Guild Wars 2

Because I am willing to pay that much just to play the way I like.

Hello there,
So I am a formerly-PvP-exclusive player who likes to explore, quest, slay monsters (and of course PvP) in style. And I would like to explain this idea I’m confident both NCSoft-ANet and us players would like.

What does Unlimited Cosmetics do?
Simple. For 30 days, any purchaser of Unlimited Cosmetics get to customize their characters’ looks with infinite access to the Gem-based services, namely:

1. Total Makeover Kit (originally 350 Gems)
2. Self-Style Hair Kit (250 Gems)
3. Transmutation Charges (600 Gems per 25 charges)

Why Unlimited Cosmetics?
Coming from PvP, I think I have experienced the best and worst of Guild Wars 2. We PvPers have enjoyed 1.5 years of free trait resets/0 repair costs/full customization of looks long before any PvEer does. It felt great.
Then Living World came and PvPers were practically ignored by updates most of the times. A conclusion I drew was that we PvPers hardly have to pay for anything we play. Once upon a time, we were really able to enjoy the full game of PvP (however unbalanced it might be) without using any Gem Store. Yet, with a little contribution to the machine, one can enjoy it even further.

Let’s just say the one thing I enjoyed the most in PvP was something that involved these unlimited access and customization of how I want to play my game, at a real money cost: Custom Arena. And you know what, I really loved it. That was the best purchase I’ve ever made from ArenaNet.

When I return to PvE after the April patch I discovered that this side of game is severely lacking everywhere unless you use the Gem Store from time to time. What’s worse, this Gem Store is dominated by rented stuffs. 1-time use and limited days of access to just about everything cool.
For example, when I am leveling up (most of my characters are somewhere near level 2), I need frequent transmutes, since I am constantly swapping out old gear for new ones every 5 levels my character needs to buy this whole set of 10 items (6 armors and 4 weapons) and then transmute them all to keep the look s/he has.
It costs 10 transmutation charges and really, feels like I am “renting” the look of my character as it is going to go away and needs re-purchase 5 levels later.
The more I level up, the more money I have to spend.
The more time I invest, the more money I lose.
It feels worse than renting. At least you get more from the stuffs you rent by using them more often.
Allow me to say that this company and its Korean overlords definitely want to make huge bucks off transmutation and many other services on the Gem Store.
It’s okay. We want a good game. A good game should come from a good company. A good company should make lots of money. But I don’t think THIS company is especially good at it.
Like I said, the PvE side is plagued by 1-time use services, limited days of access and non-revertible products. This kind if designs tend to drive customers away because they are 1-night-stands. Was the eye color off in that Total Makeover Kit? Too bad it is used up. BUY ANOTHER ONE. Need to check your bank very quickly from inside the dungeon? kitten the robot just expired an hour ago. PAY FOR A NEW ONE!

In PvP this would not be the case. Or it used to not be. If I make a mistake wearing the PvP armor I do not like, I just go ahead, salvage it, and attempt to build a new one. Eventually it will be correct.

Despite its amazing gameplay and beautiful art style, the game’s economy world gives you heart attacks like this one and often feels much worse than a rented game/MMO with subs.

So I offer this product idea of 30-day Unlimited Cosmetics, pricing at 1,600 Gems. If I have to rent, so be it. Because I will take an honest rent over losing money for my time investment in this game.

By applying this product, ArenaNet and NCSoft can make all the more money, while players like me get to play the way we like, and craft our characters at anytime, anywhere, with any mood, without needing to worry about paying extra money.

Why does this feel like a subscription fee?
It feels like a subscription fee because it is! The difference here is not everyone has to pay it. In fact, only a very small portion of ANet’s customer base (such as yours truly) will pay it. And they pay gladly.
I don’t know how many people care about customization or how their characters look when leveling, but I 100% do. Customization is exactly why I came to play GW2. The player power we have here is so insane it (in my opinion) should have charged us like Elder Scrolls Online did in the first place. In PvP I have been able to permanently retain the very looks I have crafted for every of my characters, every moment I play, and every skin I take. Why should I not do the same in PvE?

Why 1,600 Gems?
Having purchased and maintained a Custom Arena in the past, I say 1,600 Gems/200 Gold/$20 USD per month is a fair price to have this sort of full customization.
Originally I intended that transmutation charges should add 1 day to the time period but then I realized ArenaNet would probably lose money if they do that. Unlike Custom Arena, transmutation is not sharable with other players. It is, really, all about how you view your characters. That makes it precious.
This is even more expensive than WoW’s monthly subscription. Yes, I mean it. The way you guys price these transmutation charges you obviously want to make some frequent money off it. You deserve to. More than Blizzard does. And since that company is charging people around the world $15 USD per month to play a game that requires players to grind for months or pay another $60 USD to start having fun given they already paid $15 USD every month, I say I would pay you $20 USD per month to have fun every minute I am in here.

Map completion, Black Lion Chest farming, PvP~they all offer transmutation charges. Why not go for them?
I don’t know if you remember the GW2 manifesto, but one of them is that GW2 does not force players to grind for hours to start having fun. Currently 1 TC takes about 9 minutes if you use a fresh character to complete The Grove. 10 TC would take 1.5 hour or in reality more than 2 hours because you need to consider the character creation/deletion, loading screens and boss fights at level 1. PvP takes even longer as not everywhere in the reward tracks offer TC. Those hours I spend repeating such chores to get TC for my leveling characters is the very definition of grinding. I could have spent those moments simply having fun.
I don’t want that. I dare say nobody wants that.
Instead, please allow prodigal player such as me to pay you this honest subscription fee to Unlimited Transmutation, and enjoy every minute I have in leveling up, doing dungeons and solving quests.

So, that’s that. I have left you guys with this tiny business idea, and it is up to you to decide if it is worthy enough to implement and help making lots of monthly money.

Thumbs up if you like this and leave as many comments as you like.
Hopefully we can get some official attention on this one.
You will be happy. I will be happier.
Until then, I will reside in that little shabby corner you call PvP and enjoy those always different matchups/permanent transmutes/free trait resets/0 repair costs we PvPers have had since day one.

What a terrible idea.

Why not make dressing yourself the way you like completely free, with all the skins you have unlocked..?

I love this idea and mentioned it in a previous thread about a month ago. At that price however, I’d love to see it also have unlimited hair and make over changes. But I’d still get it if it didn’t.

transmutation charges are anets main source of income.

the gemstore pays for the servers, development and support.

they need things ingame that always need ppl to buy gems (when u buy with gold some 1 has to pay real money for it).

so items like this will never happen as it will greatly hit the wallets.

the gemstore is now anets main source of income. after game sales died down 3 months after launch

krixis.9538:

transmutation charges are anets main source of income.

the gemstore pays for the servers, development and support.

they need things ingame that always need ppl to buy gems (when u buy with gold some 1 has to pay real money for it).

so items like this will never happen as it will greatly hit the wallets.

the gemstore is now anets main source of income. after game sales died down 3 months after launch

Its monthly….

personally I think 1600 gems per month is too much, but hey, I’m not one to change my appearance often, so if people are willing to pay this.

It’s only of benefit to anet.

I like the idea, but I do think it’s too steep of a price for one aspect of the game.

Like Lilith above mentioned, If it included unlimited (or maybe 5X a month) hair/body change I would surely pay a monthly fee for this.

Awesome feedback, friends! Please keep it coming.

I have updated this thread and changed the title so now the proposed product includes hair-style and total makeovers. Thank you, Lilith and Domino!

I like it but think it’s too expensive. 800 would be the maximum I would consider for this. All my characters are pretty much set up now on the way they look and I rarely change anything. Partially because of cost but also because I like the look they have now best.