Episode 2 Drop Tables

[GHOSTS]

My opinion is, I rarely play ep2. This will only (potentially) nerf my ep4 hunts. I'm one of those casuals you don't want in ep2. Don't worry I won't be in there, I guess I will just have to deal with ep4 getting nerfed.

reee get out of my episode 2 normie

 

[Matt]

There will never be combo unlocks or any more parameter changes. I don't do things just because people are asking for them. (e.g. loads of people have asked for HUmar SD, but it's not happening because I said so)

People need to stop bringing that up as their defense.

Also it's a first draft, there's a reason we showed it to the community to get opinions, you absolute dolt. If you don't calm your tits Skylar and discuss like a rational human being, I am going to remove your posting privileges temporarily.

 

[Nyte]

reee get out of my episode 2 normie

At least I can change my ID. I was hunting Rambling May, but it looks like it's probably an item getting moved from ep4 to 2.
Le Sad Face.

 

[falkenjeff]

People need to stop bringing that up as their defense.

Just need to know what to expect is all.

Before today I "expected" episode 2 to remain static, and now that has been shown to probably not be the case... So the line needs to be drawn in the sand again.

 

[Rune]

The problem is, when "unchangeable" things start changing... What's next?

Am I playing on a server that is inevitably going to move to combo-unlocked broken shit because all the people who were originally against it have quit? Because at that point it would be "what the community wants," but only because they managed to push all the people who DIDN'T want it away.

Um, friendly reminder you were talking about people just quitting after the event like their voice didn't matter and it was silly to take their opinion.

Funny thing is people can quit for a lot of reasons, maybe you shouldn't pretend to know what people who aren't here would vote on man.

Also it's a first draft, there's a reason we showed it to the community to get opinions, you absolute dolt. If you don't calm your tits Skylar and discuss like a rational human being, I am going to remove your posting privileges temporarily.

I know I don't have a say in what any of you do but in respect to Skylar and anyone here may I ask that you don't do that please my good man? He and anyone else have a right to vent imo and he really isn't doing any harm doing so in the long run.

It isn't like he is breaking anything by disagreeing with things.

 

[Matt]

It isn't like he is breaking anything by disagreeing with things.

Oh I agree, but Skylar is not exactly a calm and rational member and I wish he would be.

I have no issue with him disagreeing or saying he doesn't like something, but he needs to stop acting as if the Rapture is happening, that's all.

 

[ChiveyX]

Is there a draft written up that I can look at?

Ep2 being more fun to play would be a good change, ep2 has poor drops compared to any other episode. At the end of the day though it does matter, should of added *don't care/unaffected* to the poll.

 

[falkenjeff]

Oh I agree, but Skylar is not exactly a calm and rational member and I wish he would be.

I got baited pretty hard in the discord too, even with half of them blocked . They kept making me angrier and angrier.

 

[MKFelidae]

That's not how humans work. They see "episode 2 buff" and go "OH FUCK YES PLEASE" and vote yes. They don't pay attention to and/or read the consequences.

Perhaps yes, but not for all of us.

I personally voted yes because of the lack of casuality (sic) for episode 2. I play casually, joining groups of people already hunting something, because, while I am good at the game, I never spent the time or energy to understand the high end mechanics like what weapon for where? I am picking it up as I go but I am simply not as dedicated as some of the rest of you. If this expands the diversity of this server and the quests people farm, then I am all for it.

 

[Ade]

Part of the original vanilla experience is that Sega adjusted Ep. 4 drops (twice) and Ep. I boss drops. Therefore, it stands to reason that community-supported changes on the part of the Admins are part of the vanilla experience.

That being said, the Admins on this server understand the game much better than they did on Sega (Clumsy sucked at PSO) and Schtserv (every Schtserv mod I can think of sucks at the game). We have mods and devs here who are actually GOOD at the game, so this is an unprecedented chance to make things better.

I mean, come on. Why the hell are there areas where 3 enemies drop Justy or 4 enemies drop Storm Wand: Indra? You can't defend this as "vanilla." It's shit design and nothing more. It's like they poured so much effort into the music and visuals of Ep. 2 that they forgot to code item drops, and let a randomizer do it.

But yes, it's not "un-vanilla" to change something that MOST players are extremely dissatisfied with. Sega did it, so our MUCH SMARTER staff should be able to do it without catching flak, as well.

 

[Nikki]

Good stuff Ade

 

[Matt]

Is there a draft written up that I can look at?

Ep2 being more fun to play would be a good change, ep2 has poor drops compared to any other episode. At the end of the day though it does matter, should of added *don't care/unaffected* to the poll.

I have uploaded prototype tables to the original post for people to look at to get a better idea of what kind of balance this would mean for E2/4. Note that there are no rates currently, but they will definitely be balanced for its rarity and usefulness, and also so that no drops are straight up better if shared elsewhere.

I would like to reiterate that nothing is set in stone, and anything the community vehemently disagrees with can be changed.

 

[Mille Marteaux]

Because people in a position of power aren't "one." They represent the trust and wishes of "many." And by saying "fuck it, I changed my mind" you're breaking the trust of those who believed you.

That's why we're running a poll first.

I understand change is scary, and I understand a lot of PSO players are jerks and the admins are egotistical scumbags, but you need to look at the larger picture on this one. Just because people like Crono and Lee would tank an item's drop rate just to force people to buy them under the table doesn't mean we're going to start making things way too good or way too bad! The simple fact is just that EP2's effort/reward threshold just isn't enough for most people to play it.

People play Episode 1 because it's iconic, the stats are lower and there's a lot of really good stuff there.
People play Episode 4 because it has an absolute ton of endgame gear spread across two areas.
People play Episode 2 because they played PSO2 once and wanted to see what Gal Gryphon was actually like.

Besides, can you really look at something like this

or this

and sincerely say that this is working?

If you have concerns with certain charts, don't just say "it's too good" - give us specifics. Let us know what, in particular, you feel is too strong of a drop. We're polling the community on this one because we know that this is very tricky territory and assumed that it could be a very unpopular change if done wrong... so we're asking you guys to work with us so we can make it right.

We may not get the rates down on the first time, but that just means we're human, and being human means there's still time that we'll be able to upload our minds into a cybernetic body in the future, so there's that to look forward to at least.

 

[Matt]

Ultimate Frame is the best item in the game.

It's right in the name.

 

[Zen]

First of all, I voted no but I don't really care. I can already see what's going to happen, though. The E2 drops will be poorly balanced because the unilateral team in charge of it have no idea about how it should be done (as these prototypes demonstrate it), and people will ask later about E1 changes and perhaps more since it's totally "legitimate" as Sega did adjust their drop charts. It feels like, once again, changing something for the sake of changing it. You won't balance anything because you're doing it in a way that satisfies your subjective visions of E2 when there's already enough good items. Furthermore, it will divide the community and won't make people play this episode more. Pretty sure that besides the new forced V502 hunt, players will continue their hunts in E1/E4. It's so wrong.

 

[Nikki]

Zen, please provide constructive criticism instead of attacks. =\

 

[Rune]

That's why we're running a poll first.

People play Episode 2 because they played PSO2 once and wanted to see what Gal Gryphon was actually like.

That wasn't true on schthack for me. I ran a shop based off ep2 in random hard/ultimate mode and shot up the beach for gi amps which sold for 200+ in pd value and dropped so easily from boxes that people accused me of cheating.

Oh and PoM from Beldra in temple with blue and pink with sorcerer in spaceship is pretty sweet swag hunting

 

[Nikki]

Also something to keep in mind, we've not set drop rates for the proposed changes yet. That's to be decided later so dont get ideas in your heads yet! These are all still hypotheticals.

 

[Ade]

@Zen , I agree there are some good drops in the vanilla Ep. 2 tables, but you think there's "plenty" to hunt? How do you specifically explain areas where several enemies drop the same crap item? Do you find that excusable?

I always thought video games were supposed to be fun. If a large portion of an otherwise fun game goes "obsolete" and never gets played because players perceive there's no reward for doing so, they aren't going to do it, no matter how many times you say you're better than everyone else and they should just buck up.

 

[Rune]

@Zen
I always thought video games were supposed to be fun.