticed that I was charging the ruins against multiple enemies until my team caught up, so that we have the camper position. I'm a guy in fucking plate, if I sneak around to find peasants to "duel" instead of trying to change the odds in the thick of it, I have no right to complain about upkeep. And yes, I may still screw up often or feel let down by my team, but that's life. And it also works for classes. I bring my crossbow only when I use it, and when I think I'll shoot for most of the time, I'll take light armor and a cheap backup weapon. There's no need for a crossbowman having better armor and swords than the melee guys when they finally reach him with 2hp left.
Finally just by going a couple of rounds in cheap stuff, I seem to be easily able to afford the couple of times I pay 6k upkeep. Ofc if you stack every slot with the best thing you can get always and ever, that's going to see you broke.
I think what needs to be done is finetuning it with the different gear maybe.
Is 40k armor that much better than 20k to pay double upkeep, I don't know?
Or, should 1h be really that expensive? F.e. as crossbower I have no incentive to pick an 8k sword as sideweapon if I can be more effective with a 4k polearm, but it would be cool. So shield+1h equally effective and costly as 2h, but only 1h not that effective but also a good bunch cheaper.
edit: (*) Well, you could actually influence the system a wee bit in favor of players doing not so good. If someone dies often without kills he could get lower upkeep sneakily so he can compensate a bit.
