Guild Wars 2

The unlimited gathering tools are temporarily back on the TP and are they really worth it? 1000 gems / $12.50 US / 110g (11g per 100 gem conversion) is pretty steep especially if you decide to get all 3. I gather regularly and at most I might need to replace my tools once a week. The only real reason I can see for buying one is for the look and convenience, but its not like you won’t be regularly visit a merchant anyways. Are we just paying for that extra animation or is it it actually worth it in the long run?

I bought all 3 when they cost 800 gems each and I think it’s worth it. (It might also be worth noting that I bought them with real money because £8.50 each was a lot more affordable to me than 100g.)

I don’t like the animations (in fact if I could I’d remove the animation from the molten pick all together) but I love the convenience.

My main character moves between maps pretty much at random. She might be in the same one for a week or she might be there for 5 minutes and then move on. So if I want to gather materials on her my options are either to carry one of each type of tool and keep checking which one I need and swapping them or using Mithril/Ori tools for everything, and even then I have to carry spares.

With infinite tools I don’t have to worry about any of that, I can gather whatever I want, wherever I am and as many times as I want. It’s a small thing but it’s really nice not having to worry about that. I notice it every time I switch back to another character and have to deal with finite tools again.

But that’s just my opinion, I know other people think they’re a complete waste of money and practically a scam that only idiots fall for.

Personally I think it’s worth it. But I also got mine when they were 800 gems not 1000. but even at 1000 gems, I would still think they are worth it. Without the unlimited gathering tools I would carry around 15 or more other tools all the time just so I could harvest mats around the maps. I carried so many tools so I could use the cheapest tool for each plant. Now it doesnt matter as I have the unlimited. Plus you need to look at it as a LONG term investment. I also noticed that I tend to go after every resource node I run across now because why not I dont have to switch out tools or worry about them running out.

tweeve.3782:

I also noticed that I tend to go after every resource node I run across now because why not I dont have to switch out tools or worry about them running out.

This too. I gather a lot more on my main character than any of my others because even if I’m not actually sure I need that material I may as well if it’s free.

(This does also mean my main has drawn the short straw as the one who has to go round and round Bloodtide Coast because I currently need a lot of iron, gold and platinum.)

I have meanwhile 9 mining picks, 8 axes and 6 sickles and i’m tempted to buy one more sickle at least o.O

Totally not worth it in my opinion. How much resource gathering would it take to recoup the amount spent?!
I dare say one would be better off using Orichalcum (Axe/Pick/Sickle) for everything for a number of years.

Can someone do the math on this one? XD assuming 100g = 1000 gems

As a member of the laziest species on this planet I can say without a doubt that convenience trumps return on investment EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Transportation: cause we’re too lazy to walk – we domesticated animals cause we couldn’t be bothered to walk anymore… How’s that car working out for you? paid off yet? yeah but it’s not, you’re just renting it from the insurance and gas companies.
Weapons: cause chasing things is too exhausting… Drones cause we can’t even be bothered to HOLD A WEAPON anymore…
Cooling technology: cause getting fresh stuff every day is too much work and being a little too warm is uncomfortable.

Yes it’s worth it; I never ever miss a node. Will it ever pay for itself? probably not but you know what? I don’t care because I am a human being and convenience created this computer that I’m using to do everything except go OUTSIDE, but VR is coming soon and I wont even have to be bothered to go outside anymore! Isn’t convenience wonderful!

It’s not cost effective, but it’s awesome to be able to just forget about them and not think about buying new ones every so often.. I would consider Copper-Fed Salvage-o-Matic an even better investment first though..

How much are permanent merchants? Ok I checked: 239g highest buy order… Hmm…

I’d only buy smth like this if it provided a tool for each existing and future character you posses. Or if I were a farmbot, ofc.

Financially, no, they aren’t worth it. Unless all you do is gather for 12 hours a day, you’ll never reach the breakpoint where you’d have spent more on orichalcum tools than on the permanent tools.

Only get them if you like the graphic effect.

iFruit.6190:

I’d only buy smth like this if it provided a tool for each existing and future character you posses. Or if I were a farmbot, ofc.

With the exception of the first round of ’em (molten pick, lightning axe and… whatever the sickle was) they are all account bound. I have the wasps, alliance molten pick and sickle-bot and I just toss them from character to character as I need them.

Will I make up what I spent on them? Probably not. But for the convenience of not having to kitten around with different types of gathering tools I’ll take it. Convenience > all

I am reminded how much I love my Unlimited Gathering Tools each time I play an alt and have to check if I have equipped the proper tier tool for the map I am in, and each time I see a ruined mat show up because I forgot to check, and each time I get the message ‘No Gathering Tool Equipped’, as I’ve run out.

Mine are totally worth it to me. I think about converting more of my Gold for more sets, often.

It’s worth it for the convenience, if you focus on playing 1 main character.

If you switch a lot between alts, then less so.

Still, I’d argue the salvomatic bot is still more valuable.

I’ve got 3 unlimited tools for two characters and working on getting more for the rest of my alts. I think they’re worth it, the animations are often interesting and I never have to worry about finding a merchant to sell me more tools. If you’re looking to buy something, anything off of the gemstore — the unlimited tools and the salvage bot are pretty worthwhile.

Leo Paul.1659:

Can someone do the math on this one? XD assuming 100g = 1000 gems

Ok, here we go:

Orichalcum harvesting Sickle (50 Uses) costs 4 silber.
25 Sickles = 1g = 1250 Uses
2500 Sickles = 100g = 125,000 Uses

Orichalcum axe / pick (100 Uses) costs 4 silber.
2500 axes / picks = 100g = 250,000 Uses

The unlimited tools as well as the Copper-Fed Salvage-o-Matic should be seen as comfort items and not to save money. Remember, you don’t have to think about taking tools with you any more, you don’t need space for extra sickles etc in your inventory and so on. The salvage o matic is so great for doing long trains. You never have to stop at any merchant again. Just great!

Salvage-o-matic maths (just in case someone wondered):
3 copper per use, costs 800 gems.
basic salvage kit (same stats) = 88 copper (25 uses)

s-o-m = 75 copper for 25 uses.
b s k = 88 copper for 25 uses.

this means s-o-m saves 13 copper in 25 uses.

800 gems ~ 80 gold (quota from above)

80 gold = 8,000 silver = 800,000 copper
800,000 copper / 13 = about 61,538
61,538 * 25 uses = 1,538,461 uses.

So, after about 1.5 million uses you can actually save money with the s-o-m.

See, all about comfort, not about the money!

technically it would be more comfortable to just not gather anything at all and use the money you saved from the unlimited tools to just buy things on the tp

The only one worth it is the salvage one, it saves a ton of bag space. I wasn’t aware people even bothered gathering mats anymore lol, seems like a total waste of time.

You should be glad that there are people still gathering stuff.
If everyone would just play TP and not gather any more, prices would be way up.

Would you still think gathering is a waste of time, assuming prices would be 5g per Orichalcum ore?

On the other hand.. if you’re exploring maps to get 100% (yes, some people still wanna craft legendaries, not just buy them) why not gather materials on your way?

Zepidel.5349:

The only one worth it is the salvage one, it saves a ton of bag space. I wasn’t aware people even bothered gathering mats anymore lol, seems like a total waste of time.

In the 4 weeks of the last LS Events i made 10-12g per hour with harvesting iron, before the ascended armor patch i for a long time made also 8+ gold with gathering T3 wood. The last weeks i made quite also good money with platin and lemongrass.

Megaserver now however makes harvesting worse

“worth it” is a very biased feeling. Some times it’s the legendary or asc. gear or as here the harvest tools-
No.- in general it’s not worth it if you only want x
Yes.- if you want y

Fo mer. I have 8 characters and would love to have the harvest tools on all characters- but its far to expensive to get for all.- so the one I play the most have a set of 3-
Why have at all = convinience- less bag space. – I’m also a bit OCD, so I would be annoyed if I used only oricalum tools when at a copper area. – and have many times broken fibers on the alts from using a to low lvl harvester gear.
My OCD also means I spend a lot of time placing the inventory – just right –
Unlimited- means less issues with that.

Ideally I would spend – a number – of real money to have all my characters have unlimited tools- copy from my mains 3.

not worth it at all in bare, cold numbers, but I would never want to miss my tools and the silly lil´ copper eating machine again, especially in zerg style farm events. It really depends on you, the prices in GW2´s cash store are comparatively very high (you´d get nice stuff that would really affect your gameplay for that kind of money in most other microtransaction games I know). I wouldn´t even notice 12 bucks at the end of a month, could be totally different for you (student, teenager etc.).

math wise price/use no it is not. Convenience wise I have 3 full sets and a extra sythe just because.

Totally worth it!! Just not looking for a vendor and not needing to worry about running liw on the tools is just amazing!! I have 2 sets so far that is the lava pick, thunder axe, water sickle, mining pick axe, wasp axe, and the robot sickle 9000. Waiting for the other set to be available. I want that scythe!! >~<

Schumi.4285:

Leo Paul.1659:

Can someone do the math on this one? XD assuming 100g = 1000 gems

Ok, here we go:

Orichalcum harvesting Sickle (50 Uses) costs 4 silber.
25 Sickles = 1g = 1250 Uses
2500 Sickles = 100g = 125,000 Uses

Orichalcum axe / pick (100 Uses) costs 4 silber.
2500 axes / picks = 100g = 250,000 Uses

The unlimited tools as well as the Copper-Fed Salvage-o-Matic should be seen as comfort items and not to save money. Remember, you don’t have to think about taking tools with you any more, you don’t need space for extra sickles etc in your inventory and so on. The salvage o matic is so great for doing long trains. You never have to stop at any merchant again. Just great!

Salvage-o-matic maths (just in case someone wondered):
3 copper per use, costs 800 gems.
basic salvage kit (same stats) = 88 copper (25 uses)

s-o-m = 75 copper for 25 uses.
b s k = 88 copper for 25 uses.

this means s-o-m saves 13 copper in 25 uses.

800 gems ~ 80 gold (quota from above)

80 gold = 8,000 silver = 800,000 copper
800,000 copper / 13 = about 61,538
61,538 * 25 uses = 1,538,461 uses.

So, after about 1.5 million uses you can actually save money with the s-o-m.

See, all about comfort, not about the money!

OMG, seeing the numbers make my head swirl.. :O 1.5muses before it starts paying for itself I can’t even!

Beldin.5498:

Megaserver now however makes harvesting worse

Out of curiosity, how? We have our own nodes and the TP was always global.

TheDaiBish.9735:

Beldin.5498:

Megaserver now however makes harvesting worse

Out of curiosity, how? We have our own nodes and the TP was always global.

Many used a guest server trick when they found a rich node, or the t6 mats in Orr. etc.
basically harvest on that server- log out- guest- harvest same node location- log to new server- harvest same location -and back.
new mega system: Guest swapping means nothing- if you log in and out. you will either land in same shard or a random new one- and they are not setup so that the nodes spawn at same location- or something-

I don’t do it my self much- done it a few times on rich metal nodes. –
Some players like gathering, as an almost meditative way of relaxing,- while gaining something in a game.- I am certainly one of those.

^Yea I have friends who go online just to gather that way..

Depends on whether you actually harvest. The only PVE I do these days are dungeons for daily gold so I don’t even see nodes anymore. The only thing I can see worth it is the salvage one.

I have enough for 3 toons (I sickle short). They a convenience item. I didn’t have to be concerned about how many tools I had or what character had what equpped.
I was waiting to buy the final tool . However I am not.
1st- the increase in price. Too much.
2nd—until Anet comes out of hiding and deals with all the problems or concerns regarding the feature patch (whether real or not—they need to address them), I will not be purchasing anymore. I have purchase a few gem cards and in game in the past. I suggest all do the same or use ingame (not purchased)gold.

Best items I’ve ever bought. They are worth every penny in terms of the convenience they provide.

I found it worth it for the convenience.

Highchu.3806:

The unlimited gathering tools are temporarily back on the TP and are they really worth it? 1000 gems / $12.50 US / 110g (11g per 100 gem conversion) is pretty steep especially if you decide to get all 3. I gather regularly and at most I might need to replace my tools once a week. The only real reason I can see for buying one is for the look and convenience, but its not like you won’t be regularly visit a merchant anyways. Are we just paying for that extra animation or is it it actually worth it in the long run?

You said it right there. They’re all about looks and convenience. From a purely monetary standpoint, you’ll never make up for the costs of them. If you like cool looking stuff because it’s cool looking stuff, then sure. If you like paying for convenience items, then sure.

TheDaiBish.9735:

Beldin.5498:

Megaserver now however makes harvesting worse

Out of curiosity, how? We have our own nodes and the TP was always global.

Guesting helped a lot with harvesting more rich nodes, and also simply to find a very good runway where you can harvest the most nodes in a given time. However it was always important to know where the good spots at the current map were and you had to memorize them.
Now with Megaserver you have maybe just found good spots an memorized them, then you log to another character .. and you are in a different map with a different layout.

You could also argue that these items save you a bag slot, which in itself is worth 400 Gems.

Also if you purchased these items sooner, for less Gold, they pay off more quickly.

I wouldn’t bother buying them for my toons.

I carry a spare set of tools, so when it runs out I replace it, and because you visit shops so much, it’s easy to buy the spare to put back into your inventory.

I also carry a spare Salvage Kit. :P

Dee Jay.2460:

You could also argue that these items save you a bag slot, which in itself is worth 400 Gems.

What junk are you carrying around with you!!! lol

Also they only save space if you’re carrying around spares.

I wouldn’t miss the 3 extra slots

I’ve been happy with mine, because of the convenience. It’d be -more- convenient if they didn’t have to be swapped around. I tend to put them on the alt currently running around in PvE the most, typically the one I’m leveling. For some lazy reason my current guy has a pick and axe but not a sickle and it makes me cautious in gathering herbs. I really should shuffle a sickle to him — the gathering is so much faster with the Consortium, one whack and you’re good, no kneeling for hours while mobs leap on you.

In fact I’d say that is a hidden savings in the Consortium sickle, time being money. It takes noticeably less time per node with it.

I couldn’t imagine life without them. Definitely worth it and then some.

Edit: Yeesh. I blame the beer.

Ardenwolfe.8590:

I couldn’t imagine life with them. Definitely worth it and then some.

Psst .. I think you meant without?

Donari.5237:

Ardenwolfe.8590:

I couldn’t imagine life with them. Definitely worth it and then some.

Psst .. I think you meant without?

Maybe plays a necro?

There is one advantage not mentioned. The animations on the current sickle were messed up originally, and a patch was made shortly afterwards which sped it up considerably, so that harvesting plants with one is much faster if you are a run/swipe/run-to-next-node type.

It only seems to be that one sickle, none of the others are like this. And it is a small advantage, worthwhile in a niche situation.

Danikat.8537:

I bought all 3 when they cost 800 gems each and I think it’s worth it. (It might also be worth noting that I bought them with real money because £8.50 each was a lot more affordable to me than 100g.)

I don’t like the animations (in fact if I could I’d remove the animation from the molten pick all together) but I love the convenience.

My main character moves between maps pretty much at random. She might be in the same one for a week or she might be there for 5 minutes and then move on. So if I want to gather materials on her my options are either to carry one of each type of tool and keep checking which one I need and swapping them or using Mithril/Ori tools for everything, and even then I have to carry spares.

With infinite tools I don’t have to worry about any of that, I can gather whatever I want, wherever I am and as many times as I want. It’s a small thing but it’s really nice not having to worry about that. I notice it every time I switch back to another character and have to deal with finite tools again.

But that’s just my opinion, I know other people think they’re a complete waste of money and practically a scam that only idiots fall for.

100g=2500 regular oricalcum mining picks and more then you will use in 20 years of playing gw2 probably use in 6 years of playing gw2 if you went through more then one a day one last me a week but that is just me. so for me it would be equivalent of 35 years of playing gw2 before I would break even. If they where cheaper more people would buy it right now they are just an exclusive item.

I think they are worth it since I love the animations

I always feel so plain on my alts if I don’t remember to equip them over from my main.

I found them worth it, and have 3 sets that I swap between characters as I play. It’s just easier to grab a single set and not have to worry about running out, not having the right set for the area, or finding a merch to buy them from as I play through.

Just my 2c though…

Karizee.8076:

I think they are worth it since I love the animations

I always feel so plain on my alts if I don’t remember to equip them over from my main.

animations are one thing but you can never argue that the cost will even out

They were worth it when they first came out. You could buy one for 32 gold/800 gems. Now they are 100 gold/1000 gems.

Casually farming ori nodes would pay off the old picks in about 5-6 weeks. At these prices, it would take 4-5 months of your ori farming to pay these new prices off.

Totally not worth the current price. To put this in perspective, they would have to selling for 400 gems today to be equivalent to what they were offered when they first came out.

Fafnir.5124:

Karizee.8076:

I think they are worth it since I love the animations

I always feel so plain on my alts if I don’t remember to equip them over from my main.

animations are one thing but you can never argue that the cost will even out

Not even a factor for me, I don’t look at it from a gold gained or lost PoV. Saving one bag slot is such a minor whoopdedoo – it’s all about the animations, nothing beats mining with fire!

While the price is discouraging now, the convenience is a rather nice tradeoff. Plus, compared to some of the junk in the Gem Store, the unlimited gathering tools are among the better things to acquire.