Am I the only one

[Moriam]

Am I the only one bothered by the randomness of these packs that actually cost real money? How is this not a lottery? And why can't BW just charge a flat fee for a particular item instead of this nickle and diming that is going on?

[Ticmoc]

If you are the only one, why are there 900 other threads about this?

[Moriam]

If you are the only one, why are there 900 other threads about this?

Sorry I recently resubbed so I have not been following the forums closely. Well if this is the case, lets all just walk out and unsub. That is the only way to show them what we don't like and force them to change...

[Lexiath]

No you are not. I really hate the Cartel packs.

 

I don't mind the Cartel market itself. I DO severely dislike the way it is handled.

You can buy 'vanity' items from the cartel market and these can actually be pretty nice. There are plenty of items I would pay some extra cash for to enhance my game play and immersion.

 

But why make them available based on gambling? You pay extra cash aside from your subscription for what? A small chance for a rare vanity item, but most of the time for junk that's not worth the dollars/euros your throwing at it? I want to spent money on things that I want. I do not want to spent money on things I do not want.

 

F2P has been out for awhile now and what has been added to the shop for direct buy? Two sets of pilot gear for a grand total of 1200 coins a piece and ANOTHER gamble RNG pack!. Sure, this pack is filled with interesting items too. But it's completely random what you get.

 

When I go to a car dealer I'm buying the car I want. I'm not giving the dealer 5 dollar/euro to give me something random in value.

"Would you look at that! A car wreck! This is the best day of my life!' Meanwhile the person standing next to you gets his seventh duplicate Ferrari.

[DarthOvertone]

If you are the only one, why are there 900 other threads about this?

 

roflmao! +Rep

 

Vegas wasn't built in a day! And it definitely wasn't built on the backs of winners.

[TheNahash]

Sorry I recently resubbed so I have not been following the forums closely. Well if this is the case, lets all just walk out and unsub. That is the only way to show them what we don't like and force them to change...

 

Or maybe, just maybe...just throwing it out there...you could just...I don't know... NOT buy the cartel packs, therefore both enjoying the game AND not spending any of your real life money apart from your subscription fee.

 

You can always get the things you like from the GTN. If you wait a bit you'll actually get them very cheap too so... yeah... walking out = not the only solution to your problem.

[Goretzu]

Am I the only one bothered by the randomness of these packs that actually cost real money?

No.

How is this not a lottery?

It is in fact classed as a "lottery".

And why can't BW just charge a flat fee for a particular item instead of this nickle and diming that is going on?

Doing it this way allows them to price a rare mount at say $300 a drop, where as if they sold it directly few would even pay $100 a time for the same mount - or to put it sucinctly, it makes them much more profit for the same number of things.

[Goretzu]

You can always get the things you like from the GTN. If you wait a bit you'll actually get them very cheap too so... yeah... walking out = not the only solution to your problem.

 

This assumes that supply stays up, in fact supply may well (and has if you look at many cartel items) drop off as people don't buy them anymore.

[United_Strafes]

Sorry I recently resubbed so I have not been following the forums closely. Well if this is the case, lets all just walk out and unsub. That is the only way to show them what we don't like and force them to change...

 

Well I won't do that because I do enjoy the game and think it's improved greatly especially since the initial launch. That being said I think all the Cartel stuff sucks, I've bought stuff with my saved allowance but wouldn't even fathom actually buying cartel coins for the stuff in there and find it quite amusing that people do. Re-colored armors....lol....come on.

[BJWyler]

This assumes that supply stays up, in fact supply may well (and has if you look at many cartel items) drop off as people don't buy them anymore.

 

That is the nature of supply and demand - the same as it is in any other MMO economy. When the players who have these items see that there are players who want them. They will be on the GTN again, or if you are lucky, traded from a Guildie or Friend.

 

Do I wish I could get a white crystal by buying it directly from the store? Yes. Am I upset that I can't? Nope. Doesn't affect my overall enjoyment of the game, and I will eventually get one from the GTN when I save up enough Creds. If I don't see one for sale by that time, I will do what I have always done in every other MMO I have played - ask around (in chat, in guild, in friends, and in forums) until I find one. Thus far, it hasn't let me down.

 

BJ

Edited December 11, 2012 by BJWyler

[TheNahash]

This assumes that supply stays up, in fact supply may well (and has if you look at many cartel items) drop off as people don't buy them anymore.

 

Depends on when you check the market for them.

Of course supply will not be as high on a Wednesday noon as it will be on a Saturday-Sunday evening. People are still buying them or at least they are still selling the more valuable items they've found. But not everyone is stupid when selling items: If I see the Overlord's Chair selling for 2million credits, I'm not going to sell the one I have. Instead I'm gonna wait for the seller to sell his and then sell it at a higher price.

 

However I was not talking lower prices in 3-4 weeks time after their introduction. More like 2-3 months. If you really like that White Hawkeye Crystal, it will still be there 2 months from now and it will be there at half the price it is right now, because then there will be 10 new, "cooler" colors to choose from. Just look at the prices for black-purple color crystals now...

 

If you want something and you want it NOW, then you'll have to pay a lot - that's the price in the game and in real life for wanting something and having no patience.

Edited December 11, 2012 by TheNahash

[Goretzu]

That is the nature of supply and demand - the same as it is in any other MMO economy. When the players who have these items see that there are players who want them. They will be on the GTN again, or if you are lucky, traded from a Guildie or Friend.

 

Do I wish I could get a white crystal by buying it directly from the store? Yes. Am I upset that I can't? Nope. Doesn't affect my overall enjoyment of the game, and I will eventually get one from the GTN when I save up enough Creds.

 

BJ

 

Indeed, that is exactly what I'm saying.

 

That the idea that you can somehow circumvent the Cashshop with certainty to get what you want is a totally false one.

[Goretzu]

Depends on when you check the market for them.

Of course supply will not be as high on a Wednesday noon as it will be on a Saturday-Sunday evening. People are still buying them or at least they are still selling the more valuable items they've found. But not everyone is stupid when selling items: If I see the Overlord's Chair selling for 2million credits, I'm not going to sell the one I have. Instead I'm gonna wait for the seller to sell his and then sell it at a higher price.

 

However I was not talking lower prices in 3-4 weeks time after their introduction. More like 2-3 months. If you really like that White Hawkeye Crystal, it will still be there 2 months from now and it will be there at half the price it is right now, because then there will be 10 new, "cooler" colors to choose from.

 

If you want something and you want it NOW, then you'll have to pay a lot - that's the price in the game and in real life for wanting something and having no patience.

 

There's certainly variations of a "time of the week" nature, but that isn't what either me or BJ are talking about.

[BJWyler]

 

Indeed, that is exactly what I'm saying.

 

That the idea that you can somehow circumvent the Cashshop with certainty to get what you want is a totally false one.

 

Depends on what it is. In GW1 that was the case for all the special costumes they created. They had to be bought in the store. For SWTOR - not so much, as I added to my post after you apparently quoted it. Depending on how long the Life Day stuff hangs around, one may not be able to get it a few months from now, but that should be expected from a holiday themed item. For the rest of the stuff - you will always be able to find someone willing to sell it eventually.

 

BJ

[TheNahash]

 

There's certainly variations of a "time of the week" nature, but that isn't what either me or BJ are talking about.

 

The OP is bothered by the randomness of the packs. I am too. I would've much like to get the white crystal and the overlord's chair from the market, without having to look in packs or buy them off the GTN.

 

However, as you correctly pointed out, the value of the items that can be sold directly from the Cartel Shop are much lower, simply because people love to have "super rare" items that few others can afford and/or can find.

 

The OP also suggests that the only solution is walking out. Nope. If you are enjoying the game, that's actually a pretty nonsensical solution.

Just don't buy the cartel packs.

If Bioware/EA see that they are not getting the revenue they want from them they will change the way you can buy them from the Cartel Shop.

It's as simple as that.

Edited December 11, 2012 by TheNahash

[Jawa-Punter]

Am I the only one bothered by the randomness of these packs that actually cost real money?

No you're not. This is an MMO, not Vegas. I'd buy a lot more stuff if I didn't know my purchase would probably be a waste of money. The only time I bought the gambling packs was with leftover money after buying what I really wanted. If I had the ability to buy any amount of Bioware bucks I'd buy the exact amount I need for what I want and wouldn't spend a dime on the 'probably a waste of money packs'.

 

Edit: Know what I got from my last pack? A bound companion customization for C2-N2 my sith can't use or even sell, A stack of materials for a crew skill I don't have, a recipe for a crew skill I don't have, a 1 hour EXP boost for class quests, a companion gift my favorite companion didn't like and Revan pants. The pants were the one thing I actually wanted in the whole pack. I'm not likely to ever get the whole set unless I can buy them directly. I'm not inclined to waste money on packs that give 99% useless stuff for a small chance of maybe (but probably not) getting a piece of the Reven armor I don't have yet.

Edited December 11, 2012 by Jawa-Punter

[Moriam]

Doing it this way allows them to price a rare mount at say $300 a drop, where as if they sold it directly few would even pay $100 a time for the same mount - or to put it sucinctly, it makes them much more profit for the same number of things.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head here. It is a way for them to charge high prices and still trick us into buying it. In our heads spending 5 dollars for a pack for a chance to win 20 dollars might seem good.

 

What also bugs me about this crap is that alot of the items are just old stuff that they just recolored or just said, "hey you marauders can use this light armor now". Come on.

 

That being said, there are some pretty neat new items that I would pay to get, but I don't want to gamble for it....

[Goretzu]

Depends on what it is. In GW1 that was the case for all the special costumes they created. They had to be bought in the store. For SWTOR - not so much, as I added to my post after you apparently quoted it. Depending on how long the Life Day stuff hangs around, one may not be able to get it a few months from now, but that should be expected from a holiday themed item. For the rest of the stuff - you will always be able to find someone willing to sell it eventually.

 

BJ

 

Only if people keep buying it, as you said supply and demand. Certainly there are plenty of things not availible on my AH for long periods now.

 

 

The OP is bothered by the randomness of the packs. I am too. I would've much like to get the white crystal and the overlord's chair from the market, without having to look in packs or buy them off the GTN.

 

However, as you correctly pointed out, the value of the items that can be sold directly from the Cartel Shop are much lower, simply because people love to have "super rare" items that few others can afford and/or can find.

 

The OP also suggests that the only solution is walking out. Nope. If you are enjoying the game, that's actually a pretty nonsensical solution.

Just don't buy the cartel packs.

If Bioware/EA see that they are not getting the revenue they want from them they will change the way you can buy them from the Cartel Shop.

It's as simple as that.

 

Again the way gambling packs work the supply is not constant and may effectively dry up entirely.

[Goretzu]

I think you hit the nail on the head here. It is a way for them to charge high prices and still trick us into buying it. In our heads spending 5 dollars for a pack for a chance to win 20 dollars might seem good.

 

What also bugs me about this crap is that alot of the items are just old stuff that they just recolored or just said, "hey you marauders can use this light armor now". Come on.

 

That being said, there are some pretty neat new items that I would pay to get, but I don't want to gamble for it....

 

 

Yeah it's no great secret tbh, it's just how these things work, and it's been working like this since the first human played a game of "bones".

 

It's fairly annoying once you understand it though, but enough people don't understand it that there's always money coming in from it.

[Fornix]

I think you hit the nail on the head here. It is a way for them to charge high prices and still trick us into buying it. In our heads spending 5 dollars for a pack for a chance to win 20 dollars might seem good.

 

Yet it is exactly what millions of people do every single day, buying lottery tickets in hopes to win that big prize. Packs such as these keep certain items rare, they prevent the entire community from running around on the exact same thing, with the exact same pet, etc. Rather it creates a certain level of variety.

 

Similar on as to how ops mounts aren't freely handed out for turning in the weekly quests for example.

 

And well yeh, there's two ways in which they can achieve that. Buy having such a mount be a 0.5% drop chance in a 3 buck pack for example, or by selling the mount in the cartel shop for 500$ to ensure it stays exclusive. Yeh, I'm pretty sure the latter will go well.

[Stenrik]

Well I won't do that because I do enjoy the game and think it's improved greatly especially since the initial launch. <snip>

I'm surprised to hear you say that, given a lot of your posts.

[Goretzu]

Yet it is exactly what millions of people do every single day, buying lottery tickets in hopes to win that big prize. Packs such as these keep certain items rare, they prevent the entire community from running around on the exact same thing, with the exact same pet, etc. Rather it creates a certain level of variety.

 

Similar on as to how ops mounts aren't freely handed out for turning in the weekly quests for example.

 

And well yeh, there's two ways in which they can achieve that. Buy having such a mount be a 0.5% drop chance in a 3 buck pack for example, or by selling the mount in the cartel shop for 500$ to ensure it stays exclusive. Yeh, I'm pretty sure the latter will go well.

 

 

It creates NO "variety" (there's tons of every sort of Cartel Item on any servers fleet in the game), although I credit you for a new and orginal apologist invention, it quite simply makes more money for Bioware EA, because they can charge $300 for a mount instead of $30 and most people aren't any the wiser.

[Knockerz]

Well I won't do that because I do enjoy the game and think it's improved greatly especially since the initial launch. That being said I think all the Cartel stuff sucks, I've bought stuff with my saved allowance but wouldn't even fathom actually buying cartel coins for the stuff in there and find it quite amusing that people do. Re-colored armors....lol....come on.

 

You should see what goes on in wow. People paying 300-600 dollars for a loot card that allows them to have a unique looking mount/vehicle. The spectral tiger usually sells for 600 usd and the rocket mount around 300 usd. There is even a mount that moves at walking speed called the turtle mount that's purely for show, but is kinda cool looking. Personally, I think they should add more expensive items with huge cost, but make them unique looking looking like the wow mounts/vehicles, but that also encompasses new and cool looking gear.

Edited December 12, 2012 by Knockerz

[sstanks]

Am I the only one bothered by the randomness of these packs that actually cost real money? How is this not a lottery? And why can't BW just charge a flat fee for a particular item instead of this nickle and diming that is going on?

 

because you can buy them for in game money on the GTN.

[Goretzu]

You should see what goes on in wow. People paying 300-600 dollars for a loot card that allows them to have a unique looking mount/vehicle. The spectral tiger usually sells for 600 usd and the rocket mount around 300 usd. There is even a mount that moves at walking speed called the turtle mount that's purely for show, but is kinda cool looking. Personally, I think they should add more expensive items with huge cost, but make them unique looking looking like the wow mounts/vehicles, but that also encompasses new and cool looking gear.

 

They pay that to Blizzard?