Black lion chest outfit skins

[xikira.3264]

There are some items that are locked behind the rng of the black lion chest. The only way to get these items is either throwing money or gold at it and hoping rngesus shows favor on you and gives you the item. I feel the items be added to the store since they are rare items they can have a steep price tag. Black lion chest are fun to open and it exciting to get random neat stuff. But certain items should not be locked behind the chest.

[Danikat.8537]

I agree, but it seems highly unlikely they're going to change it now unless everyone stops buying keys to try for these items, and that will never happen.

I've given up complaining about RNG-only cash shop items in this game, because it almost never achieves anything. If those items become available by another method which doesn't involve buying keys I'll get them that way, if not I won't get them.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Most Outfits make their way to the Black Lion Statuette vendor eventually.This same lament was posted about the Exalted Shoulders skin, and that's now offered for Black Lion Statuettes.

[Crab Fear.1624]

Sexiusmaximus species will always be behind miracles granted by RNGesus.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@"xikira.3264" said:There are some items that are locked behind the rng of the black lion chest. The only way to get these items is either throwing money or gold at it and hoping rngesus shows favor on you and gives you the item. I feel the items be added to the store since they are rare items they can have a steep price tag. Black lion chest are fun to open and it exciting to get random neat stuff. But certain items should not be locked behind the chest.

Since ANet swapped to the current format of BL chests a few years back, every wardrobe unlock exclusive to the BL chest has become available in some guaranteed fashion. (Statuettes, Gem Shop, and/or the Black Lion Exclusives Chest, the latter giving a non-rng choice of one of those unlocks).

I strongly discourage you from thinking that BL chests are a viable source; they aren't reliable. Instead, think of BL Chests as exactly how they are marketed: lotto tickets with a chance to "win" something big (spoiler alert: you won't be the winner; it will be someone else). It's fun to imagine getting a lucky drop; it's not financially sensible, just fun.

Instead: wait it out. The only thing that the BL chest offers is a small chance to be an early adopter.

[Turkeyspit.3965]

@"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:Most Outfits make their way to the Black Lion Statuette vendor eventually.This same lament was posted about the Exalted Shoulders skin, and that's now offered for Black Lion Statuettes.

And while true, what do you suppose the shoulders would have sold for on the gem store? 800 gems? 1000? Can anyone calculate the "cost" of statuettes? Min 1 per chest, so figure same cost as 60 keys? What is that, 5000 gems?

I think that is the issue people have with this. Sure they might get lucky and get it on the 4th key, or 10th key, but if it cost them 60 keys and having to wait 6 months to then spend those statuettes, they still paid a far higher cost than if the item was also available for sale on the gem store.

I'm sure Illconceived will jump in here with actual numbers, but I don't think my guessing here is too far off.

I'm pretty blase about the whole thing though, since I have very little trouble saying "NO" to gem store items.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:Most Outfits make their way to the Black Lion Statuette vendor eventually.This same lament was posted about the Exalted Shoulders skin, and that's now offered for Black Lion Statuettes.

And while true, what do you suppose the shoulders would have sold for on the gem store? 800 gems? 1000? Can anyone calculate the "cost" of statuettes? Min 1 per chest, so figure same cost as 60 keys? What is that, 5000 gems?

I think that is the issue people have with this. Sure they might get lucky and get it on the 4th key, or 10th key, but if it cost them 60 keys and having to wait 6 months to then spend those statuettes, they still paid a far higher cost than if the item was also available for sale on the gem store.

I'm sure Illconceived will jump in here with actual numbers, but I don't think my guessing here is too far off.

I'm pretty blase about the whole thing though, since I have very little trouble saying "NO" to gem store items.

The short answer is: absolutely, these exclusive skins are pricier than the non-RNG unlocks. Specifically, Outfits have historically cost 30 statuettes (just checked), so that's ~2550 gems give or take, compared to 600-1000 gems for standard outfits, i.e. around 300-400% more than usual.

That is 100% consistent with the Gem Shop since the start. MountFits are the easiest example of this practice: 400 gems for RNG, 1200 gems for your choice, 300% more.

---

I've actually avoided trying to put a gold price on statuettes, because they aren't obtainable without buying the chests... and I really try to discourage people from buying the chests as an investment.

Instead, as I post every time this comes up: the chests aren't reliable sources. It's a marketing ploy that the only "early adopter" option is RNG. (I don't have a problem with marketing ploys as long as they aren't "secret.")

Buy chests for fun. Do not buy them with any expectations at all. They are a good tool for making a personal choice to subscribe to the game; they are a terrible tool for unlocking fashion or making gold or future-proofing investment.

[Etria.3642]

I look at it this way. The skin I want will cost 60 chests. If I am willing to pay that much, cool. Anything else I get while opening the 60 chests is extra.

If I am not willing to pay 60 chests then I stick to my keyfarm and that's it.

[yann.1946]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:Most Outfits make their way to the Black Lion Statuette vendor eventually.This same lament was posted about the Exalted Shoulders skin, and that's now offered for Black Lion Statuettes.

And while true, what do you suppose the shoulders would have sold for on the gem store? 800 gems? 1000? Can anyone calculate the "cost" of statuettes? Min 1 per chest, so figure same cost as 60 keys? What is that, 5000 gems?

I think that is the issue people have with this. Sure they might get lucky and get it on the 4th key, or 10th key, but if it cost them 60 keys and having to wait 6 months to then spend those statuettes, they still paid a far higher cost than if the item was also available for sale on the gem store.

I'm sure Illconceived will jump in here with actual numbers, but I don't think my guessing here is too far off.

I'm pretty blase about the whole thing though, since I have very little trouble saying "NO" to gem store items.

The short answer is: absolutely, these exclusive skins are pricier than the non-RNG unlocks. Specifically, Outfits have historically cost 30 statuettes (

just checked

), so that's ~2550 gems give or take, compared to 600-1000 gems for standard outfits, i.e. around 300-400% more than usual.

That is 100% consistent with the Gem Shop since the start. MountFits are the easiest example of this practice: 400 gems for RNG, 1200 gems for your choice, 300% more.

---

I've actually avoided trying to put a gold price on statuettes, because they aren't obtainable without buying the chests... and I really try to discourage people from buying the chests as an investment.

Instead, as I post every time this comes up: the chests aren't reliable sources. It's a marketing ploy that the only "early adopter" option is RNG. (I don't have a problem with marketing ploys as long as they aren't "secret.")

Buy chests for fun. Do not buy them with any expectations at all. They are a good tool for making a personal choice to subscribe to the game; they are a terrible tool for unlocking fashion or making gold or future-proofing investment.

100% this. I'm always surprised people seem to think it's a good idea to get something.

[Umbramare.9156]

It's to provide players with a sense of pride and accomplishment when they get their favorite item in a BLC.

[Danikat.8537]

I'm pretty sure Black Lion Chests and similar loot boxes in other games rely on players not doing these kinds of calculations. If you're the type to work out what it's likely to cost in advance and consider whether it's worth that price for you then you're not the intended audience. They're aiming for the people who will believe they'll get lucky, or who simply don't count how many keys/gold/real money it took, or the rare ones who don't need to care.

Of course that sucks if you are the type to work out the cost and you like it, but not enough to justify the price. In that case unfortunately the only option is to wait and see if it becomes available by another method (other than statuettes I mean). Sometimes that does happen, although it could take years, but with other things it's probably best to just forget about obtaining that item.

(It's also worth considering that since all the black lion chest exclusives have so far been cosmetics, and hopefully always will be, their value is highly subjective. What one person considers totally unreasonable might be well worth doing for another player, or for another item. For example I completely agree that most of those items are over-priced when they're sold for statuettes - if you work out the gems/gold/cash price or even the time taken to farm keys it's absolutely not worth it. But I did buy the branded mini pack, using 60 farmed keys (because I had horrible luck and didn't get any bonus statuettes). I don't know how long it took me but I know it was a huge amount of time for one pack of 5 items. I have no regrets, for me it was worth it, even if the same effort would not be worth doing for another 60 statuette item.)

[Gop.8713]

Something these threads always seem to fail to consider is that the outfit itself is just as much of a nothing as the keys are. It's all a 'waste' if that's the way you want to look at it. If it wasn't a waste it wouldn't be entertainment . . .