Some random feedback - Treasure/loot

[Echohawk]

Forward, I know this isn't the suggestion forum but two things come to mind.

First, ammo treasure types.
Can't be sold - totally 100% a-ok with that remaining as is. But those who would be interested in actually using them, they're only ever found about 10 apiece. So if you're an archer/thrower.... that'll last you maybe a fight or two depending on difficulty. Would it be possible to pump those up to either a 100 or 500 count so they can actually be collected and utilized perchance?

Second issue, frost and flameberries.
Most players are going to be picking these up for the sheer sell value, which which a proper appraise character can really make an effortless dime for those who know where to find them. While their usage is specifically for those with animal companion creatures their sell cost is 'max' essentially for their value. I get they are plants, but I'd like to see their sell price either reduced significantly or put to 0. Characters with no use for them will habitually stock up to obscene amounts but never for their intended use, just selling through the arbitrary vendor system.

Probably an unpopular opinion by now, but that's some of my feedback on some of the loot/treasure items.
Maybe someone else has other ideas they'd want to leave here? Feel free.

[Watchful Glare]

While I disagree with the latter being an issue, I've always pondered about the former.

Even when playing an archer, or a character that uses throwing knives I've always found almost all the ammunition types, with the ocassional exception of the Teleport bolt as a niche use to dislodge things (Really as a ranged character usually the -last- thing you want to do is bring one of your enemies to melee), are far less useful than a normal, crafted projectile.

I might hoard them if I forget to drop them. Making them sellable if possible and not for an extravagant price, would be good. Or have a fletcher NPC that will buy them off you if you put them on a box. It's clutter of the type you can't sell, at the moment.

[Skibbles]

Like Watchful I don't really care about berries but the ammo is so... dated.

Would really like to see it either removed or the drop count for most* of it increased twentyfold. Characters can easily craft superior ammo so I don't see the broken balance of finding 300 middling arrows versus like... 3.

Right now it just seems like clutter. People don't even identify it.

*maybe not anti-magic bolts, etc.

[Eyeliner]

I've tried to sell stacks of the berries in a shop for 150 gp apiece when they could have sold to vendors for 350+, just as a nice thing for rangers & druids especially low level who couldn't get them on their own yet... Never sold a single one. So I really don't think they're a precious commodity.

I think ammo bundles you could use on templates would be a much more desirable drop myself... Those would be pretty desirable for characters who don't have a missile focus at least.

[Tarkus the dog]

Players picking up the frost/flame berries for profit is just one of the many cracks in the system that is the loot matrix.

I don't think that the solution is to reduce their value to 0 but to make looting itself worthwhile. I'm sure it's known to everybody by now how little your average adventurer makes just from looting. This also includes getting rid of treasure items such as the -2 will +1 ac shield, +1 int helmets, or deflection greatswords, to name a few. These items are obsolete, serve no purpose other than to be sold to NPCs for a small amount or to gather dust in player shops. I think the bigger issue than somebody going through the vexing effort of separating berries one by one for mediocre profit is the fact that most of the gear every PC has is crafted ( or enchanted ), rather than found. The excitement of finding a cool item at the end of a tough dungeon is completely missing from the game. The only equipable items worth keeping ( at the top of my head ) is the /20 DR fire helmet, and the Spiteful Scythe which I'm pretty sure is an oversight on a developer's part -- and also both of these items being used in moderation, the scythe being a boot-leg keen masterly damask and the helmet being used occasionally in PvE.

It has been like this for years and it doesn't seem to concern anyone in the development team. But I can see why the bear berries would, since it's easier to drop their value to 0 than to rework the loot/gear system.

[Definately Not A Mimic]

When playing a melee character I actually like finding things like +2 darts to loot. It gives me a way to lure since I can't typically make my own. It's pretty rare to find bundles of darts or, even better, throwing knives which can not be crafted. Even then you have to in addition buy a template, get the spells or essences, and have a 2x2 thing taking inventory space just because making your luring weapon do damage.

[Ork]

Leveling a melee character is unfun due to the lack of gold. Whatever gold you find immediately goes to gear or consumables. You often have to forgo important gear for multiple levels due to gold supply. I think gold could use an increase. I don't want to game flame/ice berries or sell arrow shafts en bulk or make potions to immediately sell to an NPC etc.

[Eyeliner]

Collecting junk to pawn is an RPG staple and forces you to make decisions about inventory space & carrying weight (and also gives strength melees an advantage, which is kinda rare on Arelith). So I wouldn't expect that to change, loot it's supposed to be kind of a pain in the butt to collect but can be worth it. I just don't think the berries are a problem that needs fixing nor are +1 armor pieces flooding chests and yellow drops.

Non-throwing weapon ammo is definitely outdated though, most of it more trouble than it's worth to collect and the amount you find could be increased or it could be made more powerful so it's something you'd want to save for special occasions.