Another IT Thread - The Hybrid Darktide System

[Millburn]

So I was avoiding making another shitty thread about item loot but I feel like my idea warrants more discussion so I'm gonna post it up.

Here's my thoughts on item loot.

The Hybrid Darktide System

Goal: To create a system that is easy to implement and to also have the largest reward of function. Reward defined as a mechanic that promotes community, economy, and pvp.

Premise: Have player dropped items (the items shown upon death and are able to be looted) be determined by the highest vendor sell value.

Why? Simplicity! Though it's just the tip of the iceberg. The hybrid darktide system offers large reward with little consequence. This system allows for people to use items that they have worked for and earned without removing the danger of wearing better equipment. This is done through determining how much your most expensive gear is worth and then keeping items with appropriate vendor sell value on your person to drop instead of the items you don't want to lose. The important part about that is that it's still punishing those who die in pvp and rewarding those who kill.

THIS WILL NOT STOP PEOPLE FROM LOOTING ITEMS, people will screw up and not update their insurance items or not calculate how much items are worth. People will still loot pinata items through their pvp escapades, it WILL happen.

One of the important latent effects this system will have is to stamp down on power creep. As you get better and better gear, that gear becomes more and more expensive. There will become a point in which you decide a few pieces of gear are too expensive to wear casually and only keep them for raiding with your guild or group activities. Which creates its own dynamic...reimbursement programs. A major benefit of this system is it allows for MONEY SINKS, because the system is based off of vendor SELL value you will be paying more than what you are dropping. This creates a powerful money sink and in conjunction with potential guild reimbursement programs you have a system in place that can help reign in inflation both from personal coffers and guild coffers.

This obviously also ties into the issue of twinking. Twinking can be a powerfully frustrating experience for new players on a pvp server. Having this system in place ups the ante put in by the person twinking. Making it more rewarding for young players banding together to take out twinks, they become a source of income.

Let's recap...

Economy is helped by this system because it provides money sinks and acts as a stabilizing feature to keep money coming in and going out both into the server and into the hands of other players.

Community is helped by stamping down on power creep, creating incentive to not twink but to also band together to kill twinks.

PvP is helped because it removes the frustration of losing an item by no control of your own. You can set the parameters by which you lose items WITHOUT removing the negatives of death and also rewarding the killer.

TL;DR - suck it up and read it there is no TL;DR

TL;DR,TL;DR - Item(s) looted are determined by highest vendor sell value. Purchase insurance items to drop instead. (Gems for example)

[Lowlife]

combine this with random loot and global YT

[Millburn]

I'm not sure how you combine random loot with this system unless you drop more than one item where one is always random and another based on highest sell value. I love the idea of global YT though.

[Millburn]

You know what IS expensive though? Jewelry.

[Millburn]

You're right though there are a lot of items that are poorly priced on the vendors such as a Fungi which vendors for a grand total of 2pp.

Originally Posted by Lowlife [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

combine this with random loot and global YT

How about tweaking it so that you have a drop threshold? For example, 10pp per level after level 10. At level 60 you would have to have an item or stack of items on you worth at least 500pp and if you didn't then you drop a random item off? Obviously those numbers would have to be looked at, it's just an example.

Or just straight up cash I guess...would be kinda bothersome doing the whole item value at that point. Hell take off no drop tags as well, make it more fun.

[One Tin Soldier]

Originally Posted by Millburn [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You're right though there are a lot of items that are poorly priced on the vendors such as a Fungi which vendors for a grand total of 2pp.



How about tweaking it so that you have a drop threshold? For example, 10pp per level after level 10. At level 60 you would have to have an item or stack of items on you worth at least 500pp and if you didn't then you drop a random item off? Obviously those numbers would have to be looked at, it's just an example.

Or just straight up cash I guess...would be kinda bothersome doing the whole item value at that point. Hell take off no drop tags as well, make it more fun.

What if they put a vendor in each city who sells insurance tokens people could buy for,...urm....1000 platinum? And if you have one on you when killed it poofs and your killer gets 500 platinum, if not he gets a random item.

[Lowlife]

that is exactly what killed Ultima Online pvp, insurance and non-pvp instanced.

perhaps a /ready command both parties would have to enter before pvp?

[Millburn]

Fuck it, I'm throwing my weight behind Random Items, remove no drop tags, and global YT with item drop.