Game King's MMORPG Digimon Masters Online may be a great MMO for Digimon fans, but it suffers from a lack of in-game explanations for various items. Some of it may be due to translation errors, but for the most part, players either have to figure out what the items do on their own or consult the wiki for clarification, which is the case for magnetic ID tags.
This lack of preexisting information can lead to dismissing items as having little use. Beginning players won't know that seals boost stats, but only if seal openers are used, or that backup disks are vitally important to improving their digital buddies. Likewise, the average player may be inclined to believe that the fancy IDs they see on some players are simply for show. But as with nearly every item in the game, there's a greater purpose to these tags.
Yes, these ID tags have some great aesthetics. The Christmas ID tag, for example, has a flurry of snow constantly falling around your tamer, while others leave a trail of fire or ice in their wake when they run. They're fun to look at and are entertaining to use, a way to make a tamer stand out despite limited customization options. But this cash shop item also has another purpose, one that makes it infinitely useful to a player farming seals or breezing through daily quests. These items are called magnetic ID tags, and that one word outlines how useful they are.
In addition to looking cool and providing a minor EXP boost, the magnetic ID tags automatically pick up dropped loot while battling. While this seems like a minor thing compared to boosted stats, having loot automatically transferred to your inventory after a battle makes a world of difference in the moment to moment gameplay. For example, sometimes an area is filled with Leader Digimon, which will attack on sight, while some areas are entirely populated by aggressive Digimon with a large aggro range. Not having to risk straying near to pick up an item and getting ganged up on is very useful. And while one could destroy the aggressive Digimon first, loot only stays on-screen for a limited amount of time, and some areas have rapid respawn rates.
And even in routine battling, there's a lot to be said in how these tags improve the flow. Usually, the pattern is defeat Digimon, pick up loot. Wth a magnetic ID tag, a player can focus on clearing out an area and farming for seals or data or digieggs without having to pause to pick up every individual item. Yes, picking up items is mapped to a key close to the attack keys, but it's easy to miss if the partner Digimon has more than two special moves.
Nothing ruins the flow more than accidentally switching partners right before attacking a Digimon, especially when the next partner Digimon is a much lower level and is knocked out before the mistake can be rectified. Trying to pick up loot with the mouse can also be frustrating. This is especially true in a crowded area where it's easy to accidentally click on another Digimon instead of the item you're trying to retrieve. These tags just make life easier.
That's not to say that they're perfect. Like other useful items such as the Newbie's Soccer Uniform and the Digi-Aura, magnetic ID tags have a time limit to their use. In addition, if the player's inventory is full, the ID tag won't pick up a loot drop if it includes something that won't fit. This unfortunately affects the whole drop, so the player will still have to go over and pick the other items up manually. Magnetic ID tags are also a cash shop item, making obtaining them a microtransaction usually. Despite these drawbacks, they're still a useful item to have.
So how does one obtain these magnetic ID tags? In addition to the aforementioned microtransactions, players can buy them from other players' consignment shops, although this is usually for a large chunk of in-game currency. Currently, however, magnetic ID tags are on the roster of items awarded for staying logged in for a certain amount of time. It's only on Fridays and Saturdays and requires being logged in for several hours, and will most likely be gone with the next update. Despite this, the chance to get such a useful item is worth it.