New Anthem update to address loot problems
With Anthem’s broken loot system frustrating players, BioWare is acting quickly to address the problems with a new update.
Anthem released with a myriad of problems that plagued the overall launch of BioWare’s online multiplayer action RPG. Thankfully, an enjoyable combat system has been able to offset some of these issues, but combat is only half the equation when it comes to a shooter-looter.
Glitches, bug and game crashes can be overlooked if you’re thoroughly enjoying the mechanics of a game’s combat system. But in the end, you need to be rewarded for your efforts. To that end, Anthem has failed early on.
In the week since Anthem officially launched, BioWare has received a ton of feedback for what many deem to be a broken loot system. BioWare has heard you loud and clear and are making some much-needed changes.
Solving a game’s loot problems is always a complicated task as to not upset the overall balance. The issues with Anthem‘s loot structure, however, were pretty straightforward and it’s probably why BioWare is able to make changes so rapidly.
Basically, the problem boils down to Masterwork items dropping too infrequently, and if you’re lucky enough to have one drop, there’s a chance the attached inscription was useless for the item. The player-driven solution was to either increase the frequency of Masterwork drops or improve how inscriptions are attached to items.
BioWare is doing both.
In a post on Reddit, BioWare provided an overview on what’s being changed with Anthem‘s loot drop system and it sounds quite promising. The first major change is this:
- Inscriptions are now better for the items they are on
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As BioWare explains, “If an inscription applies only to the item it is on (gear icon), it will be useful to that item. Otherwise, the inscription will provide a Javelin wide benefit. For example, an Assault Rifle will not have an item specific +pistol damage inscription. It may have a +electric damage suit wide inscription (cool for a lightning build).”
I understand the reasoning behind randomized inscriptions, but some of the ones I saw were completely ridiculous. How anyone at BioWare thought the original system was fun or fair is beyond me. In any case, this seems like a reasonable change. With that said, BioWare provided some more in-depth details for how the new inscription pool for items will work.
Additionally, BioWare is improving the drop chance for high-level gear by removing uncommon and common items from the level 30 drop tables.
Because of the randomness of inscriptions, BioWare is also making it easier to craft Masterwork items by lowering the number of required crafting materials from 25 Masterwork Embers to 15.
Anthem guide: How to craft Masterwork weapons. dark. Next
“As you salvage or harvest, you should be able to craft more masterwork items to get the inscriptions you are looking for,” the developer reasons. “Now that inscriptions are more relevant to their item, this should yield better results for players.”
A broken or frustrating loot system is a surefire way to ensure that your game dies. To see BioWare address Anthem‘s loot issues so quickly is refreshing and gives me hope that the other issues plaguing the game will also be addressed sooner rather than later. The list is long though, so we’ll have to be patient.
Hopefully, these changes are enough to less Anthem‘s grind and make drops feel more rewarding. The update is expected to roll out on either February 28 or March 1.