Larssen_PM
Do We Need a Loot System?
Being stubborn is only a thing good if you're always right. But naturally, nobody is always right, and many of the most damaging -- and easy avoidable -- mistakes in WoW arise from the handling (and mishandling!) of loot drops. Loot drama is an issue that plagues many guilds, but one from which we have, for the most part, been blessedly free so far. We've stubbornly resisted the adoption of a formal guild loot system, but even so, there are times when people are left cursing their in-game dice roller and thinking they've been treated unfairly.
I have always felt that our current loot system, using the term loosely, was good enough for our current ten man group, where everyone knows everyone else, the group is fairly stable, and loot can be handled in a more casual way. In short, if you need it, roll on it. If you don't get it this time, you'll get it next time. But there are times when this friendly loot system simply doesn't work, mainly when PUGs or standby players are involved, or in groups with constantly changing rosters where the players aren't familiar with each other. For times like these, we need something more.
Way back in 2007, when we used to run 25 man raids several nights per week, we used a modified version of the Suicide Kings loot system, which is in itself a modified version of the popular but annoying DKP system. I used to call it Loot Ladder, and track it online. The system uses two "ladders," a Loot Ladder and a Token Ladder. When the ladder is created, each player /rolls to determine their initial position on the ladder, from highest to lowest, and the rolls are recorded and tracked either on paper, in Notepad, or preferably, online on a web page that everyone can view at any time. The biggest advantage of an online Loot Ladder is that the persistent ladder is tracked in real time and can be linked in Ventrilo chat so that everyone, even PUGs, can see it.
The Loot Ladder is used for all standard boss drops. When a piece of loot drops, the master looter first asks if anyone wants it. If only one person does, it is given to that person and the ladder remains unchanged. If two or more people want the loot, it goes to the highest person on the ladder, who then drops to the very bottom. Even PUG and standby players are given a /roll upon joining the raid, and they may even start at the top of the ladder with first pick of loot, but the ladder ensures that loot is somewhat evenly distributed, and the randomness of dice won't allow one person to get several drops while the rest don't get any. This would only be possible if the player in question is picking up unwanted loot drops which would otherwise just be disenchanted anyway.
The Token Ladder is used for tier tokens, quest items, and other rare or important drops. It works the same way, with one important difference: PUGs and standby players always start at the very bottom of the list. This ensures that players who put in time to get a raid on farm status get priority. It may seem unfair at first glance, but when one takes into account some of the tragic loot situations we've actually seen (such as poor Ninde taking 16 weeks to win a tier token that dropped every week, and Derelith's arduous quest for Theresa's Booklight), it's not so bad at all. The aim of the Token Ladder is to favor the regular raider over the lucky PUG, and it's a must for 25 man raids. Standard loot rules, that is main spec before off spec, apply to both ladders. BoEs for alts are open /rolled for only if no character present in the group needs them.
There are a few add ons that create and track Loot Ladder lists, but many of them are complex and unwieldy, and of no use to PUG players. The online ladder works best, and there was a great one at The Drunken Dwarf, which recently folded, but Ask Mr Robot is in the process of adding a free loot ladder tracking system to its web site. The loot ladder can also be maintained on our guild site and linked in Ventrilo chat as needed. The ladder is my favorite loot system, as it comes into play only when there is competition for loot and can be ignored the rest of the time, but it does what it needs to do quickly and fairly. As always, loot rules and what constitutes "special" loot for the Token Ladder should be discussed and agreed upon beforehand, especially when PUGs or new raiders are present. The idea of Loot Ladder is to favor those who regularly attend raids, while still being fair to PUG players, but it's not perfect. Does anyone else have a suggestion for a guild loot system, or do you like the ladder idea? Either way, share your ideas in game or through the PM forums, and we'll see how things stand and go from there.
No one raids solely to get gear, but those shiny boss drops are something we look forward to week after week. As sexy actress Ava Gardner once said when asked why she was willing to wear such low-cut dresses on screen, "For the loot, honey... for the loot!"
by Larssen_PM on 2011-11-02 09:30:45
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