Guild Wars 2

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Some time ago when we were told that fractals were going to change from a 4 instance to 1 island system, the question was immediately asked “why would anyone do anything other than swamp”. The answer was dailies and increased end rewards for longer fractals besides the higher rewards for higher level difficulty. I want to take a look at these increased rewards and make some suggestions. This
is the blog post first written to explain the new rewards and this is the relevant statement about increased rewards for longer fractals.

First, aside from the normal blues, greens, yellows and oranges, from the end chest we now receive lots of +1 infusions and fractal encryption boxes. From the dailies we receive daily boxes.

So, whats in these? the daily boxes (the do 3x some level range in particular) were meant to replace the daily reward chest given at the end of a full pre-HoT fractal run with additional rewards added. We know that is contains the following: Contains a Pristine Fractal Relic, 10 +1 Agony Infusions, a Tome of Knowledge, 3 Fractal Encryption Keys, and a Stabilizing Matrix. and has a chance at an ascended ring. However, based on the blog post were were told that they would have the chance at ascended equipment and ascended rings. However, the chances# at rings have dropped significantly and the chance at a chest is nearly non existent. Further, the daily chests, which should be containing the major reward (ascended chests) does not receive a drop rate increase at any point between 51-100.

Whats in the encryptions? based on the blog post we were to see, among other things, “These encryptions may give you a new Mini Professor Mew, new ascended aquatic-breather recipes, high-level crafting materials, or many other rewards.” Not counting any cost for keys since some can be gained through the dailies, we do see the mini and the aquabreather recipes (this is a good addition). However, “High level crafting materials” have translated to T5 fine materials which are now almost vender trash based on the TP prices. “Many other rewards” has been implimented as an extremely slim chance at an aetherized weapon skin and a wide variety of actual vender trash averaging 16.7silver per box, and more +1 infusions.

One of the Fractal masteries states that you will receive increased rewards from your daily fractal chests. This sounds great, except that, in my experience and based on the wiki, the only thing that really changes is, again, the number of +1 infusions (I think) and stabilizing matrices. another states increased rewards from the end chests which has appeared to only mean, again, more +1s and more encryption boxes.

SKIP TO HERE The primary reason I and many many others (based on comments both here and reddit) did high level fractals was for the ascended chests.

Fractal encryptions do not contain much meaningful content.

+1s are nice for getting alts into fractals, but why do I need them if the primary rewards for doing the highest levels are either extra boxes (without much meaningful content) or non-eistent (ascended chests)

Comparison of current reward structure vs what was stated
- That major daily reward (chance at ascended) was not moved to the new system in any reasonable sense.
- Longer fractals seem to only give a couple extra +1 infusions and encryption boxes
- Higher level fractals give more fractal relics, just as before, more +1s and more encryption boxes.
- Higher masteries provide more +1s, more encryption boxes and more stabilizing matrices (faster material acquisition or more keys)

None of those things relates to one of the major reasons people did fractals: ascended chests, and they all only seem to increase the less meaningful rewards.

The concept of fractal encryptions I understand (keys I understand a little less). they provide a simple way to have an increased drop rate of a set of items based on a number of different factors like fractal level, mastery level, fractal length etc etc. But the current reward structure fails to make them meaningful and fails to increase the drop chance of the major rewards.

SUGGESTION: Make encryption box tiers. The current version is a “Small encryption box” and would exist just as it does now as tradeable and with the same drop rate. These come from level 1-20 fractals.

Pre-HoT, in a 21-30 fractal, armor chests had a 4.2% chance and weapon was 1.8%. Medium encryption boxes are NOT tradeable. They come from 21-50 fractals. These contain a chance at an ascended chest. The chance at an ascended chest from one of these boxes should cause the number of encryption boxes received from a medium length fractal in the middle of that range (mid 30s) to be approximately 1% for armor and .5% for a weapon. per fractal island. With more boxes given in longer and higher fractals and less in shorter and lower fractals. In this range, T5 materials should also have about a 50% chance of being 3 T6 instead of 5 T5.

Pre-HoT, in a 41-50 fractal, armor chests had a 11.9% chance and weapon was 4.2%. Large encryption boxes are also NOT tradeable. They come from 51-100 fractals. These contain a chance at an ascended chest. The chance at an ascended chest from one of these boxes should cause the number of encryption boxes received from a medium length fractal in the middle of that range (mid 70s) to be approximately 3% for armor and 1% for a weapon per fractal island. With more boxes given in longer and higher fractals and less in shorter and lower fractals. In this range, the 5 T5 materials should always be 3 T6 and should have a chance (10-15%?) of being a lodestone instead.

implimenting encryption boxes in this way 1) adds ascended chests back into fractals and 2) allows ascended chests to easily scale based on fractal length, fractal difficulty level, masteries and any other mechanic that may be added to increase these rewards.

I enjoy fractals as content; I want them to be in a good place; i want them to be long term content that sticks around, is expandeable and is expanded on (though I have other comments on the current structure and whether its really extensible or not). But in order to do that, there needs to be some long term rewards that provide some amount of utility to the player. Skins and minis are great and all, and I will be getting them in the future, but they take a backseat to things that have utility to me, the player. Ascended armor from fractals has utility. It allows me to play a content I enjoy AND, over time, get alts geared up in best stat gear. Aside from currently doing dailies for the legendary backpack and doing some dailies in the future for a ring if I need one, I gain no utility from fractals. And even then, I will just be doing swamps and molten boss because there is little reason to do anything longer.

I had I hopes about the changes to fractals especially when they said that this was going to be the endgame 5 man instanced content. But then they had their rewards neutered as if fractals were also to be disincentivized.

Keys, on the other hand, still seem like an unnecessary mechanic.

I definitely agree with adding tiered encryption boxes, but they added tiered rewards in the dailies (each grouping of fractals gives a different tier of chest). Unfortunately those cannot include gear, but I think getting gear from fractals that isn’t an ascended ring is a pipe dream.

That said, it’s way easier to make money from crafting infusions now and since more people are doing fractals there’s a lot of opportunity there. Anet has shifted loot from fractals to raids and gold from dungeons to fractals (albeit you have to work a little harder for it but I’m not opposed to that).

I honestly think the only real change I would make is to add a tiny chance of an ascended box to an encryption box, no need to even be as high as it was previously. That way you still get similar rewards but since you open way more fractal encryption boxes and they are farmable it would prevent undue abuse of the system.

They need to increase the droprate for gold weapons or it will be even more stupid to collect all gold weapons than all the blue ones before HoT. It seems like the last 2 chests have 2,5% each. So 5% chance in total to get one per day

UnbentMars.9126:

I definitely agree with adding tiered encryption boxes, but they added tiered rewards in the dailies (each grouping of fractals gives a different tier of chest). Unfortunately those cannot include gear, but I think getting gear from fractals that isn’t an ascended ring is a pipe dream.

That said, it’s way easier to make money from crafting infusions now and since more people are doing fractals there’s a lot of opportunity there. Anet has shifted loot from fractals to raids and gold from dungeons to fractals (albeit you have to work a little harder for it but I’m not opposed to that).

I honestly think the only real change I would make is to add a tiny chance of an ascended box to an encryption box, no need to even be as high as it was previously. That way you still get similar rewards but since you open way more fractal encryption boxes and they are farmable it would prevent undue abuse of the system.

like I said in the post though, the “tiered rewards” in the daily boxes are just more of the spammed rewards, not actually better rewards, and there is currently not much difference above level 51. In fact, though its a relatively small sample size so far, [KING]’s data and the experience of my own guild (10-15 people running multiple dailies every day) show ascended chests are basically non-existent like you said, but other than that the difference between a 51+ and a 21-50 chest is 1 key and 5 +1s and, no noticeable difference in drop chance (based on kings data its actually a decrease currently).

I wasnt sure if I worded the chests from encryptions well enough. What I meant was, say for instance, there was supposed to be 1% chance from a mid 70s for an ascended weapon and a mid 70 mid length fractal gave 5 encryption boxes. This would mean that the chance of getting 1 weapon chest from opening 5 boxes would be 1%, not 1% each.

That Guy.5704:

UnbentMars.9126:

I definitely agree with adding tiered encryption boxes, but they added tiered rewards in the dailies (each grouping of fractals gives a different tier of chest). Unfortunately those cannot include gear, but I think getting gear from fractals that isn’t an ascended ring is a pipe dream.

That said, it’s way easier to make money from crafting infusions now and since more people are doing fractals there’s a lot of opportunity there. Anet has shifted loot from fractals to raids and gold from dungeons to fractals (albeit you have to work a little harder for it but I’m not opposed to that).

I honestly think the only real change I would make is to add a tiny chance of an ascended box to an encryption box, no need to even be as high as it was previously. That way you still get similar rewards but since you open way more fractal encryption boxes and they are farmable it would prevent undue abuse of the system.

like I said in the post though, the “tiered rewards” in the daily boxes are just more of the spammed rewards, not actually better rewards, and there is currently not much difference above level 51. In fact, though its a relatively small sample size so far, [KING]’s data and the experience of my own guild (10-15 people running multiple dailies every day) show ascended chests are basically non-existent like you said, but other than that the difference between a 51+ and a 21-50 chest is 1 key and 5 +1s and, no noticeable difference in drop chance (based on kings data its actually a decrease currently).

I wasnt sure if I worded the chests from encryptions well enough. What I meant was, say for instance, there was supposed to be 1% chance from a mid 70s for an ascended weapon and a mid 70 mid length fractal gave 5 encryption boxes. This would mean that the chance of getting 1 weapon chest from opening 5 boxes would be 1%, not 1% each.

I saw a post about a week back where a guy said he opened 1000 encryption boxes and listed what he received. I’ll try and find it so I can link it, but ascended items are nowhere on the list (though it was net gold positive). That said, he did not list the value or items he received from doing enough fractals to get those 1000, so I think that you would make much more gold if you actually did enough fractals for it.

That said, I don’t think fractals should be primarily for gold, I think they should be for challenging content and some gear upgrades. Ascended rings drop but at the moment that’s it, and I think you and I are on the same page about adding a tiny chance for ascended armor to the encryption boxes but just stated it differently.

In terms of when that should be the case, I think is should be absolutely minuscule (less than .5%) for fractal encryptions obtained under fractal level 50, and a larger but still tiny chance for boxes acquired over level 50 so that people who cannot complete fractals at higher levels are not penalized but those who do are rewarded.

However, for best results I think that the daily chests should carry ascended loot chances rather than encryption boxes because encryptions are farmable and therefore abusable. If the daily chests were updated to include a chance at ascended gear, I think the chances should start at 3% and work their way up to 10% or so from the chest given from completing fractals 75-100. I have no numbers to support the ones I provided, only my feelings, but I think starting there would be a good way to reward the fractal content without flooding the GW2 economy with easily procured ascended items. I want ascended items to be accessible to everyone but have players who do harder challenges to be rewarded better.

What are your thoughts?

its this post, I intended to link it if I didnt somewhere https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/dungeons/1000-Fractal-Encryption-Result

In all honesty, the best and simplest solution would have been for them to take the 41-50 daily chest and make it the 51+ daily chest. Take some average of the 21-30 and 31-40 daily chest and make that hte 21-50 daily chest and then take the 11-20 daily chest and make that the 1-20 daily. and then add the new rewards to the end of fractal chests (minis, recipes, things like that.) However, that wouldnt have addressed the idea of having higher level fractals and longer fractals have meaningfully scaled rewards, of course the current system doesnt really do that either

I made that post based on the apparent need for the current system. Another thing that they could do I guess is cap the number of chests you can open on a given day. If, like my post above says you have a 1% chance to get one from 5 boxes, make the opening cap at something like 30-40. So you can farm if you want but only until a certain point.

I think that would be a perfectly acceptable solution as well. All in all, the only rewards that were reduced/removed are ascended drops. Everything else seems to be pretty much the same.

UnbentMars.9126:

I think that would be a perfectly acceptable solution as well. All in all, the only rewards that were reduced/removed are ascended drops. Everything else seems to be pretty much the same.

yea thats the feeling i get. Unfortunately, ascended drops were the primary reason I did high level fractals and more than half the actual value that came from those runs.

Yeah…they left the rings in, and i did get an infused red ring of death that dropped earlier, but with the massive increase in cost to produce ascended gear I’m really looking for a source that does not require me to waste a ton of gold