A Rewarding Experience – John Hargrove Talks About Loot

[czymann]

More news!

http://www.arena.net/blog/a-rewarding-experience-john-hargrove-talks-about-loot

[ShadowbaneX]

A lot of that stuff sounds like stuff we already know from the GW:EN dungeons and the other recent stuff, ie everyone gets their own chance to open the chest and get their loot.

I also like the set idea stuff and the transmutation stones. I wonder if you'll be able to transmute those Crests, or if they can be moved in some other fashion.

[czymann]

Devs visited the guru forums and stated that it moves all of the stats from one item to another. I dunno if crests can be removed from an item once placed other than transmuting.

[ShadowbaneX]

Devs visited the guru forums and stated that it moves all of the stats from one item to another. I dunno if crests can be removed from an item once placed other than transmuting.
Well, if the crests become part of the items stats, then it would stand to reason that they move as well, although I've seen dumber things happen in other games.

[Orc]

Looks like the transmutation stones will have to be paid for though, if I'm reading it correctly.

[czymann]

Looks like the transmutation stones will have to be paid for though, if I'm reading it correctly.

Yes it is an in store item. http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/rewarding-experience-t9275.html is blowing up on this. I am also putting my 2 cents in on this matter. My belief is that these transmutation stones should only be used as a quick way to change stats over from one item to another. Any item should be available at your characters max level and have the chance to have nice stats without the use of a transmutation stone. I have no problem with the use of transmutation stones as long as it is implemented correctly.

[ShadowbaneX]

wait store as in merchants, or microtransactions? If it's the later, ok, I guess, but it means that it's something I'm only going to be doing like once.

[czymann]

wait store as in merchants, or microtransactions? If it's the later, ok, I guess, but it means that it's something I'm only going to be doing like once.

Micro-transactions. If Anet goes the route of having to change your looks because you have to have a Transmutation Stone to get what you want instead of giving you the option to work for it,then I will be one sad panda

[Orc]

From what I read, stats are kinda random, so you have a chance of getting the stats you want on an item you like the look of. Or else you can use a stone to combine one item's looks with another item's stats.

[czymann]

From what I read, stats are kinda random, so you have a chance of getting the stats you want on an item you like the look of. Or else you can use a stone to combine one item's looks with another item's stats.

Yep that is the idea. However no one should have to pay real cash for anything in game that they want that was there in the release.
Transmutation Stones should only be a quick way to transfer skins/stats from one item to another.
Every item in the game should be available to get at level 80 and be effective without having to pay real cash for it.

[czymann]

I am not sure if anyone is keeping track of whats going on in the guildwars2guru forums,but these transmutation stones are a huge topic. Well over 2000 posts spread across 3 separate threads. 2 of which were closed because the mods were not able to keep up.
I have never ever seen so much debating over anything in the forums in the past. I just do not understand why people are ok with paying real cash to have access to preexisting content that came with the purchase of the game.

[Matoyak]

It isn't too terribly unusual a topic nowadays, especially with the console DLC/micro-transactions taking off, and more specifically with Release Day DLC.

It is going to be a hot-button issue for a good long while to come, guaranteed.

[ShadowbaneX]

release day DLC is a bit of a low blow IMO. I know why game companies do it: it's bonus revenue for them, but from the player's perspective, it's just making us pay for more money. I don't mind paying for some new content, especially expansions and the like, but I really dislike when some companies hold stuff back from the main release, just to grab more money a week or two down the line.

[Matoyak]

release day DLC is a bit of a low blow IMO. I know why game companies do it: it's bonus revenue for them, but from the player's perspective, it's just making us pay for more money. I don't mind paying for some new content, especially expansions and the like, but I really dislike when some companies hold stuff back from the main release, just to grab more money a week or two down the line.The counter-point to that is that a lot of the release day DLC is stuff that would not have been up to snuff when they had to cut full-time development on the full game. This point is typically a good two to five (or more, in crazy cases) months before the actual release of the game, due to the many many other things that must be done and cleaned up. This creates a gap in which the company can finish up their extraneous ideas on the project, get a bit of the ideas off the cutting room floor back into the thing, AND make more money.

I personally say wait two or so weeks after game releases to give it to us, but eh, what do I know...

[ShadowbaneX]

I'm willing to wait the few extra months for a polished and complete game, rather then having to pay full price for an unfinished game and then having to pay more for the final touches.

[czymann]

Umm what is ' DLC ' ? Down Loadable Content? And are you guys still talking about GW2?
I was born a blond so I get confused easily.

[Matoyak]

I'm willing to wait the few extra months for a polished and complete game, rather then having to pay full price for an unfinished game and then having to pay more for the final touches.Aye, I would be willing to wait too. The problem is, the real world is NOT, and neither are Publishers, nor the deadline. What follows is a somewhat flawed system that can be used for ganking more money in dick moves, or can be used to legitimately expand the experience.

@czy: DLC = Downloadable Content, yeah. I was using it as a comparison.

[ShadowbaneX]

Guild Wars doesn't really have much in the way of DLC, they've been pretty good so far. A lot of companies out there would have charged for stuff like the War In Kryta. Mato and I are using the term DLC, but it's not entirely accurate for what GW2 is looking to do. I'm not entirely happy with it, especially in the similar case of the appearance changes available in GW1. I can understand why they're charging for it, they want money, but I think that it'd be a good idea if there was some way that you could do it without having to pay for it. Z-Coins, gold, whatever.

Same applies with these transmutation stones. I want a way of being able to get them in game, by working for them, instead of paying for them.

Oh, and Mato there is one company that is seemingly immune to the DLC phenomenon and that's Blizzard...but then they're Blizzard. I suppose you could sort of argue that Valve doesn't do it either, but by the same token, I'm still waiting for Half-Life 2: Episode 3.

[Matoyak]

Oh, and Mato there is one company that is seemingly immune to the DLC phenomenon and that's Blizzard...but then they're Blizzard. I suppose you could sort of argue that Valve doesn't do it either, but by the same token, I'm still waiting for Half-Life 2: Episode 3.I love good DLC. Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands, Resident Evil 5, and many more did VERY well with DLC, and it extended the life of each game tremendous amounts. DLC when done well is nothing but good. When done poorly it is a cheap money grab and equivalent to a kick in the gnads. (just like an expansion pack, actually)

And to be fair to Valve, while yeah, we're waiting for Episode 3...in the interum they've released quite a few great games, have continued to improve Steam, have been working on Portal 2, have released a great free game (Alien Swarm), have ported the entire Steam Cloud over to the PS3, and have been working on updating the Source engine.
They haven't just been sitting around doing nothing :) :p :)

That said...DAMMIT VALVE, GIVE US EPISODE THREE YOU BASTARDS! >:[

[czymann]

I am totally fine with DLC as long as it only adds to the content and not alter existing content.
GW1 BMP was perfectly fine.

I had thought of this nursery rhyme that basically sums up what I think of big gaming companies and how well they normally treat their player base.

Mary had a little lamb,its fleece was white as snow. Everywhere Mary went the lamb was sure to go. One day Mary crosses the street,the lamb followed with a 'bleat'. Lamb gets run over by a MACK. Mary has lamb chops for a snack.

Heh I decided to share that with the gw2guru community. Lets see if the Mods remove it.