Personally I get annoyed at any off-level farming, whether they kill stuff or not. It's hard to train an alchemist, for example, when the beetle cave has ALWAYS been cleared by someone higher level. (Also annoying that an NPC buys mandibles, but that's another point altogether.) I'm almost reaching the point where I'd support a per-dungeon level cap where to enter you have to at least have someone within the proper level range coming with you.
This +infinity. I could care less about ninja-looting in most cases...its pretty rare to find a decent piece of gear that someone in the party actually NEEDS and can use (although it is very exciting when you do). Other than that its pretty much just cash that gets split at the end. I don't go adventuring to find "phat lewtz."
I go adventuring because I want to do something other than stand around the Outskirts yammering with people for hours on end. One can really only take that for so long before wanting to go swing a sword. Yes, this is an RP server, but its also AD&D and NWN-engine gaming. Its actually MORE fun in most instances to RP while ON an adventure.
Yet, I would say 7-8 times out of 10, when you do get a group together and actually walk somewhere for an adventure, where you go is empty. To be fair, this is sometimes because another group had the same idea fifteen minutes before yours did. But, often this is NOT the case.
I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have watched a high-level PC run through the lower-level adventure areas gutting everything in their path, with no danger to themselves, so they can collect whatever it is they are after....usually just the loot and a bounty. Then they run off to sell the loot to a vendor, turn in the bounty at the office, and keep any actual useful item to sell to a PC at an inflated price, or give away to a friend's low-level PC. I have actually, RECENTLY, been roaming an area with others, killing the spawns, trying to make our way to the loot and/or exit, and had a much higher-level PC actually run by us to beat us to the loot. So they could go sell it. I've also gone bandit hunting, come across a cave filled with bandits, and then gotten to the central area to find a headless bandit-leader's corpse. Because some high-level ran in, ignored the bandits, ganked the fighters and leader, looted the chests, and ran out again. MANY times. What do you do? Nothing. Turn around and trudge back to the outkirts. With no XP to speak of, and certainly nothing worth taking back. And these are only a couple of examples. There are many more.
I mean, REALLY? This is the best use you can find for your time as a level 13+ player? To make a loop of the outskirts areas and clear everything out as fast as possible before someone who could actually get XP from them shows up? So you can bank a couple thousand gold or find a couple of items to add to the inventory for selling? Thats pathetic.
So, ninja-looting? Who cares. I don't. I'm much more concerned with off-level farming. Thats just plain RUDE, and spoils other people's enjoyment of the game. That said, do I support placing level-caps on areas, where if you are over a certain level you can't go there? Not so much. Its a behavior, in players, that needs to be changed, as opposed to a game mechanic. Stop being a bunch of pathetic, lazy ass-hats and go play in areas designed for you. Leave the low-level stuff to the low-level players.
