Reducing Lag Bags

[Valefort]

How about a reasonably long lootbag cleaning mechanic tying activity in the area and item value ? Something like triggering only after 5 minutes inactivity and then letting items with high value remain.

On the topic of worthless items the irony of finding only rags and spoons sometimes seems lost on most of you, which indicates an horribly utilitarian and time-optimizing view of loot and PvE overall. Automatic success is absolutely worthless, and that's what we've got almost everywhere save that small thing, rags' drop rate was even reduced the last time this topic was brought up because how dare you waste my gaming time for no gain at all, however small it is ?

I writhe and grimace with heavy contempt at the previous idea, if you don't you might not like this suggestion : how about mixing in rewardless quests, failures, hardships for nothing, jokes at your character's expense and nonsensical worthless items ? Preferably without any way for you to know and of course not too often either.

[Rhifox]

I thought there was already a cleaning script? So if you were seeing bags on the ground it just meant someone had been by recently.

[Theodore01]

how about mixing in rewardless quests, failures, hardships for nothing, jokes at your character's expense and nonsensical worthless items ?

Wait - don't we have these already ?

rewardless quests, failures - Dynamic Encounters: Goblin Cave Rescue, Dobran Stillface,...
hardships for nothing - almost every boss fight
jokes at your character's expense - commercial exchange courier inside the gate
and nonsensical worthless items - already mentioned before

[Steve]

I’ve mentioned this many times before, but again: reduce loot drops of Items in general, but replace with coin-only drops.

No one passes up coin.

As well, why not slowly add to every Area at least 1 static campfire or barrel, so Players can easily dump off unwanted items and not have to go through the build a campfire drop items remove campfire hassle.

@Valefort: the age of this game causes optimization to be one of the remaining enjoyable aspects. Since the general principle never changes AND very few aspects are ever truly lost, optimization of the repetitive experience does become the paradigm.

Make the game less repetitive, and players will not feel their time “gets wasted.” Hence why it is called grinding.

[Theodore01]

I’ve mentioned this many times before, but again: reduce loot drops of Items in general, but replace with coin-only drops.

That does not work ! Everyone who plays a toon, which depends on non-store bought gear, would be even more at a disadvantage as now.
Also finding loot is fun, buying gear is not !

[Valefort]

how about mixing in rewardless quests, failures, hardships for nothing, jokes at your character's expense and nonsensical worthless items ?

Wait - don't we have these already ?

rewardless quests, failures - Dynamic Encounters: Goblin Cave Rescue, Dobran Stillface,...
hardships for nothing - almost every boss fight
jokes at your character's expense - commercial exchange courier inside the gate
and nonsensical worthless items - already mentioned before

These dynamic encounters ones are bugs, they're meant to be completed and reward the player.
Boss fights - if you look at cost/benefit only, sure.............
Commercial exchange courier, one for how many ? There's also the sandwitch quest and imp quest that need your character to do disgusting stuff but you're still rewarded in the end.
As for the 0 gold items, which have a dramatically low drop rate, they're worthy because they're failures and not useful even though that main point seems to be overlooked.

As for repetitiveness, sure, no one likes that, but this is still disconnected from willing to always have valuable loot, to always succeed, to always get more.

[chad878262]

I think the idea Valefort mentioned would solve the question asked, lets not over complicate matters with trying to fix every perceived issue (some of which are a matter of preference since I like finding items, useless or not). I also enjoy that some NPCs treat your PC not so nicely (have a few PCs that are secretly plotting to kill the door guard at the building that would eventually be the Iron Throne...I forget what it's called right now, but it's near the Blushing Mermaid). Anyway, things tend to get done when we remain focused on a single, solvable issue rather than bringing up everything you would like to change in one go.

[Steve]

You can only solve this by changing the paradigm from “always wanting—and getting!—more” to “not losing anything or simply maintaining what you worked hard to get.”

The latter is non-existent on BGTSCC. Abandoned Guild Halls never crumble. Weapons never rust. Abilities never succumb to wear and/or failure. Experience is never lost. Nothing can ever be stolen. NPCs never die. PCs neither!!!

My pint is that from the moment of Creation, every bit and byte of the game is designed around accumulation. Almost nothing gained is subject to loss, and where it is, it is only through willful, unmanaged self-direction which is honestly the minority of the Playerbase.

Heck, we don’t even allow Players to truly gamble, literally or metaphorically. It is advertised as a Medium RP Server, and I get the Why...but sometimes Medium translates to mediocre.

I realize the Server need to remain Persistent, and thus always at a kind of “maximum opportunity” for all Players all the time. That is a very difficult sandbox to design for.

But again, the “always wanting more...” attitude quickly sets in from the moment one realizes how static the Server actually is. What I’d argue is the main sought after aspect of the game, experience of it (not XP), is quickly replaced with convenience desires once the repetitiveness is found.

I’d argue further that we’d not care so much for constant gain AND complain so much whenever any little thing is lost, IF the experience of the game/Server actually kept us “on our toes” no matter how many times we play it.

Hence why so many Players have a main for RP and an alt for grinding for cool lootz—trying to RP the repetitive “adventure” just ends up like boring bad acting...but we all still want something new and shiny!

[zhazz]

How about a reasonably long lootbag cleaning mechanic tying activity in the area and item value ? Something like triggering only after 5 minutes inactivity and then letting items with high value remain.

I like this idea. Especially since it would also solve the next part.

On the topic of worthless items the irony of finding only rags and spoons sometimes seems lost on most of you, which indicates an horribly utilitarian and time-optimizing view of loot and PvE overall. Automatic success is absolutely worthless, and that's what we've got almost everywhere save that small thing, rags' drop rate was even reduced the last time this topic was brought up because how dare you waste my gaming time for no gain at all, however small it is ?

For me this isn't about wasting time for no/little gain. Those times just make the good finds feel all the better. I think many feel the same. The issue is purely in regards to those items often being dropped by PCs, either at a vendor, or out in the wilds, because they have no value.

The above cleanup script would obviously fix this

[chad878262]

My pint is

Cheers, have a pint for me!

I’d argue further that we’d not care so much for constant gain AND complain so much whenever any little thing is lost, IF the experience of the game/Server actually kept us “on our toes” no matter how many times we play it.

I don't get to say this very often, but I could not agree more Steve... Is this even an argument? I would be surprised if this were not a universally accepted fact! (but then I am probably wrong and there is like a large majority that likes knowing exactly what they might face wherever they travel, to the point of being 'annoyed' if a DM gives them a solid and introduces a little encounter to spice things up). *shrug* I hope everyone who loves D&D would want to have that challenge and the ability to get in over your head, but I also know that many who play in fact don't like the stuff that I like...

[Theodore01]

Easy solution for reducing player gear: Unleash a plague of rust monsters on the sword coast.

For loot there could be some gelatinous cubes, which "eat" all floor items. "A cube will absorb everything in its path, with its acidic digestive juices dissolving everything organic and secreting non-digestible matter in its wake."

[Steve]

Don’t get me wrong—I enjoy the excitement in the possibility to find something special from the RIG. The last and greatest experience of this for me was about 6 years ago when I found 2 suits of mithral full plate within a week...and this was back in the day when MFP would cost you at least 1 million coin via private trade!

Granted, I’m not much of a Loot & Grind player, so my chances to ever find ANYTHING worth a damn, is stupidly low. Which maybe then does contribute to the perception of sheer ugliness when I enter an Area and see abandoned Loot Drops all over.

You see, some clean up script could be implemented for 2 weeks, and we see how it works. If it totally sucks eggs, then Revert!!

But I’ll say it again: with the availability of up-to-+3 gear all over the Server via NPC merchants, it just seems more realistic that minor loot drops are drastically scaled back in favor of higher coin drops, and Playerd are expected to outfit their PCs via these NPC Merchants. Still, random gear will drop and even valuable epic gear, but at the same rate that makes sense to the Setting.

A clean up script is great to try out and implement, but why not try and remove the problem at the cause?!?

[c2k]

hardships for nothing - almost every boss fight

Boss fights are actually good XP for those leveling up. What I think you meant to say is those dynamic horde scripts that are meant to drive you out of an area you have been farming.

[Theodore01]

But I’ll say it again: with the availability of up-to-+3 gear all over the Server via NPC merchants, it just seems more realistic that minor loot drops are drastically scaled back in favor of higher coin drops, and Playerd are expected to outfit their PCs via these NPC Merchants.

That would work - if all item & material types would be equally available at merchants.

Many mithral armor types +4, epic weapons like a battleaxe, AS /CI clubs, staffs, whips and many other items should be added to the merchants then.
That is a lot of work overall.

Another option could be a transmuter NPC, who could transfer the stats of an item to another itemtype (within limits) - for a huge fee.

[Steve]

Above is an example of an every-time-I-play Loot Bag. Perhaps I'm in the total minority, but I'd much, Much, MUCH rather just not have a Loot Bag drop (but preferably just Coin).

Unless someone can come up with a better-than-decent reason drops like this add to Role-play in any significant way beyond "I just read an interesting tome and look at this pretty stone!"