Changes to Random loot U29

Official DDO Forums Thread


We are excited to give you our first Lamannia look at changes to randomized loot. We’ve done a ton of work on this already, and expect further work to be done for Update 29 and beyond. Here’s a basic idea of what’s happening:

Scaling Effects

Effects will now scale behind-the-scenes. This means that instead of seeing Dazing II or Dazing IV on an item, you’ll just see Dazing. However, the amount of the bonus will change as the item scales up, and the descriptions will accurately reflect the benefit. This allows us to build new items (and higher-level items) more quickly, and helps us better maintain our list of effects.

Prefixes and Suffixes

Currently on the Live servers, random loot has a Prefix, a Suffix, and an Enhancement bonus, and the overall power of the item is divided between the three effects.

Going forward, Prefixes, Suffixes, and Enhancement bonuses will be independent of one another, meaning you can get multiple very good effects on a given item. Additionally, there is a chance for an additional effect to go along with the Prefix and Suffix, which is also independent. Giving the possibility of 3 effects on the item all of which determine their own level independently.

Insightful Effects

Most effects now come in three bonuses:
· Main (typically Enhancement or Equipment bonuses)
· Insight (half the value of the main bonus type)
· Quality (only on named items; half the value of Insight bonuses)

Some items can now drop with both the Main and Insightful version of an effect on the same item, so you could end up with Strength +14 and Insightful Strength +7 on the same item.

Slots

Currently, there are four categories where we slot various effects: Weapons, Armor, Physical Accessory Effects, and Mental Accessory Effects. We plan to switch over to a list of effects that can show up on each slot, and different slots can overlap with one another. We expect that the exact placement of “which slot can have what” will require more polish, and will likely be tweaked over time.

Minimum Level

Currently on the Live servers, the Minimum Level of an item is determined “on the fly” by its Enhancement value and other effects. Starting in Update 29, the Minimum Level of the items you see in chests will be based on the level of the dungeon itself – so a level 10 dungeon on normal would drop Minimum Level 10 random loot, and level 12 loot on Elite. Behind the scenes how these minimum levels work is different (improved) so please let us know if you see anything odd on Lamannia.

Extra Lucky Loot

You can now get extra power on an item! In addition to the normal range of effect power an item can have, there will be the rare chance of the item getting even more power beyond its normal range for that minimum level.

Where does all this sit as of right now on Lamannia:

Our random loot update is still in progress. So far we’ve mostly created all of the scaling effects, and made both scaling and the effects themselves work. Now we’re at the point of adding the effects to various slots. In this preview, weapons, shields, and armor should be showing up with the new effects. Accessories are being worked on, and are in a mixed state for this preview.

There will be bugs. Polish will be needed. You’ll probably run into some issues. Please let us know about them. We also want to have feedback and discussion on what effects should show up where. Please remember that this system is still being worked on; in other words - Don’t Panic! We expect many iterations and tweaks to happen. There are also likely effects that are completely missing, and will need to be added back into random loot. Please help us find them!

Current Known Issues:

Striding/Speed effects don’t have a cap like they should.
Some Insight bonuses can show up at levels below where they should, causing a +0 bonus.
There are likely some effect/description errors.
Effect restrictions aren't implemented yet. This means unfortunate situations like assassination on ranged weapons can happen.05.12.2015