Loot drops (General)

[Aaelefein]

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in a more general category. Don't want to complain (or rant) because for the most part the Developers have done much to improve the game since I went to sleep a few years back. That said, determined I needed some new crafting gear and went on a comp hunt. I guess the joke I made about comps only fall when one doesn't need them is more true than I realized...

One item is all I've tried for so far: Dire Wolf Alpha Ears

First complaint here is that the description makes it sound like they ONLY drop from the Alpha variety. Good thing this isn't true because out of the 7 Alpha's I did kill...not a SINGLE one of them dropped more than either a Dire Wolf Hide or sellable animal parts (skins/bones). Ran into Mani 6 times as well...Except for that attuned skull for some quest I didn't know about; the same went for him - NADA - no trophies, no comps...

Killed 50 Dire wolves (63 including the 7 Alpha's and Mani 6 times):

8 Dire Wolf Hides (junk)
7 Dire Wolf Skull Trophies (a pitiful rate imo)
3 Dire Wolf Alpha Ears
7 Dire Wolf Fangs
7 Broken Animal Bones
4 Damaged Animal Skins
4 Animal Skins
2 Animal Bones
------------------
42 Items in all

I should have kept count of the wolves that didn't drop anything - they were at least equal to those that did drop something. In the old days I'd have been happy to have earned 66 silver (what the animal parts were worth) on such a small short hunt. So yeah, money is easier to get now - BIG WHOOP when there is nothing worth spending it on and there aren't even enough people to hire out any work one might want to get done. Besides, they've got their goals to look after too.

I can understand a need to make trophies difficult otherwise it makes multiclassing too easy (on the flip side it's not unheard of to level out before one gets enough trophies worth using).

What I find unreasonable is the general drop rate - money is too easy for what there is to spend it on, and what people do need is even worse than it was in the old days...at this rate it's gonna be about 200+ dead wolves (where's my emblem for that one, preferably one that shows my prowess against this particular mob and confers a bonus against them - AN IDEA THERE DEV's - Not something that just uses up stack space!!) by the time I get the 12 ears I need - and that is just one of 10 different comps.

I truly feel sorry for the new players - where those techniques can make a real difference but by which time they have possibly acquired them it's time to start hunting for the next tier. With all this hunting - too bad there isn't anything I can do with that 117 million XP I've acquired toward that unreachable lvl 101 (another idea there Dev's? Not just talking about extra levels either - something to spend XP on?)

There...I feel better - I've calmed down a bit.

[awdz]

...at this rate it's gonna be about 200+ dead wolves (where's my emblem for that one, preferably one that shows my prowess against this particular mob and confers a bonus against them - AN IDEA THERE DEV's - Not something that just uses up stack space!!)

I really like this idea. It's as though by killing so many, you've become known among that kind as being particularly deadly, and so cause them to be dispirited (like the cleric ability, but specific to just that mob) just by flashing (i.e., wearing) the badge you've made from their dead carcasses.

[hallucin8]

Good call on putting it in the rants Most of my comments and those that may follow would have resulted in it being moved here anyway

I for one would like to congratulate you on getting any Alpha ears (Dire wolves or any variety) as they are a massive PITA! I also thank you for informing me/us that Alpha ears drop from the normal Dire wolves as I had no idea. I lend you my thoughts and try expand on what I think I know about comps and drop rates...

It seems most mobs these days have 2 comps, with a 70/30 split. Generally, comps have about a 20% drop rate (it may be higher and lower teirs) and given your 10 comps from 50 wolves, that stacks up about right. The 70/30 split then translates into, from that 20% comp drop, you'll get most from the 'normal' comp and then a few 'rare' comps thrown in. Looking at your numbers that works out to be about right with 3 alpha ears and 7 fangs. I know, not very promising. But, this is T5, it is end game, there is no other comps/techs after this... so should 'end game' not take quite a bit of your time invested? (Aside, dire wolves are relatively easy to hunt, although I imagine someone new to the T5 hunting would have some difficulties initially finding a safe spot to kill them.) I personally think that your assessment of having to kill 200 dire wolves to get the comps required is a fair number, but that's just me.

I try to make it known as much as possible, but for anyone on Chaos, just put a comp list up on the forums and I will do my darndest to help out. I'm sure there are others too and I'm sure there are some very helpful people on Order who will do the same. I helped someone recently source 600 T5 comps for a very large order. I did not fill the entire order of course, but we got it done in about 3 weeks.

Not all the comps will be as painful as the Dire Wolf Alpha Ears, but I hope the prospect of having to hunt a lot doesn't discourage you, but instead fill you with pride and a great appreciation, along with a better understanding of the Dire Wolf spawn so you can instruct others when they may require aid. (Aside, I find a big part of comp hunting is getting to know the spawn and being able to impart that knowledge onto others gives me a further sense of satisfaction).

Well, I don't know if any of that will cheer you up, but if you're on Chaos and need a hand, just holla
Happy huntings, see yas in Istaria

[Northwind]

Well, i already complained about the massive percentage of Dire Wolves that drop nothing. If the "Drop Nothing" chance would be removed entirely, then things would be slightly less annoying.
And this "Drop Nothing" is a plague that affects basically any mob, including Reklar

@Aaelefein: imagine me having to get 330 trophies to get the Northpole through levels 81-85
And not once, but multiple times.
Anyways, if you still need ears look me in game. I have some to spare for sure.

PS> looking forward to see your thread when/if you will be needing 30+ "Bloodskulk Bloodmage's Fingers"

[hallucin8]

PS> looking forward to see your thread when/if you will be needing 30+ "Bloodskulk Bloodmage's Fingers"

Haha, yer those suckers sure are fun! But it's about their spawn, or lack there of, that make them an issue. Once you know where they spawn, it's pretty easy to just run/fly from one to the next. I found their drop rate to be pretty good and I'm pretty sure they only drop one comp so you don't have the common/rare split issue with them.

[Northwind]

They drop two components: fingers and hairs, fingers being used for both Armor and Ethereal Armor among other things.
And yes, their rarity is the problem, but i don't really know how could they be put more in the same zone. Their 1000+ hits on Exanguinate are deadly. 2-3 of them focusing their attacks on the same target is instant death.
The only solution to ease the pain of getting their comps is to increase the chance to drop comps and/or make them drop 2 components at once instead of a single one.
Or to set the tech's that use the fingers/hairs to use one component instead of two.
Or simply do nothing. Having something to rant about has it charm

Sorry for Hijacking the thread

[hallucin8]

Ah yes, I forgot about their hairs. Definitely right there, cannot put more in. But Amon has said that place is a mess, akin to the Satyr islands. The Swamp will get a make-over with the T5 revamp sometime in the future.

[Azath]

There are a few things i wish had a better drop rate of comps, but generally most things are fine.

There are a few mobs i can name which really need a re-think of drops and in some cases spawns...
- One of them is flame and fire wolves - my ancient died in less than a minute - she has over 3k armor and 3.5k health...that was attacking the part of spawn which has a good amount of wolves; the hill...Now i wouldn't need to attack that part of the spawn if the drop rate for their comps and trophies was improved.
- Bloodskulks. This is because to gather a good amount anything from mages or soothsayers you need to attack the camp. attacking the camp is insta-death unless you're in a good group. this makes gathering bloodskulk comps alone very hard. (yes, i know the drop rate is exceedingly high...makes up for needing a group when doing it alone, to some extent anyway...)
- Dire wolves. Dire wolves, although it has been said the drop rate is fair, i've NEVER seen a 'fair' drop rate of anything from these wolves. Occasionally a small strike of luck in gathering 50 trophies with only 450 kills. But that drop rate of things of these is one of the worst i've seen...On most of my dragon's hardened scales VIII quests - 20 dire wolf kills, they've seen about 3 trophies max, 8 bits of junk, and about 3 comps if any. On all of their other dragon quests they get atleast double of everything in 20 kills (apart from junk).
-Purple Weavers & Shrunken Purple weavers...these seem to have the WORST drop rate of legs and hairs...i mean seriously; do you know how long it took me just to get -eight- weaver hairs and shrunken legs? 3-4 hours...3-4 whole hours of combined fleeing from bloodmages, rebuffing from soothsayers, flicking spearfishers away, waiting for turgrid's deadly venom to wear, punching mouf, fleeing from sermontus, flying back there form Larena with about 5 dp in the end, avoiding big hits from bloodsnouts, wandering about looking for them. For a melee dragon build it takes less than 1 hour to gather every comp needed for t5 scales. for a caster dragon build it takes me about 3-5 hours purely because of the painfully low drop rate of legs and hairs from weavers and shrunken weavers.

[Northwind]

Yup, the Swamp is a mess.
My dragon get quite entertained in there, but the more i think about it the more it seems more common sense to have all those nasties dropping 2 components instead of one. Keep the drop rate as it is, but when it's destined to drop, let's say a bloodmage finger or a purple weaver hair, then make it drop a stack of 2 components.