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.

World of Warcraft has popularized PRDs with its own implementation: bad luck protection (BLP). In effect, BLP applies to drop rates of items, equating to increases in player power. It is designed to prevent a player from receiving a consistent chain of bad luck, which would place them at a severe disadvantage. There is a guaranteed minimum allocation that can be expected by any individual.

While having good intentions, the implementation is severely deficient at both normalizing player power and promoting fun. Specifically, 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 creating 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 simply raises the bar of what players consider to be bad luck. Players still feel disadvantaged for perceived bad luck, and enjoyment and engagement are negatively impacted.