Guild Wars 2

The recent release of the Watchwork Pickax started a power creep in Black Lion harvesting equipment. I want to create an idea to adress this topic before it becomes an issue.

My suggestion: Create a pool with resources that, aside from select events (both living world and map events) & Home Instance gifts, are effectively impossible to obtain. When harvesting from a resource node with a black lion tool, you have a small chance to obtain a item from this list. While i do not expect this to be the final number, imagine that the tool had a 20% chance of generating an additional resource (like the current Watchwork Pickax), this item would be drawn from a table, with less valuable resources like quartz and watchwork sprockets being an exreamily likely drop, but with more valuable resources like Azurite orbs being a comparatively rare but still possible drop. The odds of a specific item from the resource pool being looted would be based on the BLTC value of that resource, updated monthly. For balance purposes, BLTC harvest implements would also gain the additional efficiency of karmic harvesting tools (you should know the ones i’m talking about), and these tools would in turn gain the BLTC’s chance at obtaining an item from the rare drop pool, though at a significant loss of per-tool uses, or a significant increase to per-tool karmic cost.

Gain Resource Pool access
Foraging Sickle (karmic), Consortium Harvest Scythe, Jack-in-the-Box Scythe, Black Lion Harvesting Sickle, Splitting Axe (karmic), Black Lion logging axe, Chop-It-All Logging axe, Dreamcleaver axe, Mining Pick (karmic), Black Lion Mining Pick, Molten Mining pick, Bone pick, watchwork pick

Per-item charge lowered and/or karmic cost raised
Foraging Sickle (karmic), Splitting Axe (karmic), Mining pick (karmic)

Gains [extremely efficient at gathering resources and uncovering rare components]
Consortium harvest scythe, Jack-in-the-Box scythe, Chop-it-all Logging axe, Dreamcleaver axe, Molten Mining Pick, bone pick, Watchwork Pick

Resource Pool (rough draft)

Mining
Candy Corn (high %)
Quartz (high %)
Watchwork Sprockets (high %)
Azurite shard (moderate %)
Charged Quartz (low %)
Azurite Orb (vary low %)

Harvesting
Prestine Toxic Spore (moderate %)
Kite Fortune (moderate %)

Logging
Trick or Treat bag (moderate-high %)
Snowflake (variable %)
Mad King cashe* (vary low %)
*Mad King cashe: guaranteed Gibbering Skull, Tyria’s Best Nugat Center or High Quality Plastic Fang. Rare chance of Candy Corn Cob

Thank you for reading, and excusing my many spelling and grammar errors. Constructive feedback helpful.

This would still mean that gemstore items are better. Dont get me wrong, the feeling of being screwed over if you recently got the 1000gem pick without the effect is also bad.

But the most outrage is about the fact that gems buy you the best of something, and it directly influences the ingame economy that affects us all. Its not just the convenience anymore.

Azurite Orbs will never happen.

I really would hate to buy this item just to test it, so I’m going to ask again whether the sprocket replaces the occasional bonus ore (not the gem chance) or if it is in addition to the bonus ore.

If it is a replacement, then I am ok with the concept as long as it is clearly advertised because people who use it on anything other than copper will be hurting themselves financially in the game.

If it is in addition, then I’m still ok with the concept as long as:
A. There are faster ways to get the bonus material (which is true right now) and
B. The bonus material is a relatively low value item or is used to make account bound items.

I personally have the Watchwork Pick, bought it because of the additional ‘value’ of sprocket creation, and wouldn’t mind if they removed that functionality from the Pick. However, i do see great potential in these types of harvesting implement for becoming a source of event crafting resources. This would, however, have to be implemented in a way that also accessible somehow to those that do not buy gems. I believed that Karmic Tools would be an ideal way of extending this.

I am fully aware of the problems you mentioned, Terrahero, and i believe that this idea, specifically with the event resource pool being available with karma as an alternative to gems, is a genrally agreeable compromise.

Wanze, i believe Azurite Orbs will possibly happen. But i do not expect the drop rate to be noticeable in any small sample.

In a way, the events introduce new resources, then provide them with value as these resources become less plentiful. I do not intend whatsoever to significantly decrease the value of these resources, merely add an additional permanent means of obtaining them. I am aware that this is likely impossible. If you have a better idea, post it.

Still running tests. So far the Watchwork Pick has returned 0 bonus ores. The acquisition rate of sprockets though… those things will absolutely never gain any value with these picks in the game.

mtpelion.4562:

Still running tests. So far the Watchwork Pick has returned 0 bonus ores. The acquisition rate of sprockets though… those things will absolutely never gain any value with these picks in the game.

Considering that every exotic zealot armor and weapon item needs 500 sprockets and every trinket 750, you are looking 8750 sprockets for a whole set.

Then you still have the jubilee recipes which are profitable to craft.

I am quite certain they will rise again, once the first OP zealot builds are discovered.
I bought 50 stacks of sprockets for 20c in september and sold some when they rose to 1s. What i had left, i refined now into mechanisms which saves me lots of space.
I also invest in buying new mechanism and exquisite sprockets now as they are available and nearly 50% crafting value right now.