Curse

Prowlinger · Jun 27, 2007, 03:24 PM // 15:24

LOOT SCALING NERF – Ruining the Fun

I have been with Guildwars since the beginning and still love it, but what I do NOT love is the latest Loot Scaling Nerf. Not only does it attempt to hamper the bots, but it really diminishes gameplay for honest GW players. The bots are STILL rampant across the network alas the honest players pay the price for it.

Now I understand that **some** drops were too much especially for farming but seriously… even then it wasn’t grand drop rates. Now it is SO rare to get a green or gold that the economy is just fragmented. How are we supposed to make any money now with LESS drops, forcing players to go to hard mode just to get any valued drops that might help them make some money?

Me and 2 other guildmates are about 50% into Nightfall, ran 2 missions, killed over 20 bosses in that time and not a single… yes I repeat… not a SINGLE gold or purple drop? Hell we even barely scraped by with about 800g income for each of us.

Getting sapphires and gems are so damn rare now that getting geodes or djinni essences just to even GET a chance to rare salvage into a gem is non existent now! We have salvaged over 50 essences or geodes between the 3 of us and not a single gem. How are we supposed to get Vabbi armor? We can’t make enough plat to buy the gems at 3p apiece let alone even get rare gems??!?

I am sorry that the reply to this is “Play in Hard mode to get better drops!” This is not a valid solution. This is our first time in NF and the drops really are not getting us anything now. Before we could at least get a rare green here or there (usually at a low value of 3 to 5p max) and break even just to stay afloat when outfitting all of these heroes let alone yourself, skills, armor etc.

It does not make valid sense to “Gestapo” the game this late into it just to try and stop online gold traders and bots. The solution is to stop bot selling on Ebay (there are tons for sale and people are buying). The solution is to network sniff these people using bots on the game servers and ban the accounts. The economy is in shambles and on top of that still no hope of an auction house to help the declining players get the world back to a stable ground.

Priority #1 Stop the bots. Permanently ban the accounts using them.

Priority #2 Re-Evaluate the Loot Scaling Nerf. If we don’t get decent drops the fun factor of playing is greatly dropping off the deep end and fast (across the board of players).

Priority #3 Add a SIMPLE Auction House Solution. There have been one hundred variations of solutions, some complex, some simple. I even offered a sample idea. Do something at least. It isn’t that hard to implement with your SQL database design and the current level of the engine. It has been said time and time again there will be no Auction House…. well at least offer something to help resolve these 3 year old complaints.

I for one love Guildwars but right now… trying to finish NF and Factions for the first time, I am not loving it. I can’t afford to keep running mission after mission again and again just to get ***SOMETHING*** to keep the upkeep going and maybe a few new additions for my Heroes. Our guild is small … we don’t have enough time to play once through and then play again in hard mode… We are not asking for a free ticket here… but seriously… I have not seen a single green drop between the 3 of us and we have logged about 50 hours between the 3 of us since the nerf…. seriously…. I am not playing for the skills or the titles alone… we need new armor, new weapons, money to afford to buy something. We don’t have enough time to GRIND now just to get about -75% the loot drops at +75% required time to get anything since the nerf.

We don’t PvP.
We don’t use bots.
We just play the game when we can.
We eagerly await GWEN but with the nerf it will be the same lackluster drops?

The loot scaling has ruined the fun of GW now… Anet, if you are listening, please do something.

scrinner · Jun 27, 2007, 03:36 PM // 15:36

The only thing affected by loot scaling is solo farming. If your in your usual eight people party, then you aren't affected. Many people are complaining but some really good points have been made that support Loot scaling which I suggest you read some of the other topics.

1- They banned... slightly over 5500 bots i believe in May. Gaile said thats semi usual
3- Their are some awesome ideas lurking around sardelac. How about contributing to them?
On the front page you will find ideas on a Xunlai Trade Center (http://guildwarsguru.com/forum/showt...0151471&page=5) , And the Central Island topic which works with that, and a few more.

Sarevok Thordin · Jun 27, 2007, 03:39 PM // 15:39

I personally hope the value of gold goes up again.

WarKaster · Jun 27, 2007, 03:45 PM // 15:45

in response to your points:

Point #1: They already ban bot using accounts, there are just so many of them around its f-ing redonkulous. And you have to remember most the bot using accounts are stolen so they just go on to the next account they ripped off.

Point #2: if the bots subside I'm sure they will review it in the mean time your going to have suck it up like everyone else. Me honestly, I have more cash now than before the loot scale.

Point #3: i fail to see how this will help stop bots and loot scaling.

Prowlinger · Jun 27, 2007, 03:48 PM // 15:48

Scrinner... Hmmm seems the bots on Ebay and in game are still active and alive... go to ebay right now and you can find over 20 bot auctions and most with bids...

Also... I have contributed to Sardelac including time consuming images to go along with them...

I do hope the value of gold goes up but we can attest that since the loot scale, drops between 3 humans are much worse. Even the old solo farming spots are really bad now... 99% junk. Before you could at least get a rare rune or enough stuff to sell to make a little money for the time spent.

Alas Poor Yorick · Jun 27, 2007, 04:00 PM // 16:00

#2 - As far as I can tell the loot scale has been either removed or dramatically changed in normal mode in the last few days. I aml getting virtually 100% drop rate when soloing normal mode.

Loviatar · Jun 27, 2007, 04:29 PM // 16:29

[QUOTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prowlinger

LOOT SCALING NERF – Ruining the Fun
Me and 2 other guildmates are about 50% into Nightfall, ran 2 missions, killed over 20 bosses in that time and not a single… yes I repeat… not a SINGLE gold or purple drop? Hell we even barely scraped by with about 800g income for each of us.

you havent even played Nightfall once for the game and allready you are bitching about loot and not being able to afford vanity armor yet.

how about playing the game at least ONCE before the farming loot bitchfest.

Quote:

The loot scaling has ruined the fun of GW now… Anet, if you are listening, please do something.

if you measure fun by the amount of your loot find a game that gives unending higher power higher cost higher prestige loot to show you are better because you can farm 10 hours a day and have the loot to prove it.

buy a game you play for loot where players will actually bow to your awesome armor instead of playing for fun

TabascoSauce · Jun 27, 2007, 04:36 PM // 16:36

[puts on flame retardant suit]

There is a very vocal segment in GW that has the attitude that "we worked hard in GW and should have something to show for it that others cannot get without an equally incredible time commitment". Making it harder for you to get anywhere in the game merely reinforces that idea, and gives those who believe in it an illusionary justification for pushing the concept further.

Right. Wrong. Who knows. It is just a game.

I have to quote a recent poster who won my admiration by saying something very much like:

GW is being transformed into an achievement engine for anti-social misfits who have no other means to demonstrate success in their lives.

I wish I could disprove his message.

Your request is touching, and well written, and will receive the same care and attention that other such requests to level the playing field receive here.

The moral of this story is - read the wikis, get the builds, play through the campaigns, and move on. Anything beyond that involves grind, grind, grind, grind, and more grind.

Thanks!
TabascoSauce

Loviatar · Jun 27, 2007, 04:53 PM // 16:53

[QUOTE][QUOTE=TabascoSauce]

GW is being transformed into an achievement engine for anti-social misfits who have no other means to demonstrate success in their lives.[/QUOTE]

OMG we seem to agree on something.

i have several accounts and can afford anything i want.

i got this by playing

IF i feel like it
WHEN i feel like it
ONLY if i feel like it

i hero/hench and play only if i am having fun and only if something in RL isnt more important.

if the cat wants petting or playing that is more important......... park the party......turn off the sound and they are dead/alive when i get back.

THE ONLY TITLE(S) that count for me are the drunkard titles i got sync dancing with friends. one on the monestary steps in factions

useless title and grind free as i was talking anyway and just for fun.

i never show other titles whichi got along the way

Yanman.be · Jun 27, 2007, 04:54 PM // 16:54

Oh noes we need alot of cash and rare skins to be able to play gw!!

Levi Garett · Jun 27, 2007, 05:33 PM // 17:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarevok Thordin

I personally hope the value of gold goes up again.

Pre-Loot Scaling = More gold = Your gold buys less

Post-Loot Scaling = Less gold = Your gold buys more

The value of gold is the highest it's every been...but I think we knew what you meant.

Dr Strangelove · Jun 27, 2007, 05:38 PM // 17:38

Wait... are you trying to say you can do things in this game other than farming?

Big_Iron · Jun 27, 2007, 05:41 PM // 17:41

Quote:

The only thing affected by loot scaling is solo farming.

Sorry, but I have to disagree, though I know that was the intent. I do a little casual solo farming from time to time. My usual haunts have been the same, if not better, than before loot scaling started. By contrast, when I go out with a full party, the drops have been nothing less than pathetic...for everyone. I know this is unscientific, but it has been my first hand experience. While I can't agree with all the OP has said, I do believe that loot scaling has hurt the casual player more so than the farmer. I haven't really seen a significant drop it bots either. Seems they always find a way.

zknifeh · Jun 27, 2007, 05:42 PM // 17:42

Regarding ur point #3:

they do have a very very small and very very very simple "Auction House" in the game... its called party Search Menu! (it has option for trade) but barely anyone ever uses it

scrinner · Jun 27, 2007, 05:51 PM // 17:51

I did not say that they are extinct but Arena net is Banning bots. Its not that they aren't fighting back. Much the contrary. Though there are Many bots the gold per dollar ratio is at its lowest ever. It costs ALOT of money to get gold now i believe though i personally do not go to gold buying sites since most have keyloggers.

TabascoSauce · Jun 27, 2007, 06:05 PM // 18:05

@zknifeh, if the party search function is not successful at its intended function, that being specifically a method for people who have similar goals in-game to find eachother, then I'll go out on a limb here and say it will not be successful as a method for people - who have a desire to buy or sell in-game - to find eachother.

-----

Ahhh Loviatar. (Un)Fortunately for you, we all play WHEN we want, IF we want, and ONLY if we want.

You can add to your meaningful but incomplete list one more. HOW we want. Very important distinction. One you always seem to conveniently forget.

Thanks!
TabascoSauce

vergerefosh · Jun 27, 2007, 06:07 PM // 18:07

Normal drop rates when grouping are lower than before, despite what is said about loot scaling not affecting 8 man parties. I admit I tend to go hero and hench, but even with that, I'm still getting less drops, even low values drops than before, making it harder to get anything

countesscorpula · Jun 27, 2007, 06:16 PM // 18:16

I think i recall A-Net reps encouraging us to use fansite auction houses (like the guru auction). A-Net says they can't integrate an AH into the current build, so that would be the next best thing.

Well, I don't think it's "the next best thing." I think it's the next to next best thing. The actual next best thing would be if A-Net were to host an auction site via guildwars.com. Guru has a pretty auction site, that's for sure. It just takes 2.5 minutes to load the opening page - on average. When you've finally gone through all the links to post an item for sale, it's probably taken anywhere from 10-15 minutes... to post a single item. I'm not super web savy, so I can't say why the guru site is so slow, but I'm observant enough to recognize that it IS slow. Painfully so some times.

A-Net was able to start their own wiki, and integrate that into the game. I don't think it would be that much harder for them to make an auction website and link that into the game as well. You wouldn't have to upload an image of your item, because they already have a full library of images you could select from. It could work the same way the kiki does, in that a link in the game minimizes GW and open up a browser with the GW Auction house. It could include all neccessary disclaimers like "prices are set by players, and A-Net assumes no responsibility for sales passing through this site, blah blah blah..." So, failing to be able to have an auction house in the game itself, i think that THIS would be the next best thing.

Rock Crush · Jun 27, 2007, 06:37 PM // 18:37

I’ve done every quest and mission in the game and for the longest time I have not had any money problem but since the loot scaling my money has don’t nothing but gone down.

I used to farm or do the odd run or two for money to pay the extras I wanted.

But since loot scaling the only thing I’ve been able to just stay afloat on paying for guild related upkeep. I have no money for skills, no money for Guild Hall NPC’s, no money for new armor.

Now I’m sure if started a new character I’d be fine but I don’t really feel like started more I already have 10 PvE chars most have done everything and I find since the loot scaling I don’t have the money to do new things this game has started to bore me. Right now the only things that keep me playing are.

1. Friends love chatting and having fun with them.
2. Guild I run a guild and I’ve put a lot of work in it.
3. PvP has given me a lot of new fun things to do.
4. GWEN this better be worth the wait.

A lot of my friend are also getting bore some are moving to other games some just play to chat with me and there other friends. We used to talk about doing things together missions quests capping skills. We still talk about some of it but now most of it been anti loot scaling.

I’ve helped many players do quest missions and stuff after the loot scaling but I almost get nothing other then whites and maybe the odd purple in a party of 8.

Before the loot scaling I used to get lots of gold and greens in a party of 8. Almost all my friends would always bug me because out of all of them I would almost always get the green and gold lol but now I get almost nothing a purple if but some random luck it drops. All my friends have the same problem hardly any good items drop any more.

I know there are many good reasons for the loot scaling but for a lot of the players I know it has done nothing but hurt them and even make lot of them think about going to other games. The boring level has been rising and for myself I think after I beat GWEN and lock my stuff in for GW2 I’m probably not going to play again until GW2 that’s if gw2 is even worth it. I’m even debating getting GWEN now before all this GW was never a debate of if I should do something or not now it almost why bother it just more boring same game play after the other.

I used to love this game and never think of playing something else now to me GW is dead and my friends are almost the only reason I still play.

Please do something this is killing the game.

Some other ideas would be to lower the cost on fixed things.

A guild is an endless hole on money so make guesting and membering free.

Lower the cost of GH NPC.

Lower the cost of skills

Lower the cost of set items like keys, id kits and so on.

I don’t know what to do I’m finding myself drawn to other games and slowly find it harder and harder to get any fun out of GW.

Please stop killing a game I used to love and do something to fix it.

It funny I feel lost in a world I knew by heart.

brian78wa · Jun 27, 2007, 06:44 PM // 18:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loviatar

you havent even played Nightfall once for the game and allready you are bitching about loot and not being able to afford vanity armor yet.

how about playing the game at least ONCE before the farming loot bitchfest.

I myself HAVE played through Proph factions and NF over 10 times ea. campaign and I do not like the loot scaling. I wasnt a heavy farmer but on occasion I would go farm if I needed a little cash. Now its pointless to do so since youre lucky if you can get 500g in 30 minutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loviatar

if you measure fun by the amount of your loot find a game that gives unending higher power higher cost higher prestige loot to show you are better because you can farm 10 hours a day and have the loot to prove it.

buy a game you play for loot where players will actually bow to your awesome armor instead of playing for fun

lol people do this in GW. everyday I see someone saying love your armor whered you get it.