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What determines Who Gets Gear in a Fight

AuthorMessage
Survivor
Oct 01, 2010
20
Have run into an issue that can and has causes a lot of friction betwen players in groups I have joined. Periodically, I am in a group where someone says something like "I have to hit to get loot from a fight" or "Let me go first into fight cause you get better loot" or even something like do not pick up the pearl in the waterworks or you get worse gear.

Discussion of such statements usually results in unnecessary conflict within the group and people working at cross purposes and harboring resentment. This seems totally unnecessary. Now, my understanding is loot is totally random, your position in a group or if you hit is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is luck. This seems most logical from a coding and game perspective. Having confusion on this issue does not add to the game but detracts from it. Can someone from KingsIsle confirm that loot on a kill is distributed randomly between players and does not depend on who damages or kills the opponent.

If I am wrong and there are aspects within groups that affect loot between shared fighters, please let me/us know. I do not think there is. However, again, if there is something, we should know about it rather than be in the dark on such a fact.

If there is a post or its in a FAQ somewhere, can you direct me to that. I would love to be able to refer players who believe in such things to a post or faq entry from KI.

Thanks,

Ben

Archon
Oct 24, 2010
4952
daniel giantfist on Apr 8, 2013 wrote:
Have run into an issue that can and has causes a lot of friction betwen players in groups I have joined. Periodically, I am in a group where someone says something like "I have to hit to get loot from a fight" or "Let me go first into fight cause you get better loot" or even something like do not pick up the pearl in the waterworks or you get worse gear.

Discussion of such statements usually results in unnecessary conflict within the group and people working at cross purposes and harboring resentment. This seems totally unnecessary. Now, my understanding is loot is totally random, your position in a group or if you hit is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is luck. This seems most logical from a coding and game perspective. Having confusion on this issue does not add to the game but detracts from it. Can someone from KingsIsle confirm that loot on a kill is distributed randomly between players and does not depend on who damages or kills the opponent.

If I am wrong and there are aspects within groups that affect loot between shared fighters, please let me/us know. I do not think there is. However, again, if there is something, we should know about it rather than be in the dark on such a fact.

If there is a post or its in a FAQ somewhere, can you direct me to that. I would love to be able to refer players who believe in such things to a post or faq entry from KI.

Thanks,

Ben
It's random. People don't understand random. ALL boss drops can be considered rare. And picking up a reagent has nothing to do with boss or any other drops. geez.

Armiger
Feb 25, 2009
2425
daniel giantfist on Apr 8, 2013 wrote:
Have run into an issue that can and has causes a lot of friction betwen players in groups I have joined. Periodically, I am in a group where someone says something like "I have to hit to get loot from a fight" or "Let me go first into fight cause you get better loot" or even something like do not pick up the pearl in the waterworks or you get worse gear.

Discussion of such statements usually results in unnecessary conflict within the group and people working at cross purposes and harboring resentment. This seems totally unnecessary. Now, my understanding is loot is totally random, your position in a group or if you hit is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is luck. This seems most logical from a coding and game perspective. Having confusion on this issue does not add to the game but detracts from it. Can someone from KingsIsle confirm that loot on a kill is distributed randomly between players and does not depend on who damages or kills the opponent.

If I am wrong and there are aspects within groups that affect loot between shared fighters, please let me/us know. I do not think there is. However, again, if there is something, we should know about it rather than be in the dark on such a fact.

If there is a post or its in a FAQ somewhere, can you direct me to that. I would love to be able to refer players who believe in such things to a post or faq entry from KI.

Thanks,

Ben
I am not a KI employee, but I can tell you that it does not matter when in a group who does the most damage or even you does the kill. Generally, the more players there are in the group, the more drops to be had by all. Position in the battle makes no difference. Those thinking they have to make the kill to get a specific item are mistaken. And as for picking up the Pearl in WW, they only say that so it will be there when they come back through. There is absolutely nothing that changes what you will or will not get. It is all pure random chance.

The only place that it does matter is when trying to get the "One in A Million" badge. Only the player going for that badge can do the damage. Any others with that player are for support only....meaning, they help with setting traps, giving blades, but DO NOT cast any hits on the main target. They may however take out a minion if there is one and make sure the person going for the badge remains in good health throughout the battle.

Hero
Jul 30, 2012
771
There is defintely no favortism when loot is distributed at the end of battle.

When I play my level 90 wizard with my daughter's level 16 wizard (computers side-by-side) I can easily confirm that neither is being favored regardless of the contributions made in battle or who made the final kills. It also makes no difference who entered battle first, who's quest it is, wizard level, if someone got defeated and revived, what spiral world we are in, or which wizard is the best looking. I state this with absolute certainty.

Caveat: I am pretty sure a wizard must be in the battle circle for the entire last round of battle to get loot, otherwise they get nothing. Jumping in during the last round gets you nothing. And defeated wizards that aren't revived but hang around get nothing.

Survivor
Oct 01, 2010
20
I realize that Gear is random. I am looking for KingsIsle to confirm it. As I type, I am again in a group where a guy is getting upset because he is insisting that he has to kill the opponent to get gear.

Please someone from KingsIsle confirm this so I can point out this post or a FAQ entry to people who believe this. Having such rumors does not increase mystery it just increases problems.

Please again.

Survivor
Feb 18, 2013
13
Yes, I often wondered about this myself, as the loot you get can differ a lot. But after much time watching results with different combo's of people and tactics. I can also confirm what RottenHeart said.

It's totally random, no aspect of a wizard has any affect on loot drops.

Hero
Jul 30, 2012
771
daniel giantfist on Apr 11, 2013 wrote:
I realize that Gear is random. I am looking for KingsIsle to confirm it. As I type, I am again in a group where a guy is getting upset because he is insisting that he has to kill the opponent to get gear.

Please someone from KingsIsle confirm this so I can point out this post or a FAQ entry to people who believe this. Having such rumors does not increase mystery it just increases problems.

Please again.
KingsIsle is likely not going to reply to your request because they do not give answers regarding behaviour of game dynamics or background programming. They are trying to create an experience for you to explore.

The answer to your specific question is pretty easy to confirm. Its a good question and worth understanding early in your gameplay.

If other gamers are giving you a hassle then don't play with them. If they don't understand loot distribution then just imagine all the other things they don't understand. Its not worth your time.

Happy Wizarding!

Survivor
Oct 01, 2010
20
The problem is that it is not easy to confirm nor is confusion in your relationship to your "team" something that adds to game enjoyment or atmosphere. You have "observed" random loot distribution to be true over time but no one has a sample size big enough to actually "confirm this" since specific loot rewards can vary and newbies can not track this. I have played this game for three years every day and dont have a sample size big enough to do other than give me a strong sense that loot is random.

Look at the issue closely and you will see that it does not reveal anything about game dynamics to just say within a fight all loot is distributed randomly and by luck. It just adds confusion to not say it. They tell you what specific rewards you get from doing a quest in terms of experience points or training points because you should know this. There is no question that this reveals some dynamics in the world but does not adversely affect the game. The same with team dynamics.

It does not add to or detract from the sense of mystery in the game to leave confusion within the area of team dynamics. Everyone knows you get equipment when you kill opponents. I like playing with new players, showing them strategies and just meeting new people. However, me telling someone that loot is random within a team never works because its just another opinion. The lack of clarity on loot distribution adds NOTHING to game play, mystery or enjoyment.

Again, please someone from KI look at this issue and do not be dogmatic. This is not something that does not need to be hidden. People should learn the game and the world but should not be in the dark on how the underlying gaming system rewards them.

Survivor
Feb 18, 2013
13
IMO, the confusion, or frustration, or baseless opinions are due to players experiences in other games. Where loot IS sometimes dependant on who gets a kill, or who does the most damage, etc. And due to the very different drops you can get: (I have gotten drops ranging from nothing at all, to 16 items).

I also do not believe it will detract from the game in any way by KI confirming the loot drops are completely random, and not dependant on anything related to your wizard. (Other than that you are active in last round of the duel) -- The do not need to go into any further detail than that.

Defender
Jan 02, 2011
138
>do not pick up the pearl in the waterworks or you get worse gear.

I've been running through waterworks since it first opened, and I've heard that a lot. I've tried it both ways - picking up the pearl and not and I haven't noticed any any difference in the value of the gear dropped, or how likely it is that someone will get boots/hat/robe.

I don't know where that bit of information first came from, but I can see KI doing something like that when the dungeon first opened. Whether the code for that is still in the dungeon, who knows.

Survivor
Oct 01, 2010
20
NZScuffy. I agree with your post completely. Your explanation maybe the reason why I run into so many people have confusion.

I also agree with how minimal a statement KI should make hopefully in a FAQ or tutorial.