More “paths” to legendary gear...

[Ohoni.6057]

> @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > > > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > > > @Miellyn.6847 said:

> > > > > > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > > > > > @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > > > > > > > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > > > > > > My posts have more upvotes than downvotes. I'm not sure how you're getting the impression that I don't represent a majority position.

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > Well since downvotes were removed months ago...

> > > > > > >

> > > > > > > I could create a post that GW2 should be cancelled, have five upvotes, and the claim that I have more upvotes than downvotes. While that may be true, it has **zero** correlation with how the population sides with that statement.

> > > > > >

> > > > > > The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Point being, there's no reason to believe that better access to Legendary armors would not be supported by the majority of players, since the majority of players do not participate in the things that currently award them. To make that case, you would need some actual evidence that the majority is *opposed* to their own self-interest in this matter.

> > > > >

> > > > > You could actually bring some proof that you are arguing for the marjority. You never brought it in any discussion you participated. You just threw those things around while the discussions and reddit actually indicate that you are the minority.

> > > > > The point people disagree with you is actually not legendary armor in open world but envoy skins in open world. Those are raid only and will stay raid only. The implementation of PvP and WvW armor just cemented this.

> > > >

> > > > And you've never brought any proof that you represent the majority. Since my proposal would *benefit* the majority, the burden of proof would be on you to establish that they would choose to work against their own self-interests.

> > >

> > > Burden of proof is on you since you’re the one making the claim.

> >

> > I only claim to be representing the interests of the majority, which I am. I don't claim that they _necessarily agree_ with me, but again, to claim otherwise would be an extraordinary claim, and therefore require extraordinary proof.

> >

> > Why do you believe that the majority would act against their own interest in this?

> >

> > > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > > I fine with the raid having special skins, that is a hallmark of GW2, to have modes with their own special unique skin.

> > >

> > > Equally so, WvW legendary armor should also have it's own unique skin, just like sPvP should, and if they put it in, Openworld should also have it's own skin.

> >

> > I'm not satisfied with that, because one skin is not "just as good as another." If you don't have the skin that *you* want, then it doesn't matter whether you have access to a completely different skin. I think that "each mode gets a skin" is fine so long as it's something that can be acquired relatively quickly and easily, so that if you aren't enjoying yourself then you at least don't have to put up with it for long, but anything that takes many hours of dedicated activity should be more flexible than that.

>

> You claim to be representing the interests of the majority with no evidence. You get disputed on that and then tell those that disagree to provide evidence.

 

The claim on the interests of the majority is self-evident. The majority do not have Envoy armor, and never will. I seek to change that, which would improve the options available to them. the burden of proof is on those who would insist that they would not want something which would purely benefit their game experience.

[Lunateric.3708]

> @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > @Lunateric.3708 said:

> > You can't downvote posts here so that's a pretty invalid thing to say. I invite you to try and make a post in Reddit where people can and will show disagreement more transparently.

>

> Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The fact is, way more upvotes than down.

 

Alright, that makes absolutely no sense but I won't take the bait. I am one the many that disagree with you and what you advocate for but can't be bothered to engage in a senseless debate. I'm glad the developers keep things the way they are now :).

[STIHL.2489]

> @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > I fine with the raid having special skins, that is a hallmark of GW2, to have modes with their own special unique skin.

> >

> > Equally so, WvW legendary armor should also have it's own unique skin, just like sPvP should, and if they put it in, Openworld should also have it's own skin.

>

> I'm not satisfied with that, because one skin is not "just as good as another." If you don't have the skin that *you* want, then it doesn't matter whether you have access to a completely different skin. I think that "each mode gets a skin" is fine so long as it's something that can be acquired relatively quickly and easily, so that if you aren't enjoying yourself then you at least don't have to put up with it for long, but anything that takes many hours of dedicated activity should be more flexible than that.

 

Eh... I look it like Dungeon Skins. Just because the dungeon was harder (Araha) didn't mean the skin looked better, even if people wore them as a badge of prestige. Case in point, I thought Arah skins were ugly, and liked TA skins much better, so I farmed and wore them.

 

[STIHL.2489]

> @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> A lot of players collectively have no idea what they want and a lot of players don’t realize the consequences of having what they want implemented.

 

We agree.

 

Now.. how do you know what you want is good for the game?

 

[Ayrilana.1396]

> @STIHL.2489 said:

> > @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > A lot of players collectively have no idea what they want and a lot of players don’t realize the consequences of having what they want implemented.

>

> We agree.

>

> Now.. how do you know what you want is good for the game?

>

 

Never said anything about what I want. What’s good for the game is up to Anet.

[IndigoSundown.5419]

> @Ohoni.6057 said:

>

> I only claim to be representing the interests of the majority, which I am. I don't claim that they _necessarily agree_ with me, but again, to claim otherwise would be an extraordinary claim, and therefore require extraordinary proof.

 

Your claim to be representing the interest of a majority of players. This is a logical fallacy called petitio principii, also called "Begging the question."

[Ohoni.6057]

> @STIHL.2489 said:

> > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > > I fine with the raid having special skins, that is a hallmark of GW2, to have modes with their own special unique skin.

> > >

> > > Equally so, WvW legendary armor should also have it's own unique skin, just like sPvP should, and if they put it in, Openworld should also have it's own skin.

> >

> > I'm not satisfied with that, because one skin is not "just as good as another." If you don't have the skin that *you* want, then it doesn't matter whether you have access to a completely different skin. I think that "each mode gets a skin" is fine so long as it's something that can be acquired relatively quickly and easily, so that if you aren't enjoying yourself then you at least don't have to put up with it for long, but anything that takes many hours of dedicated activity should be more flexible than that.

>

> Eh... I look it like Dungeon Skins. Just because the dungeon was harder (Araha) didn't mean the skin looked better, even if people wore them as a badge of prestige. Case in point, I thought Arah skins were ugly, and liked TA skins much better, so I farmed and wore them.

 

Yeah, but any dungeon skin you want can be earned in only a few hours of play, not dozens of hours. And you don't even have to do the dungeons, you can get them through PvP. I've cleared Arah exactly ONCE, it took me about an hour or so, and yet I was able to get all the mats I needed for Bifrost from the PvP track, which was fairly effortless.

 

That's sort of my point, so long as the effort involved is reasonably low, I think that's fine, close your eyes and think of England. But when we're talking Legendary armor, the work involved is significantly higher, so either that necessary work would need to be reduced *significantly,* OR there would need to be alternate paths, so that if you were going to put that much work in, it would at least be towards an activity that you actually enjoy doing.

 

 

[TheRandomGuy.7246]

> @Ohoni.6057 said:

> That's sort of my point, so long as the effort involved is reasonably low

 

What is reasonably low for you can be insane grindgonnauninstall for others.

[STIHL.2489]

> @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > > > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > > > I fine with the raid having special skins, that is a hallmark of GW2, to have modes with their own special unique skin.

> > > >

> > > > Equally so, WvW legendary armor should also have it's own unique skin, just like sPvP should, and if they put it in, Openworld should also have it's own skin.

> > >

> > > I'm not satisfied with that, because one skin is not "just as good as another." If you don't have the skin that *you* want, then it doesn't matter whether you have access to a completely different skin. I think that "each mode gets a skin" is fine so long as it's something that can be acquired relatively quickly and easily, so that if you aren't enjoying yourself then you at least don't have to put up with it for long, but anything that takes many hours of dedicated activity should be more flexible than that.

> >

> > Eh... I look it like Dungeon Skins. Just because the dungeon was harder (Araha) didn't mean the skin looked better, even if people wore them as a badge of prestige. Case in point, I thought Arah skins were ugly, and liked TA skins much better, so I farmed and wore them.

>

> Yeah, but any dungeon skin you want can be earned in only a few hours of play, not dozens of hours. And you don't even have to do the dungeons, you can get them through PvP. I've cleared Arah exactly ONCE, it took me about an hour or so, and yet I was able to get all the mats I needed for Bifrost from the PvP track, which was fairly effortless.

>

> That's sort of my point, so long as the effort involved is reasonably low, I think that's fine, close your eyes and think of England. But when we're talking Legendary armor, the work involved is significantly higher, so either that necessary work would need to be reduced *significantly,* OR there would need to be alternate paths, so that if you were going to put that much work in, it would at least be towards an activity that you actually enjoy doing.

>

>

 

I am not sure what the issue here is, I mean. If I love HoT, I think I would get Nevermore, over the Brifrost, because I don't like dungeons and what have you. However, having the Choice between Nevermore of Brifrost, is really what is the point here.

 

I'd be fine if Raids unlocked one kind of Skin, and Openworld Unlocked another kind of skin, and WvW had its own skin (maybe something to match the back Item), and sPvP had a Legendary Armor Skin to go with it's back item.

 

I personally think Anet really dropped the ball with the Legendary Armor nor meshing well with the Fractal Legendary back item,

 

as i see it, as long as all game modes gave a path to Legendary Armor, so everyone could feel like it was within reach for them, then that is what matters.

[Ohoni.6057]

> @TheRandomGuy.7246 said:

> > @Ohoni.6057 said:

> > That's sort of my point, so long as the effort involved is reasonably low

>

> What is reasonably low for you can be insane grindgonnauninstall for others.

 

That argument can be applied to anything though, there's no point to it. I think if we're being honest we can all agree that dungeon armor is significantly easier and less time consuming to acquire than completed Envoy armor.

[STIHL.2489]

> @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > @STIHL.2489 said:

> > > @Ayrilana.1396 said:

> > > A lot of players collectively have no idea what they want and a lot of players don’t realize the consequences of having what they want implemented.

> >

> > We agree.

> >

> > Now.. how do you know what you want is good for the game?

> >

>

> Never said anything about what I want. What’s good for the game is up to Anet.

 

Not as much as you may think.

 

See players may not know what is best for the game, but they know what they like, and if that is not provided them, (no matter how much it may be expressed that this is for the greater good, or makes other people happy) they will move on.

 

So the question becomes, is it better to do what they can to keep players like Ohoni.6057, or people like you? After all it seems they can't please you both.

 

Will Anet make the right choice.. the thing is.. they will only find out after the fact, they can't tell the future, it's still very much a guessing game for them.

[STIHL.2489]

My personal feelings on the matter are, it's in Anet best interest to try and please as many as they can, and since it would no hurt Raids or the people that enjoy them to offer alternate PvE paths for legendary Armor, that is really the best thing to do at this point, and it makes no sense not to do this.

[UnDeadFun.5824]

> @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> >

> >

> > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

>

> That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

 

Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

 

*edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

[Loosmaster.8263]

> @UnDeadFun.5824 said:

> > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> > >

> > >

> > > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

> >

> > That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

>

> Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

>

> *edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

 

Apparently you haven't read the entire thread and they claim to speak for the majority.

In your context an entire new set for OWPvE would give you that but this thread is about wanting another path to the Envoy armor in Raids.

[Seera.5916]

> @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > @UnDeadFun.5824 said:

> > > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > > > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

> > >

> > > That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

> >

> > Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

> >

> > *edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

>

> Apparently you haven't read the entire thread and they claim to speak for the majority.

> In your context an entire new set for OWPvE would give you that but this thread is about wanting another path to the Envoy armor in Raids.

 

To be fair, the OP never said skins. Just the legendary armor itself. Whether he means the skins as well or just the functionality and stats, is unknown. He hasn't explicitly stated what he would be happy with or said anything in my mind that implied either.

 

This thread is about wanting more paths to legendary armor. Most agree that more paths would be fine to legendary armor. The argument is more on the lines of functionality only or functionality & skin.

[Shirlias.8104]

I don't care about skins, but please allow everybody to get QoL items ( change stats at will ) in different ways.

 

[Ohoni.6057]

> @Seera.5916 said:

> > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > @UnDeadFun.5824 said:

> > > > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > > > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > > > > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

> > > >

> > > > That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

> > >

> > > Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

> > >

> > > *edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

> >

> > Apparently you haven't read the entire thread and they claim to speak for the majority.

> > In your context an entire new set for OWPvE would give you that but this thread is about wanting another path to the Envoy armor in Raids.

>

> To be fair, the OP never said skins. Just the legendary armor itself. Whether he means the skins as well or just the functionality and stats, is unknown. He hasn't explicitly stated what he would be happy with or said anything in my mind that implied either.

>

> This thread is about wanting more paths to legendary armor. Most agree that more paths would be fine to legendary armor. The argument is more on the lines of functionality only or functionality & skin.

 

Or skin-only, I'm in the skin-only camp, the functionality I could take or leave.

 

Really when it comes down to it I think PvE should move to the PvP model where you can just have stat amulets and the armor is unimportant to stats.

[ectogasm.8764]

If I were to raid more I'd love the concept more. I wish it wasn't so focused on raiding since a lot of us simply don't have the time. If it were to be more PvE focused (Living World, World Bosses etc..) but still with a collection. Like when we go and do things to get started on a weapon; I loved that and even if it involved more crafting.

[STIHL.2489]

> @Seera.5916 said:

> > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > @UnDeadFun.5824 said:

> > > > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > > > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > > > > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > > > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

> > > >

> > > > That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

> > >

> > > Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

> > >

> > > *edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

> >

> > Apparently you haven't read the entire thread and they claim to speak for the majority.

> > In your context an entire new set for OWPvE would give you that but this thread is about wanting another path to the Envoy armor in Raids.

>

> To be fair, the OP never said skins. Just the legendary armor itself. Whether he means the skins as well or just the functionality and stats, is unknown. He hasn't explicitly stated what he would be happy with or said anything in my mind that implied either.

>

> This thread is about wanting more paths to legendary armor. Most agree that more paths would be fine to legendary armor. The argument is more on the lines of functionality only or functionality & skin.

 

**Each path should have their own unique skin**.. as I would hate to have the Raid Legendary Armor look like WvW Legendary Armor, as it would be against the whole way GW2 (AKA: Fashion Wars) is set up for them all to provide the same looking skin, or worse yet, no skin at all for the various kinds of Legendary Armor.

 

Can you imagine if all the Legendary Back Items looked the same? YUCK!

 

Why that would be as bad as Giving **Nevermore** and **The Bifrost** or the same skin. or worse yet.. can you imagine if they gave **Sharur** a generic hammer skin? That would be an insult to even suggest something that ridiculous right?

 

Which is why the WvW/PvP Legendary Armor is more patronizing gesture then a legitimate considerate effort on Anets part to respect the game modes.

 

each path and mode should have their own skin.. that way people can boast, brag, and show off what method they used to get their gear.

 

 

[PopeUrban.2578]

> @"Ohoni.6057" said:

> > @Seera.5916 said:

> > > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > > @UnDeadFun.5824 said:

> > > > > @Loosmaster.8263 said:

> > > > > > @"Shining One.1635" said:

> > > > > > I miss the old Guild Wars 1 approach to gear. Best-in-slot gear was very easy to attain from multiple sources. Of course, you still had the prestige items that required some effort. The only differences were the skins.

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > > I think there should be more paths to legendary functionality, but the various modes should have their own skins/effects.

> > > > >

> > > > > That's the problem. Functionality is not what this is about. They want the skins that are locked behind certain content.

> > > >

> > > > Please don't start lumping everyone all together, not all of us want that. I would like to see other ways to obtain the functionality. Leave to prestige skins where they are.

> > > >

> > > > *edit: I do not want anything to be an easy hand out either.

> > >

> > > Apparently you haven't read the entire thread and they claim to speak for the majority.

> > > In your context an entire new set for OWPvE would give you that but this thread is about wanting another path to the Envoy armor in Raids.

> >

> > To be fair, the OP never said skins. Just the legendary armor itself. Whether he means the skins as well or just the functionality and stats, is unknown. He hasn't explicitly stated what he would be happy with or said anything in my mind that implied either.

> >

> > This thread is about wanting more paths to legendary armor. Most agree that more paths would be fine to legendary armor. The argument is more on the lines of functionality only or functionality & skin.

>

> Or skin-only, I'm in the skin-only camp, the functionality I could take or leave.

>

> Really when it comes down to it I think PvE should move to the PvP model where you can just have stat amulets and the armor is unimportant to stats.

 

This is problematic for the current business model, as transmutation charges is one of Anet's most desirable recurring purchases in the gem store. Making this change would effectively make it impossible to monetize transmutes, and transmutes are one of a small number of consumer friendly gem store purchases in terms of function and pricing.

[Ohoni.6057]

> @"PopeUrban.2578" said:

> This is problematic for the current business model, as transmutation charges is one of Anet's most desirable recurring purchases in the gem store. Making this change would effectively make it impossible to monetize transmutes, and transmutes are one of a small number of consumer friendly gem store purchases in terms of function and pricing.

 

Is it? Where has that come up? Personally I have a stack of like 150 charges just from what they've given out for free, and I have a ton of skins sitting around that I could apply for free if I wanted to. I don't use transmutation charges as often as I'd like because they are a resource, and like any resource I tend to hoard them even if I have plenty. I hate any sort of "consumable" item, and they just end up piling up because I never end up using them.

 

I just think it would be a huge QoL change to the game if every time the meta shifted players could just open a drop-down and swap amulets. Why is that something PvPers can do, but not something PvEers can do?

[PopeUrban.2578]

> @"Ohoni.6057" said:

> > @"PopeUrban.2578" said:

> > This is problematic for the current business model, as transmutation charges is one of Anet's most desirable recurring purchases in the gem store. Making this change would effectively make it impossible to monetize transmutes, and transmutes are one of a small number of consumer friendly gem store purchases in terms of function and pricing.

>

> Is it? Where has that come up? Personally I have a stack of like 150 charges just from what they've given out for free, and I have a ton of skins sitting around that I could apply for free if I wanted to. I don't use transmutation charges as often as I'd like because they are a resource, and like any resource I tend to hoard them even if I have plenty. I hate any sort of "consumable" item, and they just end up piling up because I never end up using them.

>

> I just think it would be a huge QoL change to the game if every time the meta shifted players could just open a drop-down and swap amulets. Why is that something PvPers can do, but not something PvEers can do?

 

Because the core reward structure of PvP is to climb the ladder, and the core reward structure of PvE is to acquire new cosmetics through loot or currency collection. The two game modes have completely separate primary rewards mechanisms and drivers for long term play.

 

You are absolutely correct that PvP handles its reward mechanisms much better. It actually rewards players as expected with the thing it is designed for them to care about, and offers secondary rewards in a way that doesn't disrupt the primary focus of that mechanism.

 

The problem with PvE is that it is already constructed such that the primary reward mechanism is skins, and that there are so few skins actually obtainable as rewards. What you're proposing is more likely, not less likely, to continue the trend of crappy PvE rewards as it removes a revenue stream. Stats are not the primary rewards structure for PvE items already, but the fact that your loot has stats on it you don't want (because the vast majority of loot awards have sub-ascended stat levels) is done specifically to make people burn transmutes.

 

The fact you have so many is more an effect of Anet's move to increasingly move rewards to the cash shop rather than the game itself, your own tendency to hoard them, and rely on players buying rather than finding loot. Transmutes are still part of that monetization, but are more widely available for free now than before in order to ensure players don't see buying their loot from the gem store becomes a long term loss.

 

A system that reinforces monetization by selling skins in stead of monetization by selling QoL features like transmutes is not a change I, personally, would like to see. I'd rather see more of the free transmute sources removed from the game alongside less reliance on gems for skins and more reliance on selling players transmutes simply because a reliance on selling more transmutes directly encourages anet to add more skins as loot since they're monetizing the loot players collect more than the loot players buy with gems. This means arenanet actually has a reason to value loot skins as a gameplay reward. In your theoretical system, anet has even less incentive to reward skins for playing the game as they've now lost whatever amount of gems are being spent on transmutes.

 

Making loot skins by default and effectively making transmutes obsolete removes a revenue source that does not inherently conflict with the game's core reward mechanism. Those are exactly the revenue streams Anet should be focusing on.

[Ohoni.6057]

> @"PopeUrban.2578" said:

> The problem with PvE is that it is already constructed such that the primary reward mechanism is skins, and that there are so few skins actually obtainable as rewards. What you're proposing is more likely, not less likely, to continue the trend of crappy PvE rewards as it removes a revenue stream.

 

Again though, I'm curious where the data is that this is a *significant* revenue stream. They removed gear repair, for example, because it was more annoyance than it was worth. If Transmutation charges are seriously a huge chunk of money for ANet, then fair enough, but I don't see how that could be the case. And letting players swap stats at will seems, to me, to be a potential money maker for ANet, as it gives the skins they do sell a higher value. Keep in mind that they recently launched Mount Skins, and those have *never* required Transmutation charges (but they obviously could have).

 

>Stats are not the primary rewards structure for PvE items already, but the fact that your loot has stats on it you don't want (because the vast majority of loot awards have sub-ascended stat levels) is done specifically to make people burn transmutes.

 

Yeah, but seriously, does anyone actually do this constantly? I tend to do this maybe once or twice per expansion cycle on each of my characters, which leaves me plenty of Transmutation charges. Really the need to use charges is far more likely to keep me from running my ideal stats than it is to get me to spend cash money on a consumable.

 

>Transmutes are still part of that monetization, but are more widely available for free now than before in order to ensure players don't see buying their loot from the gem store becomes a long term loss.

 

So far as I can remember, they were always pretty common, given how you could farm them from map completions. I mean, I probably still had over fifty of them before HoT came out.

 

>I'd rather see more of the free transmute sources removed from the game alongside less reliance on gems for skins and more reliance on selling players transmutes simply because a reliance on selling more transmutes directly encourages anet to add more skins as loot since they're monetizing the loot players collect more than the loot players buy with gems.

 

Ugh /vomit, /literallyvomitinmymouth. MORE consumables? No. Cash for consumables is NEVER a good thing. Anything I spend cash money on had better last me the rest of the game, like *permanent* harvesting tools and *permanent* hub passes. I will never spend cash money on anything RNG, nor on anything that is consumable. EVER. If I didn't have all the free Transmutation Charges that I needed, and buying them on the store had always been the only option available to me, I likely would have quit years ago, not like "I am out of here!," but just a passive "I am not enjoying this," and therefore logging in less and less.

 

>In your theoretical system, anet has even less incentive to reward skins for playing the game as they've now lost whatever amount of gems are being spent on transmutes.

 

Better than them selling transmutes. I'm fine with them selling skins in the gem store, so long as you're guaranteed to get the skin you want at a fair price (no RNG), and it's in a mix-and-match format, not Outfits. They give us plenty of content for "free," I don't mind at all if they charge for skins so long as it's in a fair and upfront manner.

[PopeUrban.2578]

Transmutation charges are permanent. They do a thing, one time, and the effect is permanent. Same deal as painting a house or whatever.

 

I don't really consider that a consumable in the sense that it's a blatant money sink the way problematic consumables (damage boosters or stuff like that) work in exploitative cash shops. Its a one off transaction you can use in perpetuity unless you choose to invalidate it yourself.

 

I *used* to be fine with Anet selling skins in the gems store until they spent two expansions proving they can't responsibly balance ingame rewards with gem store rewards in a way that doesn't actively sabotage their own ingame rewards.

 

Since we're talking about radical changes to the game that will never come to pass, my radical change is stop selling literally the thing you expect players to value as loot, run a cash shop based completely on QOL items, and actually run the game like a "buy to play" game.

[tekfan.3179]

I think it would be a great improvement to the game if items weren't content-locked.

I wouldn't even mind it if it was harder or took longer to obtain specific items via other game modes. You should still have to put in the work and dedication, but you should be able to do it while you're doing something you enjoy.

 

I personally hate PvP in any form in MMORPGs, be it sPvP or even WvW. Still, when I need a gift of battle, I have to go into WvW. Someone who doesn't like to play PvE shouldn't be forced into it either.

 

It would be awesome if you wouldn't be forced to raid, run fractals, do the story or do PvE, sPvP or WvW, but just focus on the content you like from that list.