DDO Bonus Days!

[Svirfneblin]

They can't release anything without breaking something else.
They never release something new without things not working as intended.
Every time they patch something, other things get broken.

Stop thinking they know what they're doing. Come on now.

Reminds me of a 'technology company" I worked for, that really only regarded technology as a necessary evil and invested minimally as possible in tech and tech people. They have that type of release and patch track record.

One day after a patch all us Domain Admins and the clients logged in and all we got was a plain white screen. No menus, no drop downs, no buttons. Nothing. The app remained a useless white screen for 8 calendar days. Eight. Until System Admins and Architect could figure it out. Everyone was p'eed off at that one. Then it happened a few more times LOL.

 

[mikarddo]

I believe some of the confusion around the current system stems from how the functions of potions, elixirs, and buffs are communicated, as well as the complexity of dividing buffs into so many effects and benefits that affect systems in a way that is confusing to players.

For example, a loot boost could simply be a flat loot boost—straightforward and easy to grasp. Perhaps a flat percentage increase, like 5% or 10% (the exact number is flexible), that applies to all loot. One and done. This kind of approach would be much easier for players to understand without needing to navigate potions, elixirs, salves, skills, boost, and so on. Just one simple mechanic.

Right now, there are numerous different potions, elixirs, skills, and boosts that interact with various mechanics in ways that are not easy to understand. It’s difficult for players to know what these affect—treasure level, rarity, number of effects, rare effects, named items, random named items, and so forth. This lack of clarity makes it challenging to track the benefits or even discuss the system, as no one is entirely sure what influences what, why, how, when, where, or for whom.

As it stands, existing loot boosting mechanics are confusing and difficult for players to understand. Simplifying it would make it clearer and more engaging for everyone.

I agree that the system is hard to understand - so is the xp (bonus) system and many players never seem to fully get it, including me.

Your post leaves me curious though if you understand the difference between a percentage increase and a percentage point increase. What you have written is the former but I am unsure if you actually mean the latter. So your post is not as clean to me as I am fairly sure you intended it to be.

If the drop rate is 33% - a 10% increase means it becomes 36.3%. A nice increase but not actually noticeable without a fairly large sample.
If instead the increase is 10 percentage points - the 33% becomes 43% which is much more noticeable.

Did you actually mean percentage points? If so, your post was not at all clean about that. Or did you mean percentage? If so, the increase is rather small.

Studies find that 97.3% of all people dont understand that difference (yes, I made that statistic up in a way that may even make the USP happy assuming he would get it!)

 

[Anurakh]

I believe some of the confusion around the current system stems from how the functions of potions, elixirs, and buffs are communicated, as well as the complexity of dividing buffs into so many effects and benefits that affect systems in a way that is confusing to players.

For example, a loot boost could simply be a flat loot boost—straightforward and easy to grasp. Perhaps a flat percentage increase, like 5% or 10% (the exact number is flexible), that applies to all loot. One and done. This kind of approach would be much easier for players to understand without needing to navigate potions, elixirs, salves, skills, boost, and so on. Just one simple mechanic.

Right now, there are numerous different potions, elixirs, skills, and boosts that interact with various mechanics in ways that are not easy to understand. It’s difficult for players to know what these affect—treasure level, rarity, number of effects, rare effects, named items, random named items, and so forth. This lack of clarity makes it challenging to track the benefits or even discuss the system, as no one is entirely sure what influences what, why, how, when, where, or for whom.

As it stands, existing loot boosting mechanics are confusing and difficult for players to understand. Simplifying it would make it clearer and more engaging for everyone.

I agree, but keep in mind that they don't want to be clear about drop rates or the mechanisms to improve them. Their policy is to be obscurantist on this issue. For some reason they consider it fiscally responsible.

 

[Dom]

I think the best part is that they just pushed out a patch to increase the drop rates of the rare items, and a day later they give us a treasure hunter boost weekend... I can't wait for them to do their data analytics and come to the conclusion that these new drop rates are effective even though they're being increased even more by the treasure hunter boost weekend.

 

[dozensnakes]

To everyone participating in this discussion.
Please stop this ridiculous argument right now.

This discussion brings nothing but disadvantages to players!

What if the devs decide to check the code because of this? Players have reported this issue multiple times, and the devs denied it—that should be the end of it.

Let me say it again because it’s important: This topic brings nothing but disadvantages to players.
Uncovering the mystery will only give you satisfaction, with no boost items waiting in the future.
Please stop drawing the devs' attention to this.

You're assuming there is an advantage. If there isn't people are wasting time/money on potions for effectively no reward.

Regardless the description of the potions is misleading, and I think getting that fixed is worthwhile in itself.

 

[droid327]

Yeah, in my experience - there's a qualitative boost to:

- Reaper and Mythic bonuses
- Non-named "additional" loot such as Filigrees and Store items, e.g. Tomes and Portable Holes

What it doesnt seem to affect:

- Named item drop rate
- Chance at rare filigrees
- Size of stacks for stacked items, e.g. pack currencies or plat/gems

 

[nenetteblackmoor]

You're assuming there is an advantage. If there isn't people are wasting time/money on potions for effectively no reward.

Regardless the description of the potions is misleading, and I think getting that fixed is worthwhile in itself.

Please read my post again and understand what I’m trying to say.
If you want to investigate how potions work, go to the General forum and start a discussion titled 'Potion.'

Your curiosity and sense of justice are putting many players at a disadvantage.
If you want to talk about potions, choose your words carefully and talk about potions.

Also, bonus and potion source codes are different. lol

 

[Drunken.dx]

I have honestly never seen the number of nameds I get increase, I get the same number of nameds as always, just mythic/reaper boosted more frequently than normal.

Because THAT is what current loot boost influences.

Not chance to get named (as many claim), but chance to get myth/reaper on named.

Your named drops are same, you just gave better chance to get one with mythic/reaper bonus

 

[dozensnakes]

Please read my post again and understand what I’m trying to say.
If you want to investigate how potions work, go to the General forum and start a discussion titled 'Potion.'

Your curiosity and sense of justice are putting many players at a disadvantage.
If you want to talk about potions, choose your words carefully and talk about potions.

Also, bonus and potion source codes are different. lol

Your claim would only be valid if you knew for certain it did provide an advantage, which I am doubtful of. If it doesn't players are wasting money on rerolls on the presumption it does. If the boost is different from the potions then they are wasting money on the potions on the presumption they are the same thing, which would also make the potions falsely advertised.


This isn't a skip in a quest where we know it works and lose nothing if it doesn't, it's you saying a slot machine is lucky. The coy "don't talk about it because in theory if it provides an advantage the developers might nerf it" doesn't work here.

 

[sHiBe]

How about the devs just explain exactly how it works. When I buy something in the store I should know exactly what I am buying. Right? Is DDO exempt from standard world market expectations?

 

[Dandonk]

How about the devs just explain exactly how it works. When I buy something in the store I should know exactly what I am buying. Right? Is DDO exempt from standard world market expectations?

That would be nice, yes.

 

[droid327]

Also, bonus and potion source codes are different. lol

This wouldnt surprise me. I've run with a +10 Hunter potion by itself to compare, and I dont see nearly the same effect as the eponymous Bonus Weekend. I also didnt see the increase I expected before when I stacked the potion with the weekend.

 

[droid327]

How about the devs just explain exactly how it works. When I buy something in the store I should know exactly what I am buying. Right? Is DDO exempt from standard world market expectations?

Yeah the only real explanation is one post from many years ago that doesnt actually even break it down understandably, just cites its effect on other opaque game mechanics.

I really dont see the harm in explaining the loot generation mechanics in detail. Its not going to change player behavior, we're still going to run quests for loot. There's no downside to us knowing how it works. It would just make us feel better, and assure us that we're not wasting our time and money/Store points

Plenty of other games have completely transparent loot mechanics and it doesnt have any deleterious effect on those game ecosystems.

 

[pinstripedbarbarian]

There's no reason for the devs to nerf this.

When has that ever stopped them