[dev1101] Please add "Don't get the drop X times, get key item for drop" EVERYWHERE!!

[Zinato]

Really, all I'm seeing is a wall of dense. I've explained my argument multiple times. It's a VALID point. You're spouting the same stuff over and over, then assuming that someone is only opposed to your silly suggestion because they want to be jerks. I gave a great alternative: return to shared loot pools. You continue to go back to defending your idea. "NO, YOU ARE WRONG AND I AM RIGHT!!! EVERYTHING MUST BE EASY AS PIE AND HANDED TO ME! COME ON, SE!"

Also, I would love to see legitimate proof that someone went 0/400 on anything. Karbuncle? Not someone whose numbers I would trust.

Kinggalka went 0/400 and I know its at least over 200 as I was there for at least that many of them. That aside, I fail to see how 1/200 is a worse system or a less valid suggestion then Shared loot. I assure you with near 100% certainty shared pool would result in many more bodies dropping then this would. While that does prove better for players, would that not do exactly what you wish to prevent? Players getting gear and getting bored?

I find it hard to believe any player needs only x1 r/x item from VW. With each battle taking 5 minutes x 200 is 1000 minutes cut that into hours and you get ~16.5 hours. That's of nonstop VW excluding any wait times. Including Shout time I'd guess roughly ~24 hours minimum time per piece. Being realistic each player should need minimum 2-3 pieces. Did I mention that's 600 stones you have to save or find time to get money to purchase, and assuming people have 0 to do in the game other then VW. Now, the tricky part. While it's fine and dandy that a player willing to play 24 hours gets a body the same is not true for players who play much less then that 2-7hrs a day I'd say is average. Now, players who play all day will always run out of things to do that's the nature of playing all day. Those playing 2-7 would take ~3-12 days per piece of armor. At 2-3 pieces needed ~6-36 straight days total. (I'm doing my best to use the low end of the scale, many players need many more) Again, this assumes that is all players log in for, and doesn't include any progression needed.

What am I getting at? We should be getting content fast enough to balance this. Step back for a moment and look at what we have but, exclude drop rates. In one year Dec 11 (post aby) - Dec 12 we have received 56 5-10 minute fights, and 2 easily broken caps. That's about it everything else is a tweak, or revamp. (Dynamis is the same content for the same goals just more available now, and new merits/level ups is simply leveling 4 hours to get 90-99 and another 4 per WS, or just do VW for that EXP.) Those drop rates are to buy time for a lacking system, it's nothing short of sad to see how little there is.

As a final note, the balance between players who play 16 hours a day and those playing 2 has always been an issue for developers of MMOs. This is often what forces arbitrary wait times such as those for dynamis and limbus, as well as 24 hour spawns. They put them in place so that even a player only playing once a week wont fall behind those that play all day every day. They did something like this to EXP in XIV and that was one of the most criticised aspects of XIV. This problem can never fully be fixed. And, a balance must be found between adding new content, keeping it from being to quick or to slow for both demographics. To sum everything up I think the underlying issue is lack of content, the drop rates and the need to protect them is a direct result of this. (Also, a promised drop after 200 is fair only reason I see them avoiding it is in fear of revealing the true drop rates of items, since this would be based on drop rate x2-3 or whatever.)

[Sfchakan]

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Wow, another level-headed player enters the thread. Thanks for the solid response! I agree completely that the true underlying issue is lack of content. SE kind of shot themselves in the foot with some of the post-75 gear they've released: they made all of the usual 75 cap endgame events obselete for gear/chracter advancement! This has destroyed/devauled a lot of content and now SE is in a bad predicament for XI. We do need more content to keep everyone happy, and only getting things like VW or Nyzul Uncharted is not going to please some of their playerbase.

I don't want to see SE in the same boat on XI as they are in XIV. They release new content once every 3 months and the playerbase is done with it in 2-4 weeks. Then people leave for 2 months to wait it out and save money. I think a token-based system would lead to more people cancelling their subscriptions or disappearing for 2 months at a time. "I checked this out, got the drops I wanted, and now I'll see you in May!"