Guild Wars 2

For only two weeks… it’s a start, but it’s still not good enough tbh.

Why not do the same with the other permanent contracts that are always (albeit a small chance) available through black lion chests? Why do they insist on making the perm hair style so much rarer than the others? I mean, really? Only two weeks?

I just find it extremely odd…

A good start, but odd…

I think this is purely an opportunity for another cash grab rather than doing it as a kind gesture for the GW2 community. It’s like… “Hey guys, we’re putting the perm hair style contract back in black lion chests FOR ONLY TWO WEEKS so make sure to buy up hundreds of keys, and even then, you probably won’t get one, but good luck and remember to give us all your money”.

Seriously… Make the permanent hair stylist contract a PERMANENT feature of the black lion chest, just like you have with all the other perm contracts available through black lion chests. It’s not hard.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great it’s coming back… but the two weeks thing is just plain nuts.

Misleading topic title is very misleading -.-

Request to get more hairstyles for curly haired characters, both male and female.

Please make (exotic) celestial gear tradable on TP and discoverable in crafting, or just somehow not a giant pain to acquire. It’s been around for a long time, it’s a standard amulet in sPvP and it’s a set usable my many professions.

I think it’s about time (exotic) celestial weapons and armor be more easily obtainable. What’s the logic having a crazy annoying time-gated system making acquiring this basic stat set for exotic gear such a pain?

it’s incredible I need to explain to people that OP’s point is that the pick is not the problem, it’s the precedent it sets that is the problem.

Behellagh.1468:

WHERE IS THE P2W? Tell me that and don’t point to some 40c sprocket as proof.

well I guess you win, i mean if we cant point to the proof how can we prove it.

Julischka Bean.7491:

I am an older Player. As such, I have learned somethings are just not worth getting in a stew about. I have seen my parents get older, I have seen my better half have a stroke and almost die, My beloved cat did die…This pick, and the threat of future gathering tools with perks in the gem store, to me, is not something to lose sleep over.

You don’t have to lose sleep over something to have a problem with it.

I’m a younger player, but I’ve been through similar situations to yourself. I lost my dad during summer vacation just before my senior year due to his exposure to chemicals in Vietnam. That same year we lost my Aunt who had been living with us. 2 years later we had to put my Labrador down.

I bring those things up to respond as such: I still see this pick as an issue. I still see it as something that needs fixed. I don’t think ignoring a perceived problem by “just dealing with it” means that you’ve put on big boy/girl pants, either.

Even if it’s something that’s not that important, it’s good to speak up. At least, that’s what I feel.

This is the bussiness model theyve moved towards, obviously they didnt advertise it but it goes a little something like this.

“We will have you pay over and over for the same stuff you already bought”

Its why we see Ascended Gear.

Hey look at that, better gear, a flat out statistical improvement with an additional socket.. ahem, i mean “infusion”. Hey MMO-gamers, its better, so you want it.
To bad those skins you bought previously are now stuck on litterally worst gear. But chin up! Here, buy these to transfer the skins to your new improved gear or better yet buy the whole skin again.

Also, we totally didnt make crafting purposely super grindy we swear. By the way, we’re selling crafting boosters.

Stay tuned as we roll out Super Ascended gear in a couple of months time, so we can get you pay a 3th time for that skin you bought.

Here, also buy this skin we wholesale ripped from ourselves! The human cultural armor, only we made it better! Wow, you seem kittened… maybe reel that one in a little…

In the meantime, hey everyone who bought the convenience of a permanent gathering tool, look at this undeniably superior permanent gathering tool thats just flat out better.
We promise we wont kitten with the economy just to bump up its usefullness… honest, you know we’re good for it. But if we do, we will stop after we release the super-duper mark3 gathering tools after these that are even a step better!

Oh yes, i like where this is going. This slope is more slippery then a politician under oath.

Aidan Savage.2078:

You dont get it, do you? No matter who you buy from, you’re buying from someone who undercut others. What are you going to do? Blow through all your money like a fool because you’re buying the most expensive price listing?

He gets it. Telling him the same thing for the hundredth time just gets the same response the last 99 did. This isn’t a discussion, it’s a contest to see who can write more letters of the alphabet in the snow without using his hands.

You dont get it, do you? No matter who you buy from, you’re buying from someone who undercut others. What are you going to do? Blow through all your money like a fool because you’re buying the most expensive price listing?

I’m sorry, but what you have is a personal problem with how the market works, not a general population problem that needs solving. The fact that there are people NOT the so-called “TP Barons” saying there’s no problem, does not mean they dont see the problem, it means there is no problem in the first place. Why should Anet take the time to work on a problem that is possessed solely by one or two people?

The only illogical fallacy is the entire premise this thread is created on. I still fail to see why anyone would bother with the idiotic act of paying more for an item when there’s a perfectly good listing that’s cheaper. Sure it’s only cheaper by a copper, yet those savings add up in the long run, especially if you’re buying in bulk. Face it, you’re buying from an undercutter no matter what you do. Unless you’re buying from the very first person to have sold that item, you will never buy from someone who did not undercut another person.

Something else that makes the OP’s concept flawed, IMO is this:

Seller1 wants 950c for an item.
Seller2 wants 949c for an item.

OP wants to buy the item from Seller1 because he doesn’t want to “reward” the trivial undercutter.

In effect, the OP wants to reward the seller that’s the “greediest”. The fact that it’s 1c difference doesn’t degrade the notion that Seller2 is the more reasonable ‘vendor’.

Both sellers are out for money. One was just in line earlier and didn’t put their item up at a price that was attractive enough to move before someone else put their identical item up for less. Six of one, half dozen of the other. The net result is a buyer will save a copper, Seller1 will have to wait a tiny bit longer (unless their item plummets in value). This is what we in the real world term as “No Biggie”.

The devs have far more important and impactful things to work on (many of which have been on the burner for eons as it is); no need to waste time on trivialities.

Didn’t Russel Peters have a joke about stuff like this..? Something involving 50 cents and being able to make a dollar?

Look, I’m speaking as somebody who likes to buy things. I don’t care who listed what first or last. There are no names linked to the trading post so in essence everyone who is selling something is a faceless corporation out to get my hard earned money. I’m going to go with the corporation who’s offering me what I want for less of my money. If it’s a one copper savings then that’s one extra copper in my pocket. Maybe if I can save 100 copper I can get 1 silver, then buy myself something else nice?

This isn’t the real world where the mom&pop stores are gonna go out of business if you don’t shop there.

Because it solves a problem only you see. Without the greater causes of labour rights or such things to keep me from going to Walmart, their prices are lower because they have set them lower and I would shop there otherwise.

No moral complications exist in a game economy, undercutting is not a problem for me. One copper cheaper is one copper cheaper and I will take that deal every time, I have no greater respect for Seller 100G than seller 99.99G just because one made a listing first.

phys.7689:

See the key here is a game is about entertainment, the game is best played by ignoring the rewards, or just learning to balance grind versus fun for many people, thats not really that optimal.

You’re not going to get anywhere with this.

While I agree with the sentiment, look through the BLTC forums. The consistent answer to “The economy isn’t making the game fun” is “The economy is functioning well”. I’ve made the same kind of posts that you have. I’ve asked if a free market economy really serves a heroic fantasy game. The answer is always “The economy is functioning well”.

I just started reading Neil Stephenson’s novel Reamde. It revolves around an MMORPG that was first conceived as a virtual economy designed to make real money, that later had a story and game grafted around it.

The economy here is not designed to support the player experience of roleplaying a world-saving hero. The experience of roleplaying a world-saving hero is designed to give you a reason to engage in the virtual economy.

This is what gaming is becoming. From Farmville to the new MMORPG where goldselling is integrated into the game, these are economic engines with entertainment shells.

Ayrilana.1396:

phys.7689:

It doesnt matter if its life threatening or not, even if you go to a doctor with a tummyache, hes supposed to try to see exactly whats wrong and offer the best solutions, even if you think its meningitis.

Read the second paragraph of my post. The conclusion was that tree was nothing wrong and the user did not understand basic economic concepts. Hence why he was told to read up on them.

phys.7689:

That said, i will accept that JS isnt really the doctor, its not literally his job to cure anyone. However, as the designer, and maintainer of an economy whose main purpose is to foster exchange AND make the user feel satisfied (more so than a real economy). He should be concerned if a signifigant portion of players are complaining of tummyaches when he is the nutritionist.

Sorry but a handful of people on the forum is not significant. I know the current generation was raised to think otherwise but it’s not true. Alluding back to my previous response, check the second paragraph of my post as well as my response above.

phys.7689:

As for his response, my interpretation of the exchange was that the poster was saying that inflation should be measured on items of high demand, rather than overall, and basing that on the way some countries calculate inflation.

You cannot measure inflation on such a small number of items. It’d be like us trying to measure real world inflation on automobiles. It just doesn’t work like that. You have to take a much broader look over the entire economy. There are a lot of variables that could influence a particular item or group of items that have nothing to do with inflation.

He was trying to do an inflation index but lacked the knowledge of the economic principles behind it.

phys.7689:

John smiths response was more to the effect of, inflation is within acceptable ranges in this game.

Yes and no.

phys.7689:

Which i dont really think is false, in a strict sense, but i think the reality in the street, is once you start looking towards the goals that are supposed to inspire/direct you to keep playing, players are seeing prices that grow faster than they like. And when the items are expensive enough, that rate of growth is uncomfortable when compared with their rate of earning.

Yes but that does not mean inflation is the cause.

phys.7689:

but i dont think this can be avoided, we have come to a fairly unbalanced economy in terms of the haves and the have nots. Basically anything of value is marketed on top earner basis first and foremost, and they earn money faster than other people. Im not just speaking of TP barons, but anyone who is somewhat focused on the economic side of the game.

That’s in every economy and it’s supposed to be “unbalanced” in the way you stated. Just look to the real world’s economy.

phys.7689:

Someone who concentrates on earning gold amasses wealth at a considerably greater rate on average than those that do not. This means high end items are priced within thier demand curve first to them, and then filter out to everyone else, depending on time, and supply.

Of course they earn more as the should. If people want more gold, they have to put in the time and effort for it. There’s also a very smaller percentage of players that have a lot of gold compared to the rest of the player base. With only needing to get a legendary once for the skin, and the few people with large amounts of good compared to the player-base, their impact is negligible.

what i get from this exchange is you believe in gold focused gaming. This is why everything seems good to you, you expect the game economy to mirror our economy. The thing you are not getting, is there are signifigant number of people who do not like gold focused gaming, and thus the type of system that rewards doing whatever makes the most gold, over whatever is the best content, does not entertain them in a game.

There is also a signifigant number of people who dont really like our real life economy, or the choices we have to make in it. Mirroring a real life economy in a game means you will mirror its faults as well as its strengths.

and it really isnt in every economy, its dominant in our economy, but not so much in others. I think many people want gold to trade with others, and get things they dont get on their own, but they also want their adventures to feel like they have value, and be entertained.

See the key here is a game is about entertainment, the game is best played by ignoring the rewards, or just learning to balance grind versus fun for many people, thats not really that optimal.

Obtena.7952:

Realist.5812:

I’ve never seen John Smith post anything insightful. Or answer player questions with reasons as to why something is done or not done.

Each post comes across as:
“This is my baby, and being its mother I believe it has no flaws.”

And then the sycophants come in and cheer him on.

Maybe players shouldn’t ask the kind of questions or make the statements that deserve the kind of answers he gives. If people get their knowledge and background from a Cracker Jack’s box and use it to make conclusions about something as complex as the ingame economy and periodically press the same non-issues, they don’t really deserve insightful and respectable answers in the first place.

Good examples:

“I can’t afford a precursor, Inflation is to blame”
“Game doesn’t have good rewards”
“People that don’t camp TP can’t afford to buy stuff ingame”

and etc …. Someone should start a list.

If someone tells a doctor they got stabbed in the gut because 5+5 is 55. you could argue that 5+5 is not 55, but the fact remains he has an abdominal wound, the doctor shouldnt really be focusing on telling the guy to go back to school, and should be trying to deal with the wound.

Its exaggerated, but the even with a less exaggerated analogy, if some one goes to the doctor with an incorrect self diagnosis, the doctor isnt really helping the guy by telling him to go to medical school.

LordByron.8369:

Putting a link and playing with words its only a weak attempt at spreading false concepts.
What i said stands true, what you said its pointless as Always.

Now if this was a real economy we would see most of you charged for economic offenses, but here there is no antitrust and similar and even worse, the fact we didn’t even see any ban for the TP exploits of few weeks ago suggests a lot.

It shows that the company wants people to give up on earning something and just say: “I’ll only spend 20 bucks.” or anything along those lines. I hate posting in this forum section, because if anyone ever says anything negative about the in game economy you have a group of players who jump down your throat. What makes it even worse is that JS joins in and acts all superior and condescending without having any repercussions. JS at some point you will learn that there are people out there with much more knowledge and understanding than you, and hopefully all your condescension will come back to bite you. I honestly can’t believe anyone who works for a multi-million dollar company can say the things he does to the playerbase. Well it’s not like very many people are going to see this post because I’ll have an infraction(maybe suspension) and a deletion incoming.

eithinan.9841:

phys.7689:

eithinan.9841:

People here seem to have an issue differentiating between inflation in an economy and the natural effects of supply/demand on specific items.

doesnt really matter what the word for it is, The point is, items people want keep rising at a higher rate than thier earnings. If it was real inflation, only people who mostly save would be upset.

I mean it helps to be using the same terms in a discussion, but the heart of communication is figuring out what the person intends to say, or feels.

How can one properly communicate if the words don’t matter? I have no responsibility in trying to decipher what someone else is trying to say when they wont even put forth the effort to say it correctly.

I would argue that the “heart of communication” is properly phrasing your statements so all can understand what you are saying. If one does not have the knowledge or background on the subject material then they should refrain from sharing their uneducated opinions on said subject.

Communication is a two way street, they may be wrong for using the wrong words, but you arent helping by not looking for what they are trying to say. So while its valid to correct them, its not productive to stop your desire to understand at that moment. How in the world would any one communicate in such a rigid system? Word use and ideas differ from subculture to subculture, proffession to profession, language to language. worlds also evolve and change with time, and with changes in the field of study.
This is why people tend to use more than just a few words to communicate an idea, because it makes it less likely that using one word the party doesnt understand, or misunderstands, does obscure the meaning completely.

Lastly, its a false premise that somene who doesnt share the same vocabulary as you knows less or has less understanding of an issue than you, or cant make valid observations. Its a classic mistake for academics to think this way.

John Smith.4610:

I very much don’t agree with several of the concepts you’ve posted here. Overall though, remember the medium and that “proof” is more to show evidence that a biased sample doesn’t necessarily represent the entirety of the population.

I don’t think replying with more jargon is helping your case John. Driving off people from their complaints by using “industry terms” to make them look like idiots isn’t solving their dissatisfaction, nor does it improve community relations (which is already bad considering ANET’s track record these past 2 years).

INSTEAD of relying on sophistry, why not release data to us so that we can analyze it (to those of us who have a background in statistics or economics)? You talk about biased samples, but in no way do you try to support your statement that inflation complaints are “biased samples/outliers.”

I am sorry to say this but “Short and sweet: If you think inflation is a major issue in Guild Wars 2, you should do more research on MMO economies and general economics.” is more like an insult rather than an actual attempt to explain his opinion on the matter (and this is not his first post in this manner). This sentence is on the level of the arguments of children. If this is the kind of answer and manner one can expect from an ANet employee than why do forum posters are reminded every time by ANet that we should give constructive feedback and be respectful. There is even a posting guideline for us. I can adhere to the guideline but in exchange I expect the same treatment from ANet towards me. Without mutual respect there cannot be good communication between the company and its customers.

Lothirieth.3408:

John Smith.4610:

Short and sweet:
If you think inflation is a major issue in Guild Wars 2, you should do more research on MMO economies and general economics.

And here is one of the largest problems: do you really think the majority of the GW2 population actually has an interest in economics and would find this fun?

I’d think (and of course I could be wrong) most people in the game want a fun game to play and earn items through playing content (better, shinier items through challenging content), not this random money grind that’s been set up.

Unfortunately, you are really spot on what this game revolves around and John Smith does his job in light of this. I guess; from ANet’s point of view, he probably does a really good job. The whole TP system with the RNG in the game encourages you to farm gold or if you find it really tedious just grab your credit card and buy some gems then convert them to ingame gold. Inflation is rather good for this system actually since those who play very casually and can’t keep up with the prices will be more inclined to buy gems. Therefore, you won’t see any drastical changes from ANet regarding the current state of the economy of this game.

Dear John Smith

I don’t have to be an economist to see this. Anyone with a little thinking and a little playtime in this game can see through this system. I also don’t think that an ANet employee should answer posts in a manner you usually do. Since you often recommend us that we should learn economics, I’d like to give you a personal advice: Maybe you should learn community realitions to avoid insulting customers.

John Smith.4610:

Short and sweet:
If you think inflation is a major issue in Guild Wars 2, you should do more research on MMO economies and general economics.

And here is one of the largest problems: do you really think the majority of the GW2 population actually has an interest in economics and would find this fun?

I’d think (and of course I could be wrong) most people in the game want a fun game to play and earn items through playing content (better, shinier items through challenging content), not this random money grind that’s been set up.