I have seen some versions of this in games, but I would like to see more: replace loot with a talent tree. Have something like LOTRO’s legendary item system, or otherwise just make the loot another skill/talent tree. Instead of finding a stream of disposable loot, with the occasional upgrade, just build the loot into the character. This especially goes for games with ridiculous amounts of trash loot, like Diablo or Borderlands.
We probably still need some sort of grind or loot accumulation, but build that in too. Instead of picking up vendor trash, have monsters drop crafting components. You need 200 green floozles and 10,000xp to give your staff Healing Floozle, whatever. It must be an easier setup than hundreds of different loot objects.
I am probably odd, and Diablo-style loot seems popular. People like that slot machine. I find it dull, and the occasional good hit on a slot machine makes the rest even more dull, because I know all the loot below color X is vendor trash. You know what rarely excites me in games? Vendor trash, nor its friend inventory maintenance.
: Zubon
Inventory maintenance would come in my top three favorite things to do in MMOs. It’s often the highlight of my gaming week. I look forward for days, sometimes, to getting a good three or four hour run at my bags and banks on Sunday and every session is studded with bursts of pleasure when I hit Inventory Full and have to stop for a while to make space.
Also, as for “trash” loot, historically some of the best creative writing and best illustration in MMOs has gone into making those tiny icons and the textual descriptions attached to them. It’s a tradition that continues; some of the descriptions of grey vendor items in PoF are so good that Mrs Bhagpuss has taken to linking them in chat every time she finds a new one.
That said, I can’t be doing with Diablo’s loot fountain either.
There are a lot of people that may agree with you but the idea of random loot as a part of gameplay draws even more I would wager. An entire game genre has been made from the combination of skill trees and the loot drop mechanic. As well, games like Assassins Creed:Origins and The Division would be a lot less interesting if the combat was just a means to level up with zero chance of random equipment upgrades. Given – trash loot should be a minor part of the game, with random stat armor/weaps being what you farm for in order to either use, auction house, or salvage for mats (which can also be AH’d). But I get a sense of you’re trying to throw the baby out with the bath water here.
This is slightly how Path of Exile is working : the gem you receive unblock new power far more than the talent tree.
It has been as least two years since i last play it, so i could be wrong !