Why luck elixirs in Fang are counterproductive

[Gaunab]

There has been much dissatisfaction and confusion about how the use of a luck elixir affects the drops, especially the shamrock (100% reroll chance) one.

I did some research, since I knew it has been somehow changed lately and found this (by the devs):

Allow me to shed some light here. The luck enhancer was not broken before but we decided to make it even better! Here's how the luck enhancer works, before and after the patch:

Old Luck Enhancer
Whenever you receive a drop the system rolls for what loot you will receive. With the old luck enhancer the system would roll for your drops twice, then give you the better of the two items. This happens behind the scenes. So it was possible to roll two white items and then receive the better of those two whites. This is how all luck increases have worked in STS games up to this point.

So this is how it worked BEFORE the update.

One very nice post explaining the exact mechanism, can be found here.

The 100% elixir is not included in this, but since it basically leads to a reroll for every drop, compares them and gives you the better one it means you basically would have two chances of getting a *pink. That means pinks would be nearly 2 times more frequently in an elixired run than running without.
(It's not exactly 2 times, in case you get a pink for the first roll)

But the new mechanics work different...

New Luck Enhancer
The new luck enhancer still rerolls your loot, but the rerolled item will always be one rarity better than the item you should have received. With this enhancer if you roll an orange the system will reroll and give you a random green item, assuming there is a green item that drops for your level in that map.

So with a 100% elixir every drop you receive will be upgraded to the one next higher rarity level.
(white --> orange, orange --> green, green --> purple, purple --> pink)

The problem is that the rarity will only increase if there is such an item in the mobs droptable. If not, the rarity stays the same. (That's why nearly all "you got lucky!"s lead to a green item)

Mount fang mobs/bosses drop no purple items, shown by the fact that elseways every green would become a purple.

And because they drop no purples, there can NEVER be a pink due to a reroll!

So the pink drop chance for fang if you are using a luck elixir stays the same.

Furthermore, EVERY crafting item will be rerolled to a random green, since this is only level higher rarity compared to orange.

That means the chance to drop a crafting material when using a 100% luck elixier is 0.

When using another luck enhancer, the droprate for crafting materials decreases in accordance.

I think you see my point- while it could prove useful for almost every other dungeon- don't ever buy luck elixirs for farming mount fang! Save your plat!

As you can see the old enhancer was not bugged, but we have reworked the enhancer to be significantly better. We did this because we love you! <3

LOL- no comment.

[Cahaun]

Good job. I'll be first to comment.

[Pakax]

Very very helpful. Will 'thank' when i get to my computer

[RedRyder]

There actually are purples in fang. They drop from vampires, which everyone avoids.

[Gaunab]

There actually are purples in fang. They drop from vampires, which everyone avoids.

Ok, thanks, didn't know about this...

But do these vampires also drop the elite pinks..?

[Ixillicus]

Alright... so I brought this up when they first released the post about the elixir going up >one level< of rarity. They released a patch after this which explains that it was changed so it's not just one rarity higher, and considers all loot.

• Improved luck elixirs again. All loot that a mob will possibly drop is now considered when rerolling for loot.

So in response to your post, this was true a month ago... but is no longer true. Now you get a re-roll for anything they drop (with Shamrock).

[Gaunab]

So... It was changed back to the old drop mechanics?!?
>.<

If so, I'm sorry for the confusion....

[RedRyder]

So... It was changed back to the old drop mechanics?!?
>.<

If so, I'm sorry for the confusion....

They still don't seem to work though lol

[Elyseon]

The vampires drop the trash (non-set) pinks as well as purples, and rerolling is possible on them. I also tried some experiementing im FH, after several runs through skeleton cult crypts w/ many many greens and several gems, i concluded that recipes are on a differernt drop chart as well as are the fiery pinks

[AbsolutePally]

Seems to be an illusion of improvement. Scam? Ha.

[Snakespeare]

Flip was incorrect. The old system increased the color, too. Futumsh told us that a year ago. They do not have any way to evaluate two whites and give you the one that's better. It would re-roll, and, IF THE NEW ITEM WAS FROM A HIGHER COLOR RATING, it would give the new item. The new system ALWAYS gets you an item from the next better color, if there is one.

[Gaddy]

I was wondering about the whole green = purple, purple = pink part of the equation each time I'd get a "luck roll"and get a green.... Like what purple would I even get?

No wonder I NEVER get pinks at Mont Fang...

[KTpantyhose]

yeah.. this angers me that i went and spent 20 plat

[WhoIsThis]

Statistically though what are the effects on pink odds? That is what matters.

[CrimsonTider]

Statistically though what are the effects on pink odds? That is what matters.

Not only this but I feel the statistical data of drop percentage for campaigns would help players understand the usefulness of using any luck enhancers. Plat is not as easy for some as otbis for others and knowing one's chances before using this elixir would help individuals better manage their plat.

[Gaddy]

Also, in the old system, you'd see what the original item was before the luck roll and the new item that replaced it; so you knew, at the very least, that SOMETHING happened! In the new system this doesn't happen (just a yellow notice that a roll has taken place... somewhere...) so you're just relying on the system to give you the goods -and it never really seems to do so (IMHO, obviously something happens, right? right!?!?!?)

[BodMaster]

Also, in the old system, you'd see what the original item was before the luck roll and the new item that replaced it; so you knew, at the very least, that SOMETHING happened! In the new system this doesn't happen (just a yellow notice that a roll has taken place... somewhere...) so you're just relying on the system to give you the goods -and it never really seems to do so (IMHO, obviously something happens, right? right!?!?!?)

Yes that did help, showed at least what was going on with the mechanics within each re-roll. Now you just have to assume that the item recieved was previously a rarity below. (where applicable)

[FluffNStuff]

Flip was incorrect. The old system increased the color, too. Futumsh told us that a year ago. They do not have any way to evaluate two whites and give you the one that's better. It would re-roll, and, IF THE NEW ITEM WAS FROM A HIGHER COLOR RATING, it would give the new item. The new system ALWAYS gets you an item from the next better color, if there is one.

True, but if there is NO 'next' better, it won't put you up to the 'next next' better.

[FluffNStuff]

Statistically though what are the effects on pink odds? That is what matters.

The OP is stating correctly that for Mt. Fang bosses, the elixirs have ZERO effect on the pink odds.

[Duped]

That, sirs, is craziness!! Not that I'd ever have bought a luck elixir, but I def won't now