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

i prefer to have options for looting as well. much much prefer it.

I'm on the "Let the group decide" side.

When someone creates a game, allow them to select what type of loot system will be used.

1. FFA
2. Need / Greed with Random Dice Roll
3. Allocation with timers
4. Straight up Allocation

This is one of those areas that no matter what change is made will anger one side of the population. By forcing one specific loot system, the people in favor of something different will not like it etc.

In a group of friends, a FFA works because friends will share with each other. IE I pick up an awesome Sword, my friend grabs a great bow. We switch. So since we are a group of friends, we could pick the free for all.

However, if my friends are not online and I create an open group, I do not know if the people are going to fight, leech, ninja loot, or basically pay attention to anything else that is going on besides item drops. In any game that allows / encourages co-op, having a FFA loot system is self destructive. I am new to this game, but I have already experienced it. I joined a few pick up groups and it was horrible because everyone was paying more attention to the loot then to the fighting. Almost every group I have joined ended relatively quickly because person A would loot something that person B really could have used and person C could care less about anything but loot while person D was just trying to survive as everyone just went for the items.

I understand the cutthroat mentality, and I do enjoy it in games. However, in an ARPG, it is one of those areas where you almost have to allow a choice when making the group. Otherwise, the group will dissolve without getting anything accomplished. People will be rushing to grab items mid fight, and dying, then quitting.

Better option: everyone clears the area, gets their drops after the smoke has cleared, congratulates each other on their drops, maybe trade with each other for a minute, and then return back to the slaughter and actually progress through the quests / acts together as a group.

So TLDR: Give a choice of FFA, Need/Greed, or Allocation to people that create a group and everyone can join the type of loot group they prefer.

+1 for the currently implemented system.

GG GGG

Please make FFA an option....not something mandatory.

I'm puzzled and equally amazed that GGG decided to take this stance regarding loot drops and that they actually valued what they called the "cutthroat feel" among players in what is primarily a co-op loot game.

I won't bother listing the disadvantages that everyone else has already posted about. But what benefit is there to force a FFA system other than perhaps faster looting when playing with friends? It's easy to make it a party option for those that want an FFA system.

This might come across as aggressive but is the purpose to force us all to play solo and never with strangers? Making the online community inherently hostile to each other to justify the name of the game? Do they actually want players scamming each other like in D2 trading and then say "we like it because it's old school"?

I loved many things about the game over the weekend, and the hardcore ladder races too, but this aspect of the game and the stance they're taking in that first post meant that I'm glad I didn't drop my money on it.

Haven't played in groups here yet, but played for about 5 hours yesterday in open weekend and gotta say: great game so far!

Had no idea loot was gonna be such a divisive topic till I opened up the forums.

still taking opinions?

I've played a good deal of realm of the mad god, both before and after they implemented personalized loot. I was skeptical when I first heard the change, thinking that if I could see less loot, I'd have less fun, even if I never got it. But, when it actually came down to playing it, the change made the game a lot more fun (or rather, the game stayed as fun, but much of the frustration was taken out).

RotMG is a similar game, perhaps not in theme or detail, but its an MMO ARPG, in beta, financed by micro-transactions.
Allocated loot worked well for most people over there, and didn't take away from the "hard core" feel (yeah, its cartoony, but its hardcore enough - permanent character/item loss on death). people worked together more easily after the change, so people could focus on finding groups that complimented their character's strengths, rather than just building all fast characters to get the loot.

The compromise sounds ok if loot is going to have one global solution - though considering what people have said about white items with lots of gem slots, maybe those could be added?

However, I do like best the ability to pick loot options among the three people have listed. I think path of exile would be fairly unique as a game if you did this.

I think I'll enjoy PoE enough whatever loot system(s) stick around, but if you want me to become hopelessly addicted, you'll have a better chance with allocated. I tend to leave games that frustrate me in ways that I consider unnecessary.

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Karcaroth wrote:

FFA looting with no other option just kills co-op in this game for me.

This. I will not play multi-player until this is changed.

however , don't take that to mean I won't play the game (SOLO is great fun). if GGG is fine with a segment of players like myself who are boycotting co-op completely due to loot, then I suppose I'm fine with it as well.. it is F2P, after all..

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pilnomi wrote:

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Karcaroth wrote:

FFA looting with no other option just kills co-op in this game for me.

This. I will not play multi-player until this is changed.

however , don't take that to mean I won't play the game (SOLO is great fun). if GGG is fine with a segment of players like myself who are boycotting co-op completely due to loot, then I suppose I'm fine with it as well.. it is F2P, after all..

I have a theory regarding what you just said that may or may not be true, tell me what you think.

My theory is that much of the microtransactions in this game are supposed to be stuff that makes your character or spells look cooler(like making your fireball look like something else). Now if all I play is solo or with one or two friends then why would I use money for this feature? In my mind its to show off to other people, to stand out and look different to the other players. So if I play alot of public games then I would be more apt to pay for this kind of thing.

Obviously what I am hinting at is I think GGG might make less money in the long run if they do not update the loot system. I think my theory is corrent when I apply it to myself because making my fireball look different only appeals to me if I am hoping in and out of public games.....which right now I am not.

Anyone agree that this might be the case?

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iamstryker wrote:

Obviously what I am hinting at is I think GGG my make less money in the long run if they do not update the loot system. I think my theory is corrent when I apply it to myself because making my fireball look different only appeals to me if I am hoping in and out of public games.....which right now I am not.

Anyone agree that this might be the case?

I hadn't thought it out that far, but I think there's some truth to this. I did post in another thread that I'd be willing to pay for female models (Templar especially!), and I stand by that regardless if I play solo only or not. Because, in that case, the change is purely for my own eye candy enjoyment! :)

in any case, I feel like I am missing a big piece of the game by refusing to co-op, but I know from experience with other games that the frustration caused by FFA loot is simply not worth my time.

The primary issue at hand is that in an individual loot system, combat and looting are separate from one another. They can happen at the same time, but they are never competing against each other for the player's time. You fight the mobs, and pick up the loot afterwards, or pick it up while running between mobs during the same fight. The loot isn't going anywhere, so you have a choice of whenever you want to pick it up.

In the current FFA-ish loot system, the two become completely intermingled and combat becomes wholly undermined and is subservient to looting. If you don't get your item BEFORE THAT TIMER RUNS OUT then someone else WILL! And god forbid it's a chaos orb or gcp or anything valuable, because half the group is going to abandon combat in order to camp it just in case you fail to make it! Let's not even think about not making it to that 6L in time...

The design decision to have this game on the FFA loot style needs to be be seriously reconsidered in regards to the impact it's going to have on player behavior and public game viability. It is not going to create a "fun, challenging cut-throat environment," it's going to completely sabotage the game experience and leave players in two groups: those who only play with their friends and those who play public games and enjoy thoroughly fucking each other in the ass as hard as possible whenever possible.

The rest will quit out of frustration or annoyance.