How the itemcount RNG can be fixed.
I have a few thoughts on how this could be done.
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Before the wave is fought, determine which minions in the wave drop items. Have this be the same for every player, and then randomize for each player which item will drop. Example: If in a particular game the 2 krugs on the left drop items, and I only kill the right krug + 1 left krug, I get 1 item. Someone who also loses after killing 2 krugs but leaves the right one alive would've gotten both items. If you beat the wave, obviously you'd get both items because you have to kill both left krugs to do that. Do this for every minion wave, and you have a fair way of getting the same number of items to each player. Plus, since players don't know until they kill the mob if they will get an item, the feeling of "please give me an item" is still there.
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I've seen a lot of talk about copying some other game and giving an item or giving a choice of items for completing a minion wave. That works. They could do that and I would be ok with that.
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Make minions drop gold, and allow gold to be spent on rolling for an item (something like 30g to roll for an item?)