You have a free chance at coal wards every 7 straight days of play. You can save up AD to buy lockboxes, and use the bars in the boxes to buy more wards. Sell everything else from the box on the AH for almost enough for a second key. And completely free to play, you can have 2 characters, farming 25k AD a day, and every 7 days getting a chance at a ward. I think everyones overreacting on this one, and the mass influx of people buying coal wards out of fear is going to drive up the price, not the actual supply going down.
If there were a reasonable chance at a ward every 7 days that might make more sense. However, I have been playing for 6 months, have 4 60th level characters, and have received ONE Coal ward from the prayer boxes. If people can't get the wards in the first place, to get gear to get into a dungeon, how can you expect someone to be able to mine 25K AD a day on two characters.
That doesn't even take into account the time it takes to get that 25K AD on two characters, time I am betting most people do not have every day of the week.
If there were a reasonable chance at a ward every 7 days that might make more sense. However, I have been playing for 6 months, have 4 60th level characters, and have received ONE Coal ward from the prayer boxes. If people can't get the wards in the first place, to get gear to get into a dungeon, how can you expect someone to be able to mine 25K AD a day on two characters.
That doesn't even take into account the time it takes to get that 25K AD on two characters, time I am betting most people do not have every day of the week.
And in that same six month's I've got six coal wards (nine in total since game launch) with 5 level 60s. Sometimes the RNG smiles sometimes not.
I've very rarely made 25k a day per character, but just from leadership I'm easily pulling in about 10k AD a day per toon. Took a while to get to rank 20, but it's truly minimal effort.
A world to defend
A city to protect
innocents to save
"Why?" They ask "they hate you"
We're heroes it's what we do.
*patiently waiting on Paragon City*
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dragoness10Member, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 780Arc User
edited June 2014
Try the surveys for Zen. Sure it takes a bit longer, but it's free Zen. Just don't do the ones that require you to spend money to get Zen.
Also try watching the Auction House if you want a certain item. Check out the soonest to expire, and lowest bids. I got a coal ward two weeks ago for around 240000 AD. I got a lesser terror enchant for 280000 AD. I upgraded my Black Ice Pick in ten days with earned Zen.
It's going to take me a bit to get to Kessel's Retreat yet so I am using Black Ice to buy fashion items meanwhiles. I earn AD that way selling it in the AH.
Work smarter, not harder.
" 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
Wow. I was only gone a month and the prices for Zen and coleslaw wards have skyrocketed, and it looks like the latter will be permanent. I think I'll have to outright abandon any plans I had for weapon/armor enchants along with companions, artifacts...
Check out Adventuring College! A 20 minute male-centric comedic solo adventure.
Quest ID: NW-DPCZNUVQ7
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reagenlionel1Member, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
edited June 2014
This is why I no longer even waste my time on the 7 day boxes. its no longer worth it, it hasnt been since they've made that change to them.
I religiously opened those boxes for a month and a half on all 11 of my characters. I got one. Only one. After that, I called it quits. I startd getting the 6 day stuff. Its the only other thing even worth bothering with in the celestial coin store. Im not gonna waste my time getting some stupid enchants and peridots and aquamarines I can get in regular play without even thinking about them. Getting a peridot is like finding a quarter on the ground. Aquamarine a single dollar on the sidewalk.
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arcticblitzMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 126Arc User
edited June 2014
Overall I think this is a shocking move on PWE / Cryptic's part, I have spent more money on this game than any other and it has been money I have been glad to spend. However this move that limits the play experience has seen me spend the last of my money on this game!
now this is a guess not knowing how PWE work, To me it seems like a tactical sales initiative (see: knee jerk reaction to falling short of projected revenue budget's) and the dashboard /spreadsheet warriors (finance department) have stepped in and demanded a quick uninformed top line change that will "fix" everything.
I think trying to address this at the PWE /Cryptic level is probably not going to get anywhere, My understanding of Wizards of the coast is that the "Play Experience" is an incredibly important part of their Brand values and that they take a dim view of anything which tarnishes the brand value (regardless of who they issue the license too), I would suggest players concerned with this change that affects the "play experience" also make their feelings known to Wizards as well as PWE / Cryptic
Blitzy : PVE only Barbarian
Martin ConDion PVE only Ranger Guild Founder: -HunterS-
On the other side, this change could decrease the demand of zen. As someone has said before, opening tons of lockboxes was a profitable thing mostly because of coal wards.
Opening a ton of lockboxes has never really been a profitable thing to do compared to just buying AD off the zen exchange and certainly not in the last month or so where a dollar of real currency is getting you almost 50k AD.
As for changing the trade bar coals to BoP.... well I don't know why they decided to do this really other than it probably makes the mass opening of lockboxes less profitable for chinese gold farmers.
One of these days I should probably sit down and write a post that details how this is working so people understand a bit about why some of the more... "esoteric" changes are being made to the game. I suspect Cryptic doesn't want to talk too much publicly about this, for reasons.
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theycallmetomuMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 1,861Arc User
Overall I think this is a shocking move on PWE / Cryptic's part, I have spent more money on this game than any other and it has been money I have been glad to spend. However this move that limits the play experience has seen me spend the last of my money on this game!
now this is a guess not knowing how PWE work, To me it seems like a tactical sales initiative (see: knee jerk reaction to falling short of projected revenue budget's) and the dashboard /spreadsheet warriors (finance department) have stepped in and demanded a quick uninformed top line change that will "fix" everything.
I think trying to address this at the PWE /Cryptic level is probably not going to get anywhere, My understanding of Wizards of the coast is that the "Play Experience" is an incredibly important part of their Brand values and that they take a dim view of anything which tarnishes the brand value (regardless of who they issue the license too), I would suggest players concerned with this change that affects the "play experience" also make their feelings known to Wizards as well as PWE / Cryptic
I doubt WotC cares about NWO. Remember, DnD next is doing a complete reimagining of the realms. NWO is quickly going to be completely non-canon. If they can somehow magically tie in one of the upcoming modules to the world events in the Forgotten Realms, they may be able to claim relevance (EDIT: that would be an awesome idea actually, and I for one would be a lot more enthused in the game), but otherwise I expect that NWO will ultimately go the route of DDO.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, and the people in charge have come to the conclusion that because they don't have the support of the IP holders and thus expect to languish, it's possible that the change to coal wards isn't designed as part of a long-term profit bearing strategy, but more as a way to cut their losses; they'll earn less in the long run than they would have if they maintained the game at a certain level of quality, but that was never an option at all.
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reagenlionel1Member, Neverwinter Beta UsersPosts: 0Arc User
I doubt WotC cares about NWO. Remember, DnD next is doing a complete reimagining of the realms. NWO is quickly going to be completely non-canon. If they can somehow magically tie in one of the upcoming modules to the world events in the Forgotten Realms, they may be able to claim relevance (EDIT: that would be an awesome idea actually, and I for one would be a lot more enthused in the game), but otherwise I expect that NWO will ultimately go the route of DDO.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, and the people in charge have come to the conclusion that because they don't have the support of the IP holders and thus expect to languish, it's possible that the change to coal wards isn't designed as part of a long-term profit bearing strategy, but more as a way to cut their losses; they'll earn less in the long run than they would have if they maintained the game at a certain level of quality, but that was never an option at all.
Actually alot of evidence is proving that to be false. They suddenly implemented new character models, that were based on concept art for the next edition of DnD without any real prior mention (and no official mention of this either) in addition, a very sudden and out of blue announcement of Mod 4 on the very thing Wizards are releasing JUST only a week after releasing mod3 (and that is very very out of character for cryptic. They usually do not announce anything like that this early) And the info pertaining to mod 4 tyranny of dragons is very vague with no infomation besides when it will be released and the name.
it sounds like wizards is very much guiding behind NWO from all this evidence.
Comments
If there were a reasonable chance at a ward every 7 days that might make more sense. However, I have been playing for 6 months, have 4 60th level characters, and have received ONE Coal ward from the prayer boxes. If people can't get the wards in the first place, to get gear to get into a dungeon, how can you expect someone to be able to mine 25K AD a day on two characters.
That doesn't even take into account the time it takes to get that 25K AD on two characters, time I am betting most people do not have every day of the week.
I've very rarely made 25k a day per character, but just from leadership I'm easily pulling in about 10k AD a day per toon. Took a while to get to rank 20, but it's truly minimal effort.
A city to protect
innocents to save
"Why?" They ask "they hate you"
We're heroes it's what we do.
*patiently waiting on Paragon City*
Also try watching the Auction House if you want a certain item. Check out the soonest to expire, and lowest bids. I got a coal ward two weeks ago for around 240000 AD. I got a lesser terror enchant for 280000 AD. I upgraded my Black Ice Pick in ten days with earned Zen.
It's going to take me a bit to get to Kessel's Retreat yet so I am using Black Ice to buy fashion items meanwhiles. I earn AD that way selling it in the AH.
Work smarter, not harder.
"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
Quest ID: NW-DPCZNUVQ7
I religiously opened those boxes for a month and a half on all 11 of my characters. I got one. Only one. After that, I called it quits. I startd getting the 6 day stuff. Its the only other thing even worth bothering with in the celestial coin store. Im not gonna waste my time getting some stupid enchants and peridots and aquamarines I can get in regular play without even thinking about them. Getting a peridot is like finding a quarter on the ground. Aquamarine a single dollar on the sidewalk.
now this is a guess not knowing how PWE work, To me it seems like a tactical sales initiative (see: knee jerk reaction to falling short of projected revenue budget's) and the dashboard /spreadsheet warriors (finance department) have stepped in and demanded a quick uninformed top line change that will "fix" everything.
I think trying to address this at the PWE /Cryptic level is probably not going to get anywhere, My understanding of Wizards of the coast is that the "Play Experience" is an incredibly important part of their Brand values and that they take a dim view of anything which tarnishes the brand value (regardless of who they issue the license too), I would suggest players concerned with this change that affects the "play experience" also make their feelings known to Wizards as well as PWE / Cryptic
Martin ConDion PVE only Ranger
Guild Founder: -HunterS-
Opening a ton of lockboxes has never really been a profitable thing to do compared to just buying AD off the zen exchange and certainly not in the last month or so where a dollar of real currency is getting you almost 50k AD.
As for changing the trade bar coals to BoP.... well I don't know why they decided to do this really other than it probably makes the mass opening of lockboxes less profitable for chinese gold farmers.
One of these days I should probably sit down and write a post that details how this is working so people understand a bit about why some of the more... "esoteric" changes are being made to the game. I suspect Cryptic doesn't want to talk too much publicly about this, for reasons.
I doubt WotC cares about NWO. Remember, DnD next is doing a complete reimagining of the realms. NWO is quickly going to be completely non-canon. If they can somehow magically tie in one of the upcoming modules to the world events in the Forgotten Realms, they may be able to claim relevance (EDIT: that would be an awesome idea actually, and I for one would be a lot more enthused in the game), but otherwise I expect that NWO will ultimately go the route of DDO.
IF THAT'S THE CASE, and the people in charge have come to the conclusion that because they don't have the support of the IP holders and thus expect to languish, it's possible that the change to coal wards isn't designed as part of a long-term profit bearing strategy, but more as a way to cut their losses; they'll earn less in the long run than they would have if they maintained the game at a certain level of quality, but that was never an option at all.
Actually alot of evidence is proving that to be false. They suddenly implemented new character models, that were based on concept art for the next edition of DnD without any real prior mention (and no official mention of this either) in addition, a very sudden and out of blue announcement of Mod 4 on the very thing Wizards are releasing JUST only a week after releasing mod3 (and that is very very out of character for cryptic. They usually do not announce anything like that this early) And the info pertaining to mod 4 tyranny of dragons is very vague with no infomation besides when it will be released and the name.
it sounds like wizards is very much guiding behind NWO from all this evidence.
It was a tricky thing, but they had to change it.
Some people made thousands of characters and completely abused the system.
I saw one person get to the max AD limit just by doing this.