All the systems for 6.0 seem unappealing. Bioware you need to pay attention.

[Rion_Starkiller]

This is a great question. Someone ought to pose this at Keith and Eric in their next Q&A streaming event.

 

Perhaps YOU should if you feel that way

[Lhancelot]

The problem with asking questions in this format is that players want to sit BW down and ask an interview style hardball Q&A where they finally get to the bottom of everything. No company, politician or public figure steps into that situation willingly.

 

Yeah this is true. I mean honestly I know this. I just wish we could get honest answers to such questions but i know it's impossible.

 

As you said, they are in positions where they could never give honest answers to such questions or apologize. What they could do though, is change their behavior to match the words they write us.

 

Like, "we hear your feedback keep it coming, etc." Ok great! Well, then follow through and make changes that reflect that critical feedback was listened to, and heard.

[LD_Little_Dragon]

The devs are asking for your feedback on the PTS, why not test it yourself and provide the much-needed feedback? If you watched any of the BW's streams, they said that you will not win the same piece twice, so the RNG factor won't be quite as bad as 5.0, nor as frustrating as Ossus "win-three-ephemeral-mending-relics-in-a-row" RNG. There's also supposed to be vendors you can buy gear from, but I guess those aren't available right now because I haven't seen them on the PTS (I've only been on twice in 2.0 and have been exploring Onderon).

 

What they say in the stream doesn't matter, it's what you actually see on the pts that does. I realize that it's not in it's final stage, but so far it's not looking good.

 

Ossus had RNG, but at least it was RNG geared to your class and spec. The RNG in the current state of the pts gives you tank drops on a healer, gear that is lower than your current gear, gear with horrible stats, or gear that is identical to gear you already have.

 

The vendors? are more RNG. It's as though the Ossus vendors made you pay 2 mastermode crystals for a random loot box for a slot that could end up being for any class or spec. Accuracy drops on your implants annoying you in the Ossus system? Wait until you get tank implants on your dps in 6.0.

 

The gear is mostly unmoddable, drops are based in your item level (meaning while gearing players will ignore proper stat distribution if the gear is a technicall upgrade), and you will have an inventory full of garbage gear to sort through and mostly destroy. I don't want more gear drops if it's mostly garbage, I want quality gear drops.

 

When the gear vendors are RNG then it's looking like a good time to forget the endgame and just do the new storyline and call it quits. This might change when 6.0 goes live, but I don't have very high hopes it will.

[Lhancelot]

The gear is mostly unmoddable, drops are based in your item level (meaning while gearing players will ignore proper stat distribution if the gear is a technicall upgrade), and you will have an inventory full of garbage gear to sort through and mostly destroy. I don't want more gear drops if it's mostly garbage, I want quality gear drops.

 

That's what I hate about the crates we got now. You get so much crap that's useless and only good for disintegrating for UCs. You also rarely get what you need.

 

I have not done one Ossus activity and refuse to because I don't enjoy gearing via RNG period, and won't bother with it till I read that it's been improved upon or taken out the game.

 

If they add more RNG layers with 6.0, I won't bother with it, either.

 

When something only adds frustration and unhappiness, I prefer to remove it from my life and the game is a hobby that's supposed to bring happiness and fun. If it doesn't, then I change my ingame activities or quit the game if I find the cons outweigh the pros.

 

I find it hard to believe the game designers for SWTOR are this ignorant, to really think that adding more RNG to the gearing will somehow improve the gaming experience and not only retain players but attract new ones to it.

 

Anyway, I keep reading the 6.0 vendors add RNG, how is this possible?

[OlBuzzard]

Yeah this is true. I mean honestly I know this. I just wish we could get honest answers to such questions but i know it's impossible.

 

As you said, they are in positions where they could never give honest answers to such questions or apologize. What they could do though, is change their behavior to match the words they write us.

 

Like, "we hear your feedback keep it coming, etc." Ok great! Well, then follow through and make changes that reflect that critical feedback was listened to, and heard.

 

IMO... there are several topics in which some member of the staff could simply lend a helping hand with a few answers. Even if those responses were simply generalities which gave us topics for better questions to direct to BW. IMO.. communication is a two way street (in order for it to be a real discussion).

 

Topics like the following could go a long way in getting genuine feed back from a larger cross section of the community at large. Note: this is just a suggested list of topics (not that extensive and not in any particular order) …. certainly not intended to overlook any other items of importance.

 

1. Companions: new ones … yes or no? If so .. any specific guidelines that might be helpful ?

2. Class modifications(sub-class or advanced) or NEW additions: Plans for the future ( not at all ? immediate time frame ? long term ? )

3. Strong holds ? New ones ? (options pretty much the same as #2)

4. PvP expansions for the future. ( like it or not in order for the game to grow this IMO is a must).

 

That said.. if we really wanted to get down to the nuts and bolts of genuine focused conversations and feed back this would be one of many avenues to explore.

[LD_Little_Dragon]

Anyway, I keep reading the 6.0 vendors add RNG, how is this possible?

 

There are 2 vendors.

 

The 'cheap' one takes the new currency (tech fragments) and lets you buy a loot box for a particular slot (ie: a leg slot, or a mainhand). What you get when you open the box is RNG. It can be for any class/spec and the item level you get is also randomized. In theory the level is based on your item rating, but people have been getting downgrades, or sidegrades. The armor pieces/weapons are mostly unmoddable.

 

The expensive vendor sells specific gear, so you can get the set bonus or left side you want, but the item levelled is randomized. You don't know what you'll get until you actually purchase the item.

[Jdast]

I have not done one Ossus activity and refuse to because I don't enjoy gearing via RNG period, and won't bother with it till I read that it's been improved upon or taken out the game.

 

Your underlying assumption that Ossus is RNG-based is factually incorrect, or at best grossly misleading. As those of who played Ossus know (because we did more than read about it), there is a vendor where you can buy the exact item you want. The only role RNG plays is to reduce the cost of the items by virtue of you not having to purchase the initial item. RNG is supplemental only.

 

The concern about Ossus I saw most frequently, and which I was very vocal about myself, was that Ossus was the ONLY feasible way to get 252+ gear. You could not convert / upgrade 248 shells to 252 ones. This meant it wasn't really 'play what you want.'

 

The pacing of gear acquisition on Ossus was fine. It was having to kill Razorclaw and Scarjaw 10 billion times that was the problem. I put out so many fires Smokey the Bear came to my house and deputized me (I framed the certificate on my wall and still wear the honorary plastic badge).

 

The current gearing system on the PTS is far worse for a very simple reason -- unlike Ossus vendors, what you purchase from Kai Zykken is still based to some degree on RNG (noting Rion's point about not rolling the same item).

 

Regardless, I was once again proven correct about the kvetching not stopping, despite the fact that BW has at least acknowledged the RNG point and said "potential changes" are in the works.

 

We'll know in less than 46 days. Patience everyone.

 

Dasty

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jdast

[OlBuzzard]

There are 2 vendors.

 

The 'cheap' one takes the new currency (tech fragments) and lets you buy a loot box for a particular slot (ie: a leg slot, or a mainhand). What you get when you open the box is RNG. It can be for any class/spec and the item level you get is also randomized. In theory the level is based on your item rating, but people have been getting downgrades, or sidegrades. The armor pieces/weapons are mostly unmoddable.

 

The expensive vendor sells specific gear, so you can get the set bonus or left side you want, but the item levelled is randomized. You don't know what you'll get until you actually purchase the item.

 

Exactly.. and IMO .. at least a part of this just a spin off of Ossus system.

 

Right now I have several characters that have received (from weekly drop rewards) EXACTLY the same ear piece, relic or implant for 9 weeks in a row !! The only way I made any real progress was to take the disintegrated fragments and convert them into the other currency and use that to "buy" what I wanted through the vendor.

 

A part of that process is still RNG … right? And since that aspect has already proven to be a disaster seeing that in ANY part of the process for many players is unacceptable.

 

IMO... that is where the red flags are being thrown up in the entire RNG process. IF this analysis is incorrect then IMO … someone from BW should clarify the matter (at least a little bit ).

 

 

That said: I also agree that a knee jerk reaction and blowing things out of proportion is wrong. On the other hand there is also something to be said about incorporating a system that has … well … let's just say the track record "aint so hot".

 

Some clarification to the new upcoming process of obtaining new gear would be appreciated.

[JediQuaker]

I have not done one Ossus activity and refuse to because I don't enjoy gearing via RNG period,

So, rather than get a random piece of gear that you may be able to use, you go without the gear altogether? Or, are you just being hyperbolic and you actually get the gear through some other method?

In any case, I can't see the point of not doing Ossus just because of RNG. Couldn't you at least do it for grins? Or credits? I've managed to gear 3 alts to 252 just by doing the Qssus weekly, turning in UCs, and getting Artifact boxes from Command crates. Yes, I've gotten some duplicate items, but they too can be turned in UCs.

(And I wasn't specifically doing Ossus for the gear.)

 

A note about earpieces and implants. There are basically 3 types - critical, accuracy, and alacrity. So, even though you've gotten another implant, for example, it may have a different stat. Having the different stat items can help in balancing your stats. If, as an example, you get a 252 armor piece with Accuracy, that pushes your accuracy stat over 110%, you can balance it by replacing an Accuracy implant with a Critical or Alacrity, as desired.

There's a similar variance in Relics as well.

[DarthSpuds]

The devs are asking for your feedback on the PTS, why not test it yourself and provide the much-needed feedback? If you watched any of the BW's streams, they said that you will not win the same piece twice,

 

Great!

 

So I can get 60 PoS gear i don't want and can't use before I get the ONE bit I can use and do want.

 

Now, rephrase ALL the criticism of lazy RNG gear systems and reapply them to that example.

 

They still hold true.

 

Not one of us IRL would continue to do something if the highest probability of reward was something we could never use, and that would actually cost us to convert to something we can use. Not one!

 

The simplest gearing system is a Token System - every time you do something that awards token you are making clear progress towards something you do actually want.

 

Of course the problem then becomes how many tokens and Devs will always opt for high numbers because they think Long Grind = More Player Engagement = More Player Satisfaction.

 

Well, we all know that isn't true.

Because if stupidly long grinds meant more player satisfaction this game would still need 200+ servers, instead it needs less than 10.

 

All The Best

[DarthSpuds]

There are 2 vendors.

 

The 'cheap' one takes the new currency (tech fragments) and lets you buy a loot box for a particular slot (ie: a leg slot, or a mainhand). What you get when you open the box is RNG. It can be for any class/spec and the item level you get is also randomized. In theory the level is based on your item rating, but people have been getting downgrades, or sidegrades. The armor pieces/weapons are mostly unmoddable.

 

The expensive vendor sells specific gear, so you can get the set bonus or left side you want, but the item levelled is randomized. You don't know what you'll get until you actually purchase the item.

 

^ This has to be the stupidest f^%$£*& idea for gearing I have ever seen!

 

Whoever thought of that needs "promoting sideways" just like Ben Irving.

 

It will decimate the playerbase.

 

I am NOT playing content for tokens for RNG loot I can't use, or for stuff I can use but that can be lower level than i already have.

It ain't happening... ...end of.

 

Sub is already cancelled, if this **** goes live game will be uninstalled.

 

 

All The Best

[Lhancelot]

So, rather than get a random piece of gear that you may be able to use, you go without the gear altogether?

 

I stopped playing when Ossus dropped, and just got back on about 1.5 weeks ago. And i have no interest in grinding for gears. So, I log in, PVP and log off.

 

I am not going to spend my time in the game grinding for gears when they are introducing new gears anyway. I got limited time to play atm, and I won't spend it grinding gears that could become obsolete.

[Jdast]

I stopped playing when Ossus dropped, and just got back on about 1.5 weeks ago. And i have no interest in grinding for gears. So, I log in, PVP and log off.

 

I am not going to spend my time in the game grinding for gears when they are introducing new gears anyway. I got limited time to play atm, and I won't spend it grinding gears that could become obsolete.

 

Fair enough, but you were flat out wrong on Ossus. And...<<starts singing>>

 

I don't want to start any Blasphemous Rumors -- but I think that Dasty has a great sense of humor and adrenals aside -- the deflection is noted.

 

<<stops singing>>

 

You are entering Olag territory in terms of revisionism.

 

Dasty

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jdast

[kodrac]

^ This has to be the stupidest f^%$£*& idea for gearing I have ever seen!

 

Doesn't it look familiar to you Spuds? It should because I know you play(ed?) ESO too. This is the monster helm/shoulder chests and keys. They hate it there too by the way, for anyone unfamiliar. You can watch Youtube videos of people opening 100 chests and never getting the item they need. But this is BW who never innovate anymore and only copy. ESO isn't popular because of their RNG on top of RNG gear, it's because they drop new content every three months. Something BW doesn't get.

[Raansu]

^ This has to be the stupidest f^%$£*& idea for gearing I have ever seen!

 

Whoever thought of that needs "promoting sideways" just like Ben Irving.

 

It will decimate the playerbase.

 

I am NOT playing content for tokens for RNG loot I can't use, or for stuff I can use but that can be lower level than i already have.

It ain't happening... ...end of.

 

Sub is already cancelled, if this **** goes live game will be uninstalled.

 

 

All The Best

 

I'm likely to stick around to see the story, but if they let this garbage RNG system go live....I'll be leaving as soon as I finish the story.

 

Doesn't it look familiar to you Spuds? It should because I know you play(ed?) ESO too. This is the monster helm/shoulder chests and keys. They hate it there too by the way, for anyone unfamiliar. You can watch Youtube videos of people opening 100 chests and never getting the item they need. But this is BW who never innovate anymore and only copy. ESO isn't popular because of their RNG on top of RNG gear, it's because they drop new content every three months. Something BW doesn't get.

 

Same with FFXIV. They drop content every other month and their expansion stories are full blown games. Like it took me 30 hours to go through the recent expansion story. I wouldn't be surprised if I finish Onslaughts story in 2 hours.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Raansu

[Jdast]

Doesn't it look familiar to you Spuds? It should because I know you play(ed?) ESO too. This is the monster helm/shoulder chests and keys. They hate it there too by the way, for anyone unfamiliar. You can watch Youtube videos of people opening 100 chests and never getting the item they need. But this is BW who never innovate anymore and only copy. ESO isn't popular because of their RNG on top of RNG gear, it's because they drop new content every three months. Something BW doesn't get.

 

Kodrac,

 

Right, but with last patch you can save up Undaunted Keys to get the Monster piece from only two sources.

 

You may think I'm being pedantic and snarking at you -- au contraire -- even ESO took a step to minimize RNG. Hopefully BW gets the message.

 

Dasty

Edited September 6, 2019 by Jdast

[kodrac]

Kodrac,

 

Right, but with last patch you can save up Undaunted Keys to get the Monster piece from only two sources.

 

You may think I'm being pedantic and snarking at you -- au contraire -- even ESO took a step to minimize RNG. Hopefully BW gets the message.

 

Dasty

 

Nah you're not being pedantic. I haven't played it in a couple years so if it's the latest patch then it's taken them a couple years to finally do it. BW will surely copy that too. Pardon my cynicism. But my point really was that the ESO playerbase mildly tolerates the gearing because of the content release rate. It feels like less of a grind because they constantly have new stuff to do. If they didn't have that the 'RNG bad' posters, as so eloquently put by JQ, would grow louder than it already was (which wasn't nearly as loud as here last time their forum gestapo allowed me to participate)..

Edited September 6, 2019 by kodrac

[Eriamea]

The new gearing system is atrocious.

 

Also, everything since 5.0 seems to focus on pure grinding rather than content....there was this Dark vs Light event just before 5.0 where you had to play all classes, redo all crafting and all flashpoints on Hard and MM and what not. One of the big issues is that there is not enough new content to justify the awful rng grind (though nothing justifies the rng part) to do essentially the same old content. Ossus burned me out and I haven't logged into the game since 4 weeks. This new expansion is really not an incentive to get back into the game. Grinding for grinding is not like art for art...a game ought to be fun.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Eriamea

[Tsillah]

At this point we can kvetch and speculate until the nerf calves come home.

 

I'm not thrilled with them engaging in a veritable virtual vomiting of useless gear either, which then encourages you to go to a weekend-only RNG vendor in the form of Kai Zykken. But...

 

 

 

We can dissect all their past bad decisions and pretend we know the predictive value of doing so, but I'm content to at least wait and see what those "potential changes" are before judging.

 

That is the sort of the point of a PTS n'est-ce pas?

 

Dasty

 

P.S. I'm under no illusions that this will stop the kvetching.

 

P.P.S. If they do stick to the pure RNG formula, to help promote it -- they should have all the bartenders at the NYC Cantina dress up as Kai and serve random drinks.

 

Heh, I came back because 6.0 looks promising in various ways. But one way for them to kill it for me again quite quickly is too much RNG and too little ability to control your own progress. I'll wait for what it ends up doing for real but they really should get off the RNG horse and give people the possibility to work towards their goals and plan them.

 

For me that requires that there will be more meaningful content that you don't rush through and have to do 50 or 100 times but actually is more difficult to beat. That way it takes more time but then the rewards can also be more meaningful.

 

I'm not sure why they seem so hell-bent on all this RNG stuff. I mean, it's not a problem to have RNG elements as part of it but if it's the majority of the gearing system it will annoy more people than make em happy.

[Rion_Starkiller]

Here is how it is going to play out in 6.0:

 

1. Gear will be slow and difficult to acquire, probably RNG heavy.

2. The devs "will listen to feedback from players" and make it incrementally easier to get gear, while also adding new augments or a new gear tier.

3. Players will still be dissatisfied.

 

 

You are entering Olag territory in terms of revisionism.

 

Hahahaha if he's becoming Olag, then I'm becoming Andryah. Whatever happened to Andryah? I miss his voice of reason.

Edited September 6, 2019 by Rion_Starkiller

[Lhancelot]

I'm not sure why they seem so hell-bent on all this RNG stuff. I mean, it's not a problem to have RNG elements as part of it but if it's the majority of the gearing system it will annoy more people than make em happy.

 

I think Kodrac has a good point. It really seems BW now seems bent on copying other games instead of innovating their own now.

 

The problem is they only are copying a sliver of what the other game has, so even if it works on that other game it won't work here. I never played ESO but they used that as an example as to what this 6.0 gearing resembles.

 

It's like me watching a bodybuilder who eats 15,000 calories a day thinking that all I got to do is eat 15,000 calories a day to be buff like him. Obviously I am not going to end up with the same results as the bodybuilder without all the other facets being included like actually lifting weights and doing steroids etc.

[LeMage]

When this game first came out I crafted a lot, heck I was a crafter in my 1st MMO. I like crafting, crafting done right, I gave up crafting around 5.0 because it was convoluted expensive and rather unfulfilling. If its going to be more of the same, just WoW. Seriously WoW classic is better than I thought it would be, I still play here way more than there, but thats not cast in stone, If the end of October shows BW really didn't listen to folks, and not JUST crafting ... A game should be fun, I game because its a break from work. I want my games to be less work than work, not more.

[Jdast]

Dasty breaks into song...(channels Taylor Swift)….

 

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh...You need to Calm Down.

 

I hate being right. Oh wait, I don't.

 

Dasty

 

Hey folks,

 

There is another PTS patch coming today that will make some additional changes to Spoils of War. Let’s talk about everything that is changing and why; I will also call out the portions that are in today’s patch vs what is coming later.

 

TLDR - Gear will now drop only for your current Discipline, random vendor will now always give upgrades (with proper targeting), and we are adding supplementary vendors that sell set bonus shells and tacticals for tech fragments.

 

Gear for My Main Only

As stated in my previous post we wanted to ensure that players had some capacity to gear off-stats or alts while playing. Your feedback has made it clear that getting gear drops that aren’t meant for your current character is frustrating, so we are changing it. But, we also want to give you the choice to get alternate gear as well. Here is what is changing on this front:

• All personal loot will now look only at your Discipline.
  
• All group loot only looks at base/Advanced Classes.
  
  • This is in today’s patch.
    

  [*]We are going to implement a toggle on your character portrait which will allow you to select what Discipline you want that gear to drop for.

  • Ex: You’re playing on your Operative as Concealment, but you really want to focus on getting Medicine. You can switch your toggle to Medicine and you will receive that Discipline’s gear instead of Concealment.
    
  • This will be in a future PTS patch.
    

 

Random Tech Fragment Vendor and Vertical Progression

The random Tech Fragment vendor’s intention was to be a supplementary way to get gear that would help protect you from a streak of bad luck. Since this vendor is also random it is leading to frustration where you use the vendor seeking an upgrade, and instead it is either for the wrong spec or too low of an item rating. We’ve addressed the gearing issue above, so let’s discuss receiving a lower rated item: Here is what is changing:

• Any item purchased from this vendor will now always be of a higher item rating than your character’s currently equipped item rating (this is not by slot, but the average displayed on your character sheet).
  
• This means the best use of this vendor is to spend fragments on whichever item slot has your current lowest item rating gear. This would effectively guarantee an item rating increase for that slot (unless it is at max item rating, of course). For example: if your currently-equipped boots are item rating 270 and your character’s average item rating is 274, and you buy new boots from this vendor, those new boots are going to be above item rating 274.
  

 

Just to reiterate, the ‘random’ vendor is intended to be a mechanism to help address “vertical” progression (meaning your path from the start of level 75 to max item rating). To address concerns about horizontal progression, such as getting the exact sets or tacticals you want, read on...

 

Working Towards Specific Drops, Not Random

Although the underlying system of Spoils of War is there, it is clear that there needs to be a mechanism to work towards getting the exact item(s) you want. Our intention is that this type of system would need to be supplementary, but the current solutions we have in place are not enough.

 

I want to add some clarity to a system that is already in place to assist with this. Each content type will drop specific gear types, depending on difficulty. Example: the final boss of Master Mode Flashpoints have a 100% chance to drop from a pool of mostly tactical items and some set bonuses for the group. They don’t only drop in Flashpoints, but if you are targeting a specific type of drop, you can hone in on it by running specific content. To be clear, Daily Areas, Conquest, Flashpoint, Operations, Reputation Vendors, Crafting, and PvP all will have these focused loot drops. Now, we may need to focus this more so that you have more control over drops, so please keep the feedback coming on that front. Also as a reminder, these are just bonus drops in addition to all of the personal loot you will get which can also contain any set and tactical item.

 

Let’s talk about what is coming next. We are going to add vendors to the game that will sell all set items and tacticals for Tech Fragments. This is not meant to be a primary source of acquiring the gear but it will ensure you can get exactly what you want over time. Since this is meant to be supplementary, expect higher pricing on it.

 

Kai Zykken will remain in-game as a vendor with his current functionality. His purpose will now be to have a random selection of items that will be at a reduced price from what is on the standard vendors. This still gives you a compelling reason to check his wares every week as you might be able to get exactly what you want, but at a reduced rate from what you would normally pay.

 

Since these vendors were not available in the initial implementation of the vendors and Tech Fragments, expect when they are implemented in a future PTS patch there will likely be a shakeup in Tech Fragments acquisition / costs. Again, this is not in today’s patch.

 

Thanks all! As always, this is not a comprehensive list of everything we are tracking and working on, so look for additional information as PTS progresses and keep your feedback coming!

 

-eric

 

Edited September 7, 2019 by Jdast

[Rolodome]

Dasty breaks into song...(channels Taylor Swift)….

 

Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh...You need to Calm Down.

 

I hate being right. Oh wait, I don't.

 

Dasty

Eh, it seems pretty expected to me at this point. They started out absurd levels of RNG despite it being incredibly obvious people were going to hate it and now after backlash, they are walking it back some and looking into a more straightforward (note: supplementary) route some.

 

This is about in line with where my parsing of this situation now is. I don't think they ever intended to listen. I think they intended to give the impression of listening by giving themselves more time to course correct from an extreme, so that they could win us over with the impression of having listened, even though the end result is still mostly what they want and mostly not what we asked for.

 

With each change they make, more people will cave and say "ok, well I guess that's not too bad," or so I assume they hope.

 

It's rather brilliant deception.

 

I mean, really, it's... what, either that or they are remarkable levels of tone deaf and need to be doggedly slammed with negative feedback, while detail implementation sits in front of them, to get anything through to them? Neither one instills confidence in the future direction of the game.

 

I think the only thing that would really send my reasoning packing at this point, is if they threw out most of the Spoils of War gearing system and started over with as little RNG as possible. But that's about as likely as George Lucas appearing on the forums to tell us all about how Jar Jar was behind the whole thing.

 

And really... I know you're being Cheeky Dasty and all, but if you're trying to imply that they are listening, well that's the opposite of a reason to calm down about it. That's a reason to continue to be persistent in specific feedback about the systems they've put out there and try to push it further toward what we want. You don't declare victory and go take a nap when you want a mile and are given an inch. That's the time to seize on the momentum.

[OlBuzzard]

1. I took forever DL the stuff for the PTS... I'm still getting oriented so I really can't report as much as I would like. Frankly I doubt seriously most would pay that much attention anyways.

 

2. I do believe that the development team is listening. ( I kind of wish they were paying attention in a couple of other areas … perhaps in due time they will).

 

3. Here's the real kicker for the 6.0 gear stuff. I here a lot of about RNG... RNG !! RNG good (from a few) RNG is bad … REALLY BAD. If the weekly drop rate we experience at OSSUS is any indication of what RNG really is … it's messed up .. REALLY BAD !! That's my personal take on it! I have SEVERAL characters that have received the EXACT same ear piece / trinket or implant for 9 weeks straight.. (while not receiving ANY of the other much needed pieces of armor ACTUALLY needed). To put that into proper perspective... I got a late start on OSSUS since I was away. Soooo getting my toons ready for 6.0 became a bit of a priority. Frank with the drop rate from weekly's being that BAD... I finally gave up and started a new toon from the beginning just to find something to do.

 

AT any rate... RNG IMO stinks !!! Like someone else has already pointed out... SOME RNG is fine. It works (if not overdone) BUT when it becomes the primary means of delivering the goods .. the HUSTON … we have a problem !!

 

That said: I need to ask a question. IF RNG takes a back seat what is it replaced with? Don't go thermal on the old man. IMO this is a legitimate question.

 

I believe that the deve team (from the DL information provided to us on the PTS update) is looking into that. I believe that it is equally important that we look at a positive avenue as to what might actually work BETTER … or perhaps in conjunction with RNG.

 

Just my $.02 worth this AM.