Guild Wars 2

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

Neural.1824:

Some know that I was one of the biggest fans of the ascended crafting system. In fact, while I’m “neither hot nor cold” on time gating, I think the implementation of the whole set up was great. Yes, some people have issues with a zillion bloodstone dust piles, and I understand how that’s an issue, but let me explain what made me sell all the Damask that I have, along with squares and ingots.

It boils down to one thing, and this one thing, I believe, may be a huge deterrent for a lot of others as well.

The issue I have isn’t the crafting methods, it’s the results.

You spend a ton of time and materials to make ascended gear, but you are stuck with the stats. If you choose wrongly, or, more likely, if Anet decides they are going to nuke a stat and rebuild it to be less effective, etc., you are screwed.

The upcoming changes to critical damage are what really brought this problem to the front of my mind. I don’t want to spend a ton of time gathering materials and crafting, etc. just to create a pow/prec/tough set, only to have Anet decide later on that Precision is part of the dps problem and cripple it with some stupid modification. (hypothetically).

With that in mind I’ve simply stopped all progress on ascended material. If I gather enough stuff along the way to create an ingot, bolt, or something along those lines, I’ll make it and sell it on the TP.

I’m hoping that if they take Jeweler to 500, it will be interesting. As such I’m saving my metals and gems along with other items, but for ascended armor, forget it.

This describes one of my issues with ascended gear.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

You are assuming that I want ascended gear for the stats.
The attributes matter, but the little extra that ascended gear adds is not much of a concern to me.

The whole Ascended gear is just so poorly conceived from front to end. It makes no sense. Nothing in the game is better or more rewarding because of Ascended gear. It just pigenholes you character into a single build and play-style while asking you to grind ridiculous amounts of material only so a certain abundant material can have some economical value.

It’s like how “luck” was supposed to make greens and blues more appreciated and curb inflation. Yet all it does is create more and once people have 300 Magic Find, then what?

Just like with all the new currencies ANet introduced, none of them have a long-term plan. Everything is add-hoc and never thought through to the end.

ANet has brilliant artists and animators,
They have competent programmers,
They have a fairly management,
but in terms of game-design, they don’t seem to have a clue what they’re doing.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

So the wurm can only be done by those with full ascended armor? Okay.

I’m positive those timed events are balanced off having exotics and not ascended armor. That would make the events near impossible since a mass majority of the game only has exotics.

Honestly though, the only problem I have with ascended armor is the sheer amount of gold it takes to get it. I spent over 200g just to get pieces!

Can you actually crit hit wurm. I think people can get away with just ascended jewel and weapon, and I doubt the difference is that big.

Beside I’m sure Penguin is in full ascended and legendary gear.

laokoko.7403:

Can you actually crit hit wurm. I think people can get away with just ascended jewel and weapon, and I doubt the difference is that big.

Beside I’m sure Penguin is in full ascended and legendary gear.

Yeah, most people who say you don’t need something usually already have it.

I gave up on going for ascended armor from day one. I figured:

1) The stats aren’t significant enough to warrant its worth
2) It costs an arm and a leg (200+ gold just for 500 crafting alone, and on top of that, more gold and laurels for the recipes you want)
3) Time gated stuff
4) There’s currently no other equivalent or viable way of obtaining ascended armor (unless you get lucky via a drop or WvW rank chest – and even then it’s like a 1 in 500 rank chance, AND it’s a lucky dip as to what stats that ascended chest will give – not good)

Those reasons alone are enough to put me off. I’m just going to wait to get a whole set via WvW or something because it’s just ridiculous. Even then though, finally after 550+ WvW ranks, I received an ascended armor chest from a rank up chest, and it was cleric stats which I NEVER use. Nevertheless I’ve put it on my guardian since he’s most likely the only character that will use it, and the extra little defense won’t hurt him.

What I feel Anet should do is not only make ascended armor chests and ascended weapon chests obtainable through other currencies such as karma, dungeon tokens, WvW badges, laurels et cetera, but also make it so that you can not only choose which armor piece to get (helm/shoulders/chest/gloves/legs/boots) but also get to choose which stats that ascended piece gives (clerics/berserkers/knights etc.)

Then everyone’s happy.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

No one needs to log into the game and play either, but that’s not the point. Also, ascended gear was supposed to be a “minimal stat increase with a focus on zero grind” and here we are dealing with issues like these.

But OP, how will you ever make Transcended armor if you quit now?

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

We’ve beaten the Wurm 3 times already. Deso 4 times. Not all of us are filled with Ascended gear. Heck, in fact, I would go so far as to say we have pugs bringing Rare level gear (or even uplevels).

So if you think better gear and stats make up for lack of skills, you might wanna think again. Mechanics are much more important than someone with huge DPS, but dead under the Wurm head.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

Even if you don’t need it for the majority of situations in game, I’d imagine someone would be disappointed if there was suddenly a change in game that made the ascended gear they spent all that time obtaining suddenly become not so great for the char it’s on.

All that gear is stuck on one character, and the person no longer has a use for it. (unless changes are done in the future that suddenly makes the equips useful to the person again)

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

Max Stats or Nothing. No other options, dude. If you’re not in the absolute top gear your character isn’t complete. Stop trying to hide from your destiny.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

Good work for completely flying past the point he was making.

That’s why Ascended armor is a long term goal. Once you’ve settled down into your build, you can start building your ascended armor. Once legendary armours come out, then you can start going for that

Reverence.6915:

That’s why Ascended armor is a long term goal. Once you’ve settled down into your build, you can start building your ascended armor. Once legendary armours come out, then you can start going for that

Some of us enjoy build experimentation, and a lot of players play multiple builds regularly (PvE, WvW). And then alts. This is why having long term goals involved with higher stats is a bad idea.

Wait for legendary armors….

BTW anet if you are reading this: why can’t you give us changeable stats on ascended? Think about pros… 1. It makes guild wars 2 more fun – BINGO! nothing matters more!
If you don’t want us to change stats whenever we want and for free after crafting asc. gear, at least make some consumable item which will enable you to reset your stats on asc. gear. You can even bound it into gem store if you make it cheap… like 100gem for 1 consumable which is able to reset all of your currently equipped asc. gear.

Sins.4782:

Reverence.6915:

That’s why Ascended armor is a long term goal. Once you’ve settled down into your build, you can start building your ascended armor. Once legendary armours come out, then you can start going for that

Some of us enjoy build experimentation, and a lot of players play multiple builds regularly (PvE, WvW). And then alts. This is why having long term goals involved with higher stats is a bad idea.

Considering that if your build doesn’t involve crit damage (prior to Ferocity), the difference is like 5% in stats compared to Exotic, I don’t think this should matter?

You don’t think it should. But it does. I don’t want to grind for ascended gear, I really don’t, but I don’t want to perform suboptimally either. Especially in group settings. In WvW for example, that 5% could make all the difference. Whether or not it was intended, I feel like I am being a burden upon others if I am not using the best gear possible. Thus, I end up working for the gear anyway, and hating every moment of it.

Historical MMO and RPG players are attracted to goals— higher levels, better stats, equipment, etc, and will work toward those whether they like it or not. They will do so simply because those goals are there. If there is something in-game that can be completed, players will try to complete it. What the developers should really be working towards is making those grinds that do exist enjoyable.

Crafting ascended gear should have been the easy part. Learning how to craft that gear should have been the journey. Personally, I’d overhaul the entire gear system to get rid of prefixes and treat them like runes. Don’t want berserker’s anymore? Simply slot a new prefix.

One day ascended gear will be required. If they actually want to create “hardcore” content, they’ll have to balance around min/maxed gear. Additionally, if they continue with their original plan of infusion progression, ascended gear will only get stronger. A 5% increase may seem insignificant, but an entire zerg with a 5% increase is huge.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

And this right here has been my problem with Ascended Gear since it launched.

If Anet had to bring out content balanced around Ascended we will have gear gated content, We don’t have that yet.
Your attitude is appalling and it is precisely why I will never get Ascended in any form- guess what?
I can still do content in my Exotics because skill does not equal big numbers

Ascended Armor isn’t a grind. It only takes ten-thousand Silk Scraps for a full set of armor.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

Hey, you don’t need exotic armor. And you do not need to play the game at all.
You can run around naked and kill stuff. Ascended armor is trivializing the content, so if you want a challenge, don’t use it.

This whole “you don’t need ascended items” bullkitten is as bad as the talk back in the days of WoW. If you don’t raid, you do not need this stuff.
Thank good this game was build on horizontal progression where everyone is on the same power level.

BiS for everyone. Sure as hell. Loot in this game is mess. Ascended items are the extra bit of poop on top of it.

What the hell else you gonna spend gold on? I made a full set of ascended armor because I have full ascended trinkets/back and 4 almost 5 legendaries. Nothing else to really do except make ascended armor.

Now as for it being needed, I agree with most that its not a requirement unless you like doing fractals. Otherwise, I really doubt anyone could tell the difference between someone in ascended gear vs exotics. I personally like fractals so that was another reason for me to make it. Now im sitting at 73 AR so im pretty gtg for fractals for awhile.

I think Anet made ascended armor the way it is cause they didn’t want there to be a huge advantage gap between armors in PVP. Now if they made it like legendaries in the way you can swap stat sets, that would be pretty sweet and definitely make it worth it overall.

Yep. You’re locked in to your Ascended gear once you’ve got it. You just have to pray balancing, nerfing, buffing and new skills don’t change your build enough to make you want or need to change gear.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

The first year was +10% or so increase in the power level of the game. Perhaps that is the slope of the power curve, who knows. If I were to suggest you were going to gain an additional 10% of your weight each year you would probably realize that you would have to hop on the treadmill to maintain those svelte lines. Year one = 10%. Year 2= 20%. Year 3=30%. It kinda adds up, you know. The argument from irrelevance, though amusing, really doesn’t make much sense. They call it a power curve, right. Do you not realize what that means?

The increase of a full set of ascended armor is more like just 1% .. don’t compare the increase to exotic armor, compare the increase to the total stats of your character.

Beldin.5498:

The increase of a full set of ascended armor is more like just 1% .. don’t compare the increase to exotic armor, compare the increase to the total stats of your character.

You’ve largely missed the point the OP is making.

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

Beldin.5498:

The increase of a full set of ascended armor is more like just 1% .. don’t compare the increase to exotic armor, compare the increase to the total stats of your character.

You’ve largely missed the point the OP is making.

And, regardless, Mike O himself described the increase in the power level of the game from the initial pieces as roughly 5-10%. I’ll go with the Anet figure here. And, just a reminder that they didn’t add Ascended gear so much as they added vertical progression to the game. Vertical progression doesn’t progress by stopping. I’m guessing from the first year that it will be +10% per year. That seems reasonable for a low power curve as they said it would be.

A quick list of what I think about ascended:

1. Anet has to announce that ascended is the final rarity level
2. It is OK that the first set of ascended gear on a character is expensive
3. Ascended gear locks you into a build
4. If you want a legendary weapon you should skip the ascended weapon
5. If legendary trinkets/armors are ever introduced your ascended trinkets/armor become obsolete

If you want to know how that all connects and how those problems can be resolved have a look at [Suggestion] Extensible Ascended Gear/Precursor Crafting.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

It’s that gear over skill casual mentality that’s the reason YOU can’t beat the wurm and the whole “But we need 80s only for my level 30 dungeon!”

Catering to you is the biggest mistake the Guild Wars series ever made.

Darkobra.6439:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

It’s that gear over skill casual mentality that’s the reason YOU can’t beat the wurm and the whole “But we need 80s only for my level 30 dungeon!”

Catering to you is the biggest mistake the Guild Wars series ever made.

It’s actually not a player issue. Any experienced gamer knows that stats matter—that’s a given. And players will seek out the best stats and prefer those who have max stats. This is perfectly natural and what you create when you introduce vertical progression in a game.

The actual problem comes from a shift in game design philosophy. Towards the end of 2011 Colin could tell eurogamer, rightly, "Everyone, including casual gamers, by level 80 should have the best statistical loot in the game.” And, this would be true for a skill-
based game. However, within a year he obviously felt that the gear grind of vertical progression was the best way to keep players engaged. Pretty much a 180 degree change. I think it’s important to locate the problem correctly. It was a decision by Anet for whatever reason. Players can’t cause or fix the problem as they have no power to change the game—only Anet has that power.

Reverence.6915:

That’s why Ascended armor is a long term goal. Once you’ve settled down into your build, you can start building your ascended armor. Once legendary armours come out, then you can start going for that

You missed the part, where, “once you’ve settled in your build” Anet could change the rules on you.

I stalled as well, and am waiting for a) the upcoming changes to armor stats, b) the rumors of a closet? And c) legendary armor, which I cautiously assume will allow changes of stats.

If b and c are implemented, I could change looks and stats without having to make multiple sets, buy multiple runes, etc. I already carry around four-five sets of armor with different looks and stats, making ascended armor for each build I use (I play a mesmer and heal in open-world pve, zerk in dungeons, pvt in wvw etc…) is kind of hairy.

I know, just make one for wvw, but even that might be redundant later.

Anyway, this is not so much a gripe so much as a, ‘the upcoming changes noised about made me stall’.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

^—— lol best post in the thread. Max damage or fail and gtfo. Push this message harder because although my bolts of silk are selling for 7s each which is fantastic, I think we can push it to 8.

Dee Jay.2460:

The whole Ascended gear is just so poorly conceived from front to end. It makes no sense. Nothing in the game is better or more rewarding because of Ascended gear. It just pigenholes you character into a single build and play-style while asking you to grind ridiculous amounts of material only so a certain abundant material can have some economical value.

It’s like how “luck” was supposed to make greens and blues more appreciated and curb inflation. Yet all it does is create more and once people have 300 Magic Find, then what?

Just like with all the new currencies ANet introduced, none of them have a long-term plan. Everything is add-hoc and never thought through to the end.

ANet has brilliant artists and animators,
They have competent programmers,
They have a fairly management,
but in terms of game-design, they don’t seem to have a clue what they’re doing.

+ 1

This pretty much nails it.

From a game design POV GW2 really doesnt shine. In GW1 it was similar tho on a much smaller scale and it took them a few years to round up those mechanics.

Raine.1394:

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

Beldin.5498:

The increase of a full set of ascended armor is more like just 1% .. don’t compare the increase to exotic armor, compare the increase to the total stats of your character.

You’ve largely missed the point the OP is making.

And, regardless, Mike O himself described the increase in the power level of the game from the initial pieces as roughly 5-10%. I’ll go with the Anet figure here. And, just a reminder that they didn’t add Ascended gear so much as they added vertical progression to the game. Vertical progression doesn’t progress by stopping. I’m guessing from the first year that it will be +10% per year. That seems reasonable for a low power curve as they said it would be.

But we’re not talking about that.

Yes, the OP touches down on that matter, but that’s not the main point of this thread. Discussing this is more or less derailing and outright redundant.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

People like you is what makes me happy that ArenaNet hasn’t implemented gear inspection, and also has kept ‘raids’ open world!

echo.2053:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

^—— lol best post in the thread. Max damage or fail and gtfo. Push this message harder because although my bolts of silk are selling for 7s each which is fantastic, I think we can push it to 8.

You’ll still have people claiming that statistical advantages don’t matter in this game because they can access all the content in blues. I guess by access, they mean getting carried by people who realize statistical advantages matter. Especially in content that requires a DPS race.

Special snowflake syndrome is rife. “Play how you want” is not conducive to content which requires teamwork to complete.

MrInfinit.1864:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

People like you is what makes me happy that ArenaNet hasn’t implemented gear inspection, and also has kept ‘raids’ open world!

Maybe he just doesn’t want to carry people in blue gear who are “playing how they want”.

Dark Catalyst.1028:

echo.2053:

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

People like you are the reason wurm can’t be beaten.

Yes the stats do matter. They offer a 5-15% damage increase. That is a HUGE amount of damage when everything in this game is a dps race.

If you don’t think that much damage matters then please don’t show up to the wurm event or any timed event that is introduced from this point forward.

^—— lol best post in the thread. Max damage or fail and gtfo. Push this message harder because although my bolts of silk are selling for 7s each which is fantastic, I think we can push it to 8.

You’ll still have people claiming that statistical advantages don’t matter in this game because they can access all the content in blues. I guess by access, they mean getting carried by people who realize statistical advantages matter. Especially in content that requires a DPS race.

Special snowflake syndrome is rife. “Play how you want” is not conducive to content which requires teamwork to complete.

Lol the funny part of it is that you go to these events and just see 20-30 zerkers get laid out by an attack. Fact your of less use dead or in down state then that person in blues. Then let’s be truly honest with ourselves with how easy and cheap it is to obtain exotics, even rares at the very least you are waaaay over exaggerating some one being in blues lol.

If you feel that your carrying me because I seemingly do 5% less damage while staying alive longer then carry me away. End result is that I’ll still be selling you a bolt of silk for 7 silver a pop while earning same rewards at the event. I promise you I ain’t even mad or jelly bro

I still haven’t made any Ascended armor. I have 3,200 hours played. I was making Bifrost at the time and had to choose.

Also my main has at least 6 full stat sets of gear and I use 2 of them very often and 1 occasionally.

I would have no problem with Ascended gear except for THE EXTREME GRIND INVOLVED. If ascended was half as easy to make I would be fine with that. The current costs though are just stupid for the stats you get.

I’ll stick with exotic armor for another month or two. Even months later I’m still shocked at how difficult they made ascended armor to make.

Also I hate hate hate crafting and I feel forced to do that. HATE CRAFTING (i needed one extra hate in there)

Signed, from a customer who’s spent at least 300$ on this game. Kinda irritated.

My point really wasn’t about the increase in the stats.

My point was that I gave up on crafting ascended armor because it takes such a long time to create while Anet can just change the attributes at a whim.
The same would apply for exotics if that were the case. I wouldn’t want to gather 350 charged lodestones and the rest of the mats needed to craft Mjolnir if it was more than just a skin that could be transmuted to a weapon with stats that I like.

I like to craft. Crafting is where I set my goals and I feel the most accomplished. I’m in that 0.01% of players who just doesn’t “get” combat well enough to solo champions in Orr, or solo Lupi, or whatever the latest claim to fame is, so I set different goals. Making a full set of ascended armor was one of them.

Ascended crafting is fantastic, the results, however, are not remotely worth the effort.

Raine.1394:

And, regardless, Mike O himself described the increase in the power level of the game from the initial pieces as roughly 5-10%. I’ll go with the Anet figure here.

What I find interesting is the upcoming conversion of critical damage to Ferocity, which is supposed to remove ~10% from the top DPS builds. If the range you’re citing is correct, then critical builds are going to be at the top of that curve due to the increases to critical damage provided by full Ascended gear — and they’ll be losing that 10%, soon. Critical builds with exotics will be hit less, even if the Ferocity scaling is linear, because of lower critical chance.

Neural.1824:

I’m in that 0.01% of players who just doesn’t “get” combat well enough to solo champions in Orr, or solo Lupi, or whatever the latest claim to fame is,

Lol. You forgot to set /gratuitous exaggeration off after this statement.

It’s an ever evolving game, could of argued the same thing when they changed mf going from 300% to 50%. Sure they allowed a stat change but I already had a more visual appearing alternate set with the stats I wanted. Just got to go with the flow, who knows this change might make things better.

Changing the stats to an items does absolutely nothing to the prestige it carries. All high end exotic weapons are are skins waiting to be transmuted unless you use their initial stats. The mjolnr offers nothing more nor less then an exotic carrion hammer with a superior fire sigil. Changing it stats doesn’t take away from the prestige of making it.

I was in a similar position. Had about 15 bolts of damask saved up and mid-way through my 6th or 7th Temple of Lyssa zerg (for the Dragonite, of course) just felt like ‘screw this’. Zoned into LA and sold ‘em all and bought some gems with the resulting gold.

Would’ve taken far too long and quite literally all of my gold just to outfit -one- of my five characters in full ascended armour. Since I enjoy playing them all more or less equally, and my play style makes it essentially impossible for me to equip all of them in ascended, I had to abandon that pursuit. There’s far more entertaining things to spend my coin on.

The funny thing is that with Ascended gear and the fact that there’s no skin locker, those with Ascended gear are probably less likely to buy skins.