Is Currency Complexity By Design?

[DeputyDom.1874]

This is a genuine question as a returning player. It's been sometime and while I enjoy the game and love the world, crafting and currencies are overwhelming. As a seasoned veteran, I bet it's not at all, and for others maybe they get it right away. I myself, find a lot time was dedicated towards /wiki, YouTube videos and finding different independent resources to help with understanding better. A lot of materials, make other materials, which make other materials, and to get certain materials you have to go to certain vendors, and to get those vendors you have to do certain things and their's almost no way to know these things without looking them up. I don't mind complexity, but the sheer degree of difficulty of trying to transition into the end game due to these problems listed, and one's like it, is a serious barrier for fresh 80's wanting to continue, I can almost guarantee it. Their's no reason not to play this game with the amount of goals you can set for yourself in terms of gear and achievements plus PvP, WvW, raids, strikes and other stuff but to craft ascended, understand infusions, most efficient way to handle gear/loot, what to keep and what not to keep (dragonite ore for example) is all just not easily explained and overly complex. Lastly, I have a lot of friends and have known a lot of people through school and work who have played WoW and the problems I'm listing I can see them not giving them the time of day because of how anti-fun and I believe unnecessarily complex it is. When you get loot, it shouldn't be, "ok what is this" or "do I sell or salvage", it should just be an obvious "hell yea, I got it" (<-- which does happen sometime). GW2 is successful, and I'd like it be more so, and to not try and get "WoW players" I think is short sighted (counter argument to the WoW point made earlier) with peoples obvious interest in classic and as additional point, New World. Basically, limit the amount of currencies and make crafting easier to understand/accessible while in-game.

[Linken.6345]

Well the make new stuff for new currencies or people like me with 34million karma ( and thats probabely not much compared to others) could buy anything they want were ever they liked.

I understand its frustrating to come in as a new or returned player but its made to benefit you as new or veteran have to play the same content to get the newest shines.

[DeputyDom.1874]

> @"Linken.6345" said:

> Well the make new stuff for new currencies or people like me with 34million karma ( and thats probabely not much compared to others) could buy anything they want were ever they liked.

> I understand its frustrating to come in as a new or returned player but its made to benefit you as new or veteran have to play the same content to get the newest shines.

 

That's a good point. I guess my biggest frustration came from trying to understand what's the best avenue for certain things. I realized their was a ton of ways to get ascended armor for example, and it took a lot of research to understand each way either through PvP, WvW, achievements or crafting. Haven't even touched legendaries yet lol. Thanks for the reply.

[kult.3465]

I am a returning player as well, I am overwhelmed by the different amount of currencies as well. But oh well, google, wiki and youtube is your friend.

[Hashberry.4510]

After a few weeks the madness just feels like the way it should be. Oh lord.

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"DeputyDom.1874" said:

> > @"Linken.6345" said:

> > Well the make new stuff for new currencies or people like me with 34million karma ( and thats probabely not much compared to others) could buy anything they want were ever they liked.

> > I understand its frustrating to come in as a new or returned player but its made to benefit you as new or veteran have to play the same content to get the newest shines.

>

> That's a good point. I guess my biggest frustration came from trying to understand what's the best avenue for certain things. I realized their was a ton of ways to get ascended armor for example, and it took a lot of research to understand each way either through PvP, WvW, achievements or crafting. Haven't even touched legendaries yet lol. Thanks for the reply.

 

This is the consequence of giving people choices in how they acquire things. It is impossible to make them "equal" if "equal" even make sense in the comparison. If you want the "best" option for whatever your criteria for best is then there is not shortcut for knowing. Although WvW always seems to provide the worst option though so maybe there is a slight shortcut.

 

The simplest would be to have only one way for everyone to get the gear. We had that for a while when ascended was first introduced. People were not particularly happy with that system either. Choice is both liberating and a burden.

[Infusion.7149]

It's the result of new map instead of expanding one , to encourage people to experience new content.

For example:

Dry Top

Silverwastes

LS3 maps: Bloodstone Fen , Lake Doric , Ember Bay , Bitterfrost Frontier , Draconis Mons,, Siren's Landing don't share currencies other than unbound magic

LS4 maps: Istan, Sandswept Isles, Kourna, Jahai Bluffs, Thunderhead Peaks, Dragonfall don't share currencies other than volatile magic

Bjora Marches was expanded but Grothmar Valley chilis are separate

[Danikat.8537]

It is by design, the idea is to make it so you have to play on a map to get that map/episodes rewards. Otherwise players could for example spend this week grinding currency, buy everything from the new episode as soon as it releases and then have no reason to play it, beyond the absolute basics.

 

I agree it is a lot and can be overwhelming, but I think it's worse for returning players than new players, because when you're new its introduced gradually as you progress through the game.

 

I'm not sure what the solution is though, because if they consolidate currencies we're back to players being able to grind it in advance and it could actually affect new and returning players even more because then there would be fewer people in the maps to play with (which can already be an issue). I think better messaging would be preferable, rather than trying to re-work the currencies.

[Luthan.5236]

I have only played up until (including) living world season 3.

The system in season 3 is pretty nice: The unbound magic for all the maps of that season but in addition some other currency only used on that map. (Which is not too important. There is not that much interesting stuff to buy besides the nodes that mainly require the unbound magic.)

 

HoT on the other hand ... was a bit weird. It used those currencies for every map as well. But they felt like a unique main currency for each map. (While for LS3 unbound magic seemed the main currency and was used for all maps + the secondary currencies as well.) Also there was lots of stuff that was interesting ... which needed me to play a bit to get those currencies.

 

For Season 2 the bandit crests vs. geodes seem pretty unbalanced. I seem to have tons of crests and not much geodes. (Not enough others sources for geode direct drop besides doing events and using the sand.)

 

From what I have seen they changed it in PoF to only have 1 currency for all PoF maps as well? (Like with LS3 where it already was different compared to HoT.) Seems much better.

 

Geode are the worst and HoT is less good than the system introduced in season 3. (I mean ... in additon there are all those annoying keys you have for each map - a system which seems to be used less frequently in other maps.)

[WorldofBay.8160]

HoT maps actually have 3 currencies each which is a bit too much, especially since it isn't clear which quantities are good.

auric basin for example:

the obvious aurillium which you can use in the ley converter + inside the map, but many buyable things are hidden from the vendors, you don't see the prices until you unlock

then there are exalted keys which can be used in your home instance + inside the map, this one is quite clear - at least after you've seen tarir chests once

and as third currency you have auric dust, an ingredient for fulgurite, which is an ingredient for ingredients for legendaries and ascendeds of HoT

 

that last one is especially weird, it is hidden behind three layers at the very least until you get to point where you can see the necessary quantities for things you need a recipe (layer 4) for. that could be a lot better imo but the limit of 4 ingredients per crafting recipe is a major issue there and not the currency itself

[Headhunter.4796]

Been playing for 4 weeks and I have no idea what currencies even do, I just ignore them and buy the stuff I need. No idea where I get it from, BAD design. WoW did it 10 times better.

[Turkeyspit.3965]

I remember when I started right after PoF how complex and confusing it was, but you get used to it over time, and now I can I even craft legendary armor from memory lol.

 

It does seem excessive, all the various map currencies, but at the same time it gives incentive for players to return to those maps, which I think is beneficial to the game.

[Solanum.6983]

By design it keeps people playing in the specific areas. With so many maps this is a good thing so the world doesn't go dead.

[Solanum.6983]

> @"Headhunter.4796" said:

> Been playing for 4 weeks and I have no idea what currencies even do, I just ignore them and buy the stuff I need. No idea where I get it from, BAD design. WoW did it 10 times better.

 

Just think of it as like how currency works in different countries. Each Area has their own currencies to keep players playing on those maps.

If it was all the one then nobody would have any need to go back to those maps apart from new players.

[Headhunter.4796]

> @"Solanum.6983" said:

> > @"Headhunter.4796" said:

> > Been playing for 4 weeks and I have no idea what currencies even do, I just ignore them and buy the stuff I need. No idea where I get it from, BAD design. WoW did it 10 times better.

>

> Just think of it as like how currency works in different countries. Each Area has their own currencies to keep players playing on those maps.

> If it was all the one then nobody would have any need to go back to those maps apart from new players.

 

Good point

[ShadowCatz.8437]

> @"kult.3465" said:

> I am a returning player as well, I am overwhelmed by the different amount of currencies as well. But oh well, google, wiki and youtube is your friend.

 

One fast trick is too look at your map and see what your reward will be for that zone on map. In general you can see map token reward as part of its map bonus reward.

 

Here is a list: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Map_bonus_reward

 

For WvW and PvP you have rank reward tracks that you can pick between which also includes map token reward. Dungeons have their own token that is visible from going to wallet mode in Inventory. Use filter to make it easier to see map token rewards and special token. You can also filter by type of keys, so you fast can see how many you have when you are by Hearts vendors and need to find out if you need more keys or save token for something else.

 

Volatile Magic, Unstable Magic and WvW Skirmish claim tickets are rather easy to get in each game mode from playing and farming.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/WvW_Reward_Track - this for same type of reward that you would find in playing on PvE. It is possible to set a reward track to repeat itself, so you don't have to check which reward track you are on every time it increases (it jumps to next reward map track, if you don't).

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Skirmish_reward_track (for WvW tickets to buy Legendary armor and Weapon instead of PvE)

 

I would expect that you find the same system for sPvP tracks.

 

 

[DeputyDom.1874]

To everyone else, thanks for responding. GW2 has a better system then I thought and is an interesting workaround for hyperinflation. I would still tweak some vendors, amount of currencies, recipes and crafting to something of the same gold/time commitments but less stuff or at the very least *in-game* help guides.

[EmmetOtter.8542]

Name a mmo that doesn't require multiple 3rd party wikis to help players. And then name **another** mmo that has built in game functionality for searching an external wiki site.

 

I certainly spent a lot more time on wowhead as a new wow player than I ever did on gw2 wiki as a new gw2 player

 

While currencies are very numerous, they aren't complicated. Basically, each activity/zone/dungeon/instance that has rewards or loot drops or special vendors also rewards currency when you participate in it. If you don't get a piece of gear from RNG, you can eventually buy it.

 

Crafting is not complicated with the exception of cooking, scribe and legendaries. Scribes and especially legendaries are intended for veteran players to give them something beyond end game to go for and that should involve tons of steps (although anet really should make scribe recipes simpler). The game warns you that cooking is the most complicated crafting profession up front when a player goes to learn it. GW2 Crafting otherwise is a very simple system

1. Find raw materials while playing

2. refine raw materials into useable materials

3. Combine usable materials into intermediate items

4. Combine intermediate items into the final product

 

It's both simple and consistently applied through the professions (with the exceptions already noted). If you know the final product recipe, you can make it. If you don't know the recipe, yes you do have to look up how to get it.

 

Your do end up with a lot of recipes and maybe that appears complicated, but it's not.