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

Not in the beta yet, so I'm not sure exactly how it's working in game, but just some random thoughts on looting:

It would be nice if gold was auto-split and automatically looted, looting tends to be a hassle in boss farming runs with several mobs in similar games.

I'm not likely to play in public games myself, but as others have mentioned in this thread, a loot box with a roll window for items over a certain threshold, or a longer time on allocated loot would possibly give me more of a reason to venture into a pub game on occasion.

I'm not really a fan of everyone getting different loot, rolling on a rare drop between friends, or passing so someone else can get an upgrade can be fun and exciting.

I'm sure this has already been said but I have played my fair share of d2 in my day and I feel that another issue that was a huge problem was loot bots that insta grab all items. It was fun in the like first year and a half of d2 when the loot bots hadn't been created to see who was the fastest at grabbing items. In my opinion free for all just isn't viable for any game... IMO

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Capii wrote:

- if the game has more than 50% players who are friends i mean 3 out of 4.. or something like that, then the loot system will work normally..
- if it has less than 50%, then as our friend above said, a round robin is activated, and we might also add a factor that you can't roll items that aren't equippable by your character (im also assuming that there are weapon restriction to some characters for example)

I quite like the idea of changing the looting system based on the game you are in. As a participant in clan games in Diablo2, we would often find items which would be usable to only certain parties, and everything would be shared, often on a need-it-most basis. As a ranged attacker, I was given all the ranged items. Usually somebody said "I need gloves" before we start a run, and if any good gloves dropped, they would get them.

As a ranged attacker, this worked out incredibly well for me, and I got most of my best items this way - simply because I was playing with friends who were okay with sharing; instead of picking up everything, and trading, or giving it to their alts.

I don't see myself being able to "trust" all the players in public games, so a timer would certainly work in that case, but if looting could be dynamic, you may be able to cater to all player types.

I simply cannot read 83 pages, but I do want to contribute my thoughts.

I think caution with timers on loot is a good thing. The reason is that game play unnaturally broke up by any kind of timer, is bad for the play experience. It is little things like that which create or break an immersion effect and essentially make the game a series of interruptions. Kind of hard to explain.

However, free for all loot does have those drawbacks. Also, as noted previously, encouraging players to stop fighting with their group to loot can be both good and bad. If you want to allow it to increase the cutthroat nature of the game, I think that is a great mechanic. In play though, some people might not like it. I love it, it forces a decision to be made by the player - team or greed?

There needs to be a timer of some sort. If you're not fighting in melee and an item that has a rarity class that's really hot drops, it shouldn't just be up for grabs. That'd make the range classes chanceless. Also, by having items being FFA, ppl will stop fighting to loot, which never is a good thing. I'd say make white items FFA, rarer items either rolled for by the players who are eligible and helped kill the monster or have the system roll it out to somebody and give them a choice to take it or leave it, preferably without having them running on top of it or having to wait out a timer. I'd like something of a roll window, where the player who won the system roll gets to choose take or leave, assuming ingame trading is easy. IF ingame trading is hard, the loot system needs to help the players with their greed somehow, need/greed/pass like wow, where you can't need on items that you can't or really really shouldn't ever use.

A solution for ranged players may be to drop the items near (not AT them) that everybody has the same chances.

My main concern with all this, as it seems to be with a lot of others I've seen in the thread, is having to constantly break from the action to focus on picking up loot. I like combat. I like getting loot. I don't like one interrupting the other constantly.

I'd personally prefer a roll system. Not with a need/greed mechanic, just roll if you want it or skip if you don't. It's "cut-throat" in a way since it would be understood that there is no whining because someone rolled on something that's not for their class or whatever. Also, the chance to roll could be kept to only a couple of seconds so if you're slacking off or not paying attention you'll miss your chance.

I think a system like this would give everyone a fair shake at items while also requiring that players pay attention, and most importantly for me it eliminates having to interrupt the action constantly to deal with loot in the middle of fights.

Hmm well I get what your gunning for but 1-2 seconds or something would really be too low time, imo (5 is close to optimal)

I can see myself hacking and slashing in the middle of the hoard of enemies while keeping an eye on what drops. Good/rare items falls to ground but its on the other side of this wall of enemies and I decide to go trough them.. and then on comes the ninja and grabs the goody right in front of my eyes!

That would be bloody annoying, but, yeah it would sure add to the games "cutthroat" feeling.. would it make game better? No, imo.

If the timer would be high enough (like more than 5 sec.. even 10 maybe) so that you had time to think whether you go for the item now, OR kill few remaining enemies before going for it, it would be ok.

An option might be to have bosses and champions explode their loot across the screen somewhat during their fancy death animation. Simple and fair yet still cut-throat.

Chests and mobs stay first come first serve.

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damageddrone wrote:

An option might be to have bosses and champions explode their loot across the screen somewhat during their fancy death animation. Simple and fair yet still cut-throat.

Chests and mobs stay first come first serve.

I thought of this same idea! Even though the suggested by Chris idea is a fair compromise; I disagree with it. I think it should be a free for all because i think the ranged chars being farther equalizes out with melee chars being distracted by other units. The randomized placement of loot around a plausible radius of death really makes it fair for any player. The item could also having a landing delay, so it for example, bounces or rolls around before being pickup-able, the name and colour should be available and a couple seconds bouncing would allow each char to rush for the item, an equal free for all.