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

Page 300! Woo!
'Gratz everyone!

*chuckle

This is is nice system I suppose but possibly increase the timer?

Or have the option for the party leader to set the rules so that those who join knows the rules.

Setting: FreeForAll,TimerAllocation,PersonalLoot


I feel having the option to choose from is better than no options at all.

Oh yeah, Timer. Just remembered I have new feedback now.

I played a bunch of party again in OB because I wanted to power level. Didn't care about the loot. I was doing the thing of disengaging and heading right for the drop as soon as I saw it, and I was still missing out some times. Like, things in the way make a much longer path to get to the item sometimes. People running ahead will pop the chests while out of sight and get everything.

Timers should go up to like 3 seconds then I would have a viable chance to level AND loot while in a party.

Like many others, I'm finding this game to be the best single player arpg that, for some odd reason, I have to go online to play.

Given GGG's attitude as evidenced by both the loot system and trade system (ahem), I would actually prefer a standalone offline game exactly like PoE except for the need to go online. I'd play it pretty much the same way I play PoE now.. errr.. actually I'd enjoy it more since as a standalone there'd be no desync, lag, or disconnect problems. Functionally, there would be zero difference from the way I end up playing now.

Hat's off to GGG for taking the multi out of multiplayer for a huge number of your players.

Ive got a lot to argue against that FFALS, but for now some other stuff came to my mind that might be relevant enough:


timer is not always enough. Imagine a scenario where a lot of heavy fighting is going on, medium-low health and stuff, the tension on those little hardcores heroes trying not to die, ppl screaming like lil girls and

Then an orange item drops out of nowhere and has your name on it.
All of the crows that you've just met saw it too and do want it aswell

WT.Do.I.DO?!? do i risk my life to get it? do i save my ass knowing that i may loose what could be the best item ever?

i supose thats the kind of 'cut-throat' environment developers are looking for; and it is quite intense for sure, (i've never rly thought about a cut-throat feeling like this)

BUT

im almost positive all that just is not worthy for most of the people. The game is already 'tense' enough for itself (literally fighting for your life, studying the complex skill forest, saving resources, again trying not to get yourself killed), and the risk of having your precious stolen just isnt worth enough taking for the multiplayer experience;

i guess thats kinda of the feel im getting from some of the 300 pages of this thread
and i myself do agree with some of them, although some other thoughts criticising D3 Looting System also made me start to wondering too (like the unhability to see your pals drop)


TLDR
i guess bottom line is, to some, the possibility to get your loot sweeped away is a huge dealbraker (especially in a HC scenario);
on the otherhand, developers do want to stick to the 'cut-throat' feeling

maybe the pressing of a hotkey to 'hold' the priority could solve the dilema? an 'Y/N' system (obviously maped to other keys) could restore the throat-thing when a unexpected NOO is pressed?

who knows

The simple fact that the looting system keeps players on their toes and in the game is enough for me to like it (and have fun with it on several occasions)

This era of watching TV and not paying attention while you game annoys me. You are being a nuisance to a group by not paying attention and more often than not nobody WANTS to give you a free ride. This loot system rewards being up there and in the fight rather than being passive and dragging your feet. This type of system lends itself well to the fast paced nature of an ARPG.

Some people argue that there isn't enough time to loot.... I really do not understand how you don't have enough time, I play with 200ms+ and I have plenty of time to loot no matter what range I am from it. Once you get to high level maps you will realize that this loot system is a blessing.

This type of looting system does, contrary to what most believe, promote social play. You will more often communicate about loot, voice your opinions, and in general talk to other players where with instanced loot you would not.

This type of looting system will also help to eliminate a loot whore from your party in End Game. For example if you had instanced loot and a map was allocated to 'XYZGUY,' that just so happened to be leeching from someone else's map, he could easily deny ever receiving the map and use it for his own ends later. With this loot system it would be next to impossible to deny receiving a map that you were not entitled to.

"

It's important to us that Path of Exile has a cut-throat feel where players are not only competing against monsters, but also their fellow players

Good lord Gearbox has the same cop-out for their refusal to move away from FFA. There are lot of game mechanics that break immersion for the sake of enjoyment. We have PvP and you are more than welcome to have a special league where loot is FFA. Telling us the story dictates a CRITICAL PvE group element is just straight up a terrible design decision.

Even if your slightly lagging, or happen to be de-synched when a rare or unique or currency item drops, 1-2 seconds is plenty of time to literally move your mouse and click. Whether your ranged or melee. I can understand the sentiment of wanting to have a 3-5 second timer, but in a game of loot, you have to sharpen yourself to be ready to click by the monsters that could possibly drop an item for you. Just the ARPG way.

It wouldn't matter to me if I was able to get 140% of my normal share every time, I still dislike this FORCED FFA system. What is so wrong with wanting a pure PvE experience? No competing with my teammates in any way.

For myself, and many other players, the game comes down to this:

1 Play solo
2 Play a loot system you hate

This means I can never enjoy a public game. Even if I'm playing with friends who 100% agree to a shared looting system, the timers are waay too short after all the killing is done to remember who was originally assigned what.

To those who are against adding a non-FFA option, consider this.

You will lose nothing by adding it.

Those who, like me, dislike the current system, will NEVER join a public game. By not adding the option, you gain nothing, because players like me will never participate in it.

Some of those players will undoubtedly get sick of soloing all the time, and will move on to another game.

OR

Add the option. Then public games gain a lot more players AND GGG retains more players.

What is lost by adding the option? Nothing. Nuh - thing.