by Karen Hertzberg on Nov 03, 2006
by Zinn
style="font-weight: bold;">Trivial Loot Code
(TLC) limits rewards from combat against enemies that don’t
give experience because their level is significantly lower than the
player’s level. TLC was first introduced in EverQuest in the
Warrens zone on all live servers. After much controversy it was removed
and used only on roleplaying servers.
TLC is quite a controversial topic that generates a great deal of
passion. People seem to either love TLC or hate it, with little middle
ground. Brad McQuaid, Executive Producer of Vanguard Saga of Heroes,
has said that TLC will be added to the Vanguard beta as an experiment
at some point. The change will likely set off a great deal of heated
discussion.
What Does TLC do?
In its simplest form TLC prevents players from receiving substantial
rewards from defeating monsters that do not provide a challenge. TLC
can be implemented in many variations. Low level MOBs could simply run
away, drop no loot at all or just drop nominal or reduced loot.
How will it work in Vanguard? McQuaid has said, “Trivial Loot
Code wouldn't affect quest items, reagents, things like that. We make
many distinctions in our database as to the nature of an item. You
wouldn't be stopped from completing a quest. You wouldn't be unable to
harvest materials you needed to cast a spell or some such. As for
harvesting materials for crafting, I'm not sure [of the effect TLC
would have] yet.”
Arguments for TLC
The idea behind TLC is to prevent what McQuaid calls “bottom
feeding.” McQuaid and his team want to keep high levels from
monopolizing low level mobs; encourage risk vs. reward; slow farming
and eBay sales; keep the game challenging; prevent high levels from
interfering in lower level zones; allow the developers to place good
rewards in zones; and to prevent players from bypassing content.
Brad coined the term bottom feeding to describe the situation that
arises when players access and use content designed for much lower
level players than themselves. They could be doing this because they
are farming loot for alts, helping friends, or exploring. This may be
the quickest and easiest way for them to make money without any risk or
thought or any other variety of other unexplained reasons. Bottom
feeding, in and of itself, is not bad; it’s the end result of
bottom feeding that TLC is designed to discourage. Let’s
examine the arguments for TLC.
Monopolizing Content
Higher level players can burn through lower level content much faster
than intended and can monopolize content from lower level players.
Essentially, higher level players can shut off content from low level
players. Perhaps more important is that the high levels killing low
level MOBs may ruin the game play and immersion of lower level players.
When the lower level players see other walking through their
challenging content and slaughtering every MOB in sight it may leave a
bad taste in their mouth. It certainly is not aesthetically pleasing
for many players.
Risk vs. Reward
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=Vanguard-In-Progress-Screenshots&id=MidLevelBattle005&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">
style="border: 0px solid ; width: 150px; height: 94px; float: left;"
alt="Mid-level battle"
title="Mid-level battle (click to enlarge)"
src="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/Vanguard-In-Progress-Screenshots/MidLevelBattle005.thumb.jpg"
hspace="4" vspace="2">One of the central
themes of the Vanguard Vision is Risk vs. Reward. To get good rewards
one must risk quite a lot. Allowing players to get good rewards because
they are high level, or have high level friends, ruins the idea of risk
vs. reward. It lowers the value of sought after items and essentially
cheapens the accomplishment of the players who gain the rewards by
playing the game as the developers intended. There may even be many
rewards the developers will not want players to be able to obtain
without a high degree of skill for that particular level range.
Allowing high level players to bypass this challenge somewhat removes
the challenge and sense of accomplishment.
Bypassing Content
Getting valuable rewards with little effort allows players to
essentially bypass content while avoiding any risk. Having a high level
friend give them an item or who assists them through the content,
allows that player to bypass the content and avoid any challenge in
obtaining the item.
Farming
Many gold farming companies employ people to farm (meaning to hunt for
profit) in low level areas with little risk as it’s the
easiest path and the fastest way to make money. TLC takes this easy
path away from farmers. Greater risk for farmers means greater
difficulty in obtaining their gold. Rather than playing the game like
automated factory workers that are either macroed or run by humans,
they will have to play the game more like it is intended to be played.
While it won’t stop farming or eBaying it may slow their
ability to gather coin and valuable items, and at the very least
inconvenience them.
MUDflation
I see the MUDflation argument used a lot. Higher levels will be able to
work their way through content faster than lower levels and gain more
drops and items than players of the intended level. I would
respectfully disagree with the claim that this causes MUDflation. I
have a rather old, some may say ancient (obtained over 20 years ago),
and dusty Economics degree. From the little I do remember of Economics
this type of activity would not cause inflation but rather cause
deflation and devaluation of the items. Flooding the market or
increasing the supply of a certain good while keeping demand for this
good constant, should have the effect of lowering its price and its
worth. Essentially what TLC does here is to protect the value and worth
of these items.
Good Rewards at Low levels
McQuaid has said that Sigil wants Vanguard to be about the leveling
process, not a race to the endgame. To achieve this he hopes to give
out good rewards to lower level players. Unfortunately if the rewards
are too good it will attract many high level players hunting for these
rewards. This will have the effect of flooding the market with goods
and devaluing them, or possibly even freezing low level players out.
Allowing high level players to reap rewards with little effort makes it
much more difficult for developers to place good and exciting lower
level rewards for players to earn as they progress.
Playing the Game as
Intended
Developers intend for players to play certain content at certain
levels. They build and design systems and attractions for people of an
appropriate level range. TLC helps players play the game as the
developers intend and to follow the direction and path they set. This
does not mean the game has to be linear but rather that there are
boundaries as to what is an acceptable path. Vanguard at its core is
about challenge. TLC helps reward and promote challenge in the game. If
players can simply work their way around difficulty and the
developer’s intent, they will often choose the path of least
resistance and use high levels to trivialize content and the associated
rewards. Using TLC, the developers can still put in enough content and
choices to allow non linear and optional game play at appropriate
levels.
Arguments Against TLC
Just as there are arguments for TLC there are many arguments against
it. TLC places artificial boundaries on players; ruins immersion; may
restrict access to secondary components; restricts freedom; is
illogical; hurts exploration; discourages advancement, and
often causes people to resent feeling controlled.
Artificial Boundaries,
Freedom, Immersion and Resentment
Many people view any type of restriction as placing artificial
boundaries on their game play, which leaves them feeling controlled or
pigeon holed into a certain type of play style. Often players argue
that these restrictions break their immersion with the game world.
McQuaid claims Vanguard will offer an unprecedented amount of freedom
where players can choose to follow their own path and direction. The
choice will often be that of the players not the developers. Many
players argue that TLC restricts their freedom and enjoyment.
In this argument there is a legitimate concern about restrictions but
one must also be aware of another argument that rears its ugly head.
href="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/modules.php?set_albumName=album04&id=FallenLands_800&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php">
style="border: 0px solid ; width: 150px; height: 113px; float: right;"
alt="These are murky waters"
title="These are murky waters (click to enlarge)"
src="http://vanguard.tentonhammer.com/files/gallery/albums/album04/FallenLands_800.thumb.jpg"
hspace="4" vspace="2"> There is an often
younger, more immature, very loud crowd that screams at every
opportunity that their freedom is being taken away. Generally this
refers to their freedom to do whatever they want to whomever they want
whenever they want. If you read any game message board these people are
a often referred to as the vocal minority. But these people should not
cause one to ignore the legitimate concerns that many others do have
that TLC in some way does limit a player’s freedom and
choices.
While TLC certainly does restrict players’ options somewhat,
games are just like the real world; there are time, place and manner
restrictions as to what we can and cannot do. Often the needs of
everyone take priority over the whims of a few. That is the question
here. Sigil must weigh or balance the benefit to all obtained by TLC
against the cost of the few that feel penalized.
Secondary Components
Many players may be concerned that TLC may restrict their ability to
finish quests, obtain needed secondary components, and possibly harvest
items. Brad has said that TLC MOBs will still drop quest items,
reagents, and needed secondary components but he is unsure how Sigil
will handle harvestable drops. This could certainly pose a problem for
crafters and the economy and place a burden on players to have to
maintain characters of different levels to harvest appropriate level
drops. But this may depend on how Vanguard is designed. The idea in
Vanguard appears to be that adventurers will be the ones harvesting
items, which they will bring to the crafters to make goods. If players
are able to harvest appropriate level resources for crafters as they
level, then TLC may work in harvesting. Regardless of how well Vanguard
is designed idea the idea of restricting harvesting drops looks like a
complicated mess and something that may do a lot more harm than good.
One would have to believe there is a better option that can be used
here.
Exploration
Many players like to explore. They say TLC will restrict their ability
to explore and it will discourage exploration to areas where they will
not be able to profit. Certainly there is excitement to be gained
finding a named MOB with interesting loot. But to say TLC restricts
exploration might be a stretch, rather it just restricts the ability to
explore and profit without risk.
Illogical
Many players find it frustrating and illogical that a monster will drop
one set of loot to a low level player but nothing to a high level
player.
Discouraging Player
Advancement
Many people argue that TLC encourages players to suicide to remain at
the same level so they still access content and have a chance at
certain rewards. On its face this would seem to be a problem especially
in a world that claims to be as big as Vanguard. Sigil claims that a
player will not be able to experience all the world’s content
with one character, which may further discourage some players from
advancing in level. But, it’s hard to believe this would be a
big problem unless rewards were so imbalanced that it would force many
players to remain at certain levels. I would argue that this would be
more of a balancing issue with loot than a problem with TLC.
Conclusion
While there are many arguments for TLC it basically boils down to the
good of all against restricting the freedom of a few. TLC protects the
concept of risk vs. reward; helps reward challenging content; maintains
the value of good loot; allows developers to slow farmers and eBayers;
keeps high level players from monopolizing and ruining content and
encourages players to play the game as the developers intend.
There are not many legitimate arguments against TLC other than
it’s an unnecessary restriction on players’
freedom. But what are they actually giving up? They are losing the
ability to benefit by defeating content without much or any risk or by
playing the game on “easy mode.” The core principle
of Vanguard is challenge and TLC helps preserve that challenge. (Keep
in mind there are no instances, locked encounters or other mechanics to
help achieve these goals.)
If Vanguard added a mentoring system like EQ2’s or something
similar that allowed players to scale down in level and power in order
to group with lower level players, TLC would have little if any
drawback as players would be able to go back to whatever level they
want and revisit content as they choose. This would still keep the
challenge alive without trivializing content and loot, and allow
everyone to access whatever part of the game they wish at any time.
While I may not see much of an argument against TLC I have learned
throughout my life that I am often (at least more than I would like)
proven wrong, mistaken or misinformed. While I have tried to present
the issues and arguments of both sides I am biased towards TLC and one
should take that into account when reading this write-up. What are your
arguments for and against TLC? I would like to learn from everyone else
and see what the community here thinks. Please vote in the poll and
share your thoughts.
How
do you feel about the potential for Trivial Loot Code (TLC) in Vanguard?