View Single Post
  #6  
Old 10-05-2008, 07:30 PM
trevius's Avatar
trevius
Developer
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 5,946
Default

The problem isn't that the random number generator is messed up, it is that it checks the chance of each drop down a static list. So, the list will be in the same order every time.

If you have 10 items all set to 10% chance to drop, it will start at the first item and random to 99 and if the output is less than 9, it will use that item. If the output is greater than 9, it moves onto the next item and randoms to 99 for that item. So, for it to select the last items on the list, it must first fail to select any previous items on the list.

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that using that system it would prefer items earlier in the list than later in it. I think the problem is that this system sounds like it should be giving fair odds to all of the loot pieces in the table, but I think it is one of those tricky math problems that looks correct at first glance, but for some reason it is wrong.

Here is an example of how it currently works and why I think it is wrong:

Let's say we have a contest with 10 people and each person is told to write a number from 1 to 10 on a piece of paper. All 10 people are told to show their numbers at the same time. Let's say that the first person and the last person both chose the correct number. But, since the first person is first in the list of people, they are the one that wins even though the last person also selected the same number with the same odds of getting the correct number. Of course this example is slightly wrong because once a winner is chosen with the current loot system, it doesn't even bother to check if anyone else would have "won" as well. But, the concept is the same. It's almost like playing blackjack against the casino, the house always wins if they get blackjack. It means that the odds are slightly in favor, which they definitely should not be in the case of loot tables.
__________________
Trevazar/Trevius Owner of: Storm Haven
Everquest Emulator FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) - Read It!
Reply With Quote