Pure random vs grinding 'currency'

Several threads have touched on the topic of the nature of random numbers being unreliable. Others have mentioned the general population of EQ2 players tends to be adult, often successful and/or driven in nature. While I fully understand the need/desire for random loot (after all, who doesnt like a 'surprise!' when opening a box?), after awhile it does become tedious when the dice simply dont go your way. Even worse, with a true random, or pseudo-random generator there is no guarantee the trend will change.

Most of us go to work to earn money and provide for our families. Yes, we may play lotto, occasionally gamble in some form, etc, in we work because in the end we know we will receive our pay. This is how I view grinding in EQ2. It would be nice if the grinding could eventually lead to some of the random rewards for those who have truly horrid luck in the current system. Tie this to heroic zones and it may actually get people running groups again (which are becoming more and more rare on many servers due to people concentrating on solos for runes/masters and then raiding).

Just my 2 cents, flame on....

EQ Overseers will have currency, so why not add currency to our Overseers? I think this would be one of the best solutions for the randomness of Overseers and eventually would allow us to get the items that we want.

The best solution should be both.

Guaranteed currency for the effort.
Random chance to save you some time, or provide something for an alt.

Want to grind it out? Go for it.
Want to take a chance? Go for it.

I liked your post because there isn't a more passionate option to show my appreciation and agreement. So when people say to me, "Run more solos" yada yada. I don't come at anyone for having more time. I'm an eq2 player, I'm an eq2 raider. However, I'm also a husband, I'm a father of three, and I'm employed at two jobs. I work well over 60 hours a week, which include weekends. So yeah, the dumb luck thing for me is a slap in the face. My chances are greatly reduced simply because of my real life. That's not anyones fault, I've chosen my path. I get it.
But it's so bad that even guildies are very reluctant to share their VIII's to help the raid force because they also need to barter them for other VIII's. Let's face it, the only real currency to buy VIII's are other VIII's!!!! That's a broken system. I don't have 10 accoutns to run 100 overseers daily. I can't maintain that. Daybreak, as it stands this is a broken system of a critical part of the game for every adventurer. It honestly needs to be addressed.

No one can make a game that addresses every single player's life, job, personal, monetary, physical or play style circumstances. All the devs can do is present a framework based on their imagination & fiscal requirements.

It is solely your (the gamer's) responsibility to figure out if you can find enjoyment in that framework or not

This is a fair enough statement... and that is exactly how it has been for years. BUT... When the framework you have laid out drives people away, and you want to retain people or get new people into the framework, then its time to reconsider your framework.

I agree, I'm obviously a moron for thinking perhaps the game is messed up. I admit, it's clearly we (the gamers) who are getting it all wrong. I should be more like you Raff, and be happy with having no VIII's at all. Thanks man, I've SEEN THE LIGHT!
This framework is perfection.

EQ2 really covers a wide range of play styles better than most. Until BoL, I think EQ2 has the best crafting system. The housing/decorating game is excellent. There are avenues for those who want to solo, those who want to group, and those who want to raid. There are collections and achievements and exploration.

But I agree that there needs to be avenues that allow players some agency in working towards some specific rewards, and the best way I can think of is to have a currency reward and some stuff you can buy with currency that's NOT MORE GAMBLING (like the box from the Seru merchant).

The "stuff you can buy" needs to be proportionate to the kind of currency. Have different coinage for solo, heroic, and raid stuff, if desired, then let solo coins buy a range of solo rewards, heroic coins buy a range of heroic rewards, and raid coins buy a range of raid rewards (not just potions and adorns!). If there's a need to prevent people from buying stuff to transmute or salvage, make the purchased stuff NO-TRANSMUTE and/or NO-SALVAGE. Most players are gonna want the stuff to be HEIRLOOM, but honestly I'd even be happy to see NO-TRADE. If I have to save up a very large number of coins to get the thing I want, then that's okay too.

I agree broadly but they should stick to the frame work. They made huge changes to the framework in BoL where best rewards are locked behind RNG. We always had RNG in EQ2 but not the same extent as we have now in BoL. Most of the best rewards in EQ2 have been locked behind player effort/grind.

I have feeling this will come to EQ2 as well. Lets hope!

" This game does not realize that I work for a living and have a family and can't do this..or that...and it is all the game's fault because they don't don't understand where I am in my life...."

See where I'm going with that? No one said the framework is perfect. Sure it has bugs...some expacs are good, other less so. No argument there.

But you or anyone else's personal circumstances cannot be addressed by the game. Hell, I only manage a few hours of gameplay on weekend mornings. Almost never play at night. That is just life for me...I won't progress as fast as some...but I don't blame the game and the devs for not making their game match my life.

Not just picking on you either. Cause I see these same kinds of posts on these forums all the time.

I hope so. I'm good with the Overseer system remaining as it is and not switching it over to just currency, but including currency as a reward. In the short term we still get the RNG but for those with horrible luck they can put the currency to what they want/need.

Homie, you took my post WAY out of context from the jump. If you read it, I said it isn't Daybreaks fault that I've chosen the life I have. I did that. No problem. My issue isn't that they don't cater to me, nor am I crying about that. It's a glaring problem though that the most critical items in the game right now concerning your overall DPS output are runes that you can not obtain by any method. It's completely random. And the people who have those dice will never understand those who don't. Fella, I don't mind grinding, I don't mind working, I don't mind any of it. But all of that has been removed from me, and everyone else who now depends on the luck behind it. If you can't see that I'm sorry. But i'm not asking Daybreak to cater to me. I'm asking them to do something about an apparently broken system. As many have mentioned RNG has always been a part of the game, I've never complained about it in 16 years! This xpac is clearly different.
The reason I mentioned it at all is because, IN GAME TIME, is a huge factor in obtaining them for chance. We don't all have that luxury.

Errrorr, you have actually been making a few posts lately I agree with!!!! *looks around to make sure Ttobey isn't watching*

This feels like common sense to me.

Then of course there's the third option:

Can't be bothered to do either? Buy it!

Which I think we can all agree can go suck a fat one.

Adding currency to the overseers won't solve anything unless they put things worth buying with the currency.
The heroic BoL currency is an example. Barely 3 weeks into the expac, and I've got a toon with THOUSANDS of the new currency.. and there is nothing, at all, to spend them on. The gear on the merchants is the same or WORSE than sig line gear.
Sure, if you're the gambling type, you can buy the gamble crate for a huge amount of status.. but even that is only once every 5 HOURS.... for an infuser 9/10.

I'm not sure who decided that going pure RNG was 'the' way to keep players 'interested'.. but clearly they didn't talk to very many actual gamers.

Deleted...nvr mind

^^^THIS

Fixed that for you.

I'm willing to conceded that there might be a gamer or two, somewhere, that enjoys pure RNG. I haven't met any, but they could exist