i think they should make the companions still buyable like they did with the air cultist pack.
<div align="center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/YH9QCXK.png" alt="" /></div></img> ▂▃▄▅▆▇█▓▒░ Drac ░▒▓█▇▆▅▄▃▂ There is supposed to be an image here, but the hamsters took it. <div align="center">AKA Draconis of Luskan</div>
Take a backseat boy. Cause now I'm driving. ~ Give it up - Elizabeth Gilies ft. Ariana Grande
RIP Foundry: On that day, when the sky fell away, our world came to an end. ~Lifelight
Instead of removing them, these packs should have been updated with improved versions of those companions... and while they're at it, also improve all companions with fix stats as active bonus to offer players a broader range of actually usefull companions.
I mean, why were the stats for the Skeleton and the Wandering Scarecrow increased, but most other companions did not change at all? Or is that just another bug from the Ravenloft module?
Not to mention all those campaign or promotion or seasonal companions, that could also use a rework to bring them up to par with some other companions.
Maybe they needed to remove them for whatever reason, but the way they did it was a mistake, like so many previously.
These packs have unique stuff inside, companion, titles and transmutes. People want them. If they have advertised the removing of the packs and gave the player like a week to have a final chance to get them, would be quite a nice last profit for them.
But as usual, screw the players, just remove stuff without telling anyone, so that you just can't get it anymore.
i thought it was a bug, or was it listed in patch notes about them been removed ?
It's not in the patch notes. They have a separate "news" item about it. I don't really care about those packs because I never thought they were worth purchasing. However, I didn't realize it unlocked the included companions account-wide. Honestly, I don't understand why companions aren't unlocked account-wide, excepting those that come with keys or gear.
I really hope they make the contents of the packs available via other means. I mean, the packs were kinda pricey for 1 account wide Blue quality companion and some gear that is only good for transmutes after level 20 or so, but some of those companions were nice. I am furious that I never got around to picking up the Bahamut's Champion Pack because i really wanted that shield for my OP, but could never bring myself to drop 3500 zen for a shield transmute. My TR still uses the hood from the HR pack as a transmute.
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dheffernanMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 216Arc User
My bet is that we'll see them come back in non-account-wide forms.
@Venture-1@Venture from City of Heroes if you remember that far back. Yes, *that* Venture. Yes, I probably trashed your MA arc. For me it was Tuesday.
My bet is that we'll see them come back in non-account-wide forms.
Next question: who thinks I'd spend extra zen to buy stuff separately (what about the titles and stuff?) after they removed packs I was saving for without prior notice? They pissed me off, they sure ain't gonna profit from their BS.
Unless the idea is to bring them back in a more expensive and/or with less stuff, I would think that the idea that they were going away would be an effective way to push some sales.
Also, like others have mentioned, I had no idea that the companions were account unlocks. This game does a horrible job at spelling that out, and a bad job in general when it comes to single-character only items... If I claim a single-character only item on a character but then delete that character, why can I not reclaim the item?
Anyway, just seems like another thing that they could have done better.
Zero interest in the packs that they are putting in in their place.
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plasticbatMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 12,416Arc User
The account unlock part is in the description of the pack. It was not exactly hidden.
*** The game can read your mind. If you want it, you won't get it. If you don't expect to get it, you will. ***
Well, at least this means they are doing something with the Zen store. The new adventurer's packs they have there are a vast improvement over the old one, even if it's still pretty bad. They also relatively recently removed and replaced the old Blood Ruby Pack. So hopefully they are up to something with the class packs as well. Maybe they'll make some of the content available through the Wondrous Bazaar to generate another AD sink, since they seem to have as a goal to drain AD from the economy.
There's pretty much nothing in the Wondrous Bazaar, that i can't get cheaper from the AH - especially when there's a WB discounted event running. And it makes more sense to buy ViP, then to buy any of the "Adventurer" packs.
I also believe the only real AD sink in game is the option to upgrade companions with AD - but that one only works for a few companions, since most of the companions aren't worth upgrading...
I doubt that we'll see the class packs return in an improved version, and this only means that there're less items worth spending money/AD on in the shop from now on.
Overall the class packs were no longer optimal options for many players but we understand some items were attractive for multiple reasons (aesthetic, collection, etc.). We are looking at ways to make some of these individual components available again in the future.
Overall the class packs were no longer optimal options for many players but we understand some items were attractive for multiple reasons (aesthetic, collection, etc.). We are looking at ways to make some of these individual components available again in the future.
What's the harm in leaving the old packs in place until ready to replace them with newer/updated ones? I managed to grab a few of them over the years but would have liked to finish the collection!
If they were to have released updated packs the day after removing the old ones - with, say, better companions / gear - you'd have had the mob looking for someones head on a pike, because "I just bought the old, crummy pack *yesterday*! I demand compensation!" etc etc. Or worse, if the transmutes showed up on the Mantol-Derith vendor - people would be livid that they just spent money on buying the pack, when they could have got the transmutes 'for free'.
By putting some time between the old packs going, and new packs coming / re-release of the transmutes / companions, no one walks away feeling like they're getting the short end of the stick in the deal. Yes, many people didn't buy them - that's the way it goes sometimes. Better to have had the chance and missed it, then buy it and be told your purchase would have got you more the very next day.
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micky1p00Member, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 3,594Arc User
If they were to have released updated packs the day after removing the old ones - with, say, better companions / gear - you'd have had the mob looking for someones head on a pike, because "I just bought the old, crummy pack *yesterday*! I demand compensation!" etc etc. Or worse, if the transmutes showed up on the Mantol-Derith vendor - people would be livid that they just spent money on buying the pack, when they could have got the transmutes 'for free'.
By putting some time between the old packs going, and new packs coming / re-release of the transmutes / companions, no one walks away feeling like they're getting the short end of the stick in the deal. Yes, many people didn't buy them - that's the way it goes sometimes. Better to have had the chance and missed it, then buy it and be told your purchase would have got you more the very next day.
Sure, but the packs are not made in a day, or a decision to remove or replace them, so simple solution will be to just post that the packs going end-of-life, and will be removed in a month, two, etc.. And if a replacement will be available or not, and later post what it will be and people can decide what to buy, new, old, etc.. Regardless if there are new packs coming or not. Everything could have been much simpler with a simple long enough advanced notice to allow those that want to buy.
@cdnbison ... or they could simply give the players, that bought either one of the packs, the option to get the old and the new pack from the Rewards Claim Agent. Problem solved.
And no offense, but the new Adventurer Packs should be removed from the store as well again, since they're pretty much useless for most players. Or at the very least update the rare companion and mount to epic, since they are not account wide unlocks...
I'd also suggest to offer us more "Expedtion" packs (like the current "Hunter" one) for each major module instead, only replace the currency part with a campaign completion token for the older modules, and i'm sure that more then enough players would consider spending their ZEN on them right away...
What do you mean "get the old and new pack from the rewards claim agent"? Are you saying that if they release a new "SW Pack", that players who bought the original one should get the new one free? Because that'd be silliness to an extreme. I'm guessing / hoping that *if* they do release an updated version of the class packs, they're a bit more useful over the life of a character - ideally with the Ensorcelled choice pack, and a bit better companion stats.
The new 'Head Start' pack is fine, IMO - for new players. The mount and companion are useful enough - decent, but not great - but enough to get a new player to 70 without issue. The bag and VIP are both solid. And the insignia choice lets them get Wanderers Fortune from the start. All in all, pretty decent for someone just starting out. Veteran players won't need it, but we aren't the target for it.
I can't see completion tokens being thrown into the Expedition packs, though. Not unless it involves removing something - and it'd likely be taking the place of either the wards or keys - which are universal to all players. Not everyone needs a completion token, but most everyone will use keys and coal wards.
Well, they gave tons of stuff away during the Jubilee event for more or less just logging into the game... not sure why it would be "silly" to give players, that have spend ZEN, access to an improved version of a companion they allready have.
I'd love to see an update for all companions in the game, i'd say it's high time that we get something done in that department, and not just the companions from those removed packs/the store. The Skeleton and Wandering Scarecrow companions probably got their increased stats by mistake through Ravenloft... that's at least my guess, since i can't find something official about this change, but why not simply adjust the rest of the companions to a more usefull level as well?
And take a look at the Refer-a-friend rewards, and have fun explaining what is left in that "Adventurer Pack" worth spending that much ZEN on. I mean, considering how fast even a new player without ViP can reach level 70 and get into Barovia for a complete set of decent equipment without doing much for it, i'd say the Ensorcelled Arsenal isn't worth a damn either. The epic Siegebreaker Griffon from the Siege of Neverwinter has the Wanderers Fortune bonus, and that events comes around a few times every year, so not a major problem to get that mount for free at some point, and the fitting rare insignias don't cost that much AD on the AH anymore too.
Besides, a new player is better of getting a couple of months ViP and an account wide epic mount directly instead of either one of those Adventurer Packs. Even if a new player falls for one of these packs, i doubt, that he will continue spending money, when he looks at this purchase again after playing the game for a while...
And they can remove the mount and the companion from new Expedition Packs for old campaigns in favour of a Completion Token. Those players, that don't need the token, can sell it for some AD instead.
Post edited by regenerde on
I do believe in killing the messenger...
Want to know why?
Because it sends a message!
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jumpingmorksMember, NW M9 PlaytestPosts: 876Arc User
Really glad I bought the packs I really wanted this summer before they were removed.
Comments
▂▃▄▅▆▇█▓▒░ Drac ░▒▓█▇▆▅▄▃▂
There is supposed to be an image here, but the hamsters took it.
<div align="center">AKA Draconis of Luskan</div>
Take a backseat boy. Cause now I'm driving. ~ Give it up - Elizabeth Gilies ft. Ariana Grande
RIP Foundry: On that day, when the sky fell away, our world came to an end. ~Lifelight
I mean, why were the stats for the Skeleton and the Wandering Scarecrow increased, but most other companions did not change at all? Or is that just another bug from the Ravenloft module?
Not to mention all those campaign or promotion or seasonal companions, that could also use a rework to bring them up to par with some other companions.
These packs have unique stuff inside, companion, titles and transmutes. People want them. If they have advertised the removing of the packs and gave the player like a week to have a final chance to get them, would be quite a nice last profit for them.
But as usual, screw the players, just remove stuff without telling anyone, so that you just can't get it anymore.
Unless the idea is to bring them back in a more expensive and/or with less stuff, I would think that the idea that they were going away would be an effective way to push some sales.
Also, like others have mentioned, I had no idea that the companions were account unlocks.
This game does a horrible job at spelling that out, and a bad job in general when it comes to single-character only items... If I claim a single-character only item on a character but then delete that character, why can I not reclaim the item?
Anyway, just seems like another thing that they could have done better.
Zero interest in the packs that they are putting in in their place.
I also believe the only real AD sink in game is the option to upgrade companions with AD - but that one only works for a few companions, since most of the companions aren't worth upgrading...
I doubt that we'll see the class packs return in an improved version, and this only means that there're less items worth spending money/AD on in the shop from now on.
By putting some time between the old packs going, and new packs coming / re-release of the transmutes / companions, no one walks away feeling like they're getting the short end of the stick in the deal. Yes, many people didn't buy them - that's the way it goes sometimes. Better to have had the chance and missed it, then buy it and be told your purchase would have got you more the very next day.
Regardless if there are new packs coming or not. Everything could have been much simpler with a simple long enough advanced notice to allow those that want to buy.
... or they could simply give the players, that bought either one of the packs, the option to get the old and the new pack from the Rewards Claim Agent. Problem solved.
And no offense, but the new Adventurer Packs should be removed from the store as well again, since they're pretty much useless for most players. Or at the very least update the rare companion and mount to epic, since they are not account wide unlocks...
I'd also suggest to offer us more "Expedtion" packs (like the current "Hunter" one) for each major module instead, only replace the currency part with a campaign completion token for the older modules, and i'm sure that more then enough players would consider spending their ZEN on them right away...
The new 'Head Start' pack is fine, IMO - for new players. The mount and companion are useful enough - decent, but not great - but enough to get a new player to 70 without issue. The bag and VIP are both solid. And the insignia choice lets them get Wanderers Fortune from the start. All in all, pretty decent for someone just starting out. Veteran players won't need it, but we aren't the target for it.
I can't see completion tokens being thrown into the Expedition packs, though. Not unless it involves removing something - and it'd likely be taking the place of either the wards or keys - which are universal to all players. Not everyone needs a completion token, but most everyone will use keys and coal wards.
I'd love to see an update for all companions in the game, i'd say it's high time that we get something done in that department, and not just the companions from those removed packs/the store.
The Skeleton and Wandering Scarecrow companions probably got their increased stats by mistake through Ravenloft... that's at least my guess, since i can't find something official about this change, but why not simply adjust the rest of the companions to a more usefull level as well?
And take a look at the Refer-a-friend rewards, and have fun explaining what is left in that "Adventurer Pack" worth spending that much ZEN on. I mean, considering how fast even a new player without ViP can reach level 70 and get into Barovia for a complete set of decent equipment without doing much for it, i'd say the Ensorcelled Arsenal isn't worth a damn either.
The epic Siegebreaker Griffon from the Siege of Neverwinter has the Wanderers Fortune bonus, and that events comes around a few times every year, so not a major problem to get that mount for free at some point, and the fitting rare insignias don't cost that much AD on the AH anymore too.
Besides, a new player is better of getting a couple of months ViP and an account wide epic mount directly instead of either one of those Adventurer Packs. Even if a new player falls for one of these packs, i doubt, that he will continue spending money, when he looks at this purchase again after playing the game for a while...
And they can remove the mount and the companion from new Expedition Packs for old campaigns in favour of a Completion Token. Those players, that don't need the token, can sell it for some AD instead.