Guild Wars 2

“You are not guaranteed to receive a rare item after opening a Black Lion Chest. You have a chance to get a unique/rare item. Some people are luckier than others. The Halloween skins are tradeable, so if you aren’t able to get them in a Black Lion Chest, you can obtain them on the Trading Post.”

That’s some fantastic snark, right there, that is.

Translation: “Yeah, we took your money, and we’ll do it again. And you’ll get nothing in return and like it!”

Just a heads up for anyone buying keys for chest, your chances are SLIM!

100 chest opened and not a single Halloween item, i guess some people have better luck then others.

Good Luck everyone with your Gambling.

Varen.8507:

I do have a serious question to those that are supa salty bout this. So they listen to the QQ and up the drop rate. Do you think they can just give everyone keys back or something? I hope they up the drop rate, then 5 mins later you see another QQ thread as long as this one about how “it doesn’t help me I’ve already used my keys”. What do you expect to get out of this thread? Honestly.

Key drop rate at 90% even from moas lv1, i guess

Although, my Fiancee got a skin on her first open box. So they do exist!

Well some will be mad , some will be happy.

I already did this part of the event (the 4 days thing) , now is back to grind , i dont personally care about the halloween events , i would rather farm to get the skins at some point later on, since Anet went full money making machine.

On a side note , nope , for sure im not giving them one dollar out of the expansions if they keep the luck system up.

I wish they would make an official post regarding this issue. Even if it’s just telling us “Too Bad”

My thread should not be merged into this topic. It is about the gambling nature of the holiday event, not about what some guy got when opening his chests.

i really got screwed over today.
why make the drops so rare? that causes some to loose everything, some to win an insane amount of money.
why was it made so unfair?
many ppl loose their fun at playing when loosing so much money while others invest almost nothing and win a lot of money

I wanted to add to this thread, but ended up writing more about the general “rare item/content” in the GW serie. For anyone interested (in case someone still cares after 15 pages…), my small contribution can be read here :

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/halloween/Event-items-rares-drops-and-GW-philosophy

Snerf.1650:

My thread should not be merged into this topic. It is about the gambling nature of the holiday event, not about what some guy got when opening his chests.

Same issue?

A little disappointed here too, 3k gems spent for nothing. I don’t think anyone expected them to be as rare as they are— it’s borderline ridiculous. I don’t plan on using the black lion trading company ever again and I’ll advise my friends to do the same. Thanks for crushing my Halloween spirit.

Cmon…more rng? really?

ITT: Buyers Remorse

Basically in gambling (which is what this black lion chest is all about) You are required to give percentages. They didn’t do this so everyone assumed that they would have a decent rate of drop. You can see by several people (including myself) that this was not true.

If they are creating gambling events. They need to abide by gambling rules.

Varen.8507:

munkiman.3068:

I’m wondering if this is even legal…. Isn’t it actually gambling to sell a product for real world money based on chance of an item that one considers valuable? I imagine it’s a thin line when you are talking about digital items, but i would think that a company cannot make a profit based on chance.

Lol come on bro.. you buy the game and you have a random chance of loot on every mob. So by your reasoning any MMO is illegal.

The problem is (and granted i’m not complaining here) that you can buy, for real cash, an item that will give you a chance (keyword there) of an item that the company has created a rarity on. If you bought the key with the intent on getting a skin and didn’t then i would assume that is gambling. It would be an entirely different deal if you couldn’t buy the key for cash, but when you’re dealing with buying things directly, knowing full well what item you’d be getting it’s pretty clear. I honestly think it’s illegal to sell a product based on chance, regardless of the guarantee of the other items you might be getting (ie tonics). With your logic, you’re basically saying people pay for a game, but there’s only a chance you might actually get the game. There’s a pretty big difference between random loot in a game and paying real world currency for a chance to get rare loot. I imagine the loophole is that you don’t actually have to spend the money for the key, you can buy it with in-game gold too, but that’s like saying when you go to Vegas and they give you 50 bucks to gamble with your room cost is the loophole to actually putting more of your money on bet. I dunno, not saying it’s exactly like any of that, just that it’s a slippery slope and one I really don’t think any company wants to tangle with.

Same, pretty disgusted here. Got nothing from the chests. I am never spending one coin again in this game for these kind of things. It’s just a general problem with this game, they rather have it all depend on luck: event skins, precursors, ..
It would have been a lot better to have the garantuee that by the end of the event chian, you can pick one skin and you can collect the other skins through these chest drops. I’d be fine with that. It would also encourage to do the event with all your characters, increasing the playability of the event. But nope, money desires came first. Disappointing.

10 Chest open and nothing.

This has seriously put me off of guild wars 2 for a while.

Maybe it will come at the end of the event chain, but they should really announce that. Right now, even if they are trying to play the good guy, they are going to get a black eye. I imagine them as running a local business that relies on name and word of mouth the build business. They’ve angered enough people to where the long term costs are going to hurt them

This thread cracks me up. Tons of people crying that they spent their own money on a item they weren’t guaranteed to get then go to a forum to cry about it. You sound like a bunch of kids that bought a toy with your allowance and dropped it and broke it outside the store then blamed the store for you not having the toy!

Bunch of entitled whiners. You spent your money, took your chance. Only you wanted to get everything in the first few hours of a week long event. Unbelievable.

I think previous MMOs, like WoW, have given players a false sense of entitlement. Just because you play the game and spend 20 bucks on gems doesn’t mean you deserve an epic or rare skin. Let me rewind time back to EQ1, it took people 6months to a year to get their epic weapons. This was because the week long spawn camping on monsters, rare item drops, and randomly spawning merchants. Just because blizzard use to hold you tight, whisper sweet things in your ear, and tell you “You’re right, have this epic gear to dry up those tears”, doesn’t mean every game producer is going to cater to your over nurtured needs.

This would have been less kitten if other things had been in the chests.

Ok… Some rare weapon skins.

However, here are some consolidation “holiday” prizes + all the normal crap (that no one cares about). If I pulled out a few more salvage kits, some candy corn and maybe some stacks of pumpkin pie (mf buff?) or something? Bunch of lame boosters and tonics (that we have all seen) is what killed this for many.

Just let us buy the weapons directly or make the chance something like every 1 in 10 chests has one. This is ridiculous, I was expecting a fun holiday event not more grinding.

Snipps, Eicherjw it’s sure easy to throw out the word “entitlement” isn’t it?

200 chests and NOTHING is pretty silly. That has nothing to do with enititlement.
There needs to be a better chance to get an item when using that many keys.

It dosen’t have to be something big or epic, it cold be a lesser item. But to get nothing? That’s dumb.

People would spend more money if they found out you get get the “smaller” halloween even items just by using a few keys.

People have been getting squat using 200 or more keys, and the will put off a lot of players, which in turn will be less money for ArenaNet.

Heck look at LotRO F2P model. As for event items, they got it right! You get fun items/costumes to play with AND there are the “epic” ones that you can get also.

They need to make more ways to obtain these items, and not just thru the chests. Like completing all the events, puzzles, games, ect.

Everyone in this post that is crying, must be a WoW scrub.
I get off work in 5 hours and I have 6 key’s in my vault. If I don’t get a single thing, I will not be upset one bit.

I remember camping a spawn in Dark Age of Camelot for 12 hours only to have some one pull agro from me when the mob was at 50% and get 100% loot.

If you want a skin so bad, farm mats, farm gold, and purchase one.

If you want an EZmode MMO, Go back to WoW…. Oh wait, GW2 is easy mode haha.

Eicherjw.3926:

Kolache.3964:

“Let me rewind time back to EQ1, it took people 6months to a year to get their epic weapons.”

Skins dude. Skins.

Such is the cost of looking cool.

You don’t even have a clue what the average cost actually is. You’re comparing a decade old gear grinding system with a cash shop just for the sake of ranting about “entitled” youth. You’re kitten because other people are kitten ? Why don’t you go hang out at the DMV and argue with people complaining about the long line or something.

Big difference between WoW and GW2:

Wow has a subscription model. Pay $15/month, get access to all content. Grind most of the good stuff.

Gw2 is a b2p game, with a gem store to subsidize. Get access to all content. Grind most of the good stuff.

By alienating the people who spent real money at the gem store (obviously happened), they will stop spending their money there. And then, no gem store to subsidize. How much content are you gonna see when they have no money?

Why do so many people on these forums feel entitled to immediately own every item that gets added to the game, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then no one would be able to stand out and no one would even care about appearance (effectively making all skins and dyes worthless).

On the bright side, if gambling in MMOs teaches a whole generation never to play a game without knowing the odds and don’t expect to win when the odds are against them, Las Vegas will be poorer and the world a better place.

I’ll still pay the stupid tax and buy a lottery ticket once in awhile, though. Logic fail.

I told myself i would never play a game by a company that’s willing to nickle and dime their customers like this with terrible gambling items after playing vindictus. this is no different arenanet. pathetic.

EnemyCrusher.7324:

Why do so many people on these forums feel entitled to immediately own every item that gets added to the game, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then no one would be able to stand out and no one would even care about appearance (effectively making all skins and dyes worthless).

there can be rare items. temporary fun holiday events shouldnt include them. its meant to be fun for everyone to enjoy, not an elite few.

why does everyone throw around the word entitled like it’s going to make them seem smarter?

lol, no monthly subscription, but I know they’re still banking.

Great business model.

EnemyCrusher.7324:

Why do so many people on these forums feel entitled to immediately own every item that gets added to the game, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then no one would be able to stand out and no one would even care about appearance (effectively making all skins and dyes worthless).

Why do so many people on these forums feel like there cant be other way of obtaining the items, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then people would be able to make a character that they want and no one would care about other people’s characters appearance (which is the case right now).

“lol, no monthly subscription, but I know they’re still banking.
Great business model.”

Great, but short … really short

BLCs should drop 5-10 Candy Corn (or some other temporary currency) that is only accepted by a special Halloween Vendor NPC that also sells the weapon skins for maybe 200 or 300 hundred Candy Corn Pieces. That way the people that blew major bucks for keys don’t feel like they did it all for nothing and are rewarded with something NEW that they could have ONLY have obtained from opening chests during this special event. Toss in a rare chance to get some of the other Holiday Event items for sale for gems like the costumes, hats, and minis and It would be win win imo. Anet gets the revenue and players get to feel like they are at least working toward their goal of getting their skin each key they use.

Drunken Mad King.8193:

Basically in gambling (which is what this black lion chest is all about) You are required to give percentages. They didn’t do this so everyone assumed that they would have a decent rate of drop. You can see by several people (including myself) that this was not true.

If they are creating gambling events. They need to abide by gambling rules.

Anyone who spent $20-$100 dollars (as some have in this thread) on virtual keys for a chance at virtual skins — folks, you have no room to kitten. Good grief…

On the other hand, ANet should be concerned that some whiner will invoke gambling laws. Considering that people are spending real world money on keys, and that the chance of success is tiny and unspecified… it’s the law, and disappointed people will invoke it.

My advice to ANet: STATE THE ODDS. That won’t keep stupid people from blowing money on lottery tickets for a virtual chainsaw-sword, but it will protect ANet’s legal rump.

80 Keys and nothing for halloween…

I can understand that the skins are ultra super dooper rare.. but at least give me something like candy or something common for halloween in the chests… sigh.. disappointed

Inorite??? I went to the gas station earlier and bought 8 scratch off tickets. The chances of winning are 1: 4.13. After I lost I went back, threw them in the clerk’s face and demanded my money back because I was supposed to have 2 winners and I got nothing!

Kristine Heath.1483:

EnemyCrusher.7324:

Why do so many people on these forums feel entitled to immediately own every item that gets added to the game, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then no one would be able to stand out and no one would even care about appearance (effectively making all skins and dyes worthless).

there can be rare items. temporary fun holiday events shouldnt include them. its meant to be fun for everyone to enjoy, not an elite few.

why does everyone throw around the word entitled like it’s going to make them seem smarter?

There is so much in this event that you can participate with w/o these few skins. You focus on what you want, and only that. This is why people use the word entitled, because that’s how people are acting.

Brought a 5 pack of keys, got a great sword skin, some shoulders plus the usual boosters. Made about 50 gold selling the skins because I didn’t end up liking them.

One of them is still on the TP if anyone complaining about odds wants to buy it. xD

taomang.2183:

EnemyCrusher.7324:

Why do so many people on these forums feel entitled to immediately own every item that gets added to the game, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then no one would be able to stand out and no one would even care about appearance (effectively making all skins and dyes worthless).

Why do so many people on these forums feel like there cant be other way of obtaining the items, no matter how rare?

I’m glad there are rare items. If everyone had everything then people would be able to make a character that they want and no one would care about other people’s characters appearance (which is the case right now).

You can, save up G and buy it off the TP or farm keys so you dont have to buy them off the gem store. You can even turn that G into gems and buy keys. Other ways, just not as easy as you would like it.

This whole thread proves something very clear.
And it’s not who is right or who is wrong.

It proves that it doesn’t even matter which side is right:

the people who are complaining are exactly those people who supported Anet by buying chests.
They are the customers they rely on beyond initial purchase of the game.

Well, it’s clear they kitten them of somewhat

That’s not smart business. And it puts the game in a very bad light.

If you kitten of your best paying customers, it hardly matters if others come to defend you.
You made a bad decision at that point.
And this goes beyond who is right or wrong in this thread.

Jrunyon.3012:

I dont understand all the hate. You guys shouldve known what you were getting into by investing in chests. I’m having a lot of fun carving pumpkins and costume brawling while youre moaning on the forums about how you didnt win the lottery.

Because Anet could have done things differently. The Anet of GW1 would have done things differently. It wasn’t about the money it was about having FUN. The Anet of GW1 I would have gladly given $15-$20 every month in the cash shop because I knew exactly what I was getting. No chance or gambling involved.

I drank the cool aid for 5 years waiting for “when it is ready” only to find out it wasn’t ready and got released any way. I don’t drink it any more because this Anet has lost all credibility with me. This event has just solidified that idea.

I suspect the proportion of players who drop their cash on these keys is low.

The fact is, a rare drop is a rare drop. It should be rare. In subscription MMOs, you have to run a whole dungeon for a chance at a drop of less than 1%. This way, you get the chance at the drop for some real world cash – which, chances are, is a lesser investment than grinding a dungeon.

It’s the nature of aiming for rare drops. The low drop rate means a higher value for those drops that do get out there. Consider it a lottery where you win a big prize, or nothing. You are massively more likely to get nothing, even if you buy dozens of tickets.

The trick they missed, I feel, is giving out intermediate prizes. (The equivalent of the $10 prize). They could have upped that number of rewards without affecting the value of the uniques.

Notrub.6925:

Jrunyon.3012:

I dont understand all the hate. You guys shouldve known what you were getting into by investing in chests. I’m having a lot of fun carving pumpkins and costume brawling while youre moaning on the forums about how you didnt win the lottery.

Because Anet could have done things differently. The Anet of GW1 would have done things differently. It wasn’t about the money it was about having FUN. The Anet of GW1 I would have gladly given $15-$20 every month in the cash shop because I knew exactly what I was getting. No chance or gambling involved.

I drank the cool aid for 5 years waiting for “when it is ready” only to find out it wasn’t ready and got released any way. I don’t drink it any more because this Anet has lost all credibility with me. This event has just solidified that idea.

I suspect the Anet of GW1 spent far less money developing said GW1 than the Anet of GW2.

That doesn’t mean I approve of all the ways they are making money, because I’ve been very clear that I don’t.

Fix the bugs please

MrMT.4061:

I suspect the proportion of players who drop their cash on these keys is low.

The fact is, a rare drop is a rare drop. It should be rare. In subscription MMOs, you have to run a whole dungeon for a chance at a drop of less than 1%. This way, you get the chance at the drop for some real world cash – which, chances are, is a lesser investment than grinding a dungeon.

It’s the nature of aiming for rare drops. The low drop rate means a higher value for those drops that do get out there. Consider it a lottery where you win a big prize, or nothing. You are massively more likely to get nothing, even if you buy dozens of tickets.

The trick they missed, I feel, is giving out intermediate prizes. (The equivalent of the $10 prize). They could have upped that number of rewards without affecting the value of the uniques.

^This. Thank you.

Are hard core players upset because they cant play there way to skins ? Nor buy there way ?

A lvl 10 has just as much chance as anyone else lol.

Kimbald.2697:

This whole thread proves something very clear.
And it’s not who is right or who is wrong.

It proves that it doesn’t even matter which side is right:

the people who are complaining are exactly those people who supported Anet by buying chests.
They are the customers they rely on beyond initial purchase of the game.

Well, it’s clear they kitten them of somewhat

That’s not smart business. And it puts the game in a very bad light.

If you kitten of your best paying customers, it hardly matters if others come to defend you.
You made a bad decision at that point.
And this goes beyond who is right or wrong in this thread.

LOL WHAT?!?!? This is a reasonable post. This is how someone that is upset with the situation should respond, and something anet should take into consideration. Not OMG I DIDN’T GET WHAT I WANTED! Thanks.

“The trick they missed, I feel, is giving out intermediate prizes. (The equivalent of the $10 prize). They could have upped that number of rewards without affecting the value of the uniques.”

I think this would have helped, but I think giving more info on the rate of halloween drops compared to other chest items would have been better. The only reason I can think that they did not do this is because not nearly as many people would have actually bought them trying to get halloween items. That’s the sad part.

I just see everyone in this thread acting like this:

Why? Well people raging at people raging about something people feel bad about.

Yes people are upset about spending money on this game.

Yes they said there was a “chance”.

No they did not, originally, specify how big that chance was.

People assumed that it would have a decent drop like anything else in the Black Lion Chest.

Yes, once people bought keys they specified that it was RARE.

LET PEOPLE VENT.

Yes some people will get over it.

Yes some people will not get over it.

Some people might keep spending money on pixels.

Some people won’t keep spending money on pixels.

Time will show if Anet’s decision was bad or good for them.