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Official Mount Adoption Feedback Thread [merged]


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@Genei.7502 said:This would be more palatable if they could be sold on the trading post, like weapon skins only obtainable from BL keys.

I would have thought it fun, and little dev work, to have a mini quest associated with the adoption. Or sell research tomes rather than adoption licenses. Really simple go here and interact with this point on the map, little bits of flavor text. Like a smaller, simpler version of the collections for the Gryphon.

This just doesn't seem to serve the casual gamers at all. We can't devote that much in game time to amass the gold to convert to gems for this, and we also don't play enough to justify spending that much money to acquire 1 - 2 skins that we might like. So this remains confusing to me, since the hard core players will have plenty of in game money to throw at this problem, how is this bringing more money in for ANet? The gem exchange operates on a bank of gems people have already paid for. If these skins can't be acquired with gold in any way other than the exchange, what encouragement is there to continue to put gems into the exchange?

I'm just as casual. I'm guessing that Anet was banking (no pun intended) on casuals not having time to farm in which case the casuals would simply open their wallets to save tine, thus infusing the company with fresh cash.

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There are different issues.One is about where the game is continuing to go with this business model in some regard. Do you want to be faced with a long grind or pay real money every time you want to customize your character. The end game is very much about customisation hence the aptly named Fashion Wars.For others it's about the gaming industry as a whole and the introduction of elements that are like gambling amongst other things.Some would say it just feels to much like ripping off the consumer base.A few suggest that the devs should be putting more resources into balance patches and actually supporting the advertised game modes like pvp rather than just making more skins to sell.Others still because they see Anet as somehow a 'friend' and a bastion of good ethics.Others seek to defend Anet in various ways.Some by inferring that not buying things is being a free loader and thus shaming people into spending money despite all ready having bought the expansion.And some just need the salt for their popcorn.This is not an exhaustive list, just my take on some of the elements.

And all though the forums do not speak for everyone that does not automatically prove that an complaints are minority problems. A large amount my never voice their opinions here but that does not mean they support the contrary view.

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@maxwelgm.4315 said:I like that you guys created this thread, but c'mon, didn't you realize general opinion of the gemstore is not favorable even though the numbers (that only you have and that's fine) might be going well?

Everyone and their mothers praised the Caladbolg quest for example and hailed it as the new direction that should be taken with current events. With the pace of releases to the gemstore it is by now very clear that the art team is more than capable of churning out some of the best cosmetics I have ever seen in any game, and in a large number too. With that said, why lock 100% of them behind the gemstore? The funerary collections pale in comparison to even the Black Lion skins (that are another case of "why in hell are these not a Caladbolg-type of collection?"), whereas we have amazing gemstore armors that I can't even decide which to wear.

If 40%, or even as least as 30%, of the current gemstore set of skins were available in collections and achievements (and we could be talking about 'hardcore' stuff like triggering legendary mobs at the end of jumping puzzles), most players wouldn't even notice you just released 70% of the whole art team's work as lootboxes. So my dear feedback to this whole situation is please stop playing extremes.

Hell even one skin of each mount as unlockable would change things a lot. But we didn't even get a second dye-channel in the standard-skins...And the RNG in this just makes me feel bad about buying anything at all.The Lion chest Keys are at least obtainable ingame without Money, but locking the skins behind money AND rng ist too much...I will refrain from any further gem-purchases until this Money-Grab stops.

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@Cyto.9401 said:i updated the mount math spreadsheet to include a introduction where i explain what exactly is going on, and i also added extra pages that calculate the odds if you want:

5 skins out of 304 skins out of 303 skins out of 302 skins out of 301 skin out of 30

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15AnFt7VYRkmeX8SbvQ-rKg7m1a0d7cVrDX_8MTZlhIA/edit?usp=sharing

turns out, if you just want 1 skin, you will spend 5400 gems to get "ok" odds (read 50/50 chances) of getting that one skin.

I like people doing maths but you've made a mistake, you're not reducing the total with each roll. The first is 1/30, second is 1/29, third is 1/28...This is messing up your numbers.

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@Wolfheart.7483 said:.

@"Shena Fu.5792" said:Just because it's optional doesn't mean it's okay for businesses to scam and exploit their customers. Nobody likes to be cheated, and customers have all the rights to voice their dissent.

Especially in this case when many players were willing to open their wallets, provided that they get a fair deal in return. However the only thing on the devs mind is how to squeeze as much money from loyal consumers via questionable practices.

When people throw around words like "cheat" and "scam" it is completely unwarranted and yet another example of blowing it out of proportion. There is nothing that is a cheat or scam about these. You can dislike the method of sale but do not claim it is something that it is not simply to put it in a more negative light.

What is a better descriptor for it? Do you think it entirely fair from a consumer point of view? Buy them all even though most are fluff and/or unusable or gamble on getting one you like which will statistically cost the consumer more. It is clearly designed to try and drive up sales and some would say also brings in the nastier elements of gambling. Maybe a Clever Sales technique? Does it though benefit seller and buyer equally? Scam probably is to strong a word. But that's not to say it's that far from the truth either.

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A lot of people complain about the price, but the price is only ridiculous of you buy all the skins at once. If you buy them one at a time, over time, 400gems each is actually really good, cheaper than a lot of skins on the TP. My sole issue is the RNG. I have no interest in paying for things i dont want and wont use, and cant even sell. And to buy all of them, whether you do it at once or over a period of time, is NOT cheap, but you may not be able to get all the ones you want without doing so. And in the end, i dont want to pay a total of $120 once, or up to $400 over time, just to get a total of 4 or 5 skins i actually want. If it were not RNG, i could just buy the 4 or 5 inwanted for 400gems each, and not have a problem... even if they were more expensive than 400each, price them at the rate of glider skins and as long as they arnt RNG, id have no problem paying.

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I see that WP has posted a video about this. I watched 3/4 of it before I had to go to bed last night. I haven't finished it yet, so, keeping that in mind...

I am REALLY disappointed in his video. Not because he is not outraged, that's his opinion on the subject and that's fine. I am disappointed because he cared more for pointing out specific things about the game, than he did for the people who play it. He thinks it's "tacky" to talk about how this is gambling in some way, shape or form. He think that the people affected by this gambling are a few "phantoms" that aren't worth fighting over.

So who is potentially affected by this, and might spend more money than they should?

EVERYONE.

We all have the same type of neural system that runs basically the same way. Imbalances happen, yes, but on the whole, we're all running on a similar system. these games are designed to tap into that system and make us feel as awesome as possible for playing it. Which is fine! That's not inherently bad. I enjoy playing these games. Because they are designed to be enjoyable to us! And there is nothing wrong with THAT, in and of itself. It's when systems like this RNG loot box stuff comes in that it gets into shady "this might not be the best thing for me to be doing eventually" territory, in my opinion. ALL of us are wired to feel good when we open these things and to want more and more and more. It's just the degree that it's affecting you personally, that is the difference.

I totally agree with WP that we need to support GW2. I love GW2! This is my favorite MMO. I have no problem with buying gems and buying things that I want to support them. I'm not saying boycott the gemstore by any means. If you like they way that something is being sold on there, then BUY THAT. They know how much of each thing is sold. Voting with your wallet is not just not buying something, or buying it. Sometimes it's buying SOMETHING ELSE that is being done right, in support of the game. I totally think we should support this game. I don't think we should support random loot boxes, however.

I think random loot boxes are "tacky."

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@Nocturn.8904 said:Yeah, it seems like they implemented this stable system in perhaps the worst way possible. I've been happy to buy things from the gem store whenever I had a little extra cash and some time to invest in the game. If I'm about to start a new character to test out a profession? Might as well buy them an outfit that looks nice. If I want to avoid some of the hassle managing my salvage kits? A salvage-o-matic is a great item to fill an account-bound inventory slot with. I buy plenty of stuff that looks nice or offers a decent convenience when I know what I'm getting.

Yes, I specifically picked this game because it did not have a subscription. In return when I play a lot I also spend a lot .... I would shudder to add up how much I have spent per month, even if I do not deduct months I have not been that active. In the past anet has cared about its players but this, just no.

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I would prefer not-randomized mounts. But I would prefer to buy one not-random mount skin for 1500 or 2000, then pay 400 gems for a random one.I don´t feel hate for the gemstore. I really like the expensive forged jackal skin (it is so pretty ^^), and I actually hope you make also a bunny and raptor skin for 2000 gems.Maybe I am less pissed about the new mount skins, because I play a lot of halloween content. So I have less of a need for new content.

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@Oglaf.1074 said:Has Anet done anything other than merge the threads like this? Any response in this thread? Their social media? Anything?

Or are they just bunkering down and praying that this will blow over?

Yes, they have outright closed the thread that talks about the damage of gamble boxes instead of merging it. Interesting, huh?

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@Rezzet.3614 said:

@Majic.4801 said:Hyperbole
everywhere?

That sounds like hyperbole.

Curses, foiled again!

But that just confirms your statement... hyperbole is everywhere!(Then again, if it's actually true then your statement isn't hyperbole in which case it's no longer true... I hate causality loops, they make my head hurt!)

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uninstalled my game over this. anet, you guys get enough of my money as is. I know some people are acting like it wasn't over the line because there are other lootbox like things in the game, but those have been pretty cheap, inconsequential, and easy to ignore (minis, dyes, etc) this is a different level of rip off completely. like someone else way back in the thread said, why put my time and energy into a game that's increasingly ripping me off every week when I can just buy a pizza

and for people saying people against it are overreacting and etc, you must have money to throw away or something. not everyone does and not everyone is comfortable continuing to play a game that doesn't care about it's audience. especially since the more it's allowed, the more they're going to try to get away with this kind of thing, aiming for higher profits each time. now is a good time to jump ship. hope things change but doubt they will

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@troops.8276 said:

@Wolfheart.7483 said:.

@"Shena Fu.5792" said:Just because it's optional doesn't mean it's okay for businesses to scam and exploit their customers. Nobody likes to be cheated, and customers have all the rights to voice their dissent.

Especially in this case when many players were willing to open their wallets, provided that they get a fair deal in return. However the only thing on the devs mind is how to squeeze as much money from loyal consumers via questionable practices.

When people throw around words like "cheat" and "scam" it is completely unwarranted and yet another example of blowing it out of proportion. There is nothing that is a cheat or scam about these. You can dislike the method of sale but do not claim it is something that it is not simply to put it in a more negative light.

What is a better descriptor for it? Do you think it entirely fair from a consumer point of view? Buy them all even though most are fluff and/or unusable or gamble on getting one you like which will statistically cost the consumer more. It is clearly designed to try and drive up sales and some would say also brings in the nastier elements of gambling. Maybe a Clever Sales technique? Does it though benefit seller and buyer equally? Scam probably is to strong a word. But that's not to say it's that far from the truth either.

I wouldn't have said it was a scam or cheat either because there isn't anything hidden in the method of sale. The buyer knows what they are getting from the outset. I know my RNG luck is terrible so I'm not going to play the game.

Those that do not yet have all the mounts those skins are for will hopefully understand that while a unique skin is guaranteed, a skin might also drop for mount they don't yet possess.

Whether or not the sale method benefits the seller or buyer - that is all about perspective. The player that got their favourite skin with the first roll of the dice would be like 'hell yeah, great system!'. For others maybe not so much. Especially if the skin you really wanted didn't pop until the 30th dice roll.

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@troops.8276 said:

@Wolfheart.7483 said:.

@"Shena Fu.5792" said:Just because it's optional doesn't mean it's okay for businesses to scam and exploit their customers. Nobody likes to be cheated, and customers have all the rights to voice their dissent.

Especially in this case when many players were willing to open their wallets, provided that they get a fair deal in return. However the only thing on the devs mind is how to squeeze as much money from loyal consumers via questionable practices.

When people throw around words like "cheat" and "scam" it is completely unwarranted and yet another example of blowing it out of proportion. There is nothing that is a cheat or scam about these. You can dislike the method of sale but do not claim it is something that it is not simply to put it in a more negative light.

What is a better descriptor for it? Do you think it entirely fair from a consumer point of view? Buy them all even though most are fluff and/or unusable or gamble on getting one you like which will statistically cost the consumer more. It is clearly designed to try and drive up sales and some would say also brings in the nastier elements of gambling. Maybe a Clever Sales technique? Does it though benefit seller and buyer equally? Scam probably is to strong a word. But that's not to say it's that far from the truth either.

Not once have I claimed they chose the best approach. This isn't all bad or all good. It is not a scam or cheat. It is represented in the store as exactly what it is. You may not like what it is but if someone buys an adoption contract to unlock a random new mount skin, they know exactly what they are getting: to unlock a random new mount skin.

I agree with the fact that it should not be RNG and skins should be sold individually. But if you do purchase a random skin unlock with your heart set on a specific skin(s) and do not get what you hoped for, you were not scammed, cheated or tricked. You willingly took a chance and didn't get the outcome you hoped for.

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I still find it so odd that you would quit or "never pay another dime in the game again" over this. Anet could have never even done Mount Skins at all. Two months ago, you didn't even have a mount for 5 years of the game's life. Why all of a sudden do you NEED these skins so badly? If they aren't worth it to you (I will spare you the economics lesson of supply and demand and Anet being able to set the price however they want) then just don't buy them and keep enjoying the game you blissfully enjoy in your mount skin ignorance 4 days ago...

And anyone vilifying Anet for want to make more profits, I hope to GOD you are never in a leadership position at a company where you are responsible for keeping others employed, or -- worse -- that you never own or run your own company. Yikes.

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@Vaper.1469 said:Oh, I'm certainly not intending to imply that there is no problem. Just that there is no way of telling, from forum posts alone, how angry about this the overall player base really is.

Well if you want to look at the player base as a singular homogenous entity then if blue is happy and red is angry then I'd say it's probably somewhat purple at the moment. But that's pure guess work.

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I strongly disagree with unlockable mount skins on achievements/collections/loot. We didn't have it with gliders, I dont think it makes sense to have it with mounts, that said, if you want thoose skins and don't want to put money into the game, trade gold for gems, don't forget about that option.What most of the community is against and feels disapointed is the RNG-factor, I'm not saying it's the end of the world, but at least give players the choice to avoid the RNG factor at a slightly higher price, at the moment, the only way to bypass the RNG is buying the whole pack for a ridiculous amount of money and ending up with a good amount of skins you didnt want in the first place.I've seen the "just buy one at a time every now and then and eventually you'll get all" point, and I disagree with that, for 2 reasons, the first reason being that if I'm going to put money into the gemstore, i want to know what I'm getting, that's the reason I don't buy BL keys/dye packs and the other lootboxes, if i want something there I can just get it from the Trading Post, or in the case of BL keys, I farm them weekly and use them when there's a item I want in the seasonal rewards. The second reason is that there is no guarantee that they won't add more skins to the stable, if they do, you'd need to buy the skins at a higher rate than they add them or face decreasing chances of getting the skins you want.

At this point, the solution is simple, create a ticket that allows you to pick the skin, howerver, don't price it at the ridiculous price you did on the Jackal skin, 2000gems translates to nearly the price of the expansion, it's insane.This blew way out of proportion in my opinion, Anet should'v known better, and part of the community is asking for a hand and an arm, keep in mind that the gemstore is one of the larger income sources of the game if not the largest, put yourself in their shoes, they could and should milk the mount-skin cash cow, just not this way, not RNG, not at a ridiculous 2k gems. Haloween skin's were well handled, the only fault being you couldn't buy them as singles for 500-600 gems.

They gave no replies so far correct? Checked their twitter and other sources and nothing.

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@Djinn.9245 said:

@Oglaf.1074 said:Has Anet done anything other than merge the threads like this? Any response in this thread? Their social media? Anything?

Or are they just bunkering down and praying that this will blow over?

Yes, they have outright closed the thread that talks about the damage of gamble boxes instead of merging it. Interesting, huh?

Yeah, I noticed that too. All of our psychological evidence gone in one fell swoop, when they eventually clear it away. I might repost my stuff in this thread just so everyone gets a chance to see it before the other thread "disappears." I love how that merged almost ALL of the other threads, but that one.

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@Kheldorn.5123 said:

@Stu Grockalot.2937 said:Personally, I love everything to do with GW2 and want it to be the best game ever.I am also mindful that Arenanet do not work on the game for FREE!!

This all costs money to pay the developers, and as a player I am happy to help support Arenanet and contribute towards the next Living World Season,(a considerable amount of content shipped for free by the way), and also balance patches, new Raid wings, new PvP content, WvW content, (again all for free).

When you look at other online role playing games that force you to have a subscription of ~£10 a month, I won't name-drop any here, but suffice to say there was a massive motion picture based on it! ; then even after that GW2 is still cheaper.

Mounts skins are optional, so if you chose to support the company that you love, to help develop the game that you love, stop your moaning.Otherwise you run the risk of sounding like a spoiled child who doesn't get their way, and how life is unfair and treats you poorly.Do the math, even if you CHOOSE to buy all the mounts, still cheaper than other online games!

People are happy to pay for mount skins. Directly. Not for lottery tickets.

I want mount skins to be like glider skins - I buy what I choose. There is only ONE REASON why they did mount skins this way: Anet knows that gamble boxes force people to spend more than they would if they simply purchased what they want. There is no other reason - forcing people to spend more money if they want skins.

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So still no better descriptor for it. I don't have one either by the way. "A bit of a scam" maybe? Nah. Unfavourable sales method? That fits better but it doesn't roll off the tongue.

@fizzypetal.7936 said:

@troops.8276 said:

@Wolfheart.7483 said:.

@"Shena Fu.5792" said:Just because it's optional doesn't mean it's okay for businesses to scam and exploit their customers. Nobody likes to be cheated, and customers have all the rights to voice their dissent.

Especially in this case when many players were willing to open their wallets, provided that they get a fair deal in return. However the only thing on the devs mind is how to squeeze as much money from loyal consumers via questionable practices.

When people throw around words like "cheat" and "scam" it is completely unwarranted and yet another example of blowing it out of proportion. There is nothing that is a cheat or scam about these. You can dislike the method of sale but do not claim it is something that it is not simply to put it in a more negative light.

What is a better descriptor for it? Do you think it entirely fair from a consumer point of view? Buy them all even though most are fluff and/or unusable or gamble on getting one you like which will statistically cost the consumer more. It is clearly designed to try and drive up sales and some would say also brings in the nastier elements of gambling. Maybe a Clever Sales technique? Does it though benefit seller and buyer equally? Scam probably is to strong a word. But that's not to say it's that far from the truth either.

I wouldn't have said it was a scam or cheat either because there isn't anything hidden in the method of sale. The buyer knows what they are getting from the outset. I know my RNG luck is terrible so I'm not going to play the game.

Those that do not yet have all the mounts those skins are for will hopefully understand that while a unique skin is guaranteed, a skin might also drop for mount they don't yet possess.

Whether or not the sale method benefits the seller or buyer - that is all about perspective. The player that got their favourite skin with the first roll of the dice would be like 'hell yeah, great system!'. For others maybe not so much. Especially if the skin you really wanted didn't pop until the 30th dice roll.

@Wolfheart.7483 said:

@troops.8276 said:

@Wolfheart.7483 said:.

@"Shena Fu.5792" said:Just because it's optional doesn't mean it's okay for businesses to scam and exploit their customers. Nobody likes to be cheated, and customers have all the rights to voice their dissent.

Especially in this case when many players were willing to open their wallets, provided that they get a fair deal in return. However the only thing on the devs mind is how to squeeze as much money from loyal consumers via questionable practices.

When people throw around words like "cheat" and "scam" it is completely unwarranted and yet another example of blowing it out of proportion. There is nothing that is a cheat or scam about these. You can dislike the method of sale but do not claim it is something that it is not simply to put it in a more negative light.

What is a better descriptor for it? Do you think it entirely fair from a consumer point of view? Buy them all even though most are fluff and/or unusable or gamble on getting one you like which will statistically cost the consumer more. It is clearly designed to try and drive up sales and some would say also brings in the nastier elements of gambling. Maybe a Clever Sales technique? Does it though benefit seller and buyer equally? Scam probably is to strong a word. But that's not to say it's that far from the truth either.

Not once have I claimed they chose the best approach. This isn't all bad or all good. It is
not
a scam or cheat. It is represented in the store as exactly what it is. You may not like what it is but if someone buys an adoption contract to unlock a random new mount skin, they know exactly what they are getting: to unlock a random new mount skin.

I
agree
with the fact that it should not be RNG and skins should be sold individually. But if you
do
purchase a random skin unlock with your heart set on a specific skin(s) and do not get what you hoped for, you were not scammed, cheated or tricked. You willingly took a chance and didn't get the outcome you hoped for.
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@sidecarpilot.3468 said:I strongly disagree with unlockable mount skins on achievements/collections/loot. We didn't have it with gliders, I dont think it makes sense to have it with mounts

There are a couple of gliders that you can get in-game:

Ad Infinitum: FractalsThe Ascension: PvPWarbringer: WvW

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@Elyssandariel.2679 said:

@Djinn.9245 said:

@Oglaf.1074 said:Has Anet done anything other than merge the threads like this? Any response in this thread? Their social media? Anything?

Or are they just bunkering down and praying that this will blow over?

Yes, they have outright closed the thread that talks about the damage of gamble boxes instead of merging it. Interesting, huh?

Yeah, I noticed that too. All of our psychological evidence gone in one fell swoop, when they eventually clear it away. I might repost my stuff in this thread just so everyone gets a chance to see it before the other thread "disappears." I love how that merged almost ALL of the other threads, but that one.

Take it to reddit.

Places that they have little control over.

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@pah.4931 said:I still find it so odd that you would quit or "never pay another dime in the game again" over this. Anet could have never even done Mount Skins at all. Two months ago, you didn't even have a mount for 5 years of the game's life. Why all of a sudden do you NEED these skins so badly? If they aren't worth it to you (I will spare you the economics lesson of supply and demand and Anet being able to set the price however they want) then just don't buy them and keep enjoying the game you blissfully enjoy in your mount skin ignorance 4 days ago...

And anyone vilifying Anet for want to make more profits, I hope to GOD you are never in a leadership position at a company where you are responsible for keeping others employed, or -- worse -- that you never own or run your own company. Yikes.

This isn't about needing to have anything. This is about wanting to be able to buy what you want to buy. No one is villifying Anet for wanting earn money. Doesn't mean people will be fine with them doing it with any means necessary. This is just a bad and manipulative business practice and calling them out for bad and manipulative business practice. It's as simple as that.

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@Ashabhi.1365 said:I understand the frustration with not getting to pick the skin you want, but seriously... it's a SKIN. If it were an in-game bonus that you can't get through in-game means, I would be right there on the bandwagon with y'all. As it is, it's a LUXURY item. Using the car analogy of another poster, it's not saving for a Mercedes and spinning the wheel to get a Pinto. It's buying the Mercedes and spinning to get bluetooth, performance tires, or some other upgrade. Those things aren't something you have to have, but if you want them, you have to pay extra.

My only request would be that they be public and not bound. There would be a HUGE in-game market for them.

It's not a luxury item when 5 of them are in game and 30 of them are in the cash shop, and mounts were made an integral part of the game. This is a game based around cosmetics, and they locked 30 out of 35 skins behind an RNG, account-bound, $120 paywall. Stop minimising this, it's just encouraging them to be jerks to their playerbase. I have been a fan of this company for over a decade, it's OK to find fault when a company does something wrong.

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