The next step towards confusion...

Looking at the last few days of posts it seems that there aren't a whole lot of choices for loot distribution. Mainly that is because the majority of loot systems fall under the general subtopic of DKP systems.

DKP systems are the most popular choice for raiding guilds to use for loot distribution. These systems are popular because they remove the major problem of /roll(memorylessness) while also taking the human interaction problems(favoritism, etc) out of the equation.

DKP systems can be split up into two different subsections; how to gain points and how to spend points.

Earning points is done in two different ways. Either you are earning points as you raid or you are earning points(Standard DKP) as items are handed out (Zero Sum). Many systems may use both of these systems in tandem or may choose to only use one or the other instead.

There are two main methods of obtaining points in a Standard DKP income system, time based and content completion based. Time based rewards all those who participate in the content, while a pure content completion system secludes those who were not able to be on during the achievement days.

Zero sum systems give out DKP only after an event has been complete and loot has been handed out. The DKP which was spent on the items is redistributed amongst the raid equally. Sometimes the bidder gets DKP back, sometimes they are excluded from the zero-sum distribution, depending on how the system is set up.

Spending points also splits into two subsections(two is popular in DKP it seems ehh?); Bidding systems and Non-bidding systems.

Bidding systems are the simplest as they generally are run like a typical auction(without the fast talking man that you don't understand half the time).

Non-bid systems have quite a large subsection though. There are fixed priced systems, highest dkp wins systems, and even some systems use DKP to modify a /roll.

As you can see there are many variables which can define a specific DKP system, all which make the systems more complicated. The simplest pure DKP system uses a time based income with a simple auction bidding system.

The next post we'll talk about the pitfalls for a DKP system, which further complicates these systems.

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