Would a enhanced random loot system improve population and add new spark of excitment

[osirisisis]

Note: This is not intended as re post in that it has been altered to a good degree from the original (if there is any digression please remove the early vers.)

First of all my credentials

I have averaged about 140 hours a month of DDO for over 2 1/2 years. Over 4200 hours of DDO lifetime. I am 32 years young. I have been a gamer for over 25 years

Overview

DDO is like organ system in any living thing. All organs work with a job to support the system to keep it alive, healthy and growing.

One of the vital organ systems of DDO is the RANDOM LOOT TABLE.

Why?

The random loot table is like a lotto. When a player opens a chest or gets a end reward he or she has a chance to get something so rare and valuable that there is great excitement in the anticipation. That item can make them feel special as they tell stories about where they got it and show it off to friends. This excitement is a major part of the "ENJOYMENT OF THE DDO EXPERIENCE"

This anticipation and excitement is a reason why other forms of entertainment have excelled in the example of Sport cards, lotto, gaming cards, raffles etc

Notice in these charts at the link below that U will find that DDO population was highest when Loot Runs were at there highest.

http://www.mmogchart.com/Chart3.html

I used this chart because I can not find any other charts or websites online that graph MMO population... If you can find a better source please post a link.

Notice how population is at its highest when Gaints caves CO6 and PoP loot runs were popular and then and then when loot runs and random loot tables head south so does population.

Back in the CO6, giants caves, and early Giant hold days it seems players were looting constantly. Loot runs ran rapid. Double, and Triple LFM for loot run quests were common place.

Power 5, Wounding of Puncturing, and crafting.


This organ system took some what of a hit in mod 4 with +1 loot weekends.

Why?

Power 5 were the big craze and everyone want them. They were rare, but Turbine's first mistake was that instead of keeping them rare like at the beginning mod 4, they made them more common as chest lvl increased. With +1 loot weekends there was a large influx of power 5's and the excitement got diluted. Another very entrusting corespondent to this was that toward the end of mod 4 population started to drop from its highest point ever.

This organ system took a big hit in mod 6 with crafting.

I want to state now that I'm not against crafting. I think it was a great addition to the game, But I think the problem lies in that crafted gear replaced almost all random loot gear. Even LVL 16 random loot gear in almost all cases. Instead of crafting complementing a great random loot system it almost destroyed a weakened random loot system.

Tier 3 weapons basically decreased what I would guess to be about 80% of the value of the random loot table with lvl 16 loot included and today in most cases a mineral 2 weapon is more efficient then all most any weapon in the random system.

Now I know its a natural progress that as lvl cap increases higher lvl gear should be stronger then lesser lvl gear, but instead of having a natural growth in gear strength we saw a new system introduced that some what destroyed the old system instead of complementing it.

Crafting, random loot, and raid loot should work in a synergistic manner all equal and all very important. As it stands now it is very lopsided

The final blow wounding of puncturing.

Wounding of puncturing is like a mutation that turned out to be a great evolution.
It is the last part of random loot table organ that is keeping it alive. It is that one gem in the ruff. It is the one pull left in the random loot table that has any real degree of excitement to it.

MARK MY WORDS .....NERF W/P AND THIS ORGAN SYSTEM WILL FAIL .

So now we move on to resolution

1. Reduce drop rate of power 5's back to where they were when giant hold was released rewarding all players who have played up to this point who have them. Add improved power 5's RR LVL 16 or 18 regular at the old mod 4 drop rate.

2. Add improved disruption at a +1 RR lvl 16 regular 18 that in all cases on normal hard and elite is more effective then a tier 3 weapon vs undead.

3. Add improved smite at a +1 RR lvl 16 regular 18 that in all cases on normal hard and elite is more effective then a tier 3 weapon vs constructs.

4. Add improved banish at a +1 RR lvl 16 regular 18 that in all cases on normal hard and elite is more effective then a tier 3 weapon vs banishable mobs .

5. of all the power 5's I think vorpal has some beat the odd and held it ground. I would continue with the theme add improved vorpal at RR lvl 16 regular 18 but I think it may need something besides vorpals on 19 and 20 due to that maybe to strong unless the mob death ward theme continues to some degree.

6. I think paralyzing needs some major help in that paralyzed mobs should lose all dex bounce to AC and add improved para with a high dice check at a +1 RR 16 or normal 18.

7. Remove the prefix suffix rule to add more VERITY and even tho I would make them 10 time more rare then the newly rarer made improved power 5's make it possible to have a + 1 vorpal-paralyzer min LVL 16, a greater undead bane disruptor, ect.
This would add great great excitement into the loot table.

8. Make it possible to have keen stack with improved crit since in almost all cases feats stack with effects so that one out of 35 w/p's would be a keen w/p doubling the puncturing effect

9. Add Superior bane to the pool at +1 RR 12 and +1 lvl 14 normal thats +10 10D6.

If you have some ideas please reply with them.


Close

I think DDO is not going to reach it's full potential in a crafting grind of clones and drones where players level, craft, raid loot, and cap all turning out to be clones and drones of the crafting grind with the most the same crafted gear.

I do think that DDO will grow in a context of a great balance of a improved random loot system, with the same crafting system we have now, strong population for grouping playability, and regular refreshment of new content, with a strong economy based in trade.

P.S.

For those of you mindless troll who have nothing to do but bash posts to get attention... I relay this message: if U troll my post and reply with nothing but your opinion and state no reason why you think the way you do to back your reply then don't waste the space on this post......... I will not reply to mindless flames .. but if you come with logic and good reason for your disagreement of this post I will more then happy to reply