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Is it just me or is the new currency volatile magic, lackluster, when compared to unbound magic?


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> @DarkSpirit.7046 said:

> I suppose ArenaNet would have new mining, harvesting, and logging tools for volatile magic soon, like what they did for unbound magic. But the new volatile magic doesn't seem to be as worth it. You can't trade them for ascended items?

 

VM is actually very similar to UM if you compare them based on when we only had bloodstone fen from lws3. Large grind to obtain UM but not much to do with it, next came ember bay which introduced a bit more to spend UM on and introduced karma UM tools and then we got bitterfrost frontier which provided us with a more substantial UM farm and combat tonic which all along the way minus bloodstone fen we had ascended ACC and/or a back item plopped in with each map.

 

With Istan we already have karma tools for VB, but its still like fen a substantial grind with nothing really to spend it on outside the node and the 1g mat boxes which could arguably be called worse then magic and warped bundles to to less profitable use.. With lws4's 2nd and 3rd maps i am sure we will see sizable ramp ups at least by the 3rd map anyhow, until then we are simply wading into VM usage.

 

By the 3rd or 4th lws4 map I imagine there will be little difference between UM and VM other then what it's spent on.

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I don't really see why coming up with this new form was necessary instead of just sticking with unbound magic and allowing people who didn't play the last living season a chance to unlock the mastery with this episode. I mean, it honestly just seems like the only reason they're doing it is to sell more unlimited magic harvesting tools. But story-wise, it's really not that different than unbound magic.

 

There isn't really anything different about the two currencies as they're both spent on essentially the same thing. (Mats packages.)

 

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> @cptaylor.2670 said:

> I don't really see why coming up with this new form was necessary instead of just sticking with unbound magic and allowing people who didn't play the last living season a chance to unlock the mastery with this episode. I mean, it honestly just seems like the only reason they're doing it is to sell more unlimited magic harvesting tools. But story-wise, it's really not that different than unbound magic.

>

> There isn't really anything different about the two currencies as they're both spent on essentially the same thing. (Mats packages.)

>

 

I can tell you why coming up with this new form was necessary. How else can ArenaNet motivates us to buy more gems for the new unlimited VM tools? lol

But I am still wondering how are they going to make VM so appealing that we will be compelled to buy the unlimited VM tools even though we already have the unlimited UM version. I suspect we would be able to trade them for ascended weapons or maybe even armor this time?

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> @cptaylor.2670 said:

> I don't really see why coming up with this new form was necessary instead of just sticking with unbound magic and allowing people who didn't play the last living season a chance to unlock the mastery with this episode. I mean, it honestly just seems like the only reason they're doing it is to sell more unlimited magic harvesting tools. But story-wise, it's really not that different than unbound magic.

>

> There isn't really anything different about the two currencies as they're both spent on essentially the same thing. (Mats packages.)

>

 

Because players have had 18 months ish to gather huge amounts of unbound magic. They would be able to buy everything out on the first day without ever playing hte new content. Its the same reason that PoF maps had new currencies than HoT maps did. Its so you have to play teh new content to get the rewards from that content.

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> @cptaylor.2670 said:

> I don't really see why coming up with this new form was necessary instead of just sticking with unbound magic and allowing people who didn't play the last living season a chance to unlock the mastery with this episode. I mean, it honestly just seems like the only reason they're doing it is to sell more unlimited magic harvesting tools. But story-wise, it's really not that different than unbound magic.

>

> There isn't really anything different about the two currencies as they're both spent on essentially the same thing. (Mats packages.)

>

 

Actually, you didn't even have to unlock the mastery to collect unbound magic. You could buy an Unbound Magic Collection tool at Lake Doric, for those who had missed earlier LS3 maps.

 

I would have liked if they had stuck with Unbound as well, but I think the Volatile Magic is interesting (especially of you try to grab it before mastery!) and I expect they will find new and exciting uses for it in the upcoming maps.

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I don't really have a problem with it being less useful right now. Its almost certainly going to end up being the currency for the entire LS season just like how Unbound Magic was for the whole of LS3, so I'm sure they're going to add more and more nice stuff to buy with it as the season goes on.

 

While its true Bloodstone Fen launched UM with a little more cool stuff than Istan has for VM, the ascended accessories were more needed there because there weren't any available in HoT itself, except from raids. If you wanted the new stat combinations prior to LS3, you either had to raid or you had to use Exotics. Conversely, PoF actually has ascended accessories available to purchase straight from the expansion itself. They're extremely overpriced (in terms of the trade contracts), so it'd be nice to get some cheaper alternatives from LS4, but the need isn't as dire here as it was with LS3 and all the HoT stat combos.

 

 

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> @Menadena.7482 said:

> What is interesting is if you unlock the brandstone crystal in our home instance it will give you unbound magic and volatile magic. Which gives more credence to the 'why two things' argument.

 

You sure you aren't using an Unbound gathering tool thats giving you unbound magic? It'd be odd for the LS4 nodes to give UM considering its possible to have no way to spend it, because its entirely possible someone could own LS4 maps / nodes and not have access to any of LS3.

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> @OriOri.8724 said:

> > @cptaylor.2670 said:

> > I don't really see why coming up with this new form was necessary instead of just sticking with unbound magic and allowing people who didn't play the last living season a chance to unlock the mastery with this episode. I mean, it honestly just seems like the only reason they're doing it is to sell more unlimited magic harvesting tools. But story-wise, it's really not that different than unbound magic.

> >

> > There isn't really anything different about the two currencies as they're both spent on essentially the same thing. (Mats packages.)

> >

>

> Because players have had 18 months ish to gather huge amounts of unbound magic. They would be able to buy everything out on the first day without ever playing hte new content. Its the same reason that PoF maps had new currencies than HoT maps did. Its so you have to play teh new content to get the rewards from that content.

 

This is correct, but more importantly there are people who have Path of Fire but do NOT own Heart of Thorns. They did not want people who had been farming HoT LS zones for months to have an immediate advantage over the people who only have PoF in the LS zones that are granted as part of that expansion.

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  • 3 months later...

> @"polter.3241" said:

> Why do the new gathering tool get volatile magic??? I use them cause i need unbound magic.... :-(((((( They dont know how what ppl need.....

 

Oh no, don't tell me you bought the wrong tools? There are two sets, Unbound Magic Gathering tools and Volatile Magic Gathering tools.

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> @"Electro.4173" said:

> > @Menadena.7482 said:

> > What is interesting is if you unlock the brandstone crystal in our home instance it will give you unbound magic and volatile magic. Which gives more credence to the 'why two things' argument.

>

> You sure you aren't using an Unbound gathering tool thats giving you unbound magic? It'd be odd for the LS4 nodes to give UM considering its possible to have no way to spend it, because its entirely possible someone could own LS4 maps / nodes and not have access to any of LS3.

 

I only noticed that I was getting Volatile Magic from mine and then I got a Watchwork sprocket on the last swing! Aetherblades return confirmed! ;)

 

As others have said the new form of magic is because of those who have tons of the old currency stored up, I know I had something like 20,000 unbound magic when LS4 started.

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