0.10.3c Patch Notes

I am seeing a lot of people saying that party leaders should choose a loot allocation method, but it's not as clear cut as that. You can have people in your instance who are not in your party. Your party can end up in an instance created by another party. Party!=instance, and instance!=party.

As far as loot clutter goes, I think the solution would be adding an option between all always visible and holding a key; show everything when it drops, but have a timer on white (and blue?) items similar in length to the allocation timer after which they are not shown unless a key is held down. Pressing this key while the display timer was running would end all the timers on white (and maybe blue) loot, so the player could quickly hide "uninteresting" loot when a lot drops at once. This means the player would have control over what they saw; everything, nothing, or only the "important" items, while still seeing everything as it drops.
I would very much like to see names next to allocated items if this system was implemented, though the timer bar isn't necessary. It makes Gentleman's allocation much easier. Having the name last after the timer ends would be very nice too, though I understand that gives a sense of ownership of the item once the timer has finished that GGG apparently wishes to discourage.

For issues with ninjas and not getting items that drop for you, I think a large part of my frustrations come from clicking on the item, getting there in time but not picking it up. some of this will be down to desync, and I guess will be fixed when it's fixed. The rest I think comes down to another player getting there first and waiting to get the item, stopping me getting close enough, a mob blocking me, or my character getting hit en-route and "forgetting" they are going to pick up the item (I think this is a thing, I'm not 100% sure, though). Increasing the pickup radius to be slightly more forgiving in the heat of combat would, I think, solve most of my issues around that.
If the pickup worked and I always got the item assuming I got there on time, I don't think there are any other major issues with loot. Hanging back for safety is a tradeoff; You have the time to get there, and pick something up, but if you are too far back you won't see it.

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Chris wrote:

• Was it easier to read what items drop now that fewer are allocated and the size of the item hovers doesn't change?
• Does the increased allocation duration help enough in terms of being able to grab items in time assuming you react quickly?

1: I don't think it made enough difference to warrant removing the extra information from the screen. The suggestion I have made above would do far more for clutter, and allow most of the information to remain on screen.

2:The only character I am playing in FFA parties currently is a Cyclone Marauder, and he almost never gets loot with either timer, as he is stuck twirling through life. I haven't tried in 10.4 with the reduced Cyclone length, however.

Please do return the names to the loot system. I play primarily with friends in groups of 4-6, and there is really no worse feeling than no one having any clue which of the people just offscreen that GCP belonged to. We all want it, but we don't want to take something that isn't ours. We *like* to share, and we enjoyed the previous loot system because it took away the bother of rolling dice at the end of the run for the good loot away (as we did in a previous game we played together - loot splits took forever). We all looked out for each others items, and that was that. On the rare occasion no one saw whose it was we just took turns or gave it to whoever had a use for it.

Now, I would say that we identify owners in groups >2 for about 20% of items. Before the patch someone in the group identified the owner of the item 85%+ of the time.

I even have more trouble identifying my own loot with the new system. A name attached just stands out better.

I like the change that removed names and assignments from blue items. Those cluttered up the drops immensely. I feel like this change would help if the names were returned.

The problem with our group isn't as much the duration of the name, though that was sometimes a problem we had pretty much gotten used to it. The problem is the fact that without an associated name it is very difficult to tell whose item something was in the middle of a battle where you care more about keeping each other alive and being a good team member than about being sure you are close to the monsters that are dying so you get a good view of the shade of yellow of the loot drop. I don't notice the shade of yellow immediately. I did notice a name.

Agree that names should be returned to yellows, uniques, orbs.

When an item is on timer, it should be visible only to you and after timer runs out, then its visible to all. Also further increasing timer is necessary, beacuse you make dcissions whether you take it or not. BUT ninjas still have their fancy tricks, how to deny your loot. For example frost walling, standing on an item...

Can I also point out that this is system gives an advantage to people stealing loot:
-orbs are white for the person's loot, but grey for everyone else.
-that means they are highlighted, stand out, whereas are more difficult to distunguish for the player
-also when a yellow item is seen on the screen one cannot tell if its his and just dropped, or someone else's and became available.

so in general this system has promoted the so called ninjia technique and it's not enjoyable for me since when I play I like more emphasis on the gameplay and less on looking carefully on what is dropping.. it's ruining the experience for me and i took my first 2 day break from the game in a while.

that is all

time to play solo and no more parties for farming, and level at maps, and solo maps for good loots, makes me not want to party even more.

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yhateful wrote:

GGG has a vision of a hardcore game experience. Evidently, loot drop is an important aspect of this experience, at least according to them and most of the core players.

Ask yourselves this. Does GGG NEED to appeal to a wider playerbase by changing the loot system and possibly alienating part of their intended audience?

Start talking about business, maximizing profits, whatever, but the actual answer would be "Nope", since hardcore players are picky and don't want a game that even offers carebear alternatives (see what Trammel did to Ultima Online). This is a niche game, for a niche market. I'm pretty sure it will sustain itself off that audience, without the need to water down their concept.

Nothing will satisfy everyone, but basically satisfying people who have a problem with FFA or responding to even the current loot timer is not, and should not be a priority for GGG. Sorry.

Absolutely great post yhateful. I agree 100%.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again: Do _not_ cater to the casuals, go with your Vision GGG. You can not _ever_ satisfy both groups. Ultimately all things considered the only path that's right, is yours. Don't sacrifice what is core to cater those who really don't care about this game, who only care about their instant-gratification needs. You know we hardcore players see past that. We found your game because we looked for that kind. Meta-options aren't in your vision and that's the way it should be.

"

mushioov wrote:

"

yhateful wrote:

GGG has a vision of a hardcore game experience. Evidently, loot drop is an important aspect of this experience, at least according to them and most of the core players.

Ask yourselves this. Does GGG NEED to appeal to a wider playerbase by changing the loot system and possibly alienating part of their intended audience?

Start talking about business, maximizing profits, whatever, but the actual answer would be "Nope", since hardcore players are picky and don't want a game that even offers carebear alternatives (see what Trammel did to Ultima Online). This is a niche game, for a niche market. I'm pretty sure it will sustain itself off that audience, without the need to water down their concept.

Nothing will satisfy everyone, but basically satisfying people who have a problem with FFA or responding to even the current loot timer is not, and should not be a priority for GGG. Sorry.

Absolutely great post yhateful. I agree 100%.

I've said it before and I'm saying it again: Do _not_ cater to the casuals, go with your Vision GGG. You can not _ever_ satisfy both groups. Ultimately all things considered the only path that's right, is yours. Don't sacrifice what is core to cater those who really don't care about this game, who only care about their instant-gratification needs. You know we hardcore players see past that. We found your game because we looked for that kind. Meta-options aren't in your vision and that's the way it should be.

+1

My feedback to the current lootsystem:

I tested it out alot now and I'm absolutely happy about it. No timers reduce the clutter on the screens and makes it easier to find stuff when killing uniques/bosses in big groups. Furthmore I played alot with a friend and we share items. We have no problem to see what stuff "belongs" to who and because of the increased timer it is even easier because you have enough time to see who has the invisible timer.

I like it as it is and I don't see any reason to change it any further...

Please return name to loot. When playing with just one other friend, it is not that bad of an issue, however from 3 ppl up, it is just messy. We now have to stop and ask "orb?" and wait for answers like "not mine" "not mine" "not mine" to clarify who the hell was the owner :/ .