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

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Phaeded wrote:

I don't think they're ignoring it even now but it's not like anyone has said anything new for at least 300 pages.

I think there have been at least a handful of new ideas in last 100 pages or so.
What I'm wondering, would it really hurt to open a new thread simply collecting the ideas?
Like a sticky post. No discussion about the ideas, this belongs to here. But a basic summary of all this. might only be 5 posts long.

What i read out of brians post on reddit:

and of the latest interview:

-tweaking timers wont work for them
-they oppose any form of assured loot allocation / pickup, as they want this kind of fake loot tension OR some other form of competition amongst the players

thus all ideas regarding longer loot timers or even giving options for party leaders wont work for them.

then its down to:

-increasing the loot pickup range, beeing able to pick up items from a farer distance
(pro: prevents blocking, effectivly adding more time to react as less time is used for travelling; still has this clicki-bunti loot minigame; contra: still breaks the action, ppl getting loot without contributing)

-lottery (@pumpadump): instead of the timer running down for allocation, you have to click on the label to participate in a lottery -> randomly allocating the items among the players taking part in
(pro: still clicki-bunti tension but not that much of it ->small diversion. fixed allocation -> no sort of blocking or ninja; needs a system to dismiss ownership of fixed allocated items.
contra: ppl getting loot without contributing)

-adding permanent names on timer allocated loot.
(pro: the easiest possible solution. party leaders defining the rules by the party description given and enforcing them through kicks; "loot tension" if wanted;
contra: ppl getting loot without contributing; )



-dynamic loot allocation based on player performance (+competitive, +fair, +only one system, +no ninja/timercamping/no diversion -more complex than those above -still needs evaluation)

-missed something?

Been in a few partys and got to say the party loot system as is.. is downright terrible. I get the timer thing to keep people paying attention but 10secs simply not enouf. Many times your stuck behind mobs etc and cant even get to the item while people just stand there waiting to ninja it. Bosses etc drop so many items stuff goes off screen and timers are up before you can even see what if anything droped for you.
Timer needs to me increased if wanting to stick with this system period and big loot drops need to be fixed so you dont have 30 items on ground half going off screen.

Well the reason GGG doesn't comment on it further is because they are happy with the way the loot system is now. Just think about it, their goal was to create competitive play and 'loot tension' these 600+ pages is proof that it works. GGG has created a certain style of gameplay (ie 90's hardcore style ala d2 style). Even having the name on the item was meant to piss you off so if you lost the timered drop, you felt pissed. You should feel pissed because it was intentional by design. The problem people have is that they come into this game and start demanding (ie like they would d3). Nerf this, nerf that, weaken this, weaken that. Fortunately GGG knows that doing so would create another d3 clone and frankly, we already got one of those and they wouldn't win in that arena anyhow since blizzard has more money to throw. POE is a niche game, understanding why they stick to old school style gameplay is an understanding of how games were in the 90's.

What I see now is a rude awakening of new generation gamers who have been coddled and kept safe from each other for over a decade and when a game comes along and forces you to man up. you either fight or run. or in this cause whine.

I really do not see GGG changing the loot system because its contrary to the market niche that they are trying to fill, the kind of arpg that d2 encouraged and that d3 did not.

I mean in reality, thats why were here isn't it? its because it isnt carebear like d3, because d2 was a manly game. it was pure FFA loot WITH pk squads and pkk squads, I remember playing it and NOBODY whined back then. It was put up or shut up. Now we have timers and ppl whine.

Don't mess with the original GGG vision. If you have your own vision, go and make your own game. I for one respect GGG's hardline stance because it means they stick to their guns and won't succumb to whine threads. Its like raising children, you don't let them whine their way through their own problems, you let them learn to suck it up. This is what GGG is telling you by not commenting any futher in this thread. SUCK IT UP.

What is the best thing about the loot-system is that it encourages you to create small groups of people with whom you play more regularly, people who just share whatever they get to progress together.

You meet people who play nicely with you who even might give you items suited for you character even if they were labeled for them? Play again with them and build groups with such players.

Again, multiplayer game is dead as long as 'competitive' looting is in place.

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Kwyjibo wrote:

Again, multiplayer game is dead as long as 'competitive' looting is in place.

Again?...............Again?

..lol?



Doesn't seem dead to me. Most games i see/join fill up in seconds.

@yuwy

thx for your intelligent and very original remark.
what you may want to consider:

-many players expressing their concerns and opinions upon this topic
A.) play the game for far longer than you do
B.) invested more real money into this game than you did
C.) are far more interested in improving this game as you apparently are

-noone is demanding anything, except that the devs discuss and choose in the end the best possible option for the looting system.

-the thing this thread showed allready in the early pages, is that this is by many not even considered anywhere close to a final solution

-as the posts above says, the key is in finding ppl who share the same views and rules of sportmanship /tastes. BUT how do you find as a casual player enough ppl to play with, if the looting system pisses you off and you tend to play alone?

Why is this a problem?
Because as others pointed out often enough, online players tend to leave the game and move on, unless
A: the game itself is great
and B: they build enough social connections to keep them focused on playing this particular game.
This is especially true with F2P titles.
We will see if a niche is enough to keep this thing financed and running.

one of the reasons the devs are not showing up in this thread anymore, is that any constructive discussion is disrupted by obedient sucking up crybabies offering no new ideas and critical insight at all.

I have said it before, but I will say it again. This system is fine, GGG's servers need to be stable enough to allow players to actually get the loot within the parameters set forth. If they cannot provide this level of stability the whole notion of "competitive" loot is BS. The system currently favors the player with the best ping. Standing over your loot, clicking like a madman and being unable to pick it up while some asshole camps it and takes from under your nose is annoying, to be sure. I suppose they truly have captured the frustration of 56k modem days.

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yuwy wrote:

Don't mess with the original GGG vision. SUCK IT UP.

You don't tell your investors that, and similarly you don't tell your customers that. period.

Second, anyone hear about how that went for Mass Effect's ending?

That does not mean the game will not be successful, however it would be a good idea to try to satisfy what players want while leaving the original vision in tact. One of the biggest gripes so far has been the lack of 'loot rules'. Not everyone would like to have this FFA (loot > combat) mindset and would like to have control over it if they are the party leader.

Very minor change could go a long way. The original FFA design would be unchanged. Could even remove the stupid timers again.

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