Guild Wars 2

Please? Just as it says in the title. The first purchase should unlock permanent harvest tools account wide. Future purchases after the first one should unlock skins/effects that the player can then select from what they have already unlocked. Just like the wardrobe.

You understand AN has to make money somewhere right?

How would this prevent them from making money? Players buy it the first time to unlock it on their account and players would still have to buy any new skins/effects. The only thing this would do is prevent players from having to juggle multiple permanent harvesting tools between characters.

I see what you’re getting at. Harvesting tools having there own system, much like mail carriers.

However i can’t really see it happening with shared slots in the house. People have been asking for account-wide tools for awhile. Maybe, down the track we’ll get them. Maybe.

I think they should be selling skins instead of harvesting tools myself. I already have a set of harvesting tools in my account wide slots. This greatly decreases the desire to get more tools that I will need to store somewhere and move from where they are stored to the account wide slots when I want them. At this point I would only want the special harvesting effects.

Instead ANet could have account wide harvesting tool slots, attach a wardrobe function to that and sell the skins. Any tools you have gets converted to a skinless set with the skin sent to the wardrobe and they sell skinless harvesting tools on the gemstore. Then you buy new skins from the gemstore and choose them from the wardrobe.

At first I was like “Whaa? They are account bound” but I now see where you’re getting at. I’d like to see this too, but at the moment, I use three shared inventory slots, and have Orichalcum tools in there to double-click and swap before changing characters.

Takes a while to get into the habit of doing it, but now I don’t click Character Select without checking my tools are in shared slots first. The option you (and others) have suggested would still be great though.

Just like SHARED INVENTORY slots, they should create SHARED HARVEST SLOTS. I wouldn’t mind paying for this convenience…

I’m sure someone at Anet has already thought of this. Right now people just swap using their bank or shared inventory slots. Selling shared harvest slots is another income generator.

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

Obviously they would ask for that, but this change would still be for the best of the game.

Of course, what is best for the game and what is needed to keep anet’s income to pay their developers are not always in harmony with each other, thus why some QoL changes need to be sacrificed and others need to be a luxury (shared slots).

How’s it best for the game when it results in refunds and less gem store sales?

I wish a basic unlimited farming tool could be crafted like bags but account bound and they sold animation skins for them on the gem store. By doing it as skins like the gliders they could potentially enable random animations as you unlock skins. The gliders should have a setting for that also.

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

They already have with the account bound slots. ANet said no.

However if they change up the UI and system to this extent they should consider giving some sort of refund. Not 100% but maybe 50%, to keep the customer sweet.

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

Hence my suggestion that the existing harvesting tools be added to a list of available effects. You pay to unlock the effects but the price stays the same. You would then be able to change the effects of your harvesting tools, similar to the wardrobe for your gear, without the hassle involved currently. Same price for new effects, meaning no need for refunds. Why is that so difficult to understand?

EDIT: I could see one refund. That would be from the watchwork mining pick since most likely the only reason anyone bought it was for the effect. Too simple too easy though. Players would get the 1000 gems back and then simply buy a different mining pick effect

Ayrilana.1396:

How’s it best for the game when it results in refunds and less gem store sales?

it could well result in increased gemstore sales. At this point I’m not buying any of these new (or old) harvesting tools. Not when I have a set that’s is easily accessible already. What I want and would pay for is the skins only that I can switch out freely from a wardrobe.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

They already have with the account bound slots. ANet said no.

However if they change up the UI and system to this extent they should consider giving some sort of refund. Not 100% but maybe 50%, to keep the customer sweet.

Yes but they would have more grounds to ask for a refund. Account bound slots only reduce the need to use use a bank consumable or visit the bank itself to swap the items. The items themselves were not altered.

Tekoneiric.6817:

random animations

YES! I totally agree! A randomize option for gliders at the very least and if this idea of skin effects for harvesting tools catches on then for that as well. Exactly like what is in place for finishers in PvP currently.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Ayrilana.1396:

How’s it best for the game when it results in refunds and less gem store sales?

it could well result in increased gemstore sales. At this point I’m not buying any of these new (or old) harvesting tools. Not when I have a set that’s is easily accessible already. What I want and would pay for is the skins only that I can switch out freely from a wardrobe.

So players only having to buy one set instead of multiple results in more sales? Come again?

Dvious.8126:

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

Hence my suggestion that the existing harvesting tools be added to a list of available effects. You pay to unlock the effects but the price stays the same. You would then be able to change the effects of your harvesting tools, similar to the wardrobe for your gear, without the hassle involved currently. Same price for new effects, meaning no need for refunds. Why is that so difficult to understand?

EDIT: I could see one refund. That would be from the watchwork mining pick since most likely the only reason anyone bought it was for the effect. Too simple too easy though. Players would get the 1000 gems back and then simply buy a different mining pick effect

That could be an alternative.

The Watchwork pick is a problem.

They might need to dissociate the animation from the extra sprockets. That is, if you have a Watchwork pick you can change the animation but keep the sprockets. If not, then that would hinder the sales of other mining picks animations as people wouldn’t want to give up the sprockets. (It probably already hinders the sales and usage of other mining picks).

Or instead, they could remove the Watchwork pick’s sprocket generation and add once a day rich Watchwork mining nodes to the maps to compensate. The pick then would be a regular ‘effects only’ pick. (Comment: I have a Watchwork pick)

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The Watchwork pick is a problem.

They might need to dissociate the animation from the extra sprockets. That is, if you have a Watchwork pick you can change the animation but keep the sprockets. If not, then that would hinder the sales of other mining picks animations as people wouldn’t want to give up the sprockets. (It probably already hinders the sales and usage of other mining picks).

Or instead, they could remove the Watchwork pick’s sprocket generation and add once a day rich Watchwork mining nodes to the maps to compensate. The pick then would be a regular ‘effects only’ pick. (Comment: I have a Watchwork pick)

Or just give it to all of them or rather have it as part of the upgrade.

Ayrilana.1396:

Just a flesh wound.3589:

The Watchwork pick is a problem.

They might need to dissociate the animation from the extra sprockets. That is, if you have a Watchwork pick you can change the animation but keep the sprockets. If not, then that would hinder the sales of other mining picks animations as people wouldn’t want to give up the sprockets. (It probably already hinders the sales and usage of other mining picks).

Or instead, they could remove the Watchwork pick’s sprocket generation and add once a day rich Watchwork mining nodes to the maps to compensate. The pick then would be a regular ‘effects only’ pick. (Comment: I have a Watchwork pick)

Or just give it to all of them or rather have it as part of the upgrade.

That’s another option but I considered what it would do to the price of sprockets (already not very high). If everyone had a Watchwork pick then the TP value of sprockets would plummet to vendor price. Which is why I suggested removing the sprockets from the pick and adding once a day rich nodes to the maps in sufficient numbers to keep supply about where it is now.

With sprockets removed from the pick then the skin is the only consideration and that pick would no longer unfairly compete with other permanent picks.

Ayrilana.1396:

And then people would be posting how they needed to be refunded for all of the excess gathering tools.

When they made them account bound they did refund for a short while. But now it’s been so long since that change I doubt very seriously that they will refund anymore.

Then there are those that buy different ones to match the characters they make. I doubt they will want that change.

But they are account bound already, you can just give them to an other character! I would never buy more than one of each tool.

Another option would be to have the watchwork sprocket effect be a separate purchased permanent effect for your harvesting tools. So it would be a refund of 1000 gems for those who purchased the watchwork mining pick and then they could turn around and buy a different permanent mining pick effect. Also available for purchase would need to be watchwork harvesting that would an added effect on top of any harvesting graphic effects. Players would also need to pay to unlock permanent harvesting tools.

Personally I would pay gems to 1)unlock account wide harvesting tools 2)at least one full set of effects, that being one pick/axe/sickle animation and 3) the watchwork sprocket effect.

I’m not seeing how Anet would lose money on this. Pushing players to pay for the account wide unlock would actually get them more money on top of players being more willing to spend the gems on added effects for their harvesting animations if it is easier to use them.

I don’t think it would be a huge loss in sales. Yea there are a few people who currently buy multiple sets of harvest tools for their various characters (but I’m sure this list isn’t that big). But there are also other players who are holding back from buying the harvest tools because of this inconvenience. It should more or less balance out

I would actually buy harvesting tools if they were account unlock. I haven’t bought any because they are just one copy having to be juggled around endlessly. Should be able to unlock it on your account then go to where your tools are and click there and a menu opens with tools that are unlocked then you select the tool.
Currently I just use my karma for basically free tools.

I think tools should be shared account wide.

All I can say is that if they were account bound I would have bought a full set, and probably a few alternative skins, years ago. As it is, I haven’t bought a single one because they’re far too inconvenient.

In addition, even if this approach would only make ANet break even (or even a slight loss), it would have done a lot to make them look less money-grubbing, which would encourage more people to be generous in their gem purchases (as well as to keep playing, and recommend the game to others). It’s weird how little monetary value ANet seem to give to word of mouth and player retention (even assuming they give zero value to customer satisfaction, which they don’t).

The chance of them doing this was thrown out the window when they went f2p partially, f2p games usually flood their cash shop with as much as possible (look how many outfits and new weapons have been added).

Anet wants you to buy the shared inventory slots for these things … I don’t think we’d see this anytime soon, if ever

Drakz.7051:

The chance of them doing this was thrown out the window when they went f2p partially, f2p games usually flood their cash shop with as much as possible (look how many outfits and new weapons have been added).

Sadly this is true. This is one of the biggest reasons why I can justify to myself spending money on gems for things like the expansion and access to the LWS2 episodes. The game is good enough to pay money for, but because people don’t have to ANet needs a new way to make money regularly. And after a point most of your playerbase who will shell out money for convenience items already has them so the company has to eventually turn their gem store into a cosmetic factory to keep people interested in buying gems

Its unfortunate but it is what it is

CrashTestAuto.9108:

All I can say is that if they were account bound

Ummmmm They ARE account bound!!! To move them from one char to another all you have to do is either put them in the bank so that next char can use them (which is what I do) or get the shared inventory slots and put them there for the next char.

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Gathering_tool
“Each gathering tool has an infinite version that does not run out of charges and can be purchased from the Gem Store for gems.”

I honestly understand how you feel, but think about it. Let’s say they make the harvesting tools account bound. Many people would be happy and there would be no reason to buy more. Anet needs to make money. Then again people can also buy shared inventory slots and use them on the harvesting tools

I had 3 copper-fed salvage machines in bank after they introduced account slots.
I’d have like 6 harvesting tools in bank if they went account wide.

eduardo.1436:

I honestly understand how you feel, but think about it. Let’s say they make the harvesting tools account bound. Many people would be happy and there would be no reason to buy more. Anet needs to make money.

I am pretty sure that the folks who throw down the gems for a single set of harvesting tools would spend more if they could change out the animations at will. I know I would spend more gems on something like this without any doubt or hesitation. The same animation for years gets stale real quick for most. The issue is that I am not willing to spend the gems on more of them due to the current hassle of juggling the permanent harvesting tools between inventory, bank and other characters. Convenience versus gems versus boredom, convenience wins out usually. Now if it were convenient for me to switch out harvesting animations when I get bored with one without the inventory shuffle currently required, well then I would be all for spending the gems to kill my boredom.

A convenience to you is not a convenience to A-Net.

eduardo.1436:

I honestly understand how you feel, but think about it. Let’s say they make the harvesting tools account bound. Many people would be happy and there would be no reason to buy more. Anet needs to make money. Then again people can also buy shared inventory slots and use them on the harvesting tools

If buying one set of infinite tools gave all your characters access to them simultaneously (say, if you could spawn infinite copies, like achievement skins, or every character started with a copy, like the banker golem from the digital deluxe version), a lot more people would probably buy them.

Ryouzanpaku.1273:

You understand AN has to make money somewhere right?

Selling it once, fine, forcing us to buy it multiple times because they implemented it badly, possibly intentionally, is just a cash grab.

And that has nothing to do with ‘’having to make money somewhere’’.

Shared slots isn’t really a solution, it just made having multiple sets useless, you still have to literally unequip and switch it over every time you change character, rather then just having them on all characters on purchase.

Plenty of even pure F2P games have their premium items like such harvesting tools, as account unlocks, it only makes sense, account unlock makes the purchase very valuable and convenient for a player, the prospect of having to get it for all characters, provided you use 3 or 4, like me, is often a massive turn off from getting it at all.