Messages

2176

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 15, 2009, 03:30:51 AM »

I do not understand how the bidding works?  From reading some of the posts, it sounds like the high bid in each round is kept secret.  In round 1, everyone bids.  I got that.  But at this point I think everyone should be told what the high bid is so they can make an educated bid for round 2.  Same thing applies to round 3.

With the basic outline of the system refined, I added the bidding proceedure and other details for clarity.

I know we talked about bidding already in game, but I just wanted to quote your post so others know this area has been addressed.

Also, where will I be able to find/how will I know my accumulated DKP for bidding purposes?

I didn't add a link the to main FL site yet.  However, you can view your Current DKP holdings and other info using this link

I'll add the link to the draft as well.



- Furro

2177

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 15, 2009, 03:19:48 AM »

  
Various changes made to the draft.  Reference the changelog for details as needed.


- Furro

2178

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 12, 2009, 08:17:16 PM »

  
Various changes made to the draft.  Reference the changelog for details as needed.


- Furro

2179

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 12, 2009, 03:54:03 AM »

  
Made various chanages.  Changelog updated for reference.



- Furro

2180

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 11, 2009, 08:22:04 PM »

  
After careful thought over the last few days, I'm removing the formula for calculating DKP earnings.  The "Points per hour" approach in a way, rewards failure, and it actually encourages people to work slowly, to gain more points.   This isn't something I want to promote.  The other issue with hourly, is maintenance.  It would be extremely mickey mouse to accurately log /who outputs hourly in a zone.  It can be parsed, but it's totally up to the logger (me), to hit a hotkey with /who output and markers every hour on the hour.   Even adding in a 5 min grace period to account for LD'ers or those out of zone due to death/RIP elapsed timers, wouldn't result in accurate counts.  There are numerous other reasons I can get into why this won't work how it's setup.


Dynamic DKP Earning

Instead of "Points per hour", I'm considering a more dynamic approach to earning DKP.   Points earned based on the total loot distribution value divided by total raid members in attendance.  For example a 35 person raid, distributing loot worth 500 DKP total would mean each person in attendance receives approximately 14 DKP.  If the same raid had 54 in attendance, each person earned 9 DKP.

Formula: [ bounty_total / raid_attendance ]

Note:  bounty_total is dynamic, that means constantly changing.  Covered in section below under ' Dynamic DKP Spending'  with fixed minimum opening bid value per item.

Example 1:

Bounty Total: 500 DKP
Max minimum Bounty Total: 40 DKP (that's 10 DKP per item, 4 items)

Raid Attendance: 35
Win DKP Earned: 14
Fail DKP Earned: 1

Fail calculation:

= (40/35)
=  1.14


Dynamic DKP Spending

Lets have raiders decide the value of items, based on their desire to have it.

All items start open bid at 10 DKP

3 rounds of bidding.   Going once, twice, sold.

All done in /rs open bid war.  No ceiling, but you can't bid more then you have.



A few observations to consider.  Using base value for items as the starting point, we let bid wars decide DKP earnings for the night.  This can be good and bad, but it's totally self sustaining and requires much less overhead (ie, me figuring out item values across multiple tiers and slots).  On the same note, no item decay has to be figured out over time, as players demand will solve that through bid wars.

With minimum opening bid per item being a fixed value, we establish a bounty total for use in determining DKP earnings on event failures.  An example is already shown above in the DKP earnings section.


DKP Hoarding

Now, on to the other issue, to prevent hoarding DKP.  We want people to spend DKP, even on little upgrades.  How about a DKP Tax.  Keep it simple, for every 1 DKP you have, ensues a tax of 0.5%.  So, someone with 150 points, would pay 75% more for an item.

Example:

Player_A: 150 DKP holdings
Item Cost: 20 DKP
Player_A Cost: 35 DKP

Calculations:

150 (0.5) = 75
20 (0.75) = 15

This is just 75% of the bid price 20 DKP.


This is actually something we could factor in after bid wars, and adjust it in the standings.  People would feel the pinch if they started banking large amounts of DKP.  300 DKP banked, you'd be paying 150% more for items.  Also keep in mind, we can set thresholds here even, so it doesn't penalize low DKP holders.


MIA Players

On the topic of inactive DKP holders, I've been trying to come up with a way to decay DKP fairly.  I guess fair is subjective, and in this regard, I considering the following format:

For every 16 Freelance raids held, a person must have attendance at any 3.

That's under 20% Raid Attendance, before DKP decay will kick in.  Not a high percent at all imo.



Comments greatly appreciated.  Thanks

- Furro

2181

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 10, 2009, 10:47:26 PM »

  
Made various changes, view the changelog for reference.

Moved the draft to first post, so it's easier to find without having to dig through the thread.



- Furro

2182

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 10, 2009, 03:48:19 AM »

 

DKP Gain, Loss & Decay

DKP Gains:

DKP Gain Formula is:

1 + ( lifetime_attendance/100)[ hour_value ( total_hours ) + trash_clearing + attendance_check ]

[1 + ( lifetime_attendance/100)][ hour_value ( total_hours ) + trash_clearing + attendance_check ]  Use that instead.  

The newcomer bonus, LRA = 100, is an insufficient incentive.  The DKP gain a person is going to get from one raid is so vastly overshadowed by a veteran's current total that the newcomer bonus will look like nothing.

The bracket correction you made was my bad form in typing the formula.  We talked about this already in chat.

I won't address the newcomer RA bonus issue, as you mentioned below and I agree, transitory remaining in effect with a good threshold will always give chance to newcomers for /random that night, but still earn dkp.

 

Item Cost

Item Cost Formula:   [(hit_points + mana) / 2 ] / [20 + focus_value1, 2, 3...]

[(hit_points + mana) / 2  + focus_value1, 2, 3...] / [20]
Use something like this instead.  As focus_value increases the item cost will increase.

The formula works a little better.  This will be difficult to work out meaningful base values.  I realise I'm only covering a few variables such as hp/m and focus.  Nothing such as AC/heroics or anything is factored in.  Something to work on or search around and see how other guilds calculate it.

Miscellaneous Items

Items listed here will be distributed via normal /random 1000 methods.

• Key-Type Items

Key-type items, like the txevu door keys, are going to be needed later on in an event.  As such, we should only let people who will probably be on later to use that key.  This should be rare, but I can think of at least one instance where a key-type item will drop that we've not yet done.  These things shouldn't be random'd on.

I agree.  There is a clause in there to address future changes.  We have in the past had areas where I looted pieces required to spawn instances, such as the Tacvi signet.  This is something we'll have to address prior to reaching the targets, but it's good to have it brought up in this discussion too.

Loot Distribution Proceedure

The fact that there's even a first pass will mean the newcomer will have no chance at winning anything other than stuff no one else wants.  Removing the 2nd pass will do nothing to alleviate this problem.  If the transitory phase mechanism is kept with some positive # marker, then there's a chance for a newcomer to win anything.  The higher the # marker the better the chance for him/her.  The lower the #, the better the chance for loot to be distributed via the DKP system, ie. distributed toward those that have spent time to make FL a better team.  The balance is delicate, but done correctly most people will be happy.

I agree here, keeping some form of tranisitory system in place with a proper threshold, should work.

The /random to determine which system is used can be done on an event basis.  If we hit multiple targets in the evening, still opens chances for /random to be applied and benefits newcomers.  Again, they would still earn DKP too in the process regardless.

LRA:
The way this is currently worked out people who take a break from FL will get double penalized through slower DKP gain and suffer from DKP decay.  That means that he has less and less incentive to come back to FL if he takes a break.  It's ok to design a system that decays some of the buying power of people who take breaks, but when you couple it with the slower DKP gain formula(due to the LRA factor) you put people into a pit they cannot get out of.  This means that while you have strong incentive for retention, you have strong disincentive for someone to come back.

Using the 30-day RA instead you have incentive for people to raid in smaller 30-day blocks, but anyone who takes a break will only have to suffer smaller gains for 30 days starting when he gets back.  

30 day RA seems to be the way to go then.  I'll try and look into the calculations for this and post them here for some input.



- Furro

2183

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 10, 2009, 01:36:47 AM »

Don't do that last thing you just mentioned in the way you've outlined.  People who bid the minimum bid will always have roughly the same chance of winning anything as any other bid so it behooves everyone to always bid min.  There should be a reason for someone to bid higher, and that's not reflected in that suggestion.

I agree, I wouldn't implement it in that fashion either.  I only mentioned it here, to spark some discussion on possible ways it could be altered to work with Freelance.   I like the random factor, but I want some valid reason for high bids as well.


- Furro

2184

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 09, 2009, 11:04:14 PM »

  
Radical idea for incorporating a chance factor.


Loot Distribution

I wrote up this loot idea that I came across.  It incorporates a random factor, within a DKP system.   I was thinking with some modifcations it maybe workable with Freelance.

It's based on open bidding for DKP valued items.  The twist is, highest bidder doesn't necessarily win the item.   It all comes down to chance in the end.   So it's really just how much DKP are you willing to risk for a particular item.  Do you feel lucky?

Here's an example:

Let's say Item_01 drops and a base value is set at 100 DKP.  We open bids on the item and 5 individuals bid ranging from 100 to 175 DKP.

Now those 5 bidders /random their DKP bids!   The person with the resulting number closest to their bid, wins the item.

So, using the above 5 bidders, let's say these are the outcomes:

100 bidder rolls 97
110 bidder rolls a 10
125 bidder rolls a 56
125 bidder rolls a 91
175 bidder rolls a 20

In this case, the LOWEST bidder won and it's completely fair, since he had the points to bid with.  This allows people to put their own weight on item value, and not be shut out by some DKP hoarder who bids high.

It's interesting to me and adds a chance element.  Another point is, we can still set base values for the opening bid.  Of course, we wouldn't allow fractions of DKP to be bid and ties could be addressed with /random 1k perhaps.


Feel free to comment!

- Furro

2185

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Freelance DKP

« on: February 09, 2009, 09:11:05 PM »

 
Terminology:

Current DKP - An individuals total total point pool or holdings.

Lifetime Raid Attendance - Expressed as a percent.  This value represents total hours raided with Freelance (an individual running total from first raid attended).

I don't like this part here.  Suppose someone raided once with FL after dkp starts and takes a break, then a year down the line he comes back.  Wouldn't his LRA be adversely affected by the time gap in between?

Removed duplicate word 'total' noted above in draft version.  Changelog updated.

This is only a terminology section.  It's used to define any abbreviations and terms for clarity.  How these terms come into play later should be address in the relevant sections further in.  

However, to answer your question.  If someone were to take a year hiatus from Freelance and return.  His LRA would of course reflect this.  Again, this is merely a stat, that's being tracked.   How we use it to factor in decay or something else, or NOTHING at all except for tracking is something that I feel is flexible.

Having said this, I'm totally open to changes with how we use LRA.  I think if we can find a delicate balance using it in a fair way, that'd be great.

 

DKP Gain, Loss & Decay

DKP Gains:

2 DKP for early clear (bonus, not always applied)
Explain what this means.

Rewording early clear to better define.

Trash Clearing - Applied to events with excessive amounts of trash mobs that must be cleared before reaching the main event target(s).

This is something bonus and not always applied.  I removed the word 'early' so that it can be used in different stages of the raid.   Early implies during gather or something, which isn't exactly what I want it used for exclusively.

I wanted to add this bonus in, to account for zones like Meldrath’s Majestic Mansion, where it's known to have alot of trash to clear prior to each event etc.  The zone I mention is only an example. I want some form of bonus option available in the system so it's there and can be used when needed.

While I'm on the topic of DKP Gain, I realise this area is going to require alot of adjustment.  We may have to increase value per hour, or allow gains in half hour increments etc.  This is all open for debate.  I value everyones insight and past experiences with other DKP systems for what works and doesn't.


Changelog updates:

- Added "Trash Clearing" with it's associated deinfition above, to Terminology section.  
- Adjusted wording under DKP Gains section, relating to Trash Clearing, from 'early clear' to 'Trash Clearing'.  
- Replaced variable 'early_clear' to 'trash_clearing' in section DKP Gain Forumla.
- Replaced wording 'early clear' to 'trash clearing' in the example, under DKP Gain Forumla section.

 
DKP Gain Formula is:

1 + ( lifetime_attendance/100) [ hour_value ( total_hours ) + early_clear + attendance_check ]

Bracket above.  Lifetime Raid Attendance is too potent of a factor, I'd multiply it by 1.x so that you dilute the effect it has on DKP gain.  Or LRA might be too flawed to keep.  SF uses a 30-day version of this where your attendance % in the last 30 days is the modifier that's used.  That might be better for FL.

What I was trying to do here, was give newcomers a boost on DKP gains.  But at the same time, reward those who maintain high attendance.  For example, a newcomer (first time attending our raid), would have 100% lifetime attendance.  So right away, the LRA is not a detriment, but can allow someone new to gain fast DKP and catchup to someone who has say a 75% LRA.  If they don't continue to attend raids, of course, they shouldn't be rewarded and thus, LRA has less effect on their gains.  I guess it's two fold what I'm trying to accomplish, which is retention.

I'm aware of the 30, 60, 90 day DKP attendance systems, but I just wanted to toy around with this idea here to see if it can work.  I'll take a closer look at SF's system and others to see how it pans out.

DKP Loss & Decay

There are two methods which cause the loss of DKP:  Spending and Decay

Decay:

It looks like points will decay only if you start missing raids, is this right?  The purpose of point decay should not be to force regular attendance, but rather to encourage spending.  This section should be reworked to reflect that.

Indirectly having LRA tied into decay, rewards those who show up more to Freelance raids, by not having their DKP decay (after the grace period elapses).  We could easily set ceilings where say someone reaches 500 DKP and caps out.  But what's to stop someone from capping out, and then banking that DKP for 3 months until we're in higher content and coming back spending it on items?  This is the kinda thing I want to avoid, no one should be able to bank DKP while taking long periods of absence from FL raids.

Don't get me wrong here, I want to encourage spending of DKP.  However, at the same time, I feel we need to reward regulars for attendance.   The grace period factor is there for a reason also, to lessen the hurt before decay kicks in.  Keep in mind, this grace period can be adjusted upwards if it's felt by others as too low.  Lots of options we can do here to find a balance imo.

 

Item Cost

Not all items will cost DKP.  To clarify, at the moment armor and weapons will have an associated DKP cost attatched.

Item Cost Formula:   [(hit_points + mana) / 2 ] / [20 + focus_value1, 2, 3...]
The focus_value modifier should be in the numerator because those sorts of things make an item more valuable.

We could just increase the focus_value numbers.  Items with 1 focus, value 4.  Items with 2 focus, value 8.  This is highly class dependant.  I doubt we're going to find any easy way to calculate focus/clicky importance.  Especially on ALL/ALL items.   Post your formulas, or modify the current one to how you feel it could work.  We have to be careful here also, inflating base value of items for whatever reasons, has to be within the ballpark of achievable to an average attendee through DKP Gains.   What I mean here is, we can't push up the price so high, that it'd take 2 months to earn enough DKP to buy the item.

Item Cost Decay

Instead of a formula for item cost decay.  It could be addressed by setting a threshold, that once reached item cost would drop by a set percentage.  These percentages could be tweaked as needed.   Be it 10% of DKP value, 25% etc., once X number of items dropped.   It will entirely depend on the item and demand.
Example of this please, I'm uncertain as to what the process here is.

This is totally open ended atm.  Our class makup per raid is so sporadic, that item demand changes from raid to raid.  This has me leaning towards changing the 'Aye/highest holder' system shown further below, to a bid style system with a chaotic element attached (I'll post details on this after).

On a related note regarding the bid comment above, we would still have opening bid values assigned.

Decay may have to be set on a nightly basis, based on current demand that night.  To avoid abuse, collusion among raiders by not bidding to force item value down, we could fallback on /random 1k any items no one bid on.  At least this way it'd open it up to newcomers and/or those without enough dkp.

Miscellaneous Items

Key-type items needs to be addressed.  

Changelog updates:

- Added 'Key-type items' to the list of Miscellaneous Items
- Organized Miscellaneous Items shown, to a list format.
- Added a disclaimer for possible future changes to listed items under the 'Miscellaneous Items' section.

This section is to cover items outside Armor and Weapons.  Armor includes non-visible slots.

Items listed here will be distributed via normal /random 1000 methods.

• Augments
• Progression Flags
• Runes for spells/discs
• Key-Type Items

Note:  Any item listed here is subject to change and have an assigned DKP value attached.

Loot Distribution Proceedure

No Ayes (2nd Pass):

If no person Ayes on an item on the first pass, it is open for those who lack Current DKP holdings.  This applies to newcomers and/or individuals in Negative DKP standing.

This effectively means that the only loot a new person can win is something not wanted by any of the raiders with positive dkp. The difference can be as little as one hour of time between the winner and loser.  This doesn't seem significant enough to me to say that x deserves loot over y.

I understand your concern here.  We could scrap 2nd pass altogether, and open it up to /random 1000.   At least then it would be open to newcomers.  We could still apply the DKP value to the winner also.

Suggestion
Transitory phase between current /ran 1000 and dkp:
- /ran 1000 before every box is opened, if the /ran is < 900 then use the current /ran 1000 method, but if the /ran is >= 900 then use the dkp system.
- next week do the same, but use 800 as the marker instead
- continue dropping by 100 until zero is reached or stop early because you want even the newest person to have a chance at anything

I support this kind of transitory period we discussed this last week.  However, in haste, totally forgot to incorporate it into the draft.  I wanted to get this draft posted to get feedback ASAP.  I've since added this transitory section to the draft.  The changelog reflects the addition.

Changelog updates:

- Added Section: 'Transition Phase', along with associated details

Transition Phase

A temporary measure in which Freelance will gradually phase out aspects of /random for main means of loot distribution.  In place, phase in our DKP loot distribution system.  This will be done using the following method:

Before each bounty of loot is opened, if the Raid Leaders /random 1000 results in < 900, then the current /random 1000 method is used for loot.

Next weekend, same as above is applied, except this time the marker is lowered to < 800.

Each weekend, the marker is dropped by 100, until zero is reached or until a happy medium is decided.  


Note: Whether we phase out /random completely is undecided at this time.  I've allowed wording from above to give us flexibility for changes.  As Thewun pointed out, by not zeroing out the marker, it will allow newcomers a chance at loot.



Thanks for your comments Thewun.

- Furro

2186

Freelance Ramblings / Freelance DKP & Random

« on: February 06, 2009, 10:54:22 PM »

    
Freelance is changing over to a DKP & Random loot system.

This is a massive change to how loot will be done on Freelance raids.  Since this isn't a guild, the system will have to be adjusted to deal with an open raid concept.  A system that doesn't shutout new members from joining.

Post your comments in this thread.  I'll be replying or editing this post, with updated DKP rules as they're ironed out.  This way it's an open process and you can see what's being considered.  I value your insight and hope this process will help iron out details which may get overlooked.

Objective:

The main objective here, is to create a fair system that rewards regular attending members, but at the same time gives newcomers a chance at loot.  Through collaboration, this document will be revised to reflect valid concerns of fairness, close potenial loopholes for abuse and trim up areas I may have accidently overlooked.  Once finalized, it should explain clearly how loot opportunities are fairly available to everyone, including those with limited playtimes.  In addition, it should explain in detail all calculations where applicable.

Please keep an open mind and add your concerns or suggestions by posting a reply within this thread.  Thanks.


 
    

Freelance Hybrid DKP System

HTML Version

Freelance EQDKP Database

System Overview

Freelance uses a hybrid DKP system for item distribution during raids.   The system incorporates both random chance and point rewards for participation.  This document explains the hybrid system, it's rules and related procedures.

A condensed overview of Freelance loot rules are explained at the start of each raid, and/or prior to item distribution.


Zero-tolerance Policy

We have a zero-tolerance policy with regards to item distribution.  If you're not sure on any aspect of the rules below, it's your responsibility to ask questions.  We recommend you never loot an item unless told to do so explicitly by the Raid Leader or someone designated with Raid Authority.  Looting something out of turn, and then claiming you didn't understand the rules is not acceptable and will result in a ban for life from Freelance raids.


Terminology

This section defines terms and abbreviations used within this system and/or during item distribution.
 
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TERM		DEFINITION
Loot		Items considered of value that drop during raids.  Usually from main events, but sometimes from other sources.
Loot Bounty		A collection of items considered of value that drop at an event.  Normally found after successful completion
		of an event.
Bounty Total		A value derived from total spent DKP on a per target basis.  Used in calculating DKP earnings.
/random		In-game random dice rolling, it can be any range between 0 to 32000.  Freelance uses 0 to 1000
		(example: /random 1000).
Real Life Person		This applies to a single person in the real world playing single or multiple characters in-game.
		All their characters are considered the same person, even if the person is boxing someone elses character.
FFA		This means "free for all".  In the context of this section, an item called as FFA is open to anyone who wants it
		without a /random or cost attached.
OPEN		Items tied to a category, that have gone through a first pass for distribution, where no player interest was
		declared.  These items are still subject to the DKP cost attached.
Last Call		This is done as a last warning call before /randoms are closed for the particular item.
Regular Loot		Items tied to the "LOOT" category, are items that count towards your loot for the night.
DKP		"Dragon Kill Points".  In general this is our system used to quantify loot distribution based on raid participation.
		These points are awarded for time spent on our raids, and used as currency to purchase items of value.
Current DKP		An individuals total point pool or holdings.
Mains, Alternates,		Different forms of character classification.  For the purpose of DKP tracking, these are all considered
Bots, Non-Mains		one and the same, in that they're equal individual entities and tracked as such.
Raid Attendance		An individuals participiation count, that is tracked.
Item Cost		A numerical value attached to an item.

Item Distribution

Freelance uses both DKP and Random 1000 to distribute items.  All items are associated with a category, and each category tied to a ruleset; which is used for item distribution.

* Important: DKP is still a factor, regardless of distribution method used (DKP/Random).  What this means is, you still earn DKP for an event where an item is distributed via /random.  By the same token, any items won via random, the DKP value attached is deducted from your Current DKP holdings.  For a newcomer, winning a /random, it's entirely possible to go into negative Current DKP holdings.  This can be alievated, by continuing to show up for raids.


Item Categories

Items categorized in this section, fall within the confines of the Freelance Hybrid DKP System.  Each "Real Life" person is allowed to participate, winning one AUG, LOOT, RUNE, and NA item per night.  "OPEN" items still count as your item in that category for the night, and are available to anyone, including prior winners.
 

     1         2         ]3         ]3         ]4         ]

CATEGORY		DEFINITION		RULESET		DKP BASE
AUG		Augmentation Item		Random 1000		10
LOOT		Regular Loot Item		DKP		10
RUNE		Spell / Melee Disc		Random 1000		5
N/A		Miscellaneous Items		Random 1000 & Raid Attendance		0
OPEN		Used in conjunction with above categories		Random 1000

In-game Preliminary:

 - Condensed version of the loot rules is covered in /raidsay
 - Loot Bounty is linked in /raidsay
 - "Doing loot now" call is made in /raidsay

Retro Content - Item Distribution by Player Request:

At the time of item distribution, the chest contents will be linked in /raidsay, and players interested are asked to link in the FLRaids channel the items they want processed.  The purpose of this procedure is to expedite the distribution process of low demand items.

Random 1000 Ruleset

Overview

All applicable category items are distributed via Random 1000 Ruleset.  Highest number wins; with one random per item, per "Real Life" person; and limited to one item win a night.


Stipulations

The following conditions are in play during the random ruleset:

• Strict /random format 0 - 1000

   

• One /random per item, per "Real Life" person

   

• One item win a night

   

• AUG, RUNE and LOOT categorized items, are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

   

• N/A items may be subject to a Raid Attendance factor to determine eligibility for random.

   

• OPEN items tied to a category, are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

   

• OPEN items are processed LAST.

   

• Identical items subject to Random 1000 Ruleset, are processed in a single pass.

   

• Items available for NPC Trade-In are distributed in the following order: LOOT, LOOT OPEN, LOOT OPEN (Classes: ALL).  These items are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

Exceptions

The exceptions to the above random ruleset are as follows:

• "OPEN" items still count as your item in that category for the night, and are available to anyone, including prior winners.

 

• The Random procedure will be bypassed for class specific items, that fall under any category, when only one person of said class is in attendance.  The item will be categorized at that time only, by the Raid Leader, as FFA.

Random Ruleset Procedure

This section covers the format used during random ruleset.


Random Process Format:

/ran 1000 on < item_link > - < category >, GL!

< approximately 15 second window for randoms >

Last call on < item_link > (15 seconds).

< approximately 15 second window for randoms >

./random CLOSED.

Congrats < player_name > on < item_link > (their number rolled).


Random Process Completion:

After the items have been randomed off, a "Loot up winners!" call is done in /raidsay.  After which, winners may loot their item(s).


Random Ruleset Do's & Don'ts

This is a friendly reminder area to cover some common sense aspects of random.

Do's:

• Do understand our loot rules and ask questions on details you're not sure about.

   

• Do make sure you're near the person doing loot, so your /random is not out of range.

   

• Do try and make sure the item is usable by your class (ie, that the item lists your class where appropriate).

   

• Do make sure you are /randoming on the character that will be looting the item if you win (this applies to boxed characters).

Don'ts:

• Don't random if you have no intention of looting the item on win (ie: no joke randoms for fun, it's confusing and slows us down).

   

• Don't deviate from our /random 1000 format.  No exceptions are made (ie: /random 1 1000 is not acceptable, so don't do it).

   

• Don't make any side deals (offering money or whatever) to the higher rollers if you're the runner up to make them pass, so you can win the item.

   

• Don't AFK if you're waiting to /random on something.  We don't have all night to wait around for you to return.

Disclaimer:

Any category items being distributed in this fashion are done so on a per item basis.  Any item that does not fall under the Random 1000 Ruleset is made clear at the time of distribution.  These items are most likely, but not always, covered in the Miscellaneous Items section.

DKP Ruleset

Overview

All applicable category items are distributed via DKP Ruleset.

Raiders decide the value of an item, based on their desire to have it.

All items being auctioned have a base open bid value of 10 DKP.

Minimum bid increments of 5 DKP at a time.
 
There are 3 rounds of bidding, all done in /raidsay.

A player cannot bid more then his Current DKP holdings.


Stipulations

The following conditions are in play during the DKP ruleset:

• Strict Bid War format

   

• One bidder only, per "Real Life" person (no bidding on multiple boxed characters).

   

• One item win a night, per "Real Life" person.

   

• Tie or Matched Bids are ONLY permitted when an individual's current DKP holdings are equal to the current bid at the time.

   

• LOOT categorized items, are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

   

• OPEN items tied to a category, are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

   

• Items available for NPC Trade-In are distributed in the following order: LOOT, LOOT OPEN, LOOT OPEN (Classes: ALL).  These items are subject to the DKP cost attached, which is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings.

Exceptions

The exceptions to the above DKP ruleset are as follows:

• "OPEN" items still count as your item in that category for the night, and are available to anyone, including prior winners.

 

• The DKP procedure will be bypassed for class specific items, that fall under any category, when only one person of said class is in attendance.  The item will be categorized at that time only, by the Raid Leader, as FFA.

 

• Minimum bid exception - If your MAX TOTAL Current DKP holdings does not fall within 5 DKP; in which case you are allow to go all in.
  

Bid War Procedure

Shown here is the bid process format, all done in /raidsay, including those bidding on items.

Taking bids on < item_link > - < category >.   Starting at 10 DKP!

< approximately 15 second window for bids >

< GOING ONCE > at < HIGHEST DKP BID >

< approximately 15 second window for additional bids >

< GOING TWICE > at < HIGHEST DKP BID >

< approximately 15 second window for additional bids >

Bidding CLOSED.

Congrats < player_name > on < item_link > for < bid_amount > DKP!


Ties Between Bidders
 
Tied bids are resolved via Random 1000 Ruleset, between the tied bidders.  The item cost used is the tied bid value.

Tied Bidders Format:

Tied Maximum Bids! - ONLY: < player_names >, /random 1000 now on < item_link > for < tied_bid_value > DKP!

Last call (tied bidders only) on < item_link >, for < tied_bid_value > DKP!

./random CLOSED.

Congrats < player_name > on < item_link > for  < tied_bid_value > DKP.


No bidders on an item
 
Three elapsed rounds of no bids and the item will be processed as "OPEN", via the Random 1000 Ruleset.


Disclaimer:

Any category items being distributed in this fashion are done so on a per item basis.  Any item that does not fall under the DKP Ruleset is made clear at the time of distribution.  These items are most likely, but not always, covered in the Miscellaneous Items section.

DKP Gain & Loss

This area explains the factors that relate to earning and spending DKP.


Dynamic DKP Earning

DKP is earned based on the total value of loot distributed, divided by the total number of attendees, on a per event or target basis.

Formula: [ bounty_total / raid_attendance ]

Note:  bounty_total is dynamic, that means constantly changing.  Covered in section below under 'Dynamic DKP Spending'  with fixed minimum opening bid value per item.

All totals rounded to the nearest whole number.

Example 1:

Bounty Total: 500 DKP
Max minimum Bounty Total: 40 DKP (that's 10 DKP per item, 4 items)

Raid Attendance: 35
Win DKP Earned: 14
Fail DKP Earned: 1

Fail calculation:

= (40/35)
=  1.14


Dynamic DKP Spending

Items being auctioned for DKP, go through an open bid process.  Once done, the highest bid value is attached to that particular item.  This item value is deducted from the winners Current DKP holdings (with appropriate taxes applied).

Auction details are covered in section 'DKP Ruleset'


DKP Tax

In order to encourage DKP spending, and help stem off hoarding, all items are subject to a tax.  For every 1 DKP held, ensues a tax of 0.25%.   This tax is applied only on spent items.  So for example, someone with 150 DKP holdings, would pay 37.5% more for an item.

All totals are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Formula:  [ dkp_holdings ( tax_rate ) ] ( item_cost )

Example:

Player_A: 150 DKP holdings
Item Cost: 20 DKP
Player_A Cost: 28 DKP

Calculations:

= (150 (0.0025))(20)
= 0.375 (20)
= 7.5



* Important: Tax is not in effect at this time.  We're still in the early stages of this DKP system, and having tax in place as we're seeding the system is counter productive.  We may need to tweak with the tax rate also, but for now numbers are needed in the system to see how everything works out.

* Be aware:  Tax is calculated only after items are purchased.  This means, don't factor in tax to find out what you have available to bid with.  Simply use your Current DKP holdings as a ceiling during bidding.  It's entirely possible and normal, after tax is calculated from a purchase, to go into negative DKP territory.

Raid Attendance

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This section covers attendance procedure, stipulations, exceptions, and abuse.


Raid Attendance Procedure

Each person's raid attendance, is the determining factor as to whether they earn DKP and the amount for any particular raid.


DKP Check Procedure

• At start - when clearing trash, and/or prepping for an event or target.
• At event or target engage.
• At finish - when raid is done for the night.

Note:  Start/Finish checks are always 1 DKP.


Raid Attendance Stipulations

To be considered in attendance, you must meet the following conditions:

• Ready for action
• In the zone specified
• Within range of the raid

Raid Attendance Exceptions

There are no exceptions to the above stipulations.  This includes the following:

• No adjustments for LD / RIP time elapsed.
• No additions for joining after RA check.
• No other excuses, including real life emergencies will be considered, ever.

The list above, may seem harsh.  But the reality is, there's no accurate way in which the Raid Leader can make adjustments and be fair to everyone.  There's just no taking anyone at face value regarding any situation that may affect ones attendance.  The moment any adjustment is made, it raises speculation as to biases/favoritisms.

Everyone must just deal with the fact, that they will miss attendance checks from time to time for whatever reason(s).  Receiving half credit for a raid, is still better then receiving no credit.


Raid Attendance Abuse

This is to address and stem off possible abuse of the RA check system.

RA abuse constitutes showing up for an attendance check, then promptly leaving afterwards in order to receive credit.

1 DKP Start Check taken +/- 5 minutes from official start time.

Just a friendly word of warning.  These types of abuse to the system are easy to spot and can be tracked using pattern parsing techniques behind the scenes.  Freelance logs everything.  Any abusers will be banned for life from Freelance raids.


Inactive Raiders

* Be aware: This section will be reviewed and possibly revised at some future point.  At this time, there is no DKP decay in place.  The DKP system is setup to track activity, and simply mark any individual who exceeds the threshold set below.

A raider is considered inactive when they do not meet the following condition:  120 days without attending any Freelance raids.

Miscellaneous Items

Progression Items

Progression items such as Key/Flags are distributed via the N/A category.  N/A items inherit the guidelines associated with the ruleset used at the time of distribution.


Special Case Items

Items that spawn instances; unlock doors; and/or otherwise required for raid functionality are distributed to the Raid Leader, or those with Raid Authority.





CHANGELOG:
- Fixed up some brackets on the formulas
- Removed duplicate word in description of Current DKP under the Terminology section.
- Added "Trash Clearing" with it's associated deinfition above, to Terminology section. 
- Adjusted wording under DKP Gains section, relating to Trash Clearing, from 'early clear' to 'Trash Clearing'. 
- Replaced variable 'early_clear' to 'trash_clearing' in section DKP Gain Forumla.
- Replaced wording 'early clear' to 'trash clearing' in the example, under DKP Gain Forumla section.
- Added 'Key-type items' to the list of Miscellaneous Items
- Organized Miscellaneous Items section to a list format.
- Added a disclaimer for possible future changes to listed items under the 'Miscellaneous Items' section.
- Added Section: 'Transition Phase', along with associated details
- Fixed 'DKP Gain Formula' in sub-section 'DKP Gains' (brackets misplaced)
- Adjusted 'Item Cost Formula' in 'Item Cost' section
- Changed variable in 'Item Cost Formula' under the 'Item Cost' section from value 20 representing tier, to variable 'tier'
- Adjusted Examples in 'DKP Gain Formula' and 'Item Cost' to use the revised formulas
- Revised procedure/circumstances in sub-section 'No Ayes (2nd pass) under section 'Loot Distribution Procedure'
- Revised/added sub-sections/related material under 'Transition Phase' section
- Fixed typo and sentence structure under section 'Item Cost'
- Removed sections: 'DKP Gain, Loss & Decay', 'Item Cost', 'Item Cost Decay', and 'Loot Distribution Procedure'
- Added sub-sections: 'Dynamic DKP Earning', 'Dynamic DKP Spending' under section 'DKP Gain & Loss'.
- Added sections: 'DKP Tax' and 'MIA Players'
- Revised wording in sub-section 'Dynamic DKP Earning' under section 'DKP Gain & Loss'
- Removed the following terms and descriptions under 'Terminology' section: 'Decay', Lifetime Raid Attendance', 'Lifetime DKP', 'Negative DKP', 'Trash Clearing'
- Added 'Raid Attendance' and its description, under section 'Terminology'
- Revised 'Item Cost' description under section 'Terminology'
- Revised wording in sub-section 'Dynamic DKP Spending' under section 'DKP Gain & Loss'
- Added section 'Raid Attendance'
- Added sub-sections: 'Raid Attendance Procedure', 'Raid Attendance Stipulations', 'Raid Attendance Exceptions', 'Raid Attendance Abuse'
- Revised 'MIA Players' section
- Added clause to section 'Transition Phase'
- Adjusted tax rate from 0.5% to 0.25% under section 'DKP Tax'
- Revised wording/figures in section 'DKP Tax'
- Modified 'Be Aware' clause, under section 'Transition Phase'
- Revised 'Raid Attendance' definition,  under section 'Terminology'
- Added 'Bounty Total' and its description, under section 'Terminology'
- Clarified wording under sub-section 'Dynamic DKP Earning', under section 'DKP Gain & Loss'
- Revised wording in sub-section 'Dynamic DKP Spending', under section 'DKP Gain & Loss'
- Added section 'Open Bid Wars'
- Added sub-sections 'Overview' and 'Bid War Procedure', under section 'Open Bid Wars'
- Corrected a value in the tax example, under section 'DKP Tax'
- Adjusted sub-section 'Bid War Procedure' bid window time from 10-15 to 30, under section 'Open Bid Wars'
- Corrected spelling in various sections
- Removed 'Transition Phase' sections and related sub-sections.
- Added 'Loot Distribution States' section.
- Added sub-section 'Loot Distribution State Procedure', under section 'Loot Distribution States'.
- Removed 'MIA Players' section.
- Added 'Inactive Raiders' section
- Changed document title from 'Freelance DKP System' to 'Freelance Hybrid DKP System'
- Added additional terminology to section 'Terminology'
- Added sections 'System Overview' and 'Zero-Tolerance Policy'
- Added 'Random Loot Ruleset' section
- Added sub-sections: 'Overview', 'Stipulations', 'Exceptions', 'Random Ruleset Procedure', 'Random Ruleset Do's & Don'ts', Disclaimer' and related contents therein, under section 'Random Loot Ruleset'
- Renamed 'Open Bid Wars' section, to 'DKP Loot Ruleset'
- Rearranged  and reworded sections to help with flow.
- Added HTML link of the document, that points to the main Freelance site.
- Added EQDKP database link, that points to the Freelance EQDKP database.
- Changed Topic title to better reflect the system being represented.
- Rearranged the sections to help correspond the flow as I have it laid out on the main site.
- Added sub-sections 'Ties between Bidders', 'No bidders on an item', under section 'DKP Loot Ruleset'
- Revised section 'Terminology', terms: "Open to All", "Regular Loot".  Changes flow throughout the document.
- Revised  section 'Loot Distribution States', Activation of hybrid state clause, with associated effective date.
- Revised section 'Random Loot Ruleset', sub-sections: 'Description', 'Stipulations', 'Exceptions', 'Random Ruleset Procedure', 'Disclaimer'.
- Revised section 'DKP Loot Ruleset', sub-sections: 'Description', 'Exceptions', 'Bid War Procedure', 'Disclaimer'.
- Revised section 'Miscellaneous Items' rephrased and category additions.
- Added section 'Item Categories'
- Fixed spelling and sentence structure and other minor omissions
- Changed section title 'Loot Distribution States' to 'Item Distribution States'
- Changed sub-section title 'Loot Distribution States Procedure' to 'Item Distribution States Procedure'
- Changed section title 'Random Loot Ruleset' to 'Random 1000 Ruleset'
- Changed section title 'DKP Loot Ruleset' to 'DKP Ruleset'
- Adjusted wording/removed table within the 'Miscellaneous Items' section
- Added N/A Category, to cover miscellaneous items
- Under DKP Tax sub-section, added 'Important' clause.
- Changed wording in 'Terminology' section, for term: 'Raid Attendance'.
- Changed sub-section 'Dynamic DKP Earning' description.
- Changed sub-section 'Raid Attendance Procedure' description.
- Added sub-section 'DKP Check Procedure' under section 'Raid Attendance'
- Amended sub-sections 'Exceptions' in sections 'Random 1000 Ruleset', and 'DKP Ruleset'
- Adjusted timeframes and format under procedure, in sections: 'Random 1000 Ruleset', and 'DKP Ruleset'
- Minor verbiage changes addressed below within the related process/procedural areas to reduce the amount of typing required.
- Reformatted areas for easier reading, by reducing bolded sections.
- Item Distribution States changed from 50/50, to 70/30.
- Item Distribution State Procedure changed to reflect 70/30 adjustment
- Changed section Item Categories, table item Miscellaneous Item, added RA factor.
- Changed section Random 1000 Ruleset, sub-section Stipulations, added N/A items reference to factor in RA
- Changed section Random 1000 Ruleset, sub-section Stipulations, added NPC Trade-In procedure
- Changed section DKP Ruleset, sub-section Stipulations, added NPC Trade-In procedure
- Added "No Tie Bids" to DKP system, related Stipulations sub-section, altered to reflect change.
- N/A inheritance reference to 'Item Category' description
- Fixed wording in the 'Miscellaneous Items' section for clarity.
- Removed 'Item Distribution State Procedure' section.
- Renamed 'Item Distribution States' to 'Item Distribution'.
- Section 'Item Categories' changed to sub-section and included under 'Item Distribution' section.
- Added "OPEN" Category to table in 'Item Categories' sub-section for clarity as to purpose.
- Changed 'Random 1000 Ruleset', sub-sections: Overview, Stipulations.
- Corrected missing category 'RUNE', under 'Random 1000 Ruleset' section, sub-section 'Stipulations'.
- Changed 'DKP Ruleset', sub-sections: Overview, No Bidders on an Item.
- Reformatted terms section for cleaner presentation.  No new terms added.
- Added Minimum 5 dkp increments and related exception clause.
- Added clause: Retro Content - Item Distribution by Player Request.
- Changed: OPEN items to be processed LAST.
- Changed: Identical items subject to Random 1000 Ruleset, will be processed in a single pass.
- Changed: Start DKP check from +/- 15 mins to 5 mins of official start time.

2187

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Attendance, and dkp.

« on: July 08, 2012, 10:20:13 PM »

 
Ssark and I discussed your post late last night, and he took point on the reply.  His reply shares both our views.

I'll reiterate one thing though.  You're not alone with T2 landing on Wed conflicting with your other schedule.  There's a couple others in the same boat.  Weds were only added to alleviate the schedule, because we were getting jammed up trying to cover too many events while going hard on HoT flagging for example and maintaining VoA farms/progression efforts.  I'm sure you follow where I'm coming from here, but for others interested, I'll explain as brief as possible:

We frequently work two expansions at the same time.  The biggest bottleneck for us is always flagging. It's rarely gatekeepers (with the exception here and there, but not anything in excess of months).

So here's the quick skinny from a short junction back in our progression process,

T3 HoT has hidden flags, in addition to Tremulous Keys.  We purposely hit T3 raids repeatedly to ensure we tap the max 9 Trems ASAP, and to cover as many characters as possible in the spread (the raids landed different nights).

In the meantime, we had to maintain our VoA farms, and continue progress on that front.  Giving these up at the time, would have been foolishness, as the overall power gains are important, just as it is to continue progression/flagging.

There's a classic flagging squeeze that always happens when we reach a junction in one or more expansions.  How bad it is depends entirely on the flag requirements of the expansion(s).

HoT is just terrible for T3/SS flagging, as the hidden flags is what nails us.  Technically, I would argue it's worse then UF (from T8 on anyway, where Audience is needed, so once you reach critical mass, you can work the rest with backflagging methods both in Conv and a rerun on Audience once in a while for the hidden).  Well, for HoT as you know, it's not 1 hidden, it's 5, and a SS key to be SS flagged.  Couple this with no method to backflag in SS, and you can see where we're going here.  Getting those 9 SS keys in ASAP weekly is priority, and that means getting critical mass for Fear/MC asap, and naturally, that's hitting MN/ALK/Upper hard.

Now, this past weekend, we purposely hit MN/ALK on Saturday for players who were missing them prior due to their schedule.  It was productive, and we'll field more going into Fear/MC this upcoming week.  In addition, we're now at the point where we can skip MN/ALK/Upper, and keep an eye on turnover/pigs and schedule backflagging as demand dictates.

With MN/ALK/Upper temporarily off the rotation, that leaves a big window for Fear/MC (to learn MC for starters, Fear for the SS flag/hidden coverage).

On the VoA side, backflagging isn't an issue simply by design.  Therefore, dropping Argath for example, frees up another hour time slot in our schedule for VoA progression and/or where we need it given the situation at the time.

The raid schedule is done up in the rough basically weekly.  It's not set in stone simply due to our dynamic makeup nightly, and we ebb and flow on turnout for various reasons. 

T2/T3 VoA raid targets have and will continue to shift around, even though recently they havn't been.  Hang in there is the only advice I can give currently.  I hope everyone understands why we've been doing it this way as of late.

3) More pie.  All this talk about pie, and I have yet to see a single slice.

Pie is not for sharing! <hoard hoard>

2188

Freelance Ramblings / Edge Walk!

« on: September 03, 2011, 06:34:49 PM »

 

Edge Walk!

Off topic from EQ.

On Thursday, my father and I took part in an Edge Walk at the CN Tower.  For anyone outside Canada, you may not be familiar with the CN Tower, but it's one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world.

Basically, Edge Walk is where you walk around the outside of the observation deck at a height of 356 metres (1,168ft) above the ground with no handrails.  Fun stuff!

As I went into detail in chat on Thursday, you're wearing a harness tied to a rack system and you can freely move around the 1.5 metre wide walkway that wraps around the tower.

Below is the procedure roughly to prep/reaching outside:

Prep room:

• Removal of all watches/loose items, metal objects, earrings etc.

 

• Breathalyzer Test

 

• Explosive substance Test

 

• Metal Scanner

 

• Put on orange jumpsuits.

 

• Harness

 

• You're checked TWICE in the prep room, for proper harness/clothing/footwear securely fastened.

Elevator up top, and you pass through locked doors to final chamber before going outisde:

• Instructor goes over some common sense stuff.

 

• Explanation of the tie-off/rack system in front of us that we each get hooked up to.

 

• Procedure for going outside.

 

• After hookup, we're checked AGAIN twice if I recall for hookup properly.

 

• Final tie put on clip so it's tamper proof (can't unhook yourself/others).

 

• Then door opens and we walk out!  Rawr!

Photos & Video

Hard to describe the experience without some video/pictures.  So first, here's are a few pictures.


PHOTOS:


               

CNTowerEdgeWalk2011-5.jpg		Me! Rawr!
CNTowerEdgeWalk2011-3.jpg		With my father!
CNTowerEdgeWalk2011-8.jpg		Group shot (6 up at a time, these were the others up with us).

VIDEO: Edge Walk - Certain clips are available in HD, but I put it together in a standard playlist.  YouTube will set it for best performance/etc depending on your account settings/comp.

The video is shot from the instructors' headcam.  All done in HD, but they give you a DVD with both versions.  Plus you can pay an extra $10 for a USB stick of the digital photos/video segments.  I opted in for the extra stick since it's best to have digital copies for any prints down the road and storage.



Edge Walk Information

Here's the official site for Edge Walk, in case anyone is interested, and/or near Toronto and wants to take in an experience of a lifetime.

2189

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Furro killed the servers

« on: April 13, 2012, 11:47:11 PM »

 
Wasn't me!!


But on another note.  Earlier this week, I was afk in the lobby, minding my own business.  I just know you were part of this abuse:

I was a beautiful Halfling before I went afk <shakes fists!>

2190

Freelance Ramblings / Re: Thank You Friends

« on: April 08, 2012, 07:24:23 PM »

 
Thanks for attending! 

Just a heads up:

Lately we've been filling up at times on Friday/Saturdays.  Best way to secure a spot is to be in channel and ready just prior to the gather call going out (we gather 15-20 mins prior to our scheduled start times).

We do drop boxes to make room for "real life" players, however we also have a cut off time shortly after our scheduled start time as not to delay our starts excessively.

Hope to see you in game!