The Straight DKP Loot System

I mentioned in my last Guild Science article that it is always difficult to talk about loot systems because they’re never alike. This can be exacerbated when you get into the realm of DKP (Dragon Kill Points) systems because they are widely divergent. Today I want to use a narrow focus and talk about Straight DKP and leave out all the bells and whistles.

Straight DKP can be viewed as the origin of all DKP systems. The methodology behind it is very simple: killing monsters gives you points while receiving loot takes points away. Whoever has the most points gets an item when it drops. It really is that simple. Let’s look at some of the positives and negatives to this method of loot distribution.

While not as fast as single assignment Straight DKP is quick on the draw when it comes to items. All the officers have to do is collect the interested names and look at the list to see who has the most points. That is your winner and you move right along. There is no debate or question unless you have a tie. A tie is usually decided by whoever has been most active but this varies by guild.

Loot distribution on the macro level can suffer with Straight DKP. If an item drops that is clearly a tank item but you have a cleric that wants it there is no recourse. If the cleric has more points they’re getting that item. You’ll also find that members that make 90% or more attendance receive a disproportionate amount of loot. They might replace an item twice before a lower tier member gets an item once. That can lead to you fielding a strong first string squad but everyone in the back and on the bench will be a liability. You might also find that extreme attendance members may not be a critical class and divert necessary loot from them. Again this is not great for macro level distribution and guild flexibility.

Morale is almost a level playing field when it comes to Straight DKP. There is no individual to rationally be angry with or hate. Sure you’ll have the “well if I was in college I could make 100% of the raids too” talk but ultimately you can’t deny the system. Show up more and get more. People don’t take it as hard when they lose. They still feel good about winning but more in the sense of you saving up for a new toy and finally getting it. It’s a relief more than an award.

When it comes to accountability and transparency Straight DKP is the bee’s knees. As long as the entry operators are doing everything on the up and up, (and it is easy to spot when they’re not), you’ve got near complete transparency. Everyone can see what raids they missed and how many points they have. They can see every item they’ve won. It’s like looking at your bank account every transaction should be there. Virtually no one will be surprised when they don’t win an item and the ones that are didn’t read the rules document.

Another place that Straight DKP shines is fairness. It is fair to a cruel level. There is no room for merit, bias or finagling. He who attends more gets the prize. There is no argument that someone is less deserving other than the unholy DKP total. If I have 20 and you have 20.1 you’ll win. The rules are clear and tidy. It doesn’t always mean the guild gets the best possible loot decisions as a whole but time investment is proportionately rewarded.

Straight DKP can also be really easy to implement. It can be tracked with a single spread sheet or with a very simple database. It can even be done with commercial accounting software! I’ve seen all sorts of creative (read really ingenious or woefully bad) implementations in my time.

As you can see there are numerous advantages to the Straight DKP system on the individual level. When we look at how it affects the guild as a whole is where most of the negativity comes in. From my personal experience I’ll still take Straight DKP over any single or council assignment system. My colleague and good friend Thax, however, is not a big fan due to the issues it has.

Pulling from my experience again I feel that Silent Redemption loot assignment went much smoother with our Straight DKP system. It was administered very well and crafted with fairness in mind. It was, undeniably, equitable. The system didn’t always yield the absolute best results for the guild but it did an above average job. I don’t recall any dissent with the system other than from older members who felt they should be able to show up, raid a few times and receive loot. The system obviously ended that practice.

In closing I will say that when it was my time to design a loot system I did not use Straight DKP due to the issues I listed above. I chose to look at some of the hybrid systems that had evolved out of it and picked the features I wanted. In my next article I’ll cover some of the theory behind these different implementations.