How many Cartel Packs have you bought and were they worth it?

[SlayerGopher]

So, I've seen a lot of forumites talking about how people buy cartel packs and it got me thinking how do people here *actually* purchase and was it worth it?

 

Now, just to be clear, I am talking about the packs, not equipment, cosmetic, unlocks or anything else.

 

I've bought a grand total of 3 and I got;

Red's Bracers

Red's Belt

Rascal's Toothpick (This was great timing with my just started Smuggler!)

and some Sniper Rifle and Assault Cannon. I still have yet to figure out what to do with the crafting/reputation stuff since I'm not crafting or level 55 for reputation.

Edited May 21, 2014 by SlayerGopher

[DarthTHC]

Zero. Because I understand odds and don't take losing risks. I've even bought zero from GTN. Again, because I don't take losing risks.

[Reno_Tarshil]

I have bought many packs.

 

And they were all worth it in some way.

 

But the one pack that stands out the most to me is the Blockade Runner's pack I bought for 320k that had Revan's Mask in it.

[OddballEasyEight]

Zero. Because I understand odds and don't take losing risks. I've even bought zero from GTN. Again, because I don't take losing risks.

 

I've bought at least one hypercrate of each pack... because I too understand odds and don't take losing risks.

 

So instead I sell them all for 350k-500k for each pack on the GTN and made millions which I then used to buy the stuff I wanted from the packs with no risk at all.

[SlayerGopher]

So, it'd be safe to say it was worth it for you...yes?

[DarthTHC]

I've bought at least one hypercrate of each pack... because I too understand odds and don't take losing risks.

 

So instead I sell them all for 350k-500k for each pack on the GTN and made millions which I then used to buy the stuff I wanted from the packs with no risk at all.

 

Yeah, that's the one winning way to use the packs. I don't take that path because I prefer not to burn dollars for credits.

[Sorei]

I bought a few hypercrates of the second shipment back then. While I got several pieces I wanted, I was only partly satisfied with the purchase. Now, I buy the items I want off the GTN. I feel better this way, though waiting long enough until selling some things brought in some good money.

Still, yesterday I bought 5 hypercrates of the third shipment for the cartel reputation (as they are on sale). While I got a few items I wanted (1 Coastal Varactyl, 1 Zeldrate, 2 power crystals - both the same colour, though, 2 mediation chambers and a few pets), I was mostly let down by the items I won (I had expected this, though).

 

I prefer direct purchases to those packs, anyway.

[SlayerGopher]

I bought a few hypercrates of the second shipment back then. While I got several pieces I wanted, I was only partly satisfied with the purchase. Now, I buy the items I want off the GTN. I feel better this way, though waiting long enough until selling some things brought in some good money.

Still, yesterday I bought 5 hypercrates of the third shipment for the cartel reputation (as they are on sale). While I got a few items I wanted (1 Coastal Varactyl, 1 Zeldrate, 2 power crystals - both the same colour, though, 2 mediation chambers and a few pets), I was mostly let down by the items I won (I had expected this, though).

 

I prefer direct purchases to those packs, anyway.

 

Why did you expect it and why get them then? (not a critcism btw)

[SgtFrog]

I bought 2 and got trash lol...

[Sorei]

Why did you expect it and why get them then? (not a critcism btw)

 

I expected to get a lot of trash items and few items I wanted or needed (add to that that I had already bought most of the items that I wanted off the gtn months ago.

 

I bought them for the reputation, as I stated. I planned on buying them on their 50% discount and so I did to at least save some money.

[SlayerGopher]

I missed that about the reputation part.....oops

[Daewan]

(insert whale icon)

 

I love opening packs of anything. I used to play Magic, too, and I still have dual lands.

 

But when I do it, I am completely aware of the fact that this is a toy, not an investment. The value is in the fun I have of opening them and assembling sets even if I don't have a use for them. If I get some rare item that I don't want, and that my friends and guildmates don't want, I will sell it for credits. But that's not why I buy packs or hypercrates. It's for me, because I like fun and I think it is fun to buy them.

 

So my opinion is: Every single pack I have ever opened has provided me with sufficient entertainment value, so I will continue to purchase them.

[Laris_Rai]

I've bought four or five. Gotten decent stuff. It's just something I do for fun once in a while.

[DOHboy]

from someone who has purchased multiple hypercrates of specific packs yes, I enjoy opening packs and usually end up making guildies very happy with the excess companion gifts and eventual auctions we have for me to empty my cargo bay.

 

I've had a high% of completion for many packs (some i just dont' care about since they usually don't float my boat).

 

IF you enjoy opening them, yes they are worth it. If you are only looking specific items, sell the packs and buy off the GTN.

[KyaniteD]

I only buy cartel packs with credits, and I only buy them for the reputation tokens and only buy as many as I need to hit reputation cap. That way, they're always "worth it" and any actual content of the packs is surplus and I'm happy with whatever I get. Perspective is a funny thing, bright side and all.

 

 

I still have yet to figure out what to do with the crafting/reputation stuff since I'm not crafting or level 55 for reputation.

 

I usually vendor the crafting materials, as most of them are already listed on GTN for less than the vendor gives.

And you don't have to be level 55 to use reputation items or get items from the reputation vendor. Many of the things they sell can be used on a level 1 character (armor) or level 10 (speeders).

Edited May 21, 2014 by KyaniteD

[DravenKrel]

Bought four of them and got nothing but crap,only decent thing was a forest assault tauntaun.

[TUXs]

Too many and not even close to worth it.

[Aehgo]

I bought around 50 mill worth off the gtn,just because theres nothing else to spend credits on,I dont like spending over 1 mill on 1 item so,

Got around 30 mill back in reselling and I generate alot of creds with crew skills maxed on 16 chars so need to spend them on something

[Zohkar]

I've spent about 25 million credits buying packs and hypercrates when the price was 150k per pack or less. The only reason I did that was because I really can't stand not having reputation with those three at the moment. I basically got nothing I wanted, and after selling all the stuff on the GTN I broke even more or less from all those packs I opened. Only thing interest me is Mounts, Emotes, Titles and the Pets and I had pretty much all of them before I finally started to buy packs anyways.

[DawnAskham]

With real money? Zero as gamble packs are a fool's bargain.

 

Off the GTN for credits? Very few when they were the new thing just to see what dropped.

 

Otherwise I guess I'm an enabler as I buy lots of things from packs off the GTN, even though I generally disagree with the practice of selling gamble packs as a way to cover costs in a game with major issues over actually making and maintaining a great game that people will willingly pay to play.

[Andryah]

Zero. Because I understand odds and don't take losing risks. I've even bought zero from GTN. Again, because I don't take losing risks.

 

^^ I too follow the DarthTHC approach here.

 

On the other hand, I have 6 characters storage maxed out and loaded with all manner of CM content I have acquired and continue to acquire. Some I keep for personal use, some I resell.

 

But I also understand some players love chance packs in MMOs. And these have been incredibly popular with players... and it's not like those that are not into chance packs are in any way forced to participate in buying them.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Andryah

[hallucigenocide]

bought a few.. dont really find any use for my CC for anything else since i always sub when i play..

if it was worth it? eh nothing contained in em made me scream of joy but i did'nt really feel like i lost anything either.

[Elite-Defender]

0 packs

 

I'd rather not waste the cc ive saved up for being a sub on those. But hey if people enjoy throwing their money at the screen for a chance to get additional pixels thats their choice. i dont know what i'm saving my cc for but im sure it will come in handy in the future. some people enjoy spending their money on things that dont physically exist.

[Tsillah]

Probably more than I should and nowhere near as many as some of my guildies. But I do it for fun and to support the game.

 

If you just look at it from a value point of view, then it's best to buy the packs and sell them via the gtn, not open them.

[SW_display_name]

I've churned through a few Hypercrates any time they go on sale, to max the various Cartel Reps.

 

I would never, ever open them for any reason other than to max Reps, and never, ever buy them outside Discount periods — the only reason I bought the last Contraband Hypercrate was to finish off CRC Rep, since it was still 'cheaper' than buying the 1-2 Contraband packs on my GTN at 750k each.

 

I get "okay" stuff, some saleable things, and plenty of absolute garbage. 1 in 10 packs might have an "oooh" item like a Coastal Veractyl.

 

Because I'm insane, I keep meticulous logs / Excel spreadsheets of everything that drops and what it sold for (as well as all my other GTN work) and I can consistently affirm that Cartel Packs are a loss of potential money in terms of CC → Credits, often to the tune of making back only 33-50% of what I could have made by spending those CC on targeted CM-direct items.

 

Obviously you will have outliers who open 3 packs and get 3 Banthas or something and are like "PACKS ARE THE BEST!" — but I suspect for the vast majority of people, opening Packs is simply losing you lots of potential Credits.

 

But that isn't the point, is it? Packs are gambling, and by its nature gambling has to be high-risk with a tiny chance of high reward — that makes it exciting.

 

The nice thing about Pack gambling is that the 'house' always pays you back something, even if it's only a fragment of what you invested.

 

But yeah, make no mistake — Packs are for fun, not dedicated profit.

 

At least it averages ~break-even when you can get them 50% off during pre-embargo clearance periods. Pure loss during the normal 320 CC pricing periods.

 

Especially the nightmarish Starfighter packs, which are like a big giant birthday present full of biomedical waste — I am seriously dreading what will fill my Cargo Bays when those go on sale and it's time to max ICE rep.

Edited May 21, 2014 by SW_display_name