Guild Wars 2

It just seems so strange after so many months of players saying the loot drops were terrible and Anet being rigid about not giving more (or even decreasing it after Lost Shores).

Now suddenly, we’re getting tons of loot. Why the change?

Also, it seemed like any small change in the past could upset the economy and that was something to fear. Now, we’re seeing drastic fluctuations in prices and a deluge of supply for some items. For example, Radiant Dust used to be at 80-85c. Now it’s 18c.
Platinum Ore before Queen’s Jubilee was about 1s50 and is now 82c. And there’s lots of the event remaining. Isn’t that an upset to the economy, and why isn’t it worrysome?

This change is good in a lot of ways. It makes it feel more worthwhile when we go out and fight… but I get a feeling like it will all be invalidated by a future change. Like how people were farming karma and then we all realized karma’s kind of useless.

Just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Anyone else feel this way?

Nothing Anet does that affects the game is done on a whim. They have been saying all year long that they are reworking the loot systems in a multi-part update to the way things are given to players. There was an earlier change to champion loot (which everyone complained about because it was “just” a guaranteed blue drop) and the world bosses (the bonus rare chest), followed by more recent updates.

The devs do not have free reign to do anything they want to the game. Every change is the result of a process that includes collecting and analyzing data, discussing the data, proposals for a solution, approval of the proposal from management, developing and testing the solution, more approvals, more testing, and finally announcements and a live update.

Except for emergency bugfixes and the like, everything done to the game is the result of several months of work, which is why Anet seems to ignore all the whining on the boards – in most cases, just giving in to the complaints would harm the game in the long run, and often in the short run as well. Special cases may be pushed through the system quickly, but any change needs to be approved by someone who isn’t going to just sign any document put in front of him.

@Tolunart, they ignore most of the whining and implement the fixes to the whining in their own way and at their own pace. Most of what we have right now is because of player complaint. Be it a good or bad thing, it’s what it is.

The increase in loot is also done in anticipation for the release of level 500 crafting disciplines and the ability to craft ascended gear, both which will be quite expensive. Anet is indirectly giving us the mats needed ahead of time.

The main problem is that right now the amplitude between gold owend by casual players (playing only a few of these events) and huge farmers becomes huge. And this will lead to a major inflation, and casual players will probably be away of a lot of things (mini-pets and other things to buy on the TP, and maybe even level 500 crafting).

Esplen is right. Take fractals for example. How many bugs are there that could really be addressed? And the one and only thing they fix is to add more dredge.

@Tolunart: I noticed you say anet tests things several times. I am not so sure they even test things one time.

SRG.3607:

The main problem is that right now the amplitude between gold owend by casual players (playing only a few of these events) and huge farmers becomes huge. And this will lead to a major inflation, and casual players will probably be away of a lot of things (mini-pets and other things to buy on the TP, and maybe even level 500 crafting).

Surely you jest, they have the best virtual economist money can buy! He’d never let that happen

Not seeing a huge increase in L00t here.

Just a ton more Masterworks that get merched and a bunch more silver that just shifts inflation higher. I’ve actaully been getting a lot less Charged Cores than I used to months back. And getting less Rares too … which means having less ectos to combine with Obbies for T6’s.

Where’s this l00t the OP is talking about?

There are two possible reasons I can see for this change to loot:

1. It is due to what Blood Red Arachnid suggested. ANet is deliberately pre-loading the economy (and player’s banks) with the necessary gold and high-end crafting materials we will need for r500 crafting. Their expectation is that many of these materials will be destroyed in the rush to 500 when that update comes out.

2. They are attempting to balance the wealth disparity between the supremely wealthy players and Joe/Jane Gamer. Of course, J. Gamer will never reach the kind of wealth that the hardcore farmers or the TP Barons have, but the amount of money they’re getting now should be more than enough to set them up with the essentials for level 80 Exotic gear and to buy some nice gifts for themselves via gold → gem exchange.

As an example, my girlfriend had 30g at the start of the Queen’s Jubilee. She now has 100g. (And no, she never farmed Deadeye. She didn’t even touch the Gauntlet.) She’s using that money to gear up her alts and level crafting on several of them, which has gone a long way towards improving her playing experience. Her experience, multiplied across the entire player base, may have been what ANet was going for after listening to multiple complaints about how high end gear is mostly out of reach for casual players.

They are fattening us up before they eat us.

I’ve also been thinking that with all exotics dropping in price, it will make exotics less acceptable when ascended gear comes out. If exotics are common and easy, more people might say “might as well attempt ascended”.

Also, we will be fatter when we’re eaten.

It does kind of suck a year of saving and discipline, and going the extra mile with dealing with the trading post intelligently has saved me money, yet everyone who didn’t do that or who started months later are catching up to me in this event.

My thought is that this could be an effort to basically “reset” the gem rate before introducing the Korean player base. So that they can use one universal tp.

More gold in people’s coffers + gem store sales = more people converting gold > gems (outweighing those buying gems > gold) which means the gold price per 100 will come down, giving Koreans a slightly less handicapped start into the game.

Because most of people left cause of “no drops” “no gold” etcetc . No complany want to lose its costumers and they’re just do it right cause farmers love farming and collect golds over golds.