Looting (gaming)
Encyclopedia
Looting in a gaming context, specifically in massively multiplayer online game
s (MMOGs) and MUD
s, is the process by which a player character
obtains items (or loot) such as in-game currency, spells
, equipment, or weapons, often from the corpse of a creature or possibly the corpse of another player in a PVP
situation (cf. looting
). These looted items will be placed into the player's own inventory. Loot is considered a reward for killing a creature or other player.
Looting may also be referred to in leet speak
as "lewting".
Many MMOGs have various loot distribution systems built into the game that attempt to take fairness into account, and can prevent some of these practices. Others have none at all, or only simplistic systems, or optional systems that can be turned on or off by the party's leader. Official player conduct policies also vary from game to game, as does player attitude.
s. Scavenging may be seen as a nuisance by some players, yet the scavenger is normally tolerated if he lets the active players pick their loot first, but this can also turn against them as most loot left behind is useless, low gold items. For example, in RuneScape
, the bones of a slain monster are normally left behind, which most other people are welcome to take when they become visible.
Scavenging often occurs in levels where risk is minimal (e. g. the level has been cleared already and there will be no respawns
) and lots of neglected loot can be obtained. A prime example for this is the secret cow level in Diablo II
, where low level players will often come in to scavenge after the level has been cleared by high level players. The neglected loot is often weak or worthless to the players who cleared it, but extremely powerful and valuable to starting players.
Massively multiplayer online game
A massively multiplayer online game is a multiplayer video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. By necessity, they are played on the Internet, and usually feature at least one persistent world. They are, however, not necessarily games played on...
s (MMOGs) and MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s, is the process by which a player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
obtains items (or loot) such as in-game currency, spells
Magic (gaming)
Some role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
, equipment, or weapons, often from the corpse of a creature or possibly the corpse of another player in a PVP
Player versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
situation (cf. looting
Looting
Looting —also referred to as sacking, plundering, despoiling, despoliation, and pillaging—is the indiscriminate taking of goods by force as part of a military or political victory, or during a catastrophe, such as during war, natural disaster, or rioting...
). These looted items will be placed into the player's own inventory. Loot is considered a reward for killing a creature or other player.
Looting may also be referred to in leet speak
Leet
Leet , also known as eleet or leetspeak, is an alternative alphabet for the English language that is used primarily on the Internet. It uses various combinations of ASCII characters to replace Latinate letters...
as "lewting".
Ninja looting
The term "ninja looting", or just "ninja-ing", applies to a number of common looting practices. A player exhibiting any of these behaviors might be labeled a "ninja looter", or simply a "ninja":- Looting treasure off enemies that a party other than his own has defeated but not yet looted.
- This situation could arise in a number of ways. The killing party could still be involved in a protracted battle with additional enemies, or that party could be having difficulty deciding among themselves who should loot the item, or they may have decided it should go to a friend's or guildClan (computer gaming)In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is an organised group of players that regularly play together in a particular multiplayer games. These games range from groups of a few friends to 1000-person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members. The lifespan of a clan...
mate's character who is not in that party and are awaiting his arrival from elsewhere in the game. (The latter two cases are particular to MMOGs where powerful and important items typically become permanently bound to the first player who picks them up. Otherwise, the item could be looted by anyone and redistributed to the proper individual later.) Similarly, at times there may be a physically accessible treasure that is being guarded (e.g., a treasure chest), such that any attempt to loot it will provoke the guardians into attacking; a player who waits near such a treasure for another player to engage the guardians - and then loots it himself while the other player is occupied in combat - is considered a ninja looter (effortlessly acquiring a treasure at someone else's risk and expense).
- Looting specific items off enemies that the player's own party defeated before the party has formally decided who should do so, or in direct contradiction to a decision that someone else should loot.
- Consistently looting all defeated enemies at the earliest possible moment, thus precluding any other party member from receiving any treasure, even when nothing special is to be had. (This is also known as "loot whoring".)
- Looting items that the player cannot use for the sole purpose of selling it. Sometimes this may be discovered after the fact if that same item (through an in-game trade system, such as the Auction House in World of WarcraftWorld of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
) is later found to be for sale by the player who lied about needing it. This may also occur by misuse of the in-game loot distribution system, by misleading or confusing loot rules, or simply by a lack of established loot rules. Taking advantage of these last two situations is often thought of as a mild offense and may be overlooked as carelessness or poor planning.
Many MMOGs have various loot distribution systems built into the game that attempt to take fairness into account, and can prevent some of these practices. Others have none at all, or only simplistic systems, or optional systems that can be turned on or off by the party's leader. Official player conduct policies also vary from game to game, as does player attitude.
Scavenging
The term "scavenging" is used when referring to the process of acquiring loot other players have not picked up, often purposely so, without actually helping them defeat the enemies. By means of scavenging, players may acquire gear they would not have access to by means of their own prowess. Players known to scavenge are called scavengerScavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
s. Scavenging may be seen as a nuisance by some players, yet the scavenger is normally tolerated if he lets the active players pick their loot first, but this can also turn against them as most loot left behind is useless, low gold items. For example, in RuneScape
RuneScape
RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower, and developed and published by Jagex Games Studio. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering...
, the bones of a slain monster are normally left behind, which most other people are welcome to take when they become visible.
Scavenging often occurs in levels where risk is minimal (e. g. the level has been cleared already and there will be no respawns
Spawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
) and lots of neglected loot can be obtained. A prime example for this is the secret cow level in Diablo II
Diablo II
Diablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo.Diablo II...
, where low level players will often come in to scavenge after the level has been cleared by high level players. The neglected loot is often weak or worthless to the players who cleared it, but extremely powerful and valuable to starting players.
External links
- Onlife #32: Good game ninja loot at GameSpy