Mount skins available through achievements.

With the introduction of mounts in the game, people go coocoo for new skins - however the skins are only accessible through gemstore, which is fine. I think another great way to get specialized skins would be through in game achievements to unlock certain skins, similar to WoW.Don't totally take away gemstore access to the skins - but keep them separate like you can only get the gemstore skins through the gemstore and the achievement skins through PvE and not purchased with gems.
I'd suggest through competitive means but mounts are a PvE resource so keep them out of PvP and WvW.PvE: Fractals, Raids, specific PvE collections similar to 2nd gen legendary collections and a hunt. Like having to track it down and tame it to be yours at the end.I don't really know how it could be implemented but at least it would give players something else to drive toward.Maybe it's a stupid idea but it's something for those who don't want to spend gems, and look for things to do in game.

Didn't happen to gliders.

I don't think it's a question of "if" as much as a question of "when." Achievement based gliders and mounts are gonna happen. It is only a matter of time.

Well, I guess three legendary back item skins are achievement-based gliders, but it still costs gold to craft them, being legendary items and all.

@Airdive.2613 said:Well, I guess three legendary back item skins are achievement-based gliders, but it still costs gold to craft them, being legendary items and all.

Does that mean theres gonna be a legendary mount? Just imagine a collection to craft Vlast

I think this is the trade-off for not having a sub system for this game. I do wish though that they hadn't taken the RNG approach for mount skins. I don't want most of them anyway.

I accept this trade off, but they could at least introduce a couple of in game skins we can get through gameplay/achievements/collections/quests like every other MMO. The feel of achievement is definitely higher. I for example loved the netherwing drake or the serpent questline/repuatation farm in WoW. In my opinion, they release so many skins, I am sure they could spare a fraction of them as in game rewards instead of full cruise-control monetarisation.

I think any mount skins would need to be as difficult to obtain as the only in-game earnable glider skins which you can only get from crafting the legendary backpacks.

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:I don't think it's a question of "if" as much as a question of "when." Achievement based gliders and mounts are gonna happen. It is only a matter of time.

I'm not so sure. I do hope you're right, but I feel that if it was going to happen it would have happened already with glider skins being achievement related.

We had this conversation back in May

My kingdom for a Winged Unicorn. If not, a skin of one would be good enough for me.

My current system is to earn 215 gold via daily quests, selling mats from salvage, meta events, fractals etc, at which point I start monitoring the Gold / Gem exchange. When I see 400 Gems available for around 205-210 gold, I purchase them - wash, rinse, repeat. I estimate that I'm able to earn a min 10 gold per day, and can hit up to 20-25 with some serious play time.

Granted I already have my gryphon, full ascended sets for my LV 80s and I have no interest on making any legendaries, so I have no other use for gold, but you have to have priorities

It would be nice to unlock at least some mount / glider skins via in game achievements, but you don't have to spend real money to get what you want, as you can acquire gems with in game currency.

@Airdive.2613 said:Didn't happen to gliders.

It should have. Having skins in the store shouldn't mean there are none to earn in game.

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:I accept this trade off, but they could at least introduce a couple of in game skins we can get through gameplay/achievements/collections/quests like every other MMO. The feel of achievement is definitely higher. I for example loved the netherwing drake or the serpent questline/repuatation farm in WoW. In my opinion, they release so many skins, I am sure they could spare a fraction of them as in game rewards instead of full cruise-control monetarisation.

Consider this: the mounts that can only be unlocked in-game through quest chains, collections and in game currency, only come with 1 (one) dye channel.Mount skins you purchase off the gem store, even if they have little to no differences in model shape, have 4 (four) dye channels.

Why don't the stock / default mounts come with 4 dye channels? The answer is pretty obvious.

WoW has a $15/month sub fee, and even those who buy their game time with in game gold are buying something another player paid for with real money.

ANET however doesn't charge a sub, and actually even allows you to play the game without spending any money at all, so the only way to pay for new content, patches, and server maintenance, etc, is via the in game gem store.

While I think ANET could offer more vanity stuff for us to collect in game, and that gem costs are in my opinion, a bit too high, I can't ignore the fact that ANET needs to generate money in some fashion, and at least this way they do so without having a dramatic impact on the game experience. Ie. there is no Pay to Win system here.

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:I accept this trade off, but they could at least introduce a couple of in game skins we can get through gameplay/achievements/collections/quests like every other MMO. The feel of achievement is definitely higher. I for example loved the netherwing drake or the serpent questline/repuatation farm in WoW. In my opinion, they release so many skins, I am sure they could spare a fraction of them as in game rewards instead of full cruise-control monetarisation.

I had this discussion before: I absolutely agree with you with the topic of not having a sub fee. But on the other hand: They would generate enough money, if they give us like 1 per 10 skins. I can't imagine that this will change the income significantly. I just think that the proportion is out of balance. I mean i.e. glider skins: three - take note - legendary skin back packs are available aside from the basic skin via in game. And dozens of other skins are not, not a single one. It is imo a missed opportunity like the Soul River Glider skin would be a perfect rare drop from Gorseval raid boss etc.

In the last rotation they DID have a mount skin in the BL chest. And keys are available outside the gem store.

Adding mounts to the automatic wardrobe unlock loot table would be a nice start.

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:But on the other hand: They would generate enough money, if they give us like 1 per 10 skins. I can't imagine that this will change the income significantly. I just think that the proportion is out of balance. I mean i.e. glider skins: three - take note - legendary skin back packs are available aside from the basic skin via in game. And dozens of other skins are not, not a single one. It is imo a missed opportunity like the Soul River Glider skin would be a perfect rare drop from Gorseval raid boss etc.

But consider it from their perspective: what is in it for them? Even if they take 10% of the skins they are currently selling and offer them for free in-game, that is a 10% reduction in items they will sell, and for what? To get you to play in game longer? How does that benefit them, as there is no sub fee? Blizzard reaps rewards by giving you so much to do that you are spending day after day, month after month subbing in order to acquire stuff, but ANET's costs actually go up if you just play more, because you are using up server resources.

I get that you (and by extension us) would like that change because it benefits us, but it doesn't benefit ANET or their bottom line. Even if their current system causes some players to quit the game, if they weren't already purchasing Gems, then again there is no financial loss to ANET.

With their current system, if they keep putting items in the Gem you really want, you will do one of two things:

1. Pay with real $$$, which is what they want and need
2. Play the game to earn gold to convert to gems, which them keeps the world populated, which is of course important.

ANET has managed to navigate a very fine line on this issue. They generate income through purely optional cosmetic accessories, while at the same time encouraging a segment of the customer base to participate (more) in game to earn gold and acquire gems, made available by other players who purchased them with real money. And then there is the huge majority of players who just don't care, and want to play GW2 because they like to play GW2.

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:But on the other hand: They would generate enough money, if they give us like 1 per 10 skins. I can't imagine that this will change the income significantly. I just think that the proportion is out of balance. I mean i.e. glider skins: three - take note - legendary skin back packs are available aside from the basic skin via in game. And dozens of other skins are not, not a single one. It is imo a missed opportunity like the Soul River Glider skin would be a perfect rare drop from Gorseval raid boss etc.

1. Pay with real $$$, which is what they want and need
2. Play the game to earn gold to convert to gems, which them keeps the world populated, which is of course important.

First, 10% of mount skins wouldn't make 10% of the full gem store. It rather would make a couple of percent. And second: Recent development of gaming industry and the industry in a whole shows that if you show that your company isn't entirely money-oriented but also are dedicated developers in the end it may have a positive effect (or like EA with Battlefront II a negative). Do you know what I mean?

No, keep them in the gem store because of all the people who cried out before PoF that "I'll pay real money for mounts!!11!!"

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:I don't think it's a question of "if" as much as a question of "when." Achievement based gliders and mounts are gonna happen. It is only a matter of time.

It's nearly 3 years since gliding was introduced to the game. And so far, the only achievement-based gliders are the ones paired with legendary backpacks.

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:But on the other hand: They would generate enough money, if they give us like 1 per 10 skins. I can't imagine that this will change the income significantly. I just think that the proportion is out of balance. I mean i.e. glider skins: three - take note - legendary skin back packs are available aside from the basic skin via in game. And dozens of other skins are not, not a single one. It is imo a missed opportunity like the Soul River Glider skin would be a perfect rare drop from Gorseval raid boss etc.

1. Pay with real $$$, which is what they want and need
2. Play the game to earn gold to convert to gems, which them keeps the world populated, which is of course important.

Don't you think that allowing an individual to acquire everything associated with the game, with the exception of expansions, without spending a single penny of real money demonstrates this?

im satisfied with free grifon and roller beetle.

@Bolero Bloodreign.9025 said:My kingdom for a Winged Unicorn. If not, a skin of one would be good enough for me.

I think winged unicorns are called alicorn.. a mix between pegasus and unicorn....idr tho! :+1:

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@ProtoGunner.4953 said:But on the other hand: They would generate enough money, if they give us like 1 per 10 skins. I can't imagine that this will change the income significantly. I just think that the proportion is out of balance. I mean i.e. glider skins: three - take note - legendary skin back packs are available aside from the basic skin via in game. And dozens of other skins are not, not a single one. It is imo a missed opportunity like the Soul River Glider skin would be a perfect rare drop from Gorseval raid boss etc.

1. Pay with real $$$, which is what they want and need
2. Play the game to earn gold to convert to gems, which them keeps the world populated, which is of course important.

Sorry, I feel you're projecting here. Tossing in a comparison to EA Battlefront II isn't even remotely relevant, given that title was using loot boxes as a means to progress characters in game (Pay to Win) which is 100% NOT what ANET is doing.

"Show that your company isn't entirely money-oriented". Um...what? ANET is here to make MONEY. Period. End of conversation. Don't bother trying to start a conversation about their motivations, because it's a waste of time. They are a business. They work to make money. If for some reason they don't make enough money, the company goes bankrupt, and the game stops being maintained. They aren't going to say "gee, we love GW2 players, we'll continue to incur costs of maintaining the game because we heart it so". That's just blatant naiveté.

Now, at the same time, how much did it cost you for the last episode of Living story which included a brand new mount? The chapter before that? The one before that? How much did they charge you for the Festival of Four Winds that just went live today?

How do you think ANET pays for all this content? I'll leave you to think on that.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:I don't think it's a question of "if" as much as a question of "when." Achievement based gliders and mounts are gonna happen. It is only a matter of time.

Seems right. If there's ever a "free" mount skin, it'll be associated with a new legendary item. Maybe there'd be some kind of Dhuum or mists related mount skin that comes along with Coalescence, but all of the glider skins have been associated with legendaries that were a little more involved to make.