Today I am typing up a Who, What, Where, When, and Why article on the 3oC item and Exotic Drop rate. This will be a very long read, but I'm sure every bit of it will be short, simple, and to the point, within its sub category. [u][b]The Who[/b][/u] : 3oC (Three Of Coins) is an item exclusively sold by Xur (later added to the Nightfall Loot Table and Daily Patrol Public Gold) that is used to "Increase Exotic Drop Rate". It was implemented into the game to help with the randomization of Exotic Drops found in Year 1 content. Shortly after its release, it was nerfed in effectiveness, and docked down with an unknown, and unspecified timer. [u][b]The What[/b][/u] : Contrary to popular belief, 3oC does not actually "Increase Exotic Drop Rate". Exotics [i]do not[/i] drop randomly in Year 2 and Year 3 content, [i]outside of very rare, premeditated instances[/i] such as Raid Chests and End-Game Nightfall. If you do not purchase 3oC from Xur, (or receive said item from the Nightfall/Public Gold), you do not receive random exotics. 3oC actually gives you the chance to receive an Exotic, period. You can still obtain exotics from Xur purchases, very specific Quest Lines, and lucky Legendary Decryptions. [u][b]The Where[/b][/u] : We are obviously playing Destiny, a self-proclaimed fusion of FPS/MMO, while much controversy surrounds what genre the game actually is, this particular game centralizes around Random, Chance, Luck, and Grind for your rewards; regardless of actual skill and/or commitment to the franchise. As such, an "Exotic" would be generalized accepted as the most coveted type of drop the game has to offer. [u][b]The When[/b][/u] : As mentioned before, in Year 1 content, all Exotics dropped in some random fashion, from all types of enemies (namely Ultras), with increased potential in End Game Strikes and Raid Bosses. There was no item needed, no "timer" to juggle, or weekly Santa required to earn an Exotic. Some hated this, and I suspect was the ideal that lead to 3oC's being implemented. However, I believe that nerfing the effectiveness, and adding an "unknown timer" to the item, negated any defendable means of justification; when realistically compared to the 0% chance that actually exists in getting random exotics from enemies, in Year 2 and Year 3 content, when otherwise NOT having 3oC active. [u][b]The Why[/b][/u] : Simply put, developers said that players were earning Exotics too quickly, and did not like them grinding certain enemies for said Exotics. However, 3oC were not free. Players did not simply have an unlimited amount of these items upon playing the game. They had to previously earn Strange Coins, wait for Xur to arrive, and purchase them from the vendor. They then had to find Ultra level enemies, and defeat them with the item active. Even then, it was still random. The very fact that these items were already "double earned" before they were used, seemed to completely de-justify the developers from saying the Exotics were earned "too fast". [u][b]The Why, Continued[/b][/u] : In the old days, a person with 20 Three Of Coins, could (at best) farm a certain enemy, and within 30 minutes; receive about 3 to 4 exotic engrams. Despite "double nerfing" this item, hardcore players can still achieve 3 to 4 exotics, however, most of these players will now be spending 40 to 60 Three of Coins for the same result (within that 30 minute time period). In the end, the developers [i]HAVE NOT[/i] slowed down the rate of which we have earned exotics, but have merely made us grind harder for them. For hardcore players, the nerf was hardly a speed bump along the way. For scheduled players, who may have a large family or steady work load, these nerfs crippled their ability to earn exotics, and [i]Exotic Shards[/i] for upgrades. (On a side note, Exotic Shards are not even sold from Xur as of Year 2 and Year 3 content; deleted from his vendor list even before 3oC was introduced.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [u][b]The Solution[/b][/u] : At this point in the game's story, I feel that 3oC's should be un-nerfed, and returned to their original glory in Y2 when they were first released. I believe developers should return our freedom, let the hardcore players hoard their vaults (if wanted) and allow the scheduled and/or casual players a fighting chance to keep up, even if they do not have the liberty to have boundless reserves like hardcore players. I do not see any justifiable reason why 3oC's should be nerfed in effectiveness, and also limited by an unknown timer. This thread has been a very long, and detailed analysis of why I feel that way. I have tagged this thread, and put up a poll in hopes of reaching Cozmo. If any of you feel the same, or wish to see this thread responded to, make sure to vote, and upvote the thread. I appreciate your time, stay safe, Guardians. -A Purple Flower-