Guild Wars 2

NOTE: The topic length limit is incredibly ridiculous. 45 characters? Nice.

After having my armor look like garbage trash for a really long time, I decided to try to get some of these. I’ve been doing dailies pretty often recently and each time it’s a mystic coin and karma.

What is the % chance to get a transmutation stone as a reward? Was it lowered? I read about people early on having “so many” of them they don’t know what to do with them.

I’ve completed the map on one character, and have between 40-60% on three others. I have nearly a full stack of basic transmutation stones in the bank (and I use them heavily on characters between 1-79). I have never once seen a fine transmutation stone as part of map completion, and in several months’ worth of dailies and monthlies, I’ve never seen fine transmutation stones as rewards. I have seen basic stones as rewards for daily/monthly completion, including recently, though it’s always been a single stone (which is fairly useless, given the nature of the item and the fact that you almost invariably get 3 for map completion).

According to the wiki (and this is consistent with my own experience) fine stones can only be obtained randomly in Black Lion Chests, and manually via the gem store – neither daily completion nor map completion rewards these.

So in response to your question, basic stones can be unreliably obtained through daily completion, yes. People with “too many” transmutation stones have them from map completion bonuses. Fine stones are always going to be difficult to obtain.

People who have many of them most likely got them from map completions which is a side effect of the grind for a legendary. As far as the droprates go, I too got the feeling that they were lowered as well, but afaik there are no conclusive data gathering sources that could validate such a notion.

In any case, the % chance of getting a fine transmutation stone is awfully low (I’m pretty sure I have not received one for the last month of dailies at least…), and since you are most likely looking for more then one you would really be better off grinding for coin and getting a pack of stones through the gem store.

The easiest way to get them is map completion – go finish one of the main cities and you’ll get three normal ones. If you want fine transmutation stones, those are harder to come by… There’s a chance they can be a reward for map completion, but I’m at 92% completion and had to buy mine from the gem store.

I’m at ~90% completion too and I got 3 fine ones so far iirc, never got one from a daily. Too bad you cannot convert the basic ones in the mystic forge, they’re pretty much useless. I understand they want to keep that gem/gold sink since it’s purely cosmetic though.

Iruwen.3164:

Too bad you cannot convert the basic ones in the mystic forge, they’re pretty much useless.

I didn’t find the basic ones completely useless (I really hate that one medium armor coat that looks like your mom sewed it out of an old quilt), but I did get many more than I needed. I like the idea of being able to upgrade them in the forge.

I have about 50% completion on 6 characters and 1 has 90% and i have ~30 – 40 of them. Never had to buy them.

I’d say grind out some mid-level maps or farm for cash

Farm for cash? Where can you buy these other than a real money store?

And wow @ the rate. So, basically I can run around in trash garbage looking gear until 80, unless I get them as a rare reward for dailies…. or when I do hit 80, those will be useless now, and I will need fine transmutation stones.

Is that correct?

Why do they make it like this? Other than a really blatant cash grab? It’s not too much to ask for a little variation without paying real money. Please do not spout “zone completion” as a viable alternative to some regular, consistent method of getting them because there are only so many zones.

StevesDad.8213:

Farm for cash? Where can you buy these other than a real money store?

Convert gold to gems?

Because it’s a no-subscription game. If you want the look, spend money. If you don’t, don’t. But it’s probably one of their top constant earners

map completion is primarily how I got all mine. also I don’t use them every 5 levels, so I had a lot of extras.
They do seem to have nerfed the drop rate of rarer items from all rewards compared to when the game started (less keys and BLSK and fine T stones)

If you want normal transmutation stones all you need to do is completely explore a city map, any city, and you’ll get 3 of them. (Or a black lion key but the drop rate for them is lower.)

You can also get both normal and fine transmutation stones for exploring other maps, but that takes longer.

Ah, I must have got mixed up. I know I have 3 fine stones in the bank and I thought they came from map completion, but they must have come from a chest.

Although, you can get black lion keys from map completion (that might be what I was thinking of actually) and you can get the stones from the chest. It’s a lot more indirect that way though.

normal transmutation stones are frequent rewards for map completion. however, in my experience after having 100% for a while i think i only received fine stones once from map completion. i have NEVER gotten fine stones from completing a daily. all the stones i’ve gotten were from overpriced gold to gem conversions

LithePanther.5027:

Because it’s a no-subscription game. If you want the look, spend money. If you don’t, don’t. But it’s probably one of their top constant earners

I get the model… I would just rather them either increase the chance to get them from dailies or just remove the chance all together. It’s lame to not even give the % chance for it which is probably abysmally low.

Also, if you want to farm NORMAL stones, make new characters and map complete towns. They are easy, quick, and reward 3 each.

Esplen.3940:

Also, if you want to farm NORMAL stones, make new characters and map complete towns. They are easy, quick, and reward 3 each.

This really works? Seems like they wouldn’t allow that

StevesDad.8213:

Esplen.3940:

Also, if you want to farm NORMAL stones, make new characters and map complete towns. They are easy, quick, and reward 3 each.

This really works? Seems like they wouldn’t allow that

Why not? Basic transmutation stones are a dime a dozen even without resorting for farming tactics. There’s a reason that basics can only transmute items up to level 79.

Because I’ve seen people banned before something was called an exploit and I’d rather not experience that customer service.

StevesDad.8213:

Because I’ve seen people banned before something was called an exploit and I’d rather not experience that customer service.

Typically when it comes to ban-worthy exploits, there’s a direct connection between the exploit being used and the trading post, and/or a very clearly incorrect reward for effort expended. Since transmutation stones can’t be bought or sold via the TP (gem store, yes, but buying basic stones here is foolish due to plentiful in-game methods of acquisition, and thus not likely much a revenue earner) and you do have to actually complete the map zones, it’s pretty safe to say it’s not a bannable exploit.

Still, if you’re worried about it, only get map completion on alts you plan to keep. I guarantee that just once character with 100% world completion will yield far more than enough basic stones for at least 4 alts.

Blueshield.6291:

StevesDad.8213:

Because I’ve seen people banned before something was called an exploit and I’d rather not experience that customer service.

Typically when it comes to ban-worthy exploits, there’s a direct connection between the exploit being used and the trading post, and/or a very clearly incorrect reward for effort expended.

Right and I get that, but it’s kinda ridiculous. People exploiting tax loopholes aren’t arrested, they amend the law. However recently they have retroactively charged people and the outcome of that isn’t determined yet. I just see it as very scummy and terrible of a company to say “ah! you knew you shouldn’t do that!” even if that is true for most people, I guarantee you there is someone out there that had no clue and was culled because of it.

It’s unethical, period IMHO. Either way thanks for your very informative answer the first time!

StevesDad.8213:

Because I’ve seen people banned before something was called an exploit and I’d rather not experience that customer service.

Because getting ~6 tran stones/hour is an exploit that gives you an unfair advantage. (Assuming you know the fast routes for every town and can do 2 towns in 1 hour.)

It takes 30 minutes to an hour to get rushed through the personal storyline, allowing people to get ~1.5 Black Lion Keys an hour, but it requires one person to take the short-end of the stick and rush them (up to 4 people can get rushed, meaning ~6 keys per hour, assuming you take 45 minutes). But that’s 6 keys divided between 5 people, meaning everyones getting 1.2 keys per hour.

Not an exploit, because it takes time no matter what angle you take on it.

GW2 is supposed to be about 2 things:

TIME and SKILL.

You can’t really get punished for using either of those. Remember the guy who solo’ed Lupicus as a Warrior? He “abused” some of the mechanics of that fight to be able to solo Lupicus. Did he get banned? No, he got praised for his skill and theory of the fight.

Esplen.3940:

StevesDad.8213:

Because I’ve seen people banned before something was called an exploit and I’d rather not experience that customer service.

Because getting ~6 tran stones/hour is an exploit that gives you an unfair advantage. (Assuming you know the fast routes for every town and can do 2 towns in 1 hour.)

It takes 30 minutes to an hour to get rushed through the personal storyline, allowing people to get ~1.5 Black Lion Keys an hour, but it requires one person to take the short-end of the stick and rush them (up to 4 people can get rushed, meaning ~6 keys per hour, assuming you take 45 minutes). But that’s 6 keys divided between 5 people, meaning everyones getting 1.2 keys per hour.

Not an exploit, because it takes time no matter what angle you take on it.

GW2 is supposed to be about 2 things:

TIME and SKILL.

You can’t really get punished for using either of those. Remember the guy who solo’ed Lupicus as a Warrior? He “abused” some of the mechanics of that fight to be able to solo Lupicus. Did he get banned? No, he got praised for his skill and theory of the fight.

You can’t retroactively implement rules and punish people for them because they “should have known”. You can keep posting all you want but my stance isn’t going to change on that and neither will a lot of people’s.

StevesDad.8213:

You can’t retroactively implement rules and punish people for them because they “should have known”. You can keep posting all you want but my stance isn’t going to change on that and neither will a lot of people’s.

Okay, then go hide in a corner wearing your non-transmuted clothing since it’s safer to do that than get banned for getting a Transmutation Stone. I was giving my helpful 2 cents and you shot me down.

Esplen.3940:

StevesDad.8213:

You can’t retroactively implement rules and punish people for them because they “should have known”. You can keep posting all you want but my stance isn’t going to change on that and neither will a lot of people’s.

Okay, then go hide in a corner wearing your non-transmuted clothing since it’s safer to do that than get banned for getting a Transmutation Stone. I was giving my helpful 2 cents and you shot me down.

I’m going to do it since it seems acceptable. Even If i weren’t, I’m not hiding from anything. I would be protecting what I bought though.

Keep a slot open for a new alt….run through the various cities for transmute stones upon completion. I have multiple alts anyway, so its not been that much of an issue. But I could easily delete a low level & reroll a new toon if I found myslef unable or unwilling to purchase transmute stones.

What? Fine from map completion? I have 2 char at 100% 5 char at 87% and 1 at 50+% and i have never gotten any from it. I have accumulated more than 2 stacks of basics at this point. Dailies have also never given me any. The only fines i have gotten are from BL chests. But even those no longer give me any after they change the BL chest contents to more boosters and coins.

Did anybody else receive a Fine Transmutation Stone a couple of days ago after completing their daily? I did and it was an awesome reward! Even though i won’t use it now.

No, but a Black Lion Salvage Kit for the first time