Removing the RNG

I was reading a post about someone venting about the random number generator and I felt their pain.  I have been a victim of it many times from bad rolls and losing out on gear to never getting the baron mount, the bloated fish, the last 2 rares I need from archaeology, you name it. My RNG sympathy goes out to them.

I must say however that for as much hate as I have for the RNG I like it just the same.  I would not still be fishing for that fish if I got it on my first attempt would I?  It would surely not be an achievement if everything was easy to get. I like working for my achievement.  That is why my title will change to Professor once I get those last 2 rares.  That took a lot of time to get.  That title was earned by doing the grind.

There are different types of grinds.  Ones you grind for something, and ones you grind hoping for something.  I did the rep grind for mounts or pets from faction vendors.  I did the RNG grind for mounts from bosses.  One is a sure thing, the other is not.

Take the fox pet from TB.  I told a guild mate I was killing foxes and he asked me why I was doing that.  I said, they drop a pet I want.  He said, cool.  Next day I log in and he tells me he got the pet.  I ask him how many he killed.  He said, just one.  He entered TB, killed the one fox that hangs out right by the gate there and it dropped the pet fox.  Lucky mofo.  I've killed at least 200 foxes so far trying to get that thing.

At what point does grinding against the RNG move from being a grind to being annoying?  That differs from person to person and on the situation.  If the grind is fun or has something else that you need as well then it is not as stressful.  If the grind is hard and there is no reward except for finally getting what you are going for then it is not fun when you are doing it for the hundredth time.

That type of grind gave me an idea on how they could remove the RNG grind from the game and make it a little more inclusive for the player base while still requiring a butt load of grinding.  It would be something like the guild achievements and the guild store but it would be for personal achievements with a personal store.

We have things that keep track of everything we do.  Why not add a little bit to that data collection and make everything punchable like they do with guild achievements.  This removes the RNG completely.  Like for the guild achievements you need to kill 50,000 critters to be allowed to buy the pet.  Why not add something like that to all players on a personal level.

I can just imagine guild chat going like this.

Me: I'm going to UP to do a mount run, anyone want to come.
Druid: Sure, I'll come, only need 47 more runs.
Priest: I need 6 more, sure, I'll come.

How it is now.

Me: Blah, another UP run and no mount.

See the difference?  If it is a drop, I do it alone.  It is easy to solo by any class now.  Hell, it was easy to solo for many classes at 80.  If it drops there is no way in hell I am going to have someone with me that I have to roll against when I can solo it.  It is hard enough to get it to drop as is.  I've personally never seen it drop.  Most people I know haven't. Why would I ever go with someone else that is going to roll against me if I do not need the help?

Making it as a set amount of runs would allow people to buy it from the personal store would create more community connections.  People would be more willing to go as a group because they do not have to take the chance at rolling against someone.

Even at 85 is it hard to get people to do an OS 3D for the drake.  I never got lucky enough to win it even if I did it numerous times.  Now I most likely never will until I can solo OS 3D and I do not ever see that happening.  If you had to do it 10 (25) times and be allowed to buy it I would bet you that I could fill a group each week with people that would do it being they knew they were one closer to buying it instead of one out of 10 (25) that would have a chance at winning it.

Removing the RNG, at least for some things like that, would make the game more enjoyable for many.  It would create more community.  I would be able to get people actually willing to do Tempest Keep.  You know what I mean.

For the things they still want to be super rare they can make them just that, super rare.  You do not want everyone having the mount from MgT, make it that you have to run it 300 times to be able to buy it.  Who is really going to run that thing every day for nearly a year... I mean... besides me.

It makes some RNG grinds an effort of time and not an example of luck.  I, for one, would welcome a change like this.