[Feedback Thread] Halloween Mount Skins and future development

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

I think the price is way too high. Then again, I also think the single channel situation on the regular skins is an stupid. I'm not saying they can't have more channels for paid skins, but at least give enough on the basic skins to dye the whole mount. 2 probably would have been sufficient.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

1) How do you like the mount skins?

A bit cartoonish but ok. I would have preferred an actual skeleton rather than a painted on skeleton.

 

2) Do you think the pricing is right? (1600 gems for basically 5 skins, 2000 gems with no discount)

About right, since that comes up to 320 gems/ skin

 

3) Should Anet allow people to buy specific mount skins instead of just in a bundle?

Yes. Most definitely.

 

4) What should change in the future regarding mount skins in general?

What’s going to be the limiting factor on mount skins is the animations unless they can turn them off or have people ignore animations that don’t fit the mount. For example, the raptor can’t be replaced with a horse skin because, if nothing else, of the animation where it lies down and the rider pets it and it does a doglike hind leg scratch animation. A horse skin can’t replace the jackal because the jackal has a howling animation. Maybe the griffin can be replaced with a Pegasus. So at best, imo, is recolors and small shifts such as another canine for the sand jackal. Maybe they should look into selling a basic set of mounts with no animations. Mounts without animations can be much more radically reskinned.

 

[IndigoSundown.5419]

> @Sodeni.6041 said:

>

> * How do you like the mount skins?

 

Not my cup of tea. I have zero interest in a skin that looks like someone threw sheets with spooky features painted (in glowy paint) on them over the mounts. Since I also wouldn't want to color them a single color, I will not be buying this set.

 

> * Do you think the pricing is right? (1600 gems for basically 5 skins, 2000 gems with no discount)

 

400 gems per skin seems about right (less with the introductory price) for 5 skins.

 

> * Should Anet allow people to buy specific mount skins instead of just in a bundle?

 

Yes, unequivocally. Both options would be better for consumers, with a reasonable discount for buying the bundle.

 

> * What should change in the future regarding mount skins in general?

 

It's my hope that they will offer more than just overlays at some point. I suspect that offering completely different mounts with different movement mechanics would sooner or later hit a point of diminishing returns, so I believe that variant mounts which offer the same movement as X, but look a good bit different, would be the way to go.

 

> * Anything else you would like to add?

 

Good luck, ANet, and thanks for Path of Fire.

[Super Hayes.6890]

My opinion:

I like the look of the new mounts

I will never pay that price

If they were individually available I would consider buying some of them

[Fenom.9457]

I think the skins are epic, and seeing this type is perfectly fine and awesome. However, if we NEVER get variants hat are similar animals (jackal-mistifre wolf, griffon-wyvern, etc) then I'll be disappointed. Then again, whatever entirely different creature they add had to at the very least exist in the world, so they shouldn't go too crazy there. But then again again, the BLTC has made some crazy stuff, I guess some funded Asuran labs could make new beings

[Donari.5237]

> @Sodeni.6041 said:

 

> How do you like the mount skins?

I like them a great deal. I'm having a ton of fun dyeing them, mostly hiding the skeleton or at least letting it make highlights rather than really pop out. I look forward to new sets of skins that don't have a frothing mist effect on them. See https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/11029/springers-new-halloween-skin-is-a-bit-off#latest for discussion of how the Spooky Springer doesn't dye as well as the others.

 

They were certainly a very nice surprise. Just as nice as the two new bag slots per alt, though right now my wallet can't handle getting more bag slots after I nabbed the mounts.

 

> Do you think the pricing is right? (1600 gems for basically 5 skins, 2000 gems with no discount)

I don't feel strongly one way or the other. Per skin, it's not so much. If they toss out more mount skins as often as they do gliders and demand this much money each time, it'll hurt and I will not buy them all just to be completionist.

 

> Should Anet allow people to buy specific mount skins instead of just in a bundle?

Yes, absolutely. It was wonderful when they started offering discounts on bundles but making individual contents available and I hope they'll resume that with mount skins.

 

> What should change in the future regarding mount skins in general?

I hope they'll add different types of animals (or travel items) that do similar skills. My fear is that the animation quality will suffer, same way so many new hair styles lack physics. There's a pretty high bar set with the initial mounts. If they offer rigid plastic looking things just to make sales, they'll get a lot of backlash.

 

Base mounts should get a second dye channel, to allow for custom coats (ideally with texture shading to match what we have, the beasties don't start out monochrome. Except the Springer).

 

> Anything else you would like to add?

 

Not right now, I want to go in game now that my guildies are in!

 

[Shirlias.8104]

1. Skin style > Perfect ( players can easily recognize em as the standard ones in terms of which mount is that player riding ).

2. Bundle Price > Perfect ( 1600 x 5 skins is 320 gems x skin ).

3. Absence of single Purchase > Not that good.

 

Though the bundle price is low ( 320 gems x skin ), maybe some players could have wanted the possibility to purchase just one single skin. I wouldn't mind to see the possibility, but also a great advantge for the bundle itself:

 

* Bundle cost 2000 ( 20 % discount 1600 ) and price for each skin, 320

 

or

 

* Single skin cost 700 ( 20% discount 560 ), Total cost for 5 skins 3500 ( 2800 with 20% discount ).

 

Obviously many players would have take the bundle, but probably some other players would have taken only the skins they wanted.

[sephiroth.4217]

It might be too much to ask but I want actual skins...

 

A Wyvern for my Griffon, A Centaur for my Raptor, A sand shark or Asuran surf board / hover board for the skimmer and so on

[Shikigami.4013]

The price should not really be seen as 2000 with a discount to 1600, the price realistically 1600. It was never 2000 as it didn't exist before, and it is a Halloween item that will not be available anymore after Halloween to cost 2000, so the 2000 "normal price" is just a random marketing stunt to make you feel you paid "less than normal" although there is no "normal". If they make those skins available again next Halloween they will most likely again be "discounted" to 1600, or don't you think ^^

 

Apart from the marketing thing: Those are the first skins ever, released only weeks after PoF release, and they are seasonal themed. What more did people expect, that Arenanet dishes out the best skins that they came up with first? So that any other skin that subsequently will be released will not be as good so people complain? Of course they will start out slowly and then give us better and better things, so people will always want to buy the skins because they are better or more awesome than the previous ones :)

[Lunarhound.7324]

I don't love these specific mount skins - I've just never been a fan of the cheesy painted-on skeleton motif - but I'm glad to see them anyway, since it's confirmation that skins will be a thing going forward. I just wish the first ones to show up hadn't been goofy Halloween ones. This makes me afraid that the next ones will be raptors covered in a snowflake motif or something, and there won't be a possibility of real creativity in mount skins until months into the new year.

 

All of that said, I did purchase them, to show support for the endeavor. I do wish I'd had the option to purchase them separately, though.

[tekfan.3179]

I'm actually really underwelmed by the halloween skins. I had expected something along the line of actual skeleton models, instead of "simple" reskins. Skeleton models covered in this shadowy mist we now got on parts of the mounts, that would have been awesome.

Imagine running around on a dark raptor skeleton, covered in pitch black mist while two red eyes glow in the empty eyesockets of the skull...now that would be a haunting halloween.

As for the price...meh, I guess. While the overall pricing is acceptable in my book, I think they should add the option to buy the skins seperately. I think the perfect pricing would be this: Buy each skin seperately for 400 gems each, buy the whole pack for 1600 gems(buy five, get one free).

[Celldrax.2849]

> @NeroBoron.7285 said:

> I see an raptor with a red christmas hat and a flying reindeer as griffon incoming :lol:

My thoughts exactly.

 

If I see no mount christmas hats, there's gonna be hell to pay :P

 

[DebraKadabra.5278]

Hi, adding my vote here - I absolutely LOVE the new mount skins, and even though I don't have the griffon unlocked (yet) I'm glad that I have an awesome looking skin for it. To further address OP's questions--

 

I do think that the gem store price for the skins is fair, especially since the gold to gems conversion rate is insanely low right now.

 

Maybe separation of the mount skins would be better, like they did with the Foefire armor skins, but I don't make that decision.

 

I think more skins that aren't holiday specific would be cool.

[DearlyMe.5320]

I love them. They're a lot of fun to color and see the markings glow. All my mounts finally have their own unique coloring. But they should be offered separately, yes. I'm sure that feels like a waste to those who don't like a particular one or don't want the griffon.

[bearawr.9847]

i would like the ability to buy just one.

[Ashen.2907]

> @IndigoSundown.5419 said:

> > @Sodeni.6041 said:

> >

> > * How do you like the mount skins?

>

> Not my cup of tea. I have zero interest in a skin that looks like someone threw sheets with spooky features painted (in glowy paint) on them over the mounts. Since I also wouldn't want to color them a single color, I will not be buying this set.

>

> > * Do you think the pricing is right? (1600 gems for basically 5 skins, 2000 gems with no discount)

>

> 400 gems per skin seems about right (less with the introductory price) for 5 skins.

>

> > * Should Anet allow people to buy specific mount skins instead of just in a bundle?

>

> Yes, unequivocally. Both options would be better for consumers, with a reasonable discount for buying the bundle.

>

> > * What should change in the future regarding mount skins in general?

>

> It's my hope that they will offer more than just overlays at some point. I suspect that offering completely different mounts with different movement mechanics would sooner or later hit a point of diminishing returns, so I believe that variant mounts which offer the same movement as X, but look a good bit different, would be the way to go.

>

> > * Anything else you would like to add?

>

> Good luck, ANet, and thanks for Path of Fire.

 

Pretty much all of this.

[Meridian.4983]

I'm really enjoying the mount skins, mostly the raptor, but the skimmer is nice too. I can't say for the Griffon yet, but I'm looking forward to it!

The price is pretty good, but should definitely be available individually as well as the bundle.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @Sodeni.6041 said:

> * How do you like the mount skins?

They are awesome skins for Halloween. The Springer is ridonkolous.

 

> * Do you think the pricing is right? (1600 gems for basically 5 skins, 2000 gems with no discount)

It's pretty much inline with cheap outfits, which is basically what they are (cheap outfits for mounts instead of toons).

 

> * Should Anet allow people to buy specific mount skins instead of just in a bundle?

Absolutely. I don't understand why they refuse to do this.

(I understand the financial incentive; I don't understand why a company that seems to want to deserve a player-friendly reputation keeps choosing to something like this, that is met with such hostility.)

 

> * What should change in the future regarding mount skins in general?

* At least one outfit (per mount) made available via in-game sources, not just via gem shop.

* An end to "bundle only" pricing.

* Four dye channels for base mounts (I'd be okay with paying a nominal amount of gems for it).

 

****

 

> * Anything else you would like to add?

 

Thanks for starting your feedback thread with well-phrased questions. It's really helpful to discussions when the initial post is written in a neutral tone, since it makes it easier for people to express diverse views. And it reduces the likelihood that the thread will become an argument among a handful of people.

[Sodeni.6041]

> @Meridian.4983 said:

> I'm really enjoying the mount skins, mostly the raptor, but the skimmer is nice too. I can't say for the Griffon yet, but I'm looking forward to it!

> The price is pretty good, but should definitely be available individually as well as the bundle.

 

The Griffon skin is one of my favourites! It looks really cool if you use white dyes especially, you'll like it :)

[Menadena.7482]

> @Anela.3867 said:

> I didn't like them until someone pointed out to me that you could dye them so they don't look like skeletons and now I love them! All hot pink with pink glow! They are amazing!!

 

Did you use the same colour for both the skin and the bones or different shades? I am having trouble with one thing being dark and the other light .... the pattern still shows through.

 

Admittedly pink bones do not look like bones but it does not blend with the skin either.

[Sodeni.6041]

> @Menadena.7482 said:

> > @Anela.3867 said:

> > I didn't like them until someone pointed out to me that you could dye them so they don't look like skeletons and now I love them! All hot pink with pink glow! They are amazing!!

>

> Did you use the same colour for both the skin and the bones or different shades? I am having trouble with one thing being dark and the other light .... the pattern still shows through.

>

> Admittedly pink bones do not look like bones but it does not blend with the skin either.

 

I got the same problem! I wish they shared the same colour pattern. You don't see the bones if you dye your mount very dark though.

[Shard.4791]

800 gems per mount skin is a bit steep if you would only use 2. That's the current option we have. The price does seem a bit high per mount (up to 1600 per) in this business model.

[KyleNig.6853]

> @sephiroth.4217 said:

> It might be too much to ask but I want actual skins...

>

> A Wyvern for my Griffon, A Centaur for my Raptor, A sand shark or Asuran surf board / hover board for the skimmer and so on

 

Okay but how do you justify the unique skills for each mount? How would a skin work for that? The purpose of these mounts were to complement the gameplay rather than making them an accessory to players. The dye customization on these mounts are amazing!

[Sodeni.6041]

> @KyleNig.6853 said:

> > @sephiroth.4217 said:

> > It might be too much to ask but I want actual skins...

> >

> > A Wyvern for my Griffon, A Centaur for my Raptor, A sand shark or Asuran surf board / hover board for the skimmer and so on

>

> Okay but how do you justify the unique skills for each mount? How would a skin work for that? The purpose of these mounts were to complement the gameplay rather than making them an accessory to players. The dye customization on these mounts are amazing!

 

Well I think a wyvern griffon would fit, also a mist wolf.

[PopeUrban.2578]

I would like to play the game in stead of the gem store to earn customization for the central selling point of an expansion.