History Main / SocketedEquipment

* In the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series, each piece of equipment can have zero to three slots that players can put decorations in to put points into a skill, which becomes active once enough points are added. Some of these decorations take away points from a different skill, which can even activate a skill with a negative effect if enough points are taken away. There are also some decorations that take up two or three slots, in exchange for providing a bigger boost than decorations that just need one slot.

** The game puts a twist to this mechanic: instead of socketing extra stats into equipment, sockets are used for active skills. Almost every equipment comes with sockets, which determine what combat skills you can use and what skill-enhancing gems you can link to it, making skill management some odd cousin of the InventoryManagementPuzzle. The lack of equipment enhancement from socketing is compensated for by nearly everything being enchanted, and there being several ways to upgrade or add enchantments.
** Path of Exile also has a socketed ''skill tree''. Around the skill tree, there are slots to socket Jewels into, which basically serve as an enchantable passive node, which you can craft to optimize your character's stat bonuses. Unique jewels also interact with the skill tree, such as converting a stat into a different type within an area, gaining bonuses based on the amount of the types of nodes you invested in the area, or allowing you to put points into any node around it.

->''Enchantment? Enchantment!''
-->-- '''Sandal''', ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''

* In the first ''ArTonelico'' game, all equipments can be enhanced by placing Grathnode Crystals into them, each of which have different effects like adding elemental damage or increasing stats. Said crystals can also be applied to the Song Magic of the Reyvateils to make them hit more times or cost less MP.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' also has a materia system, although they work more like gems from WorldOfWarcraft, providing small stat boni. To create material, players must have equipment equipped long enough to achieve a 100% ''spiritbond'', at which point most of them can be converted into a random materia of the appropriate level and type (crafting gear turns into crafting materia, for example). Craftsmen of appropriate level can then attach them to their types of equipment with materia slots. Its possible to attach more materia than there are slots, but at the risk of failing and losing the materia entirely.

* The way that you enhance your superpowers in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' works in a similar fashion. On level-ups that don't give new powers you will instead get 2-3 slots that you can distribute among your powers for a total of 6 slots per power. Enhancements go into those slots and work to improve the stats of that power such as increasing accuracy and damage or reducing recharge time. There are also special types of enhancements that improve 2, 3 or even 4 stats at the same time. You can also mix and match enhancement types. Just because you slotted 1 piece from the Touch of Death set doesn't mean that you must use only that set for that power (although you need more pieces of it to get the set-bonuses for having X number of that set's pieces). It's common place to mix different enhancement types and sets to get certain desired stat boosts, which is referred to as "frankenslotting".

* ''VideoGame/RatchetDeadlocked'' uses this. Each weapon has 10 slots for Alpha mods, which upgrade mundane things like firing rate, accuracy, and [[MoneyMultiplier money]] and one slot for an Omega mod, which adds an odd effect like napalm, electric shock, or {{Baleful Polymorph}}ism.

* ''VideoGameRatchetDeadlocked'' uses this. Each weapon has 10 slots for Alpha mods, which upgrade mundane things like firing rate, accuracy, and [[MoneyMultiplier money]] and one slot for an Omega mod, which adds an odd effect like napalm, electric shock, or {{Baleful Polymorph}}ism.

* ''RatchetAndClank: Deadlocked'' uses this. Each weapon has several slots for Alpha mods, which upgrade mundane things like damage, firing rate, and accuracy, and one slot for an Omega mod, which adds an odd effect like napalm, electric shock, or {{Baleful Polymorph}}ism.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' includes socketed items as well as items that come with unremovable enhancements.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'' series by Creator/BlizzardEntertainment, the TropeNamer, and many of its FollowTheLeader clones, such as ''VideoGame/{{Torchlight}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{FATE}}''. The latter two games allow you to destroy either the weapon to retrieve the gems, or smash the gems to re-open the slot, averting the problem of having the RandomNumberGod award you better loot just after you made a gem/socket commitment. Torchlight also allowed you to combine two identical gems into one that's a level better.

* ''VideoGame/{{FATE}}'', by contrast, had [=NPCs=] who would give the option of either destroying a gem to free up a used socket, or destroying the item to reclaim the gem.
* ''VideoGame/{{World of Warcraft}}'', also by Blizzard introduced such items in the first Expansion pack. Sockets come in three different colours (Red, Yellow and Blue) (plus Meta Gems and Prismatic Slots), gems come in 3 primary and 3 secondary colours (Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Green and Purple, as well as Prismatic) and you get a bonus for matching up the colours. Gems can be either found or cut by Jewelcrafters. The best Gems can also only be used by Jewelcrafters. Uncut gems cannot be placed in sockets (in a massive aversion of AllNaturalGemPolish).

** And now in Warlords the system has been greatly simplified. High level items will sometimes be generated with a single prismatic socket that takes any gem. High level gems no longer have color, and there is no meta gems. In this way it encourages players to continue keep killing bosses for that small chance an otherwise non-random item will drop with a socket and/or other bonuses.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' allows you to modify weapons; its GreenRocks were generally consumable items (in varying quantities and rarities). While you can't unmodify a sword, you also don't need to; there's no randomly-generated equipment in the game. Instead, there is basically just ''one'' flavor of weapon and armor for each character, which is completely blank and which you then modify to your heart's desire, and which you can buy basically anywhere. Any combination of qualities you find in one weapon, you can create in another (with a few exceptions in the game's {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s).
** Also interesting to note is that weapons with 4 blank slots (max.) cost more than ones with 3 blanks and a good attribute preinstalled in the first slot, which means the game considers those more valuable...

* The enchantment system in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. Sandal can add or remove runes free of charge. The runes themselves come in different grades; the most powerful ones usually have to be bought (which is the case for most of the uber gear in this game). The ExpansionPack added armor runes, and a pyramid style (consuming weaker ones to make stronger ones) upgrade/crafting skill for them (that could be a GameBreaker if you had enough money). Many players gave their weak ones to the mages/templars to strengthen their forces and get xp in the original campaign, then played Awakening and incidentally missed out on a lot of crafting opportunities.

* [[FinalFantasyCrystalChroniclesEchoesOfTime FFCC: Echoes of Time]] has a forgiving gem system that works well with character customization. All equipment has one or more slots. Using equipment in battle increases its level. When it's level 3 it can be destroyed to produce a "Jewel". Jewels can be added and removed for a small fee. Some Jewels increase the level cap of equipment, and equipment produce two and three Jewels at levels 10 and 20 respectively. After beating the game for the first time, the player will have several Jewels and Armors to specialize their characters.
* ''{{Geneforge}}'' implemented a simple version of this from the third game onwards, along with ItemCrafting. Almost every item can take one and only one gem, with the exceptions taking no gems [[InfinityPlusOneSword because they're so powerful anyway]].

* ''{{Pangya}}'' equipment (y'know, ''golf clubs and clothes'') features these.
* The way that you enhance your superpowers in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' works in a similar fashion. On level-ups that don't give new powers you will instead get 2-3 slots that you can distribute among your powers for a total of 6 slots per power. Enhancements go into those slots and work to improve the stats of that power such as increasing accuracy and damage or reducing recharge time. There are also special types of enhancements that improve 2, 3 or even 4 stats at the same time.
** You can also mix and match enhancement types. Just because you slotted 1 piece from the Touch of Death set doesn't mean that you must use only that set for that power (although you need more pieces of it to get the set-bonuses for having X number of that set's pieces). It's common place to mix different enhancement types and sets to get certain desired stat boosts, which is referred to as "frankenslotting".
* Both ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' games featured "upgradeable" equipment that could be fitted with better components. In the first, armor and non-lightsaber weapons had only one "gem" per socket; all guns used the same scope, for instance, although some had different bonuses from it. In contrast, lightsabers not only had a wide variety of stat crystals for two slots (and a color slot), but also had two special color crystals ([[InfinityMinusOneSword Mantle of the Force, and Heart of the Guardian]]) that changed the effects of ''absolutely every'' upgrade crystal, in two separate ways.

* ''{{Eve Online}}'' has "rigs" - modules that can be fitted to space ships' "rig slots" but can never be removed except by destroying them. Basically sockets and gems {{in space}}.
** However, many rigs in EVE actually impart a penalty to one aspect of your ship, as well as the bonus to another one (for instance, increasing armor hp at the cost of a reduction in max speed). The various rigging skills reduce this penalty though.
* Similar to ''Knights of the Old Republic 2'' (except not creatable), ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' had weapon, armor, grenade and ammunition upgrades. While early weapons and armor only had one weapon and armor upgrade slot, it increased to two slots in more powerful versions. However, there was only one grenade launcher, which only had one grenade upgrade slot, and each weapon could only have one ammunition upgrade.

** ''VideoGame/FableIII'' scrapped the socketed equipment system from the previous games. Instead, each weapon gains specific enchantments if you fulfill a requirement (ie. Kill 100 Hollow-men to get spread-fire on your gun.)

** Cards seem to be popular for socketing in [=MMORPGs=]. Most gear in ''VideoGame/IrisOnline'' has slots for up to 5 cards (which ones go in which slot is based on blood types), and ''VideoGame/{{Flyff}}'' allows you to make sockets in weapons & suits of armour (up to 10 & 4, respectively) for extra stat cards, although you need a CS item to keep the gear from breaking (you can put static bonus run speed or base stat cards in weapons, or % bonus HP/MP/FP/ATK/DEF cards in suits).

* Much like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' above, many artifacts in the role-playing game ''VideoGame/{{Exalted}}'' have slots for hearthstones, which can be used either to regain Essence (common trait for all hearthstones) or to utilize a power unique to the stone.

* ''VideoGame/PathOfExile'' puts a twist to this mechanic: instead of socketing extra stats into equipment, sockets are used for active skills. Almost every equipment comes with sockets, which determine what combat skills you can use and what skill-enhancing gems you can link to it, making skill management some odd cousin of the InventoryManagementPuzzle. The lack of equipment enhancement from socketing is compensated for by nearly everything being enchanted, and there being several ways to upgrade or add enchantments.

** Its prequel ''VideoGame/ArNosurge'' does away with equipment completely and instead the characters install parts called Plugins into their weapons and armor, which are predetermined. These include increasing Break for the enemies, causing them damage similar to poisoning, increasing the regen rate at the start of some turns, and such.

[[caption-width-right:350:[-[[http://www.awkwardzombie.com/comic1-060710.php ALL OF THEM.]]-] ]]

Supertrope of GunAccessories, which is basically this but with additional limitations on which gems / components can go where, and how many times. Contrast ItemCrafting, which this is the aftermarket equivalent of.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 3.5 has a supplement that introduced Augmentation Crystals, magical items that could be attached to your weapons or armor to provide bonuses. The advantage was that you could transfer the crystals to new items when you upgraded your equipment, so even if they weren't very powerful on their own, they never really became obsolete either.

** Diablo II allowed the upgrading of gems, either through the Horadric Cube or touching a gem shrine which would drop one of your gems on the ground as a higher level one (For example, touching a shrine while you have, for example, a chipped ruby would turn it into a flawed ruby). If you didn't have a gem, it would drop a random, chipped gem when activated.

* ''VideoGame/HarvestMoon: Island of Happiness'' lets you do this with Wonderfuls, making this your method of upgrading your tools.

* ''{{GrandChase}}'' has cards for weapons. Only rare weapons/Armor and Higher can be equipped with them. They can be removed with a (cash) item.
** Cards seem to be popular for socketing in [=MMORPGs=]. Most gear in ''IrisOnline'' has slots for up to 5 cards (which ones go in which slot is based on blood types), and ''{{Flyff}}'' allows you to make sockets in weapons & suits of armour (up to 10 & 4, respectively) for extra stat cards, although you need a CS item to keep the gear from breaking (you can put static bonus run speed or base stat cards in weapons, or % bonus HP/MP/FP/ATK/DEF cards in suits).

* Essentially everything (with a few exceptions) is socketed in ''VideoGame/PathOfExile''. However, rather than the usual bonuses of making your equipment better, these determine what ''skills'' you can use and what skill enhancing gems you can link it to, making skill management some odd cousin of the InventoryPuzzle. The lack of equipment enhancement from socketing is compensated for by nearly everything being enchanted, and there being several ways to upgrade or add enchantments.

In the original concept of the trope as presented by ''VideoGame/{{Diablo}}'', once a gem was in a socket, the match was permanent and that was the end of the story. When combined with RandomlyGeneratedLoot (which the game also featured), this meant that every piece of EQ you encountered was completely unique, even ''before'' you socketed it out. It ''also'' meant you lived in fear of socketing a gem and then, on the very next dungeon crawl, [[TooAwesomeToUse uncovering an even better piece of gear that you would've rather saved the gem for]].

Compare GunAccessories. Contrast ItemCrafting, which this is the aftermarket equivalent of.

* A free online text-based RPG called ''Majesty: Heroes of Ardania'' (a fan production based on the Cyberlore video game ''{{Majesty}}: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim'') plays this trope absolutely straight, wherein the player can take many pieces of equipment to a "socket carver" to have sockets carved into his equipment. He may then place magical artifacts called "Dwarvern beard rings" into those sockets.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' allowed you to modify weapons; its GreenRocks were generally consumable items (in varying quantities and rarities). While you couldn't unmodify a sword, you also didn't need to; there was no randomly-generated equipment in the game. Instead, there was basically just ''one'' flavor of weapon and armor for each character, which was completely blank and which you then modified to your heart's desire, and which you could buy basically anywhere. Any combination of qualities you found in one weapon, you could create in another (with a few exceptions in the game's {{Infinity Plus One Sword}}s).
** Also interesting to note is that weapons with 4 blank slots (max.) cost more than ones with 3 blanks and a good attribute preinstalled in the first slot, which means the game considered those more valuable...