Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Random Loot?

Just wondering - Has anyone noticed whether or not there is any random dimension to loot? Or is all loot predetermined? What do people think?

I'd like a random aspect ; and if people don't get the loot they need they can barter with a trader for something.

Later on I'll add another thread on random encounters. (which might also be an idea)

I hate random loot with fierce passion.
The fact that itemization was randomized has always been my single major gripe about DOS 1 and 2.

Also, since you mentioned it in passing "random encounters" should never be completely random. Having a finite (if eventually long) list of pre-determined encounters that can happen pseudo-randomly while traveling in the world map is the way to do it.
Otherwise nonsensical garbage can (and will) happen.

Personally I miss the randomized loot from DOS2, gave the game more replayability in my opinion.

Experience tells me that there's no changing other people's minds about this stuff, but my counterargument is that it didn't gave even enough "playability" to sustain a single playthrough.

The mere fact that there weren't actual good and memorable items in the game and every piece of equipment was:

1) randomly generated
2) same-y and lacking identity
3) quickly outpaced by the next thing barely one level later so never valuable on the long term
4) droppable at any given even moment looting a random crate regardless of what you accomplished

...made finding loot feel like compulsively collecting and sorting garbage in your inventory. And made it feel like nothing you did could even matter, since the reward for completing a quest or killing a boss was often worse than the random shit you found on a crate.
And let's not mention when bad luck with the random drops acted in contrast with the build you were attempting to carry.

Conversely, years later I can still remember where to find some memorable items in BG2 and every time I replayed the game across the years I had a lot of fun even just with planning the perfect build/party composition based on making the most use of the best artifacts in the game.

Random loot is not something I can get behind. Random encounters on the other hand where the attackers have random gear to loot is ok. When I say random enounters I mean when you long rest in a dungeon .... there is always risk of attack wherever you rest.

This exactly. Imo random loot doesn't increase replayability AND is detrimental to any single playthrough. Loot ceases to be in any way interesting, unless someone gets a rush from RNGesus granting him a "legendary rare" item... And that should stay in looters and MMOs. Random loot makes me less likely to replay a game, since my expectation is "uh, I have to deal with this unfun, uninteresting, frustrating loot system again?" rather than "can't wait to try out that cool weapon with my new character build!". I'm playing BG2 right now and sometimes I come across a piece of equipment that I think will be awesome for my next playthrough with a different party. (I need to get a spear or halberd user, haha.)

Replayability should come from either branching story/choices in general or the game being just that damn good you want to play it again (and again). Random loot has become a plague in pretty much all the modern big RPGs. Dragon Age: Inquisition, Skyrim, The Witcher 3... Made worse by the fact that each of these had great, rewarding unique items in at least one previous installment.

AFAICT (though just based on observation rather than careful note-taking), "significant" loot is pre-determined whereas typical low-value junk type loot seems to be random.

I don't get how anyone can't love random loot, but hey to each his own. Knowing at anytime any barrel, crate, whatever can yield a tasty treat makes exploring every inch of the world worth while and adds a nice replayability and excitement to the game.

I personally don't get the go to point a to get b then c to get d, make my stats such that when I get to e stat f will now be g, etc.

But everyone is different.

I like how it's done in BG3, there is some loot that is scripted. The Spear in the first Dungeon is predetermined, you always get this spear. But in the other sarcophagus you can find items, which are randomly placed.
The loot isn't randomly generated, as in "the abilities on it isn't random", but one playthrough you can find a Great Axe, another you might find a Halberd.

I don't mind this, to be honest.


As for random encounters, this is something that could help the game to making long rests be a risk. RIght now there's no risk or cost involved with fast travel and long rest. Making the world feel even smaller than it already is.

This is just my personal opinion, but I like games that give some random loot. Most loot should probably be pre-determined, especially story-related and powerful magic, but some level of added randomized loot makes me enjoyable replaying.

I think random loot is fine, as long as strong items are not - which exactly what BG3 does from what I can tell. Pretty much how you would have it in a 5e game.

And with the amount of magical weapons vendors have you are bound to find something that fits any character.

The argument is academic at this point, since I don't see Larian changing the way they do things, but I will chime in.

I like some randomness to the loot, which is not to sat senseless loot. Your average goblin shouldn't have the chance to drop anything special, but for example, the Gnoll boss could be made to have a random, but equally powerful weapon, or even a piece of armor. Items can be meaningful and sensible while still being random (to a degree). Now, that would probably require some tooling around with the loot table, but not necessarily in a very demanding way.

Hypothetically (and ideally, of course), for those of you who like the loot to remain the same, if the game gave us the option for new maps, dungeons, story, etc. for each playthrough, would you take it, or would you replay the same story again to capitalize on knowing what is coming? I certainly would want the former, but I know that is just not logistically feasible in its entirety. But I see 'random loot' as one small step towards capturing that option.

Eh, at least two people already explained it.


- Random loot feels like trash.
- makes itemization inconsequential.



Well, No, it doesn't. It makes everything feel same-y and inconsequential.
When you have the same chances of getting a "good" item (and I use the term loosely, because there are rarely genuinely good items in DOS2) by looting a random crate and by finding a very hidden treasure or downing a boss, it makes it feel like nothing you accomplish means a damn.

Also, randomized equipment is typically generated with trashy formulas and lacks identity, espcially the way DOS does it. On top of this, there's also the additional problem that itemization in DOS 2 scales WAY too steeply.
It's a game where the difference between starting equipment and end game stuff becomes simply enormous. We are talking of stat bloat ranging the "100x" factor or more from beginning to end, which forces a Diablo-like continuous replacement of what your party is wearing.
I'm never been a fan of this continuous swap even in proper hack and slash games where you control a single character, but it becomes an even poorer fit in a party-based title where this incessant race to the upgrade extends to several characters at the same time, breaks the pace continuously and turns into even more inventory busywork, not "to improve" but too KEEP UP with the numeric inflation on enemies.

As a result nothing of what you ever loot across the game can ever feel meaning fuland rewarding, always a stepping stone toward the next randomly obtained and unrewarding piece of trash.

Now, contrast this with the typical itemization of "D&D-like" games, where the difference between starting items and the "stuff of legends" (which can be between +3 or +5 AT MOST) never goes to be more than a 5-10x moltiplicative factor.
When you find a good +1 item in the early levels of a D&D campaign you know it will keep you company for a while, and when you'll get to a nice +2 it may very well be in competition as the best of its kind for most of the adventure.
This makes every single reward feel impactful, memorable, it avoids stat bloat making the secondary abilities (i.e. "inflicts double damage to undead", "gives you one extra attack per turn" etc) rather than number inflation the genuine starts of the show, etc. Which translates in making possible the coexistence of several items of the same tier being equally competitive.

P.S. For people saying "I'm fine with white starting items being randomized". Yeah well, I don't mind that either. But not because I like them. It's because they are fundamentally irrelevant after the first two-three hours of a campaign.
They are background noise, vendor trash, after a while you could replace 10 of these drops with a single gem and the game wouldn't feel one lick different.
BG 2 had "randomized whites", too. Everyone remembers it as a game with "hand-placed unique loot", because the hand-placed loot was all that really mattered.


But what is the point, really? The thing with randomized loot is that you also need to set a LOT of conditions to the loot table to even attempt making it seem thematically appropriate or pertinent, otherwise it just creates problems in terms of immersion and coherence ("why are animals dropping coins and items? Why am I finding books written in recent times or everyday-use items n this ruin supposedly lost and sealed for centuries? Why poor farmers have jewels and rare chemicals in their home's containers?" etc, etc).

Hard no from me.

This isnt a looter shooter RPG. Divinity Dragon Knight Saga and DOS2 was notoriously bad with this - you luck out a good magic weapon and it trivialize half an act. I had a random purple axe from a box in Dragon Knight and +7 magic missile, i one shotted that Act's boss. Does that sounds like a good system to you?

If randomized loot only up to a certain point (say they are only purple grade in damage) and no special abilities attached to it (i.e. skill boosts) then i can live with that.

I think it depends somewhat on how random it is. When I was a lad and we played DnD 2nd edition Monsters had treasure types, which rolled on generating random loot within a range, and appropriate scale for the encounter.
You probably shouldn't be finding epics in the fish barrels (I'm looking at you DOS2) but I prefer not getting the same drop from the boss every time I fight them. Same caliber of drop yes, exact same drop no.
But I prefer more of a rogue lite approach, that forces you to fly by the seat of your pants instead of building the a min maxxed character for what you know your going to find. Do we really all have to be colossus hunter wood elf rangers?

You mean S/L until you get what u want?

I

I believe it can be done without allowing S/L to change anything. Seed the items at first entry to an area. S/L would still contain the same items but replay would vary the items a bit. The drops should be the same caliber but vary to some degree.

I think the "real" magic items should all be hand-placed in unique spots, and the consumables and vendor trash should be randomized. Which is, I think, just how BG3 does it?