Seriously, VW loot system..come on.

[Frost]

Hmmm... Such a Zen moment in my head. I don't think I've ever disagreed with something someone's said, but agreed with the person saying it... (think about that for a while...)

Anyways.

To the comment that "poorly geared folks can be good"; or "people are being excluded because they are not 'best geared'."

First, since you appreciate analogies: If I am hiring a botanist to create a new stain of drought-resistant wheat for use in impoverished countries. Would I be wrong in being an elitist if I chose the guy with a couple degrees in Botany, Biology, Horticulture, Genetics, and has done work in the field, and has his own lab? Or the Pot-smoking hippy that knows a thing or two about growing plants in a basement?

Keep in mind it's MY reputation, and my funding and success of the venture rests on my decisions.

To relate that into general game terms... (and as someone has already pointed out) I have, as a leader, the luxury of patience. If I shout for Job "X", and someone in full perle (Pronounced: "PERIL") asks to join, I can assure you, if I shout just a little longer something better will come.

But that's not all.

Certain jobs, and certain specific shouts determine the success of a run.

Allow me to illustrate this point a little; you have two shouts:

"Voidwatch (Jeuno) T6 (Buburimu Peninsula) (Do you need it?). 6/18 (Anything) (welcome)"

"Voidwatch: Botulus Rex, 1/2 Ukon War, 2/4 Thundaja Blm, Need Wildfire Cors and Healers/Trigger jobs 6/18.

There's a couple things going on here:

1) The first one is letting anyone join.
2) The first one gives no indication there's a plan.
3) The first one through it's awkward use of Auto-Translate shows Communication might not be their priority.
4) The second one is showing signs of a currently working/acceptable strategy.
5) The specifics in the second shout show there's something specific about the Wars, either:
>> The Wars are there for high damage output.
>> The Wars need a certain degree of dedication/competence with the Warrior job.
6) The second shout shows there's been progress made in acquiring the jobs the leader thinks they need.

While I don't disagree that Voidwatch should be toned down a tad and the bar should be set at the "Average Player" I do take exception that the "Average Player" doesn't have at least one job that they can gear properly (I.E. No Perle, No Pink, etc...).

Requesting an Ochain or Aegis Paladin is not unreasonable. Considering how few good Paladins there are, the ones that are at least 'decent' have one or the other. The Good ones have both generally. Requesting one specifically shows not only YOUR GROUP, current members and future ones, that you're taking this seriously, but it sends a signal to the PALADINS that YOU are taking it seriously, upping the chances of getting a good one. You know what it does for bad paladins? It pisses them off. You know what a pissed off Paladin does? It shouts in Jeuno and on forums about "Elitism". You know what that does? You ever hear the old phrase: "Give em enough rope, and they'll hang themselves"?

And as to the drops...

Sure, you're right, clechè #2131225: "You can please some of the people, some of the time, but you can't please all the people all the time."

And there's a general divide on what people want that I think you're getting blurred. For every one person asking for an increase in drop rates, there's between eight to ten asking for "Add to Treasure Pool". They are not the same thing. Your insinuation that we don't think these things through is both kinda insulting and arrogant, as well as mildly ironic.

If you added "Add to Treasure Pool" the following happens:

>> When you get an item, congratulations you got the item, now you get a choice. It's STILL in YOUR chest it is YOUR item. But now IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

>> When you get another item you already have, you can share it or keep it if you want to spite the group. IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

>> If you're joining a shout group and they are 'selling' you the item and it drops in your chest, you're set, you have to be in the alliance either way. If it doesn't drop in your chest and you want to spend YOUR GIL on someone else's, IT'S YOUR CHOICE.

>> The worse thing that can happen happens in both cases: It doesn't Drop.

Crafters will still craft, for some reason people STILL buy NQ gear... Prices may go down a bit, but that helps the crafters' buyers. (There's two sides to that economic coin, supply, demand, etc...)

And in theory...

The drop rate on the item hasn't changed right???

[Nynja]

Requesting an Ochain or Aegis Paladin is not unreasonable. Considering how few good Paladins there are, the ones that are at least 'decent' have one or the other. The Good ones have both generally. Requesting one specifically shows not only YOUR GROUP, current members and future ones, that you're taking this seriously, but it sends a signal to the PALADINS that YOU are taking it seriously, upping the chances of getting a good one.

I have an aegis and my pld sucks...