Looting (gaming)

Looting (alternately, 'lewting', from a common misspelling), in massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and MUDs, is the process by which a player character obtains items (or loot) such as in-game currency, spells, equipment, or weapons, often from the corpse of a creature or possibly the corpse of another player in a PVP situation (cf. looting). These looted items will be placed into the player's own inventory. Loot is considered a reward for killing a creature or other player.

The term "ninja looting", or just "ninja-ing", applies to a number of common looting practices. A player exhibiting any of these behaviors might be labeled a "ninja looter", or simply a "ninja":

Many MMOGs have various loot distribution systems built into the game that attempt to take fairness into account; World of Warcraft, for example, features a time-limited 'trading period' in which any loot can be given to someone else before it's locked to the holder. Some MMOs offer no such 'loot protection', or only offer a very basic system; according, 'loot etiquette' varies from game to game, as does the prevailing attitude toward (and tolerance of) ninja looters.

In games that don't have a loot-protection system in place, ninja looters often earn a negative reputation, particularly in games where a 'group effort' provides the greater reward; chronic and unrepentant ninja looters are frequently 'named-and-shamed' in online communities for disrupting a group by effectively 'stealing' loot that was intended for someone else.

The term "scavenging" is used when referring to the process of acquiring loot other players have not picked up, often purposely so, without actually helping them defeat the enemies. By means of scavenging, players may acquire gear they would not have access to by means of their own prowess. Players known to scavenge are called scavengers. Scavenging may be seen as a nuisance by some players, yet the scavenger is normally tolerated if he lets the active players pick their loot first, but this can also turn against them as most loot left behind is useless, "low gold" (low in-game value) items. For example, in RuneScape, the bones of a slain monster are normally left behind, which most other people are welcome to take when they become visible.

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Wikipedia