Seriously, VW loot system..come on.

[Runespider]

Selling drops has nothing to do with anything, selling drops is rabid for aby gear, selling drops will happen in legion. They don't care about that, they just wanted to make sure it took as long as possible for players to get the gear and cease having a reason to do the content. More hoops you put inplace to stop the player getting to the carrot the longer they chase it.

[GarudaEban]

I agree that it would be a start, but it also still wouldn't solve the issue of people getting the same drops over and over again, not being able to trade them to others. And it would still allow people to sell drops (which is precisely what I think SE wanted to prevent with this), if they don't have them themselves (which may be an issue for some people, but not for RMT, for example) however without the benefit of doing it on the fly, and without any security. If they did implement that, you'd either have to receive the item first or pay the gil first, you can't do it simultaneously like if the items weren't exclusive, in which case they could be traded or sold in various ways.

Sorry I wasn't clearer with my description. The broker would exchange two different items of equivalent rarity between two consenting players, using a program that is run by the broker. It would be a completely new program, not one that uses the current trade command program. It would be launched much like Venture Roll, with the broker npc waiting until two people looking to swap speak to it. Requiring both people to be in the same group would prevent mixups between multiple pairs looking to trade at once.

Player #1 selects Mextli Harness from their item list. Broker gives this fact to Player #2 who selects their Fazheluo Radiant Mail from their item list (in which everything except the two eligible items, the mail and the Anhur Robe, is grayed out.) Broker shows the proposed deal to both players and asks if this is acceptable. If both players agree, the NPC exchanges the two items.

This would solve the problem of a person getting an item over and over again (assuming they send their original copy of the item to a mule before a run) because if they get something they already have they can find someone who wants one and has an item from the same tier willing to trade. Selling drops would be rare, since only people who are willing and able to give up an equivalently rare item would be able to use the system. Finally, security would not be an issue, since the program would be run on SE's end.

[saevel]

Sorry I wasn't clearer with my description. The broker would exchange two different items of equivalent rarity between two consenting players, using a program that is run by the broker. It would be a completely new program, not one that uses the current trade command program. It would be launched much like Venture Roll, with the broker npc waiting until two people looking to swap speak to it. Requiring both people to be in the same group would prevent mixups between multiple pairs looking to trade at once.

Player #1 selects Mextli Harness from their item list. Broker gives this fact to Player #2 who selects their Fazheluo Radiant Mail from their item list (in which everything except the two eligible items, the mail and the Anhur Robe, is grayed out.) Broker shows the proposed deal to both players and asks if this is acceptable. If both players agree, the NPC exchanges the two items.

This would solve the problem of a person getting an item over and over again (assuming they send their original copy of the item to a mule before a run) because if they get something they already have they can find someone who wants one and has an item from the same tier willing to trade. Selling drops would be rare, since only people who are willing and able to give up an equivalently rare item would be able to use the system. Finally, security would not be an issue, since the program would be run on SE's end.

Too complex a system.

Invariably it seems the old maxim is true, the simple solution is the best solution. Give players the ability to put a R/EX item from their box into the community loot pool. *BAM* instantly problem solves, mass's rejoice. Very little programming required, little room for bugs / errors, increased loot distribution and players are happy and dance in a big circle.

[dragoon_apprentice]

Keep the voidwatch system the same. add point system to legion. have the rewards from legion be old voidwatch gear and plates as a reward for points, as well as new legion gear for points. Even if new legion gear is better, maybe you wanted a piece from voidwatch for something specific. This way, you wont be stuck doing it more. after hundreds of voidwatches, anyone will get tired of it if they cant get their drop because ofthe effort. This way, you can do somethign new ( legion) and work on other stuff that you wanted from VW over time.

if you add points to voidwatch, guess what is next? more voidwatch

[Zinato]

I seriously, can't believe the things I'm reading. The Dev team has begun working on several issues brought up by the voidwatch system, and yet here everyone is complaining and repeating the same things. You have been assured your concerns are being discussed, ALL OF THEM. But, for some reason everyone seems to expect that the entire team drop everything they are doing and fix drop rates this instant, and the players don't seem like they will be satisfied until it is added. Lets assume for a moment they said right now "we plan to increase drop rates in all voidwatch in the June update." Do you know what would happen? Everyone would immediately get on the forum and proceed to say, "Make it a priority, we don't want to wait"

We have conformation of several great changes.
*A battlefield know for freezing will be altered until the freezing issue is fixed. And I know the response to my saying this will be, It shouldn't freeze in the first place. Well, it does and the fact it being looked at is wonderful news.
*Second, the mass AoE and Deathga known to many NMs will reduced allowing for a more normal fight style, as compared to the current Invulnerable or Dead style. (When a BLM can be the main tank for some Voidwatch there is an issue that needs to be addressed)
*Additionally, the DEV team is working on adjusting the systems battles to not require top tier gear. This is fantastic news, hopefully it will help the event allow more players as well as allow players to play jobs they like but, may not have top edge gear for. "But, if you play a job regularly you would have it geared" you may say. It seems a little hard to believe that every paladin has aegis and ochain for the battles that specify one or the other. Also, what about the players with several DD, the fact that players expects a player with SAM WAR and DRK to have an empyrean for each is pretty sad. Dispelling ideas of master gear is a great step for Voidwatch, more players to join means more runs to be made to acquire gear. Every time I see a player complain the game is too easy, all I do is laugh and think put down your god mode weapon.
*We have been told, they will allow players to destroy unwanted items in chests, so that players who are above bringing R/X to Voidwatch runs don't leave the chest standing.
*We have been told, that lights will be less of an issue in Voidwatch and from the sounds of it will be set to maximum in all fights. This means procs will no longer have a major impact on fights and also means players can focus on fighting and not spaming Stone II for hints and procing.

These are all wonderful adjustments that will make voidwatch more enjoyable for all, and I thank the DEV team for the consideration, with some luck and future teaks voidwatch may become a "battle" and not a "proc or die" (And I know I will get a Voidwatch isn't hard now response, and yet even still those same people will go fully geared, Empyrean DD only, temp spam into fights. Perhaps if it really is not that hard try doing a run without such things.)

As my final note, all I see is people suggesting the same things, The DEVs have seen it. You are not getting a response because they have nothing to report on the issue right now. All of these suggestions on how to "fix" voidwatch are all loot based and don't even match up. Player A wants a place in pool option, Player B wants the items to be R/ but not /X and Player C wants points. (Someone is going to be disappointed and those people will just come right back here to complain) Have some patience, I have a really hard time believing all of these people with "nothing to do" have every single piece of gear, for all jobs they have except those R/X ones from Voidwatch. How about progression? After all nobody likes the guy how doesn't have Voidwatch warp and spends 30 minutes walking to the fight.

All of these posts that are yelling at the MODs and DEVs, (its gotten so bad poor Camate had to step in) do nothing but, remind me of a spoiled brats who complain if they don't get their way, and right this instant. *Think german condom commercial

Finally, at risk of being hated by this entire thread, board and even my server. I want to thank Camate for putting up with this and having the courage to speak. I also want to thank the DEVs for considering our feedback (even if it is not currently top priority) and looking into Voidwatch, as well as putting their best efforts into making it an enjoyable event for everyone. If one day something is done to alter drop rates, wonderful, if not I still look forward to a more enjoyable event.

[FrankReynolds]

Do you know what would happen? Everyone would immediately get on the forum and proceed to say, "Make it a priority, we don't want to wait"

I would love to have you as a customer at my business.

<customer> Hey do you guys have any sports cars?

<salesman> No. We got a lot of requests for them, but we decided to build a car with marshmallow tires instead because we think marshmallows are important.

<customer> Cool. I'll just wait here for the next year or two, maybe you'll make them then. Here is my money in the mean time. you can just hold onto it. I trust people who put marshmallows on cars.

In real life though, if you tell your customers to shut up and wait because your busy working on things they don't want or need, they tell you to get your priorities straight (if your lucky).

[Zinato]

While, I appreciate the analogy you miss the point. First, I'm glad you can get into Voidwatch and work on it daily. However, much of the server is alienated from this process. The more of the server able to participate the more runs can be created and the more opportunities to obtain this gear. Fact is unlike abyssea, voidwatch has been slow to take off due to the misconception that great gear is mandatory, which I'm sure most people would agree great gear is not a common thing. You could find 10+ runs of a single NM on a daily basis if the same held true for VW most people even those at 0/400 would have a body by now. But, as things stand perhaps 1-2 (if you are lucky) will take place each day. VW is not a common event and drop rates are not the only issue. Numerous runs need a pld or war that i wish to join, but my gear is not "elite" so i cant join. (That's one less person for the run in question imagine if everyone in my shoes could join any run, I'd wager there would be more) What I'm saying is the more people can access the material the more runs can be made. I'm hard pressed to believe anyone would claim "they don't need VW gear".

Second, unlike a car business (which doesn't manufacture cars but rather sells them) simply creating content is not such a simple task. To make a more appropriate analogy it would be like a department store, this department store is responsible for manufacture and sale of product. Now, people have complained about the mattresses in the bedding department. The store must then weigh the mattresses to the other products, perhaps they also have renovation (Legion, Neo-Nyzul) on the kitchen department. The game is not Voidwatch XI it is Final Fantasy XI and priorities are made as a whole not on "a single product". Also, to continue with the car analogy Yes, it is reasonable to expect a person to wait for the cars to be fixed, because to fix cars built with marshmallow tires would require a new production cycle plus whatever safety tests, blueprints, and planning that may be required to make new cars. (in our case Programming, Testing on test servers and scheduled implementation) If Voidwatch is all that's left for a particular player in this game, then they should have no issue doing many runs a day to acquire the last piece of gear before they are 100% done with the game. Nobody is paying each month for Voidwatch you pay for FFXI, if someone truly does nothing but voidwatch all day then they will get body soon enough.

We can't even know if the discussions for drop changes are taking place right now, but, with such a hostile environment anything the MODs say has to be carefully thought out. Therefore, they could very well have a plan in place but, simple not yet announced it.

[FrankReynolds]

We can't even know if the discussions for drop changes are taking place right now, but, with such a hostile environment anything the MODs say has to be carefully thought out. Therefore, they could very well have a plan in place but, simple not yet announced it.

Well, in my case, I have no interest in beating my head against the wall that is void watch at the moment. Making the monsters easier, and making more jobs get invites isn't going to change the fact that the drop distribution sucks. Great, I can go to VW on pup instead of war and still not get loot now. YAY!

Not to mention that the longer they wait, the higher the chances become that people who are doing the event right now, are wasting their time.

Do you want to spend a year trying to get a body from VW, only to have a better one come from legion a month later?

Let's say you just got that body after 3 month's of insane grinding, and watching other people get it on their first try. How does the fact that they just made the drop rate way higher make you feel? Like crap I bet.

If they address stuff like that right away, people don't get alienated. It's all about response time. If they had fixed the drops right away, very few people would have experienced the problem in the first place. The longer they let it go, the more people there are that feel screwed because they had to deal with it. Even if there is a job balance problem, or a NM that spams death, that is not what is bleeding their customers. How many times do you think you can kill the same damn NM without seeing a drop before the novelty of being able to go pup/bst wears off?

[Greatguardian]

You should log into game and come Voidwatch with me, Killface.

[Zinato]

We still have a minimum of 2 more Voidwatch installments. We don't know what KI, Atmacite, temps, drop rates or even if toci, heka, mekira, etc. will be among them. Would be like calling Abyssea a failure before Scars and Heroes. (I mean gear was mediocre, atma were decent but not great and you could only have one. But what came from Scars/Heroes? the gear many use now including Empyrean weapons and weaponskills.)

If drop rates suddenly increase the crafters for NQ and HQ versions get "screwed" since everyone gets the R/X one. So, the logic of "I spent my time to get a drop someone will get easier later" is invalid. How do you think relic holders feel? As content ages improvements happen, the patience required to get these items early is the price of having them before everyone else. If 2 years after something is introduced drops increase it should be of little importance. On top of which NEARLY ALL gear is eventually outdated, you work for the best at the time and then move on as new stuff comes out, That is what an MMO is, to complain of being outdated, is to complain at CoP, ToAU, WoTG, Story Add-ons, Abyssea, and 75+ level cap. You work to have nice gear to show off, or to make content for the newer gear/storyline easier but, to expect everything to always be relevant is not realistic.

What I see is impatient people, not willing to wait for drops, not willing to wait for the DEVs to adjust Voidwatch content. The other thing is the ONLY people who know what is planned are the DEVs, these "fixes" might hinder something found in the completed content. (imagine just for a moment that a KI is granted upon climbing all tiers of VW that grants an increase in drop rate, this would not only explain the current rates but, would be incentive to climb the tiers, which no one seems to want to do now. After all Shinryu granted a 90% reduction on Brew costs which people used to say "was unreasonably priced")

First people hate, loot snatching LS leaders. Then they hate the sales of R/X items such as shinryu and +2 items. Then, they hate individual chest. (suddenly people want to share) Almost seems the only mistake the DEVs made is listening to players, it only leads to more conflict. (Did I mention there is already resistance to the pool system of Legion, weren't the players just complaining about individual chest?) You are not only fighting for what you wish to see but, your fellow players (which seems to be a theme in-game too) and also, I've said it once before the "everyone" represented on this forum is a smaller amount then the "insainly low" drop rates in Voidwatch on top of which regardless of what people may think, your words represent only yourself.