So clearly the theme of the weekend was loot. The ascended gear debate is all about loot, gear treadmill and grind, many people see this as testing the waters for gear progression being the new content to keep you playing. The Fractals of the Mists are significantly more profitable in rare item drops than anywhere else in the game, and that’s before you get to the higher levels. On top of that, there are extra rare and unique items inside the dungeon which are more powerful and valuable than anything else in the game.
Normal dungeons received loot buffs from champions mobs (as well as champion mobs receiving loot buffs) and more karma and tokens are received in general from a dungeon. We saw changes to the drop rate of precursors from the mystic forge and across Tyria as well.
The Lost Shores flooded the economy with orihalcum and mithril. Lots of people got a free 20 slot bag. There was a free (very good) exotic trinket and a tonne of exotics and precursors got flooded through the market, dropping prices across the board.
New recipes have made tier 6 mats far more valuable and less value was placed on orichulum.
This weekend was all about loot, in so many different ways across the board, loot was changed. Many things became more valuable, many things became less valuable, many people made fortunes and lots of gold was redistributed amongst the players.
The finale event for the Lost Shores was considered absolutely horrible by most people (the two karka morale phases were unbearable) but everyone loved it once they got their loot. To me this was the most worrying thing. As much as I loved part of the event (a zerg wiping on the karka made it feel epic) the two morale phases were just unbearable and the lag was infuriating. I stuck around because I didn’t want to miss out, but overall I didn’t enjoy it because of a few considerable flaws. Many people changed their tune because of the loot. This to me is the key moment of this event.
How important is loot in the game? Are we as a community, as players, going to lower our standards for what we want in a game experience because the loot is better? Much of the desire for this loot comes from the desire to avoid the grind and monotony of acquiring the wealth and rewards the loot is worth through other means. We will push ourselves to do something we don’t enjoy because it is more rewarding than other content. We want the rewards but we don’t enjoy the path to get them (a game design flaw imo) so many of us push ourselves to go through the path of least resistance regardless of how unenjoyable it is for us.
Personally, lower level fractal dungeons are a lot of fun.
This weekend highlights how important loot has become in the game and how giving it away generously can dramatically alter how players play, but does that mean this content was worth playing or worth adding? Should ArenaNet be focusing their design around the carrot as opposed to having a good time? I’m sure they didn’t intend for the finale to be as painful as it was for many people so this event was supposed to be fun and rewarding, but it’s evident this weekend that people in this game will dramatically alter their playing behaviour and participate in content they otherwise wouldn’t (and don’t even enjoy) just for increased loot. It’s beginning to feel like a game that was supposed to have content and quality experiences driving player participation has devolved into loot driving player participation. Is it being designed that way?
What did you learn about the community from this weekend? What do you think this means for the community? To ArenaNet? Does this change your view on the importance of loot in this game?
