We need a tiered loot system

[Cetus]

Throughout the days of gianthold, high road, and the more recent stormhorns and wheloon adventure packs, the developers introduced a tiered loot system where the loot would gradually improve with the difficulty of the quest.

With this system, more casual easy going players were capable of tackling end-game content at a more comfortable level, while extracting the respective level of endgame loot.

At the same time, high-caliber players mostly avoided the lower difficulty options because there existed a carrot, an incentive, an impetus to consistently tackle endgame content at its most challenging level.

Additionally, the more casual easy going folk had complete opportunity to team up with their higher caliber friends in order to equip themselves with some of the higher level versions of endgame loot.

This system maintained the longevity of content throughout the entire endgame population. The likes of gianthold and high road were visited ad nauseum in order to acquire the different levels of treasure. Today, the epic elite versions of gianthold items are still relevant albeit the newer content that has been released since.

Today, the developers neglect to recognize the importance of such a system in maintaining the longevity of endgame content. Abandoning the tiered loot system left the most recent content barely lucrative. All of the loot has been extracted through repeated normal zerg runs. The haunted halls, temple of deathwyrm, and fire on thunder peak would have kept high calibre players busy for months trying to tackle these challenges in order to acquire the treasures.

Now, the developers are yet again making the same mistake. Epic orchard does not have a tiered loot system. All of the highest level loot is up for grabs the moment we decide to steam roll the content. Longevity is a fantasy, and I bet this is the reason why we perceive the game as "too easy" - the developers stopped manufacturing any impetus to do anything above normal.

Return the tiered loot system, please. Everybody wins.

[Mryal]

This wont work with the easy button changes in lamania.Easy enough to solo EE as first lifer
But i agree,tiered is better for sure.Gives a reason to run harder content. And better economy,assuming unbound loot

[Braegan]

Honestly, imo the best was how FoT was handled. You could run EE for chance at special named augment, get loot fully upgraded or you could run it at a lower difficulty and spend coms to upgrade your loot. Really gave everyone something to strive for.

[Monkey_Archer]

Honestly, imo the best was how FoT was handled. You could run EE for chance at special named augment, get loot fully upgraded or you could run it at a lower difficulty and spend coms to upgrade your loot. Really gave everyone something to strive for.

I agree with this. If Normal/Hard players getting to obtain the best loot without needing to run Elite is such a major concern, the way FOT handles this is much better then single tier BTA stuff.

[slarden]

Honestly, imo the best was how FoT was handled. You could run EE for chance at special named augment, get loot fully upgraded or you could run it at a lower difficulty and spend coms to upgrade your loot. Really gave everyone something to strive for.

I agree if they go with tiered loot upgradable loot is the way to go. That is effectively what they did in Haunted Halls except you didn't get your loot fully upgraded on EE, it just takes less runs. They can use COVs instead of Coms for the upgrade mechanism.

However, there are many complaints that people are getting loot too easily so it seems the new "mythic" concept might actually be a better answer. The devs said it drops on all difficulties, but the odds are much better on higher difficulties.

This means players can get decent gear reasonably quickly and getting all the best possible gear would be a longer grind. That is kind of what we had before U14 with greensteel, TOD rings and some epic gear being easy to get and other things like sands wilderness items being an absolute grind to epic.

[Cetus]

I think the the FOT system was successful as well. Running on EE provided incentive in that you'd bypass a tremendous amount of grind for upgrade mats by just getting the upgraded version right away.

Either of these systems are more desirable than what we're currently getting.

[slarden]

I think the the FOT system was successful as well. Running on EE provided incentive in that you'd bypass a tremendous amount of grind for upgrade mats by just getting the upgraded version right away.

Either of these systems are more desirable than what we're currently getting.

I think this would be a much better approach because people aren't shut out from loot based on difficulty, but the incentive to run EE is significant. Any sort of exclusive loot will be problematic.

They could even add a perk like making an item that drops on EE fully upgraded but not bound. Any items acquired on EN or EH that are upgraded becomes bound to character and can't be sold. This would make those EE drops worth a bit more.

I kind of like the mythic approach though because one of the common complaints is that people got their items the first week and then have nothing to do. This wouldn't be the case with mythics which will be a true grind if you need the items, but would be the case with tiered loot since it shortens the acquisition cycle.

Of course the devs can't win either way. Everyone will want the fully upgrade loot, but then some of the same folks will complain there is nothing to do one week after the raid comes out.

[Seikojin]

I think the the FOT system was successful as well. Running on EE provided incentive in that you'd bypass a tremendous amount of grind for upgrade mats by just getting the upgraded version right away.

Either of these systems are more desirable than what we're currently getting.

I agree that a tiered loot system should be the way to go.

However, isn't that what Mythic is going to provide? Or not enough to be similar and relevant to match tiered? A ton of people cry against tiered, however I think tiered is the proper thing to do. Especially looking at it in the normal = first life, hard = second life, and elite = third+ lives.

[EllisDee37]

I think the the FOT system was successful as well. Running on EE provided incentive in that you'd bypass a tremendous amount of grind for upgrade mats by just getting the upgraded version right away.

Either of these systems are more desirable than what we're currently getting.

Yep, sign me up for the FoT model.

[FAQ]

Honestly, imo the best was how FoT was handled. You could run EE for chance at special named augment, get loot fully upgraded or you could run it at a lower difficulty and spend coms to upgrade your loot. Really gave everyone something to strive for.

I must agree with this ^.

But speaking of loot, I loathe BTCoE loot. I would much rather see unbound or BTA loot.

Edit: Oh, I really hated tiered loot because of the increase in min level. The same reason I really dislike Alchemical crafting and am not crazy about Thunderforged either. Greensteel is perfect for me: upgrade tiers, maintain min level

[Dilbon]

Tiered loot was a horrible idea and I'm glad it's gone.

[11001]

Tiered loot was a horrible idea and I'm glad it's gone.

This.

[Cetus]

Tiered loot was a horrible idea and I'm glad it's gone.

Then you should be glad that the months of development time spent on manufacturing new content is thrown to the wayside in a week or two because you can easily get all the reward out of the content within that timeframe.

You should also be glad that this game has no economy.

You should also be glad that you have zero incentive to run harder content.

Be content with mediocrity, with some vanilla character running normal mode and enjoying the "story". MMO's tend to have a central pathway in character advancement, building, and progression, to not want to improve yourself in an MMO is asinine to me.


I don't understand how players playing an MMO are content with NOT wanting more for their characters. How can people be content with just playing normal, and never pushing the envelope to try hard, or elite? How can finally doing hard and elite not yield reward for ones efforts? Why does the existence of EE exclusive gear automatically make people think that this "shuts" people out from getting the best gear? It doesn't shut you out. You can go in any time and do it - it is supposed to be difficult, if you win then you get something for it.

[Thar]

Honestly, imo the best was how FoT was handled. You could run EE for chance at special named augment, get loot fully upgraded or you could run it at a lower difficulty and spend coms to upgrade your loot. Really gave everyone something to strive for.

i agree.

[MonadRebelion]

My personal preference is for the scroll/shard/seal system for endgame loot. Under that system it was pretty hard for everyone to complete items, and the items weren't nearly as ridiculously powerful as they are now. I think that was the best epic item system the game ever had. Beyond that a tiered system of items you can sell on the shard exchange seems good as long as the power difference between tiers is negligible.

[Cetus]

I think this thread is consistently demonstrating that any previous system is better than the current mechanic. There's quite a bit of disagreement as far as tiered loot goes specifically, but overall - scroll/seal/shard and FOT system ranks higher as a preference than just giving away loot essentially for free, like it is now.

Devs, take some extra time - and release this the right way. Make the current versions of some of the more powerful items - e.g. Litany, Boots, Goggles, Gloves, etc. become the upper tier fully upgraded equivalents, and just tone down their stats to make up the lower tier versions of it.

It would take you guys minimal effort to do this. It would also allow you to make some of the weaker items e.g. helms, cloak of ice, etc. as the lower tier versions, and tweak them up a bit.

While you're at it - make litany of the dead an epic quest - and release this pack like a dignified epification of orchard that we all expected it to be.

[apep1412]

I don't expect them to go back to the tiered loot system as it was for those packs. I would expect to see more Mythic items as a tiered loot system.

It would be nice if the loot in Epic Necro 4 worked similar to the raid items from Fall of Truth - dropping at different upgrade tiers per difficulty, but that seems impossible as each has a choice of augment color when upgrading

[IronClan]

Throughout the days of gianthold, high road, and the more recent stormhorns and wheloon adventure packs, the developers introduced a tiered loot system where the loot would gradually improve with the difficulty of the quest.

With this system, more casual easy going players were capable of tackling end-game content at a more comfortable level, while extracting the respective level of endgame loot.

At the same time, high-caliber players mostly avoided the lower difficulty options because there existed a carrot, an incentive, an impetus to consistently tackle endgame content at its most challenging level.

Additionally, the more casual easy going folk had complete opportunity to team up with their higher caliber friends in order to equip themselves with some of the higher level versions of endgame loot.

This system maintained the longevity of content throughout the entire endgame population. The likes of gianthold and high road were visited ad nauseum in order to acquire the different levels of treasure. Today, the epic elite versions of gianthold items are still relevant albeit the newer content that has been released since.

Today, the developers neglect to recognize the importance of such a system in maintaining the longevity of endgame content. Abandoning the tiered loot system left the most recent content barely lucrative. All of the loot has been extracted through repeated normal zerg runs. The haunted halls, temple of deathwyrm, and fire on thunder peak would have kept high calibre players busy for months trying to tackle these challenges in order to acquire the treasures.

Now, the developers are yet again making the same mistake. Epic orchard does not have a tiered loot system. All of the highest level loot is up for grabs the moment we decide to steam roll the content. Longevity is a fantasy, and I bet this is the reason why we perceive the game as "too easy" - the developers stopped manufacturing any impetus to do anything above normal.

Return the tiered loot system, please. Everybody wins.

I agree with this post and along with Ishr and a couple others have been bugging them about this on the PC forum I believe I am allowed to say that they have posted that they have no plans to bring this style of loot back, so if you agree that the game is lacking incentives to run more challenging difficulty then speaking up about it is probably the only way to get their attention and maybe get them to change their minds.

[Seljuck]

I was bored in work, so I made fast poll about loot systems. You can find it here. It's free, you don't have to make accounts. Vote

End Game Loot Systems Poll