This is what ArenaNet Game Director Colin Johanson has to say about the matter:
Some fun ideas in here, we’re also actively discussing ways on how we’d best like to alleviate having to make players choose between having better stats, or using magic find. It’s not a choice that’s great for game play and there isn’t really anything that fun about it, even more so when group composition is taken into account.
[Flame wall: Initiated!]
Magic find is a bad stat. This is not news to many, and many others refuse to accept it. I’m here to draw the line and briefly explain some of the reasons why it is bad.
Where is it good?
I will admit, Magic Find is actually good and I recommend to use it in some situations. I will list these situations below:
- Large scale events, such as many Cursed Shore events. This is due to them being “mass tag” events.
And thus ends that list.
Why is it bad for solo play?
Simple – You’re giving up offensive potential for an increased drop rate on certain items. So why is this bad in solo play?
Also simple – less kills per hour - Less kills per hour = less loot per hour. Counter-productive isn’t it?
While it wastes time in solo play, it only wastes your own time, which you are, of course, entitled to.
Why is it bad in group play?
This is the real issue with Magic Find and a sole reason it should not be in the game…
The person using Magic Find gear contributes the least, but get’s the best reward.
Why does this make sense? A huge design flaw.
You are giving up offensive potential and wasting time. You are not only wasting your time, you are also wasting your groups. Wasting other players’ time is selfish & rude. So ArenaNet promote selfish play.
What can be done about it in group play?
I’m bordering into suggestions here, but I’ll list a few methods to prevent selfish use of this stat:
- Allow the other player’s to be aware when someone in their group is using Magic Find gear, through a visual such as a boon listing how much Magic Find they currently have.
— While a lot of player’s are against “elitism” in gear checking, as I stated earlier the person using Magic Find gear contributes the least, but get’s the best reward. Nobody wants to be a losing end of that, so those players deserve to know when someone is wasting their time for a selfish gain.
- Make the entire party benefit from someone’s Magic Find in the dungeon.
— For example, there are two people in the dungeon using Magic Find, one with 36%, the other with 110%. I propose that everybody has an effective 110% Magic Find in that dungeon. This could actually make Magic Find a GOOD stat for people who are not seeking speedy dungeon, but remaining fair as the whole group is penalized speed wise, but everybody benefits in terms of loot quality.
— The worry for me here is it could lead people to feel like they need to use Magic Find so the whole group can benefit from it. This would mean you could easily get 3 Magic Find users in a group – one with 55%, one with 100%, and the other with 150%. You’d have 2 players gimping themselves for nobody’s benefit.
— A few other players suggested the combined MF of the group to be shared instead, which is an equally – if not more – viable fix.
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TLDR; Magic Find is bad – don’t use it.
