As I have been scouting the forums about the BLKeys, I found that there are alot of ppl feeling cheated and some ppl are just down right again’t the fact that you need to buy BLKeys to open the BLChests.
I understand this is a method of making the extra bucks to keep the game going and paying for expences… but I am starting to see what the players are talking about.
If you take a look at the Trading Post. You will find that ppl are more than willing to sell their BLChests than to spend the coin or use real cash to buy the BLkeys.
ANet needs to seriously look at their situation with the keys. Here are a few suggestions that might make things more favorable for both ANet and the players.
1. Make the Keys more common in drops… like for event boss drops in the field. This will attract the players to actually fight bosses and not just pass them buy.
2. Make the cost of the keys cheeper and/or give more for their buck. For example, currently you can buy 1 key for 125 Gems, which is roughly ($1 USD per 80 gems) $1.50 USD for a Key. Now this is pretty expensive for ppl using in game coin AND for ppl buying gems. This is a market variable that should be looked at. If the price was adjusted to lets say 0.10 Cents USD for 250 Keys it would cost $25 USD. Which means more ppl can afford the keys and will be willing to spend the money to buy them. So it would cost 8 gems to buy a key. This allows for a trickle factor as well, many players I have talked to have an amount of gems remaining in their accounts averaging 100 gems. This price will make the player feel better about converting their coin to gems and/or buying using real cash.
So as stated above, the current state of the game when it come to the BLChests is that there is an overwelming surplus in the trading post. This is a clear reflection of the unwilling participation of the players to purchase the BLKeys. This is in fact a clear indication of loss of profit for ANet. They are missing out on attackting potential customers due to under rewarding product (chests) and overpriced product (Keys).
On a side note, the Black Lion Trading Post is generaly overpriced. Especially when it comes to consumables. The players (including myself) feel cheated and that it isn’t worth spending the gems on something with one time or limited use items.
Personaly, I think the marketting department lost touch with the individual players and their target audience. As common as the working person that earns a decent pay at the end of the week is willing to spend a few bucks on getting items in the BLTP, the lower class (students and part time workers) are the top active players in the game. This class of players can’t afford the services in the BLTP, and to get enough coin to buy gems to then buy the items, they must GRIND, SLOWLY SAVE enough coin to buy a few gems. This is discouraging to the players.
A player likes to be rewarded for their work, they like to think that it was worth it.
As is right now, it DOSEN’T feel rewarding, it DOSEN’T seem worth it.
As a final note, here are some price adjustment suggestions for items in the BLTP.
- Key = 8 Gems
- Cow Finisher = 10 Gems
- Dye Pack = 30 Gems
- Box o’ Fun = 50 Gems
- MF Stone = 5/50 Gems
- Merchant Express + Bank + Trader + Repair = 15 Gems each…. for one time use they ARE WAAAAAAAAAAAY OVERPRICED!
- Revive orb 10 Gems***
- Boosts in general should all be set to 10 Gems (50 GEMS FOR A COMPLET SET PACK)
- Styles are a tad high… they are unlimited use which is nice… but they are not so attracting at 500 gems or higher… 300 common and 500 special would be more attracting.
I hope this will be taken under review and serious thought.