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

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Chris wrote:

We initially announced that looting is free-for-all in Path of Exile. Players would be able to see and pick up any items that dropped.

Several legitimate problems with free-for-all looting were raised:
- Ranged players are unable to get to the items in time.
- Items might just get scooped up by one player with substantially lower latency than the other players.

- The allocation time is intended to be very small (enough time to compensate for a little latency, reaction time and travel distance). We're thinking a base time of something in the order of 1 second when standing next to the item.
- The time would be increased by the time it takes for the character to run to the item. An item allocated to a ranged player might unallocate after two seconds, for example.


This is a concept based on feedback only. It's not locked in stone, but we like the direction it's going in.

What do you guys think about this suggestion? Please don't just post "allocated sucks", or "I won't play if it's free-for-all".

My feedback - as a ranged player, the timers are still too short. There are plenty of occasions where even when I notice we are fighting a rare/unique mob and am prepared to sprint for the drop and do so as soon as I see it and I still get there too late. I have about 30% run speed and I don't wish to have to switch over to Point Blank in order to have a decent chance to get the drops with my name.

You've likely noticed there are lots of public games at both ends of the looting debate - "No Ninja" or "FFA". Both types can be fun, but the fact that people are making them on their own to circumvent the short loot timer is feedback that your team could measure. I'd think a good portion of the FFA game creators would like to see games with no timer at all.


If your want a system to please the maximum number of players, why not have a few options at game creation? (Locked in so it couldn't be flipped in the middle of a game)


1) FFA - no timers at all.
2) Short timers - as they are now
3) Long timers - not just long enough to let people pick up named drops, but long enough that the group can finish a battle and then go for the loot.

With something like this, anybody joining a game would see what type of game it was and could decide for themselves.

To me, one of the best aspects of POE is all the choices you have. Please continue working on this great game and giving us lots of options.

Wait... so basically they are saying they added this system just to make us wired on loot rather than focusing on the combat?

I consider that a poor design choice. I would love to hear the reasoning behind it though because I certainly must be missing something here.

I'll be honest, throughout most of the fights I encounter with a group I'm just holding down my spam dps button and eyeing loots like a hawk and making sure I'm the first to get to a chest. I'm also one of those guys who will stand over loot waiting for the timer to run out to make sure I get the loot. Give me glaring stares or what have you, but keep in mind this is the system placed by the developers and it must have been intended.

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mibuwolf wrote:

Wait... so basically they are saying they added this system just to make us wired on loot rather than focusing on the combat?

I consider that a poor design choice. I would love to hear the reasoning behind it though because I certainly must be missing something here.

I'll be honest, throughout most of the fights I encounter with a group I'm just holding down my spam dps button and eyeing loots like a hawk and making sure I'm the first to get to a chest. I'm also one of those guys who will stand over loot waiting for the timer to run out to make sure I get the loot. Give me glaring stares or what have you, but keep in mind this is the system placed by the developers and it must have been intended.

Yeah I wish they would focus on adding a rush to multiplayer combat. Co-op is boring and right now the timer system is the only challenge when playing with a full group.

So the devs designed a great solo experience, but multiplayer has no challenge besides 'loot rush'… Did they intend for loot system to be the hardest part of multiplayer????

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wrathmar wrote:

Yeah I wish they would focus on adding a rush to multiplayer combat. Co-op is boring and right now the timer system is the only challenge when playing with a full group.

So the devs designed a great solo experience, but multiplayer has no challenge besides 'loot rush'… Did they intend for loot system to be the hardest part of multiplayer????

Not hard for me to get loot; can't speak for everyone though. :)

Point being though is that really I should be focused on the combat and clearing the room as quick and efficiently as possible for my team, but I'm not. I would prefer IL or at least loot rules in place so that when I'm in a group I can go back to focusing on the combat and loot is priority #2.

FFA loot system has cause me to stop playing in pug groups and now is hurting playing in groups period. There is no reason for the FFA loot system. It doesn't help the game in anyway.
Please get rid of the ffa loot system before it chases away more players.
I'm writing this cause 2 of my friends just quit cause of the loot system.

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tat0010 wrote:

FFA loot system has cause me to stop playing in pug groups and now is hurting playing in groups period. There is no reason for the FFA loot system. It doesn't help the game in anyway.
Please get rid of the ffa loot system before it chases away more players.
I'm writing this cause 2 of my friends just quit cause of the loot system.

If your friends quit a quality game like this simply because of the loot system, they didnt like the game anyway. I dont like the loot system, but it doesnt mean I'm going to quit. Either your friends have no drive to play this fantastic game, or they didnt like the game. Or both.

I dont like this system at all, my latency and the fact that im ranged means i lose item in every party i play. Also cause of when in a party it drops so many item that i dont even see all drops. If u gonna keep this system remove the timer on blue items and keep it for Uniques yellows and currency, this way its easier to see what drops. Sure there can be good white and blue items but i rather lose some good blue or white item than lose a Exalted Orb cause i cant see it.

One temporally solution for everyone.

1) - Make small party of max 3-4 players and agree if FFA loot or on name

2) - If you are too lazy to make it , join one and aim at the loot and not at the mobs , I know sound weird.....but what to do ?....or u busy aiming and killing mobs or u go for the loot , this is not ur fault .....is just a poor loot system design.


Honestly .....since I play Templar and I'm more near the loot .....I grab everything I can without caring if was on my name or not.....untill GGG decide to improve it

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Zalm wrote:

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tat0010 wrote:

FFA loot system has cause me to stop playing in pug groups and now is hurting playing in groups period. There is no reason for the FFA loot system. It doesn't help the game in anyway.
Please get rid of the ffa loot system before it chases away more players.
I'm writing this cause 2 of my friends just quit cause of the loot system.

If your friends quit a quality game like this simply because of the loot system, they didnt like the game anyway. I dont like the loot system, but it doesnt mean I'm going to quit. Either your friends have no drive to play this fantastic game, or they didnt like the game. Or both.

Well that is your opinion and you are wrong. I told you why they quit. They want to play a team game and not have to worry about people poaching the loot. Plus there are plenty of fine games for them to play.
I wouldn't call this a quality game. It is very much a beta game. It is fun, but far from perfect and the loot system is part of the problem.

Just to clear up something from the original post by Chris - are orbs/gems/scrolls FFA or timered?