ANY mount skin to actually achieve in game?

I totally understand and agree that mount skins should cost gems and I buy gems from time to time to support the game I enjoy.Wouldn't it be nice though if at least a FEW mount skins were locked behind a cool collection or an achievement? perhaps a pvp exclusive skin for achieving a certain raiting? a raid exclusive? fractals? anything?As it stands now the mount skins represent nothing, only gems/gold spent.These unique mounts could actually represent something(oh look at that dude with the pvp skin, he must have achieved a 1700 raiting to get the mount) and inspire others.

It could happen. When the game first came out mini pets were almost entirely gem store items and even many of the exceptions were tied to other purchases - like the mini Rytlock from the Deluxe edition. As time went on that shifted and now the majority of new minis are obtained in-game and new gem store minis are relatively rare. Of course part of the reason for that is probably that they had a greater range of cosmetics to sell people with the addition of finishers, gliders, mail carriers, mounts etc.

At the moment I suspect mount skins account for a significant chunk of gem store sales, but that may change over time. But for now I think it's unlikely we'll see them offered another way. I was mildly surprised that all the actual mounts are obtained in-game. The way many other games do it the 'optional' mounts like the jackal or the roller beetle would be cash shop purchases too.

I know it's not quite the same but one work-around is to do something 'special' to farm gold and use that to buy mount skins. For example I made and sold The Dreamer and used the gold to get the Istani Isles mounts. Of course no one else will know that's how I got them (unless they read this), but I know and it did make them feel a bit more meaningful to me.

Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

@Warlord.9082 said:Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

Everything else?There is nothing in the game currently that you can equip and represent something(an actual achievement) apart from the raid legendary armor(leggy weapons are basically gold sinks).These things keep MMOs alive and thriving.

@Danikat.8537 said:It could happen. When the game first came out mini pets were almost entirely gem store items and even many of the exceptions were tied to other purchases - like the mini Rytlock from the Deluxe edition. As time went on that shifted and now the majority of new minis are obtained in-game and new gem store minis are relatively rare. Of course part of the reason for that is probably that they had a greater range of cosmetics to sell people with the addition of finishers, gliders, mail carriers, mounts etc.

At the moment I suspect mount skins account for a significant chunk of gem store sales, but that may change over time. But for now I think it's unlikely we'll see them offered another way. I was mildly surprised that all the actual mounts are obtained in-game. The way many other games do it the 'optional' mounts like the jackal or the roller beetle would be cash shop purchases too.

I know it's not quite the same but one work-around is to do something 'special' to farm gold and use that to buy mount skins. For example I made and sold The Dreamer and used the gold to get the Istani Isles mounts. Of course no one else will know that's how I got them (unless they read this), but I know and it did make them feel a bit more meaningful to me.

I seriously doubt that a unqiue mount skin for every game mode will hinder the gem shop skins.We dont need many skins to be achievable in game...one for every game mode is more than fine. Perhaps they are afraid that if they do one there will be an outcry for more

The work around misses the whole point xD ....which to show off something you achieved.

Wouldn't it be nice though if at least a FEW mount skins were locked behind a cool collection or an achievement?Nice? Sure. Be a lot of fun, I think, to have some sort of extended collection for a skin.

I don't think it's likely though. The only in-game glider skins we have are bundled with a matching legendary backpack. The only in-game outfits we have is the Hexed one (any others are only available via BL statuettes or indirectly from the gem shop, the original source of the tonics that can be converted to outfits). And finally, we already have two MountFit skins tied to a collection: the default Griffon and default Beetle (as a bonus, we also get the mount itself for doing the collection to unlock the MountFit).

I'm in favor of the idea. I just think it runs counter to how Mike O'Brien has outlined the revenue-generating strategy for the game going forward.(Then again, we've been given some massive QoL changes, not tied to any purchases: material storage overhaul, salvage all, open all, and rune|sigil overhaul+salvage.)

Who knows ? Maybe as final reward for the end of LS4 ?

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Warlord.9082 said:Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

There's quite a few things you can earn in game from specific content. Here's some examples I can remember:

• Dungeon armour and weapon sets
• The luminescent armour from Season 2 achievements
• PvP minis, especially the bronze, silver and gold llamas from tournaments
• PvP and WvW armour sets - the legacy armour and the ascended/legendary sets
• Mistforged Obsidian weapons from PvP and WvW
• Bladed armour from HoT
• Hellfire & Radiant armour from achievement rewards
• Bounty Hunters and Funerary armour from PoF
• The new armour sets from A Star to Guide Us
• The various pieces from Living Story meta achievements
• Mini Liadri from beating the real one
• Elite Spec weapons

I'm sure there's more too, those are just the ones I remembered while writing this post.

Gen 2 Legendary weapons?

A mount adoption license will cost you about 100 gold depending on inflation, so where is the problem? You can’t get gold in-game?

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Warlord.9082 said:Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

• Dungeon armour and weapon sets
• The luminescent armour from Season 2 achievements
• PvP minis, especially the bronze, silver and gold llamas from tournaments
• PvP and WvW armour sets - the legacy armour and the ascended/legendary sets
• Mistforged Obsidian weapons from PvP and WvW
• Bladed armour from HoT
• Hellfire & Radiant armour from achievement rewards
• Bounty Hunters and Funerary armour from PoF
• The new armour sets from A Star to Guide Us
• The various pieces from Living Story meta achievements
• Mini Liadri from beating the real one
• Elite Spec weapons

None of these is a show of achievement...only of mindless grind.

@FOX.3582 said:A mount adoption license will cost you about 100 gold depending on inflation, so where is the problem? You can’t get gold in-game?

Did you even read?

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Warlord.9082 said:Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

• Dungeon armour and weapon sets
• The luminescent armour from Season 2 achievements
• PvP minis, especially the bronze, silver and gold llamas from tournaments
• PvP and WvW armour sets - the legacy armour and the ascended/legendary sets
• Mistforged Obsidian weapons from PvP and WvW
• Bladed armour from HoT
• Hellfire & Radiant armour from achievement rewards
• Bounty Hunters and Funerary armour from PoF
• The new armour sets from A Star to Guide Us
• The various pieces from Living Story meta achievements
• Mini Liadri from beating the real one
• Elite Spec weapons

The only difference between showing achievement and mindless grind is the person involved. Thus your point needs a little work.

That's something i wondered too. Having many things through gemstore is a thing, and it's even better that you can turn your gold into gems. However, a huge part of the " end-game" is the cosmetic, and it's quite a pity that :

• all mount skins are obtainable through gemstore only
• all glider skins are obtainable through gemstore only
• all trinket items are obtainable through gemstore only
• most beautiful weapon skins( besides legendary) + outfits are through gemstore only

I mean, i have no issue with this to be honest since you can basically play a lot, turn gold into gems and obtain your skins, this is perfectly fine. However, maybe at least 1 or 2 skins could be obtainable through quests or achievements i believe..

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Amaranthe.3578 said:

@Warlord.9082 said:Right now they represent that you are a supporter of GW2. I think that is fine. It doesn't need to represent that you've sunk a ton of time into the game, pretty much everything else already represents that. No need to add this to it.

• Dungeon armour and weapon sets
• The luminescent armour from Season 2 achievements
• PvP minis, especially the bronze, silver and gold llamas from tournaments
• PvP and WvW armour sets - the legacy armour and the ascended/legendary sets
• Mistforged Obsidian weapons from PvP and WvW
• Bladed armour from HoT
• Hellfire & Radiant armour from achievement rewards
• Bounty Hunters and Funerary armour from PoF
• The new armour sets from A Star to Guide Us
• The various pieces from Living Story meta achievements
• Mini Liadri from beating the real one
• Elite Spec weapons

If you think all of the currently obtainable in-game cosmetics show nothing but mindless grind what makes you think mount skins will be any different?

It does not exist (yet). Because of money.

I agree that there should be at least a few mount skins available outside of the gem store, like the ones that are simply recolors of the base skin.

But I don't know why in your OP you listed collections, PvP, and fractals as inspiring unlock requirements, and then later said that similar content is a mindless grind.

Yes, randomly. Do key runs and map completion, get keys, use keys, get mounts.

@"Abazigal.3679" said:

• all mount skins are obtainable through gemstore onlyTwo MountFits are obtained via collection: griffon & beetle. That is, it's an achievement to unlock them in the first place.

• all glider skins are obtainable through gemstore onlyThis is not true. Each legendary backpack also unlocks a glider.

• all trinket items are obtainable through gemstore onlyI'm not sure what you mean by this. There are zero accessories or rings available via the gem shop. There are backpack skins that require gems, but there are also tons that do not, including some of which that require substantive collections. In addition, there is a legendary accessory with special features that is in-game only (and there will eventually be a ring, too). And finally, there are a number of infusions with auras, all of which are available in-game only, a few of which are available only via achievements.

• most beautiful weapon skins( besides legendary)This one is subjective. You'll have to show a list of all skins, identify which ones you think to be beautiful, and then compare that to what others think. Then we have to decide on which side to count skins unlocked via the Black Lion Exclusives Chest.

The design contest winning weapon skins are unlocked by achievements as are all 20 elite specialization weapons. There are 16 weapon skins unlocked via the GW1 HoM. There are probably a half dozen or dozen weapon skins unlocked via story achievements.

In other words, it's unlikely that everyone is going to agree that the "most beautiful weapon skins" are gem shop only, once we identify people's favorites.

• outfits are through gemstore onlyOne outfit is available in game. A dozen or so are available on the TP or via BL statuettes (although technically their original origin was the gem shop, 5-6 years ago).

I mean, i have no issue with this to be honest since you can basically play a lot, turn gold into gems and obtain your skins, this is perfectly fine. However, maybe at least 1 or 2 skins could be obtainable through quests or achievements i believe..

As noted, some already are unlocked via quests/achievements.

Again, as I mentioned above, I'd be in favor of seeing more, especially outfits and MountFits; I just don't think it's likely. (And I'm not really bothered by the current system. After all, we get all content for the price of the game+expacs; I'm okay with lots of cosmetic options, even the best ones, being gem shop only.)

You know what would be even cooler than unlockable mount skins?Unlockable mounts.

Wouldn't it have been cool if Arenanet had sold us an expansion with 4 unlockable mounts and given us a 5 unlocked via collection?Wouldn't it have also been cool if they had added a 6th mount in one of the living world episodes also unlocked via collection?

Yeah that would have been dope.

Wouldn't it also have been really great to have a system in place where I could exchange an in game currency like, oh I don't know... maybe Gold...for gemstore currrency? I mean that way I could unlock all the skins I wanted just by playing any content I wanted.

Yeah that would have been awesome too.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@Abazigal.3679 said:

• all trinket items are obtainable through gemstore onlyI'm not sure what you mean by this. There are zero accessories or rings available via the gem shop. There are backpack skins that require gems, but there are also tons that do not, including some of which that require substantive collections. In addition, there is a legendary accessory with special features that is in-game only (and there will eventually be a ring, too). And finally, there are a number of infusions with auras, all of which are available in-game only, a few of which are available only via achievements.

I think Abazigal mean novelity items like the witch broom etc.

@Amaranthe.3578 said:ANY mount skin to actually achieve in game?There are exactly 6 at present.! The default skins :kiss:

@Linken.6345 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Abazigal.3679" said:

• all trinket items are obtainable through gemstore onlyI'm not sure what you mean by this. There are zero accessories or rings available via the gem shop. There are backpack skins that require gems, but there are also tons that do not, including some of which that require substantive collections. In addition, there is a legendary accessory with special features that is in-game only (and there will eventually be a ring, too). And finally, there are a number of infusions with auras, all of which are available in-game only, a few of which are available only via achievements.

That's not correct either:

• Chairs: the basic one is obtained via the Chairs of the World collection
• Instruments: choir bell, the magnanimous, & its unbreakable version are Wintersday Gift drops and cheap on the TP. Two are obtained via the two warhorn Legendary collections. And two are obtained via SAB baubles.
• Held items: Many of these are in-game only, including from achievements such as Flames of Kryta.
• Toys: these are mostly gem shop, but there are several exceptions including the selfless/thoughtless potions, zephyr sanctum model, PvP 'burning' toys, the Friendship Tonic
• Tonics: Charged, Hard, Cold, and Warm Potions, Endless Quaggan Tonics, Halloween Tonics, Wintersday Tonics, Mordrem Tonics, Dolyak Tonic, and more.

The only area in which there are no specially-designed skins available in game would be MountFits (and as noted, two of the mounts require achievements to unlock, so it's not entirely clear cut). Gliders are also sparse in game and only associated with legendary backpacks. And there's only one outfit that is strictly non-gem.

Again, I'm not against the proposal. Let's just make sure we don't exaggerate the current situation to make a case to add more in-game unlocks.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@Linken.6345 said:

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@"Abazigal.3679" said:

• all trinket items are obtainable through gemstore onlyI'm not sure what you mean by this. There are zero accessories or rings available via the gem shop. There are backpack skins that require gems, but there are also tons that do not, including some of which that require substantive collections. In addition, there is a legendary accessory with special features that is in-game only (and there will eventually be a ring, too). And finally, there are a number of infusions with auras, all of which are available in-game only, a few of which are available only via achievements.

• Chairs: the
  basic one
  is obtained via the
  Chairs of the World
  collection
• Instruments:
  choir bell
  , the
  magnanimous
  , &
  its unbreakable version
  are Wintersday Gift drops and cheap on the TP. Two are obtained via the two warhorn Legendary collections. And two are obtained via SAB baubles.
• Held items: Many of these are in-game only, including from achievements such as Flames of Kryta.
• Toys: these are mostly gem shop, but there are several exceptions including the selfless/thoughtless potions, zephyr sanctum model, PvP 'burning' toys, the Friendship Tonic
• Tonics: Charged, Hard, Cold, and Warm Potions, Endless Quaggan Tonics, Halloween Tonics, Wintersday Tonics, Mordrem Tonics, Dolyak Tonic, and more.

That's indeed what i meant. But hold on, i'm not really disliking the current situation, since you can actually farm, turn gold to gems and buy the items you want on the tradepost.I'm more likely only finding it abnormal that there isn't a single mount or gilder skin you would earn through a chain of quests or something like that. For example, in Guild wars 1, you could earn several festival hats during seasonal events, and also try to obtain some unique items through quests/mini-dungeons.

You can obtain unique items through 'quests'/collections in GW2. Even a 'hat' (headgear). As well as Festival items.