Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (or MMORPGs) are a unique experience for many gamers whether in groups or playing solo. The MMORPG scene is one filled with quests, adventuring, and most importantly: loot. What's commonly referred to as a grind is a slow progression to upgrade stats and gear until a player can achieve the goal of end-game content. The game has changed, however, in the past old-school MMORPGs followed a different approach to loot. Loot could be unique across the world and some players would never actually get the best gear. This is no longer the case.
Some players yearn for the old days of uniquely named items only being attainable by pure luck. When a player would walk by with a particular staff, or helm, everyone took notice. Nowadays, everyone can grind or loot box their way to get the best gear sets, and they can lack variety. However, the games have become more open and fair as most players should be able to achieve the best gear. Some MMORPGs have great loot systems, whether it be uniqueness, simplicity, or just a fun grind, these loot systems are worthy of a mention.
7 EverQuest 2
EverQuest 2 is not one of the first MMORPGs that comes to mind as the scene is now dominated by other games even though its predecessor, EverQuest, is considered to be the original MMORPG. With its vast world and variety of loot and equipment, it's more than worthy of mentioning. There is a fully fleshed-out crafting experience in EverQuest 2 and this is what makes looting so much more enjoyable. However, one downside is that exploration in EverQuest can sometimes lead players to find items that are restricted by level and equipment is degradable.
One thing to keep in mind is that some items are attunable which boosts their stats and will bind permanently to the character once attuned. This means that the benefits of the item will be added to the player’s character. Be warned that an item cannot be transferred between players once attuned. The game also features a trivial loot system to help lower-level players. This stops high-level players from taking loot from creatures, chests, and places that are far below their level. Another cool feature is that to improve current gear, players can adorn their equipment to bring up the stats. Overall the game is well-balanced, the loot system is a great mix of grind and everyone loves opening a chest at the end of a battle!
6 World Of Warcraft
Since 2004, World of Warcraft has been the mainstay of the MMORPG world. The sheer size and weight behind the brand mean it can transcend through to other walks of life and pop culture. Featuring in movies, and TV shows it is generally well-recognized even by non-gamers.
WoW carefully creates a smooth introduction for its new players to trap them into one of the best MMOs. The developer Blizzard is constantly updating the game and changing the experience, and the loot system is part of that improvement. The looting in WoW can be complicated as some groups will prefer different methods. The old-school way of doing it would be for a clan leader to be the distributor or arbiter of who gets what loot. The modern game now has other options but in most cases, personal loot is the preferred method. This way, each member will get a selection of loot and gold relative to their spec.
5 Albion Online
An MMORPG for lovers of PvP, Albion Online is a fantastic game to scratch the MMORPG itch. The game has some unique and fun features but one worth mentioning is the black market. The black market vendor in Caerleon will buy items at usually a lower rate but as more of these items get sold, the price for that item will increase. The fun part is when a player sells their item to the black market, it is transferred back into the game world. This means that players looting chests will find items that have already been looted and sold to the vendor.
This creates a nice little competition between players all fighting for similar items. The loot system is easy to understand, which makes it great for new players. There are the usual dungeon runs that will end with a shrine or a chest of one of the four rarities. Albion Online mixes great combat with a satisfying grind for more loot.
4 The Elder Scrolls Online
The Elder Scrolls Online loot system has changed significantly over the years, and it's in a much better place now. Players can go through dungeons and each player will be able to loot mobs and get a personal bit of loot. When taking on bosses, each player will be rewarded with a slice of loot, but the loot will be different. If a certain member of the party is looking for a particular drop, players can trade between themselves if need be.
However, chests and gathering nodes are not shared, this means first come, first served. So, players out in the delves or wilderness will need to be careful not to loot everything or be labeled the loot goblin of the group. There is also a loot-crate system that once required real payments to purchase crates, this has been phased out somewhat. Players now can complete daily and weekly quests that give seals of endeavor, an in-game currency that can be used to purchase crates. As with all MMORPGs, there is a grind involved and in ESO, the drop rates can be quite harsh for some players. However, some hardcore MMO players crave the grind as it makes the eventual success feel more satisfying.
3 Lost Ark
Lost Ark is a free-to-play MMORPG that's packed with loot, high-quality graphics, and a large amount of content for players to enjoy. The game made its debut in South Korea quite in 2019 and became a hit, its success meant it was then released across Europe and in both South and North America. Because it was already a well-established game, players in the West were met by a fine-tuned game with an engaging story and enough content to work through even after hitting the level cap.
The exciting thing about Lost Ark’s looting system is that is essentially a hybrid. It contains linear power upgrades by item level and a method to gain higher-rarity sets with better stats and bonuses by crafting. Players must complete certain dungeons and raids to find these pieces to craft into better sets. Each character will have a gear score in Lost Ark and in the late-game activities, players will need to increase this score to complete harder dungeons constantly. Upon finishing the main storyline, a 250 gear score is average, but this is where the grind begins.
2 Runescape - Old School
Runescape is an ancient but competent contender in the MMORPG world, for over 20 years this game has been a staple for many gamers and is still going strong. Runescape remains popular and has undergone many quality-of-life updates as well as new content. As with a lot of Runescape, the charm is in simplicity. The loot system aims to keep everything easy to understand. Some enemies will always drop some loot, but it is usually very common items such as bones. Although, the drops change from enemy to enemy, especially for bosses.
There are certain rules that it is handy for players to know, such as taggable and untaggable creatures. A taggable creature is ‘tagged’ to the character that attacks it first and therefore, will see the loot first. Untaggable creatures have specialist loot systems, like whoever dealt the most damage or splitting the loot equally. However, in Ironman mode, players must deal the most damage to an enemy to get its loot.
1 Lord Of The Rings Online
Not only does the Lord of The Rings Online have arguably the best lore and story to build a game world around, but it also has a nifty looting system. In the old days of Lord of The Rings Online, players would have to loot individual corpses, a tedious task in any game let alone an MMORPG. However, now, players will auto-collect all the loot that is in the vicinity, making it much less painful to loot. There is also an option to auto-destroy or loot all into the player’s actual inventory. The game is still releasing content and maintaining the quality of life aspects to ensure a great playing experience.
Two ways to collect loot in Lord of the Rings Online are via quest rewards or loot drops. Crafting in Lord of the Rings Online is also a viable option to turn loot into better gear, especially beneficial if players start at lower levels. As with most MMORPGs, players will need to improve their gear to progress to the end-game content. One nice thing about Lord of the Rings Online is that the game doesn't force players into tedious grinds but offers it to those who wish to grind. The questing aspect and exploration are still a big part of the game for many players.