Djinn.9245

I'm sorry that you gave in to the temptation and bought the gamble, but I'm more sorry that you didn't get what you wanted. Unfortunately that is exactly what these gamble boxes are designed to do. You wanted only 1 skin, but not only did you purchase 4, you didn't end up getting what you wanted. What developers are hoping is that you will be like some people and continue buying licenses until you get what you want. What would happen in most cases is you would spend more money than if you just purchased the entire 30 skin set for the discount price of 9600 gems. Its a scam no matter how you look at it.

Very nice - thanks for sharing this article.

While I agree that some better build up might have been beneficial, I'm sorry to say, if you haven't been paying attention to the story so far, don't expect a summary right before the final battle. Balthazars plans for Kralkatorik were made very clear throught the story and your reason for stopping him exactly when you do is also well explained earlier. It's the main reason and only reason even why we bither with stopping Balthazar in the first place. I think you missed the point of what he was saying. He clearly said "Why put something in the sky if you can't afford taking your eyes off the floor for even a split-second?" And I agree with Manasa. I understood that Balthazaar was trying to kill Kralkatorrik, what I and Manasa didn't understand is that Kralkatorrik had shown up for this fight against Balthazar because you can't take the time to look up - you are surrounded by AOE that will kill you if you don't watch the red marks on the ground.

Thanks for the cross post. Very informative post. I especially found this reply insightful: https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/7cfbcr/mounts_and_math_how_much_for_the_skins_you_want/dpqyutu/ "[–]midgard123 2 points 1 day agounfortunately this! I decided to spend 20 Bucks for 4 skins in the hope to get at least 1 griffon skin as i am using that mount for 99% of the time. after dropping 4 licenses and having 3 reskins of the Skimmer and one jackal which i never use I decided to drop another 20 bucks just to get something i can actually use.Nuff said after finally beeing 60 Bucks in before I got the first griffon skin and by that time decided that if i spend so much money I at least want to have the skin i want.In the end I dropped 100€ before i finally got one of the 2 griffion skins i wanted. (Would have made more sense to buy the whole pack outright, but if i knew the expected cost before i would not even have gone in at all)That beeing said this was the last time i ever spent money on the item shop. This is simply disgusting."

I don't care about gemstore items anymore since Anet is adding more gamble boxes. No more gems.

Yet another case in GW2 of your "reward" not really being a reward. :( Too many things that are rewards that you can't really do anything with.

This is a big part of the problem, though. ArenaNet doesn't communicate. A lot of this noise could have been avoided if they'd discussed it with us to begin with, and there are many ways in which gaming companies can do that. A development diary or roadmap which said, "Hey guys, we have a financial need to implement this system because the game isn't sustainable, and here you can see the costs versus revenues," or whatever would have gone a very long way to smoothing this out before it became the disaster that it was bound to be. The problem is that there is no "need" to implement manipulative systems. The vast majority of companies simply sell products that people want. If people don't want their product, they either change their product until people want it or the company fails. Introducing manipulative systems is a CHOICE (based on low standards IMO), not a NEED. Someone mentioned in another thread (and I would give credit here if I could find it) some other examples of real-world RNG, and my favorite is McDonald's Monopoly. This is purely subjective data, but many people I know wait for the Monopoly tickets to be attached to large sodas and fries for a chance to win, and McDonald's sells a lot more and their revenues skyrocket during this time (check out the Income Statements for details). That isn't comparable. With McDonalds Lottery you get exactly what you pay for, there is no mystery as to what you are going to get. What would be comparable to what Anet did is if McDonalds sold a "sandwich gamble box". You pay $2.50 and get one sandwich. It could be a Quarter Pounder with Cheese, a Filet o Fish, a Bacon Cheeseburger, a regular Hamburger, a Chicken Sandwich, etc. Of course each of these sandwiches is actually worth different amounts of money - some quite a bit less than $2.50, some quite a bit more. Some sandwiches you won't like, and some you would particularly want. But you don't get a choice. McDonalds only sells it's sandwiches this way. How long do you think McDonalds would last if they did this btw? LOL

This is a big part of the problem, though. ArenaNet doesn't communicate. A lot of this noise could have been avoided if they'd discussed it with us to begin with, and there are many ways in which gaming companies can do that. A development diary or roadmap which said, "Hey guys, we have a financial need to implement this system because the game isn't sustainable, and here you can see the costs versus revenues," or whatever would have gone a very long way to smoothing this out before it became the disaster that it was bound to be. The problem is that there is no "need" to implement manipulative systems. The vast majority of companies simply sell products that people want. If people don't want their product, they either change their product until people want it or the company fails. Introducing manipulative systems is a CHOICE (based on low standards IMO), not a NEED.

Thank you for that wise insight. Edit: was my sarcasm apparent enough? I didn't want to be too smarmy if I could avoid it, but I want to make sure the point comes across clearly. It's not insight. It's a bunch of teenagers whining about something thinking they're changing the world by fighting big corporations. In reality, this isn't a big deal, and anet is not North Korea or Comcast or whatever the kids are raging against these days. This is a complete non issue. I'm glad it's a non-issue for you. As for customers being able to change big corporations: have you heard of CocaCola? Read up on New Coke. Oh the customers absolutely can change corporations. And what better issue to rage over than mount skins? This will be on CNN for making the world a better place. Oh I see, I'm only allowed to criticize corporations if the subject is making the world a better place? Sorry, as a consumer I have many issues I am concerned with, including something that is supposed to be entertainment, not a rigged means of trying to get more of my money than I am willing to spend. No, of course you can do anything you want. But this whole thing is pretty silly, you must admit. Either buy them or don't: the end.You should definitely handle this and any other situation as you like. What I don't understand is why you're trying to influence how other people handle the situation. Why not just let them also do as they like?

Unfortunately, what you did is exactly what Anet is going for: first you spend the amount of money you actually want to spend. Then when you don't get what you want, you spend a little more. The fact that the 3rd try was gold to gems doesn't actually matter since someone bought those gems and gold to gems encourages more people to buy gems and convert them to gold. Either way Anet made more money than you were originally going to spend.

I wouldn't. I like picking exactly what I want. What if I bought 4 random chances (800 gems - around the price of a glider skin) and I still didn't get a skin I wanted? What if they were all ugly (to me)? Or if they were all for mounts I didn't use regularly? No, I would rather just spend 700 gems for 1 skin that I choose. I won't buy mount skins at all any other way. id prefer that too, but with the established system already in the game all i can really hope for at this point is a price cut : ( I hope for a good deal more than that. I hope for Anet to correct this marketing mistake. Lowering the price won't make any difference to me.

I wouldn't. I like picking exactly what I want. What if I bought 4 random chances (800 gems - around the price of a glider skin) and I still didn't get a skin I wanted? What if they were all ugly (to me)? Or if they were all for mounts I didn't use regularly? No, I would rather just spend 700 gems for 1 skin that I choose. I won't buy mount skins at all any other way.

In addition to objecting to Anet using manipulative practices to try to get me to spend more money, I have the following practical objections to the random mount skins: You can't choose the skin you actually want.If you have limited funds, you can't just keep buying skins until you get the one you want.No matter how many random skins you buy, if you don't buy them all you could be stuck with only skins you don't like.You could get a griffon skin even if you don't have the griffon. If you prefer a specific mount (I prefer the jackal), you could end up with skin(s) that aren't for that mount.And I'm sure I will think of more.

Of course I like this game, that's why I'm ticked off that the reason I bought this xpac was gated behind 'gamble or pay a further $120 for a limited time to get the skin you want'. I already paid for the ultimate edition, why was this not included, if they were that desperate for cash? OK. First of all. Anet never promised Mount Skins with the expansion at all. I can't recall a single marketing device that stated mounts would even have skins. So you can't claim that first point. You bought PoF as it was advertised. Second of all, if they indeed are "strapped for cash" then why would they include something for free in a package that you bought without them including it? You see how that's silly right? (I still feel like most of you need business lessons ... "making money" isn't enough when you have bosses and investors and boards of directors) Now let me ask you something. Would you have bought PoF if they announced there would never be any mount skins? If you still would have, then just go ahead and pretend there aren't any mount skins. Boom. Have fun! Responses like yours are pretty much cementing my resolve never to spend a dime on ANet again, because they have enabled and encouraged this disingenuousness and condescension. Thanks for saving me money! Does logic often resolve you to not spend money in other realms? Or is logic just toxic to you in video games? People need to stop thinking with their hearts. This is a very emotional reaction to a very logical decision. And anyone who is against Anet trying to make more money, please work next week for free at your job. And never, ever ask for a raise. Lest you be yet another "greedy kitten", eh?As I've said, Anet could make money like other companies who don't use manipulative practices. You act like Anet has no choice but to use manipulative practices if they want to make money. This is simply untrue.

Its a SKIN.there is an option to change mount skins in the hero-menu In the hero menu it is showing as locked for me... has a lock symbol over it. Let me guess... because I don't have the original griffon mount, then I cant use it... crap Thank you for illustrating why the current method is garbage. Okay A-net, at least give people a "random" skin they can use. Thus far I have given you 400 of my gems for nothing.Contact Customer Service and ask for a refund. Let us know what they say.