Item Rarity Question (UniqueItems.txt)

[Mephisto]

I was wondering if someone could clarify exactly what the "Rarity" value in uniqueitems.txt signifies.

Example:

Index version enabled ladder rarity
The Stone of Jordan 0 1 1
Constricting Ring 100 0 1
Bul Katho's Wedding Band 100 1 1
Wisp 100 1 1
Nature's Peace 100 1 3
Carrion Wind 100 1 3
Dwarf Star 100 1 10
Raven Frost 100 1 10
Nagelring 0 1 15
Manald Heal 0 1 15

Now, I know that version is as follows 0=Diablo 2 and 100 = Diablo 2 Expansion, and that enabled is 1=Enabled, 0=Disabled, but I'm unsure what the Rarity value actually does in-game. Can anyone explain this please?

[Thrugg]

When an item drops and the game determines it to be unique, the next step is to run through the list of uniques and find all possible unique items of that base type. In the case of rings, it is usually quite a few.

By "possible", I mean it only includes those whose "lvl" (couple of columns over) is less than or equal to the level of the item (hence why Pindle can drop Lightsabre and Templar's but not Azurewrath and Tyrael's). When eg NM Andy (mlvl 49) drops a unique ring, the list will consist of only Manald, Nagel, and SoJ.

The rarity is used next. Sum up the rarities of all eligible items, each one then has (rarity)/(total rarity) chance of dropping. So for example NM Andy has only 1/31 chance of dropping a SoJ on each unique ring drop, but 15/31 chance of each of Nagel and Manald.

[Mephisto]

Thrugg,

So, theoretically to increase or decrease the chance of a specific item dropping (in that specific group) when there are more than 1 type of that item (i.e. rings, amulet, etc.) you would increase or decrease that number. Correct?

[Thrugg]

Yep. Give SoJ the same rarity=15 as the others and you'd have them dropping all over the place (well, sort of). Wouldn't change the number of unique rings that drop, just which each becomes.

[Mephisto]

Yep. Give SoJ the same rarity=15 as the others and you'd have them dropping all over the place (well, sort of). Wouldn't change the number of unique rings that drop, just which each becomes.

So, then if I changed the value to say 30 for SoJ, then it would drop 1/2 (30/60) of the time where as Nagelring and Manald Heal would drop 1/4 (15/60) of the time, provided that a Unique Ring was selected. Right?

[Thrugg]

Yep. 67890