[dev1007] Voidwatch: Obtaining Spoils

[Insaniac]

If it was forced to go into another persons chest or it was replaced by a different R/E item I would be fine with that. I don't think just making it not drop is a very good solution though.

[Winrie]

At this rate voidwatch and empyreans are going to be dead content no one seriously does to keep occupied, SE is failing to see this, and by the time they see it, it's gonna be too late no doubt, thats how this always works.

I was contemplating responding to some of the LS posts.. but i dont really feel up to that one today.

[Warden]

Just dropping a line to voice my agreement that the current VW treasure pool system is garbage. I don't care whether or not SE says they are "right". They are right in that VW is a massive time sink of "random sh*t is random", which seems to be what they want.

Some people receiving 7 strendu rings total while others who have performed an equal number of runs have gotten zero; you know all of the arguments. Oh, and the lovely 0/200-300 on radiant mails. It's just going to take a heck of a lot more people to make them realize that its incredibly disappointing seeing so much good gear go to complete waste, and to come in with 18 people with a setup of the best people gear/time has to offer, and walk away with beech logs.

[Aemora]

Would like to also voice my disappointment with the Voidwatch system.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the idea was that upon completion of an event, there is a certain amount of items that are in the "drop" pool. These items are the distributed between the players who participated to those who 'earned' them (when truly, its has to be random). The more people who participate, the lower the chance of you getting the good items and instead get the lower ones. I'm sure I read this was the case for WoE at least (and as VW is the same loot distribution...)

Now, they can keep their beyond terribad drop rates if they like, if they are so determined to do that and be "right", but the very LEAST they could do is to make it so that once a person has acquired that R/E piece of gear, it never loads in their chest again, ever. You can't lot 2 R/E items so why does the game have a system in it where players are presented with that outcome? If the logic is so that each player is compensated for their participation in an event, surely it's a kick in the face to people who already have that item load in their chest again, because then they are down 1 synthable item that's "compensation" for them.

However I do not believe that Empyreans are dead. When Abyssea first came out, and Empyrean weapons were released, no-one went after them really. The idea of getting 50 Briareus Helms or indeed 50 Glavoid Shells was just a tremendous task, a block of insane proportions. Fast forward 2 Abyssea Expansions, and now the Abyssea Empyrean stage can be completed in a few days. They recently added Silver Mirrors to the original City paths of Voidwatch, an upgrade for the 95 Magian Weapons, which to be would indicate that perhaps, PERHAPS, the next stage or two of Voidwatch will have an increased drop rate of Heavy Metal Plates from all paths (if the Lv99 version of them requires a different item again) which will then lead to HMPs being easier to acquire (same logic as Abyssea, more parts of it that comes out, the easier it gets). Perhaps this is what they have in store, I hope it is at least.

But at the very least, make it so that if a person has the R/E item already, make it not load in their Chests from that point onwards so that other players can have the opportunity to get it.

[Nynja]

Except that the drop rate of upgrade items wasnt changed, though some were made somewhat easier (repop timer shortened to 10-15 for timed NM's, and the later addition to pyxis)

[Sickel]

So in the future, the drop rates of items will be increased? What's that going to do besides increase the ratio of garbage thrown away because it went to the wrong player compared to things that actually magically land in someone's treasure box who wants it?

Yeah, now I see the real "crux" of the Voidwatch system.

Clue train: It's bad enough when you have to split rare/difficult to obtain drops to players who have an interest in an item. When Kirin's Osode and the like were still relatively new, you had people who deserved it slightly more than others, be it because they could use it more, or whatever. Now imagine if Kirin was originally implemented in a voidwatch system. I'm sure it would drop at a 0.1% rate to all of the main-job WHMs, THFs, and PUPs, much to the bemusement of all of the jobs that can, you know, equip it, let alone make any real use out of it.

[Yinnyth]

The loot system itself I feel is fair, but ONLY FOR THE MOST PART. I think before the battle, there should be the option to forfeit your chances at loot (you get nothing) in exchange for boosting one other player's chances at loot (they get everything you would have gotten). This way, you can help out your friends even in a pickup group (don't have to deal with every newb lotting the item that your luck produced), and linkshells can attempt to specifically target getting one item for one member.

Edit: Hrm... come to think of it, this system would wind up rewarding larger groups simply because they're larger. Whether some of those people are dualboxed mules or deadweight newbs. But even systems where you could add your ra/ex items to the alliance loot pool would do the same.

[Sickel]

The loot system itself I feel is fair, but ONLY FOR THE MOST PART. I think before the battle, there should be the option to forfeit your chances at loot (you get nothing) in exchange for boosting one other player's chances at loot (they get everything you would have gotten).

This wouldn't really solve the problem. It'd be like me wanting a Seiryu's Kote for my RNG, you wanting a Byakko's Haidate for your NIN. We do the event, and myself and another WHM get 7 Haidates that we drop to the floor. It's aggravating for the NIN to see that happen. In your system, I would give up all items, but then what happens when the person I gave my drops to (the NIN) ends up getting my Seiryu's Kote that finally drops? That kind of system would only work if I was there for nothing more than to help people get items and had no interest in it myself.

[Yinnyth]

He wouldn't get your seiryu's kote because you're fighting byakko when you forfeit your loot to him. If you have nothing to gain from the fight yourself, you should be allowed to boost the chances of your friend at least- that's what my suggestion was all about.

If you're in a pickup group and your friend wants a byakko's haidate, and it drops to you, then you put it in the loot pool, how likely will it be that everyone respects your right to only let your friend lot it?

[Mightyg]

The problem with that is it would take them even more time to implement that as opposed to applying the "send loot to the treasure pool" system that is already in effect in parts of the game, and it still wouldn't fully solve the problem.