Guild Wars 2

Could someone please explain to me what RNG is? I just know it means random number generator. But how does it actually work? Is it something thats on your account or something that every time a monster die it has a random number generator to drop a a type of item (pre cursor)

I’m not sure how it works in GW2 exactly but this is an example of how it works in many other games:

Each monster has a loot table – a list of all the items it can drop. In order to give it some variety so you’re not always getting the same things and so they can make certain items rarer than others it’s determined on a kind of lottery system.

So say there’s 10 items that monster can drop. You could assign each one a number from 1-10 and then generate a random number between 1 and 10 to decide which one the player gets. If you want them all to be equally likely that’s fine and might well happen.

Or you can assign them numbers between 1 and 100. If you want one to have a 25% drop rate you can assign it 25 numbers. If you want one to have a 5% drop rate you assign it just 5 numbers. And so on. Then you generate a random number between 1 and 100 and the player gets whichever item that number corresponds to.

In games with limited memory the actual random number generator can be as simple as a pre-programmed string of numbers with no discernible pattern which the game works it’s way along every time it needs to make something happen ‘randomly’. In games that can afford the memory it can be an actual sub-program that generates numbers randomly on demand.

Of course it can’t ever be completely random because it’s determined by a computer. But the important thing is it’s not progressing according to any mathematical pattern so even if you know the loot table and the numbers assigned to each item you can’t guess or manipulate what you’ll get.

Oh and in answer to your other question it’s not tied to your account – each enemy and each chest, bag etc. has it’s own loot table and that’s what the RNG is working off. You won’t ever get a precursor from a level 1 Bandit for example because it’s just not in the loot table.

But your account Magic Find can affect it – increasing your chance of getting higher rarity items.

it stands for Random Number Generator. since there is no true random in programming, you have to make it as close as possible. that is called pseudo-random.

my guess is…let’s say a monster can drop 100 different items. The RNG would have those items on numbers 1-100, meaning every item has a number. let’s say “ring of power” is number 55. If (when you kill the monster) the RNG gives you #55 you will get a ring of power. that is why sometimes the RNG can be a nuisance or a blessing.

RNG was a blessing for me today because I got an Abyss dye out of 3 unidentified dye.

I use the term blessing loosely, I am not religious. people like to refer RNG as a god, though.

Another way to explain RNG is:

Remember how some kids just randomly hit the keys pretending they are hackers or computer-genius? That is what some guy does to determine the list of numbers the loot tables will follow (loot tables explained above). An example of the list could be 315313313413413 with 3 being ‘Brittle Bones’ and 5 being a rare. That was just a very simple explanation, but it is following that principle.

^all this is just a roundabout way of saying..RNG is RNG. its just about luck. the probability in some cases, say loot dropping from mobs..can be improved in part by your MF%. However generally..its just blind stupid luck. i.e. why I got a dusk drop in the forge on my 1st try that day, after 2 months of throwing in exotic GS that I bought with CoF tokens..while others choose to flame the forums complaining how theyve never gotten a dusk drop even after 100000 tries.

Husky.6018:

Another way to explain RNG is:

Remember how some kids just randomly hit the keys pretending they are hackers or computer-genius? That is what some guy does to determine the list of numbers the loot tables will follow (loot tables explained above). An example of the list could be 315313313413413 with 3 being ‘Brittle Bones’ and 5 being a rare. That was just a very simple explanation, but it is following that principle.

I like this way of explaining. Thank you all for your explanation much appreciated =]

Keep in mind that RNG not only applies to loottables for foes but also for chests. This is important to note cause many complaints off the community here is bout the RNG of for example Black Lions chests. Where you have to be lucky to get enough scraps to get a bl ticket to get one of the halloween skins. (and I’m not saying that to have that discussion started in this thread, so please keep that where it belongs).

RNG is when someone other than yourself seems to be getting all the good drops that should belong to you.
RNG is when someone other than yourself seems to be getting all the precursors from Mystic Forge that should belong to you.
RNG is when someone other than yourself seems to be getting all the skins from BL Chests that should belong to you.