Guild Wars 2

Tonight I spent about 40 minutes with my Dye, Trading, and Preview panes open, switching back and forth over and over again, dying and re-dying my armor, clicking and re-clicking “Preview”, looking for just the right fashion choices for my character.

Oh, how excited I was when I finally stumbled upon just the right outfit, a combination of several different sets of light armor. I’d just gotten 3 more Transmutation Stones the other day, for a total of 4 in my possession (my only source is map completion, and I don’t achieve that quickly). I was excited to get rid of the messy, pretentious look of my mixed high level armor and get back to a subtler, more classic look. I bought a couple new pieces from the trading house, then raced towards the bank to grab my shiny new Transmutation Stones.

But I stopped halfway there. My excitement completely diminished. I just hit level 80 a few days ago. My armor was now a boring mishmash of level 80 sets because I couldn’t afford anything that looked better.

But Transmutation Stones only work on armor up to level 79.

Why?!

What can be gained by separating a level 80 item from an identical item that works exactly the same way for the 79 other levels? What possible reason could there be for separating identically functioning items by 1 measly level out of 80 total levels?

That is to say, what possible reason other than a cash grab from a desperate fraction of members of an already specific minority of players (i.e. level 80 players who prefer the design of sub-80 armor sets)?

No gameplay would be unbalanced by having a single aesthetic item that worked on all 80 levels. No mechanics would be broken. It would simply provide one small group of players the same functionality to which the other 98% of players already have ready access.

Imagine if there were two aesthetic items in the game that only worked based on the hair color of your character…

Item A works on all characters with hair that is blonde, brown, black, blue, green, purple, or pink. Item A is readily available in game, or for a small cash fee.

Item B works on characters with red hair, but otherwise has exactly the same functionality as Item A. Item B is much rarer in game and costs a larger cash fee.

Tell me why that makes sense. Explain to me how that is fair. Give me a reason that is something other than so the company can charge a specific group of players more money than the rest.

Is it that big of a deal to the vast majority of players? No, it’s not. Is it that big of a deal to the vast majority of the gameplay? No, it’s not.

But then isn’t that all the more reason why the unfairness is so arbitrary?

Don’t get me wrong, I want the game to make money. I know the reason for selling rare items for cash, I know where the logic is in that.

But where is the logic in separating the potential sources of that cash by 1 measly level? If it’s not to disenfranchise a fraction of an already fractional group of players, then what is it? And “because it makes more money” is not an acceptable answer.

Because they need people to buy some gem. One people hit 80, the only thing you need is:
1. Equipment: exotic
2. Looks (as you will throw a lot of time in maximum level, of course you want make your character looks beautiful)
While you are leveling from 1 to 79, you don’t need this (especially 2), as every 5 lvl, you will throw your old equipment and change to new one. Except you love a certain skin, and you will transmute it over until lvl 80. But this case is so rare.

Suggestion to Anet:
Anet should make transmutation stone can be forged to fine transmutation stone by mystic forge. Let say:
10 transmutation stone + 5 mystic coin + 1 elonian wine + 5 something which you can buy with skill point = 1 fine transmutation stone

It is a well known fact that the majority of the players in any MMO are vain. We simply MUST look cool. This … Vanity, usually comes to an MMO player at the level cap (in this case level 80).

So since this is a buy to play game and we are not paying a subscription fee. Anet must somehow generate income to finance the development of the game. This is one way for Anet to generate income.

TL;DR – Because it makes more money.

Trans stones are one of the items you can easily buy with gold. 5 of them only cost 200 gems. They’re cheap enough and you won’t need that many.

So it’s agreed that literally the only reason for the arbitrary level difference is to force specific people to spend money on it.

And out of that specific group of people, it’s an even more specific group who want to use Transmutation: level 80 players who want their level 80 armor to look like armor from lower levels.

Because if you wanted your level 80 armor to look like different level 80 armor, you would have just bought the second armor instead.

And the reason can’t be to keep people from making their lower level armor look like level 80 armor, because it doesn’t actually prevent that. And all they’d need to do was limit its use to only armor up to your current level (it might already do that).

So they’ve essentially singled out level 80 players who want -80 armor aesthetics--a fraction of a fraction—to pay more gold/gems/cash for an item than any other player group. It’s like charging a little girl 99 cents for a bag of chips that everyone else got for 50. How is that fair, exactly?

Even taking into consideration that it’s all about money, it still doesn’t make sense. How does that one level make them more money than 2 levels? 5 levels? 10, 20…?

deviller.9135:

Suggestion to Anet:
Anet should make transmutation stone can be forged to fine transmutation stone by mystic forge. Let say:
10 transmutation stone + 5 mystic coin + 1 elonian wine + 5 something which you can buy with skill point = 1 fine transmutation stone

I like this. Maybe not necessarily that recipe, but something similar. Because I’m sure there are loads of level 80 players with piles of Transmutation Stones they have nothing to do with. Or Black Lion Chests (granted I don’t play a lot, but I’ve got 30+ and haven’t seen a key in months).

There’s stuff rotting in our banks that we can’t do anything with, but we’re forced to hang on to because we feel like we’re missing out on something if we don’t.

Maybe I am odd, or something, but I have used my Fine Transmutation stones to put the skin of one level 80 armor onto another level 80 item. In fact, that is the only time I use them. When I get a drop of some level 80 armor or weapon, that I like the looks of, but the armor or weapon that I already have has stats that I like better, I transmute. I never use it the way that you do, which is perfectly fine, but not the only use for the stones. Plus, I have never bought any, and I still have ~30 left.

I have around 200 basic transmutation stones and 22 transmutation stones for level 80 items. The second one cost me 30 gold, the basic ones I got for map completion. How would you ever be able to generate profit if basic transmutation items are literally raining from the air?
Really what you’re talking about right now is a vanity item. I have no problem with them selling those, because I know that if I’m patient enough I will be able to buy it with gold later.

bastien.7961:

And out of that specific group of people, it’s an even more specific group who want to use Transmutation: level 80 players who want their level 80 armor to look like armor from lower levels.

Because if you wanted your level 80 armor to look like different level 80 armor, you would have just bought the second armor instead.

And the reason can’t be to keep people from making their lower level armor look like level 80 armor, because it doesn’t actually prevent that. And all they’d need to do was limit its use to only armor up to your current level (it might already do that).

Just posting to point out some incorrect aspects.
Many of the max level armor comes with certain sets of stats. While crafted can be given most of the prefixes at your choosing (aside from rabid), and badges from wub-wub can net you armors in most all of them now as well, karma and dungeon armor skins come in only 1-3 stat flavours. It’s quite common for a level 80 character to transmute one end-game armor skin onto another.

Additionally, cultural armor skins and Orders armor only come on lower-level gear and/or on level 80 rares, so to get them on your end-game exotics you will need the crystals.

Lower-levels trying to make their armor look like a level-80 armor would still need the crystals. The stones do not accept level-80 items.

---

When they added insignias as a thing in GW, we were no longer fashion victims if we were chasing certain bonuses. We all became free to wear the sets we liked.

At least here we get that chance from the get-go, but it is unfortunate it’s not just an in-game cost. Though it sort of is, with the gold->gem conversion, just not a cheap one like I’d have expected/preferred.

edited for grammar/to add cultural and Orders armor points

Personally I was thinking it would be nice if transmutation stones worked on level 80 greens, blues, and whites (maybe rares too), but you would need a transmutation crystal if you wanted to include an exotic item in the transmutation.

bastien.7961:

Because if you wanted your level 80 armor to look like different level 80 armor, you would have just bought the second armor instead.

Cultural items are level 80 rare items. Most people use Fine crystals to transmute exotic stats on them.

Really, this game is supposed to sell cosmetic items to generate profits. What would you expect them to sell in the item shop if not items like these crystals?

Since launch I’ve bought level 80 transmute stones from the gemstore just once. I think it gave me 9 of them. I have now transmuted armor on 2 level 80s. And I “somehow” have 17 of my 9 level 80 stones left.

The excess? That is from in game sources such as black lion keys.

But buying them on the gem store? Pretty cheap. You don’t need this kind of content – its purely cosmetic. But if you want it you might as well help keep the game in business and buy a few.

spend USD10 to buy 800 gems.

do it.

bastien.7961:

So it’s agreed that literally the only reason for the arbitrary level difference is to force specific people to spend money on it.

And out of that specific group of people, it’s an even more specific group who want to use Transmutation: level 80 players who want their level 80 armor to look like armor from lower levels.

Because if you wanted your level 80 armor to look like different level 80 armor, you would have just bought the second armor instead.

And the reason can’t be to keep people from making their lower level armor look like level 80 armor, because it doesn’t actually prevent that. And all they’d need to do was limit its use to only armor up to your current level (it might already do that).

So they’ve essentially singled out level 80 players who want -80 armor aesthetics--a fraction of a fraction—to pay more gold/gems/cash for an item than any other player group. It’s like charging a little girl 99 cents for a bag of chips that everyone else got for 50. How is that fair, exactly?

Even taking into consideration that it’s all about money, it still doesn’t make sense. How does that one level make them more money than 2 levels? 5 levels? 10, 20…?

To be fair, you can get fine transmution stone same way you can get normal one, tho it’s rarer. Through playing the game, i acquired enough free fine trans stones to gear out 4 character fully in armour i wanted for them, with some weapons here and there. while i had 3 times the amount in normal trans stones.

people who say that transmutation crystal can be aquired through normal gameplay are wrong, it was once possible to have those stones from dailies, map completion, black lion’s chest and gems, now they can be purchased only with gold to gems, real money to gems or black lion’s chest.

btw, we all are in the same boat, gems are used by character that want their exotic look like skins from early levels and people that want their exotic stats on other high level armors…

and since everyone in this game transmute armors and weapons they figured that the best way to get money is to make us by the stones that once were free to find pretty much everywhere.

i feel sorry to all new players that couldn’t collect and save their transmutation stones.

Or they could let us sell them :P I have 170 Fine Trans. Crystals in my bank, with no hope of ever using them up.

That’s never going to happen, though. The current system generates revenue. This game needs revenue. There’s really nothing “fair” or “unfair” about it.

At present, 5 stones cost 200 gems, which is between 6 – 7 g.
That translates to:
~1 hour of farming. 2 hours if you do it leisurely.
A few marginal flips on the TP.
$2.50 (and support the game)

Is that really too much work to perform to have enough stones to transmute your entire outfit?

bastien.7961:

And “because it makes more money” is not an acceptable answer.

This is pretty much the most acceptable answer.
It may boggle the mind that a subscription free game needs to derive income in order to continue to pay its staff, but it’s true.

you don’t support the game if you use gold to buy gems instead of real money…

Amadan.9451:

you don’t support the game if you use gold to buy gems instead of real money…

Paying with money is what I would directly define as supporting ANet.

However, transferring gold to gems does support the game financially as well, only you have to think one step ahead.

The system is currently arranged so that Gold->Gem transactions nudge the exchange rate toward valuing gems higher. The more expensive Gems become to buy, the more appealing it is to purchase Gems with cash as opposed to gold. Stated another way, the more expensive Gems are, the more people will choose to buy them with cash (which is a static rate).

While the algorithm for rate of change (to my knowledge) is not released or known, so long as the system functions in the way that is officially stated, any gem purchase either directly or indirectly supports ArenaNet.

Amadan.9451:

people who say that transmutation crystal can be aquired through normal gameplay are wrong, it was once possible to have those stones from dailies, map completion, black lion’s chest and gems, now they can be purchased only with gold to gems, real money to gems or black lion’s chest.

Got about 20 of them just this month through black lion chests. Got all my keys for the chests from ‘regular play’.

But I see absolutely NOTHING WRONG with making some things, which are purely cosmetic, like transmute stones, gemstore only.

Its good for the health of the game to drive some sales there, and its good for the integrity of the game that the items so sold are cosmetic in nature.

The set of them that I bought with gems? Did that with real life $. It looks like I must have bought 5 or 10.