Written by Thomas "ScHniPPaH" Lüthje
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria will bring us a new loot system within the Raidfinder. However, the presented system has raised a series of questions, which prompted Blizzard Game Designer Greg "Ghostcrawler" Street to clarify the difference between the old and the new loot system.- "The key point is that traditional loot systems determine what loot drops first and then who gets it. In the new Raid Finder loot, the system determines who is going to win loot, and then picks something appropriate for them," Street says in the American Mists of Pandaria beta forums.
Seeing an item that you want appear only to go to someone who doesn't want it, need it or doesn't care can be very frustrating. Here, the Development Team wanted to intervene. Street also mentions that "the chance of you walking out of Raid Finder with loot will be about the same as it is today. Our goal isn't to distribute loot faster," he says, but assures that "you won't have other players begging you to let them have the item that you won fair and square".
In case you want a deeper understanding of the new loot system in Raidfinder and not just a calming down from the angry forum mobs, head over to the Dev Watercooler - Mists of Pandaria Looting Explained blog entry by Ghostcrawler.
The New LFR Roll System
Normal raid (Live and Mists):
1) Boss dies.
2) The game determines what loot he drops.
3) The group works out who gets what item, perhaps by random roll.
Raid Finder on Live:
1) Boss dies.
2) The game determines what loot he drops.
3) Players for whom the loot is appropriate get a chance to Need or Greed.
Raid Finder in Mists:
1) Boss dies.
2) The game decides who is going to get loot. Each player has a small and independent chance to win loot.
3) The game picks loot appropriate for those players.
The key point is that traditional loot systems determine what loot drops first and then who gets it. In the new Raid Finder loot, the system determines who is going to win loot, and then picks something appropriate for them.
The chance of you walking out of Raid Finder with loot will be about the same as it is today. Our goal isn't to distribute loot faster. However, you won't have the frustration of seeing an item that you want appear only to go to someone who doesn't want it, doesn't need it or doesn't care. Likewise, you won't have other players begging you to let them have the item that you won fair and square. In all likelihood the entire Raid Finder raid is composed of strangers who may never see each other again, so social pressure doesn't really work and we just plan on removing it with regards to loot.
» Source
Normal raid (Live and Mists):
1) Boss dies.
2) The game determines what loot he drops.
3) The group works out who gets what item, perhaps by random roll.
Raid Finder on Live:
1) Boss dies.
2) The game determines what loot he drops.
3) Players for whom the loot is appropriate get a chance to Need or Greed.
Raid Finder in Mists:
1) Boss dies.
2) The game decides who is going to get loot. Each player has a small and independent chance to win loot.
3) The game picks loot appropriate for those players.
The key point is that traditional loot systems determine what loot drops first and then who gets it. In the new Raid Finder loot, the system determines who is going to win loot, and then picks something appropriate for them.
The chance of you walking out of Raid Finder with loot will be about the same as it is today. Our goal isn't to distribute loot faster. However, you won't have the frustration of seeing an item that you want appear only to go to someone who doesn't want it, doesn't need it or doesn't care. Likewise, you won't have other players begging you to let them have the item that you won fair and square. In all likelihood the entire Raid Finder raid is composed of strangers who may never see each other again, so social pressure doesn't really work and we just plan on removing it with regards to loot.
