"Tabber keeps drops" - a farce?

Batseba - Heavens Tear
Batseba - Heavens Tear Posts: 58 Arc User
edited March 2009 in Dungeons & Tactics
Hi

I am wondering about the drop issue when doing the Dragon Quest. A lot of help is generally being offered and there's a couple of decent services out there (Faction chat rooms working like taxi call centres) who are contactable round the clock to provide a squad willing to take you through an FB.

Now I've only done 3 FB19s so far, but something struck me.

I did my first FB with my Venomancer and just kinda turned up in front of the Den of Rabid Wolfs. I got a squad of maybe 5 people together pretty quickly as they were just standing around. The Boss dropped a huge amount of items including a mold and two purple items, all of which I got (credit to those who helped).

Now...

Yesterday I did two FBs, one for my Wizard and one for my Blade. Both organised through chat rooms as they were advertising and I thought I might try it. The first one I got solo-ed, on the second I had a squad of six. They helped with killing quest monsters before going onto Thromh, but both times (!) no drops??!!

Doubleyou Tee and Eff???

Is the item drop diminished to nothingness because of the high level of those who pulled the FB the second and third time round? I'm not sure, but the people who helped the first time round might have been no higher than level 70 whereas yesterday I had level 8x helping.

So tell me then. What in the hell good is it to me that I get to keep all the drops if nothing is going to drop anyway?

Is "Tabber keeps all drops!" just and advertising scam? Is this just my problem or should I just shut up because it was only two measly FB19s?
Post edited by Batseba - Heavens Tear on

Comments

  • Tabit - Sanctuary
    Tabit - Sanctuary Posts: 21 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Here is link to drop rate site:

    http://www.pwdatabase.com/pwi/drop


    It has other nifty information.


    As with my experience, I have done over 30 FB runs. Of the roughly 30, I saw Bosses drop Many 3*** items about 5 or 6 times. And I saw a mold drop once within those 5 or 6 times. I have yet to see another mold.

    Your squad actually increases drop rates and drop rate quality, but the level of your squad is figured into those random calculations.

    Basically this:
    Less squad mates within 2 or 3 levels of monster = less chance to get better drops.

    More squad mates within 2 or 3 levels of monster = more chance to get better drops.


    So, a sqaud of 2 high levels and 4 lower levels within the 3 level range of mnosters will have a better chance for Boss to drop higher quality and quantity of items, than
    a squad of 5 high levels and 1 FB user.

    As the saying goes: The more the merrier, and the more children the more smiles.
  • Fleuri - Sanctuary
    Fleuri - Sanctuary Posts: 1,763 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I believe your drop chances get influenced by whoever kills the boss.

    If you want drops, you should have low level a damage dealer (ideally within two levels of the boss but within 5 works well enough (90%) and within 8 can still be decent (80%) and within 11 will not be too bad (70%)) so when boss nearly dead party can stop fighting and low level damage dealer (and any other "low levels" in your squad) can kill your boss. For your damage dealer: strong DoT skills, and of course strong nukes, can help here.
  • BridgetF - Heavens Tear
    BridgetF - Heavens Tear Posts: 54 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I'm not entirely sure how you jump to the conclusion that this might be a scam, Batseba. It's not guaranteed there'll be drops. As a matter of fact, it's more the exception, not the rule.

    An advertisement like "Tabber keeps drops" should be read as "In the rather rare case that the boss drops any items, the tabber keeps all 3-star and mold drops". However, the chat is limited to a certain number of characters in PW, so all this was naturally reduced to "Tabber keeps drops".

    In all the FBs I did for myself so far, I got one 3-star item. In all other cases, the bosses dropped only gold. It's just the way things are.
  • Batseba - Heavens Tear
    Batseba - Heavens Tear Posts: 58 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Hey guys

    Thanks for the input. This clears things up. I must have been lucky then on my first run and as i didn't know what was the norm I just expected more.

    @Tabit and Fleuri - I'll try to get a group of low levels together together with a Highlevel tank next time.

    @BridgetF - I just think that "Tabber keeps Drops!" kinda contours up the expectation for items to, well, drop.

    Thanks again
  • Vidalaire - Heavens Tear
    Vidalaire - Heavens Tear Posts: 389 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Yeah, now that there are high level people doing FBs around the clock, drops from low level FBs are rare. Back when the game went OB, getting drops from FBs was much more common. However, there wasn't a "tabber gets drops" rule like there is now.

    So it's a trade-off. Take longer to do your FB and have a good chance for the boss to drop stuff, but no guarantees on getting the drops or breeze through the FB with a much smaller chance at drops, but the drops are yours.
  • Tabit - Sanctuary
    Tabit - Sanctuary Posts: 21 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I think the "Tabber keeps drops" advertisement was to get an edge on getting an FB so you can gain XP faster. That is what the advertisement is for. It is to attract the FB user in the first place.

    However, I don't like doing FBs anyways. You miss out on the money you get from grinding. I'd rather have a ton of money especially if I want to eventually go into TW.
  • FoxRunning - Heavens Tear
    FoxRunning - Heavens Tear Posts: 2,048 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    i hate to say this, but a lot of times those chat room FB squads are scammers, their ONLY reason for doing it is for the rep they get from it, and for the drops they steal.

    regardless of who is doing any squad with you, at any time, for any reason, ALWAYS make sure that the control is set to 'Free"...that means that what you pick up, stays in your pocket. wiht the "random" setting, most often it will land in the pockets of people of higher level than you (dont know the percentages of this, though). i have lost more stuff this way than i care to think of. and people in FB squads always go, 'ok, its yours, we'll give it to you at the end of the run'. no, sorry, i want it NOW....because at the end of FBs, squads scatter like ash in the wind, and if its strangers, your stuff is gone forever.
    Batseba - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    Hi

    I am wondering about the drop issue when doing the Dragon Quest. A lot of help is generally being offered and there's a couple of decent services out there (Faction chat rooms working like taxi call centres) who are contactable round the clock to provide a squad willing to take you through an FB.

    Now I've only done 3 FB19s so far, but something struck me.

    I did my first FB with my Venomancer and just kinda turned up in front of the Den of Rabid Wolfs. I got a squad of maybe 5 people together pretty quickly as they were just standing around. The Boss dropped a huge amount of items including a mold and two purple items, all of which I got (credit to those who helped).

    Now...

    Yesterday I did two FBs, one for my Wizard and one for my Blade. Both organised through chat rooms as they were advertising and I thought I might try it. The first one I got solo-ed, on the second I had a squad of six. They helped with killing quest monsters before going onto Thromh, but both times (!) no drops??!!

    Doubleyou Tee and Eff???

    Is the item drop diminished to nothingness because of the high level of those who pulled the FB the second and third time round? I'm not sure, but the people who helped the first time round might have been no higher than level 70 whereas yesterday I had level 8x helping.

    So tell me then. What in the hell good is it to me that I get to keep all the drops if nothing is going to drop anyway?

    Is "Tabber keeps all drops!" just and advertising scam? Is this just my problem or should I just shut up because it was only two measly FB19s?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    (and hugs to Flauschkatze for the sig!)
    "Thanks for writing me-- it's always great to hear from a vet.

    -FrankieRaye"
    Playing here since '08b:heart
  • Flickerfae - Sanctuary
    Flickerfae - Sanctuary Posts: 351 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Thank you for asking this question , Batseba. I've been wondering the same. So far, I've done 3 fbs (2 for me, 1 for a faction-mate) and I've not yet seen evidence of any drops of any kind, except for a small blood item I got for helping the guildie.

    I ran my fb 29 with guildmates, so it wasn't an issue of someone taking the items and fleeing. I was a little confused. b:surrender
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

    -Ignoring my main for alts since early '09
  • Vinny_D - Sanctuary
    Vinny_D - Sanctuary Posts: 50 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    One of the things we do once the boss is dead is tell the tabber to wait for us to drop out of the squad and then grab everything to make sure they get all the drops. If not we will give it to them before we leave.
    Life is what you make it. Just make sure you have fun.[SIGPIC]<Img Src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m214/Dragonwindspirit/contest/Vinny_D1.jpg">[/SIGPIC]
  • Batseba - Heavens Tear
    Batseba - Heavens Tear Posts: 58 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Yeah, I've had what Vinny describes done in my first FB. Although it was unsuccessful (as I didn't know I had to "talk" to the pillar before killing the Xenobeast) all the party members dropped out of the party first and second time round without trying to grab stuff.

    I'm not wondering what the result would be if I were to organise an FB19 that had 2 high level mob killers and 4 level 20-25 characters in it. If all four lowbies needed the FB this could be pulled repeated for every one of them... giving them extra points as well as increasing the chance of items dropping

    ponder ponder...
  • MorgulLord - Sanctuary
    MorgulLord - Sanctuary Posts: 270 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I'd say all you need is one high lvl character (any 7x+) and you can take ppl of you lvl or round about. It will of course not be as fast as five 8xs pillaging through the place leaving a trail of mob corpses and coins... but it might give u better chance at the drops.

    At the boss, have the 7x do 75-80% dmg (so he can hold aggro) and then the lower lvl ones can start chewing away at it and kill it.

    Personally, I wouldnt be too worried about drops from FBs until FB59 and further. Thats when it really begins to matter...imho.

    ~Morgul
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
    I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally...
  • Oldbear - Sanctuary
    Oldbear - Sanctuary Posts: 486 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    FoxRunning - Heavens Tear wrote: »
    i hate to say this, but a lot of times those chat room FB squads are scammers, their ONLY reason for doing it is for the rep they get from it, and for the drops they steal.

    No!? In a loving caring perfect community of Heavens Tear, that has reputation where Sanctuary never reach and PvP ones never want to go, you say such things happen? In your paradise-like server? Aww what an disappointment. I guess I'll unpack my cases and stay where I am. It's far from perfect but suddenly it feels more home now.
  • Gilia - Heavens Tear
    Gilia - Heavens Tear Posts: 16 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    Apart from a lacking ability to express yourself properly, you don't seem to know that most people in HT are actually honest enough to let tabbers keep all drops. b:cute
    Those scammers that are crazy enough to steal drops are soon enough made public over the world chat, so that everyone who pays at least a little attention knows who not to ask for fb help.
    On a side note the drop calculations for squads are still not entirely understood as far as i know, so it's hard to say if a low damage dealer really makes a difference.
    I'll get a sig when i need one...
  • Ursa - Dreamweaver
    Ursa - Dreamweaver Posts: 2,634 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I did about 40-60 fb runs so far
    About 3 of them yesterday.
    With the same team, we've got one mold drop, some 2 stars, and only coins at the 3rd one.
    For my 39 fb run I got a Wheel of Fate drop, b:kiss to the Veno that so gracefully gave it it to me after pick-up with no hesitation.
    I mean, this is pure luck. Having or not having the drops in Fb doesn't really matters I think. Do the fb, lvl up, help others in their fb's, you'll get drops or not, whatever...is that the only point here?

    I'm doing it mostly to help. I remember the grin I had on my face first time I had a blue shining weapon in my hand. Knowing some other player might live the same feeling is good enough for me. There's some xp comming out of the FB run, that's more than enough for me. I ran yesterday 2 fb19, both of them in less than 30min, I cam out with 20k xp and 4k sp. Hell, I would do 20 fb's a day only for that. When I need coins I'm grinding to mobs with high chance of DQ drops, close to my lvl. In 30 mins I can get around 50k selling that **** to NPC.

    need a nice run with good helping ppl: ask someone in Calamity, you'll probably get me in the team :)
    ____________
    I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.
    George Carlin

    ~I listen to hardcore FIGHT songs when I visit the forum, just to get into the proper mood~

    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Granrey - Sanctuary
    Granrey - Sanctuary Posts: 2,050 Arc User
    edited March 2009
    I don't understand why people refer to severs like if most of players in them share some kind of "playing culture" or code of ethics.

    I thinkis posible but not as likely or common as people say.

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