Evolution of Aquapolis Etiquette

[Eifahlwyn]

I know I will most likely get a lot of hate for making this topic, since I seem to be in the minority with regards to this "issue", but I have noticed a very alarming trend over the past few weeks with the Aquapolis. Specifically, with the loot "rules" people have been enforcing for this new piece of content.

For roughly the first week most groups I joined were all too happy to let everyone roll need on anything that dropped inside the Aquapolis. Often map owners, myself included, were so excited to be doing worthwhile treasure map content with a group that the thought of ownership was not even on the radar. This made the Polis runs exciting for everyone involved since we all had a fair chance at any drops regardless of whose map just so happened to proc the portal.

Then about during the second week there was a shift from "everyone gets a fair chance" to "map owner sets rules" or" map owner gets priority" when it comes to loot. My first encounter with this was a bit... perplexing compared to the previous free-for-all but most of the time the map owners were still very generous. Typically, they would only roll Need on something they truly wanted or needed (rare crafting material they can use, a minion/music sheet they don't have ect...). However, if it was simply something they would only try to sell then usually the map owner would let everyone roll on it. This still felt fair and running the Aquapolis remained an exciting experience for everyone involved.

Then we get to the third week where I once again see a shift in the etiquette from "map owner preference" to "map owner gets ALL the loot." Everyone single thing that drops in the chest goes to the map owner alone, most of which they simply sell on the MB. The rest of the group gets whatever is directly deposited into our inventory... and even then I've heard of some groups where that is no longer being allowed and every item AND single cent of gil people get inside the Polis is being demanded by the map owner.

Not surprisingly this flagrantly selfish behavior by a map owner appalls me and completely kills the excitement I used to have running the Aquapolis with someone else’s map. Instead of praying we would get to the next floor I am instead hoping to see us get thrown out so we can get to my map instead. Of course that is assuming we even get to my map...

Which leads me to one of the biggest problems I've encountered with this shift in the loot etiquette. People have become completely self-serving and more often than not once their maps are done they leave the group, sometimes not even bothering to make some excuse about how their FC needs them ect...

As an example last night I joined a party of people from a LS I have been a member of for a long time. While I was not close with these group of friends they were also not total strangers either. Very quickly they established the rule that the map owner gets all the loot. I was not happy but I kept my objection to myself and helped them with their maps. We even had a 7th floor clear on one map and, of course, the map owner took everyone that was not nailed down. Once they finished their maps they immediately disbanded the party without helping me do mine and did not even bother to respond when I asked them to stick around for a few minutes longer. Why should they? The scraps of items and gil they would get from a Polis run on my map is pocket change compared to what they could earn with their own map. They also did not care at all if their actions happened to upset me since I was not one of their buddies.

Now I get it... I understand the side of the argument that map owners should get some added benefit for supplying the map. My only gathering class is fisher and I know the pain of leveling and gearing that along with taking the time to fish up a dragonskin map each day. However not once did I ever think that I deserve EVERYTHING that drops because it is MY map. I've always viewed group maps as a group effort and the people who are taking the time to ASSIST me should have a fair chance at being rewarded for it.

Still like I said in the beginning I seem to be in the minority and most people view ME as greedy for wanting to roll on THEIR loot Regardless I find my desire to do dragonskin maps and the Aquapolis by extension is all but gone. I'm pretty much limited to just doing it with a small handful of friends and FC members, most of whom don't have gatherers at 60 so we are only able to run my map. Still I have no issue letting them roll Need on anything that happens to drop.

Anyway I just needed to voice my opinion on this trend and I’m curious to see what others think on the direction that Aquapolis loot etiquette has taken.

[odie]

I have yet to see anything other than map owner preference in the overworld, and then greed all once inside.

[Vidu]

I know its not a great piece of advice, but its the best I have: Do maps with friends - like real friends. I certainly know why I'm doing maps only with some people I know for a long time... You dont need a full group in Aqua, thank the heavens, and so sometimes we're only going in with3 or 4 people. Even we do "everyone rolls greed, but map owner CAN roll need if they really want the item". Sometimes we'll ask if we can have a specific piece (as I did with some thavnai-stuff for example). Crafting mats normally end up in my inventory, since I'm the one crafting for everyone xD

But it feels a lot less stressful and more relaxed doing those maps with people you know and can trust. I dont feel as if thats a content thats great to do with strangers, but rather with a group of trusted "friends". So, yeah... my best comment is: Look for such people. You dont need a full party to run Aqua and you have more fun if you dont have to deal with discussion about who gets all the loot...

[Theodric]

My friends and I have adopted the route of allowing the map owner to need on anything they want whilst everybody else uses the greed option. It seems fair to me since every chest opened gives everybody gil and potentially a bunch of items too. If you do it in a group with multiple maps it's typically profitable for everybody involved. Sometimes we'll agree to pool money together to purchase maps off of the market board which, in turn, everybody gets to roll need on where loot is concerned.

[CheshirePuss]

The "Map owner gets the loot" has been something my fc/party members have been doing right out of the gate. The primary reason for this is simply due to Dragonskin maps being restricted to one farmed map every 18 hours, somewhat pricey maps on the market board aside. It's just too costly to invest in a very heavily time consuming event, only to receive nothing in the end. It'd feel empty, knowing you've waited 18 hours for someone else to get something interesting. Something that requires personal involvement shouldn't feel as disconnecting as the lottery.

[MilesSaintboroguh]

I rarely seen anyone in my server use the "owner gets everything rule" and I never understood that; why should the map owner get all the items that are worth a ton of gil while everyone else gets nothing but pocket change? On Balmung, we always use the "outside=owner, inside=FFA" rule and no one complains, even if they didn't get any loot. If you are going to spend a bit of time in the Aquapolis, I think it's only fair that everyone gets a fair shot at the prizes rather than dragging in a bunch of randoms for meat shield work. We are working together after all.

[Roth_Trailfinder]

As long as the rules are established before the first chest is dug up, whatever is decided upon by the group is what goes. Usually, in PF, you see rules like "your map, your loot, your doors" - meaning that if it is your map you get everything rolled upon. If it is not your map, you still get a decent haul (if there're more than a few maps being done) because of all the stuff that is just handed out at random - Materia, stuff from the over world chest, and Gil.

TC, the only valid complaint I see in your post is that no one stuck around for your map. That's unfortunate. I try to stick around for at least two maps from everyone when I join a map group or form a map group.

[mandodo69]

I do not have this issue at all. My FC goes out on several maps for aquapolis. I just stick with FC peeps i been playing with since beta, very trustworthy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUJ1ialTihg

[AskaRay]

I know one set of my friends will only do the "map owner gets priority", but another set always does free-for-all.

Personally if it's my map I don't care who rolls. Some people can get so upset at this... I mean, you wouldn't even BE in Aquapolis without the rest of your party there, so honestly it's sort of everyone's.
That's just how I feel.

[DarkmoonVael]

I only do it with my friends, and we have map owner decides. It how we all decided to do it from day 1. It works for us.

PF is a different issue, as you actually have to incentive people to participate, so greed only inside sound sensible.