The popular “Group Loot” is returning in World of Warcraft Dragonflight. We reveal what new rules will apply to loot.
There was a time when World of Warcraft increasingly focused on the solo experience and also considered how solo players could feel comfortable in group content.
Where there used to be “loot drama” because a ninja-looter rolled need on a popular item even though he didn’t need it, personal loot came into play. Personal loot was significantly fairer and rewarded each player individually – but often harmed the social component and the good feeling of having “won” an item.
With Dragonflight, group looting returns and the rules will even be expanded.
“I rolled Need … need it for my healer alt!”
What will change? In the first raid of Dragonflight, the “Vault of the Incarnates,” group looting will be the only option – it is permanently activated. This means that you will see the dropped items “like back then” and can then roll need or greed to secure the loot. Blizzard has refined the system and made many restrictions and adjustments to keep it fair and efficient for groups.
- No one can roll need on an item that they cannot reasonably use. For instance, warriors can never roll need on cloth armor, but priests cannot roll need on a agility staff either.
- The system differentiates between “main spec” and “off spec.” Players who use an item for their main specialization always have priority when rolling need.
- The general order of priority when rolling is:
- Need: Main specialization
- Need: Secondary specialization
- Greed
- You can set your main specialization. For example, if you help out as a healer today as a paladin but are actually retribution, you can still select retribution as your main specialization and thus have priority on retribution items.
- You cannot win the same item multiple times. If, for example, a boss drops the same sword twice in the same kill, you can roll on both – but if you win the first item, you will be excluded from the second roll since you already have the item.
- You cannot roll need if you are already wearing the exact same item with the exact same item level. However, if the item is in any way an improvement (for example, because it has a socket or a tertiary stat), then you could roll on it.
By the way, the system is also intended to be applied in LFR.
The release of Dragonflight is just around the corner…
Can items still be traded? Yes, that is possible. If you win an item, you can trade it with all players who were present during the boss fight and could have legitimately received loot. The previous restrictions that prevented you from trading an item because you do not have another with a higher or the same item level are removed.
Please note that these plans are still based on information and tests from the beta. Blizzard has announced that they want to use the system in Dragonflight, but it is still under discussion.
What does Blizzard hope to achieve? With the change, Blizzard pursues several goals. Firstly, the developers want to make it more transparent who gets loot and why. Because even with “Personal Loot,” players rolled for rewards – that only took place internally in the background.
Moreover, rolling for items is a social interaction that often leads to conversations and amusing situations. At the same time, players have more freedom to trade loot in the raid and adjust it to the needs of the group if they wish.
What do you think of the return of “Group Loot”? Exactly what World of Warcraft needs? Or did you prefer Personal Loot?
