They might create a parallel currency: actual Zen is only bought by $$$ and the new currency bought with AD, items in the zen shop could be bought with both currencies but the new one might cost X times more. In this way, 1) works as AD sink, 2) game will keep his "free 2 play" status, you don't have to use $$$ but you need to grind like a maniac, 3) people will be interested in investing $$$ once they see how expensive is to get stuff with astral diamonds.
An interesting idea. I feel like I've seen this system in other games. I can't remember how it worked out.
Thanks,
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
0
texasgunmanMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
They need to make AD worth buying and thus less worth selling.
An excellent suggestion, Ambi.
What could Cryptic do to make AD more appealing for Zen sellers to buy? Make more appealing transmutes and set their prices very high? Maybe offer special companions/enchants/boosts/etc. for a high cost in AD? It seems like we have these things and they don't seem to be fixing this problem on their own.
Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to make light of your suggestion or this situation. If anything, I genuinely want to help. To do that, I feel like we need to give Cryptic ideas on what we really could use to turn our AD into something slightly more useful.
Maybe they can market items like the Black Ice packs in prices of AD and not just Zen? It would require a lot of finagling (is that even a word? lol) to make sure it can't be used to cheat the ZAX and workaround the exchange rate. It does seem like this happened directly as a result of Cryptic's decision to sell BI boosters for Zen and then give those packs a really good use for gearing up. Maybe they can repurpose this idea to save the ZAX now that it's harmed it significantly?
Thanks,
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
0
bioshrikeMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 4,729Arc User
edited June 2014
I say that a major way to add AD sinks would be to adjust the transmutation system itself; Make it so you can apply several weapon transmutes to 1 item, and then select the various unlocked appearances from a drop-down menu. Now offer a bunch of great looking weapon and armor transmutes via the wondrous bazaar, and people will eat them up. Offer them in multiple price ranges for added effect.
<::::::::::::::)xxxo <::::::::::::::)xxxo <::::::::::::)xxxxxxxx(:::::::::::> oxxx(::::::::::::::> oxxx(::::::::::::::> "Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?" -Tony Stark Official NW_Legit_Community Forums
0
texasgunmanMember, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
I say that a major way to add AD sinks would be to adjust the transmutation system itself; Make it so you can apply several weapon transmutes to 1 item, and then select the various unlocked appearances from a drop-down menu. Now offer a bunch of great looking weapon and armor transmutes via the wondrous bazaar, and people will eat them up. Offer them in multiple price ranges for added effect.
A FANTASTIC proposition! This has my vote!
Thanks,
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
0
tripsofthrymrMember, Neverwinter Moderator, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 1,624Community Moderator
edited June 2014
I can't do anything about the prices, but I can point you toward friendly people that will help you get into T1's and T2's. NW_Legit_Community is a custom in-game chat channel where you can find us.
I say that a major way to add AD sinks would be to adjust the transmutation system itself; Make it so you can apply several weapon transmutes to 1 item, and then select the various unlocked appearances from a drop-down menu. Now offer a bunch of great looking weapon and armor transmutes via the wondrous bazaar, and people will eat them up. Offer them in multiple price ranges for added effect.
I think this has limited scope. Companion and mount upgrades are present yet people don't buy them if they don't think it is at the right price.
If transmutes are pretty cheap, we still need more sources of AD sinks since it won't solve the problem.
I can't believe I'm saying it, but the gambling-esque nature of an upcoming event involving a small chance to get a chicken augment is another good way to go about it.
The main thing about the price inflation that worries me most is the enchantments. They're the one thing every player needs (for artifacts, especially) and their prices are going to almost double pre mod-3 prices. What worries me most about this prospect is that the top-end enchants will reach record prices and stay there. Let's face it, anybody starting now has no chance of ever paying 12 million AD for a perfect vorpal or bilethorn enchant.
Before mod 3 after the refinement system was put in the top end enchants cost 6-7 million. Everybody always scoffed at the ridiculous 1k (10$) zen price for coal wards and figured that cryptic will eventually lower it. Now we know how wrong we were... Now the market is finally based on that ridiculous 500+k per ward price so I guess now people might actually buy coal wards on the zen market, it's a miracle!
As for players like myself, I guess we should've saved up for perfects when we had the chance instead of buying gear...
The main thing about the price inflation that worries me most is the enchantments. They're the one thing every player needs (for artifacts, especially) and their prices are going to almost double pre mod-3 prices
Well considering rank 5 dark enchantments used to cost 10k EACH, we have ways to go before coming to the point again
Why make a real world comparison when a better one is at hand?
Diablo 3 real money auction house.
Why do we have to go to great lengths and ignore tons of political, environmental, sociocultural variables to support our cause, when we can just look at an easy example?
This question is also posed to the other idiots trying to compare neverwinter to zimbabwe's.
I mean really, its not that hard guys. We already had this happen. Think!
Well, seeing as this particular idiot avoided D3 completely, I also happened to miss out on all the fun RMAH shenanigans. This particular idiot was familiar with what the government just printing money to "solve" the problem did in Zimbabwe. I'm terribly sorry I have more of an interest in world politics than a game I have no desire to play. This is obviously a shortcoming I should work on. Thank you for pointing it out.
Yeah. We have AD sinks. But sinks dont work if people are not willing to use them. No one would buy a loaf of bread for 50 dollars.
The AD sinks are indeed broken in that regard.
Classic example of why people avoid many of the AD sinks;
The Wondrous Bazaar's helm and chest transmutes cost a combined 3.1 million AD per class. At the present exchange rate that is the equivalent of, wait for it, 6200 Zen. Even the bloody augment Cat companion is cheaper.
Fortunately you can craft the gloves and boots yourself and somehow the chest pieces make their way onto the AH at reasonable prices (24k for the Impenetrable Bastion vs the Bazaar's 1.35 million price tag), but I haven't yet seen the helm, so that is still the equivalent of 2700 Zen at the current exchange rate to look different.
AD sinks cost way too much. The average player would rather save up for a crushingly expensive Lesser Enchantment than change his appearance.
PSA: You don't need to grind Spinward Rise for your Elemental artifact main hand if you have some AD lying around. You can craft it via the Tyranny of Dragon's campaign screen.
MMO currency sinks are totally worthless when the items they sell are such a ripoff. There is only 1 item worth buying, just one. Greater Mark of Potency.
As for players like myself, I guess we should've saved up for perfects when we had the chance instead of buying gear...
Buying set gear instead of finding people to run the dungeons for it with you has never really been an economically sound idea. There are various market-driven exceptions but... 4 million AD for a T2 set... forget it.
That said, I've been simply working on building up my enchantments over time since I started playing. I buy stuff when it's cheaper than I could make it for, and I buy refinement points when I don't find the prices too galling (so... not lately!). My rank 7s are gradually turning into rank 8s, and I have a pretty decent collection of weapon enchantments. I like making the higher ranked stuff over buying it outright because it allows for spreading out the costs over a long period, plus it's like wholesale over retail markup.
Do I wish I'd bought a hundred coalescent wards back in those heady days when they were 100k each? Sure. But I didn't have the capital for it back then. I suppose that my main regret is that my personal infatuation with unfavoured enchantments means that I am somewhat lacking in the Soulforged department
The Wondrous Bazaar's helm and chest transmutes cost a combined 3.1 million AD per class. At the present exchange rate that is the equivalent of, wait for it, 6200 Zen. Even the bloody augment Cat companion is cheaper.
Fortunately you can craft the gloves and boots yourself and somehow the chest pieces make their way onto the AH at reasonable prices (24k for the Impenetrable Bastion vs the Bazaar's 1.35 million price tag), but I haven't yet seen the helm, so that is still the equivalent of 2700 Zen at the current exchange rate to look different.
These were a fairly common drop from the original Tymora's Gift event. Torso only, not hats. All the ones you see for sale were effectively given away for free a long time ago, and prices now are mainly driven by desirability, and possibly by people knowing to even look for them. (And note that Tymora's Gift redux removed them from the possible loot.)
Buying set gear instead of finding people to run the dungeons for it with you has never really been an economically sound idea. There are various market-driven exceptions but... 4 million AD for a T2 set... forget it.
I'm not in a guild yet, or exceptionally geared. Nor do I have time to play RNG with multiple dungeon runs, WHILE battling people for the loot, WHILE trying to find a group to begin with. I have no choice but to buy them.
I'm terribly sorry I have more of an interest in world politics than a game I have no desire to play. This is obviously a shortcoming I should work on. Thank you for pointing it out.
Why apologize? Your knowledge of real-world politics is an asset in other areas.
You just have to realize and concede that there is a much better and more relevant (in this case) historical precedence over this matter.
You yourself admitted that you weren't part of it, lucky for you I was obsessed with diablo 3's real money economy and studied the trends and can impart history on this matter.
TLDR: They did the same thing in diablo 3, lowered the cap and it did squat. Don't make the same stupid mistakes again and learn from history
The main thing about the price inflation that worries me most is the enchantments. They're the one thing every player needs (for artifacts, especially) and their prices are going to almost double pre mod-3 prices. What worries me most about this prospect is that the top-end enchants will reach record prices and stay there. Let's face it, anybody starting now has no chance of ever paying 12 million AD for a perfect vorpal or bilethorn enchant.
Before mod 3 after the refinement system was put in the top end enchants cost 6-7 million. Everybody always scoffed at the ridiculous 1k (10$) zen price for coal wards and figured that cryptic will eventually lower it. Now we know how wrong we were... Now the market is finally based on that ridiculous 500+k per ward price so I guess now people might actually buy coal wards on the zen market, it's a miracle!
As for players like myself, I guess we should've saved up for perfects when we had the chance instead of buying gear...
sigh...
I just want to weigh in and agree with this post. I thought the price on coal wards was absolutely, undoubtedly ridiculous before. I hate this change and it makes it so that I can't invite ANYONE to this game. Once they find out that they have no chance of ever getting a perfect, and will grind an incredibly long time just to get a lesser is too much to bear.
This is my first post on the forums, I'll want cryptic to know that regardless of the bugged out black ice domination (ruining my favorite part of the module), regardless of the silly disconnect and come back with injuries and miss out on loot, regardless of the awkward rubberbanding when my system is doing fine, this change is killing the game for me. It has ruined the economy across the board.
Cryptic MUST find another solution than to gouge us with the prices on coal wards. It's too much for the game to bear and I don't know how much longer I can take it without a solution.
AD sinks on companions would be the number one thing I would invest in if the price changed. Everything in the game is too expensive to worry about cosmetics anymore. If I were new I would simply give up. The prices on mounts and weapon/armor enchants would mean that it would take forever to become competent.
Release us from this change and quit crippling our economy. All you've done is make sure that those who are on top in PvP will remain there atop the pile of scrub corpses. No change could be this wrong.
I just want to weigh in and agree with this post. I thought the price on coal wards was absolutely, undoubtedly ridiculous before. I hate this change and it makes it so that I can't invite ANYONE to this game. Once they find out that they have no chance of ever getting a perfect, and will grind an incredibly long time just to get a lesser is too much to bear.
This is my first post on the forums, I'll want cryptic to know that regardless of the bugged out black ice domination (ruining my favorite part of the module), regardless of the silly disconnect and come back with injuries and miss out on loot, regardless of the awkward rubberbanding when my system is doing fine, this change is killing the game for me. It has ruined the economy across the board.
Cryptic MUST find another solution than to gouge us with the prices on coal wards. It's too much for the game to bear and I don't know how much longer I can take it without a solution.
AD sinks on companions would be the number one thing I would invest in if the price changed. Everything in the game is too expensive to worry about cosmetics anymore. If I were new I would simply give up. The prices on mounts and weapon/armor enchants would mean that it would take forever to become competent.
Release us from this change and quit crippling our economy. All you've done is make sure that those who are on top in PvP will remain there atop the pile of scrub corpses. No change could be this wrong.
In every other mmorpg a really small percentage of players has the best gear in game. Why should NW differ? Why everybody should have the very best gear without a big effort from their part? Or money.
I too think some price are too high. But I also think that cryptic knows better. I don't think they are trying to sink their own game.
Prices for items are going way up across the board. Amount of AD that can be farmed from selling loot is going down, especially since the best gear and even MC/VT gear is all BoP.
In every other mmorpg a really small percentage of players has the best gear in game. Why should NW differ? Why everybody should have the very best gear without a big effort from their part? Or money.
I too think some price are too high. But I also think that cryptic knows better. I don't think they are trying to sink their own game.
We're not asking for BiS gear and perfect enchants from Sgt. Knox when we hit 60. What we are asking for are reasonable prices. You simply cannot justify $10 for a Coal Ward nor can you justify many of the AD prices regarding transmutes and mount training.
The bulk of new gamers will be gated from the top end unless they spend exorbitant amounts of RL money and the existing Average Joe gamer like myself will not be giving Crytptic another dime. All my toons are decent geared between 13 and 14.2k, but due to the Coal issue they won't progress much further because I refuse to knowingly get ripped off.
Cryptic could have easily generated sales by giving you 4 Coal Wards for $10, but instead they have forced players to spend $10 in either RL currency or the AD eqivalent of $10.
PSA: You don't need to grind Spinward Rise for your Elemental artifact main hand if you have some AD lying around. You can craft it via the Tyranny of Dragon's campaign screen.
0
dragoness10Member, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 780Arc User
edited June 2014
"Quick - somebody RL rich go buy 5 million Zen, and fill all the current orders so the price instantly goes down!"
"Everybody start opening lockboxes so we all get Tarmalune Bars to buy Coalescent Wards with."
"Cryptic should wipe the AH, and reset all the prices. People can just get their things put in the mail to relist."
"Everybody should get one FREE Coalescent Ward with every purchase in the Zen Market."
Seriously, those were offered as solutions. Make of them what you will.
There is still the option to not spend any RL money on the game.
" I tried to figure out the enigma that was you, and then I realized mastering Wild Magic was easier." - Old Wizard in Waterdeep
"Why is it dragons only use ketchup? I'd like a little wasabi please. Us silvers like a variety of condiments."
"Don't call them foolish mortals. One, they don't learn from it. Two, It just ticks them off." - An Ancient Red Dragon
Expect prices on farmed items like enchants etc getting higher after todays patch. unless boters have lvl 60 chars? If they do, I dont understand what this change will do. :P
* Auction House: There is now a spending cap on how much can be spent in the Auction Hall per day on accounts with no level 60 characters. Normative play and purchasing activities should not experience any issues.
Expect prices on farmed items like enchants etc getting higher after todays patch.
* Auction House: There is now a spending cap on how much can be spent in the Auction Hall per day on accounts with no level 60 characters. Normative play and purchasing activities should not experience any issues.
Actually, they might go down (honestly I don't think it will have any impact). This was put in to stop the bot farms from being able to transfer AD on low level characters. I'm pretty sure those bot farms can just generate level 60 characters to get around this so I don't see it having much impact at all.
0
psychaos999Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild UsersPosts: 0Arc User
We're not asking for BiS gear and perfect enchants from Sgt. Knox when we hit 60. What we are asking for are reasonable prices. You simply cannot justify $10 for a Coal Ward nor can you justify many of the AD prices regarding transmutes and mount training.
The bulk of new gamers will be gated from the top end unless they spend exorbitant amounts of RL money and the existing Average Joe gamer like myself will not be giving Crytptic another dime. All my toons are decent geared between 13 and 14.2k, but due to the Coal issue they won't progress much further because I refuse to knowingly get ripped off.
Cryptic could have easily generated sales by giving you 4 Coal Wards for $10, but instead they have forced players to spend $10 in either RL currency or the AD eqivalent of $10.
What I meant was that if you don't have the time to grind your *** off, you should settle for a normal or greater enchantment and all r8 and still be competitive. Or have money to spare.
Look, I too think 10€ for a mere reagent is too much. But if the market goes back to 350-400ad/zen, a cward would cost 350k-400k. Sure, much more than before, but in the same ballpark.
What I meant was that if you don't have the time to grind your *** off, you should settle for a normal or greater enchantment and all r8 and still be competitive. Or have money to spare.
Look, I too think 10€ for a mere reagent is too much. But if the market goes back to 350-400ad/zen, a cward would cost 350k-400k. Sure, much more than before, but in the same ballpark.
I don't have the time due to RL commitments. With reasonable prices I was more than happy to open my wallet every now and then to compensate for my lack of grinding. Now? You need to go back to December/January for the last time I purchased Zen.
PSA: You don't need to grind Spinward Rise for your Elemental artifact main hand if you have some AD lying around. You can craft it via the Tyranny of Dragon's campaign screen.
Log in every day (even if you don't play) and pray. every 7 days every toon has a chance to get a FREE coal ward. yes. it's rare, especially now, but with 9 alts, I typical get at least one a month. They are account bound, which means you can put them in your account bank and use them on any of your alts.
In this game, you trade MONEY for TIME. period. Stop crying about coalesent ward pricings when you can GET THEM FOR FREE for doing NOTHING but spending a few minutes every day logging in each of your alts and hitting CTRL+i. I understand you wont' get one a week - you'll be lucky to get one a month. FOR FREE. Allow me to repeat: FOR FREE.
Neverwinter is a Pay-to-not-grind game. Grinding takes time, often A LOT of time. Month in some cases. You don't like that it takes that long? Pay up. If you can't/don't pay, then you grind. If you don't grind, you don't get the goods. There's no Santa Claus in Neverwinter.
Coalescent Wards are expensive, now more than ever.. except that you can get them FOR FREE (did I mention that already? I think so...)
You're so casual a player that you won't pay money and you won't put the time in to get them for free? oh. well, you totally deserve access to the most powerful items in the game.
Not.
You pay, or you play. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Sorry!
I realize I'm being (unusually) abrasive here... but there are so many things to rant about in Neverwinter, and I strong feel this is just NOT one of them.
Comments
An interesting idea. I feel like I've seen this system in other games. I can't remember how it worked out.
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
An excellent suggestion, Ambi.
What could Cryptic do to make AD more appealing for Zen sellers to buy? Make more appealing transmutes and set their prices very high? Maybe offer special companions/enchants/boosts/etc. for a high cost in AD? It seems like we have these things and they don't seem to be fixing this problem on their own.
Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to make light of your suggestion or this situation. If anything, I genuinely want to help. To do that, I feel like we need to give Cryptic ideas on what we really could use to turn our AD into something slightly more useful.
Maybe they can market items like the Black Ice packs in prices of AD and not just Zen? It would require a lot of finagling (is that even a word? lol) to make sure it can't be used to cheat the ZAX and workaround the exchange rate. It does seem like this happened directly as a result of Cryptic's decision to sell BI boosters for Zen and then give those packs a really good use for gearing up. Maybe they can repurpose this idea to save the ZAX now that it's harmed it significantly?
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
"Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?" -Tony Stark
Official NW_Legit_Community Forums
A FANTASTIC proposition! This has my vote!
Peter James
Host of Inside Neverwinter Podcast
Guild Leader of Knights at the Ceili
We don't ask what your gear score is.
Check out my signature line to learn how to join.
Sci-fi author: The Gods We Make, The Gods We Seek, and Ji-min
I think this has limited scope. Companion and mount upgrades are present yet people don't buy them if they don't think it is at the right price.
If transmutes are pretty cheap, we still need more sources of AD sinks since it won't solve the problem.
I can't believe I'm saying it, but the gambling-esque nature of an upcoming event involving a small chance to get a chicken augment is another good way to go about it.
Its dirty, but its an option
Before mod 3 after the refinement system was put in the top end enchants cost 6-7 million. Everybody always scoffed at the ridiculous 1k (10$) zen price for coal wards and figured that cryptic will eventually lower it. Now we know how wrong we were... Now the market is finally based on that ridiculous 500+k per ward price so I guess now people might actually buy coal wards on the zen market, it's a miracle!
As for players like myself, I guess we should've saved up for perfects when we had the chance instead of buying gear...
sigh...
Well considering rank 5 dark enchantments used to cost 10k EACH, we have ways to go before coming to the point again
Well, seeing as this particular idiot avoided D3 completely, I also happened to miss out on all the fun RMAH shenanigans. This particular idiot was familiar with what the government just printing money to "solve" the problem did in Zimbabwe. I'm terribly sorry I have more of an interest in world politics than a game I have no desire to play. This is obviously a shortcoming I should work on. Thank you for pointing it out.
Classic example of why people avoid many of the AD sinks;
The Wondrous Bazaar's helm and chest transmutes cost a combined 3.1 million AD per class. At the present exchange rate that is the equivalent of, wait for it, 6200 Zen. Even the bloody augment Cat companion is cheaper.
Fortunately you can craft the gloves and boots yourself and somehow the chest pieces make their way onto the AH at reasonable prices (24k for the Impenetrable Bastion vs the Bazaar's 1.35 million price tag), but I haven't yet seen the helm, so that is still the equivalent of 2700 Zen at the current exchange rate to look different.
AD sinks cost way too much. The average player would rather save up for a crushingly expensive Lesser Enchantment than change his appearance.
Buying set gear instead of finding people to run the dungeons for it with you has never really been an economically sound idea. There are various market-driven exceptions but... 4 million AD for a T2 set... forget it.
That said, I've been simply working on building up my enchantments over time since I started playing. I buy stuff when it's cheaper than I could make it for, and I buy refinement points when I don't find the prices too galling (so... not lately!). My rank 7s are gradually turning into rank 8s, and I have a pretty decent collection of weapon enchantments. I like making the higher ranked stuff over buying it outright because it allows for spreading out the costs over a long period, plus it's like wholesale over retail markup.
Do I wish I'd bought a hundred coalescent wards back in those heady days when they were 100k each? Sure. But I didn't have the capital for it back then. I suppose that my main regret is that my personal infatuation with unfavoured enchantments means that I am somewhat lacking in the Soulforged department
Neverwinter Census 2017
All posts pending disapproval by Cecilia
These were a fairly common drop from the original Tymora's Gift event. Torso only, not hats. All the ones you see for sale were effectively given away for free a long time ago, and prices now are mainly driven by desirability, and possibly by people knowing to even look for them. (And note that Tymora's Gift redux removed them from the possible loot.)
Neverwinter Census 2017
All posts pending disapproval by Cecilia
I'm not in a guild yet, or exceptionally geared. Nor do I have time to play RNG with multiple dungeon runs, WHILE battling people for the loot, WHILE trying to find a group to begin with. I have no choice but to buy them.
Why apologize? Your knowledge of real-world politics is an asset in other areas.
You just have to realize and concede that there is a much better and more relevant (in this case) historical precedence over this matter.
You yourself admitted that you weren't part of it, lucky for you I was obsessed with diablo 3's real money economy and studied the trends and can impart history on this matter.
TLDR: They did the same thing in diablo 3, lowered the cap and it did squat. Don't make the same stupid mistakes again and learn from history
I was just saying this very thing last night.
I just want to weigh in and agree with this post. I thought the price on coal wards was absolutely, undoubtedly ridiculous before. I hate this change and it makes it so that I can't invite ANYONE to this game. Once they find out that they have no chance of ever getting a perfect, and will grind an incredibly long time just to get a lesser is too much to bear.
This is my first post on the forums, I'll want cryptic to know that regardless of the bugged out black ice domination (ruining my favorite part of the module), regardless of the silly disconnect and come back with injuries and miss out on loot, regardless of the awkward rubberbanding when my system is doing fine, this change is killing the game for me. It has ruined the economy across the board.
Cryptic MUST find another solution than to gouge us with the prices on coal wards. It's too much for the game to bear and I don't know how much longer I can take it without a solution.
AD sinks on companions would be the number one thing I would invest in if the price changed. Everything in the game is too expensive to worry about cosmetics anymore. If I were new I would simply give up. The prices on mounts and weapon/armor enchants would mean that it would take forever to become competent.
Release us from this change and quit crippling our economy. All you've done is make sure that those who are on top in PvP will remain there atop the pile of scrub corpses. No change could be this wrong.
In every other mmorpg a really small percentage of players has the best gear in game. Why should NW differ? Why everybody should have the very best gear without a big effort from their part? Or money.
I too think some price are too high. But I also think that cryptic knows better. I don't think they are trying to sink their own game.
We're not asking for BiS gear and perfect enchants from Sgt. Knox when we hit 60. What we are asking for are reasonable prices. You simply cannot justify $10 for a Coal Ward nor can you justify many of the AD prices regarding transmutes and mount training.
The bulk of new gamers will be gated from the top end unless they spend exorbitant amounts of RL money and the existing Average Joe gamer like myself will not be giving Crytptic another dime. All my toons are decent geared between 13 and 14.2k, but due to the Coal issue they won't progress much further because I refuse to knowingly get ripped off.
Cryptic could have easily generated sales by giving you 4 Coal Wards for $10, but instead they have forced players to spend $10 in either RL currency or the AD eqivalent of $10.
"Everybody start opening lockboxes so we all get Tarmalune Bars to buy Coalescent Wards with."
"Cryptic should wipe the AH, and reset all the prices. People can just get their things put in the mail to relist."
"Everybody should get one FREE Coalescent Ward with every purchase in the Zen Market."
Seriously, those were offered as solutions. Make of them what you will.
There is still the option to not spend any RL money on the game.
"Why is it dragons only use ketchup? I'd like a little wasabi please. Us silvers like a variety of condiments."
"Don't call them foolish mortals. One, they don't learn from it. Two, It just ticks them off." - An Ancient Red Dragon
* Auction House: There is now a spending cap on how much can be spent in the Auction Hall per day on accounts with no level 60 characters. Normative play and purchasing activities should not experience any issues.
Actually, they might go down (honestly I don't think it will have any impact). This was put in to stop the bot farms from being able to transfer AD on low level characters. I'm pretty sure those bot farms can just generate level 60 characters to get around this so I don't see it having much impact at all.
What I meant was that if you don't have the time to grind your *** off, you should settle for a normal or greater enchantment and all r8 and still be competitive. Or have money to spare.
Look, I too think 10€ for a mere reagent is too much. But if the market goes back to 350-400ad/zen, a cward would cost 350k-400k. Sure, much more than before, but in the same ballpark.
I don't have the time due to RL commitments. With reasonable prices I was more than happy to open my wallet every now and then to compensate for my lack of grinding. Now? You need to go back to December/January for the last time I purchased Zen.
In this game, you trade MONEY for TIME. period. Stop crying about coalesent ward pricings when you can GET THEM FOR FREE for doing NOTHING but spending a few minutes every day logging in each of your alts and hitting CTRL+i. I understand you wont' get one a week - you'll be lucky to get one a month. FOR FREE. Allow me to repeat: FOR FREE.
Neverwinter is a Pay-to-not-grind game. Grinding takes time, often A LOT of time. Month in some cases. You don't like that it takes that long? Pay up. If you can't/don't pay, then you grind. If you don't grind, you don't get the goods. There's no Santa Claus in Neverwinter.
Coalescent Wards are expensive, now more than ever.. except that you can get them FOR FREE (did I mention that already? I think so...)
You're so casual a player that you won't pay money and you won't put the time in to get them for free? oh. well, you totally deserve access to the most powerful items in the game.
Not.
You pay, or you play. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Sorry!
I realize I'm being (unusually) abrasive here... but there are so many things to rant about in Neverwinter, and I strong feel this is just NOT one of them.
Sekhmet@kvetchus_
Guilds: Greycloaks, Blackcloaks, Whitecloaks, Goldcloaks, Browncloaks, Spiritcloaks, Bluecloaks, Silvercloaks, Black Dawn
Tredecim: The Cloak Alliance