[Gemstore Q]Watchwork Mining Pick.
You want them to fix buyer’s remorse?
Not long ago you say? How about 11 months ago.
Bone pick
Acquisition
Gem Store during Tequatl Rising.
Gem Store from November 13 to 20, 2013.
Gem Store from June 6, 2014 to June 13, 2014.
Gem Store from August 29 to 31, 2014 (2nd anniversary sale).
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bone_Pick
And that time you could also buy the watchwork pick that even states if you bother to read description of item has a small chance to reward a watchwork sproket on each swing.
I agree with you bone picks should have a small chance to reward tier 1 bone Molten alliance tier 1 molten sliver.
Unsure about mad scientist ( charged sliver perhaps) and mine o tron ( onyx silver errgh nothing really fits either of these)
(edited by Linken.6345)
Just bought the Watchwork pick today and yeah it’s really the obvious choice. The droprate is very generous; got around 18 sprockets from the bit of mining I did today.
Is there any plans to update the rest of the tools?
When they released it originally there was a lot of complaining. The core of the complaint was around the idea that gemstore items were primarily convenience. That is to say, gemstore items didn’t give anyone any advantages, before convenience (in this case not having to buy mining picks). But giving sprockets went beyond convenience into the realm of advantage.
So yeah, I actually agree with the idea of not giving gemstore items clear advantages. In the case of the watchwork mining pick they obviously didn’t remove the sprockets since it would just have created more complaining.
I kind of feel the same as you. I had purchased all other harvesting tools prior to the watchwork exactly for that reason. To not only give my chars a theme but the bonus of not having to buy tools (as well as the right ones for the right areas) all the time as well as having that pain “can’t equip tools while in combat” issue.
Along came the watchwork and I bought that too. Soon saw that the drop chance was far better than the “small chance” description and thus I kept it on my main. I was kind of bitter at this point that they did not add the same feature for the prior tools as it meant now that I would have to use this one for any char I was actually beig active on simply because the drop rate and tp value of said drops is just too good.
Recently I purchased a second watchwork so that I can keep 1 on my main and use the other on whatever other char I am also deeming as “active” atm (example a new alt doing world complete).
Basically, the only way I can see myself using the other tools is if I put them on other alts and park them in Malchors leap to farm those trees daily and whatever ores are in that area.
I think someone made a booboo here with either the drop rate or how players would soon view the prior (as well as any new ones coming after) tools. That being, unless seriously used specifically for theme, pretty much wasted gems in the long run….
Also from this point forward I refuse to buy any of the newer mining tools and when I do make anymore tool purchases for my remaining alts you can be sure they will get the watchwork. It’s sad really as I would like to have them all and sorted for my chars for that theming but it just feels like you are doing yourself and not to mention your gems a dis-service.
What’s the solution? I wont even bother to try and come up with one, I’m over it now tbh lol…
(edited by Paulytnz.7619)
The drop rate for sprockets from the Watchwork pick has been well-documented. You bought for the convenience and the bone pick theme, not for the value.
I completely agree that the Watchwork Pick should never have offered a game feature in the gem store that is unavailable from normal game play (regardless of people being able to convert gold to gems). However, ANet not only disagrees, they doubled down: the Watchwork Pick is a permanently available item now.
Consequently, while I am sympathetic with the OP’s situation, I feel that it amounts to Buyer’s Remorse. We’ve all been there (and most of us will be there again.) There’s not much you can do to prevent it except to do as much research as you can beforehand.
tl;dr I’m sorry you don’t like the bone pick.
I completely agree that the Watchwork Pick should never have offered a game feature in the gem store that is unavailable from normal game play (regardless of people being able to convert gold to gems).
Almost everything grants gold and everyone can convert gold to gems, so how is it unavailable from normal game play?
I wish they offered a way to exchange one infinite gathering tool for another. I have the molten pick, chop-it-all axe and consortium sickle because I bought them during the 1st Anniversary when they were the only ones available. (And I guessed, incorrectly, that since they had each been released once or twice and then re-released together that they would be the only versions.)
I’ve never really liked the effects, especially on the pick axe, but I can’t justify buying another set just to change an effect I see for a few seconds at a time. (I wish now I’d put in a support ticket as soon as the bone pick appeared, a week after I bought the molten one, but I didn’t think of that at the time. I don’t know if they’d have changed it, but I’d like to have asked and it’s a bit late now.)
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
I hear you op, bought molten when it came out. When they released Watchwork it was the last time i ever bought gems, Not a cool move in my book that it was so much better.
The drop rate for sprockets from the Watchwork pick has been well-documented. You bought for the convenience and the bone pick theme, not for the value.
I completely agree that the Watchwork Pick should never have offered a game feature in the gem store that is unavailable from normal game play (regardless of people being able to convert gold to gems). However, ANet not only disagrees, they doubled down: the Watchwork Pick is a permanently available item now.
Consequently, while I am sympathetic with the OP’s situation, I feel that it amounts to Buyer’s Remorse. We’ve all been there (and most of us will be there again.) There’s not much you can do to prevent it except to do as much research as you can beforehand.
tl;dr I’m sorry you don’t like the bone pick.
I agree with Na.
I was in the same boat as OP, but I just had a different attitude towards it.
I bought the bone pick for convenience, and shortly after (a few weeks), when the watchwork pick was introduced bought that too. I didn’t feel hard done by, as I liked how the bone pick looked and felt that the 80g or so I spent on it at the time was worth the convenience. I bought the watchwork pick knowing that eventually it would pay for itself and I’d get a lot of use from it whilst exploring.
I agree that it was a little cheap that A-net added a bonus to this one convenience item, but that’s life.
Unless you are doing a serious amount of gathering over a long period of time, the financial gain is very slim.
Thank you for the answers from those that actually hopped onto the actual issue or rather actual point behind the subject.
I am mostly surprised by the amount of people taking some manner of offense or need to gawk at the post. Yes, as I stated, I purchased the bone pick recently. Yes, as I noted, I did not read carefully enough and did not think much of the sprocket drop rate.
Yes, it was my own fault. I thought, however, that gemstore items giving bonuses that kill the purpose of getting any of the other choices is sort of… commonsensically silly.
So, yes. I’d like them to look into my – and what I imagine to be many other’s – “buyer’s remorse”. I’d figure it is the kind of remorse that should not be there to begin with.
Its not the only problem with Season 1 stuff. The Watchwork picks are the only reliable source of sprockets, which is used in crafting one of the few back items in the game, a ENTIRE prefix line of gear, and several runes. Without these, we’d be effectively cut off from that line crafting.
While I agree that it having the ability is sketchy, I find it a much bigger problem that it yields an otherwise unobtainable resource….. or more the fact the resource itself is ridiculously scarce because only one other thing can yield it. Its pretty much the only reason its still around.
So, yes. I’d like them to look into my – and what I imagine to be many other’s – “buyer’s remorse”. I’d figure it is the kind of remorse that should not be there to begin with.
I totally get this.
Unfortunately, A-net have very limited solutions to this problem.
They could:
-Remove the added functionality of the pick. Of course, this would mean upsetting all of those who bought the pick for the bonuses.
-Add the same functionality to all of the picks. This has the same effect as the first solution, as it would reduce the benefits of the pick
-Give those who bought other “lesser” picks the opportunity of a refund or to exchange their pick for a watchwork one by contacting CS, which is probably the best and fairest solution for players. Unfortunately this would be a CS nightmare and would require a lot of resources to handle for the rest of the game’s life.
-An alternative solution to the previous would be to add an exchange merchant in game which allows people to trade any pick (that was available previously to the release of the Watchwork pick) for the watchwork pick. Also A-net should make sure that it’s slightly more obvious that the watchwork pick also awards sprockets. Unfortunately though, this solution could undermine the sales of newly designed infinite mining picks.
EDIT: Forgot to add this: if the ability to trade a non-watchwork pick for a watchwork pick was possible, it would annoy many players who would say that they wasted another 1000 gems for nothing, considering they could get an exchange for free.
TL;DR: There is no perfect solution. Every solution would upset somebody, or make others feel like they got a poor deal.
(edited by Crimson Clouds.4853)
Well, a fair enough alternative to me would be to add the functionality to all picks while at the same time allowing them to be re-skinned through a merchant for the purpose, as opposed to purely blocking one way or another. As you well say, it would annoy some people, but at the same time it feels as though it would solve the present issue and the future issue of new picks just getting altogether ignored. Sure, they will not get fully ignored, but anyone that is forewarned of the issue at hand will probably advert it.
As it is right now it feels like a trainwreck that affects them more than it affects players in a negative way, as it really hurts sales based on character/profession fitting themes.
I completely agree that the Watchwork Pick should never have offered a game feature in the gem store that is unavailable from normal game play (regardless of people being able to convert gold to gems).
Almost everything grants gold and everyone can convert gold to gems, so how is it unavailable from normal game play?
Because it’s the only gem store item that offers a feature that you can’t get within the context of the game, without converting gold to gems. In order to acquire it, you need to spend 1,000 gems — ~130-200 gold (depending on when in the last year you converted) — which is a lot more than people are willing to save up for.
I can’t think of another “feature” in the game that costs that much, without having a cheap alternative within the game. With the Watchwork Pick, I can get as many sprockets as I care to farm; the closest I can manage is the Sprocket Generator that some of us obtained without coin via the Living Story – that one is limited to ~10 sprockets/day.
So, no, I don’t agree that this can be acquired through “normal” game play. And I don’t agree that this is simply a convenience item. And I say this as someone who normally grants ANet the benefit of the doubt and grants them a “win” in case of a tie between points of view. In this case, I think they made a mistake, especially since it distracts from their argument that the Gem Store is just about convenience and looks.
The Watchwork Pick was an experiment that ANet decided they wouldn’t do again. That’s why the only time since then that any gathering tool gave a bonus something were charged tools we got during an event.
They aren’t going to remove the bonus for anyone who had already bought one either.
RIP City of Heroes
Well, a fair enough alternative to me would be to add the functionality to all picks while at the same time allowing them to be re-skinned through a merchant for the purpose
This sounds like it’d be an excellent approach. I’ve gone with each of the Mad Scientist tools for theme, but would love to have the bonus present with the Watchwork. Plus, if it’d require buying both items in order to have the functionality of one and the appearance of the other, that’s more money in ArenaNet’s pocket. Surely THEY wouldn’t complain about it.
Well, a fair enough alternative to me would be to add the functionality to all picks while at the same time allowing them to be re-skinned through a merchant for the purpose
This sounds like it’d be an excellent approach. I’ve gone with each of the Mad Scientist tools for theme, but would love to have the bonus present with the Watchwork. Plus, if it’d require buying both items in order to have the functionality of one and the appearance of the other, that’s more money in ArenaNet’s pocket. Surely THEY wouldn’t complain about it.
Yes they would because it would unbalance the economy. Not everything ANet does is to make more money. That is a lazy excuse used by unhappy players because something they liked got changed/shut down so it MUST be all about money.
It was rightfully pointed out at the time that the watchwork pick was bordering on Pay 2 Win, or at least Pay 2 Earn in game coin and ANet pulled back from doing that anymore. Heck even the slightly faster Consortium Sickle caused an uproar. And removing the sprocket drop would likely cause a call for gem rebates which they try to avoid at all costs.
RIP City of Heroes
oh i remember that time people were laughing at me for buying watchwork mining pick and saying it is waste of gold…. paid off multiple times by now just from daily home instance mining xD
[Teef] guild :>
Well, a fair enough alternative to me would be to add the functionality to all picks while at the same time allowing them to be re-skinned through a merchant for the purpose
This sounds like it’d be an excellent approach. I’ve gone with each of the Mad Scientist tools for theme, but would love to have the bonus present with the Watchwork. Plus, if it’d require buying both items in order to have the functionality of one and the appearance of the other, that’s more money in ArenaNet’s pocket. Surely THEY wouldn’t complain about it.
Except this would upset a lot of people, who only bought the watchwork pick for the price of selling the sprockets.
If all infinite tools had sprocket drops, the sprocket market would crash (as supply would be much greater than demand). The people who bought the item initially expecting to continuously get a few gold for each stack of sprockets they sold would be very disappointed to find that they’re looking at getting just a few silver each stack.
People who obtained the sprocket drops (by default) also won’t be very impressed as they were probably also expecting a better profit.
So this solution doesn’t really benefit anyone, except people who are looking to buy cheap sprockets…
The only way for ANet to solve that problem is to devalue the sprockets into insignificance.