PRD 2.0 (BLP)

Over the past several years, pseudo-random distributions (PRD) have become a popularized mechanism. However, their acclaim has only further highlighted their deficiencies in appeasing the nuances of human behavior.

In the context of World of Warcraft, PRDs can be observed with bad luck protection (BLP). BLP applies to drop rates of items which correlate with dramatic increases in player power. BLP is designed to prevent a player from receiving a consistent chain of bad luck, which would place them at a competitive disadvantage. It creates a guaranteed minimum allocation of power for every individual.

However, the implementation is severely deficient at both fully normalizing player power and promoting fun. The concept of good luck protection does not exist. There are no measures preventing a player from being exceptionally lucky and significantly outpacing their peers. Instead of aligning with a minimum expectation, players instead compare themselves to the exceptionally lucky.

BLP is mathematically better than no protection. But by not addressing good luck it only raises the bar of what players consider to be bad luck. Players paced at the BLP standard still feel disadvantaged for their perceived bad luck. It is not fun or engaging to receive the equivalent of basic income when someone else by virtue of sheer luck can be stronger.