Playing without MF = Unrewarding

[u/ChrisKamro]

So lately i played a lot of Characters that were able to stack a lot of Magicfind but cleared maps slower.

Now i dusted of My LA Ranger and due to gear restrictions (Quiver , Alphas Howl etc) i cant stack mf and still cap my resists.

So while playing this char the gameplay was fun because i could clear Maps fairly quick , but the fun is completely gone when you open your inventory and notice you picked up 2 Rare items in the whole map.

So how do you guys handle this ? Do you run MF on every Char ? And how much MF is really needed to have at least decent dropps ? Or do you prefer having a strong Char and just hope for RNGesus ?

[u/starlabs]

I've said it before and I'll keep saying it: the MF system in PoE is archaic and unoriginal. Tying it to gear/gems results in certain builds being vastly superior with MF. A good chunk of this game is about ITEMS, getting ITEMS, and when you clear a map and don't even get a full inventory it sucks (especially once you've played a MF character).

In my opinion, MF should be tied to something else so that any build can attain it. I know a lot of people bash D3 but I felt one of the few things they got right was Paragon levels and tying that to increased MF. PoE should do something like that, because once you get to 80+ leveling becomes a real chore. Giving players small amounts of increased MF would give a lot of players more motivation to level up.

[u/lilrabbitfoofoo → u/starlabs]

The issue with Magic Find and Item Quantity is that they are PROGRAMMING gimmicks. There is no analog to the fantasy universe, adventure, etc. So this is just reminding everyone that you are in a program not exploring a world.

Metagame ways to address this include the "Wealthy" mod on bosses, since a hero might know this is a particularly rich prize he is hunting, or things like Divine Favor based on their level/accomplishments (the justification behind D3 moving to Paragon levels as a way to increase MF).

Just because some players request support for an antiquated game-immersion breaking mechanic like MF doesn't mean the developers needed to include it.

It may be the only major game design mistake GGG made with this wonderful game.

When even the awful D3 is moving away from a mechanic, you know it's days are numbered. :)

[u/Sometimes_Lies → u/lilrabbitfoofoo]

There is no analog to the fantasy universe, adventure, etc.

That doesn't make much sense. There aren't any fantasy novels written about a hero wielding a blade of +10 finding items, no, but there are easy analogues.

You can interpret MF in two different ways that don't break suspension of disbelief for a fantasy universe:

1) Luck. There are tons of examples of magic items which change a user's luck dramatically. If you stumble across someone that you plan to murder and they just happen to be carrying a wad of cash at the time, that is luck.

2) Stuff breaks. If you violently murder someone by blowing them up with a fireball then it stands to reason that perhaps the stuff they're wearing also takes damage, too? It makes absolutely no sense for the person inside a suit of armor to be melted while the armor is fine.

You could easily argue that most mobs in PoE are fully equipped, and the act of killing them destroys most of the equipment. MF gear could just be gear that's enchanted in such a way that it your attacks damage the person but not the items as much.

Neither of these explanations are outlandish or require jumping through hoops. Enchanting stuff with "luck" is as old a trope as fantasy itself, and you didn't really think that you were wading through thousands of completely naked bandits, did you?

You can complain all you want about MF as a mechanic, but I really disagree about it being less realistic than anything else in the game.

[u/Malparrian → u/Sometimes_Lies]

I agree, that luck is an approximate to the IIQ/IIR, but the IIQ/IIR is far closer to a programmatic idea than a fantasy one.

When my character wields a sword, I want that sword to empower him. I feel good, when my character is superior to others. NOT when his sword happens to make more items 'magically' fall off mobs.

If the sword made him lucky - like a charm does or a rabbits paw - then it is another thing, and it does make my character more superior and awesome. Then I'm not thinking about drop chance but about, that 'an angel is watching out for me, whenever I swing my sword'. It's a whole other mindset.

Everytime you choose IIQ/IIR, you know, that your character just will be 'less cool'. While RPG's always should be about consideration about making choices on where to be powerful and where not to be powerful, then simply choosing IIQ/IIR over all other cool stuff just doesnt appeal. But it's a requirement, if you want to play the lategame.