Would be nice if the Mount Skin Packs were updated to include the Beetle and Warclaw (for a price)

The Mount Skin Packs (such as the Awakened one and the Exo-Suit one) were released some time ago, including skins for the five "core" Path of Fire mounts (the raptor, the skimmer, the springer, the jackal and the griffon). Each pack cost 2.000 gems (so basically 400 gems per skin).

It would be nice if the packs were sold again, in two options:

• 2.800 gems for a pack with skins for all seven mounts (the five core ones, the bettle and the warclaw), keeping the 1:400 ratio
• 800 gems for an upgrade pack, only for those who have the pack's original five skins, adding the beetle skin and the warclaw skin. It would also keep the 1:400 ratio

It would allow players to have a more uniform look for their mounts, while also giving ArenaNet more money.

Many people aren't willing to pay for them though. especially if they don't own the beetle.

@"Blocki.4931" said:Many people aren't willing to pay for them though. especially if they don't own the beetle.

Making people pay for things they don't want is ArenaNet's strategy.

They have been following three strategies, when trying to sell mount skins:

• Sell a single, detailed and expensive skin for 2.000 gems (such as the Dreadnought Raptor)
• Sell a Mount Skin Pack for 2.000 gems, with skins for the five PoF mounts. This led players to complain that they didn't want, for example, the griffon skin, since they didn't have that mount at the time. Or maybe a player just wanted one of the five skins in the pack. The thing is, this lack of a choice made people buy skins they not necessarily wanted, which is a good thing for ArenaNet
• Sell the "loot box" licenses, with the random skin rewards (such as the Desert Racer Mount Adoption License). This strategy was also focused on making people buy skins they may have not wanted in order to get the skins they wanted, only with a random component that the mount skin packs did not have. Eventually community feedback led ArenaNet to offer a more expensive version of those licenses in which players could actually pick which skin they would get

The thing is, those ways of selling mounts have diminishing returns. While it was ArenaNet's strategy to make the skins available in-game to be the worst ones (as in, they have only a single dye channel) as a way to promote the selling of Gem Store skins, we don't really know if people buy multiple skins for the same mount. Considering people's tendency to play with the same character, I wouldn't be surprised if most people buy only a single skin for each mount type, and that's it. So releasing more and more mount skins wouldn't really be a nice move for ArenaNet.

What they could do would be releasing new mount types, which is exactly what they are doing with the beetle and the warclaw. Ths is a good idea, because, if most people buy a single skin for each mount type, releasing new mount types would lead to people buying more skins.

A way for ArenaNet to make more money would be, thus, to sell skins for those new mount types in ways that players have to, again, buy skins thet may not have wanted in order to get the skins they want. One way of doing so would be releasing the updated mount skin packs, as it would force people to either buy all seven skins (whether they want all of them or not), or not get any of those skins. For those who already have the original pack with the five base skins, this would also have an "all or nothing" component, in which people would have to buy the beetle and the warclaw skins together, even if they don't want one of those two.

Besides that 2800 is too expensive. Doesn't matter if it follows the same scheme of 400 gems per skin.

They have said that they don't intend to try to retrofit old packages to include the Roller Beetle (and now, presumably the Warclaw).

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:They have said that they don't intend to try to retrofit old packages to include the Roller Beetle (and now, presumably the Warclaw).

They had also said that it would be unlikely that GW2 would ever have an expansion. Things change.

@Erasculio.2914 said:

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:They have said that they don't intend to try to retrofit old packages to include the Roller Beetle (and now, presumably the Warclaw).

What things have changed since they last said they wouldn't be trying to add skins to older MountFit packages?

There are lots of financial and industry factors that led to ANet adding expansions, none of which apply here: NCSOFT likes expansions + ANet discovered that LS1 wasn't maintaining players|drawing in fresh blood|adding revenue as expected + their original development cycle was unsustainable. Expansions were a familiar tool to address all of those things.

In this case, they'd have to (a) design the new skins and then (b) sell them at what amounts to a discount price for premium MountFits. The goal in the packages was to attract big spenders. Adding a skin is good for completionists (of which there are more than a few), but it's not that great for continuing sales in the future. For the same design resources, ANet can work on adding newer skins that can be sold for more. In other words, it's less financially attractive, not more.

I'm not in the least against the idea (being one of those completionists). I just think it's unrealistic to assume that anything is likely to change since the last time they commented on the idea (just five months ago).

Some Previous Threads Covering the Same Topic

• June 2018
• June 2018 #2
• July 2018 (includes link to AMA, where ANet said 'no')
• October 2018 (includes above link, where Gaile said no)

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:What things have changed since they last said they wouldn't be trying to add skins to older MountFit packages?

If you are not aware of it, ArenaNet just had a rather big layoff in which more or less one third of their studio has been fired. That's a rather big "thing" that has changed.

@Erasculio.2914 said:

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:What things have changed since they last said they wouldn't be trying to add skins to older MountFit packages?

So let me rephrase: what things have changed to make this a financially more attractive idea for ANet compared to October, when they said they weren't planning on it? What makes this a priority over everything else they are working on to adjust to the massive upheaval of staff? The costs remain equal to producing any other skin that they can sell for more gems.

I'm not against the idea at all, I think it would be a good thing to have implemented. I am also well aware of Anets previous stance and it is useful to know it to temper expectations, it doesn't mean the idea shouldn't be put forward or Anet wont change that stance.

Worst case scenario, perhaps sep packs of beetle only skins to match the existing packs could be made. That seems equally fair.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:They have said that they don't intend to try to retrofit old packages to include the Roller Beetle (and now, presumably the Warclaw).

They said that, but they didn't say that they wouldn't make them and sell them separately. Just that they wouldn't be adding them to the pre-existing packs.

Personally, I would gladly consider buying a Warclaw pack that catches it up on the themed looks from existing sets. Less likely to get one for the bug, but I'd still consider it strongly.

With not simply adding "mount name" licence? Giving one skin randomly permit the ones available for that mount? At least peoples who want to have additionnal dye channel for a mount would be happy nah?It would be available for any mount, raptor,springer,skimmer,jackal,gryphon,beetle and warclaw? (Excluding 2000 gems skins of course) for 400 gems one? And you can pick the mount you want a skin for which is cool.

@"hugo.4705" said:With not simply adding "mount name" licence? Giving one skin randomly permit the ones available for that mount? At least peoples who want to have additionnal dye channel for a mount would be happy nah?It would be available for any mount, raptor,springer,skimmer,jackal,gryphon,beetle and warclaw? (Excluding 2000 gems skins of course) for 400 gems one? And you can pick the mount you want a skin for which is cool.

given the debacle of the original mount license i doubt anet would want to add much more RNG lootboxes to the gemstore

I'm going to toss this recommendation like I did in another thread:

If they release any Warclaw skins, they should be only be purchased with Skirmish Tickets and BoH.

@Loosmaster.8263 said:I'm going to toss this recommendation like I did in another thread:

If they release any Warclaw skins, they should be only be purchased with Skirmish Tickets and BoH.

Well, that's one way of ensuring they never release Warclaw skins.

I don't think they will add Warclaw skins to packs, though.

@Loosmaster.8263 said:I'm going to toss this recommendation like I did in another thread:

If they release any Warclaw skins, they should be only be purchased with Skirmish Tickets and BoH.

As a player, that would be good. Ideal would be an option to do that or buy it with gems.

The reality, though, is that they want people to spend gems. I very much doubt we'll be earning them in-game anytime soon. (Other than Gold > Gems, which still requires others to buy gems and do Gems > Gold.)

@Pifil.5193 said:

@Loosmaster.8263 said:I'm going to toss this recommendation like I did in another thread:

If they release any Warclaw skins, they should be only be purchased with

Skirmish Tickets and BoH

.

You have to look at one of the intents of creating this WvW specific mount. And that was to introduce players to try the mode. So to help keep them there would be to restrict everything relative to that mount in WvW other than it's use in PvE. On the other side of that coin, if they go with Gems/Gold, then WvW dedicated players will have to drop CC money or convert Gold-Gems.

@Loosmaster.8263 said:

@Pifil.5193 said:

@Loosmaster.8263 said:I'm going to toss this recommendation like I did in another thread:

If they release any Warclaw skins, they should be only be purchased with

Skirmish Tickets and BoH

.

I think they're most interested in the "other side" of the coin, getting people to spend gems on the skins. :)

If we take the other mounts as examples then the default Warclaw will have a single dye channel and act as the "starter" version of the mount. All "fancier" versions will cost gems.

To further iterate on the point I have made in my previous post: Mount packs release on sale for 1600 gems, that is 20€.

If they were to increase the price to 2800 this would mean I would have to pay 35€. That's a huge difference, because no matter if they release those packs on sale, I would have to pay the extra since there is no other option inbetween.

If they can't update the packs, I wouldn't mind them selling them separately as direct buys for 400 gems each to rounding out the skin set to 400 gems per mount.

Id be nice if there was individual 'package updates' for the mount skin packs.

You could buy them for a discounted price if you already have the rest of the mounts from the pack, or for full price if you only want the skins for for warclaw.

For example:

• Branded mount pack: 2000gems.
• Beetle or warclaw alone: 600.
• Beetle or warclaw after buying the other one: 400.
• Both Beetle and warclaw together: 800.
• Complete pack: 2600 gems.

@MithranArkanere.8957 said:Id be nice if there was individual 'package updates' for the mount skin packs.

You could buy them for a discounted price if you already have the rest of the mounts from the pack, or for full price if you only want the skins for for warclaw.

For example:

• Branded mount pack: 2000gems.
• Beetle or warclaw alone: 600.
• Beetle or warclaw after buying the other one: 400.
• Both Beetle and warclaw together: 800.
• Complete pack: 2600 gems.

Don't forget that mount that is locked behind both the story and teaming..the Griffon.

Your example should be Griffon, Beetle, and Warclaw

@Julischka Bean.7491 said:[...]

Don't forget that mount that is locked behind both the story and teaming..the Griffon.

Your example should be Griffon, Beetle, and Warclaw

Griffon is part of the packs already. The only post-release mounts are beetle and warclaw.

@Blocki.4931 said:To further iterate on the point I have made in my previous post: Mount packs release on sale for 1600 gems, that is 20€.

If they were to increase the price to 2800 this would mean I would have to pay 35€. That's a huge difference

That's a rather bad comparison. The mount packs cost 2.000 gems; the 1.600 price was on a sale, under a 20% lower cost.

Likewise, the updated pack would cost 2.800 gems; under a 20% sale, that would be 2.240 gems. With 7 skins, that would 320 gems per mount skin, which is almost a steal.

Comparing the price of something on sale with something else at full price is rather pointless.

@MithranArkanere.8957 said:Id be nice if there was individual 'package updates' for the mount skin packs.

You could buy them for a discounted price if you already have the rest of the mounts from the pack, or for full price if you only want the skins for for warclaw.

For example:

• Branded mount pack: 2000gems.
• Beetle or warclaw alone: 600.
• Beetle or warclaw after buying the other one: 400.
• Both Beetle and warclaw together: 800.
• Complete pack: 2600 gems.

ArenaNet likely would love to make people buy things they don't necessarily want; which is why offering the updated packs now, without the option of buying just the skin of a single specific mount, would likely be better for them.

Think this needs a bump up now that we additionally have the Skyscale mount. There are several packs now that I know a bunch of people would be interested in completing if they were made available. It would be nice if the folks who already bought a themed pack were given the additional skins as a thank you for their previous purchases, but I know that would be unlikely. But maybe offering all the "Completionist" skins in a single pack would be viable? I'd really like to be able to complete the couple of sets that I have so I can have ALL my mounts using the same theme. Another idea would be completion pack where you could select the set you want to complete. Get a discount for buying multiple Completion Packs.... 3 for 10% off, 5 for 25% off that kind of thing.