Let tier 1 rares drop tier 2 rare items

[marvalis]

Getting a rare longsword that does 7-10 damage is never going to be usefull.
Tier 2 items might be.

[lukep]

Depending on the bonuses, I often find myself using tier 1 equipment well past the point where I find tier 2 (or, sometimes, tier 3) replacements. Granted, this applies much better for armour than weapons, but the majority of drops are armour of one kind or another anyways.

Another thing to take into consideration is that characters haven't always fully upgraded form starting gear by the time they fight their first rare. A 7-10 damage rare longsword may not be amazing, but it sure beats a 5-7 damage plain iron waraxe.

[marvalis]

This issue is almost 100% for weapons, and not armor, as you mentioned.

Once out of the beginner dungeon, you should be able to find or buy at least a steel weapon, rendering all 'iron' weapons (almost) obsolete.

In fact, since the player starts with an iron (tier1) weapon, I think that tier1 weapons should simply not drop (regardless of their quality). This is an old annoyance of mine. At the early game, melee damage is pityfull compared to magic damage (for example, bullwark compared to archmage).

[Planetus]

Honestly, depending on the bonuses, I often use iron weapons while I have access to steel or better. With all the potential damage bonuses in this game, 5-7 damage +5 light, +7 acid, +5 ice is WAY better than a steel weapon with only an accuracy bonus.

[bricks]

Instead of the current strict material level restrictions in zones, it would be nice to see out-of-depth material levels on occasion.

[darkgod]

It was this way before; but somehow people found it unfun to be oneshot by a skeleton warrior wielding a voratun weapon

[bricks]

It was this way before; but somehow people found it unfun to be oneshot by a skeleton warrior wielding a voratun weapon

Ah, that makes sense. I was thinking more along the lines of a single tier, but maybe that would even be too extreme (those skeleton warriors hit shockingly hard...).