DKP Explination

[Eomin_]

Preying Mantis uses what is known as a "zero sum" dkp system. It may be slightly confusing, but once you understand how is works, you'll love it like milk and cookies (or piez)! The easiest way to explain it is as follows: Items dropped from bosses are assigned a dkp value. When someone bids on the item, the value is added to a pot and divided by the number of members in the raid. The member winning the item is also awarded an even cut along with everyone else. So, DKP earned = dkp spent, which equals zero. Still confused? Read on and feel free to ask questions.

The purpose behind a zero-sum DKP system is to ensure that new members joining Preying Mantis are not handicapped by vast DKP point accumulations of older members. In a perfect zero-sum system, the number of points in the entire system would always add up to zero, and new members joining the kinship start out in the middle of the pack for DKP points. The Preying Mantis DKP system works this way in a general sense, though as with any system there are some exceptions. When DKP points are earned through on-time and full-raid bonuses, or through DKP material awards, these points are not directly offset in the system, leading to a slow accumulation of positive points in the system over time.

To offset this, from time to time the kinship leader or kinship banker may initiate kin bank auctions of items to Preying Mantis members. When this occurs, members who have zero or positive point values will be allowed to purchase items (such as crafted items or other desirable BoE items) from the kinship bank using DKP points. This use of the kin bank helps to offset the accumulation of positive net points in the DKP system, as when these auctions are done points are spent but not earned.

As always, these policies are subject to review and revision by the kinship, as the game from time to time presents us with loot-related challenges that the system has not been designed to handle.

The current DKP (Dragon Kill Points) System is as follows:

RAID ITEMS:

Rare (Purple) Items (excluding third age legendary items) - 24 DKP
Housing Trophies - 24 DKP
Epic (Teal) Items - 48 DKP
First Age Legendary Weapons - 48 DKP
Incomparable (Orange) Items - 48 DKP
*Note 3rd Age Weapons will not cost DKP*

DKP earned = Gross DKP / x (x = number of people who are DKP eligible for that raid)
e.g. 24DKP / 24 people = 1 DKP Each

RAID ATTENDANCE:

On time Award - 1DKP
Present for entire raid - 1DKP
First Time Boss Kill - 1 DKP*

*This means the FIRST time we down a boss. If we killed it before = No DKP.

How to Earn and Spend DKP:

1) If an Item Drops, everyone who wants it will call need in RAID chat. If only one person calls need, that person will have that amount subtracted from their total DKP. You may call need on any item that drops during a raid, subject to the "Can and Will Use" policy (below).

----a. If multiple people want the the item, it goes to the one with the most DKP. It's important to note that in a zero-sum DKP system you can have a DKP point value that is positive or negative. Negative DKP point values are expected in this sort of system, and are very common when new members are gearing up and taking a larger amount of loot from raids.

----b. If multiple people want the item and have the same amount of DKP it will be rolled on and the winner receives the item and the amount of DKP needed will be subtracted from their total.

----c. Membership Priority. New members and members who have fallen below 60% attendance (over the previous 60 days) have "Initiate" priority for purposes of the DKP system. (Members who have been in the kin less than 60 days will have their lifetime attendance be used for status/priority purposes). What this means is that full members will always have priority over initiates for purposes of DKP point calculations. This doesn't mean you won't get loot as a new member (in fact new members often get more loot as they often need more), it is merely intended to ensure we're awarding loot to those members who are regularly contributing to the raids and can be expected to continue to contribute. Officers and the kin leader are always treated the same as any other member of PM for purposes of loot awards, and receive no special treatment.

2) In order for the raid to receive DKP from an item drop someone must spend DKP to get that item. Items which rot or which are sent to the kinship bank do not earn DKP for the raid.

Example - If an Item drops, and someone spends the 48 DKP to get it, EVERYONE even the one who bought it would get 4DKP (assuming a 12 person raid). So essentially, The person who Buys the Item will only have 44DKP Subtracted from their total because they received, like everyone else, 4DKP from finding the Item.

----b. If no members or initiates want to spend DKP on an item it goes to the kinship bank to be sold and help fund the kinship bank or, if it is a BOA item, it will be left to rot. These items may be offered at a reduced price to kinship members who might wish to acquire them through the auction house, with that price to be determined by the kinship banker (generally well below market value). Kinship bank items purchased in this manner may be purchased for any "main" or "alt" character, but are always subject to the "Can and Will Use" policy. Any items not purchased by kinship members will be sold to the public through the Auction House. This rule generally applies to BoE Purple items.

3) Everyone who shows up on time or early will receive 1DKP.

----a. 1 DKP will be awarded for being on time and 1 DKP will be awarded for finishing the raid. There is a total of 2 DKP to be earned from attendance alone. These points can be awarded to anyone here before and after the raid whether they were actually in the raid or not. If we have a surplus of people on and you are asked to sit, this does not disqualify you from earning DKP that was gathered throughout the raid. However, if you are asked to sit that night, you must be logged into a toon and be ready to substitute if needed. Being logged in for attendance and then logging off an hour later will disqualify you from receiving DKP earned through out the raid. To be 100% clear, you must remain online for the duration of the raid to receive DKP. Furthermore, continual logging off early will disqualify you from receiving attendance credit all together.

----b. If you are late for a raid or leave early from a raid (Without a valid excuse*) and you participated in part of the raid... you are still eligible to earn DKP. However, you will be subtracted 10DKP for that particular raid. This subtraction only occurs if the total points you would earn that night are more than 10 DKP.

* - Must notify the Leadership 24 hour prior if you know you're going to be late, and must give a good reason as to why you need to leave early.

----c. The first time downing a boss will earn everyone 1DKP. FIRST TIME ONLY.


NON-RAID RELATED DKP: These items are constantly under review for supply/demand.

See DKP Donation Thread.

This list will change depending on what the Kin is in need of at the time. You may only recieve 4DKP a week from farming items. For normal meetings, you will receive 1DKP for showing up on time. If you wish to donate DKP materials in excess of the 4DKP per week allotment, extra DKP will be credited to you each week until all of your DKP donations have been accounted for.

HOW TO LOSE DKP:

Leaving early -10 DKP
AFK's -5DKP

4) DKP deduction explanations.

Leaving any raid early, without good reason or without including this information in your signing the raid log, you will be docked 10 DKP. If it's a last minute emergency before the raid, simply let any officer know. Although it will not be held against you as far as attendance or outlook, HABITUAL offenses of leaving early because of LD's or emergencies will be docked to ensure that the system is not being abused.

You cannot go AFK in raids without telling an officer first. There will be scheduled break spots in every raid instance. Going AFK/Follow on someone is an immediate deduction of 5DKP.
Please understand that these DKP deductions are intended to prevent abuse of the system, and any reasonable situations will not warrant a DKP point deduction. These deductions have been utlized very rarely, and only in cases where members are clearly going linkdead on purpose, leaving early to avoid less desirable portions of a raid, or are guilty of unnanounced AFK's that negatively affect the raid. If you'll have to leave early, or you have an emergency AFK, just let the raid leader or another officer know. We certainly understand these sorts of things happen, and you won't be penalized as long as you're communicating what's going on.


WAIT LIST DKP:

5) There are going to be times when more members are ready to raid than there are slots available in the raid. When this occurs, some members will be placed on a wait list. This may be determined in several different ways. In cases where a particular class or combination of classes is needed for the raid to be successful, the raid leader or kin leader may ask for volunteers among the classes we have more than enough of. If there are no volunteers the raid leader or kin leader may ask you to sit out of the raid. One of the hardest things to do as a raid leader is ask someone to sit out, so if/when this happens to you, please try to be understanding and respectful. Rest assured it hurts the raid leader as much or more to have to ask you to sit out as it hurts you.

In most cases it is not your fault you have to sit out and therefore tough for us to justify not awarding you the DKP earned throughout that particular raid. Anyone who sits out for a particular raid will be entitled to that same amount of DKP earned by those who raided that night. The only thing that we ask is that you treat that few hours as you are raiding with the kin. That means that we expect you to be online playing one of your toons. We have talked about this and have decided it is the only fair way we can justify giving those who did not raid DKP. Let's put it this way: You already set aside 3 or so hours to raid that night, and we don't think it much to ask that you can spend 3 hours a week playing LoTRO.


RAID ATTENDANCE/LOOT PRIORITY

6) Loot priority. Preying Mantis expects 60% minimum attendance from its members. We understand that things happen and sometimes real-live circumstances may affect your attendance. For this reason, your membership is not subject to cut throat, immediate dismissal should you fall below this percentage. However, should your attendance fall below a 60% rate, your priority for loot is as if you are an initiate. This is in effect because PM requires any gear earned during a raid to be utilized as much as possible. If gear is distributed, it will be used to benefit the kin during its kin wide events/raids. If you aren't on, it doesn't benefit the kin.

"CAN AND WILL USE"

7) Any items that drop on raids which are acquired through the use of DKP points must follow a "Can and Will Use" test. In other words, if you are calling need on an item, it must be something that your class CAN use, and an item that you WILL use. Raids are no place to call need on items that you wish to sell or obtain for an alt, unless your alt is attending that raid at the request of the raid leader. We encourage everyone to use this same principle in 6 man groups, however of course groups are always welcome to determine their own guidelines for loot.

ALT CHARACTERS

8) Some members of the kinship have alt characters that may also attend raids. These alt characters should only attend the raid with the approval of or at the request of the raid leader, and in such case the alt character both earns and spends the DKP points from the main character's account. In such a case the alt character will always be considered to have Initiate status when it comes to determining loot awards through the DKP system, regardless of the membership status of the person's main character. However, if the raid leader has the member bring an alt character to ensure success of the raid, then the player will have loot priority equal to his main character assuming the alt is in PM. The gear acquired by the alt must be used by the alt. Alt characters not in PM may be used and acquire gear on a very special case by case basis, and may not necessarily have more than initiate status for loot.

BIND ON EQUIP LOOTS

9) Bind on Equip loot drops (such as Wig-Feld or Legendary Items) are subject to some special consideration.

----a. If you are awarded a BoE item from a raid that you spent DKP points to acquire, you are expected to equip that item. If you change your mind (perhaps a legendary item drops and you decide the legacies just aren't what you want), that item is to be returned to the kin leader (or an officer) and the DKP points you spent on that item will be refunded. It may at that point be offered to other members of the kinship that may want to spend DKP points to acquire it, or it may be allocated to the kinship bank if it's an item nobody wants.

----b. If you're raiding on a character other than your main character, and a BoE item drops that you want for your main character, you may "need" on that item on behalf of your main character (with the same loot priority your main character would have). Of course your main character will be expected to equip that item, as explained above.

----c. There is no faster way to get dismissed from the kinship than to take an item from a raid and then turn around and sell it on the auction house. Your kinmates worked hard on that raid to allow you to acquire the item, and it's not fair to them for you to use their efforts to pad your bank account. You'll be looking for a new kinship faster than you can blink, and if you think the leaders of other raiding kinship won't hear about what you did, think again. If you even think there MIGHT be any confusion over something you want to do, ask first. This is one of those cases where asking for forgiveness instead of permission won't work.

FINAL STATEMENT:

In general Members, which includes officers, leader, and normal members, will take precedence over initiates when it comes to DKP, Raiding, Item Looting, etc. Initiates will have the Wait List DKP option that members have. Even though Wait List DKP seems like a lot of work, understand that it is the most you can do to keep you on par when you are not in the raid with us. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please let the kinship leader or an officer know, and we'll certainly try to help.

Understand that in any game with dynamic content, situations will arise that the DKP system may not handle particularly well. When those situations occur, we will always try to make the best decision for the kinship, so please be understanding as mistakes will inevitably be made, and the loot system will be adjusted to accomodate the new circumstances as quickly as possible.