Drop rate of Freshwater Pearls is ridiculus.

[vampirelazarus.9403]

> @"Voltekka.2375" said:

> > @"Machaeon.9754" said:

> > With Fractals and Raids, it takes ascended to get ascended. It's a lot of work that goes into your first ascended set, and with that first one you can eventually get more ascended gear easier.

> > Trouble is, as a Chrono, in Commander/Berserker gear, you're relying on 1) good group composition and 2) very quick reflexes to avoid getting steamrolled the second you get into a situation that puts out a lot of damage. A Minstrel's set would solve that, and allow for more than just the 'buff bot' role in raids.

> >

> > It shouldn't be this absurdly difficult to get an EXOTIC set of minstrel's armor. Given raids and fractals, yeah it IS easier to just get the ascended set... which I'm working towards. In the meantime though, isn't it reasonable to at least get SOME results for putting effort into trying to craft them? Other exotic sets don't have this issue, other ascended sets don't have this issue... at worst, it's just slightly more expensive to craft them directly instead of crafting the cheapest ascended and stat-swapping.

> >

> > The only real "solution" is to just buy the pearls outright and with minstrel's it's an order of magnitude more expensive than any other set that's commonly used:

> > * 6x Berserker's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 35g (8g for vials of blood alone; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > * 6x Viper's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 33g (6g for black diamonds + leaf fossils; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > * 6x Insignia of the Harrier: 33g (9g for pulsing brandsparks + ley-infused sands; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > * 6x Magi's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 2g (_Cannot be crafted!_)

> > * 6x Asassin's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 32g (5g for vicious claws; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > * 6x Minstrel's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: **118g (92g for pearls alone; I do NOT have the option to farm this easily)**

> >

> > That's at least three times the price of the arguably more useful and certainly more versatile Berserker's and Viper's sets.

> > I don't know about anyone else, but I like reducing costs where possible... and with the drop rates where they are, I simply CAN'T reduce costs. Fractals and Raids do give the opportunity to outright buy ascended gear, and that cost is inflexible... whether I have the resources on hand to make a set to stat-swap or not, I'll be shilling out somewhere between 14 and 47 gold on top of other time-restricted currencies that need to be acquired.

> > That's an option that exists, that's where much of the effort is being put in, I'd just like to have y'know... some choice in being able to reasonably craft the set myself.

>

> Dunno about you, but I farmed pearls rather easily. 30/day. And a lot of others, as well. VB is your friend. Get guild gathering buff, hero/gather banner buff, item booster (multiple strikes +33%), tool upgrade, multiple chars. Farm VB every hour. You should get the pearls in no time.

 

How long does it take you to farm and how many toons do you have?

[Voltekka.2375]

> @"vampirelazarus.9403" said:

> > @"Voltekka.2375" said:

> > > @"Machaeon.9754" said:

> > > With Fractals and Raids, it takes ascended to get ascended. It's a lot of work that goes into your first ascended set, and with that first one you can eventually get more ascended gear easier.

> > > Trouble is, as a Chrono, in Commander/Berserker gear, you're relying on 1) good group composition and 2) very quick reflexes to avoid getting steamrolled the second you get into a situation that puts out a lot of damage. A Minstrel's set would solve that, and allow for more than just the 'buff bot' role in raids.

> > >

> > > It shouldn't be this absurdly difficult to get an EXOTIC set of minstrel's armor. Given raids and fractals, yeah it IS easier to just get the ascended set... which I'm working towards. In the meantime though, isn't it reasonable to at least get SOME results for putting effort into trying to craft them? Other exotic sets don't have this issue, other ascended sets don't have this issue... at worst, it's just slightly more expensive to craft them directly instead of crafting the cheapest ascended and stat-swapping.

> > >

> > > The only real "solution" is to just buy the pearls outright and with minstrel's it's an order of magnitude more expensive than any other set that's commonly used:

> > > * 6x Berserker's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 35g (8g for vials of blood alone; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > * 6x Viper's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 33g (6g for black diamonds + leaf fossils; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > * 6x Insignia of the Harrier: 33g (9g for pulsing brandsparks + ley-infused sands; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > * 6x Magi's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 2g (_Cannot be crafted!_)

> > > * 6x Asassin's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 32g (5g for vicious claws; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > * 6x Minstrel's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: **118g (92g for pearls alone; I do NOT have the option to farm this easily)**

> > >

> > > That's at least three times the price of the arguably more useful and certainly more versatile Berserker's and Viper's sets.

> > > I don't know about anyone else, but I like reducing costs where possible... and with the drop rates where they are, I simply CAN'T reduce costs. Fractals and Raids do give the opportunity to outright buy ascended gear, and that cost is inflexible... whether I have the resources on hand to make a set to stat-swap or not, I'll be shilling out somewhere between 14 and 47 gold on top of other time-restricted currencies that need to be acquired.

> > > That's an option that exists, that's where much of the effort is being put in, I'd just like to have y'know... some choice in being able to reasonably craft the set myself.

> >

> > Dunno about you, but I farmed pearls rather easily. 30/day. And a lot of others, as well. VB is your friend. Get guild gathering buff, hero/gather banner buff, item booster (multiple strikes +33%), tool upgrade, multiple chars. Farm VB every hour. You should get the pearls in no time.

>

> How long does it take you to farm and how many toons do you have?

 

9-10 toons, 2 mins 30s each

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

I will admit I go out of my way to gather mussles for the chance to get a freshwater pearl. A little disappointed they sell for six gold now, but that also tells me there are more being found too.

 

My reason is selfish, full disclosure, but I want them to remain rare. Look at what happened with foxfire clusters. . . .

[vampirelazarus.9403]

> @"Voltekka.2375" said:

> > @"vampirelazarus.9403" said:

> > > @"Voltekka.2375" said:

> > > > @"Machaeon.9754" said:

> > > > With Fractals and Raids, it takes ascended to get ascended. It's a lot of work that goes into your first ascended set, and with that first one you can eventually get more ascended gear easier.

> > > > Trouble is, as a Chrono, in Commander/Berserker gear, you're relying on 1) good group composition and 2) very quick reflexes to avoid getting steamrolled the second you get into a situation that puts out a lot of damage. A Minstrel's set would solve that, and allow for more than just the 'buff bot' role in raids.

> > > >

> > > > It shouldn't be this absurdly difficult to get an EXOTIC set of minstrel's armor. Given raids and fractals, yeah it IS easier to just get the ascended set... which I'm working towards. In the meantime though, isn't it reasonable to at least get SOME results for putting effort into trying to craft them? Other exotic sets don't have this issue, other ascended sets don't have this issue... at worst, it's just slightly more expensive to craft them directly instead of crafting the cheapest ascended and stat-swapping.

> > > >

> > > > The only real "solution" is to just buy the pearls outright and with minstrel's it's an order of magnitude more expensive than any other set that's commonly used:

> > > > * 6x Berserker's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 35g (8g for vials of blood alone; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > > * 6x Viper's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 33g (6g for black diamonds + leaf fossils; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > > * 6x Insignia of the Harrier: 33g (9g for pulsing brandsparks + ley-infused sands; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > > * 6x Magi's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 2g (_Cannot be crafted!_)

> > > > * 6x Asassin's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: 32g (5g for vicious claws; I have the option to farm this easily)

> > > > * 6x Minstrel's Intricate Gossamer Insignia: **118g (92g for pearls alone; I do NOT have the option to farm this easily)**

> > > >

> > > > That's at least three times the price of the arguably more useful and certainly more versatile Berserker's and Viper's sets.

> > > > I don't know about anyone else, but I like reducing costs where possible... and with the drop rates where they are, I simply CAN'T reduce costs. Fractals and Raids do give the opportunity to outright buy ascended gear, and that cost is inflexible... whether I have the resources on hand to make a set to stat-swap or not, I'll be shilling out somewhere between 14 and 47 gold on top of other time-restricted currencies that need to be acquired.

> > > > That's an option that exists, that's where much of the effort is being put in, I'd just like to have y'know... some choice in being able to reasonably craft the set myself.

> > >

> > > Dunno about you, but I farmed pearls rather easily. 30/day. And a lot of others, as well. VB is your friend. Get guild gathering buff, hero/gather banner buff, item booster (multiple strikes +33%), tool upgrade, multiple chars. Farm VB every hour. You should get the pearls in no time.

> >

> > How long does it take you to farm and how many toons do you have?

>

> 9-10 toons, 2 mins 30s each

 

How long do you farm though? 20 minutes seems too quick to make 150g.

 

[Voltekka.2375]

Every hour mussels reset, you can also Jump to another map for continuous farming. It all depends on how much farming you can take. I got 3 pearls/farming run. Did approximately 10/day. More are certainly doable.

[Gambino.2109]

I feel like there was a patch mussel ninja drop rate nerf in VB..

[artemis.6781]

I ran 6 characters thru VB 6 times today and gathered 2 pearls. I used my bounty glyph, banner, and guild buff. I wasn't impressed with the results.

[Khisanth.2948]

This is one of the stat where you are better off getting them from other sources such as fractals.

 

> @"Gambino.2109" said:

> I feel like there was a patch mussel ninja drop rate nerf in VB..

 

They were always low ...

[Rodrick.1942]

> @"Machaeon.9754" said:

> I've been in level 80 areas for 3 years, gathering essentially everything I come across as I go through the map, not necessarily deliberate farming but more 'gather it as I see it'.

> Guess how many freshwater pearls I've come across in that time?

> **Two.**

> Is that reasonable? I can't make a single insignia yet!

> And that includes recent farming: clearing every mussel in the world and opening tons of the chests and boxes you get in the PoF areas that the wiki lists as having a chance to drop them. (well over 80 buried treasure chests at one point... do you even know how annoying it is to get a significant number of those?)

>

>

> I'd like to see at least _some_ result in my farming, I'm not asking to get the full set in a day... just y'know, maybe one pearl after clearing all the mussels in the world.

 

Haha..well , i'd recommend u to farm hidden chests in raid clear instance, it has better chance to drop freshwater pearl. Last year I got about 10+ from raid chests. U don't have to kill boss, just join the clear one. Note that I didn't do raid clear nor run chest farm every week , and I still got 10 + from chests ;-)

[Oldirtbeard.9834]

Make your own luck, farm Silver Wastes Instan, Auric Basin, sell everything and make gold; buy your pearls and let some one else get bugged out about it.

[Voltekka.2375]

> @"artemis.6781" said:

> I ran 6 characters thru VB 6 times today and gathered 2 pearls. I used my bounty glyph, banner, and guild buff. I wasn't impressed with the results.

 

Item buff. Always have Item buff on. +33% for extra gathering strike

[Glacial.9516]

I don't disagree that Freshwater pearls are strangely expensive and rare compared to similar items, and personally I would never craft an Exotic version of the set because of how expensive it is. I'd go for Ascended instead (at least chest/pants) so that it's account-bound, but I also play lots of alts.

 

There are a few places you can get Minstrel's armor boxes without crafting. As others have said the Triumphant WvW reward track offers most (all?) stats. As does Legacy armor reward track. Both are exotic. A slightly better option (imo, in most cases) for Helmet, Shoulders, Gloves and Boots is to do the LS3 reward tracks (or the map achievements for the boxes, you may need to do this first to unlock the track). Those offer an **account-bount** Exotic armor with selectable stats (I believe all core+HoT stats) which may be preferable. Lastly there is also a choice of Viper or Minstrel box from completing the HoT story. Not exactly a fast farm but if you have multiple alts near that step it could be helpful. Plus you get other rewards from the previous chapters. When I make a key character for 1-60 PS and LS2, I often do HoT as well because I still need Auric weapons and there's a key and exotics along the way.

[Khisanth.2948]

> @"Glacial.9516" said:

> I don't disagree that Freshwater pearls are strangely expensive and rare compared to similar items, and personally I would never craft an Exotic version of the set because of how expensive it is. I'd go for Ascended instead (at least chest/pants) so that it's account-bound, but I also play lots of alts.

>

> There are a few places you can get Minstrel's armor boxes without crafting. As others have said the Triumphant WvW reward track offers most (all?) stats. As does Legacy armor reward track. Both are exotic. A slightly better option (imo, in most cases) for Helmet, Shoulders, Gloves and Boots is to do the LS3 reward tracks (or the map achievements for the boxes, you may need to do this first to unlock the track). Those offer an **account-bount** Exotic armor with selectable stats (I believe all core+HoT stats) which may be preferable. Lastly there is also a choice of Viper or Minstrel box from completing the HoT story. Not exactly a fast farm but if you have multiple alts near that step it could be helpful. Plus you get other rewards from the previous chapters. When I make a key character for 1-60 PS and LS2, I often do HoT as well because I still need Auric weapons and there's a key and exotics along the way.

 

Oddly enough the Crystal Desert track's armor also has all stats including the HoT stats.

 

The LS3 tracks are unlocked by doing part of the episode on at least one character. Can't really describe exactly how far but you get a notification when it happens.