Let's delve into the current landscape of Normal dungeons versus High Rollers.
To provide context for my perspective, I would classify myself as a proficient player, teetering on the edge of being considered "good." My squad and I achieve successful extractions regularly enough that experiencing a squad wipe in a night is considered a subpar performance for us. We've reached a point where we're purchasing golden keys to free up storage space, and nearly every run involves a well-equipped loadout.
Now, with my level of play established, here's my take on Normals versus High Rollers:
1. Sellable Treasures: When it comes to the quality of sellable treasures, Normals outshine High Rollers by a significant margin. However, the 100G fee in High Rollers does offset the value of a few sellable treasures. In my experience, even in Normals (especially on Hell difficulty), I consistently acquire blue and green sellables. From a net gain perspective, it doesn't differ significantly, assuming we've eliminated at least one squad with gear worth taking, a point I'll discuss shortly.
2. Lootable Gear: This refers to the equipment obtained from chests and enemies within the dungeon. In your typical chest or enemy drop, High Rollers still consistently offer superior gear. However, the primary issue lies in the chest buff applied to Normals, which has made items like lion's heads, golden chests, and royal coffins yield high-quality gear. I can't recall the last time I exited a Normal dungeon without at least one blue or better gear piece if I deemed it more valuable than other options. This implies that the only compelling reason for my squad to venture into High Rollers in this category would be for legendaries or unique items.
3. Gear from PvP: Now, this is where it gets interesting—how do High Roller kits compare to Normal kits when it comes to player encounters? The straightforward answer is that we consistently obtain more valuable gear from player engagements in Normals than in High Rollers. That doesn't mean High Roller kits aren't superior overall; it's mostly because players in Normals tend to be less skilled and lose their gear more frequently and swiftly. In High Rollers, my squad can handle one well-equipped team, but in Normals, we could potentially eliminate 2-3 teams in the same amount of time. The gear disparities between the two modes aren't significant enough to make High Rollers a more enticing choice.
Given all this, why would we opt for High Rollers? In Normals, we earn more currency, encounter more action (we don't engage with basic kits, only facing teams that attack us or appear to be well-equipped), and experience fewer deaths compared to High Rollers. Don't get me wrong; we successfully navigate High Rollers 70-80% of the time or more, so it's not a matter of capability. We simply don't see a compelling reason to prioritize High Rollers.
I'm sharing this perspective not to pass judgment on whether High Rollers are thriving or to label it as good or bad; rather, it's an attempt to convey the viewpoint of players like us, often seen as part of the "issue." If the goal is to encourage well-equipped teams to venture into Normals at a higher rate, then there needs to be suitable incentives in place. Things like balance across professions, more Dark and Darker Gold rewards, etc. Currently, we encounter fairly well-equipped teams in Normals every single game, often two and occasionally three. We believe we're assisting casual players by not engaging with them (unless they're well-equipped), but we can understand how challenging it must be for a basic kit team to contend with other squads that don't share our approach.
