I guess my central question is, a new player will have infinite EP/GP after they first receive EP. They can therefore wait until their perfect item comes up, and choose that.
Sure. They can. Then they’ll have one really good item. And that’s great, but it’s not that great.
Consider this scenario:
I join a raiding guild, and I go on a raid with them. We take down a boss. Several items drop. One of them is something that would benefit me; it’s a big upgrade from what I have right now! And I can get it, guaranteed, due to my infinite EP/GP ratio. But, I don’t ask for it, because I’m looking for that really, really great item.
We take down another boss. More items drop. One of these, too, is an upgrade for me! But I decline it.
We take down another boss. And another. And another. I pass over item after item, watching other raid members take it all, because I’m waiting for us to get to the end boss, who has the really good stuff. Finally, we take down that end boss! The thing I’ve been coveting drops! I ask for it, and even though lots of other people want it, too, I’ve got that infinite ratio—so I get it. Victory!
… and now I have one really good piece of equipment, and the rest of my stuff is crap. Meanwhile, everyone else is decked out head to toe in high-quality gear. Hmm.
And then, next week, when the raid goes on to the next raid, I show up, but find that I don’t get a raid invite. “But why?!”, I exclaim. “Well,” the raid leader answers, “to be honest, Said, your performance in that last raid was really sub-par. We almost didn’t take down that end boss (you saw how close that fight was), and—I’m sorry to be so blunt—it was largely your fault. I know you’re a good player, but your equipment is lacking; you just can’t perform nearly as well as the rest of our members, with that paltry gear you’ve got. Maybe you shouldn’t’ve passed over all those drops. I’m sorry, but you’re out.”
Having hoarded that infinite ratio won’t seem like such a great idea, then.
In particular I don’t understand why collecting points (ie ability to claim future value) would lead to your incentive dropping off, while accumulating a high ratio (which you’d presumably need to ‘save’ for really top items) doesn’t have this problem.
It’s a simple matter of arithmetic.
If I have 10,000 EP and 1,000 GP, getting two 500-GP items reduces my ratio from 10 to 5, which is the same ratio as someone who has 2,500 EP and 500 GP. If I have 10,000 DKP and I spend 3,000 DKP to get an item, I still have 7,000 DKP, and am still guaranteed to vastly outbid someone with 2,500 DKP, no matter what item is being contested. In the former case, if I want to maintain my priority, I need to keep earning EP. In the latter case, I can skip a raid to go on a drunken bender, and when I come back the following week, I’m still guaranteed my choice of loot.
Sure. They can. Then they’ll have one really good item. And that’s great, but it’s not that great.
Consider this scenario:
I join a raiding guild, and I go on a raid with them. We take down a boss. Several items drop. One of them is something that would benefit me; it’s a big upgrade from what I have right now! And I can get it, guaranteed, due to my infinite EP/GP ratio. But, I don’t ask for it, because I’m looking for that really, really great item.
We take down another boss. More items drop. One of these, too, is an upgrade for me! But I decline it.
We take down another boss. And another. And another. I pass over item after item, watching other raid members take it all, because I’m waiting for us to get to the end boss, who has the really good stuff. Finally, we take down that end boss! The thing I’ve been coveting drops! I ask for it, and even though lots of other people want it, too, I’ve got that infinite ratio—so I get it. Victory!
… and now I have one really good piece of equipment, and the rest of my stuff is crap. Meanwhile, everyone else is decked out head to toe in high-quality gear. Hmm.
And then, next week, when the raid goes on to the next raid, I show up, but find that I don’t get a raid invite. “But why?!”, I exclaim. “Well,” the raid leader answers, “to be honest, Said, your performance in that last raid was really sub-par. We almost didn’t take down that end boss (you saw how close that fight was), and—I’m sorry to be so blunt—it was largely your fault. I know you’re a good player, but your equipment is lacking; you just can’t perform nearly as well as the rest of our members, with that paltry gear you’ve got. Maybe you shouldn’t’ve passed over all those drops. I’m sorry, but you’re out.”
Having hoarded that infinite ratio won’t seem like such a great idea, then.
It’s a simple matter of arithmetic.
If I have 10,000 EP and 1,000 GP, getting two 500-GP items reduces my ratio from 10 to 5, which is the same ratio as someone who has 2,500 EP and 500 GP. If I have 10,000 DKP and I spend 3,000 DKP to get an item, I still have 7,000 DKP, and am still guaranteed to vastly outbid someone with 2,500 DKP, no matter what item is being contested. In the former case, if I want to maintain my priority, I need to keep earning EP. In the latter case, I can skip a raid to go on a drunken bender, and when I come back the following week, I’m still guaranteed my choice of loot.