I don't get it Gyson, you argued your case already in another thread about this very topic and that wasn't good enough? You have to start a new one? Rather pretentious don't you think?
He is very good at this technique, he's done it multiple times. I've long since realized he's a troll of the worst sort: the kind lacking self-awareness.
Well, it's worth bringing to the developer's attention in case they don't want players to exploit the mechanic that way.
I'll make this blunt:
- If you want RNG loot and not static loot, this is the compromise that happens.
- It's massively resource intensive to do a "seed save", not to mention a coding pain with save states (which Larian has been having issues with, esp. in regard to QuickSaves + Permanent Flags / Triggers not reverting). I'm 100% sure the current code doesn't support it, due to the way the permanent world is functioning.
- As a self-proclaimed developer, I'm surprised you're uncertain of how the RNG tables work or can even imagine that Larian don't know about this "issue". Oh, wait... I'm not.
- D:OS is primarily a single player experience (with some funky co-op + global chats); realistically, the potential to reload the RNG is hardly a problem. AGAIN this is not an ARPG where perma-death / loot abuse matters.
Still, Gyson has satisfied himself with some attention, now we can get back to reality.
Quick question: is there another update scheduled before Gold launch, or are Larian going to hot-patch after the event? (i.e. as and when issues with content we've not seen goes live)
I will say though that right now, the loot could probably be a little bit better.
I'm fairly convinced that full item tables aren't live and the actual % chances for drops are still being tweaked. Rings in particular etc. Creating items / effects is a weighted experience: once the code is in, and works, content can quite quickly produce a lot of McGuffins. Themeing / balancing is harder, but given the state of skills (i.e. in flux), I'm sure a large percentage of items simply haven't been put it. e.g. There's no point creating pages of +skill items if a) you're changing / renaming / removing said skills and b) you've not nailed down class skill synergies. More importantly, the macros can't be made as you cannot put <??> into your auto-balancing formulas if you don't know what the parameters are!
Interestingly, this works differently in an ARPG - Grim Dawn by Crate (
http://www.grimdawn.com/) currently doesn't have all classes live, but there are items giving +skills to classes not in the beta yet. The RNG also likes to drop items with level requirements not possible in the beta - they nailed down the classes / synergies long ago, since like PoI, they're working towards focusing on MP / content after this.
I'll leave you to work out the not-so-subtle context of this observation & the OP. [i.e. FOS] Or, I could just tell you: ARPG's are basically skinner boxes, so the RNG algo's + skill synergies are the most important bit, which is why they get made first. D:OS is an RPG, so... that kinda comes after the story, narratives, arcs, settings and so on
Gyson doesn't know this despite his "many years" in the business.
TL;DR
"OOOH SHINY" isn't the
real focus of an RPG. It's
nice but it's not a central drive point of your primary customer. Go look up that essay on "which type of gamer / MMO player are you?"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartle_Testp.s.
D:OS is begin anticipated by a lot of people - someone I'd not considered a very 'rpg' minded gamer asked me about it on Sunday
