Antiquity Lead Drop Rates - A Plea To The RNG Gods

Gabriel_H

So, way back when, before Gold Road was released, the drop rates for leads were consistent regardless of iteration (being the number of times it had been dug up). With Gold Road and then SotWC the first iteration was given a big boost - somewhere between 75% - 100% with further iterations being around the same %s as historically, being about 5% - 10%.

The reason for the change to the first iteration chance was obvious - to reduce the grind on players getting the latest mythic and furnishings. A welcome change to be sure, but the system still has a monumental grind for those of us who want to tick off all the lore entries.

This is particularly prevelant with Treasure Map leads, which are essentially trapped behind 2 RNGs, the first to get the map, the second to get the lead. There have been various posts about not putting leads behind Treasure Maps or at the very least not putting 3 codex entry leads behind Treasure Maps - but that seems to have fallen on death ears.

Treasure Map leads are the prime example of the grind for codex entries, but they are not the only problem. Anyone who has spent a few hours stood waiting for delve boss spawns, or repeatedly soloing a WB can tell you how painful the grind can be.

With all the measures ZOS has taken over the years, such as transmute stations, stickerbook, curated drops, curated coffers, increased 1st iteration lead drop rate, and more to reduce the amount of grind (wasted playtime), why are the historic drop rates in Chapters/DLCs prior to GR/SotWC for the 1st iteration so low, and why are subsequent iterations so low?

I get wanting to limit the number of these that can be dug up, but the reality is once you complete one mythic you can just transmute a 1,000 more if you wanted despite missing 2 codex entries, or when you get 3 codex entries for furniture you can simply buy (most) from the achievement vendors. Reducing the drop rate after the 3rd iteration rather than after the 1st would alter little in terms of accessibility to 1,000 Stone-Nest Gazebos but would vastly reduce the grind for 3 codex entries.

Codex entries are one of the few things left that still require a massive amount of time investment. Why?

AzuraFan

In my experience, getting a lead for the first time is usually okay. It's the second and third times that are awful, so I don't really try for those. It seems kind of superfluous to have 3/3 codex entries, since as you said, you can easily get the item again if you want it.

The only exception to the first time being easier is for fragments belonging to items that are 1/1 in the codex. I don't even want to think about how many times I had to run Darkshade Caverns 2 to get one of the leads for the Dwarven Ebon Wolf mount.

Trying for a lead over and over and over and never getting it has sometimes made me want to quit this game. It's a really miserable experience. It's crazy that there isn't a pity system.

Gabriel_H

AzuraFan wrote: »

Trying for a lead over and over and over and never getting it has sometimes made me want to quit this game. It's a really miserable experience. It's crazy that there isn't a pity system.

Some pain points are worse than others too. Last boss in LoM and DSA and no guarantee of a drop even after 10 runs ... that's a lot of hours.

allochthons

Leads behind treasure maps, and thus multiple RNG gates, and unweighted RNG are two of my biggest pain points in this game.

I still don't have all the codex entries for Ancestral Reach motifs, even though I own them all. I never, ever get Reach maps.

It's so frustrating.

ETA: I agree that tiny drop rates on codex entry 2 and 3 is a bad move. There are so many many posts here on trying to fill out the codex.
I've given up. I don't think that's what ZoS wants, but it's the consequence.

Al_Ex_Andre

Got to run 50+ dungeon first boss runs for a lead, codex entry 2, solo mode, waiting for the dungeon reset between runs. I never got it. True horror history I already told in the forum.

So what? I left the idea to get it one day. GG. Working as intended? Now I am patiently waiting for buying it from the weekly vendors. And then in two years, I could complete codex entry 3. Also working as intended?

As for the map farming leads, I think it's intended to be end game content, for the veteran who amassed millions of gold. Not gonna change imo, unless the forum complaints are real.

Gabriel_H

Al_Ex_Andre wrote: »

Got to run 50+ dungeon first boss runs for a lead, codex entry 2, solo mode, waiting for the dungeon reset between runs. I never got it. True horror history I already told in the forum.

I once ran Arx 42 times for a 1st lead drop. Other horror stories I have include 3rd lead from Timbershade (Galen WB) 82 kills, ~60 of them solo.

Oh and not to forget the 100+ Bastion Nymic daily quest coffers that have yet to yield a 2nd lead.

Sythen88411

Imaging getting all solstice maps leads but the gate and the reaper and all leads active and theses are the only 2 to drop and 180 to 200 maps later not one lead... this is my rng....

Gabriel_H

Sythen88411 wrote: »

Imaging getting all solstice maps leads but the gate and the reaper and all leads active and theses are the only 2 to drop and 180 to 200 maps later not one lead... this is my rng....

Just to say, the Gate and Reaper have very little data on drops. The assumption is Treasure Maps. At this point I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

Skorro

Gabriel_H wrote: »

AzuraFan wrote: »

Trying for a lead over and over and over and never getting it has sometimes made me want to quit this game. It's a really miserable experience. It's crazy that there isn't a pity system.

Some pain points are worse than others too. Last boss in LoM and DSA and no guarantee of a drop even after 10 runs ... that's a lot of hours.

So much this 🥲 I eventually bought these leads on the archive vendor when they came to save my sanity. I've never been blessed with good RNG.

Sythen88411

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Sythen88411 wrote: »

Imaging getting all solstice maps leads but the gate and the reaper and all leads active and theses are the only 2 to drop and 180 to 200 maps later not one lead... this is my rng....

Just to say, the Gate and Reaper have very little data on drops. The assumption is Treasure Maps. At this point I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

I have 2 reapers and 1 gate yes bith drop from maps

Sythen88411

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Sythen88411 wrote: »

Imaging getting all solstice maps leads but the gate and the reaper and all leads active and theses are the only 2 to drop and 180 to 200 maps later not one lead... this is my rng....

Just to say, the Gate and Reaper have very little data on drops. The assumption is Treasure Maps. At this point I'd take that with a pinch of salt.

Al_Ex_Andre

Gabriel_H wrote: »

Al_Ex_Andre wrote: »

Got to run 50+ dungeon first boss runs for a lead, codex entry 2, solo mode, waiting for the dungeon reset between runs. I never got it. True horror history I already told in the forum.

I once ran Arx 42 times for a 1st lead drop. Other horror stories I have include 3rd lead from Timbershade (Galen WB) 82 kills, ~60 of them solo.

Oh and not to forget the 100+ Bastion Nymic daily quest coffers that have yet to yield a 2nd lead.

Y, this is the problem of rng. Sometimes it never comes.

Gabriel_H

Coming up on 30 kills (~50% of them solo) for Voidmother Elgroalif for 2nd iteration of Foxshadow Headwrap, this after 20 kills of Hodrek. For those keeping track that's more than 5 hours for 2 leads.