Tatterered Bat Wings: Availability & cost

[Fozzie.5370]

Sent this originally via ticket to support aimed at Devs attention but was advised to post on forum instead. Can't really find any other posts related with much feedback. Have spoken to a few players in game about this issue so am posting on their behalf as well, but would be nice to hear from other players feedback to see what their thoughts are. If there is anything incorrect with what I have posted, please feel free to correct me, as only been playing actively under 10 months, so still a lot to learn.

I think Tattered Bat Wings need to be made more readily available (e.g. from Trick or Treat Bags etc) as since are they are only obtainable from the Halloween Event Period by two methods i) Chest at the end of "Ascent to Madness" and ii) "Mad King's Chest" its way too low availability if you compare with the all other stat changeable components. If any player is looking to fully mini-max then Condi builds have a distinct advantage since the poly/reverb infusions all drop as Condi; however for the rest of players that want to Mini-max with a different stat attribute this becomes absurdly expensive: Due to the fact that they require x5 Tattered Bat Wings for 1 single stat infusion attribute change at the TP prices (only place to get outside of Event?) I've been watching over last 6 months are 20-30 Gold a piece so we're talking a mere 100-150G just to change the attribute for 1 x infusion. If this was inline with the other infusions stat change components availability/price then fair enough, you either had to partake in the event hope you landed some of the Tattered Bat Wings and/or bought cheap at the time from TP, but...

...if comparing with all the other infusion attribute changeable components: 1) Mystic coins, 2) Integrated Fractal Matrices, 3) Snowflakes, 4) Globs of Coagulated Mists Essence, 5) Choya Spines, 6) Ectoplasmic stone: They are all either i) in large abundance, ii) significantly cheaper, iii) able to obtain all year round freely with a small amount of effort.

I am not sure what is the rationale behind why for the Ember, Phospholuminscent, Polysaturating/Reverberating Infusions Anet has decided to include an attribute changeable component that is impossible to get outside of Halloween event other than buying expensively from the TP (ofc they are not that abundant during the event and only a couple or several hundred in TP). Call me cynical but I'd like to think its for another reason than Anet just wanting to milk as much Gems>Gold for players wanting to stat change the most abundant infusions in the game, but maybe i've answered my own question?

You cannot compare Tattered Bat Wings with the availability & cheapness of any other changeable components: Mystic coins, Frac Matrices, Snowflakes, Mists Essence, Choya Spines, Ecto stones.

Please correct me if I have missed something blatantly obvious, like you can still buy them from an NPC somewhere. Would be nice to hear other players views, thoughts or opinions, if you think the current system is fine or if you would like to see them added to this year's Halloween Trick or Treat Bags ?

[Randulf.7614]

Gets mentioned every Halloween. Many agree, many disagree. Nothing has changed so far

[Ayrilana.1396]

The availability and pricing is fine. It’s for optional infusions that players can make as a goal to acquire if they choose to do so.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

There's never been any question that Tattered Bat wings have the most narrow faucet of any of the "activators" required for stat swapping infusions. This is going to cause them to remain high in value.

I am ambivalent about it though. Yes, this makes it incredibly expensive to stat-swap compared to other infusions. However, since the stat+ portion of the infusions is a luxury, I'm okay with that. It's good for the game if some things remain valuable, otherwise there's no "excitement" to getting loot, except for the first week or two of a new event and there's no way ANet can release that many new items into the game.

So sure, I'd be happy personally if Tattered Wings were cheaper. I've been hoarding mine on the off chance I need them for something. On the other hand, I'm not convinced that it's good for the game. Maybe the other "activators" are just too cheap.

---

Call me cynical but I'd like to think its for another reason than Anet just wanting to milk as much Gems>Gold for players wanting to stat change the most abundant infusions in the game, but maybe i've answered my own question?Given how few of these are sold, that doesn't stand up as a reason. ANet can make much, much more money with MountFits and other skins. And if they wanted to convince people to convert RL cash to gems for gold, they'd reduce the faucets on everything, not leave a single faucet as a drip.

It's much more likely that this is an accident of trying to include a thematically appropriate material, without thinking through the long-term implications.

PS it's not necessarily in ANet's interest for people to convert gems to gold: the higher the rate, the harder RMTs have to work to compete with the legit source.

[Fozzie.5370]

Many thanks for your replies: Very much appreciated. @ Ayrilana: That's a fair point tbf, yes infusions are optional, and really even fully mini-maxed I think only add something ~ 3% increase on base attributes. I guess I need to view them more as a luxury item rather than anything else!

@Conceived: Well entirely agree with your post; way too few of them to make any impact.

I guess my main point I was trying to get across was: It doesn't cost the earth to stat change the other infusion types, so just wondered why Anet singled out the components to stat change Halloween infusions to be so much scarcer/costly ?

[Ayrilana.1396]

@Greg.7086 said:Many thanks for your replies: Very much appreciated. @ Ayrilana: That's a fair point tbf, yes infusions are optional, and really even fully mini-maxed I think only add something ~ 3% increase on base attributes. I guess I need to view them more as a luxury item rather than anything else!

@Conceived: Well entirely agree with your post; way too few of them to make any impact.

I guess my main point I was trying to get across was: It doesn't cost the earth to stat change the other infusion types, so just wondered why Anet singled out the components to stat change Halloween infusions to be so much scarcer/costly ?

Perhaps they could reduce the quantity needed to change stats?

[Magnus Godrik.5841]

I remember a time when they were dirt cheap. Then anet added the stat change ability as a recipe and thats when it went to shit. But in all honesty it not used for much so im absolutely fine with the pricing.

[Shaaba.5672]

ooooh, I didn't know why the price skyrocketed. A while back I was thinking about making an endless Halloween tonic. I had saved a handful of bat wings thinking to buy more later, saw the price and noped right out of that idea. Got some good coin from selling the ones I was holding, but it's really messed up the cost of those tonics which is obviously not worth it anymore. I'd like to see the faucet opened on those or the tonic recipe changed.

I mean, it's convenient to have an endless one in your novelty tab, but I can easily carry a stack on each toon for a small, small, tiny fraction of the price if I want it that badly. That doesn't seem right at all. Even the final one that's only available by combining them all shouldn't be that expensive for a prestige novelty item (IMO). Expensive, sure - but come on. The wings spike the price to nearly 800G. For a festival tonic.

[MithranArkanere.8957]

Having a minimal alternate source would not be horribly bad, but it should be mininal and capped.

Like a daily or weekly purchase of 1 for 5 Candy Corn Cobs. That'll keep the prices from getting too high while not letting them get too low since they'll have a daily cap and depend on candy corn and cobs too.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@"Greg.7086" said:I guess my main point I was trying to get across was: It doesn't cost the earth to stat change the other infusion types, so just wondered why Anet singled out the components to stat change Halloween infusions to be so much scarcer/costly ?I don't think they "singled it out." I think it's more likely that they didn't consider the long term market trends.

[Sleepwalker.1398]

OP....don't make it.For what's it worth, you can't even dye the thing and dark backgrounds make it hard to see.You'd be far better off making the winter's day one.