If you have recently gotten the same item from a previous villain, there is a variable to the stats. So if you got an amphibian belt a few days ago, it is possible you got it at the top end or near the top end of the variable. Then when you get an amphibian belt today, you might get one at the bottom end of the spectrum. However, if you level several times between wins, you will undoubtably get a better belt. Otherwise, there would be little difference between one player's gear's stats and another player who's level is far different. But this isn't the case. Your Ironic gear at your level and my Ironic gear at my level have very different stat totals.
Getting a sidekick is random. Sometimes you get one. Sometimes you don't. Getting one isn't a guarantee. It is an occasional lucky bonus.
As stated before, the reason you don't get gear from the shop, etc., etc., etc., that is better than special mission gear is because the shop, etc., etc., etc., gear is rated for your level. The special mission rewards are rated for the level of the boss you fought.
For example, I am level 328. So gear I get from the shop, etc., etc., etc., is rated for a player level 328. The last special mission boss I fought was level 360. So the gear I got was rated for a player level 360. There's 32 levels between the gear I got off him and the gear that is rated for my level. That's a huge difference.
Now, while the gear I get from the store usually isn't + gear, except on the occasional 9 donut item, I still managed to get 3 plus gadgets and a plus weapon in less time than I spent to level up once, by doing special missions. Now, personally, I'm very happy that my gear I get is rated for over 30 levels than my actual level.
I'm sorry that this isn't good enough for you, but it is more than fair to have gear rated for that much higher than one's level. That the only source to acquire such over powered gear is only in the special missions isn't something to be upset about, but rather something to be thankful for. After all, if special missions weren't there, all gear one acquired would be rated for their level instead of, as in my case, 32 levels higher.
Now, at this point, I think I've explained things clearly enough and several times. If this isn't good enough and the extreme bonus one gets from doing special missions isn't good enough for you, then I don't know what to tell you.
Again, personally, I'm quite happy to have gear that is rated for 32 levels higher than my actual level is. I am also happy I was able to get a total of + 19 points over my previous over powered gear, in under 4 days. So for me, the glass is half full.
As far as gaining from putting in the work goes, I do benefit from putting in the work. I get better gear that is rated for way above my level by doing special missions.
[EDIT]
Little One, I just checked out your toon on US2. Your whole setup is League Gear. This gives you an additional 7% to your stats by having all 5 pieces. Amphibian gear and Ironic gear, as single pieces, aren't giving you the stat bonus, until you have 5 of those pieces equipped as well. So I really think you aren't factoring in the stat% bonus. If you take just the stat points acquired from a piece of gear and not the stat% bonus, and compare it to the newly won gear, then I think you'll discover the won gear will have more stat points. For example, your belt has 769 points BEFORE you include the additional 7% stat bonus it gives. Now look at the Ironic belt you win. Are the total stat points it has greater or less than 769? I bet it's higher. What you're not taking into account is the 7% stat bonus having a complete League set gives you. However, if you had a complete Ironic suit, then new Ironic pieces would indeed give you plus stats when equipped.
Now, let's take my toon for example, since I don't know your base stats. Let's also assume that my Ironic suit is actually a League suit instead.
My suit has an average point total of 1011 each piece. My base stats total 11,547. With a 7% bonus, that adds 808 points that my suit gives me. Divide that by 4 for each piece of my suit beyond the 1st and each piece gives me an average 202 points on top of the 1011 that each piece already gives.
Now, let's look at my latest piece of gear from a villain, which gives me 1033 points, w/o the 7% stat bonus. That is 22 points higher than my average piece of gear. But when you add in the 202 more stat points the 7% complete suit gives me per piece beyond the 1st, it puts my prize down by - 180 points.
This is why your villain prizes are negative compared to your League suit. It isn't that they are actually negative. It's that you're not factoring that your prize doesn't yet include the 7% bonus as an individual piece that your complete League suit gives.
When I get my next piece of villain gear, I'll show you with screen shots, what it is I'm talking about, if this still doesn't make sense to you.
Edited by King of Thieves, 01 September 2015 - 06:07 AM.