I really like jewels and the idea of choosing what bonus stats to add to pets and gear. However, there are a few issues.
1. Pets and gear with affixed jewels in them are not tradable, yet pets, gear, and jewels are each allowed in the Shared Bank. Obviously some jewels and items are not tradable, but if the jewel and the gear item ARE tradable, why stop players from trading items with affixed jewels?
2. Shatter. Shattering jewels is my least favourite thing. It's so wasteful to have players craft or farm for jewels and then make us permanently destroy them if we want to change the jewel affixed to an item. It also means we can't switch a jewel from one item to another. Wouldn't it be more accurate anyway to have a feature like "Pry" instead of shatter, where the Wizard could pry a gem out of its socket to be used again?
3. Unlocking sockets costs Crowns. Why?? Players are already milked for their money in the Crowns Shop, paying for areas and memberships, gift cards, mounts, card packs, Scroll of Fortune, etc. There should be a Gold cost for unlocking jewel sockets, which could be tiered based on the level of the item (eg. lvl 0-15 gear items could cost 500 Gold per socket, lvl 15-25 items 1000 Gold per socket, and so on.) Or just make all jewel sockets unlocked from the start. If that's too much to ask then at least make it easier to obtain socket wrenches, either by having more enemies drop them, making them craftable, or adding a socket wrench merchant somewhere.
4. Give more items jewel sockets! Many higher level items or more recent gear items like those from Empyrea do come with sockets, but a lot of lower level gear and older items don't. Jewel sockets should be on more gear items, especially athames, amulets, rings, and wands.
