This basically. Dump the entire archaic roll mechanic/binding mechanic. Trying to tweak the existing mechanic is a waste of time that won't truly fix anything.
Thanks for looking it up, but this is an antiquated post (early 2010) from when Cryptic wasn't owned by PWE and they had their own GM's on staff. The old post is basically worthless without current confirmation (it was never enforced back then even in CO or STO as we are both aware), and isn't confirmed as the current…
So? Everyone in the party should get loot as they helped kill the boss. More items entering the "economy" is a good thing for players as it drives price down.
The difficulty ramps up quite a bit eventually and your cleric companion loses much of it's effectiveness since it only levels to 15 (no training manuals available still). You will need potions eventually. No there is not an conversion method.
As others have mentioned it's situational. Sometimes you can pull it off if there is terrain to take advantage of or the mob density in the area is low enough to maneuver around. Most of the time your stuck and running will make things worse. Two of my favorite skills for giving me breathing room or a short respite are…
Changing the roll system to restrict the current loot roll system is a waste of developer time IMO. They should just implement individual loot drops for everybody. That way the system is entirely fair and removes all potential loot drama.
I'm guessing it has something to do with the current server shard separation then as that should have worked. In which case it probably won't work until the current server shards are merged.