What is the point of heroic encounters?

Today, the outdoor zones have had a lot of their heroic encounters replaced with solo ones. I am glad of this, but not for the reasons supposed by the devs. Any of my characters were more than capable of defeating a green heroic encounter, and higher than green in some cases. I also enjoy grouping outdoors, and am most surprised to be told this is rare. Simply, at the moment, the heroic opponents are not worth my time.

Well, obviously the extra xp for a heroic is nice, if you’re into that sort of thing, but instead of that heroic green you could just as easily go slay a solo orange critter.

Since the loot table changes to the outdoor zones, solo creatures have become the sensible prey for anyone not rabidly concerned with xp gain. The heroic encounters did not gain any of the new drops, which is of a quality that, at least in the case of Antonica, is vastly better than most of what even the named foes possess. Holly Windstalker drops a Runed Bramblewood Rod (DR 6.2, +7 health, +4 power. Masters at level 17). The second snake outside Qeynos gates I breath on gives me a Snake Hoop: (+2 int, +2 agi, +2 sta, +4 power, +20vs cold. Masters at 14th.). An extreme example, as Holly may well drop better items sometimes, but enough to show the point.

To change the loot of a whole zone in such a piecemeal way turned risk vs reward upon its head, and in such a topsy-turvy world, those seeking fortune should seek the easy targets. I wonder if the decline in outdoors grouping began with the solo loot update.

Another Fine Example! 

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