Guild Wars 2

Sometimes I get very frustrated with myself. Whether it be eating those cookies, staying up too late, or spending money on RNG boxes, sometimes I just make dumb choices, despite knowing better.

I can’t figure out why I keep spending money on RNG chests in this game. I fully understand that the negative results of doing so far outweigh the positive ones, yet I still do it.

I have never considered myself to have a gamblers personality. Understanding the laws of probability I never attend casinos, play the lottery, or even enter contests to win free stuff. Yet…in Guild Wars 2…

So, yesterday I found myself asking why? Why, if I know that spending money on these items will result in me having less money, and encourage ANet to continue this questionable money making strategy, do I keep buying them?

The answer may be that I don’t really feel I have choice.

You see, I want to spend money on this game. I want to support it so it continues to grow. The problem is that in exchange for my support, ANet is punishing me.

Lets look at this slightly differently. Say you wanted to support your favorite band. So, instead of downloading the album for free, you decide to pay to see them in concert. You grab your ticket and walk into the stadium, only to find out that the band you want to see isnt there, and instead you’re given a cookie, and a coupon for Burger King.

What if all concerts were like this? You pay money and only have a small percent chance of being one of the lucky ones to see the actual band. How long would you keep paying for concerts?

I know this has been said a million times before on here, but honestly….ANet, I have money for you. I want to give you my money so you can continue making this awesome game. Why do you want to punish me for supporting you?

try and buy the not RNG items and support the game this way

There’s concerts like that, where lottery basically decides whether or not you get a ticket. For example, I have bought tickets for Roger Waters, with a 15 minute countdown in which I had to make all decisions including extras, level of cards etc. A lagspike would have gambled me out.

That being said. I agree with you.

Totally with you.

I want to spend more of my gaming budget on GW2 (well deserved money, if you know how much I’ve been playing recently) but I will make sure that I only buy non-rng items. Rox’ and Braham’s weapons looked awesome, but were nothing I wanted for my own character. But I can see myself buying stuff like that. Also to encourage ANet to give us more hard value for our cash.

I’m with OP.
I’d spend up to 20€ for everlasting merchant, bank access or trading post but I can’t stand buying black lion keys and hope for a very rare drop of such things.

I think I’d rather buy gems and sell them for gold than buy RNG chests. I haven’t done that, but I’d rather. Then you get gold out of it, and you’re still supporting the game.

Yup, I support A-Net through buying the non RNG stuff, but will not touch the RNG crap. But it looks like there are plenty of people who are willing to play the RNG in the Store, that they probably outweigh the number of people who do not.

Then you want more means of tokens the counter to RNG.
If you where going to call that gambling (odds are you would not if you got something from it your just posting this because you mad you did not) you would have to call every mmorpg some type of gambling.

Psychology of Gambling: Why Do People Gamble?
http://www.healthyplace.com/addictions/gambling-addiction/psychology-of-gambling-reasons-for-gambling/

Not trying to to derail the topic…

But I did hear somewhere that anet didn’t get any of the money from the gem store but that it all went to NCSoft. If this is true then your gambling wouldn’t even be supporting the devs!

ironworkshop.1892:

Not trying to to derail the topic…

But I did hear somewhere that anet didn’t get any of the money from the gem store but that it all went to NCSoft. If this is true then your gambling wouldn’t even be supporting the devs!

Where did you HEAR that from? Was it a random youtube video that has no hard evidences. Please do not spread harmful roomers.

ironworkshop.1892:

Not trying to to derail the topic…

But I did hear somewhere that anet didn’t get any of the money from the gem store but that it all went to NCSoft. If this is true then your gambling wouldn’t even be supporting the devs!

Lol. NCSoft fully owns Anet. Of course NCSoft gets all the money, and all the Devs receive a paycheck plus whatever bonuses they get.

Seriously people.

ironworkshop.1892:

Not trying to to derail the topic…

But I did hear somewhere that anet didn’t get any of the money from the gem store but that it all went to NCSoft. If this is true then your gambling wouldn’t even be supporting the devs!

Arenanet is fully owned by NCsoft, Arenanet is basically a department of NCSoft. So of course all money goes to NCsoft, the people of Arenanet get their salary plus any bonus’s that is no doubt based on performance.

So yes, supporting this game is still supporting the developers, keeping their job and any bonus is going to depend on how well Guild Wars 2 and NCsoft do.

Crazylegsmurphy.6430:

I know this has been said a million times before on here, but honestly….ANet, I have money for you. I want to give you my money so you can continue making this awesome game. Why do you want to punish me for supporting you?

It’s got nothing to do with whether or not they like your support. If it keeps you buying more RNG boxes, spending money…well.

I wouldn’t expect them to turn down sales because they suddenly got a conscience.

Suggest not buying that stuff, mate. Take a friend to dinner, instead, enjoy the conversation, and build a real relationship.

I…don’t understand what all this hate is towards the RNG…Is it because you are putting money into the game that you expect to get what you wanted in return?

Well I’m going to go ahead and say that 50% of the people who buy the Crates are converting from Gold to Gems (In which case they aren’t putting money into the system, but taking it out), in which case if you are doing this, your argument based upon you supporting the game is wrong.

Now on the other side, if you actually spend money to support the game and buy RNG boxes, then you get more for your dollar then the people who spent Gold for Gems and thus have a better % then the others to get it, thus is your reward for spending actual money and supporting the game…

It isn’t like the boxes give something that you can’t live without. They are all cosmetic items, with anything important (Mats) can still be gotten through the TP.

I don’t like RNG, but that’s because I understand that the odds are low for me to get the BEST item in the set, only play to win, not to get the jackpot. I am happy with my Minis I got.

Tengu.4209:

I…don’t understand what all this hate is towards the RNG…Is it because you are putting money into the game that you expect to get what you wanted in return?

Well I’m going to go ahead and say that 50% of the people who buy the Crates are converting from Gold to Gems (In which case they aren’t putting money into the system, but taking it out), in which case if you are doing this, your argument based upon you supporting the game is wrong.

Now on the other side, if you actually spend money to support the game and buy RNG boxes, then you get more for your dollar then the people who spent Gold for Gems and thus have a better % then the others to get it, thus is your reward for spending actual money and supporting the game…

It isn’t like the boxes give something that you can’t live without. They are all cosmetic items, with anything important (Mats) can still be gotten through the TP.

I don’t like RNG, but that’s because I understand that the odds are low for me to get the BEST item in the set, only play to win, not to get the jackpot. I am happy with my Minis I got.

Let’s say you want the new weapon in Southsun. You buy one box with money. You don’t get it. The average amount of boxes required to get those would be 150 boxes. Who has that much money to gamble? You swallow a bitter pill, admit that you will never get the awesome weapon and don’t buy the RNG boxes. The company loses profits and you can’t buy the skin that you want. See the problem?

Mirta.5029:

Tengu.4209:

I…don’t understand what all this hate is towards the RNG…Is it because you are putting money into the game that you expect to get what you wanted in return?

Well I’m going to go ahead and say that 50% of the people who buy the Crates are converting from Gold to Gems (In which case they aren’t putting money into the system, but taking it out), in which case if you are doing this, your argument based upon you supporting the game is wrong.

Now on the other side, if you actually spend money to support the game and buy RNG boxes, then you get more for your dollar then the people who spent Gold for Gems and thus have a better % then the others to get it, thus is your reward for spending actual money and supporting the game…

It isn’t like the boxes give something that you can’t live without. They are all cosmetic items, with anything important (Mats) can still be gotten through the TP.

I don’t like RNG, but that’s because I understand that the odds are low for me to get the BEST item in the set, only play to win, not to get the jackpot. I am happy with my Minis I got.

Let’s say you want the new weapon in Southsun. You buy one box with money. You don’t get it. The average amount of boxes required to get those would be 150 boxes. Who has that much money to gamble? You swallow a bitter pill, admit that you will never get the awesome weapon and don’t buy the RNG boxes. The company loses profits and you can’t buy the skin that you want. See the problem?

So the goal of getting something becomes spending money? You can’t just get it by chance and be happy anymore that the odds just happened?

Again, the Crate was first shown as a box that gives you a chance at a ton of stuff, with a rare chance of getting the weapon. Do people want the weapon? Yes. But they shouldn’t just expect to get it. That’s like people playing the lottery and expecting to get the Jackpot.

Tengu.4209:

So the goal of getting something becomes spending money? You can’t just get it by chance and be happy anymore that the odds just happened?

Again, the Crate was first shown as a box that gives you a chance at a ton of stuff, with a rare chance of getting the weapon. Do people want the weapon? Yes. But they shouldn’t just expect to get it. That’s like people playing the lottery and expecting to get the Jackpot.

people want to be able to buy the weapon and not play a lottery. Why would I throw real money just to get a yellow drop to me in game? If I want something in game I want to be able to buy it and not gamble it. If I can’t buy it I won’t throw money at it. Why? Because I have a rare chance to get a few pixels here, pixels that won’t get me more money. I can spend my whole wage and not get those pixels. It will get me a few rares and probably will get me depressed. Why would anyone want to gamble like that?

Also do the math. 800 gems = 10 euros. 1200 gems = 10 boxes. On average a skin drops in about 150 boxes. I would need to spend 2250 euros to have an average chance to get it. The skins are the only thing unique in those boxes. Why would I buy an RNG box again?

Mirta.5029:

Tengu.4209:

So the goal of getting something becomes spending money? You can’t just get it by chance and be happy anymore that the odds just happened?

Again, the Crate was first shown as a box that gives you a chance at a ton of stuff, with a rare chance of getting the weapon. Do people want the weapon? Yes. But they shouldn’t just expect to get it. That’s like people playing the lottery and expecting to get the Jackpot.

people want to be able to buy the weapon and not play a lottery. Why would I throw real money just to get a yellow drop to me in game? If I want something in game I want to be able to buy it and not gamble it. If I can’t buy it I won’t throw money at it. Why? Because I have a rare chance to get a few pixels here, pixels that won’t get me more money. I can spend my whole wage and not get those pixels. It will get me a few rares and probably will get me depressed. Why would anyone want to gamble like that?

Also do the math. 800 gems = 10 euros. 1200 gems = 10 boxes. On average a skin drops in about 150 boxes. I would need to spend 2250 euros to have an average chance to get it. The skins are the only thing unique in those boxes. Why would I buy an RNG box again?

If 150 boxes are the average then you are correct, however do you take this logic to the lottery?
“Ok, I need to spend 1,000,000USD in tickets to, on average, win the $2,000,000USD lottery!”
No, you wouldn’t. The RNG boxes were stated as that, a chance to get something. If you go in expecting to get it, just like with the lottery and all things randomly generated, most likely you won’t get it.

If they just let you buy the weapons, would that make you feel better? Most likely not because with how it is now, I could easily see the skins being around Precurser price, if not Legendary price.

I am not saying that people who want to buy the weapons don’t have a point, however I understand why ANET made them account-bound. There are multiple ways to get the boxes besides using real cash. There is drops from mobs (in which they even give you farming support) and then there is gold → gems.

Tengu.4209:

If 150 boxes are the average then you are correct, however do you take this logic to the lottery?
“Ok, I need to spend 1,000,000USD in tickets to, on average, win the $2,000,000USD lottery!”
No, you wouldn’t. The RNG boxes were stated as that, a chance to get something. If you go in expecting to get it, just like with the lottery and all things randomly generated, most likely you won’t get it.

If they just let you buy the weapons, would that make you feel better? Most likely not because with how it is now, I could easily see the skins being around Precurser price, if not Legendary price.

I am not saying that people who want to buy the weapons don’t have a point, however I understand why ANET made them account-bound. There are multiple ways to get the boxes besides using real cash. There is drops from mobs (in which they even give you farming support) and then there is gold -> gems.

you seem to not understand this thing – win a lottery = get money, win the RNG = get a pixel after spending 2000 euros. We don’t need to spend money to play a lottery in game that will not give us anything more than a pixel. We should be able to outright buy that pixel if we want it. Make the pixel cost 20 Euros if you so wish, but until there’s only a chance to get it, I’m not buying it and I’m not supporting it.

Winning = Getting something in return.
Each RNG WILL give you something for your money. Those Flowers/Shells do sell well and you can convert them EASILY into money.

However, you are wanting the very least possibility item to get (The ticket), which is comparable to wanting the jackpot.

Expecting to get the tickets from a few boxes is the same as expecting to get the Jackpot in a few bets. Its unfavorable. If you don’t support it then that’s fine, but these posts are more against people who sink money into them, then rage because they didn’t get what they wanted (which from what I’ve seen, most of the people that have posted in these topics)

Tengu.4209:

Winning = Getting something in return.
Each RNG WILL give you something for your money. Those Flowers/Shells do sell well and you can convert them EASILY into money.

However, you are wanting the very least possibility item to get (The ticket), which is comparable to wanting the jackpot.

Expecting to get the tickets from a few boxes is the same as expecting to get the Jackpot in a few bets. Its unfavorable. If you don’t support it then that’s fine, but these posts are more against people who sink money into them, then rage because they didn’t get what they wanted (which from what I’ve seen, most of the people that have posted in these topics)

10 shells at most will get you about 30 silver
150 gems to gold exchange will get you over 3 gold.
It wouldn’t be as bad if Southsun boxes were sold for gold only, then you’re not gambling actual money. To put gamble on a virtual item and make people pay real money for it is just a very jerk thing to do.