If you run all 25 bounties solo you get one of each Bounty cache.
If you run four split bounty groups, where you complete 6-7 bounties in each of the groups, for a total of around 25 bounties, you get four of each Bounty cache.
The result is that split groups gain you four times as many materials for the same amount of time / effort you would use running solo.
So, how about adding an emanate power to all Follower specials (e.g. Templar relics, and so on) which grants four caches instead of one? You already have a community buff that doubles bounty caches, so just alter that to four, and make it an emanating power on the Follower’s special items.
As followers are only available for solo players, this means players would have the choice between running Bounties solo, or in split groups, but gaining exactly the same amount of materials either way.
Thank you, its one of the reasons I have fewer good rolls, I hate all those bounties. Plus the fact if you where to spend the time on them it takes you away from GR’s.
You should reword this. Otherwise, if Blizzard does implement it, they will probably add a fourth Follower Special. Then, we’ll have to sacrifice their “cannot die” Special to use it.
They could just make another special follower’s set that increases your bounty mats for the solo players.
The average split bounty took around 13~15 minutes to get 22 mats for each act.
So for the average solo player, it would take them at least 25 minutes~30 minutes to cleared 25 bounties on their own.
So with the special follower’s set, even if the solo player cleared the bounties solo within 25minutes~30 minutes they could at least get 38~44 crafting mats.
While I agree with everything in principle, bonuses to caches when soloing will just benefit botters that much more. They’ll just let their bots run bounties solo and then go collect the caches with whatever bonus solo gives.
I think they have to figure out a way to lock the process down first, then grant bonuses to lower in game player count.
That’s not currently how they do it. They have a clean account, which they do not bot on and a dirty account, which they run a bot on. The dirty account runs a bot to complete the bounties then invites the clean account into the game. The clean account then invites two other clean accounts. They vote-kick the dirty account, and invite a 4th clean account. They then hand in the bounties and all four clean accounts get materials. In this way, if the dirty account gets banned, the clean accounts (which were the ones that actually benefitted from the botting) might escape being banned.
My suggestion would mean that if they did bot bounties, it would have to be on their main account, i.e. not a 2nd account farming the materials for them.
The point is that as this benefit is given at the time the caches are obtained, i.e. the completed quests are handed into Tyrael, they can only grant the bonus caches to a single player. This prevents a botted account running them, then giving extra caches to multiple other accounts they have invited into their game. Sure, you still might have bots running bounties for free mats, but they’d only be able to grant single caches, not quadruple.
Meteorblade, this is a top-3 suggestion in the history of the forums/game. Which guarantees that Blizzard will completely ignore it and instead nerf witch doctor some more. Upvoted, alas in vain.
In all seriousness, though, I can see botters leaving game with all their bots and the “legit” player, now solo, getting extra bounties caches, even though the game was done completely by bots. You would have to be able to “lock” the game as solo, only, meaning invites are completely disabled in order for this to be implemented.
Bounty botters invite other people because it doesn’t matter to them. If your change is implemented without any other safeguards, botters will just collect bounties with only their main/clean account and get more mats for themselves.
If you had Asheara’s set on and timed the cache claiming just right with this new item,(with it equipped on each follower) would you get the bonus caches three times for a total of 12 per act?
“Why does this game hate players that group up so much?”
IMO this is a outdated comment, game rewards already turned to party player friendly after the “what’s the point for joining party if there is no benefit” complains years ago. Even if upcoming patch will add some solo player friendly mechanism, it still can’t match the rewards of party players. So OP’s request is valid to me.
Devs need to balance the demands between Solo & Party players, that’s all
I wouldn’t go so far as a 100% parity evening of the rewards. 3x would suffice for bounty caches. And it shouldn’t require a follower either. That should be a buff automatically granted in a solo game that disappears the moment someone else joins and doesn’t reappear until you create a new game. This gives flexibility in whether or not you have a follower out if you desire not to for any reason (there are times I don’t want mine around, though that may be moot with the Emanate system for equipment).
Ideally a solo-only game would give the following:
3x bounty rewards vs. current
2x EXP vs. current (I’d argue 3x, but I’d test 2x first)
2x rift keys, not including Sage’s Journey)
No increased item rewards (equipment drops)
All we’re really looking for is a slight boost to leveling and close to parity with material rewards while keeping group play more efficient overall.
Not gonna lie though - that 3x EXP buff from the PTR makes leveling feel a metric crapton better when purely solo.
I agree. Rifts arent as frustrating as Bounties for Solo Players. I did attempt a few public games… but each time the other person just stood there half the time, so I did the work and they just took the Bounty Materials. I think having Followers give you 4x cache materials a great idea. The solo gets that buff from their follower and the groups get it the way its already been going. As it stands, it is less annoying for me to run GR and then just use Kadala to buy items with Blood Shards then Upgrade Rare items to try to get Legendaries with needed stats. I could just Reforge but it takes far too long to run Bounties to only get 3-4 chances (which isnt a lot trying to get specific stats).
