Changes to loot system and promoting rp

[Calodan]

The current thread is about fixing the loot system to encourage more RP around the house not just the grouping for leveling. With a individual loot system there is no reason to solo dungeons and farm alone. Then with a slight bump in percentages to make sure better gear drops you can promote more merchant RP as well as RP in general as PCs will be better outfitted at earlier levels allowing them to push higher dungeons and getting better XP. I really believe this fix is a trickle down effect on a lot more RP in general on the server!

[NeOmega]

Then with a slight bump in percentages to make sure better gear drops you can promote more merchant RP

not true.

scarcity create demand, not abundance.

[chad878262]

Yes but non-existent creates no supply for which to satisfy any demand.

[Calodan]

The idea would be that a person would have a better chance to find Epic gear and greater gear. For example I have found one piece of epic gear in four years playing. I think a bump in the percentages so that one could find one piece of epic gear a year would be nice. This is not going to make it that much less scarce and would actually put pieces in the market more often for sale since there are pieces to be sold since people actually find them enough to sell them instead of mule them away forever.

[NeOmega]

The idea would be that a person would have a better chance to find Epic gear and greater gear. For example I have found one piece of epic gear in four years playing. I think a bump in the percentages so that one could find one piece of epic gear a year would be nice. This is not going to make it that much less scarce and would actually put pieces in the market more often for sale since there are pieces to be sold since people actually find them enough to sell them instead of mule them away forever.

epic gear is epic for a reason. I have found 2 epic pieces in all my time here, and I am quite satisfied with that... ..one I traded away for some rare gems and gold.

Yes but non-existent creates no supply for which to satisfy any demand.

they exist. They are just very rare. That makes them valuable. There is also a lot of good +3 gear, that could be considered epic. Indeed, there are now nice +3 boots you can buy from the northern tribe merchant in the palace district, and two merchants sell +3 capes. +4 armor is available with the bracers of the blinding strike.

In the meantime, all this "worthless gold" could be spent on potions and usables, but I've tried selling potions of improved mage armor, and it seems most people don't even know good stuff at a good price when they see it. They are always saving up for that epic piece.

There are things I buy up at auction at low prices... ...I mean, gold worthless? try buying another pair of bracers of the blinding strike, or another pair of boots of speed. Now you have six uses of haste 10. That's better than a level 25 favored soul.

There is a ton of good stuff, but it will never be enough. There will always be people wanting more XP and more loot.

[Calodan]

Right forgot for a second there that making a toy look good is not okay here.....will shut up now and go back to my role then. What was I thinking?

In the meantime I will admire that Epic Hospitaliers Armor that is completely worthless as banded mail.......A unicorn it is. Greatest dropped junk I ever got for sure!

[NeOmega]

Right forgot for a second there that making a toy look good is not okay here.....will shut up now and go back to my role then. What was I thinking?

In the meantime I will admire that Epic Hospitaliers Armor that is completely worthless as banded mail.......A unicorn it is. Greatest dropped junk I ever got for sure!

There's a lot of junk, and a lot of goodies, too. I have played so many classes and combos. Everything doesn't have to be awesome for level thirty. The journey is part of the fun.

[chad878262]

This discussion was really more about promoting adventure rp. While I disagree with NeOmega, I am far more interested in individual loot from chests over editing the loot tables (though I have had times where after opening 40-50 chests the best thing I found was a +1 armor, that is pretty weak)...

[Calodan]

The journey is part of the fun.

Oh right I forgot also that if I want to see better drops for adventure RP I am obviously not wanting to tell stories or enjoy the journey...... Come on man! Really? This is a video game. Yes everyone enjoys a good story and wants to see how it happens along the way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to see what is possible more often before I die in life! Or having loot in the chest worthy of wanting to pay high level PCs to take my really low level PC to a epic dungeon for a loot run and some real adventure. Nothing like trying to figure out to protect that level 5 merchant from a rampaging giant now is there? Talk about a journey!!!!

[LISA100595]

OR ...

Could go with the very popular and highly populated server's Loot system which is the Kemo loot system .....
what happens is as you hunt when you kill a monster , the loot is either A sent straight to party leader or B. need or greed or C. Randomly divided up all depending on your prefrence and the majority of the group and thus instead of bags dropping items are directly put in players inventory. And no matter who opens the chests the loot from the chest is divided the same way according to the choice you have picked for the group.

Just a suggestion.

[NeOmega]

The journey is part of the fun.

Oh right I forgot also that if I want to see better drops for adventure RP I am obviously not wanting to tell stories or enjoy the journey...... Come on man! Really?

Sarcasm!? Come on man! Really? Putting words in my mouth.... Come on man! Really?


As I have already pointed out, for levels 1 - 26, there is plenty of good stuff. The journey comment meant that for most of the time you are playing, you can find PLENTY of neat stuff that will help incredibly.

[chad878262]

Disagree again. My cloak, hood, one ring, amulet and gloves are available (and were purchased) in stores. My armor, belt and my other ring were purchased from other players. My boots I found. Been on the server nearly a year and while I have alts, none are above level 12 and there aren't many of them. My main has goods he has purchased, but there is a difference between "rare" and unavailable because players will rcr or create an alt around a piece of gear because they otherwise wool never find or be able to aquire something similar.

There is not plenty of good stuff, not in my experience.

[Steve]

There is not plenty of good stuff, not in my experience.

There isn't plenty of rare, "good stuff" because that would contradict the definition of rare.

While I do believe there should be more options to acquiring good gear for your main, alt or multiple alts, THAT idea is better served by Crafting & Enchanting, and not by more chances with the RIG. You'll find that the best gear is custom DM-granted gear. Period. Considering Rasael put together a rather decent Enchanting system for BGTSCC years ago, it's just a matter of Staff Will to solve a long-standing issue...which is what this thread is really about.

That said, better Loot does not promoted RP, nor makes for better RP. Some form of OOC chest change might make for better chances on getting something "good," but it will also make for more chances for getting darts, ale steins and rags (which I've seen enough in my lifttime, let me tell you!). Yes, the RIG needs some house cleaning, something I've pined for for many years now.

[Calodan]

Okay I see what you are saying Steve. The issue is how much junk is in the loot table as opposed to the percentage tied to each piece to drop? That makes more sense that the tables need some cleaning more than they need a bump up. Now I get it. For sure I agree on that. What really chaps me the most though is the chest not able to be looted by each in the party more than anything. I think that for sure would actually promote RP even with the current loot table. I know there are some good things in there just not getting a chance to really see them is all. Being rare is good. Being invisible is not. Right now a lot of that gear is mostly invisible as it does not reach us much on the player side. Hell if the already uber awesome DMs were more willing to put some if it down for end of campaign lines that we win at and succeed that would be cool too. I fully understand how they do their reward system though and I try not to rock their boat as much these days. Besides I have been really lucky lately and my point is not really just for myself. If I am frustrated a person who has multiple mules of stuff for any build then it must be a nightmare for newer players and those without the time to open a ton of chests to try and buck the percentages and get something decent.

[NeOmega]

Disagree again. My cloak, hood, one ring, amulet and gloves are available (and were purchased) in stores. My armor, belt and my other ring were purchased from other players. My boots I found. Been on the server nearly a year and while I have alts, none are above level 12 and there aren't many of them. My main has goods he has purchased, but there is a difference between "rare" and unavailable because players will rcr or create an alt around a piece of gear because they otherwise wool never find or be able to aquire something similar.

There is not plenty of good stuff, not in my experience.

Almost nothing I wear or use is a store bought item, almost all of them are custom RLG items. Most of them, I buy at the auction for coppers on the crown.

A lot of my items are also things like simple +hp items. I mean, the likely amulet only usually costs around 5000, and it is a great item. There is also the stout cloak, which is often for sale for 2000 or less. +2 and +3 gear at auction is cheap, cheap, cheap.

There is a ton of good and flavorful items. I only have a few +4 items on my chars, a couple wear +4 breastplates, and one was lucky enough to find +4 boots of the sun soul a couple of years ago. That's it.

I have no +4 deflection or shield gear, and I am ok with that. Why?

Potions, scrolls, magic. Potions of mage armor are only about 60 - 70 gold each, and last for 20 - 30 minutes. You can then use armor with other little goodies, with things like maybe extra HP, saves, or spell immunities. Now you are wearing an epic full plate with +4 hp and magic missile immunity, for only about 150 gold an hour.

Indeed, I rarely even care about +anything items except weapons, since greater magic weapon potion suck, but EVEN then, you can buy scrolls of GMW at candlekeep for about 600. It's a lot, yes, but then you have HOURS of a +3 weapon. Now, if that weapon only has keen, massive criticals, and 1d4 acid, it is now a MONSTER EPIC WEAPON. Most players would think that weapon was garbage. "ah geez, keen, 1d6 massive crits, and 1d4 acid? If only it had a good enchantment on it, well, I guess I'll sell it to Maltz for 1250..... I widh the server had better epic loots.... *frown* I'll keep grinding for that +4 longsword with 1d4 acid...."

So the good stuff is best when combined with potions and/or spells. Something I've noticed most people here still do not understand, because as I've said, potions of improved mage armor, Ive offered at auction for 1800 each, and nobody buys. That's hours of +6 armor for fighting goblins or even minotaurs. That's lots of loot grinding and XP.

USABLES ARE WORTH IT. I figured this out long ago, when I realized most people would gladly give 2 gold for 1 XP. Well, pay for some usables in gold, and you are making way higher XP per kill. Indeed, now, most of the items I equip on my characters, I don't even care about the armor bonus, I care more about the other goodies. Why? Because I can add the armor bonus with potions or scrolls.

Another example, what is better: hulryaenn of Rashemon (+3 natural armor, +10 HP, + 1 universal saves) or the likely amulet (+2 WIS, +2 CON, +10 hp)?

Well, since a potion of barkskin costs about 70, (or less with stag beetle shells), and gives +3 natural armor... ..or even better, spiderskin potions or scrolls, if you can use them, give a +4 natural armor bonus and last for HOURS.....


Long story short.... ...and no offense, you don't know what is good yet, because you have not experimented enough with usables.

I said it before, and I'll say it again, if you are afraid to spend gold on usuables, and afraid to use them ALL THE TIME, because of the minor amounts of gold you spend, your progress will be slow and painful.

USE USABLES. Then you will find, THERE IS A TON OF NEAT STUFF FROM THE RANDOM LOOT GENERATOR.