The Problem With Voidwatch: Random Loot Distribution, and How to Fix It

[Asymptotic]

Voidwatch fights bring new challenges and interesting battles to a post-Abyssea FFXI, and most people applaud the fights themselves; however, I have not met a single person that has anything good to say about the reward distribution system. The main grievances are as follows:

1. The drop rates seem dreadfully low.

Maybe after Abyssea, land of force-what-you-want-to-drop, low drop rates aren't necessarily bad for us. But, some of the drop rates on Voidwatch items seem astonishingly low. Combine that with...

2. Random distribution of R/EX items

It's insulting, and practically heartbreaking when the LS's main tank receives an item for BRD when she doesn't even have it unlocked, and the BRD receives a shiny new mail for his level 10 Samurai. The already low drop rates make this even worse.

[SIZE="5"]A Potential Solution
[/SIZE]

Why not release a series of items, similar to the "ascent" items which can be traded to a Planar Rift before the start of the battle, which affect the type of item one might receive from the riftworn pyxis? I'd propose two sets:

Part I: Type Selection (15k cruor each, can trade 1 per fight from this category)

Spiritual Medallion: greatly increases your chance of receiving magic oriented armor from riftworn pyxides, but you will be unable to receive other high quality items.

Assailant's Medallion: greatly increases you chance of receiving melee oriented armor from riftworn pyxides, but you will be unable to receive other high quality items.

Armorer's Medallion: greatly increases you chance of receiving weapons from riftworn pyxides, but you will be unable to receive other high quality items.

Part II: Designation Selection (20k cruor, can trade 1 per fight from this category)

Collector's Medallion: greatly increases you chance of receiving exclusive items from riftworn pyxides and greatly reduces your chance of receiving items that can be sold.

Merchant's Medallion: greatly increases you chance of receiving sellable items from riftworn pyxides and greatly reduces your chance of receiving exclusive items.

The cost in cruor is set relatively high in comparison to other items, and should have a noticeable effect. I'm not saying it should raise the drop rate to 50% or anything, but a decent increase at the "target" items while removing the ability to get things you were just going to drop seems reasonable.

A system in place like this would at least make players feel more in control over their fates when venturing out on the Voidwatch, and I think it would increase the playability and reception of the system greatly.

[Runespider]

The whole point of the drop system is the artifically extend the amount of times you have to fight the mobs over and over again, it's like the old HNM system (rare drops but also with a horrible claim system to turn what would of been a few months content into 5+ years doing the same thing).

They made it this way on purpose, I can't see them wanting to change it anytime soon. It's all about trying to make peopel run around the wheel as cheaply as possible, an old XI endgame system rearing it's ugly head again.

They do far fewer updates per year and what they do add is pretty small, as such they need to make us do the small things they do add longer. Make scrolls annoying to get, make new endgame events with stupidly bad drop systems etc.. It's all about giving us stuff to do without actually having to work hard keeping us entertained.

[Kristal]

With the addition of heavy metal plates, redoing NMs over and over is pretty much required or there won't be any 95 empyrean weapons for the next couple of years. It does mean you cannot solo/duo your way to a full empy...

There's also a few good aspects of the system. It allows players to get their hands on gear they would normally never be allowed to lot on due to draconian kill point systems or preferred jobs.

[Dfoley]

TLDR version

Solution = put crap items on VW so no one wants to do them.... then balance it by requiring 500+ runs while pooling heavy metal plates to 1 person (see relic/mythic).


Working as intended.

[Insaniac]

The VW loot system is a replacement bottleneck for the "camping against 150 other people" bottleneck. It's complete garbage. A nice middle ground between the system we have now and the and the instant gratification of abyssea would make almost everyone happy. I think a 5% drop rate per chest on the rarest item's with capped red is pretty reasonable. Right now it's less than 1%.

[cidbahamut]

"Add contents to lottable spoils".

There, fixed. I can deal with shitty drop rates so long as the drop can make it to the person who wants it, but getting elusive PUP gear and not being able to give it to our resident PUP enthusiast because it didn't spawn in their box is just silly.

[Risae]

Is it even possible to do that? Because that is by far the best option for WoE at least, even if they make it so that you can only add it to the lottable treasure pool of your party. This technically would even make coins 'sellable', but would only be 'sellable' for five minutes to people who actually showed up.

Couldn't be that horrible, right? If they have it set up so that only top performers get pouches, the drop rate can't be so good that going 'Join my party for X gil lot on Frayed Pouch of Ruin' is going to horribly mess up the long wait times intended.

Even if so, people would still go back.

Can we get that? "Add to Party Treasure Pool"? Even if the current system is working 'as intended' it's frustratingly silly to just be tossing coins you don't need/can't use.

[Rearden]

Add treasure to pool, increase drop rates. We don't care what the DEVs think about it, this is what we want because right now it is a poorly designed system.

[Asymptotic]

They have stated (and seemed pretty vehement about it) that they would not allow you to add to treasure pool in Voidwatch, hence the suggestion I've offered above.

[cidbahamut]

I don't care what SE said. You treat the cause, not the symptoms.