No, You May Not Roll on Items for Another Class and Strip Out the Mods

It's the Battle of the Holocrons.

This said, while I don't know with 100% certainty, my suspicion is that BioWare implemented Need Before Greed as a point of familiarity for MMO gamers who have grown used to the system over the 7-year lifespan (so far) of World of Warcraft, who popularized the system. Since we seem to have a lot of gamers involved in these forums who indicate this is their first MMO, or that they never played WoW, I think that might be part of the vehemence with which they participate in loot distribution threads (which are legion on these forums).

To be honest, I think the reality of companions being such an integral part of the non-group experience (which receives significant focus, as solo 1-50 play accounts for a much larger percentage of game content and player interface than the group content during that time, or at the level cap) brings up a glaring flaw in NBG: in a very real sense, players who want to upgrade their companions can have a defensible position in stating they need everything that doesn't have a class requirement on it. Arguments about whether companions "need" Flashpoint or Operation-quality upgrades notwithstanding, if a player wants their companion to have that quality of gear, they have a valid reason for rolling Need on something that doesn't have stats optimized for their own class.

As a result, I personally think that in Flashpoints and Operations, BioWare should implement an addition to each boss' loot tables, a companion loot bag. The whole group can roll on it (and would likely roll Need), and it uses the existing "smart loot system" (currently utilized in quests) to give you an upgrade for one of your companions (it might not be one you use regularly, but it's a companion upgrade regardless). To make this work, they then adjust the existing loot tables so everything aside from this companion loot bag has a class requirement, and the system prevents you from rolling Need on any item that doesn't include your class.

All loot drama is immediately solved.

Unless things change after lvl 45 (that's as high as I have gotten) the only mod in an item I have seen that is worth taking out for multiple classes is the enhancement mod. The armoring and mod (mod) will both have the stats for only the particular class the item was designed for. That being the case, to roll need on that item when you could spend two lousy planet commendations or some absurdly low amount like 2k credits on the gtn to get that one little enhancement mod is a douchebag move. Now the other argument that the player wants the piece to strip all mods out, toss class appropriate mods in and wear
is, and god I even hate to admit it, actually a valid roll on the item. I wouldn't personally do it without discussing it before the FP is ran, but from someone who plays jedi and refuses to wear the horrendous jedi robes, be they medium or heavy I can understand why someone would roll on the smuggler gear for looks. Again I wouldn't personally do it out of the blue, I spend a fortune on the gtn getting what i want, but at the same time, I would neither boot another player nor ***** at them for doing it. The best thing to do is set loot rules the whole group agrees on before the run starts. People run FP's for different reasons. I sometimes will join a group with the specific intention of rolling on trooper chest pieces or smuggler chest pieces. I always state up front my reason for running the FP and also assure the group i will only roll need on the item I want (for looks) is not needed by someone in the group as an upgrade for their current toon. I have never had an issue with anyone in any FP when things were discussed before starting.

So far all the Flashpoints i have run are way below my level, so i just get the cash, and x on all items (unless im soloing it) i have no need for the loot while the lower level does)

i dont think this will ever be solved unless BW actually do something to close the drops.

Otherwise there will always be 2 groups:

1) people like me who will /ignore the player and leave / kick the guy.

2) people who will need on everything cause they can.

Nice false dichotomy there.

Have you considered that some, possibly even many, of the people who roll on loot in a fashion you disapprove of might have reasons? Or are you only caught up in disagreeing with those reasons and considering them objectively invalid as a result?

In short, what makes your perspective more valid than theirs?

Both perspectives are valid, which is why there's an impartial system in place to insure neither perspective takes ascendancy over the other. Anything beyond that isn't designed, only put forth in attempted enforcement via a social contract that these forums seem to make obvious not everyone subscribes to or agrees with.

That is my point exactly , there is no way i will agree that they have the right to need on everything and i dont think i will make them agree with me.

Therefor , either BW comes in to solve the problem by limiting the loot in someway , or we will always keep the 2 groups.

But, see, that's not the subject.

The subject is people having different ideas of what IS legit to need on - for example, a Shadow rolling on a single blade saber for the sake of the mods which would entirely upgrade the saber he's carrying now. There's disagreement as to the legitimacy of this.

Which is why you establish loot rules at the outset - it's not a simple binary thing here.

I lack the insight to see why.

If you consider that exist pre established loot rules then:

If the groups rules allow this kind of thing he is on his right to do so.

If he breaks the rules , he is wrong.

Still binary to me.

Where did these "pre-established loot rules" come from? I can't find them in the codex.

Or are they based on the way other games have treated companions and/or upgradeable (and separable) gear that can be worn by multiple classes in loot distribution?

What is so unfair about distributing loot equally and letting people use it however they believe will be most beneficial to their character and game experience? Especially if you are talking about pre-50 loot that will be upgraded to something else tomorrow.

There are no pre-established rules. Where are you going to import rules for mods or companions from?