Are item drops determined by...

Thothie

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At risk of encouraging exploits, the number people that are present, and not AFK, when the chest is first opened, increases the % of rare drops - usually by 2x-16x per player beyond the first (in most cases, provided they also each have at least 25% of the average damage points, otherwise they are uncounted for this increase).

Though, we'll be tightening up those AFK requirements next patch, and have been cracking down on exploiters more often.

However... If there's an Artifact Chest or Individualized Chest involved, Damage Points have a larger effect. For Artifact Chests, this only affects pecking order. But for Individualized Chests, to get the rarer items, you gotta be one of the top damage point earners. In many cases, with such chests, to get *anything* of real use (beyond basic, heal/mana pots, gold, and maybe a smattering of basic bolts), you also must have at least 25% of the average damage points of players on the server. (Meaning, if there are four level 30's, and you're level 10, you are likely SOL.)

In the next patch, damage points will save between maps, during sequential gauntlet series. So the earlier you join, the more likely you'll be a top damage point earner. Further, if you join during the first 10 minutes of the first map, you'll get a 500k DP bonus, to ensure the initial group stays ahead of anyone who joins later, regardless of their superior firepower.

The number of non-AFK players also currently affects the numbers of items (and gold) found in most chests (this includes, somewhat counter-intuitively, individualized chests).

Mind you, this is how things are intended to work, and nothing always works as intended in MSC. Plus, a lot of the older chests, that haven't been updated, are affected very little, or, in one or two cases, not at all. Similar with a few "special" chests, such as the Keledros spell chest.

(And yes, we should really go back, redo all the chests, and simplify this sh*t... But alas... Time.)
 

Kamer

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I guess on a related note, why are item drops determined by the # of players? Is it solely to try and keep as many people playing online as you can?
 

Thothie

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Yeah... Plus I'm a dick who likes to torture the anti-social.

Mind you, the default chances are the values for single player, it just goes up with more players - same with XP. (He says, glaring at his half-full glass.)
 

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Thothie said:
Yeah... Plus I'm a dick who likes to torture the anti-social.
At least you can't torture me in my single player maps. I practically live in them at this point, I'd ask you to join, but then it wouldn't be single player no more. :)
 

Thothie

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Since you're a map designer, I've tortured you quite enough simply by forcing you to figure out how the hell the MSC mapping design even works.

...and I must say, your tolerance for pain is amazing. ;)
 

Regorty

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Thothie said:
Since you're a map designer, I've tortured you quite enough simply by forcing you to figure out how the hell the MSC mapping design even works.

...and I must say, your tolerance for pain is amazing. ;)
I just thought of it as making my own little world to live in. where all the monsters are friendly and give me hugs all day and there is no fighting for loot chests or to be number one, like my very own happy place.. of blue and ice.. and shrooms. :)
 

MS:C community

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Thothie said:
At risk of encouraging exploits, the number people that are present, and not AFK, when the chest is first opened, increases the % of rare drops - usually by 2x-16x per player beyond the first (in most cases, provided they also each have at least 25% of the average damage points, otherwise they are uncounted for this increase).
Thothie said:
Damage points never have any effect on your odds of getting an item[...]
(source)
English is only my third language, but I'm pretty sure that the above two quotes contradict each other.
 

Thothie

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That would be because you took the quote out of context.
Thothie said:
Damage points never have any effect on your odds of getting an item, they only determine ranks among players, most unique items being reserved for the top two players (and if you're alone they do nadda, save affect gold on a few chests and mobs).
Mid f*cking sentence no less. ...and I know you know enough math to understand what % means.

There's no way for me to rig up damage points to affect spawn chances for items, because there's no way for me to possibly determine how many you are likely to have. Thus, we only compare damage points between players to determine ranks. If you don't make 25% of the average, for one reason or another, you've contributed nothing compared to the others and thus do not rank. Damage points were the anti-ninja solution of 2010. That's all they were designed to do. To make sure whoever carried the most, got something for it, rather than everything going to random players.

If you are solo, it makes no difference whatsoever.
 

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Thothie said:
If you are solo, it makes no difference whatsoever.

Are there any items that will absolutely never drop if there is only one player in the server? For the purpose of the question, the solo player has 1100 HP.
 

Thothie

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I believe there are still five (edit: six), most of which are pretty old. Plus three other semi-uniques that require more than one player in one location but not in another.
 
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