Guild Wars 2

I understand the Black Lion Chest is rng. I’m disappointed that my gf bought 90 keys worth and didn’t get the Grasping Phantom glider and has now given up (only thing she wanted). I only bought 25 keys and got 2 of them.

With the holiday event ending here shortly and chances of getting this exclusive item gone, we love supporting you guys at Anet, probably spend a couple hundred of dollars a month on the gem store but for now we are done with purchases.

RNG is RNG. I can understand any disappointment in outcomes like what you have posted. My biggest disappointment with Black Lion Chests is that I can no longer just toss them from my inventory with a simple confirm prompt, and instead have to type out the name.

These chests are not that important, Anet. Revert this change. =/

Hopefully they’ll bring back the Grasping Phantom glider as a direct purchase later. I do know that for myself if they put start putting gliders behind an RNG wall then they’re not going to see any money from me for them.

I feel the OP’s pain, because I don’t like the rng associated with the chests I don’t buy the keys, just hope for an exciting drop (which rarely happens) when I eventually get one through the normal course of playing. I will say that their recent change was a step in the right direction. I would rather that opening chance gave a guaranteed “value” reward if still random (I wouldn’t consider temp merchants, revive orbs, tomes of knowledge value items).

If every chest came with a guaranteed value drop (wardrobe unlock, older minis, etc) and two other random items with the same chance as exists now for the fourth more special item I would feel compelled to spend my gems on keys more often. Until that happens the best advice would be to not spend your money on that particular avenue unless you REALLY enjoy the slot machine aspect to it. Shame about the ghost glider tho, that one would have been perfect for my main.

I am not at all fond of the trend of locking content behind gambling in computer games.

My hubbie and I buy keys/gems on a regular basis, but this “nerf” of chests has me scratching my head.
From what I remember of last year, we received 3 items and a seasonal item, this year it’s reduced to 2 items and a seasonal. Kind of feeling a bit hosed….
Also huge disappointment on the way rare skins are automatically dumped into your wardrobe instead of getting the actual skin.
Most of the time I would throw it up on the trader, that’s how I made my extra cash. I’m disinterested in a lot of weapon and outfit skins, but feel them being forced down my throat.
What happens when I eventually get them all? That’s even if we continue to buy gems/keys.
Not happy at all with change….

I was really disappointed by this change. I’ve often said one of the best things about Black Lion Chests – the thing which sets them apart from RNG boxes in other games – is that everything in them is either available elsewhere or tradable so you don’t have to gamble unless you want to.

Now that’s gone. If you want the glider or the other exclusive items (like the Mini Mushroom Stomper) your only option is to buy keys and if you don’t get it…buy more keys and just hope that sooner or later you get lucky.

I realise it probably makes more of a profit in the short-term because people who wouldn’t normally choose to buy keys will now have to if they want those items, but in the long term it wouldn’t surprise me at all if it ends up putting a lot of people off.

Ashen.2907:

I am not at all fond of the trend of locking content behind gambling in computer games.

While I agree that I don’t like the idea of locking content behind gambling, I wouldn’t consider skins content. Content usually refers to something you play rather than something you wear. But I don’t like RNG glider skins, or weapons skins either. At least with the black lion skins you can buy them on the TP. The glider is just annoying. Glad I don’t like it that much.

rng loves me i got it with my first key after it released.

KobiQu.5103:

rng loves me i got it with my first key after it released.

Yep, and then it sudden hates you. I got a “perma bank” with 5 key ahwile ago. Also for a few months ive spent 3k~ gold in the forge, no pre, even low rate exo drops….so dont jinx it.

KobiQu.5103:

rng loves me i got it with my first key after it released.

i got it with my first lv 10 key after release. RNGesus is with us brother \o

Agree or Disagree;
Maybe BL-chests should always come with a token, and there’s a merchant that sells items for these tokens. Then someone can buy the items after opening X amounts of chests.
Say for example: a permanent contract costs 125 tokens (so get one after opening 125 chests)

I don’t mind some of the changes to the black lion chests, though I would have done a couple of things differently. Such as making the seasonal item being its own guaranteed slot in addition to the original 3 slots. I’d also make the uncommon / rare slot pop just a tad bit more often than what it presently does. It really should consistently pop ~3 times per set of 25 keys, with a heavier weight on an uncommon reward over a rare.

I have mixed feelings about 1 guaranteed “convenience” item and 1 guaranteed “progress” item in each chest. Especially with the seasonal taking up 1 slot, it really limits what you can get with a single key.

Since we are ranting, how about the fact that they removed the moderately-useful boosters, but you still get tomes of knowledge and transmutation charges?!

Remove those stupid tomes and at least bump the transmutation charges to 10, not a measly 1.

SkyFallsInThunder.8257:

Since we are ranting, how about the fact that they removed the moderately-useful boosters, but you still get tomes of knowledge and transmutation charges?!

Remove those stupid tomes and at least bump the transmutation charges to 10, not a measly 1.

I’m so sick of tomes, and I’m so sick of birthday level boosters. I can tell you that those of us that hit the 4 year mark have absolutely no use for a booster that boosts a character to level 40. That’s basically like giving us 40 tomes. I have stacks upon stacks of tomes. I will quite literally never have to level a character to 80 manually again, if I planned to have more characters than the 16 I already have…

Hopefully 5yr+ birthday rewards will skip the useless level booster. Titles, skins, 24hr birthday booster, unique gimmicky items, those are great, keep those coming. But god I can’t stand tomes and those level boosters anymore.

lgutsl.3257:

I understand the Black Lion Chest is rng. I’m disappointed that my gf bought 90 keys worth and didn’t get the Grasping Phantom glider and has now given up (only thing she wanted). I only bought 25 keys and got 2 of them.

With the holiday event ending here shortly and chances of getting this exclusive item gone, we love supporting you guys at Anet, probably spend a couple hundred of dollars a month on the gem store but for now we are done with purchases.

wouldn’t it be cool if anet made things not soulbound but guildbound? I wonder if you could make a code that would limit gifting to guildies that would of had to already be in the guild for 30 days. just a thought, then yer GF i assume could get your 2nd glider

Draknar.5748:

SkyFallsInThunder.8257:

Since we are ranting, how about the fact that they removed the moderately-useful boosters, but you still get tomes of knowledge and transmutation charges?!

Remove those stupid tomes and at least bump the transmutation charges to 10, not a measly 1.

I’m so sick of tomes, and I’m so sick of birthday level boosters. I can tell you that those of us that hit the 4 year mark have absolutely no use for a booster that boosts a character to level 40. That’s basically like giving us 40 tomes. I have stacks upon stacks of tomes. I will quite literally never have to level a character to 80 manually again, if I planned to have more characters than the 16 I already have…

Hopefully 5yr+ birthday rewards will skip the useless level booster. Titles, skins, 24hr birthday booster, unique gimmicky items, those are great, keep those coming. But god I can’t stand tomes and those level boosters anymore.

maybe a cool glider skin or outfit or both or perhaps a free character slot?

lgutsl.3257:

I understand the Black Lion Chest is rng. I’m disappointed that my gf bought 90 keys worth and didn’t get the Grasping Phantom glider and has now given up (only thing she wanted). I only bought 25 keys and got 2 of them.

With the holiday event ending here shortly and chances of getting this exclusive item gone, we love supporting you guys at Anet, probably spend a couple hundred of dollars a month on the gem store but for now we are done with purchases.

i didn’t realize this. i got 1 key from that special promotion and collected 4 keys from mapping like crazy. then opened 5 chests during halloween and got 1 new ghosty glider. I had thought everyone got one from that promotion thing. guess i just had good rng :/ *never have good rng when doing toliet daily for the scepter prec though hehe

Draknar.5748:

SkyFallsInThunder.8257:

Since we are ranting, how about the fact that they removed the moderately-useful boosters, but you still get tomes of knowledge and transmutation charges?!

Remove those stupid tomes and at least bump the transmutation charges to 10, not a measly 1.

I’m so sick of tomes, and I’m so sick of birthday level boosters. I can tell you that those of us that hit the 4 year mark have absolutely no use for a booster that boosts a character to level 40. That’s basically like giving us 40 tomes. I have stacks upon stacks of tomes. I will quite literally never have to level a character to 80 manually again, if I planned to have more characters than the 16 I already have…

Hopefully 5yr+ birthday rewards will skip the useless level booster. Titles, skins, 24hr birthday booster, unique gimmicky items, those are great, keep those coming. But god I can’t stand tomes and those level boosters anymore.

I find the booster scrolls quite useful. Sure it’s basically the same as tomes but I only have about 60 tomes so I prefer to use the scrolls.

Admittedly I only get 9 of each, and not all at the same time. I can imagine it gets frustrating for some people who have 20+ characters, it would take a while to get through them.

I think a lot of work could be done to make the black lion chests better but could you guys kindly remove the trick or treat bag…. a ToT bag Anet?? o.O

Lillith.3018:

nto your wardrobe instead of getting the actual skin.
Most of the time I would throw it up on the trader, that’s how I made my extra cash. I’m disinterested in a lot of weapon and outfit skins, but feel them being forced down my throat.
What happens when I eventually get them all? That’s even if we continue to buy gems/keys.
Not happy at all with change….

You make some good points here. Although I like the idea of the wardrobe unlock, it is nice to also get skins you can sell. And when we fill our wardrobe the wardrobe unlock item will be useless if you get it.

I just now realised that one of the slots is now constantly blocked by a totally useless seasonal item. What kitten is that? Why on earth should I ever be motivated to buy BL-keys (which I never was anyway), if the number of slots who have the chance to contain something remotely useful or even a skin is effectively reduced by one?

And by the way: I already buy skins in the store regularely. I feel a little bit annoyed that maybe in the future skins will be hidden behind the BL-chest. Anet, I will most definitely will not buy your BL-keys to gamble to get a skin. If you want my money sell the things in the regular store. You will not get it otherwise.

I hope Anet rethinks this disastrous decision. Please revert to at least 3 items and the extra with the “seasonal” item…it really isn’t worth purchasing keys at the moment.

aikatara.3462:

I just now realised that one of the slots is now constantly blocked by a totally useless seasonal item. What kitten is that? Why on earth should I ever be motivated to buy BL-keys (which I never was anyway), if the number of slots who have the chance to contain something remotely useful or even a skin is effectively reduced by one?

And by the way: I already buy skins in the store regularely. I feel a little bit annoyed that maybe in the future skins will be hidden behind the BL-chest. Anet, I will most definitely will not buy your BL-keys to gamble to get a skin. If you want my money sell the things in the regular store. You will not get it otherwise.

This. All of this. Up there. Yup.

Its true that before the change we got a guaranteed item and 2 chances and after the change we get a guaranteed item and 2 chances. However the problem is I DO NOT want to spend gems on items that are not only non gemstore items but are items I can get/buy cheaply by playing the game. Even if boosters were considered low value by many, at least boosters were a gem store item. Getting a key and opening up a chest to get a booster, tome and a trading post may not have been the most exciting things to get but getting a key and getting a trick or treat bag is like being tricked and not the getting the treat. To be blunt. It made me feel like I was rooked. It made me feel bad enough that I’m going to hold any keys I get for a while and not open any chests, which is a first for me. I usually can’t wait to see what I’ve gotten.

The wardrobe is great. The preview panel is great. The trick bag. That’s awful. Please revert it to a booster or put some other (non game) item in there.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The wardrobe is great. The preview panel is great. The trick bag. That’s awful. Please revert it to a booster or put some other (non game) item in there.

I look at it as the boosters (which many hated) being replaced by a 10% chance of a wardrobe unlock. The temporary festival drop is now replaced by a permanent seasonal drop.

None of this changes the essential nature of BL chest: they contain junk, lots and lots of junk. The value is entirely entertainment: the frisson of excitement in which you hope that this time, something good will drop (followed quickly by an hour of your conscience saying, “I told you so — RNGesus only helps those who might or might not have helped themselves.”)

tl;dr BL chests have always dropped garbage; they still drop garbage, with a 10% chance of a skin you don’t have.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The wardrobe is great. The preview panel is great. The trick bag. That’s awful. Please revert it to a booster or put some other (non game) item in there.

I look at it as the boosters (which many hated) being replaced by a 10% chance of a wardrobe unlock. The temporary festival drop is now replaced by a permanent seasonal drop.

None of this changes the essential nature of BL chest: they contain junk, lots and lots of junk. The value is entirely entertainment: the frisson of excitement in which you hope that this time, something good will drop (followed quickly by an hour of your conscience saying, “I told you so — RNGesus only helps those who might or might not have helped themselves.”)

tl;dr BL chests have always dropped garbage; they still drop garbage, with a 10% chance of a skin you don’t have.

The frisson of excitement might be there initially but if people feel like they’ve been rooked whenever they open up a chest and get the only the trick bag and 2 minor items then that’s the emotion that lingers and poisons the experience. I never felt rooked before. I may not have been excited by what I got but I never felt like I was taken advantage of. This feels different and the feeling is both strong enough and negative enough to have an impact on that “frisson of excitement” with the next key.

The only good drop I have ever received by BL chest, in these 19 months I have been playing was an iron node a couple of days before ANet’s changes.

Now two keys I got as drops from mobs in Cursed Shore are sitting on my bank. The seasonal slot was a big turn off.

By the way, I liked the boosters. In retrospect, they were much more useful than the seasonal trash.

I feel more like IWN; the Booster slot became a chance at something really nice, the Festival item is full-time now, instead of just for a few weeks, and the Wardrobe Unlock being a common item gives much better loot than what we had before.

For me, it seems like quite the improvement. Besides, there’s always a chance for something really good to drop from a Festival container. There was never that chance in the Booster slot (especially considering how often it was a Combat Booster).

Of course, each to their own.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I feel more like IWN; the Booster slot became a chance at something really nice, the Festival item is full-time now, instead of just for a few weeks, and the Wardrobe Unlock being a common item gives much better loot than what we had before.

For me, it seems like quite the improvement. Besides, there’s always a chance for something really good to drop from a Festival container. There was never that chance in the Booster slot (especially considering how often it was a Combat Booster).

Of course, each to their own.

I’d rather buy my Festival container for a pittance on the TP than purchase it with ~42 Gems…

I’d rather spend my 42 Gems (they are free, anyway) on the chance for the Rare slot. Booster/Festival bag cancel each other out…for me.

As stated, each to their own.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The wardrobe is great. The preview panel is great. The trick bag. That’s awful. Please revert it to a booster or put some other (non game) item in there.

I look at it as the boosters (which many hated) being replaced by a 10% chance of a wardrobe unlock. The temporary festival drop is now replaced by a permanent seasonal drop.

None of this changes the essential nature of BL chest: they contain junk, lots and lots of junk. The value is entirely entertainment: the frisson of excitement in which you hope that this time, something good will drop (followed quickly by an hour of your conscience saying, “I told you so — RNGesus only helps those who might or might not have helped themselves.”)

tl;dr BL chests have always dropped garbage; they still drop garbage, with a 10% chance of a skin you don’t have.

The frisson of excitement might be there initially but if people feel like they’ve been rooked whenever they open up a chest and get the only the trick bag and 2 minor items then that’s the emotion that lingers and poisons the experience. I never felt rooked before. I may not have been excited by what I got but I never felt like I was taken advantage of. This feels different and the feeling is both strong enough and negative enough to have an impact on that “frisson of excitement” with the next key.

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Although I have to confess I don’t really understand why anyone feels ‘rooked’: BL chests used to drop junk; now they drop garbage.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The wardrobe is great. The preview panel is great. The trick bag. That’s awful. Please revert it to a booster or put some other (non game) item in there.

I look at it as the boosters (which many hated) being replaced by a 10% chance of a wardrobe unlock. The temporary festival drop is now replaced by a permanent seasonal drop.

None of this changes the essential nature of BL chest: they contain junk, lots and lots of junk. The value is entirely entertainment: the frisson of excitement in which you hope that this time, something good will drop (followed quickly by an hour of your conscience saying, “I told you so — RNGesus only helps those who might or might not have helped themselves.”)

tl;dr BL chests have always dropped garbage; they still drop garbage, with a 10% chance of a skin you don’t have.

The frisson of excitement might be there initially but if people feel like they’ve been rooked whenever they open up a chest and get the only the trick bag and 2 minor items then that’s the emotion that lingers and poisons the experience. I never felt rooked before. I may not have been excited by what I got but I never felt like I was taken advantage of. This feels different and the feeling is both strong enough and negative enough to have an impact on that “frisson of excitement” with the next key.

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Although I have to confess I don’t really understand why anyone feels ‘rooked’: BL chests used to drop junk; now they drop garbage.

One thing I kept on reading about the BLC was that they are a gemstore sampler. With the addition of a non gemstore item as a guaranteed item in one of the slots it’s no longer a gemstore sampler. If a 5 silver ingame item can be put in there instead of a gemstore item, then what next? Broken lockpicks at 5 copper each? That’s junk too and therefore fair game and allowable.

I do not want my gems to buy in game items from BLC. I most especially do not want my gems to buy junk ingame items. I can get those cheap off the trading post, far cheaper than the buying it in a slot for the (current) 7 gold.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

I’d rather spend my 42 Gems (they are free, anyway) on the chance for the Rare slot. Booster/Festival bag cancel each other out…for me.

As stated, each to their own.

My Gems aren’t free, I don’t make much gold in-game since I don’t grind. And after 4 years I’ve decided to try for a Legendary – no extra gold anytime soon. So any Gems I purchase with Real Money (also not a lot to throw away). Maybe that’s the difference.

Now before someone goes to “don’t throw your RL $ away on gambling”, for me the BL chests weren’t really gambling before. I use the Boosters and everything else was more or less useful.

The change is taking 1/3 of the contents and making it something that has a very slim chance to be useful but I would rather buy with 5 silver if I want it.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Just curious why you say they replaced boosters with the chance of a rare skin unlock. Boosters were the guaranteed item, which I see as being replaced with another guaranteed item: the Festival bag. Wardrobe unlock is a Rare item that has been added to the Rare Drop table like they have changed up the random slot tables before.

I always felt as if the boosters were a waste. I have deleted them in order to save space. They made buying keys feel like throwing money or gems away. More than anything else the boosters felt like an effort to ensure that there was something with, “monetary value,” guaranteed in the chests so as to deflect, legally at least, accusations of running a gambling program.

Getting ToT bag isnt much, if any, better, but at least I am not deleting them.

The only things I wish they would do with the BLCs is revert to adding festival bags as a fourth item during the festivals only and remove those Tomes of Experience.

Losing 1 item slot to a useless ToT Bag, Wintersday Gift, or the like is for the birds, but getting 2 Tomes of Experience when you have stacks of them in your bank is even worse.

Djinn.9245:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Just curious why you say they replaced boosters with the chance of a rare skin unlock. Boosters were the guaranteed item, which I see as being replaced with another guaranteed item: the Festival bag. Wardrobe unlock is a Rare item that has been added to the Rare Drop table like they have changed up the random slot tables before.

We can agree that two slots remain the same: random whatever (I say it’s always been junk; some people say it’s a gem shop sampler).

The question is: what are those other two slots? I contend that one slot has always been seasonal and one has always been “designated value”. In my world view, the seasonal one was never meant to be anything other than “local color,” like putting peaches in the fruit bowl in July and apples in the fall.

The so-called third slot used to be boosters, only boosters. Now, it’s a 10% chance of a wardrobe unlock. I think ANet would have better off releasing two wardrobe unlocks: the current one and the other 90% of the time, I basic unlock (only fine or lesser skins). Had they done that, there would have been no question about what replaced what.

Here’s the main reason why I like my world view better: it means I’m not cranky about something ANet is doing. I have plenty of RL stress and there are enough things in the game I think ANet needs to re-tool or fix; I’d just as soon as not have them worry about (what I have always seen as) the Bag of Junk. Again, I’m not saying that anyone else has to see things my way — I’m just saying that it works for me.

Finally, I would like people to consider this: suppose we had never had boosters in BL chests — just two slots for “random junk” and one seasonal. Suppose that ANet added boosters today. Would we really think it was better than what we had yesterday? Would more people buy keys (with gold- or cash-bought gems)? Or would be mostly be saying, “eh, boosters; nice to have but not really enough value to care about.”

Djinn.9245:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Just curious why you say they replaced boosters with the chance of a rare skin unlock. Boosters were the guaranteed item, which I see as being replaced with another guaranteed item: the Festival bag. Wardrobe unlock is a Rare item that has been added to the Rare Drop table like they have changed up the random slot tables before.

Wardrobe Unlock is a common item drop, so not in the ‘Rare’ Drop table (same table as Scraps and Merchant Express, Revive Orb, Tome of Knowledge, etc.). (Preview a BL Chest at any time.) And, just an FYI, I don’t grind either. And I’m working on 3, no 4, Legendary journeys. Perhaps, you use Gold for mats, I prefer to just let mine gather naturally. Thus, I can spend Gold on Gems occasionally. =)

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Djinn.9245:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not asking anyone to feel differently about the chests. I’m explaining how I see it (boosters gone; instead, we have a 10% chance of a rare skin unlock).

Just curious why you say they replaced boosters with the chance of a rare skin unlock. Boosters were the guaranteed item, which I see as being replaced with another guaranteed item: the Festival bag. Wardrobe unlock is a Rare item that has been added to the Rare Drop table like they have changed up the random slot tables before.

We can agree that two slots remain the same: random whatever (I say it’s always been junk; some people say it’s a gem shop sampler).

The question is: what are those other two slots?

There are only 3 slots. The fourth is a random chance of happening at all which means I don’t count it. If I happen to get it that’s fine, but BL chests don’t “have” 4 slots afaic.

---

Here’s the main reason why I like my world view better: it means I’m not cranky about something ANet is doing. I have plenty of RL stress and there are enough things in the game I think ANet needs to re-tool or fix; I’d just as soon as not have them worry about (what I have always seen as) the Bag of Junk. Again, I’m not saying that anyone else has to see things my way — I’m just saying that it works for me.

Fair enough

Finally, I would like people to consider this: suppose we had never had boosters in BL chests — just two slots for “random junk” and one seasonal. Suppose that ANet added boosters today. Would we really think it was better than what we had yesterday? Would more people buy keys (with gold- or cash-bought gems)? Or would be mostly be saying, “eh, boosters; nice to have but not really enough value to care about.”

If BL chests had always been 2 slots + seasonal I’m not sure I would have purchased keys much for the reasons already stated about the seasonal. But since I actually use Boosters, I would potentially purchase keys more often as I would be getting more bang for my buck with an additional perk from the chests.