simply put: prevent the equipping of high end gear before the player as reached the proper tier clearance
so...
T1 players that haven't been granted T2 clearance can only equip 0*-2*
T2 players without T3 clearance can equip 0*-4* only
T3 clearance allows all equipment currently in the game at the time of this posting
note: this does not prevent the trading of high end equipment whether it's a friend gifting to another that doesnt have the clearance or a merchant player selling to a new player that is rolling in the energy
Good idea. It's beneficial to Three Rings, because it forces players to play through the entire game (thus increasing the demand for Energy), and makes progression more meaningful. I mean, you do currently have to do a significant amount of delving to craft 5* gear, because 4* gear up requires leveled-up pieces to transmute, but it's still a sensible and easily-implemented addition.