Guild Wars 2

Hello,

I would like to post a complaint. I have had to delete about a hundred Bank Access Expresses in the past months, because I own a Permanent Bank Access Express, placed in a Shared Inventory Slot.

This is a huge loss for me and everyone else in my position.

Is there a way to program the game to recognize a permanent item of the type in shared inv slots and to then not drop those one-time-use equivalents for players who own the permanent version? I am seriously losing interest in opening BLCs because of the high chance of receiving 33% of trash that I have to can right away.

P.S. If at least those items were tradeable or could be sent to a friend instead of having to delete them…

Yes! This is a great idea.

Ashantara.8731:

This is a huge loss for me and everyone else in my position.

A loss? Sure. A huge loss? It’s big enough to complain about, but not enough for ANet to change the code to prevent it from dropping.

Sure, it would be nice if contract owners could trade in unused express versions with something else. I just can’t agree it’s that important, let alone a priority.

Getting stuff you don’t want and can’t sell is one of the reasons I rarely buy keys. They could at least put a vendor value of a few silver on these items if they don’t want to let us sell them to others.

Those chests are GW2’s version of lottery tickets you can buy on a fair. You get crap most of the time, it’s inherent in the system. Those bank accesses are blanks, like basically all common drops from the chests. You are not supposed to get anything valuable. Just stop playing the lottery.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

A loss? Sure. A huge loss? It’s big enough to complain about, but not enough for ANet to change the code to prevent it from dropping.

Well, if more people complained, maybe they would reconsider. I wouldn’t be posting here if I didn’t think they cared about their paying customers, especially those who spend tons of money on Gem Store items.

Faaris.8013:

Those chests are GW2’s version of lottery tickets you can buy on a fair. You get crap most of the time

I don’t think you are getting it. This isn’t about “crap” in terms of “items of low value”. This is about “items of no value”, as I can’t do anything with them (not sell them, not gift them, not even use them!) except destroy them. That is not the point of BLC drops.

It may be for those few lucky enough to obtain Permanent versions.

Good luck.

Sadly they wont change this, this will fall under the same argument has im level 80 and don’t want 30 alt characters, but I get 200 Tombs of Knowledge a week.

I agree though that we should have the ability to send them to a friend ( 1 time only ) as in once its sent 1 time it becomes account bound to that person, I know people who could use the ToK I get that I just destroy, because I don’t want to double click thousands of times.

Ashantara.8731:

I don’t think you are getting it. This isn’t about “crap” in terms of “items of low value”. This is about “items of no value”, as I can’t do anything with them (not sell them, not gift them, not even use them!) except destroy them. That is not the point of BLC drops.

Honestly, I think you are not getting it. You keep buying those lottery tickets, perfectly knowing that 33% of the content of those chests is worthless for you. Then you complain that 33% of the stuff you get is worthless. Even without your permanent bank access, those items would be useless at some point. I don’t know how often you use those bank accesses, but I can imagine that " about a hundred" of them would be enough for most players to last a year. Personally, I use one per month.

Now, to the point of Black Lion Chests. The point is not that you get shinies, the point is that you buy keys. If you play the lottery and none of your numbers match, you get nothing. That’s how lotteries work, you pay for the chance to get something, but in most cases, you get nothing, or nothing of value.

This is a huge loss for me and everyone else in my position.

Indeed, BLCs are a huge loss for everybody who uses them and a gain for ArenaNet. That is why they exist.

They should slap a vendor value on all of those items, giving players the option to convert them into coin if they don’t want/need the items. There are few things less rewarding than getting an item that is worth absolutely nothing.

mtpelion.4562:

There are few things less rewarding than getting an item that is worth absolutely nothing.

Agreed, and that’s why people can stop buying those keys. I don’t have a permanent bank access and I still consider those items worthless. Whenever I get a key (zone completion for example) and open a chest, I get crap. I also got a couple of keys when I bought a starter pack from the store, and as far as I remember, it was all crap, like boxes of fun or those ticket scraps or WvW boosters while not playing WvW at all. Those ticket scraps are a nice irony though, you buy a lottery ticket and get get part of another ticket in return (which apparently was a decision made by the community).

From the Wikipedia entry for the “Let’s Make a Deal” Show:

The trader thus does not know if he or she is getting something of greater value or a prize that is referred to as a “zonk,” an item purposely chosen to be of little or no value to the trader.

Ok I Did It.2854:

Sadly they wont change this, this will fall under the same argument has im level 80 and don’t want 30 alt characters, but I get 200 Tombs of Knowledge a week.

No, you get 200 spirit shards a week – that being the thing that Tomes of Knowledge provide when you don’t want to use the level they offer. GW2 already awards you a fallback prize if you don’t want to use it to gain levels on an alt.

I also don’t agree with the complaints about drops you can’t use, but this isn’t a reasonable argument against them. Unlike the Tomes, there is no “fallback” reward available for the items.

I agree that the Black Lion chest rewards need a serious overhaul, but the OP is touching on just one of the problems, and one that likely only affects a tiny fraction of players. There are several items in the game that have no use to certain players, or are easily obtained at such high rates during normal game play that they are effectively useless “prizes” from a black lion chest.

- Tome of Knowledge – These are useless for players that don’t intend to level-up any more characters. For others, the rate of gain greatly outpaces the rate at which they can use them, making them equally useless.

- Spirt Shard (not directly a BLC reward, but listing here since some people think this is supposed to be a fallback for players that don’t need ToKs) – These are useless for players that don’t do any of the MF-related crafting that uses them. For others, the rate of gain greatly outpaces the rate at which they can use them, making them equally useless.

- Transmutation charge – These are useless if there are no other skins you want to use. For others, the rate of gain greatly outpaces the rate at which they can use them, making them equally useless.

- Resurrection Orb – These are useless for players that always just waypoint to rez.

- Armor repair can – These are useless for players that always the free armor repair stations instead. (oh yeah, they actually removed this one)

- Access to Merchant, Bank or TP – These are useless for those lucky players that own a permanent version.

Ashantara.8731:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

A loss? Sure. A huge loss? It’s big enough to complain about, but not enough for ANet to change the code to prevent it from dropping.

Well, if more people complained, maybe they would reconsider. I wouldn’t be posting here if I didn’t think they cared about their paying customers, especially those who spend tons of money on Gem Store items.

More people already complain about all sorts of stuff. Is this really a pressing issue, even to you? Is it really one of your top 100 annoyances with the game? And how many people do you think own one of these contracts?

This isn’t about protect those who spend real life money on the gem shop; it’s about some folks being unwilling to simply delete stuff that we can’t use or monetize.

I’m not against ANet doing something; I just can’t see this as particularly important and I doubt very much if ANet would either.

polarbear.2497:

Yes! This is a great idea.

I have a better idea. Instead of the BLTC dropping these common items, it drops a “Common Item Ticket” that you can then exchange at the Black Lion Trading Company in LA for your choice of the common items. So, you open a chest and get a Common Item Ticket, you pop over to the vendor and trade your ticket for a bank access, or a ToK, or a revive orb, or a teleport to friend, or whatever else is on the list that you might want. Similar to the way Black Lion Tickets work for skins.

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

polarbear.2497:

Yes! This is a great idea.

I have a better idea. Instead of the BLTC dropping these common items, it drops a “Common Item Ticket” that you can then exchange at the Black Lion Trading Company in LA for your choice of the common items. So, you open a chest and get a Common Item Ticket, you pop over to the vendor and trade your ticket for a bank access, or a ToK, or a revive orb, or a teleport to friend, or whatever else is on the list that you might want. Similar to the way Black Lion Tickets work for skins.

I like this solution. This way it gives players the choice to take an item that may be useful to them, and avoids them being stuck with items they can’t use or don’t want.

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

polarbear.2497:

Yes! This is a great idea.

I have a better idea. Instead of the BLTC dropping these common items, it drops a “Common Item Ticket” that you can then exchange at the Black Lion Trading Company in LA for your choice of the common items. So, you open a chest and get a Common Item Ticket, you pop over to the vendor and trade your ticket for a bank access, or a ToK, or a revive orb, or a teleport to friend, or whatever else is on the list that you might want. Similar to the way Black Lion Tickets work for skins.

Oh, nice idea.
ANet look into it plz.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not against ANet doing something; I just can’t see this as particularly important and I doubt very much if ANet would either.

^This. Of all the things to consider, this is not a priority IMO.

What I will add to this is that, we all know what we could get out of the chests if we buy or obtain keys. If you are not willing to accept what the RNG gods give you, then you shouldn’t play. It is a slot machine and you KNOWINGLY take your chances.

Additionally, those things you are speaking of have worth if you want to use them. It isn’t as if they cannot be consumed just because you have a permanent version.

Again, you know what could come out of those chests. I say there is no use complaining when you get what you know could drop. We all take our chances.

jheryn.8390:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

I’m not against ANet doing something; I just can’t see this as particularly important and I doubt very much if ANet would either.

^This. Of all the things to consider, this is not a priority IMO.

What I will add to this is that, we all know what we could get out of the chests if we buy or obtain keys. If you are not willing to accept what the RNG gods give you, then you shouldn’t play. It is a slot machine and you KNOWINGLY take your chances.

Additionally, those things you are speaking of have worth if you want to use them. It isn’t as if they cannot be consumed just because you have a permanent version.

Again, you know what could come out of those chests. I say there is no use complaining when you get what you know could drop. We all take our chances.

To flip that argument around though, wouldn’t more people be incentivized to buy keys in the first place if they KNOW that they won’t get pure junk items and can salvage even the most “useless” items for something else?

I do not spend money or gems on keys specifically because of the unrewarding nature of getting a pile of junk. No amount of “what ifs” in the good loot table will offset that feeling. If we got a token for BLTC items or if they had a vendor value, the “junk” status would be removed because I could always convert them into something I personally find useful.

Would be great to convert a stack of them into permanent one.

It was asked before but Anet never, ever answer these threads… sadly.

mtpelion.4562:

What I will add to this is that, we all know what we could get out of the chests if we buy or obtain keys. If you are not willing to accept what the RNG gods give you, then you shouldn’t play. It is a slot machine and you KNOWINGLY take your chances.

Additionally, those things you are speaking of have worth if you want to use them. It isn’t as if they cannot be consumed just because you have a permanent version.

Again, you know what could come out of those chests. I say there is no use complaining when you get what you know could drop. We all take our chances.

To flip that argument around though, wouldn’t more people be incentivized to buy keys in the first place if they KNOW that they won’t get pure junk items and can salvage even the most “useless” items for something else?

I do not spend money or gems on keys specifically because of the unrewarding nature of getting a pile of junk. No amount of “what ifs” in the good loot table will offset that feeling. If we got a token for BLTC items or if they had a vendor value, the “junk” status would be removed because I could always convert them into something I personally find useful.[/quote]

And you SHOULDN’T spend money on them if you don’t like the risk/reward. That is the right thing to do.

Don’t, however, underestimate the greed factor. Some people will keep buying keys on the slim hope that they will get one of the rare skins or permanent contracts or nodes. So I am sure Anet is making plenty of money off of these people.

If everything that came out of the chests were “OMG! Look what I got!” then why play the game. Just buy chests. Rarity, especially extreme rarity is what keeps people buying." If everything was good out of those chests, pretty soon no one would buy them because we would all have everything.

Again, I am sure there are many people like you who won’t purchase keys, but there are many more who will just for the CHANCE at something good.

jheryn.8390

And you SHOULDN’T spend money on them if you don’t like the risk/reward. That is the right thing to do.

Don’t, however, underestimate the greed factor. Some people will keep buying keys on the slim hope that they will get one of the rare skins or permanent contracts or nodes. So I am sure Anet is making plenty of money off of these people.

If everything that came out of the chests were “OMG! Look what I got!” then why play the game. Just buy chests. Rarity, especially extreme rarity is what keeps people buying." If everything was good out of those chests, pretty soon no one would buy them because we would all have everything.

Again, I am sure there are many people like you who won’t purchase keys, but there are many more who will just for the CHANCE at something good.

I’m not suggesting that the chance for the good things be altered in any way, nor am I suggesting that people don’t buy keys now.

I’m merely stating that MORE people would buy keys if they could either pick which “junk” item they got (i.e. they can pick the items that aren’t “junk” to them but are in fact the SAME items that we randomly get now) or could convert the “junk” into a few coins (because getting SOMETHING is a million times more rewarding than getting NOTHING).

It’s about perception. If you create a system that players perceive to be bad, many won’t use it and you won’t get a dime from them. With a few minor tweaks though, you could be making your players happier AND generating more revenue, for what would amount to a very, very minor change in coding.

mtpelion.4562:

It’s about perception. If you create a system that players perceive to be bad, many won’t use it and you won’t get a dime from them. With a few minor tweaks though, you could be making your players happier AND generating more revenue, for what would amount to a very, very minor change in coding.

You said it right there! It’s about perception. Without exception, no matter what they do, some will always perceive the BL chest system to be bad. Many will not buy them because of their perception. If they altered it the way you suggest, then many others would find it equally as bad.

Obviously Anet is doing fine with what they are doing with the BL chests now or it would be altered.

jheryn.8390:

mtpelion.4562:

It’s about perception. If you create a system that players perceive to be bad, many won’t use it and you won’t get a dime from them. With a few minor tweaks though, you could be making your players happier AND generating more revenue, for what would amount to a very, very minor change in coding.

You said it right there! It’s about perception. Without exception, no matter what they do, some will always perceive the BL chest system to be bad. Many will not buy them because of their perception. If they altered it the way you suggest, then many others would find it equally as bad.

Obviously Anet is doing fine with what they are doing with the BL chests now or it would be altered.

That’s an argument that says whatever is current doesn’t need improvements. It’s an argument against ever changing anything. What’s the point of the forums if not to suggest better ways to do things? Suggestions that ANet might not think about or to let ANet know that they may make more money with changes.

Edit: the fact that ANet has recently made several changes to the blc drops suggest that they are not happy with the money they’re getting from them and are trying to improve sales.

If you’re unhappy with the way ANet handles gamble boxes, don’t buy keys. The only things businesses heed are hits to their bottom line.

Ok I Did It.2854:

Sadly they wont change this, this will fall under the same argument has im level 80 and don’t want 30 alt characters, but I get 200 Tombs of Knowledge a week.

This is far from being an adequate comparison. Tomes of Knowledge provide you with Spirit Shards, which you need for ascended crafting, among other things. You don’t go right-click and delete those, but this is exactly what I have to do with the Bank Access Expresses.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

That’s an argument that says whatever is current doesn’t need improvements. It’s an argument against ever changing anything. What’s the point of the forums if not to suggest better ways to do things? […]

Thank you.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

jheryn.8390:

mtpelion.4562:

It’s about perception. If you create a system that players perceive to be bad, many won’t use it and you won’t get a dime from them. With a few minor tweaks though, you could be making your players happier AND generating more revenue, for what would amount to a very, very minor change in coding.

You said it right there! It’s about perception. Without exception, no matter what they do, some will always perceive the BL chest system to be bad. Many will not buy them because of their perception. If they altered it the way you suggest, then many others would find it equally as bad.

Obviously Anet is doing fine with what they are doing with the BL chests now or it would be altered.

That’s an argument that says whatever is current doesn’t need improvements. It’s an argument against ever changing anything. What’s the point of the forums if not to suggest better ways to do things? Suggestions that ANet might not think about or to let ANet know that they may make more money with changes.

Edit: the fact that ANet has recently made several changes to the blc drops suggest that they are not happy with the money they’re getting from them and are trying to improve sales.

My argument doesn’t say that people should voice their opinions and suggestions. I think they should. I don’t think, however, that changes the fact that the BL chests are a gamble and you take your chances. They are designed to be just that. You can ask a casino to change the way their slot machines work and give a pay out every time you play, but that is both ridiculous and isn’t going to happen. They are designed a certain way for a certain purpose.

And no, the recent changes do not suggest Anet is happy or unhappy with the way the chests work. When they made the most recent changes it was not in favor of players. We used to get three guaranteed drops with one seasonal/festival drop. We would get four different items. Now we get three with a very rare chance at a fourth. That was not listening to players, That is actually giving out less. If Anet was unhappy with the way the chest works, it was in their favor, not ours.

All that said, I do believe that Anet listens. Items have been included that have been asked for like wardrobe unlocks. That is good and understandable. However…

I don’t believe that BL chests function as a random drop with mainly common/minimum use items are they way the chests are designed and will always continue to function that way whether we like it or not. Items may change, but the way the chests work are the way they were designed to work.