Plane of War items are completely broken

[Gaealiege]

I spit my Pepsi all over my monitor laughing, Kreton.

Ah ha!  It's funny because it's true!  They did look at the Coldwing King Crab prior to looking at a multi-month old issue that affects dramatically more players as well as actual current progression!  Ahhh.

[slippery]

Gaealiege@Butcherblock wrote:

I spit my Pepsi all over my monitor laughing, Kreton.

Ah ha!  It's funny because it's true!  They did look at the Coldwing King Crab prior to looking at a multi-month old issue that affects dramatically more players as well as actual current progression!  Ahhh.

Don't worry it's our fault Rallos Zek isn't dead and they had to wait so long to move the story on.

[Fitz]

Honestly, I'm not sure how some of you guys have lasted to make it to POW in the first place. The content is frustrating and a massive time sink, the items aren't fun, and it's tedious to replace bleeding players. I'm using my SC, then quitting to rejoin RL. I'm giving SOE my three month notice (how much SC I have left) - if things get better great, otherwise I'm done with making them rich for nothing in return.

[Neiloch]

Here's a good one:

these aren't just me showing some messed up links. Both of these dropped for my guild. Glad beastlords get twice the chance at some of their armor pieces dropping than every other class.

[Errrorr]

Neiloch@Butcherblock wrote:

Here's a good one:

these aren't just me showing some messed up links. Both of these dropped for my guild. Glad beastlords get twice the chance at some of their armor pieces dropping than every other class.

Bumping this.

Remove the one on the left, and make it so its a 3 in 24 chance of dropping (To compensate for 3 classes wanting it rather than 2). Or remove the Beastlord Focus on the right item, and reduce the drop rate on the left one.

[Fyreflyte]

Kreton wrote:

Coldwind King Crab itemization takes priority here.  Way too important to fix the loot table of an Antonica mob.

That was a bug, bot a balance issue, and I investigated it myself, so it did not take any time away from the raid itemization folks. As it turns out, the crab's issue (in which it was not dropping any loot at all) is likely affecting a number of other mobs throughout the game, so it's not as trivial as it initially appears.

The point I wanted to make, however, is that there are a number of us developers, and just because one of us jumps in to look at a small issue does not mean we are devaluing other issues. We read the forums daily and do pay attention to these threads, even when we don't have time to respond to them.

[Laretha]

Well I am glad you have posted here but it dont really answer peoples issues and your intentions to ever fix an obviously poor itemization on a raid zone.

I know you guys are time starved but this is really poor.

[Enderbsd]

Fyreflyte wrote:

Kreton wrote:

Coldwind King Crab itemization takes priority here.  Way too important to fix the loot table of an Antonica mob.

That was a bug, bot a balance issue, and I investigated it myself, so it did not take any time away from the raid itemization folks. As it turns out, the crab's issue (in which it was not dropping any loot at all) is likely affecting a number of other mobs throughout the game, so it's not as trivial as it initially appears.

The point I wanted to make, however, is that there are a number of us developers, and just because one of us jumps in to look at a small issue does not mean we are devaluing other issues. We read the forums daily and do pay attention to these threads, even when we don't have time to respond to them.

If this is true why dont we get some posts from the raid itemization folks on these issues and an expected ETA?

So far you posted 4-5 times in the level 19 coldwind crab thread. 

[Shotneedle]

Neiloch@Butcherblock wrote:

Here's a good one:

these aren't just me showing some messed up links. Both of these dropped for my guild. Glad beastlords get twice the chance at some of their armor pieces dropping than every other class.

That's cool and all, but since all the scout stuff is basically classless, I'm using rogue boots/forearms currently and bard pants (after the bards get them) because the beastlord pieces suck so hard. See below:

[JohnDoe0057]

I cant help but think the devs have some motivation that eq2 fails. It seems like they just dont understand the game at all.

[Gaealiege]

While you may be right Fireflyte, that doesn't make us feel any better about the completely ignored issues in Drunder for MONTHS and now Plane of War.

Maybe you should request being put on the raid itemization team so we can see some results too?

[Geothe]

Fyreflyte wrote:

. We read the forums daily and do pay attention to these threads, even when we don't have time to respond to them.

Don't have time to respond to them?Its not just that, when it comes to raid itemization issues its a flat out "don't have time or the desire to even fix the problems"

[Neiloch]

Fyreflyte wrote:

The point I wanted to make, however, is that there are a number of us developers, and just because one of us jumps in to look at a small issue does not mean we are devaluing other issues. We read the forums daily and do pay attention to these threads, even when we don't have time to respond to them.

So two things.

1. You are basically telling us that we should have faith developers have read our posts and to hope our prayers (requests and grievances) will be answered without any response or feedback.

This is an unreasonable request and a downright ridiculous way to operate. The end result hasn't been we don't trust you to do the right thing, rather the complete opposite. Most veterans would bet good money that you would do the wrong thing, the exact opposite of what the players want because of your history of action in the past and staggering lack of communication.

2. Obviously you guys can't answer every post about every issue. Eventually you would just be spending a lot of time giving links to the time you already answered it.

But I know for a fact just from my experience there are MANY player concerns that have been ongoing for YEARS that have gotten ZERO response from developers on the forums. None. Not one. Not even a 'hey we read this, we'll look into it' appeasing, throw away response. It would be different if instead of replying you 'got busy doing' but that is most certainly not the way things are done.

TL;DR - we aren't going to trust that you read our posts without response and know about all our concerns. Sorry. That boat has sailed, crossed the ocean, found a new continent and has been taken apart to make buildings in a new settlement. I'm not just speaking for myself but for many, many others. Including ones that don't bother to post on official forums because they are 100% sure it will lead to nothing and is a complete waste of time.

[Prrasha]

Loldawg@Nagafen wrote:

broken itemization is probably the biggest problem in game right now.

Your sentence contains an extra "probably".

Itemization is the ONLY reason to keep playing the game long-term.  You can't improve your character any other way.  Any vaguely-serious player has all the AA and master spells he'd want, so it's down to "get better items" or "leave for another game."  (OK, we'll all have a bit of stuff to to to get to 92.  Then it's back to all items, all the time.)

And it's broken up and down the board.  T9 raiding is broken, per this thread.  T9 legendary isn't much better (probably due to balancing 6-man dungeons for raid-geared characters).  Low-level mastercrafted is broken; wood-chest drops from overland mobs are better.  High-level (Aspect of War) dungeon-drop crafting is broken; I've been bugging the extra HEIRLOOM tags added to certain bits for close to a year now, and no response.  There's virtually no itemization for melee priests, outside of a couple Reactant-crafted items.  The roundshield(scout)/buckler(priest) split has been horsed up forever.  I could go on until my hands cramped up from all the typing.

And when a few changes do go in, they seem random.  Everyone has to sit on a bank full of garbage items in case the next patch destroys what they're wearing and makes their bank trash into godmode stuff.

Itemization is THE BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT part of the game, and it gets the least attention, both in-game (fixes for /bugs) and on the forums.  Something has to change.  And the change is probably SoE management; they need to put more dev focus on itemization.

[Drumstix42]

Players have brought this up many times. Play for enjoyment and accomplishment. If I'm rewarded continously with broken items, and said items take months to be fixed, where is my quickly fading accomplishment going? It's going the same place as my enjoyment.... out the window.

If itemization was just a quick-run in this zone, to make sure there were at least items at all, it totally refects it. How can almost every single weapon, ranged item, and charm all have Bolstering Roar/Major Bolstering Roar on them. They don't even stack (obviously). I already have 3 items with the same proc on it, and they all replace red slot item. How messed up is that?

[Trynt]

Fyreflyte wrote:

Kreton wrote:

Coldwind King Crab itemization takes priority here.  Way too important to fix the loot table of an Antonica mob.

That was a bug, bot a balance issue, and I investigated it myself, so it did not take any time away from the raid itemization folks. As it turns out, the crab's issue (in which it was not dropping any loot at all) is likely affecting a number of other mobs throughout the game, so it's not as trivial as it initially appears.

The point I wanted to make, however, is that there are a number of us developers, and just because one of us jumps in to look at a small issue does not mean we are devaluing other issues. We read the forums daily and do pay attention to these threads, even when we don't have time to respond to them.

PoW trash loot drop rate went from 12% to 1.2% and 8.3% to 0.83% respectively for various pieces.  Is this a bug or balance issue?  Saw no reference to an intended change in patch notes.

[Morghus]

^

If it is intentional, I would certainly label it as being shady/deliberate stalling behavior....considering people actually rely upon this stuff to progress, and the fact that there are currently only two bosses killable in the whole zone.

Would be a pretty big middle finger to the players if this is their way of forcing us over into the new zones, when they haven't even made an already existing zone playable or itemized properly after all this time....considering it came out sometime last year?.

[JohnDoe0057]

drops were always 1.2 and 0.83

what makes you think anythings changed?

[Trynt]

Farqinator@Splitpaw wrote:

drops were always 1.2 and 0.83

what makes you think anythings changed?

We were tracking an 8-12% effective drop rate on trash pre-patch - averaging 12-ish items per entire trash clearing. 

Post patch, it's been nowhere close which led to us refreshing our memory on Zam's listed rates.  Zam currently lists 1.25% and 0.83% where multiple people recall the display as 12.5% and 8.33%.

I haven't counted the total number of trash encounters just yet... but on avg, how many drops are you seeing per zone?  Assuming 100 trash encounters, are you only getting one-ish trash drop for an entire clear?

Edit:  I'm open the possibility of a string of good/bad RNG, but I doubt anyone would be surprised by unintended patched consequences.  Maybe we were just ridiculously lucky multiple times before the last patch.

[JohnDoe0057]

On the 27th we got about 12 items but i dont think we had the patch till the next morning. Though im not sure what patch you refer too.

Zam rates had never changed though.

Items were never 12.5 and 8.3 because that would mean a fabled chest every time.

[Trynt]

I see why our % numbers aren't lining up, but that's not really my primary concern so I'll shelve that read.

Referring to the 27th patch, I'm most interested in hearing if you guys experience a lower volume of drops the next time you hop in there; since I believe you'll raid 2 times before we do again.

Went back and saw 117 trash encounters (+/- a few), so ~12 drops would be about right.  Hopefully, it stays that way for you guys, and we just had a terribad RNG fluke.

[Kippah]

It's not POW, but it seems that Zam's drop rate for Sullon's mythical is 0.05%.  Weren't all of them recently upgraded to 0.1%?  The Vallon and Tallon ones are still 0.1%.

[JohnDoe0057]

were gonna clear some trash tonight so il let you know

The info i have is once a myth is disco's its drop rate goes up to 1%. Not sure if thats correct though.

We got 2 myths in a week so the rate is defo upped.

[JohnDoe0057]

we got 6 items from about 50 mobs, drop rate hasnt changed

[feldon30]

Kippah wrote:

It's not POW, but it seems that Zam's drop rate for Sullon's mythical is 0.05%.  Weren't all of them recently upgraded to 0.1%?  The Vallon and Tallon ones are still 0.1%.

Zam's treasure tables data isn't live. They receive updates on a periodic basis.

[Shotneedle]

Kippah wrote:

It's not POW, but it seems that Zam's drop rate for Sullon's mythical is 0.05%.  Weren't all of them recently upgraded to 0.1%?  The Vallon and Tallon ones are still 0.1%.

Sullon has two mythical (but one is a fabled, lulz) drops. 0.05 + 0.05 = 0.1.

Also we got pretty unlucky the other week, got 5 or 6 drops for clearing all the trash (and we only got 2 until the very end where we got 4 pretty quickly!)

[Trynt]

Farqinator@Splitpaw wrote:

we got 6 items from about 50 mobs, drop rate hasnt changed

Buffrat@Antonia Bayle wrote:

Also we got pretty unlucky the other week, got 5 or 6 drops for clearing all the trash (and we only got 2 until the very end where we got 4 pretty quickly!)

Thanks, guys.  I'll take bad luck over something that was broken and needs to wait for a fix anyday.

[yohann koldheart]

with the GU getting closer and closer i cant really see them putting any time at all into fixing the PoW drops .  if you guys think itemization is screwed now wait till you see some of the em skyshrine stuff lol

and the sad thing is 2 groups can clear the new EM.

[Trynt]

4 per ~120.  Bleh.

[Morghus]

So, are these items ever going to get looked at? Is there even any point in wasting our time doing the zone...assuming that by the time every boss is killabe, the loot may already be outdated?