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

Well, what i meant is 2 close combat characters could pick up each other's loot while ranged one's could always just stay a bit further away so a second long timer would just do the trick for melee ones.
You could also make a pop-up window if an item allocates to them, where they could see the item, and choose to keep or trash it, this window would have the second timer, no one would have to run, and neither melee nor ranged characters should stop fighting they could just go and pick it up after the battle ends, the item could even disappear from other character's screen, people should still have to watch carefully or they might lose the item they wanted. Of course to stop people from just hitting the keep button you could just put "keep" button at a random small area, or mix 2 buttons up, like "keep" and "trash" and have people to act really fast while they still have to keep fighting, adding a slight bonus to "trash" items could have a positive effect on character like a small health, attack speed bonus or something like that, so they'd have a reason to push it instead of keeping the item.
Of course you could always just make the allocated and kept item have a longer (10-15s) timer so you could pick it up at a better time.

Thats what I disagree with though, long timers restricting looting preventing the midcombat rush. Combat looting was a big, but abused aspect of diablo, and I feel a timer to even it out and prep everyones good. However it should still be the person tapping Alt while attacking and actively knowing whats dropping that goes for it. The timer lets people get in position. Not have a picnic after the battle.

Hmm, maybe making a button after item name to get ownership of the item, latency comes in here though so if you want to make something even, buy everyone the same comp same internet same distance from server (which is impossible), or have them have the latency of the slowest comp (don't do this :P), also you could make item names appear half or a quarter second later after it has been dropped, and make it appear at the same time at everyone's computer (should be weird, and might be exploitable), but that'd be the most fair, and person smacking alt and being the fastest could get the items keeping the cut-throat feeling and making it fair at the same time because mouse cursors are generally at the enemy monsters even for ranged characters.

Despite the fact that there isn't a way to convey your character's ability to do this legitimately, the easiest solution to the problem would be allowing for ranged pickups. Take out the code that autowalks to an item whose text you have clicked on and instead just pick it up. Same fast-click-to-loot feel, no disadvantage to ranged players. Maybe give all characters some sort of telekinesis animation that shows them pickup up their loot in this manner.

Doesn't solve the issue for latency differences, but latency is a difficult hurdle to overcome, and having high latency, people are usually ready to accept being at a disadvantage, not doing the same dps, dying more frequently, not getting headshots, you can't change the fact that you are communicating slower than the game is designed to communicate. Its not turn based.

I see that you're trying to make it fair, but the work is not worth the effort. Free-for-all and fair almost never go hand in hand, so go one way or the other. The middle route is the worst in this situation.

I read a lot of replys and found a lot of interesting idea.
If you dont mind i would like to calculate some of them.
Objective: Find way out of range to run and time to click - to loot the precious item.

Way to solve #1: Give 2 seconds lock(allocates) period for single player on the item he might need.
+Pluses: Cut-throat. Stealing item rush.
-Minuses: Big combats never care for 2 secs. You never target item to see if it's locked to you, because player target enemy.

Way to solve #2: Long range looting.
+Pluses: First to click rush. Cut-throat. Stealing all items clicking-rush.
-Minuses: Auto-clicking bots will break the gameplay. Players will have to put the rock on Alt - makes Alt most important key in game.

Way to solve #3: Give 2 seconds lock period and then single click on item to expand lock period to +2(or more) secs.
+Pluses: You still must pay attention. Cut-throat. Stealing items rush. 1 click on item is affordable in massive fights because you really want that item.
-Minuses: Big combats never care for 2-4 secs.

Way to solve #4: Long lock time (10+secs).
+Pluses: No stealing rush makes game fairer. Calm and tranquil gameplay.
-Minuses: No Cut-throat. No hardcore. Less real gameplay.

Way to solve #5: Out of combat loot lock start.
+Pluses: If you saw the item you want then place yourself close to it, after combat ends. Very little cut-throat.
-Minuses: Very little cut-throat. U must be informed if the combat is realy ended or it will never end - you will never get loot.

It would be cool, if GGG made some kind of vote :)

If the plan is really FFA, then there is an Option to increase pickup Range for everyone.

Now another Upcoming game "Soon™" is letting every Player get his Own "Loot" which would be the fairest System.

"

Zidjian wrote:

So hypothetically a Ranger is playing with her buddies the Marauder and the Witch. They're fighting in the Upper Prison and BAM Brutus pops out of nowhere and the battle ensues. After this battle is finished Brutus dies and drops 4 white items and everybody just picks them up then two rare items drop one for the ranger and one for the witch. However the ranger was busy drinking a Mt. Dew at the time. So the Marauder picks up the Rare sword of Death. The Witch cares less about said sword, but the other Rare item the Amulet of Life she picks up before the allocation runs out. Now the Witch and Marauder are both happy, but the Ranger is very displeased. However the Ranger has nobody to blame, but himself.

So this is basically how the system with play out?

Also you said random allocation will there be a better chance of a Sword going to a Marauder than a Witch? Or the next drop of a Wand going to the Witch instead of the Marauder? That is not to say that a Marauder will never get magical class based items, but playing with a group they will generally get there own item types. Or will it be completely random?

well if there the ranger's "friends" they wouldn't do that.

I think it would be cool if there were individual drops, but if FFA is the only consideration here, then there just has to be an agreement between players that Need Before Greed applies. Perhaps there should be a random roll timer for rare orbs and uniques?

Just trying to find a way to make playing with others not so frustrating. Can be frustrating even playing with frinds if they tend to gobble up items without considering if others need it. It is just in some people's nature to grab everything as soon as they see it. Not that they are being inconsiderate on purpose though.

Individual drops = least amount of drama and your magic find % only applies to you.
FFA = most competitive (good and bad)
FFA + timered rare drops = competition and a fair chance for all.


I can adjust to any of the above, but I know some people will avoid playing with others just because of the item competition. That would be sad, sicne it can be fund running and gunning with friends :)

in diablo 3 every player sees a different set of loot.

another good style is rolling for rare items