This FAQ will be split into four sections (Each post representing one section):
Content Index
Post #1: Content Index and Introduction.
Post #2: Adding loot in a single monster, three different methods explained.
Post #3: A complete chart showing wich Mobile drops wich LootPack Type(s).
Post #4: An explanation to customizing and scaling loot by editing LootPack.cs
Introduction
(Optional to read, contains no real information, you can continue to Post #2 if you want to jump right into.)
Maybe it's just me, but i have never understood how OSI/EA UO, nor RUO, loot work... i meen, it's very non-intuitive.
In the old days: So i kill this dragon and i got a power weapon, okey, what if i killed an ancient wyrm then? A vanquishing weapon? And what other stats on it? What type of durability etc?
On OSI UO: So now i got a lot of Luck and yeah... the monster i kindof hard but mostly just crap is dropping, why?
On runuo: WTF? Even tho i have all the scripts and can figure out exacly how the loot system works, it's still unbelievably unclear.
This is my conclusion: The UO loot system is simply to simple to understand.
(The numbers below are meerly speculations.)
A strong monster (white wyrm and up) drops a good item (ANY good item) 1% of the time, a decent item 2% of the time, a usable-by-some-players item 7% of the time and worthless pieces of pixel art 90% of the time.
So basically, you get a loot-worthy item in 1 out of 10 monsters (good, decent and usable-by-some, all included).
But enough with the rambling about me not taking the time to understand something.
On with the FAQ, i wrote it both because of the many questions that has popped up lately about how to add loot to monsters, but mostly; i feel that monster loot has been neglected or forgotten. Let's change that and give players that exciting gut feeling of "Maybee something good will drop this time.".
I have never, in three years or more, hunted monsters in UO and hoped for something good to drop (except for Gauntlet/Doom), something lootworthy, something that i would want or equipt.
Sure, i could loot something decent, but i could never equipt something decent and on the same time kill these monsters that drop decent gear. It's a Moment 22 (I.E: A bad circle).
Let's bring back the feeling of excitement to hunting, and loot is one (previously neglected) way to go about it!