Is there some reason why the reward for my hard work is 'stealable'?

[Bradik_Losdar]

I can see why items like the vendor trash that falls out of broken boxes and crates is ninja lootable - it's not worth much to start with and the effort to get such items is practically nil (just zerg by swinging a sword).

On the other hand....

Let's take a look at Soul Gems. To get these ninja lootable items, you either spend a lot of time (and resources!) in the Shroud crafting a top tier item capable of Trap the Soul OR you spend a lot of time and effort leveling a caster to the point where they can use the Trap the Soul spell (not including the time and expense of making the Dragonshard spell component required for EACH casting).

So how is it that after all that work and expense to have the ability to get Soul Gems I have absolutely no right to keep my hard earned work? These stupid things fall on the ground and unless I abandon all other efforts (or commit to solo farming in this group based game) during combat to pick the **** things up immediately - and sometimes that isn't even fast enough - I end up losing a good number of them to yahoos that feel that they have equal rights to them?

Heck even with crate trash there is a little honor among thieves, most people will let the breaker take what falls out....

So how is it that something I have put a great deal of effort into obtaining doesn't drop into my inventory automatically? I worked very hard to get it - why is it stealable!?!?!

[somenewnoob]

You may want to be more selective in the people you group with if a quick "Don't pick up my soul gems" doesn't do the trick.

But it is kind of bs that anybody can pick one up, be better if they just went right to inventory IMO.

[TheDjinnFor]

So how is it that something I have put a great deal of effort into obtaining doesn't drop into my inventory automatically? I worked very hard to get it - why is it stealable!?!?!

It's sad but it's true: it worked that way because nobody cared.

For the longest time the soul gems were nigh-useless, so it wasn't high on the dev to-do list. Then people started suggesting their use in crafting pending a revamp to the drop mechanic... and the devs decided to add them to crafting without revamping the drop mechanic.

I'm expecting to see a change in U11/U12 now that it's more important to revamp the mechanics.

[Oolung]

one thing i sometimes do when a caster is complaining of ninja looters is send him a tell saying that ill pick up his soul gems and toss them to him at the end of the quest, ninja up as many as i can, and open up the trade window before recalling, and give him them all, sometimes they even let me keep a few for doing so

[Gkar]

It's sad but it's true: it worked that way because nobody cared.

For the longest time the soul gems were nigh-useless, so it wasn't high on the dev to-do list. Then people started suggesting their use in crafting pending a revamp to the drop mechanic... and the devs decided to add them to crafting without revamping the drop mechanic.

I'm expecting to see a change in U11/U12 now that it's more important to revamp the mechanics.

Yeah, I think you have it right. In the beginning, when the stones had no value, the flavor of the ground littered with soul stones was kind of nice. Now that is no longer the case.

We already know from epic scrolls that they can make dropped items go directly to your backpack, so there is no reason why the stones shouldn't go right into inventory now.

[Missing_Minds]

So how is it that something I have put a great deal of effort into obtaining doesn't drop into my inventory automatically? I worked very hard to get it - why is it stealable!?!?!

If it makes you feel better, the devs have finally acknowledged that it is an issue that needs to be looked at.

[Postumus]

You may want to be more selective in the people you group with if a quick "Don't pick up my soul gems" doesn't do the trick.

But it is kind of bs that anybody can pick one up, be better if they just went right to inventory IMO.

Yeah, In my experience I would think this simple statement would work for 95% of the people out there.

If it doesn't, just stop making soul gems and drop or boot them at the first opportunity.

[Memnir]

why is it stealable!?!?!

Very poor decision making and game design choices coupled with a glacial pace at addressing problems like this.

[Dawnsfire]

So how is it that something I have put a great deal of effort into obtaining doesn't drop into my inventory automatically? I worked very hard to get it - why is it stealable!?!?!

The Devs have hinted that they may change the way that works:

Now that they are becoming valuable there's a few unfriendly things about them that we should consider, that being one of them. Thanks.

Whether there will be any follow through?

[puget]

The Devs have hinted that they may change the way that works:



Whether there will be any follow through?

Well, That same guy in the crafting changes 10.1 thread was also making it clear he wanted to keep crafting a viable thing for casual players to access and use. If I remember right, he was pretty clear on making sure casuals and F2P's and premiums could get full use of it.


Look where it is now, more people have walked away since 10.2 than have gone back to it.

[JOTMON]

I would love to see the soul gems be like the docent in POP.
They pick it up and it kills them.
Raise them.. they go for the gem and die again....

[Asketes]

not to be rude, but you may want to only use it (when your using it for the usable item) when you are by yourself rather than with a party?

[jcTharin]

I would love to see the soul gems be like the docent in POP.
They pick it up and it kills them.
Raise them.. they go for the gem and die again....

reminds me of my first pop run

[Delt]

Ask for the gems back. Or ask the party to leave them where they lie. They aren't especially valuable or hard to make, but if your party won't play fair, drop group.

Generally not a big issue as far as I can see.

[puget]

I would love to see the soul gems be like the docent in POP.
They pick it up and it kills them.
Raise them.. they go for the gem and die again....

ROFL. I had to actually try that too. just to see what would happen (read the warning about it on ddowiki)

Did that quest maybe 10 times and just followed the rules, but the last time I could not resist, lol.

[Sarisa]

ROFL. I had to actually try that too. just to see what would happen (read the warning about it on ddowiki)

Did that quest maybe 10 times and just followed the rules, but the last time I could not resist, lol.

I did it once on just a pure favour run to see if Divine Intervention protected me. It did not.

[Ungood]

It's sad but it's true: it worked that way because nobody cared.

For the longest time the soul gems were nigh-useless, so it wasn't high on the dev to-do list. Then people started suggesting their use in crafting pending a revamp to the drop mechanic... and the devs decided to add them to crafting without revamping the drop mechanic.

I'm expecting to see a change in U11/U12 now that it's more important to revamp the mechanics.

I'd say this makes the most sense.(To me at least)

Lets Hope it is on the To-Do list for Turbine.

As for what you can do now, My I suggest just asking the group to not pick up the soul gems you make, or perhaps, not use the spell in a group that will not respect your wishes.

[zwiebelring]

My solution to that:

Build a TtS guard item and use it while soloing otherwise do not use it.

[Bradik_Losdar]

Ask for the gems back. Or ask the party to leave them where they lie. They aren't especially valuable or hard to make, but if your party won't play fair, drop group.

Generally not a big issue as far as I can see.

I've tried the nice approach - I'm one of those weird people who actually enjoys PUGs (most of the time) - but it doesn't work. It's amazing how people will go silent when I ask who picked up the gems.

As for not being valuable or hard to make....

Well to me they are valuable and are becoming more and more valuable in crafting, traps, etc. Not hard to make you say? I invested a huge chunk of time running the Shroud many, many times to obtain the 10, yes 10, EXACT large ingredients to make a dual affinity supreme shard specifically so I could have a Trap the Soul item....ingredients I could have used toward making say, a Min II weapon instead - and only to get a lousy 1-2% proc rate at that (then hoping the creature doesn't make it save when it does go off). Or as a caster having spent the time leveling to the point where I can cast Trap the Soul AND spending a great deal of time (or platinum) collecting Dragonshards to spend even more time sitting in front of the Stone of Change crunching them down into spell components...components that go *poof* whether the spell is successful or not.

So yeah, they're not hard to make....

After all that prep work, resource use, and luck, some jackhat comes along after investing ZERO, presses Backspace, U while I'm trying to help the rest of the party in combat and believes MY Souls Gems are just as much his as anyone elses.

Not a big deal you say? Yes, Yes it is.

These things should be dropping directly into the person's inventory who did the all work ahead of time to get Trap the Soul and who rightfully OWNS the Soul Gems on success.

[Sarisa]

After all that prep work, resource use, and luck, some jackhat comes along after investing ZERO, presses Backspace, U while I'm trying to help the rest of the party in combat and believes MY Souls Gems are just as much his as anyone elses.

Not a big deal you say? Yes, Yes it is.

These things should be dropping directly into the person's inventory who did the all work ahead of time to get Trap the Soul and who rightfully OWNS the Soul Gems on success.

Strongly agree. I spent a lot of my time and resources healing Epic Deeps and Epic Last Stand to make an Epic Souleater on my Cleric, so I could collect some trophies. Seeing someone who thinks that any stone on the ground is something they can "yoink!" is depressing.

And note, these same people who take Soul Gems are often the same ones picking up the Signet Ring in VoN, or the Xoriat Control Stones in HoX and not telling anyone.