One problem i have had with a multitude of games as of late is the drops i get off mobs.  I am so sick of being level 40, killing a mob that is level 43+ and getting an item i can wear at lvl 37.  This is just plain STUPID.  If i kill a named mob 3 levels above my character level.  I would expect to get an item that i cannot wear yet.  Than i also have a reason to use my bank to hold items i want to wear, instead of vendor trashing everything i get so i can in turn go to the "marketplace" and buy something more suited to my level.

    Another downfall is Crafted Gear.  I have spent my last 4 mmo's following the same strategy.  You buy your tier of crafted gear every 10 or so levels.  What the hell is the point of killing mobs, if the best gear in the game is all crafted.  There are the select few items in every tier that are better than crafted of course,  but they usually imply me wasting 20 hours of my life on a quest that i started at level 22.  By time i get the item i am level 27 and the item is for level 24 characters.  So whats the next logical step?  got buy a level 27 + item off the broker.  Or my personal favorite, start on the next quest for the level 28 item so i can be level 32 by time i finish it.  Guess what ?  31 was the new tier of the better crafted items.........

    How many times have you been in a group and some rare item drops,  your group asks if anyone needs this?  Most of the time (if you are playing with intelligent people) Everyone says, nope got better. Can someone explain to me why i am spending hours killing mobs for exp and vendor trash?

    Gear is the most important aspect of a game.  You know what made diablo 2 what it was?  The gear.  People could get uber gear and make their characters annihilate from it.  Not just i take more hits, ot i deal more damage.  There was so many different mods, it made EVERY piece of gear useful.  Increased attack speed, Magic Find, Chance to block, Faster cast rate...   ALL of which could be implimented to the extreme.  These were all changes that made a NOTICABLE difference to each character.  This was also another way of seperating the same character classes from being exactly alike.

    All in All, if you have actually read this, i appreciate your time, and try to impliment some of this into your game.  I could have gone a lot more in depth.  I just wanted to make it straight and to the point. If you actually want to hear more of what i have to say and or ideas around these problems just leave a message.

 Wow...you have successfully put so many of my issues with MMOs in one place...thank you good sir! I hope that if the Devs can only take one thing away from this great issue compliation quote, it would be to make sure mob drops are better than vendor/crafted items and are of the appropriate level. Not having this really drives players NUTS!

Check out my post about Brice answering some questions at mmorpg.com He answers some,  if not all, of the questions you have just asked. 

it was more of a comment than a question :),  But that was a great link i am about to link a post from there by brice 

I do understand that getting an item levels lower than the actual mob is strange but, in most cases, these items are just common items and normally meant to be sold to a vendor. It would be stupid if you got a item the same level as the mob or higher as everyone would constantly have up to date gear.

Most low leveled items from mobs are mainly for vendor purchance or for another one of your characters, and from what Brice said in an interview, all drops go to your hall and this is great because getting lower leveled items means its easier to equip your lower leveled warriors.

Subby:

I do understand that getting an item levels lower than the actual mob is strange but, in most cases, these items are just common items and normally meant to be sold to a vendor. It would be stupid if you got a item the same level as the mob or higher as everyone would constantly have up to date gear.

Most low leveled items from mobs are mainly for vendor purchance or for another one of your characters, and from what Brice said in an interview, all drops go to your hall and this is great because getting lower leveled items means its easier to equip your lower leveled warriors.

    Lmao isn't the point of people killing stuff and dungeon crawling, to have up to date gear........... 

    What you are trying to tell me is that my main character has to go undergeared.  So i can than go on the internet and buy gold so my character can actually be geared to his level?  how many mmo have you actually played....

agodlikeskunk:

What you are trying to tell me is that my main character has to go undergeared.  So i can than go on the internet and buy gold so my character can actually be geared to his level?  how many mmo have you actually played....

If you had read all of Brice's comments, he mentions that at no point would you ever require to buy power.  All online purchases are purely cosmetic and small extra buffs.

Plus, since you will be upgrading your characters, finding gear will not be an essential part of your questing.  Gold and EXP will most likely be the majority of drops, quest items, and maybe some rare artifacts could be tossed into the mix as well.

I have to agree with Subby (though it is rare lol) although finding lower level gear isn't the greatest find, you must understand Diablo 2 more if you really want to contribute that game to their drop rates.  I have gone into great depth with this game, because I have been playing and studying this game for over 6years. Most of the time, you have do boss runs over and over for hours on end to get the gear you want.  Or go onto a shop site and purchase all your gear.   The chances in that game for someone to get gear at the corresponding monster's level is slim, and when you do come across the items, it is a rewarding feeling that you put in the time and effort to acquire this great item. 

If your not going to enjoy the adventure while scowering for this great item, then why the hell play? 

 Skunk isn't talking about buying gear in item shops, nor is he talking about getting "uber" gear as regular drops. He's talking about the fact that in most MMO's, mobs mostly drop gear that are lower levels than either you or the mob. I agree with agodlikeskunk. I think that if you are level 45, and the mob is level 45, than it should drop a level 45 item, if it drops one at all. I'm referring to uncommon items of course. Rare and ultra rare items are a different story. In WoW, I usually have to sell uncommon items I find since they are usually like 10 levels lower than I am. I am also constantly having to go to the Auction House to buy gear more appropriate for my level. This becomes difficult because most of the stuff that is my level tends to go for crazy and unnecessary prices.

Now on the other hand, I agree that rarer items are more rewarding when you earn them. 

Ogrelord:

 

agodlikeskunk:

What you are trying to tell me is that my main character has to go undergeared.  So i can than go on the internet and buy gold so my character can actually be geared to his level?  how many mmo have you actually played....

If you had read all of Brice's comments, he mentions that at no point would you ever require to buy power.  All online purchases are purely cosmetic and small extra buffs.

Plus, since you will be upgrading your characters, finding gear will not be an essential part of your questing.  Gold and EXP will most likely be the majority of drops, quest items, and maybe some rare artifacts could be tossed into the mix as well.

I have to agree with Subby (though it is rare lol) although finding lower level gear isn't the greatest find, you must understand Diablo 2 more if you really want to contribute that game to their drop rates.  I have gone into great depth with this game, because I have been playing and studying this game for over 6years. Most of the time, you have do boss runs over and over for hours on end to get the gear you want.  Or go onto a shop site and purchase all your gear.   The chances in that game for someone to get gear at the corresponding monster's level is slim, and when you do come across the items, it is a rewarding feeling that you put in the time and effort to acquire this great item. 

If your not going to enjoy the adventure while scowering for this great item, then why the hell play? 

    Me using diablo 2 as an example was just the most main stream example.  i have played a lot of D2 in my day.  In D2 multiple mobs dropeed the exact same items, it was just that ALL of their drop rates differed from one to the next.  I could kill Mephy and have a 1 in 4332 (this isn't exact numbers just example) chance of getting occy.   But Mephy also dropped 50 other items all with different drop rates, some better than others.  Thus the reason you do boss runs for hours on end.  Another thing is diablos items could be level 63 and be uber for a level 90's.  Not because the item gave the char 47 dex, 13 str.  9 vit.   Those stats were secondary!!!   Four socket shield and four 40/15 made a normally crappy item an uber item.  Look at enigma,  without teleport would you normally where it?  Thats why you GRINDED for 8 hours straight praying to drop the UBER.  Im willing to bet, if you played D2 for 6 years your Pindle bot ran for most of it :)

 A skonk agreeing with a skunk!! Hehe!! Well, I do agree about getting the low level armour, but I do believe this game will actually make that beneficial to your character. Save all your low level drops in your hall, for your new characters to equip. 

I read in the Brice interview that he levelled a character, just to kill him off and use his spirit for his main warrior. Now, having the low grade armour will be ok for that new character you start, for the sole purpose of using it's spirit.

Agree with the boss runs too. I'm fed up of being in a game and meeting new people who invite you to a boss run, and you get nothing when the kill is done. You're sitting there, waiting for someone to say take it, and they get all the booty and leave you... 

 I agree with you all of the way.  If I am going to kill some mob higher than me, please give me an item I can use now or later.  I understand that some drops are for you to make quick gold or what ever the money is in the game. But even the money you get is not worth the item being in your inventory space.  Rare items are always a plus.  We will just have to wait and see when we play the game.

Im also an old diablo 2 player and still play sometimes. I undestand what you mean but dont lure you, it was the same in diablo 2 (classic)... The items you drop during your exploration have ALWAYS a lower lvl than you, even set item, unique item or rare item. In diablo, the item lvl is often ridiculous, the matter comes only from needed stats (STR, DEX). I'm sure you never got an item (you dropped) that you cant wear because of your level. Because the lvl of the items a mob can drop in diablo is calculed with a formula between your current lvl and the items lvl. The higher lvl you was, the more items you "unlocked" that had an equal or inferior lvl than you.

However, i wasnt spending so much money in diablo to buy stuff from vendors, not at the beginning, neither at the end. At the start, wearing just crappy stuff was enought to defeat monsters with 8 lvl more than your character. And later, you have better stuff on you than any vendor can sell you.

And im sure you never complained about the ring Akara gave you for saving Kain, even in hell ;) It was always crap but nobody cares lol 

In conclusion, maybe its not logical that +10 lvl mobs give you lower stuff than you already wear... but i think the more absurd is to find items from vendors for high level... Maybe you could appreciate your stuff if you cant find better stuff than what you can drop (like in diablo ;) )