Looting -- The official thread for discussing the loot system. Updated 18th March, 2013.

I too think a FFA loot system is an outdated idea and adds nothing to the experience. It was always a big complaint with Diablo 2 and they fixed it in Diablo 3.

Having said that, I know some people like to be loot ninjas, and I think instead of the timer system, it should be based off league. Primary leagues should be casual friendly, and everyone's loot should be their own.

I want to play with other people and if it is not beneficial to do so then I might as well play by myself or another game.

Part of the big issue with looting and loot-rights is the issue of the inventory. Having to play 'inventory tetris' just to get the items you want while leaving the 'junk' was something that worked in a gold-based economy (because you were always going to increase your net worth when selling) yet it fails with the lack of a gold-based economy because most items, regardless of size, still equal the same amount of 'currency items' from vendors.

Without a centralized 'broker' to facilitate player trading when afk/offline, it becomes especially difficult to have a timely sale of certain rare and unique items.

I mean 'sucks to be you that you work nights, this game isn't for you' isn't a message you want to send to your potential customers. Many people play in off-peak hours.

With all that said, I'd propose some simple changes that would greatly improve the game, IMHO.

-Centralized server-wide market broker (separated by league) where players can list and buy items. You could list a stack of 100 of an item and instead of being forced to buy all 100 of them, you could buy them individually (a handy feature I loved from 'Sword of the Coast 2'). Instead of flooding the broker with different variations on price/quantity we would have less manipulation of the economy and better deals for everyone while also (hopefully) keeping inflation in check.

-Each inventory item takes up one slot and one slot ONLY. The artists have a lot less work to do because they don't need to make special custom 2D artwork for each type of item (and each unique item), just nice small icons and in-game 3D modeling artwork (when it is on the ground). The 3D model can even be 'previewed' by shift/control/alt-clicking it or w/e other combination works. This lets you have way more space to pick up all the loot (and we LOVE OUR LOOT). Less work for your artists, more loot for your players, win win for everyone. And again if you're worried about inflation, the exchange/trade values from vendors can be adjusted as needed on the fly with each patch (or server-side patching) in order to facilitate better data for how it affects the economy.

-Let us see the hp/resists/etc of monsters that we have killed before. An in-game bestiary would be nice as well so that we could keep track of what we killed and maybe get some nice lore/data on the various creatures we encounter.

-Charge microtransaction currency for teleporting. Yes, it is a convenience and with the loot changes above you won't need to return to town as often anyways. You've got town portals that'll take care of that. You could also have it cost a town portal scroll to return back to where you were, and maybe cost more scrolls depending on the area.

As soon as I don't have to play 'inventory tetris' and I'm able to gather tons of loot to sell, I'll return to the game to play a bit more. :)
Math class has got me bottled up right now but once it ends I'll be free as a bird =D

Hello to everyone and best to developers of this game. Shame my laptop can't run it while my main is down..

About looting system, 122 pages are a little bit too much, so sorry if this is a double of something similar, but:
If You can bind item to a nearest player, can You bind it to a specific class?

Example:
drop rare bow => pure dex => class ranger
bow binded for 10 sec so only rangers can get it
maybe fixed area around dead monster so no random ranger running and picking it up, not likely with 10 sec timer though

Other classes don't need it anyway and quick reflexes are still a must with more than 1 ranger around/in party

After 10 sec that bow turns ffa

Now the same without ranger around
The bow could bind to a nearest player, or preferably to the one who actually killed the monster, also after 10 sec turning ffa

How about a list of the best/most mentioned loot system ideas set on the first page? Maybe a poll too.

The random allocation and timer are good ideas
Especially if it DOESNT take into account character class.

Devs have stated they want it to feel 'cut throat', which is fine, so why feel the need to allocate items that a specific class can/cant use to the correct class. Leave them the option to take it (for high sell value, or more importantly as a TRADE item), or leave them the option to allow the item to become visible after the timer, and free for who ever to pick up.

After playing POE this weekend and playing some Diablo 2 with my brother, we discussed FFA loot and how bad it is in Diablo 2. I think it is a terrible idea for normal leagues and if they want a cut throat feeling to loot, leave it in the cut throat league.

I dont want to play with people that get their jollies screwing other people over by stealing loot. That attitude usually aligns with other less desirable traits. Currently why would I want to team with anyone other than really trusted friends?? FFA loot adds nothing positive to PUG experiences and really hurts the overall community feel. You want to encourage people to play together not work against each other in normal gameplay.

Leave FFA loot to the cut throat leagues.

Well, it was just an idea, like many other here.

Then how about a system like this:
1. You go solo or with someone BUT not as a party
- loot given out based on "you kill it - you keep it"
- items bind to the person who KILLS the monster i.e. last hit
- after a short timer they turn ffa

/* Why? Going solo You get all the drop either way and just going with someone, not as a group, everyone gets only what he/she earns. So 'no kill - no deal' */

2. Going as a party
- LEADER (assuming there is a role like that here) gets to decide loot rules
- ALL loot binded to a party so no outsider gets anything
- maybe after a minute or sth, long enough that the whole party decies to leave the item

This allows players to decide how THEY want to play.

- option 1 - just simple ffa INSIDE a party
- every member of the party has the same right to pick a drop, only needs a good reflex or some luck

- option 2 - only leader gets drop

- option 3 - items given to random party member on rotation basis
- after You get it, You wait till everyone in the party gets something too, after then it resets
- i.e. You got a rare, but three of Your friends didn't. You have to wait till three more rares drop, for each of them to have a turn.
- After a party as a whole gets four rares, flags reset.
- So for 4 player party rare drops bind on random 1/4 1/3 1/2 1 chance for every player who didn't get his turn yet.

/* Or simple random inside a party with no flags. */

/* For multiple drops, well, could be You got lucky and You get more rares for your turn, or just the first one with the second/third one going through a flag check. If someone joins or leaves, the flags reset. */

- option 4 - "you kill it - you keep it" - party version
- drop bind to a party member who kills a monster
- for multiple drop, You get it all or just the first one with the rest as ffa

I'd just say, keep it simple - at the moment, there is just FFA loot, a simple, but "Cutthroat"-like solution.

Add a simple loot system alternative for players who like cooperative party play. Not some complicated mix of FFA / master looter / individual drops / take turns;
just a simple but effective system for people who do like cooperative party play without ninja looting or lots of communication and discussion over every basic drop.

Individual loot for every player (but not more than in FFA for the whole party, rather the same or a little less) is the only simple solution that comes to my mind.

Make an option of either FFA-Loot or Individual drops, either every time you form a party, or league-wise, or a mix of both (Cutthroat league for example should have only FFA loot, and in any PVP league or environment FFA loot should be default).

There are different leagues for different play styles, there should also be different loot systems for different play styles.

My opinion is similar to many other people that wrote about this issue. Keep the FFA loot system, but PLEASE implement an option to enable a different system that isn't FFA.

I really do think FFA loot system takes away the motivation for ANY co-op play from many players. For me, the loot system is really the only thing I heavily dislike about this game. And hey, it's not like you have to completely forgo the system, all I'm asking is an option to enable a different - perhaps a more co-op/partying friendly - version of the loot system.

Thanks for making this great game devs, and I really do hope you're reading this thread and considering new options :).

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Banggoo wrote:

I don't like this compromise because I don't think it will satisfy anyone. The cutthroats will never get the thrill of stealing items because of the time on the good loot and the casuals will be paranoid that their loot will be stolen so they have to consistently rush towards their reward.

Maybe cutthroat shouldn't have the timer? Or at least it should be restricted to being within the party.

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jcdenton2k wrote:

-Charge microtransaction currency for teleporting. Yes, it is a convenience and with the loot changes above you won't need to return to town as often anyways.

Oh wow, no, that is a terrible idea. There's no way teleporting is anything close to merely "a convenience", considering how much time it would take to actually walk back and forth between zones. That's about as bad as paying microtransaction currency for 1-hour temporary support gem that gives you +500% item quantity. Hey, all it does is save you time, right??

I think that current loot distribution system is worst thing possible. I also don't quite like the dev's idea... my question is why not borrow tested solutions. Few posts ahead is one, used in D3 which is pretty good idea imo. There are lots of mmos where you have this dice roll, need/greed for rare/unique items. There are party loot distributions decided by partyleader. Just do anything besides "who will click first will get the item" system.