Do we really need belts in the 24-man raids?

As we roll over onto the fifth or so week since Rabanstre was released, it occurs to me that out of the many times I have run this activity I have NEVER seen seen a player take a belt as their weekly drop.

On the other hand, over half my runs usually see some sort of belt item drop in place of another, potentially more useful item, and more often than I'd like I actually see TWO belts drop from a single boss coffer, only to hit the ground.

From a catchup standpoint, belts provide much less stats than any other body piece, so I can see why people gearing up their main or alt classes don't want to use their weekly roll on them. From a glamour standpoint, belts don't show on your character (anymore), so people looking to complete the set pass on them too!

Although it's much less of an issue once the weekly lockout is removed, it can still be frustrating to try and complete a set on an old raid, only to continue seeing belts drop in place of the item you're hunting for.

If the devs intend to implement another accessory acquisition method like the Proto Ultima weekly quest, this is a perfect place to relegate the belt item as well. Otherwise, I would still encourage SE to reconsider boss coffers as the most appropriate place for the belt items.

While I waited till the last item I needed for the left side of my casting set I did use my most recent lockout to obtain the casting belt from Rabanastre. In fact ever since the release of Rabanastre this was the fist time I have ever seen the casting belt drop, I had to hunt for it because it just never dropped for the groups I was in. While it would be nice for it to be added to something like Proto Ultima, I have my doubts that we will see anything like that until the final 24 man raid of this expansion. So for now I think it best for it to remain as is to help keep a rather healthy speed of leveling alt classes by gearing with Rabanastre on left side and Creation tomestones on right.

It would be nice if the trash fights had chests and only belts were in the first trash chests and head pieces were dropped at the second trash fight, it would help Rabanastre drops a lot more.

I don't know why we even still have a belt slot. Frankly, they could just drop it and disperse the stats to the other gear slots.

I wanna know why belts drop from the third boss. Who thought that was a good idea? Every loot table in that dungeon is just wrong.

The Crystal Tower raid series has designated boss treasure pools. Uhh been a while since I bothered to care about The Shadow of Mhach treasure pools since those aren't locked anymore but I think those were a mix between designated and all bosses, such as you won't see belts after a certain boss. This series seems to be any item, any boss.

And to add insult to injury. I just ran Rabanastre and it dropped 2 belts off the third boss. The same two belts. After dropping two NIN head pieces from the previous boss. This is not random

While I always see belts in 24man, this is the 1st time I actually needed belts for classes, and only just NOW got my 1st belt there.

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Originally Posted by Sekkei

This series seems to be any item, any boss.

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Just a guess, but I wonder if it's to dissuade people from leaving if they passed a certain boss that dropped a certain item they wanted. Now people have more reason to stay for the entire fight.

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Originally Posted by MachammondtheXXXII

AI just ran Rabanastre and it dropped 2 belts off the third boss. The same two belts. After dropping two NIN head pieces from the previous boss. This is not random

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It dropped items without taking into consideration previous items that had dropped? That sounds like the exact definition of random! :D

Yeah, nothing says random to me like getting the same result over and over. I know if I roll a D6 and keep getting 4 I think to myself "Gosh, that is such a random and well balanced die."

The problem is that computers cannot make random numbers. They rely on pseudorandom generators and the one in this game has always been garbage. The other issue is getting belt drops off bosses further in. I don't know why they changed from the usual set up for loot tables, but its gone past the point of absurdity for me.

Kind of wish 24-man raids had accessories(rings etc.) as additional loot. For example you could get 1 right side equipment and 1 left side equipment per week. Also they've stuck to the same 24-man raid loot system for so long, it's about time to add a little more to them. 2 gear drops per boss, why not 4? Or a "chance" at up to 4? Maybe with the addition of accessories like I mentioned previously, it could be a bit more interesting. I probably like 24-man raids the most; I'm just tired of the same boring loot system. It's actually not only a 24-man raid thing either...most boss chests in the game cap at 2 gear loot. It's ok for 4-man dungeons, but 8-man plus should have at least a "chance" at 3~4 gear items dropping from whatever content. This game is very stingy with loot still...still.

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Originally Posted by MachammondtheXXXII

They rely on pseudorandom generators and the one in this game has always been garbage.

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Actually for once I am inclined to agree. I don't feel it so much with loot but I surely do feel it with mechanics sometimes. Example being things like GC:D. One lockout I as a healer am getting water on 80% of all pulls, on another RNJesus is stuck on another healer. It happens more often than not from how it feels (sadly I can't conveniently dig raw data to check for unbiased numbers but it goes as far as being caught off guard when you get the other debuff in a 50+ pull night during prog).
Then again, it's not unreasonable to suspect any personal feeling towards it is highly biased so I digress.

Pseudo random number generators tend to be streaky.

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Originally Posted by Sekkei

The Crystal Tower raid series has designated boss treasure pools. Uhh been a while since I bothered to care about The Shadow of Mhach treasure pools since those aren't locked anymore but I think those were a mix between designated and all bosses, such as you won't see belts after a certain boss. This series seems to be any item, any boss.

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It's not. It was in Void Ark and they figured out it's a bad idea.

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes.../?patch=latest

Actually I rolled need on a belt item for another job that had 310 belt in slot.

Gear quality > glam.
Stats > fashion.

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Originally Posted by Fhaerron

Gear quality > glam.
Stats > fashion.

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And apparently in ffxiv as of late ilvl > stats. If you can find a group, you can clear it.
#bringbackdpschecks

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Originally Posted by Lodinn

And apparently in ffxiv as of late ilvl > stats. If you can find a group, you can clear it.
#bringbackdpschecks

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Gear quality > glam.
Stats/ILVL > fashion.

The 330 belt has obviously higher stats and Ilvl.

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Originally Posted by Fhaerron

Gear quality > glam.
Stats/ILVL > fashion.

The 330 belt has obviously higher stats and Ilvl.

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Glamour is the true endgame of FFXIV. Look at how many threads/topics are created and responded to for glamour/fashion versus gear quality/stats.

In FFXIV, Glamour/Fashion >>> Everything else.

I pass on belts simply because other pieces are better bang for the buck.

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Originally Posted by Fhaerron

Actually I rolled need on a belt item for another job that had 310 belt in slot.

Gear quality > glam.
Stats > fashion.

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Um... Belts don't show on your character model so this is moot.

Also... #WorldofBelts

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Originally Posted by Riko_Futatabi

Kind of wish 24-man raids had accessories(rings etc.) as additional loot. For example you could get 1 right side equipment and 1 left side equipment per week.

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The last level 60 alliance raid offered accessories at the end on Heavensward. I wish the devs made it so for all alliance raids.

Forget 24man

Why do we even have belts if they're the only gear piece that doesn't show on your character?

SE, remove the belt slot and allocate the stats the belt would have given to all other gear pieces. Problem solved.

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Originally Posted by Riko_Futatabi

Kind of wish 24-man raids had accessories(rings etc.) as additional loot.still.

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Yes please. That proto ultima stuff from the previous 24-man was great for gearing alts. I've gone 8 weeks without any o1s drops for my alt and I need 3 accs and a belt from it. Wish you could trade a rabanastre coin or 2 for an ilvl340 acc.

Belts aren't visible therefore nobody cares.

I hate belts, just give me my glamours!

Giving this thread the ol' relevancy bump now that belts are clogging yet another 24-man loot list.

Arguably it was difficult enough getting the items you wanted before, but the one-two combination of bloated loot lists and no need rolling really takes away a lot of the enjoyment of running these raids.

I agree that receiving belts from the bosses is underwhelming and, after a while, very annoying. I suggest the following: Bosses drop 2 pieces of gear in a truly random way. You could get anything form any boss, but these things can only drop a maximum of twice per run. Or once if its easier to program. While the final boss drops 3 pieces of gear with a higher chance of dropping pants and chest pieces than the previous bosses.

Just my two cents.

I've often thought belts should be removed entirely from old raids, at least. Most people only run them for roulette or glamour, and any level 50 or 60 gear can be obtained far more easily through other means.

Though I'm on board for getting rid of them altogether, especially after one run when Construct's loot consisted of two belts. No one even rolled for them.

Hate belts when going after a set. Love them when I need GC seals or desynthesis levels.

I might be one of the few who actually wishes that belts remain right where they're at.