Let’s Chat – Cartel Market and You: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Category Packs

[LordArtemis]

I would like to ring in here.

 

Why does the game forget which armor pieces you have unlocked? If you do not equip the set in it's entirety and then unlock it in collections you will loose the equip unlocks you did use if you dispose of the armor.

 

You need to put all of the armor on OR have done so and have all the pieces present in your inventory to unlock the set. Instead, IMO, the system should remember those single pieces you had unlocked in the past, regardless of whether or not they are currently present.

[Asroha]

The new packs are definitely not worth the price, and I won't be spending any money for cartel coins to buy them.

 

You should think about going direct sale on all items. 10% chance to get a gold item is LAUGHABLE at best.

[Daewan]

Hi everyone,

 

• How do the new Bronze, Silver, and Gold Packs feel? Do you feel they are worth their cost? What suggestions do you have?
  
• What are your thoughts on the new Category packs? Do you enjoy opening them? If so, what do you enjoy most? If not, what do you like least?
  
• Are you more or less likely to purchase packs from the Market and why?
  
• Can you share any experiences or first impressions you’ve had with the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Category packs?
  

 

Hi Toby!

 

I will not buy armor packs while the armor that you can already buy is in them. That's silly. I'd rather buy armor sets from other people.

 

That is my only comment on these packs. I didn't buy any armor or any other types for fear that it would be something I could buy directly.

[deserttfoxx]

I bought one 5 pack. I got cartel armor that was just a recolor of green level 40 gear. I wont be buying anymore.

[HesavGeka]

I bought one of the Toy Packs yesterday and had the horrible misfortune of getting the Imperial Banner, which I would feel only slightly less bitter about if I didn't already get Imperial Banners for free on every character I make. An empty box would have genuinely been less disappointing.

 

I resigned to it just being a case of terribly bad luck but regardless I'm definitely not buying another category pack any time soon. I'd still be more willing to spend my CC if had some kind of control over what I'd get. I do not like gambling and situations like this is why.

[lionvstuna]

Personally I feel like having 3 packs based on value raises questions about value vs luck (particularly in the gold pack). I think it would be way cool if we had armor packs based on themes similar to the Cartel packs, which would at least give us an idea of what style armour we're rolling for.

[smithre]

Thank you all for your responses. This is exactly the kind of dialogue I hoped for. Let me try to reiterate some of the issues you’re bringing up.

 

Firstly, I understand that there is some question as to why certain packs, we call them Category packs, don’t have a Bronze, Silver or Gold quality pack type. The answer is that some item categories such as Emotes, Titles and Toys had too few items of each quality type to warrant a separate pack. So we combined them into one pack containing all quality types.

 

Secondly, you feel the contents of the Bronze, Silver, and Gold packs (BSG packs) should be listed in some way so you can see what items you have a chance of getting. Generally, you feel the concept of BSG packs are valuable, you just want to know more about what’s in them so you can make your purchase accordingly.

 

Additionally, keep in mind that the contents of these packs will change. Each time we release a new pack, we add the items contained in that pack to the appropriate BSG or Category pack. For example, the Gold Armor pack contains the Gold armor sets contained in the Force Alliance pack. When the Underworld Alliance pack is released, we update the Gold Armor pack to include the Gold armor sets from the Underworld Alliance pack. This is true for BSG Mount and BSG Decoration packs. Likewise, any Toys, Crystals, Titles, Weapons etc., included in the currently released pack will be added to their respective category packs. This means that when a pack is no longer available, the items from those packs are still available in their respective BSG or category packs.

 

Finally, you feel the pricing isn’t what you would like and I appreciate the examples and comparisons some of your posts provide.

 

I want to thank you guys for taking time to make your posts. They are well thought-out and constructive. I’ll continue to monitor them and communicate your feedback to the team, so keep it up. I also want to assure you that it is always our goal is to make your Cartel Market experience a fun and exciting addition to Star Wars: The Old Republic. I truly believe achieving that goal is an iterative process that requires great communication like we’re having now.

 

Toby - What about the feedback that these packs should not include direct-to-buy items? Honestly, that is the one reason why I haven't bought a gold armor pack, and that's because, given my RNG luck, I would totally get an armor that either I've already bought off the CM, or one that I could care less. Please help us understand why they are included and whether that will be changed going forward.

 

As I suspect they are included because they were assigned a rating, my suggestion is to create a new rating for direct-to-buy items (platinum) and have it excluded from the bronze, silver, and gold packs. Heck, you could even then have a fourth tier for a chance to win a random direct-to-buy item (though I suspect sales of that would be low).

[Bachannal]

EDIT: response was in wrong thread - moving it to correct one. Edited October 28, 2015 by Bachannal

[MeNaCe-NZ]

I personally love these packs, the pricing is about spot on and the drop rates of ultra rare items feel pretty much spot on for the price we pay for a gold pack. Sure there will be a risk we might get something less desirable but **** happens as they say.

 

I would really ask that you please don't bow down too much to people wanting more bang for their buck because in the end some people won't be happy unless they can always get the most super valueable item out of every pack they open or be able to buy it direct from the CM.

 

The reason I bring this up is many of us buy packs as a means to accumulate in game currency. By this I mean player A might pay you cash for the packs wanting to sell them as is to player B on the GTN who then wants to open the packs and make a profit on the items in the long run.

 

This worked well for a long time with the embargo system however this has now gone away and we have to wait and see how these new packs are going to change the in game economy around rare items.

 

What I mean here is if prices of ultra rare items take too much of a dive then people who start buying the packs to get and resell these for a profit may very well just stop buying the packs from the GTN since it could end up easier and less hassle to earn the credits wanted by doing dailies/heroics etc. ( especially with thhe ease credits can be made now doing these activities ). If that happens then those buying the packs solely to resell them on the GTN might very well lose interest in buying the packs for real money also as again the market has somewhat dried up and they may see easier avenues to earn credits ( and not use up their real life money to do so ).

 

I guess in the end only you have the metrics on how much is spent as purely vanity items for the person purchasing it vs those that purchase the packs to make in game credits but I would just ask you please be careful in catering to those that just always want the best item always given to them etc. as you may very well drive off other players from buying who may very well spend more overall than those who always seem to get uspet when they don't get that perfect item.

 

It's too late too do much about the embargo concept but it's not too late to hopefully avoid making things worse still and handing the ultra rare items to everyone on a silver platter.

 

Thanks.

[Glzmo]

Cartel packs are a gamble. I don't gamble, thus I don't buy them. I'd much rather see everything sold directly in the cartel market, although for much lower prices than items are currently as current prices are generally too expensive. Edited October 29, 2015 by Glzmo

[Tatanka]

• How do the new Bronze, Silver, and Gold Packs feel? Do you feel they are worth their cost? What suggestions do you have?
  

Getting only one roll on an enormous pool of items per pack for just doesn't seem worth it. The 1500cc gold mount pack is especially egregious. The 50-75cc grand packs are more in line with appropriate cost. Double that cost for silver and triple for gold.

 

If the cost is non-negotiable, then you should throw in another item for the most expensive packs. As it stands, there is really no incentive to purchase the higher cost packs expect to narrow the pool of items you'll be rolling on. I know that the Cartel Market team would like to think that players view the value of items in terms of bronze, silver, and gold, but that just doesn't add up in the live game. There are bronze items that are highly desired and gold items that no one wants anything to do with.

 

 

• What are your thoughts on the new Category packs? Do you enjoy opening them? If so, what do you enjoy most? If not, what do you like least?
  

I like the idea of more distinct pack categories. See price point change above though. How about hypercrates for the category packs?

 

 

• Can you share any experiences or first impressions you’ve had with the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Category packs?
  

Very first pack I opened contained the unreclaimable or shareable X-3 Techmaster set.

[DanNV]

I can say I purchased one pack like that. I won't be purchasing any more since the chance of getting the one or two things I want is so terribly slim it's not worth the expense. Sorry, but this was a terrible design change. You'd be better off to just offer each item for sale. Yes, the list would be big, but I'd be way more likely to spend my cartel coins than I am now. No point in wasting them on these packs.

[MeNaCe-NZ]

• How do the new Bronze, Silver, and Gold Packs feel? Do you feel they are worth their cost? What suggestions do you have?
  

Getting only one roll on an enormous pool of items per pack for just doesn't seem worth it. The 1500cc gold mount pack is especially egregious. The 50-75cc grand packs are more in line with appropriate cost. Double that cost for silver and triple for gold.

 

If the cost is non-negotiable, then you should throw in another item for the most expensive packs. As it stands, there is really no incentive to purchase the higher cost packs expect to narrow the pool of items you'll be rolling on. I know that the Cartel Market team would like to think that players view the value of items in terms of bronze, silver, and gold, but that just doesn't add up in the live game. There are bronze items that are highly desired and gold items that no one wants anything to do with.

 

I think in terms of economy they are pretty well priced. Roughly it used to be around say 5 million credits on average for a hypercrate that cost say 4800 coins. Mount packs are going for 1.5 - 2.0 million ( armour packs for more ) so that balances out pretty well.

In terms of contents I've bought about 10 or so of those gold mount packs for no more than 1.8 million ( my personal cut off ) and have got items worth at least that 8/10 times. More often than not items going for 3x the amount.

I think only 1 item going for less than a million and that's only because of the bug packs release they did pre 4.0 flooded the market with stock.

 

As to releasing gold packs for say 3 * 50-75 cc , that's insane. It would completely devalue the market and make ultra rare items no longer ultra rare.

 

There is no reason for Bioware to try ensure everyone has a copy of everything, they are ultra rare for a reason.

[Argonloris]

One of the things that concerns me with the changes made to how the packs are deployed and then moved out is that the chance that we will never see older packs again and the chance to raise reputation with those factions has been reduced to minuscule percentages.. With the original design there was a chance that embargoed packs would pop back up and we would have a chance to build rep for those exclusive vendor items and titles. With this change we have to hope that the packs already bought will be enough to sustain any players that want to build those reputations both now and in the future as the player base expands.

[tomsick]

Bought 3 silver deco packs, friend said it made no sense not to go for gold and bought a gold armor pack. He pulls a set gtn places at ~500k, I pull a mandalorian flag and second grand statue of Mandalore.

 

10/10 would laugh at him while admiring this beautiful statue overlooking my SH again.

[Tatanka]

I think in terms of economy they are pretty well priced. Roughly it used to be around say 5 million credits on average for a hypercrate that cost say 4800 coins. Mount packs are going for 1.5 - 2.0 million ( armour packs for more ) so that balances out pretty well.

In terms of contents I've bought about 10 or so of those gold mount packs for no more than 1.8 million ( my personal cut off ) and have got items worth at least that 8/10 times. More often than not items going for 3x the amount.

I think only 1 item going for less than a million and that's only because of the bug packs release they did pre 4.0 flooded the market with stock.

 

As to releasing gold packs for say 3 * 50-75 cc , that's insane. It would completely devalue the market and make ultra rare items no longer ultra rare.

 

There is no reason for Bioware to try ensure everyone has a copy of everything, they are ultra rare for a reason.

How these packs and their contents affect the GTN market should have zero bearing on how they are marketed, priced, and sold by BWEA. As it always does, the GTN will adjust based on supply, demand, inflation, and market clearing resets. I see the lowering of the price as more of a win for BWEA as it ultimately puts more cash in their pockets due to higher overall pack sales from casual buyers.

 

Why do nickel slots make more money than dollar slots at a casino?... perceived value that draws in a higher number of players with smaller budgets.

 

As most of the comments in this thread point out, players just don't see the perceived value with the current prices versus the wild variability of the category packs. I think BWEA are hamstringing themselves with current prices. With each pack release, sell single item gambling boxes for cheap (99-199cc), but sell the full unlocked pack for $49 single character or $69 account. Not only will you end up with a ton of sales from players that will jump at the chance for guaranteed product, but a low price point on gambling packs entices casual spenders to take a chance at random product. They'll purchase packs in hopes they can beat the bank and complete their collection before they reach the $49 that should have been spent on buying the contents of the pack outright.

 

So yes, there is a reason for BWEA to try and ensure everyone has a copy of everything... making more money than they are now.

[DarthVengeant]

Dont like it, for what you pay for it and still it is random. Not worth it.

 

I would prefer to just have whatever I want for direct purchase, even if it is 1000cc for an armor set. I personally have most the armor sets I want because I was patient and bought them piece by piece on the GTN. However, there are still a few that are completely ridiculous prices on the GTN that I would happily pay 1000cc for. I wouldn't pay more than that thought....

Edited October 29, 2015 by DarthVengeant

[Blood_Loss]

As far as the "new" Bronze, Silver, and Gold packs go, I will not waste Cartel coins on them. You have no idea what you will get. There is nothing in-game, or anywhere else that delineates what is "Bronze", "Silver", or "Gold". These descriptions do not translate from "Standard", "Premium", "Artifact", or any of the other known in-game levels. Adding to this confusion are all the new "Outlander" items which seem to add a totally new set of levels based on "Data Crystals", "Glowing Crystals", and "Radiant Crystals".

 

Frankly, buying any of these packs is a crap shoot with no foreknowledge of the possible prizes. I wouldn't spend 5 Cartel coins on such.

[Emekk]

The Gold\silver packs seem lackluster for the price they are. I bought a gold pack, for 1200 cartel coins and was very disappointed. However, myself and 4 other friends have dumped over 30 bucks each into cartel coins and have had a TON of fun opening bronze armor packs and crystal boxes on mumble together and then comparing what we get. The fun part of those things is the "gambling" feeling you get. The bronze and crystal packs are cheap enough to the point where WHEN you get something terrible (because lets be honest....) it doesn't feel to bad and you can even laugh it off because hey, it was only 100\200 coins. However, if you're dropping 1200, which is TWELVE crystal packs or SIX bronze packs and you get a terrible looking armor set... it doesn't feel fun or fulfilling.

[Darcor]

The bronze/silver/gold packs are a step in the right direction; but they are not as good as having the armors readily available for direct purchase in the market. Likewise, while I - and my wife - spend far more money on packs now compared to before, we'd likely spend more money if there were a way to be certain what item we would get. Our purchases are not limited by our income, but by the gambling nature of the packs.

 

In addition, I feel that the packs containing the - frankly - lackluster armor sets available for direct purchase to dilute the pool of the gold packs is a big let down; as is the fact that there is no tab readily available to view what sets are included in what pack, no way to sort armors after rarity (that I've found) and no way to view what decorations have what rarity in the cartel collections/market.

 

Though I -have- bought a hypercrate lately, the fact that you don't get a set (only x upper body for example), and the fact that I am more likely to get something worthless compared to the gold packs makes me more inclined, for now, to buy gold armor packs instead.

 

All in all, I am happy with the changes - but there are still, in my opinion, far more improvements to be done that I'd wish for. The packs are a little bit pricey though - especially the decoration ones - and I'd likely spend more money if they cost less. As for if they're enjoyable to open? Yes, yes they are.

[Heromofo]

Well look at my account i buy heaps and i no longer will, three hypercrates all bronze what a load of bull.

[bluroq]

I bought one of the Toy Packs yesterday and had the horrible misfortune of getting the Imperial Banner, which I would feel only slightly less bitter about if I didn't already get Imperial Banners for free on every character I make. An empty box would have genuinely been less disappointing.

 

I think this is a constructive idea. Instead of only two items, give them 0 items. A blank, combined with a You Lose sound. That would highly increase the income from the CM if one would follow Bioware's logic. Now we have this thread because their stats show that there is a decrease of CM sales. Good job!

[Elracor]

My main issue with Cartel Market atm is the "account unlock" prices. Especially the 240CC and 400CC it costs to unlock Silver and Gold armor is ridiculous IMO, 60CC for the Bronze armor is alright.

[LordMordeth]

There is juste waaaay too much possible items for each category for those packs to be worth the price. .

 

This for me.

 

While i like there being new packs that'll get me a full armor set or a crystal, the fact there's so many items in the mix making it not worth to even try to RNG for whatever it is that i might be after.

[fonmahamin]

I gave up on using cartel coins for packs along time ago. There were better more certain of result things to waste them on. Like legacy unlocks of gear and weapons etc

 

but seeing this thread i though perhaps there has been some improvements.

not willing to spend real money on anything in the market i went to the GTN and bought some packs

 

Now i know you probably put alot of work into this new market structure so i don't mean to sound overly critical

i appreciate that someone want to change and reinvigorate the CC market

 

Gold decorations pack.

Not really the rarity i was hoping for. Considering the pack cost 800 CC i can buy 1000 CC for $10 and on the best plan, a subscription is $14 a month. So this one little deco was just over half a months subscription. that is just not right

-the pack needs to list everything that's in it and its rarity, need to take the guess work out of it.

-price is way too expensive for a simple decoration that isn't even that rare

-considering a bronze deco pack can give me a temple chair (ornate) which you can pick up on GTN for 40k

why do you even have the bronze or silver? and at 100 CC what a rip off (granted i have no idea how to compare in game currency value to real life $$ but i just felt that 100CC was just too much for such a small item)

-did i mention too expensive?

-all the prices need to have the a zero removed!

-more than one item per pack is needed

 

This just reinforces my decision not to spend real money on CC its just not worth it.

For you to continue to charge the price you do for the packs the only solution would be to allow the buyer to pick the item. Such as i go and buy a gold pack (which lists in its description all the items i could find). when i open it i am asked which item i want and then i get that item!

 

Gold Mount

didn't even bother trying a mount pack because i knew id be stuck with another duplicate of one i already have. need to remove the lucky dip aspect of these packs. plus i'm not really a collector of either of these items

-way too expensive

 

Gold Armour

was too expensive for my taste especially since you don't know what you will get. far to risky in my books and as such wouldn't even dream of touching the silver or bronze for fear of being stuck one of those ugly cybernetic ones

-i cried when i saw the price

 

Crystal pack

not a fan, releasing crystals on the CC was a big screw you to artificers. especially since the +41 stats are equipable at lvl 10

to make me like these packs you would need to have it so the crystal was able to be RE'd by an artificer then i would be them by the Tonne

 

Grand packs

a much better price range (except crystal and dye)

i saw these as more of a throw away thing, oh i got some CC left why not buy a few customization or weapons

but considering the sheer range of dyes and weapons etc all of these should be just 50CC

 

i still wouldn't sink a single cent of real money into the CC, there is just to much uncertainty in these packs. you are pretty much gambling each time you buy something and just like a casino the house always wins(meaning you never get from the pack the item you want) from that point of view should not the CC market have the same kind of warnings about odds and gambling like casinos do?