Iron Runes are breaking the "socketables as problem-fixers" design philosophy

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Darknoob#1135 wrote:

GGG has always pitched socketables as "problem-fixers" for our characters when RNG doesn't cooperate. Missing resists? Slot a rune. It's supposed to be about utility and choice.

The current implementation, especially with Iron Rune, completely undermines this philosophy.

When there's a damage or defense rune in the game it stops being a choice and becomes mandatory. It's no longer a "problem-fixer". It's obligatory power.

This creates two major issues that make gearing less fun

- Weapon Sockets are a "solved" problem: Why would I ever put a Life Leech rune or Mana on Kill rune in my weapon when an Iron Rune gives me a unconditional damage boost (same applies for elemental damage rune)? It feels like you're actively griefing your character if you choose utility over raw power in these slots. This forces us to find that "problem-fixer" stat (like leech) on our gear instead. Now, that ring with Life Leech is permanent. I can't swap it without breaking my sustain. This is the opposite of flexibility.

- Defensive Sockets Feel Miserable: This problem extends to defenses. How awful does it feel to slot a Fire Resistance rune into your chest piece when you know you're giving up an Iron Rune to do it? It also makes the gearing puzzle worse. If I need to swap my helmet and it has different resists, I could normally shuffle runes. But if two slots on my chest and sometimes helmet are already locked in as mandatory Iron Runes, I have far less room to actually fix my resistances without feeling bad.

How to Fix This (And Improve Campaign Crafting):

If we nerf or remove mandatory damage runes, we need to compensate. Here's how we can do that and improve the campaign crafting experience at the same time:

- Introduce "Uncut" Essences: Make "Lesser" and "Normal Uncut Essences" global drops in the campaign. Let us take these to a vendor (or use a new UI) to craft the specific essence we need to fix our gear (like a damage roll, an armor roll, or a resist). This gives us early-game agency.

- A Movement Speed Essence: For the love of god, please add a Movement Speed essence. It feels terrible that 99% of boots that drop are vendor trash simply because they don't have this one mandatory stat. Alternatively put it as an implicit. GGG no one is playing boots without mov speed. I understand you don't like the idea but that's just the reality.

- "Uncut" Low-Tier Runes: Do the same for runes. Drop a generic "Uncut" rune currency for low tiers. This lets us choose the "problem-fixer" we actually need during the campaign instead of being at the mercy of RNG for a simple life leech rune.

- Rework elemental runes into elemental damage conversion runes: I understand sometimes you need elemental damage of specific types for proccing heralds and so on. Having a conversion instead of extra damage on the resistance runes would make for interesting choices a control on how to redistribute physical damage or elemental damage into the element we actually need.

Sidenote: This exact same logic is why +X level of gems on gear to disappear. Just like Iron Rune and Movement Speed, it's a non-negotiable, mandatory stat that outshines all other interesting choices and makes gearing a checklist, not a puzzle.