Guild Wars 2

Surprised they didn’t reduce the price for the Major Sigil at the same time. It’s really weird for the Major Sigil to cost 10, but the Superior only costs 5.

Anyway, it’s a good move, but I think they should have added the Freshwater Pearl to the list of potential rewards from completing the VB meta (similar to how Black Diamonds are a reward choice from AB and Maguuma Burls are a choice from DS). Maguuma Lilies should also be added to the TD meta reward list. It makes sense considering that these are the maps where the stat combo that requires them shows up.

Zaxares.5419:

Surprised they didn’t reduce the price for the Major Sigil at the same time. It’s really weird for the Major Sigil to cost 10, but the Superior only costs 5.

Anyway, it’s a good move, but I think they should have added the Freshwater Pearl to the list of potential rewards from completing the VB meta (similar to how Black Diamonds are a reward choice from AB and Maguuma Burls are a choice from DS). Maguuma Lilies should also be added to the TD meta reward list. It makes sense considering that these are the maps where the stat combo that requires them shows up.

Maybe just replace some of the Barbed Thorns …

I’m currently trying to make a Minstrel set for my WvW ele to experiment with.

That’s 18 pearls. Almost 500 gathers later, I have 0 pearls.

I know I could spend the gold and buy them, but I don’t want to drop over 100g simply to experiment with a niche armor set which I will probably discard.

This drop rate pretty much takes Minstrels armor off the table.

Electro.4173:

Azure Prower.8701:

Sounds like Foxfire cluster all over again.

Not really like Foxfire Clusters at all. Actually, Foxfire is relatively common all things considered.

The closest analogue is probably Passion Flowers, and even then Freshwater Pearls seem rarer than those ever were as well.

Considering that Passion Flowers were deemed so rare that they went ahead and gave dedicated nodes just to allow people to gather them somewhat reliably… yah, I think Freshwater Pearls are far too rare currently. Something you need 25 of just for basic gear like upgrades shouldn’t be so rare that the price on the TP is twice that of even the most expensive lodestone.

two words.

Maguuma lillies.. 0,88% droprate in the limited data thats available to the wiki.
around 17 gold PER PIECE

(and silver doubloon are at 3 now i think…)

I have a few pearls, I sold some.. But I think I got them from chests more than from mussels..

I have around 38 black diamonds too. but not a single maguuma lilly. Not a single one

I have never had a Maguuma Lilly drop, all the ones i have i purchased.

And i have farmed 2 sets of Durability runes doing AB, I’ve done Chak Gerent 4 or 5 times, VB ive spent hours in and done DS twice. This is excluding times ive just logged into the map for machete runs.

They seems stupidly rare compared to say Ebony Orbs or Maguuma Burls

2 weeks grinding for Magguma lilies and found half of what I needed the other half I bought with the proceeds from said grinding.

A year later, and this is still an issue. I wanted to change the stats of my Ascended armor to ‘Minstrle’ but cannot because of the rediculous cost involved!

When is something going to be done about this?

They are expensive but on the other hand 72 days worth of dailies would get you enough gold to buy enough pearls to convert a full set of armor.

Gathering them doesn’t really feel like it is worth it for selling or personal use. It is around 1 pearl every 250 mussels. I’ve been gathering them mostly because they happen to be near the entrance of VB.

Khisanth.2948:

They are expensive but on the other hand 72 days worth of dailies would get you enough gold to buy enough pearls to convert a full set of armor.

Gathering them doesn’t really feel like it is worth it for selling or personal use. It is around 1 pearl every 250 mussels. I’ve been gathering them mostly because they happen to be near the entrance of VB.

I’m perfectly happy to pay other people (via the TP) to open mussels. Be nice if the price was less, but… it’s one of the very few stat-materials that is truly expensive.

All those saying to just farm gold, I have other things I want to do with my farmed gold. Relative worth of equivalent items should be equivalent.

Sparetent.9756:

A year later, and this is still an issue. I wanted to change the stats of my Ascended armor to ‘Minstrle’ but cannot because of the rediculous cost involved!

When is something going to be done about this?

You’ve already answered your question … it’s been over a year. What makes you think this is even on their list of things to fix considering they didn’t make adjustments for any other mats either?

I just set up a thief to farm my pearls, a full run takes about 12 minutes, hits all HoT maps with mussels in a nice line, then is done. I can usually get 1-3 pearls a day with little issue. I’ve also had really good luck with pearls getting them from raid chests. It’s like an average of 1 pearl per 6 chests.

First day gathering at Maguuma’s Breach. I got 3 Freshwater pearls with one Character a
Huntsman with no buffs of any kind. Since then with 6 characters some buffs not a single one after several days of trying. Its like they turned the drop on this item off.

Obtena.7952:

I know you’re being sarcastic but you know … that’s a PERFECTLY reasonable way to get things you want in this game ….

Spending money on the game for just a stat combination because of unfavourable farming requirements is a reason to stop playing the game.

GW2 started out with having fun being the way to play this game, yet more and more “fun” aspects are being locked behind very low RNG chances, paying gold or money and farming repeatedly just to artificially make players play the game longer with these materials.

Like you said, no different from many other MMOs.

Not that everything needs to change or anything but that is one of many reasons why these threads keep popping up. I personally would love new stat combinations to be more of a choice to pick between, something that rivals the other combinations rather than a superior choice of gear you need to farm and farm for, just like in many other MMOs.

But hey GW2 is only casual upto a certain point I suppose.

The only option for minstrel is to acquire ascended items using fractal currency, or raid currency, as they offer the ability to freely choose the armor prefix. Crafting is just out of questions, even exotic, because the price is stupid.

FrizzFreston.5290:

Obtena.7952:

I know you’re being sarcastic but you know … that’s a PERFECTLY reasonable way to get things you want in this game ….

Spending money on the game for just a stat combination because of unfavourable farming requirements is a reason to stop playing the game.

Um, news for you here … EVERY material has ‘unfavourable’ farming requirements because you can’t reliably farm any particular mat that gives you a particular stat combination … since day 1. So it’s not a reason to stop playing at all. Besides, that kind of talk simply ignores the fundamental way people get mats in this game to begin with … and that’s not farming so, I find that argument missing a few legs.

In fact, I would say that any mat that has a rare chance of dropping from a node is a MUCH more reasonably farmed mat than anything that falls from a T6 bag … You are combating TWO chances for the ones that drop from bags … that’s much worse chance than getting from a node.

Obtena.7952:

Um, news for you here … EVERY material has ‘unfavourable’ farming requirements because you can’t reliably farm any particular mat that gives you a particular stat combination … since day 1. So it’s not a reason to stop playing at all. Besides, that kind of talk simply ignores the fundamental way people get mats in this game to begin with … and that’s not farming so, I find that argument missing a few legs.

In fact, I would say that any mat that has a rare chance of dropping from a node is a MUCH more reasonably farmed mat than anything that falls from a T6 bag … You are combating TWO chances for the ones that drop from bags … that’s much worse chance than getting from a node.

Unfavourable wasn’t meant as disadvantageous but more like discouraging. (Unfavourable might be the wrong word maybe) Like if someone feels they HAVE TO pay money to enjoy the game.

Of course, if someone is willing to pay that’s also perfectly reasonable. But I mostly wanted to point out that people generally point it out that they don’t want to pay and feel it’s not encouraging them to play.

Maybe that makes more sense.

Not sure if you understand this but farming the traditional way isn’t exactly supported in GW2. In otherwords, it’s meant to be discouraging … so if paying is a problem for people, they need to re-evaluate how they play the game or if it’s a good fit for them. If it wasn’t like that, the TP would be much less effective than it is as a way to provide players with materials. That’s important because it’s related to how this game makes Anet money

From that perspective, any argument that appeals to changing mat availability from sources that aren’t the TP, to encourage people to avoid using the TP … in a game where the TP is intended as the main source of mats for players … makes no sense.

All sources ingame are TP sources. Any arguments thus make sense. You can’t assume that increasing availability means encouraging to avoid the TP unless you can predict market entirely.

I’m not sure what you are trying to say to me. I do know that your response to something I said over a month ago doesn’t make much sense to me.

“Spending money on the game for just a stat combination because of unfavourable (disadvantageous) farming requirements is a reason to stop playing the game.”

For me that means “If I can’t get the stats I want by easily farming the mats, that’s a good reason to quit”. That’s generally true of all mats that give you stats in this game because farming to get a specific mat have never been supported feature.

The confusing part is where you say it used to be better than it is now, but that seems more like an anecdotal statement more than actual fact. I’m not in a position to argue opinion, except in the case where the opinion isn’t actually relevant because the primary, efficient approach to get mats never has been farming them out in the world; it’s always been the TP.

I think claiming “farming was better done in the past” is simply not a relevant proposition to justify doing something about the freshwater pearls supply because of how farming is handled by the design of the game.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Kind of makes me think that a discovery recipe should be added for combining Mother-of-Pearls into Freshwater Pearls to alleviate this issue.

1 year later and I’m still waiting for this recipe! Either by crafting station or some ridiculous mystic forge recipe, lemme turn those sweet Mother-of-Pearls into Freshwater sparkles of joy! Yarr!

Obtena.7952

Not sure if you understand this but farming the traditional way isn’t exactly supported in GW2. In otherwords, it’s meant to be discouraging … so if paying is a problem for people, they need to re-evaluate how they play the game or if it’s a good fit for them. If it wasn’t like that, the TP would be much less effective than it is as a way to provide players with materials. That’s important because it’s related to how this game makes Anet money

From that perspective, any argument that appeals to changing mat availability from sources that aren’t the TP, to encourage people to avoid using the TP … in a game where the TP is intended as the main source of mats for players … makes no sense.

What? Let’s see:
“ Not sure if you understand this but farming the traditional way isn’t exactly supported in GW2. In otherwords, it’s meant to be discouraging”
I have two questions here:
1. Why the farming should be discouraging? Why farming is so bad, evil, that it should be stopped?
2. Did you ever hear about a "challenging farming spot for leather in GW2? This farming was promoted by the developers themselves as a good way to keep the game economy healthy.

“… so if paying is a problem for people, they need to re-evaluate how they play the game or if it’s a good fit for them. ”

I don’t think “paying” can be by itself an issue. The problems starts when you complete the affirmation : “paying for something”. If that something is a normal need, then you don’t want to pay for it. The right to live is guaranteed in most of the Constitutions. What about paying to have the right to breath? How you will react?
That pearls are needed for a stat for armors and weapons. The stats are nothing special, no convenience items, no shinnies, but stats on an armor. You want to pay for them? Real money? Are you serious?

“If it wasn’t like that, the TP would be much less effective than it is as a way to provide players with materials.”
Nobody argues here about the role of TP. But, again, the problems starts when the TP transforms from “a way to provide… ” into the only way to provide something.

“That’s important because it’s related to how this game makes Anet money”.
Hm, if this is true, that means Anet gave up the idea of a long term business, replacing it with a robbery. How long they are able to do this …. well, until the players will “re-evaluate how they play the game or if it’s a good fit for them”

And last: The TP is a tool in the game, it is not THE GAME. You can use a tool or not, according to your wish and life (game) stile. So, if Anet is trying to make the TP the main source of mats for players this indeed makes no sense.
Because, you know, the TP cannot be the source. It produces nothing. The TP is the place where the players are selling / buying items. And if an item has an absurd low drop rate, even the TP cannot be the source of that item.

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

Essentially, the theory is that doing anything should give you lots of random stuff. You can sell the stuff you don’t want on the TP and use the money to buy the stuff you do want (also on the TP).

In this way, all content is rewarding, all players can “play how they want”, and the TP continuously sinks excess currency to fight inflation.

It’s a great system, as long as you understand how it works. The problem most people have with it is that they have come here from other games that promote farming (in order to trick you into paying a monthly subscription) and expect the system they are used to using to work here. When it doesn’t, it presents as a pretty nasty case of cognitive dissonance which often results in anger being directed at the system.

mtpelion.4562:

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

There’s enough of reward systems in game that go against that model, that this isn’t a very believable argument.

Cristalyan.5728:

Obtena.7952

Not sure if you understand this but farming the traditional way isn’t exactly supported in GW2. In otherwords, it’s meant to be discouraging … so if paying is a problem for people, they need to re-evaluate how they play the game or if it’s a good fit for them. If it wasn’t like that, the TP would be much less effective than it is as a way to provide players with materials. That’s important because it’s related to how this game makes Anet money

From that perspective, any argument that appeals to changing mat availability from sources that aren’t the TP, to encourage people to avoid using the TP … in a game where the TP is intended as the main source of mats for players … makes no sense.

What? Let’s see:
“ Not sure if you understand this but farming the traditional way isn’t exactly supported in GW2. In otherwords, it’s meant to be discouraging”
I have two questions here:
1. Why the farming should be discouraging? Why farming is so bad, evil, that it should be stopped?
2. Did you ever hear about a "challenging farming spot for leather in GW2? This farming was promoted by the developers themselves as a good way to keep the game economy healthy.

It’s discouraging because Anet wants you to use the TP. It’s not being stopped, it’s just not supported by the way the game is designed. On the other hand, the TP is.

Yes, I did hear about leather farming spot … so what? Leather isn’t a mat that gives stats combo. Again, the complaint from the poster I made that reply to was that spending money for a stat combo that had unfavourable farming conditions was a reason to quit. Frankly, that makes no sense in this game because 1) all T6 mats that give stat combos have unfavourable farming conditions and 2) the primary approach to getting any mat is to earn gold and buy the mats off the TP … still true even in light of the leather farming addition.

Both of these things have been true in this game since day 1. Therefore, it’s completely illogical for anyone to make that statement who’s played this game for any length of time where they would have encountered this approach to getting stat combos.

mtpelion.4562:

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

Essentially, the theory is that doing anything should give you lots of random stuff. You can sell the stuff you don’t want on the TP and use the money to buy the stuff you do want (also on the TP).

In this way, all content is rewarding, all players can “play how they want”, and the TP continuously sinks excess currency to fight inflation.

That is true until “how you want” is “getting stuff on your own”.

It’s a great system, as long as you understand how it works. The problem most people have with it is that they have come here from other games that promote farming (in order to trick you into paying a monthly subscription) and expect the system they are used to using to work here. When it doesn’t, it presents as a pretty nasty case of cognitive dissonance which often results in anger being directed at the system.

In this case you have to farm/buy gold or farm other items to sell and use the gold to buy the item you want while incurring the TP fees and taxes which means additional farming to cover that extra cost.

The primary problem with your argument is the assumption that the system is always performing flawlessly.

Khisanth.2948:

mtpelion.4562:

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

Essentially, the theory is that doing anything should give you lots of random stuff. You can sell the stuff you don’t want on the TP and use the money to buy the stuff you do want (also on the TP).

In this way, all content is rewarding, all players can “play how they want”, and the TP continuously sinks excess currency to fight inflation.

That is true until “how you want” is “getting stuff on your own”.

It’s a great system, as long as you understand how it works. The problem most people have with it is that they have come here from other games that promote farming (in order to trick you into paying a monthly subscription) and expect the system they are used to using to work here. When it doesn’t, it presents as a pretty nasty case of cognitive dissonance which often results in anger being directed at the system.

In this case you have to farm/buy gold or farm other items to sell and use the gold to buy the item you want while incurring the TP fees and taxes which means additional farming to cover that extra cost.

The primary problem with your argument is the assumption that the system is always performing flawlessly.

This is a strawman and you know it.

mtpelion.4562:

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

Essentially, the theory is that doing anything should give you lots of random stuff. You can sell the stuff you don’t want on the TP and use the money to buy the stuff you do want (also on the TP).

“Lots of Random Stuff” should balance out to roughly equivalent volumes of stuff (Crafting materials) for roughly equivalent things (Stat types), with Demand changing the value of them (Powerful Blood is expensive because everyone wants Berzerker gear, not because it has a negligible drop rate). This is not the case with Lilies and Pearls.

Sartharina.3542:

mtpelion.4562:

Farming, in general, is discouraged by the game’s design in order to build a game that rewards “play how you want”.

Essentially, the theory is that doing anything should give you lots of random stuff. You can sell the stuff you don’t want on the TP and use the money to buy the stuff you do want (also on the TP).

“Lots of Random Stuff” should balance out to roughly equivalent volumes of stuff (Crafting materials) for roughly equivalent things (Stat types), with Demand changing the value of them (Powerful Blood is expensive because everyone wants Berzerker gear, not because it has a negligible drop rate). This is not the case with Lilies and Pearls.

I think that’s an unsubstantiated claim … Lilies and Pearls have a negligible drop rate? Compared to what? What is the drop rate of getting a T6 blood from heavy bags? What’s the drop rate of other T6 stat giving mats in HoT? To be honest, I’ve camped mussels with a few characters and the drop rate for pearls is no worse than Flax Blossoms from the Flax areas.

It’s not really realistic to paint the picture that Anet needs to fix something here, because of some belief that these two items have a drop rate that’s lower than other T6 stat-giving mats in HoT or any other area of the game.

The Mother of Pearl drop rates is close to Flax Blossom. The Freshwater Pearl drop rates is no where near Flax Blossom.

Edit: Turns out reality is much harsher than perception. Even mother of pearls are much lower than Flax Blossoms.

I got two freshwater pearls within 15 harvests yesterday. Stop exaggerating.

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

Khisanth.2948:

The Mother of Pearl drop rates is close to Flax Blossom. The Freshwater Pearl drop rates is no where near Flax Blossom.

Edit: Turns out reality is much harsher than perception. Even mother of pearls are much lower than Flax Blossoms.

I don’t get you’re point; They don’t drop at rates like Flax Blossoms …. and? I know one thing … I can buy as many as I want off the TP, as intended.

Tengu Talons.7921:

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

But can I then salvage the insignia out of it for converting ascended armor?

They are now up to 10g a piece.
This is insane.

ScribeTheMad.7614:

Tengu Talons.7921:

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

But can I then salvage the insignia out of it for converting ascended armor?

They are now up to 10g a piece.
This is insane.

All thanks to the WvW update. Maguuma Lillies spiked also pretty high

Price will drop again.

Ramoth.9064:

I got two freshwater pearls within 15 harvests yesterday. Stop exaggerating.

Sampling error. Try again.

Jethro.9376:

ScribeTheMad.7614:

Tengu Talons.7921:

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

But can I then salvage the insignia out of it for converting ascended armor?

They are now up to 10g a piece.
This is insane.

All thanks to the WvW update. Maguuma Lillies spiked also pretty high

If only they could move WvW into Draconis Mons

Khisanth.2948:

Jethro.9376:

ScribeTheMad.7614:

Tengu Talons.7921:

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

But can I then salvage the insignia out of it for converting ascended armor?

They are now up to 10g a piece.
This is insane.

All thanks to the WvW update. Maguuma Lillies spiked also pretty high

If only they could move WvW into Draconis Mons

They should totally make a WvW copy of the Draconis Mons map.
Totally epic, allow gliding and the use of gliding skills from Bloodstone Fen so we can dogfight.

Ubi.4136:

Khisanth.2948:

Jethro.9376:

ScribeTheMad.7614:

Tengu Talons.7921:

Here ya go. 100% Exotic Minstrel gear drop rate no RNG needed
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bitter_Harvest

But can I then salvage the insignia out of it for converting ascended armor?

They are now up to 10g a piece.
This is insane.

All thanks to the WvW update. Maguuma Lillies spiked also pretty high

If only they could move WvW into Draconis Mons

They should totally make a WvW copy of the Draconis Mons map.
Totally epic, allow gliding and the use of gliding skills from Bloodstone Fen so we can dogfight.

Mmm boiling your enemies in acid

Has anyone ever gotten a Pearl or Lily from a WvW synthesizer?

totally 1 maguuma lily from wvw))
and i want to make a full trailbrazier set)))

I got 2 lilys in total since the start of hot.
Seems to be as rare as giant eyes had zero of those before they became a map reward.

20 Maguuma Lilies and 38 Freshwater Pearls sold in the last 3 months(API seems to be limited to that).

The only good spot to farm jungle plants is the middle of Tarir but octovine often gets in the way.

Khisanth.2948:

20 Maguuma Lilies and 38 Freshwater Pearls sold in the last 3 months(API seems to be limited to that).

The only good spot to farm jungle plants is the middle of Tarir but octovine often gets in the way.

The BLTC says 587 Maguuma Lillies were sold/bought today.

Just a flesh wound.3589:

Khisanth.2948:

20 Maguuma Lilies and 38 Freshwater Pearls sold in the last 3 months(API seems to be limited to that).

The only good spot to farm jungle plants is the middle of Tarir but octovine often gets in the way.

The BLTC says 587 Maguuma Lillies were sold/bought today.

Those numbers were for myself.

I am sorry to bring this back but the situation got even worse!

The price of that pearls are getting higher and higher. Today it hit the 8 gold mark for 1 single pearl!
For me, I just want to have the mistrel gear set. It will cost me about 600gold for the EXOTIC set! This is insane! Sorry guys but this has nothing to do with “mimimimi stop crying” this is a real designe issue!

There MUST be either a higher droprate or another way to optain this pearls. I really want to have the Minstel gear set but I am not willing to grind or spend that much money. Nowadays you get a full beserker set for 50gold. THIS IS INSANE!

I really have to bang on the devs door here. This is no way it should stay.