I'd expect this from someone like Stanislav, but SapereAude...?

[Samuraiking]

I'm a dumbass and can't get vent to work properly with the file.(as I don't really use it) But I would like to hear Cock Jokes. :/

[Severance]

I think the biggest thing here is the pearlsacks got the majority of loot without paying, and then asked members to pay.

People should read this bit more.

[Apelila]

So the TL;DR version is that if your in this LS and a leader its free, but if your not a leader you have to pay for it?

...and they still have people?

[Shinsei]

Offtopic

but that Dankster dude uses the F word more than Katt Williams uses the N lol.....

[Starr]

Hell you could sell a sash and buy 6 people speed belts.

You could but obviously this shell wouldn't! (Unless you're a sack)

[MillionDollarMan]

Selling the AV drops is probably the right idea - i'm sure some people with too much money would like to buy them, and upgrading Salvage bodies and getting relics is better for the LS as a whole than an extra -4% magic dmg etc.

Hell you could sell a sash and buy 6 people speed belts.

How about keep the sash and get 6 V belts for all members and make money getting D cloths while at it.

[Silenka]

Easy to know why they still have people: every large endgame ls attracts members like the world's biggest fucking magnet even though the leader usually dips into the bank/gives stuff to the people he likes and screws all the other minions, I mean, members. The reason people stay is because they're too stupid and hopeful to leave, and they probably get off on killing big shit like HNM/other fights that require an assload of people to throw at it.

*ducks*

(lukewarm drama is boring please can we have some good drama soon? ; ; )

[Samuraiking]

(lukewarm drama is boring please can we have some good drama soon? ; ; )

I know right? 3 fucking hours. I'm going to click the x on this tab in 5mins.

[Bregor]

Ton of linkshell out there have completely unfair loot system...there really isnt much to do about it, except not joining them.

This.

[byte]

I think the biggest problem is not with the people but with the game itself which allows and infact encourages "unfairness" because the loot system is so crappy. There are infinitely better solutions to distributing loot which still would require the same timesink but not the same awful pot luck we have to put up with and not put the decision to humans (who will ultimately self-serve because it just makes sense). I blame this pretty much on the game being Japanese. People often say that JP are more group oriented and the fact is that the same system that works for them doesn't necessarily work fairly for us.

Compare this to western MMOs like WoW and WAR which have considerably "fairer" loot systems when viewed from an individual perspective and not relying on the leaders of your group to deal with things how they see fair. For instance, I don't know how many of you have played WAR but basically they have these public quests which reward you with items based on contribution (how much damage/healing/etc.), persistence (how many times you've not won anything) and a little random chance. I'm not saying it's perfect as it is right now but it's a pretty good example of how things could (and probably should) have been.

Just one possible solution to make things fair in FFXI (probably not entirely original but I think it would be a big improvement):

Say the game awards you 1 Fafnir point every time you "kill" it and an NPC will allow you to choose a drop (if you didn't get it by then) when you get enough based on the drop rate of the item. Everyone would get the items if they put in the work (even if it was a little more work than usual, it would be guaranteed). The way I see it, that's FAIR. In the current system, fortunate (chosen) individuals get what they want early on whilst others will have to work for over a year or still don't have it.

You could even award points based on contribution to the fight (like campaign does) which will ultimately add to the total you need. Of course, luck is what makes it interesting so these items would still drop from the same HNMs but at a slightly reduced rate. If you get lucky, you get it for free, but this doesn't deny those "regular members" who consistently get screwed over.

Obviously, you'd want to have the HNMs seperated so that points from one only count for that one. Someone who never fought KB wouldn't be able to buy a defending ring.

All that said, there's been a lot of progress over the years and the newer systems are getting considerably fairer such as Einherjar and Campaign but it's really the system at the core of endgame which causes so much drama and frustration.

Too bad there's PS2 limitations etc.

tl;dr The game is at fault.

PS: and no, this has nothing to do with SA, it just seemed like a good place to air my concerns on this subject.
PPS: Inb4 someone complains about me using the word "loot".

[JackDaniels]

Nothing really new here, LS sacks have been bending the rules since the day this game came out to suit themselves. Skim off the bank here, pamper their friends there, lot multiple big ticket items / upgrade multiple relics because... "it's in the best interest of the LS", so this isn't really a surprise. You have to feel sorry for those all those DRKs who killed the thing though, watching their sacks walk away with free sashes and then getting slapped in the face by getting charged for the Mars Rings, that's pretty low, but nothing new to this game.

The reason people stay is because they're too stupid and hopeful to leave, and they probably get off on killing big shit like HNM/other fights that require an assload of people to throw at it.

[Emdief]

LS is strong? ok
LS works ok like that? ok

i dont really get the point of this thread, why should you care about the way a ls deals with its drops? go on KI if you wanna drama dammit.

[Dobrav]

Why the fuck are people trying to defend them... lol

[Khalil]

Anyone else thinks that Dankster talked WAY TOO FUCKING MUCH on that vent recording? Jesus christ, I would have slammed my head into my monitor had I heard his voice just a few more times.

[Sera]

Well, giving leaders stuff for free while pearls have to pay for it sounds like a shitty system, but why bring it here? Just ... don't be in that linkshell. What's the problem?

[Grieverao]

How much did Rich pay for his Ebody then?

[Fridell]

If you dont need like stupid system, then leave like Sev did.

[Pikarya]

sounds like op is just another typical advanced qqfag.

[Zansho]

Simply put, there's always going to be people in positions of power, that make sure they're awarded first and at minimal cost compared to any of the other ls members - because hey, they're leaders, yo!

FFXI has a bit of a vicious cycle to the whole scheme of things - one leader takes advantage of his ls, gets drops, screws everyone else, and some disgusted soul in the ls leaves, and makes his own shell. Few of the blindly faithful will stay, just cuz they love to be in a LS that does the big stuff and that their "time will come." (It never does.)

That disgusted soul runs the shell the EXACT same way the leader of his previous shell, making sure he gets all drops, and treats his members like shit, etc etc.. it's a cycle that I always see repeats itself.

Note to leaders: You need the members, just as much as they need YOU. Actually, you probably need them a lot more than they need you.

[Sevilla]

Just to make sure I understand the way they are distributing their stuff. They are given to the pearlsacks/leaders at no charge, which is understandable because they are the ones coordinating the stuff. But they are charging their members half price or whatever makes profit, for items they helped in getting. They are later told that the item is not theirs completely. So unless the LS is giving back their money after they return it, I only see it as a renters fees. That sucks lol.