I Just got the Skyscale....and It feel Very bittersweet.

[Donari.5237]

OP, it's possible you are feeling let down by having finished the skyscale and now having no big project to work on, and conflating/projecting that on to the announcement timing.  (Only possible, I don't know anything about you other than what you've posted here).  I also felt let down and not like playing when another 'project' ended, to wit, when dailies/monthlies stopped giving me AP as I'd reached the cap.  In advance I thought it would be no big deal, and by now it's once more no big deal, but somehow in the moment it felt really disheartening.

I offer this to say that although there have been quite a few logical responses in this thread explaining why it's strange to feel bad about the only reward being functional instead of cosmetic, those aren't going to change your emotional response.  So I'm trying to help by suggesting you look at the underlying reasons for your disappointment and try to determine if it's really due to the new method coming in SotO -- which you have repeatedly said it is not -- or more personal to your own outlook.  Also think about other skins that have come out as exclusive rewards in the past.  The baseball cap, Zojiia's golem, the armor outfit for players that bought the game before the free version was announced, etc.  Heck, the pre-order glider, mount and skiff skins of late.  Think about which of those you have, and how often you actually use them once the initial new-shiny-thing has worn off.  It could be that any cosmetic reward received would end up forgotten in the Wardrobe, buried under the many other skins available, whereas the fancier qol masteries for the skyscale will be useful every time you fly.

Again, I don't know you, I don't know how picky you are about skin looks (because what if you don't like the design of a cosmetic reward?) or whether your joy would come just from being able to show others at a glance that you got your skyscale before SotO's method came out.  I'm just hoping that maybe you can feel peace in this matter sooner rather than later.

[Zebulous.2934]

Hmm.  Interesting.  Does Op think that they won't become bord of a new skin as quickly as with enhanced game mechanics?

I speculate that Op doesn't care about the additional skyscale masteries because they don't see any reasonable benefit in having those additional  masteries.

this actually makes sense. the new zone will probably be tailored to the new skyscale acquisition and the use of the new skyscale mastery.  Unless Op is allowed to skip content because of his current mastery status, obtaining his skyscale pre-expansion would be redundant.

From what I saw in Path of fire, it isn't unreasonable to assume that we will be forced to go on mount training missions during the main plot of Mysteries of The Obscure.  I can see that being annoying if a veteran skyscale owner can't skip those segments.  

I further speculate that the additional perks earned by a veteran skyscale pilot won't grant access to many, if any secret or bonus areas in the new expansion.  The new expansion is obviously going to be new player friendly.

Upon reflection Op has a genuine complaint.  I don't believe that the additional masteries that they will have significantly benefit Op in exploring the new maps.  Otherwise the new players will complain that they can't access parts of the new area and that Anet is forcing them to buy Path of Fire to get the mastery needed to access those areas.

 

[Wyrm.2840]

I got mine recently and don't mind a streamlined path for new players. It took me ~90 hours once I sat down and committed, and I had a significant chunk of the process already completed via other means. That's a long time in my book and should definitely come down if they intend for flight to be a major part of the next pack for all players. I enjoyed every moment I put into the grind and will never regret the time spent on a task I had fun completing. Could have spent 90 hours in any other game... But chose to do this in GW2 because I loved it.

 

Don't diminish your own accomplishment by worrying about what's changing next month. You did it! Go you!

 

My bigger concern is since getting Skyscale, almost every other mount is invalidated save a few niche cases: Skimmer on long water trip, Beetle on long ground trip, or Jackal Portal/Beetle special Walls come to mind. I would be more interested in what they intend to do to bring purpose back to all these other truly lovely animals, especially if Skyscale is given freely to all so early/easily. Mounts in GW2 are so unique, interesting, and downright well implemented. It's a shame the others have so little value... Expansion aside.

[Zebulous.2934]

Are the additional masteries gained from traditional skyscale acquisition genuinely useful in the new expansion or are they just fluff?

If the extra mastery is too useful then new players will be angry. 

If the new masteries will be compleatly unnessasary on the new maps then Op has a point.  

I think I understand why Op wants a visual form of compensation now.

Unless Op can skip boring training missions or unless the improved masteries provide really, really, good shortcuts in travel through the new zones, already owning a skyscale would be moot in the new expansion.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Zebulous.2934

[Ashen.2907]

3 hours ago, wmtyrance.3571 said:

Didn't they say there would be some reward for the players that got it the old way?

Yes. 

[AlenaVolkova.8179]

Everyone who got the Skyscale, including me, and a friend I just helped few days ago to get his, we all went through the same time and effort to get it. What makes you think you are more deserving than any of us?

This is just the same thing I saw about Siege Turtle months ago, where player demands unique skin reward as they successfully toppled Soo Won in Dragon's End, as Anet let players to purchase an egg with 300 map currency, WHICH IS STILL a big grind consider how much effort and sweat it still takes to get that much of currency.

If players are offered an option to skip all that unnecessary hassle, requirement of LW3 and LW4 to obtain a Skyscale, then that's great. Plus, time gating is also unnecessary in such time-consuming collection process.

[vandrefalk.6823]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:03 AM, craphunter.5098 said:

Is it too much to ask for a unique bonus for the work I've put in for something?

Yes, it is too much, and frankly this entire post just sounds bitter and entitled.

[Holmindeboks.3490]

You look mad, maybe find another game? I still havent bought next expansion. Looks like everything gives me frustration. Yesterday i have read the earnings of anet that someone posted. From some quarters. Thats shows the truth how bad the loot is in this game because if ppl want something from the store they have to open their wallet. And the store get often new skins. Noone can farm enough gold for that. 

and why give you an exclusive reward for completing the skyscale collection? Its a very bad thing in mmo’s that after some time you cant get things anymore. Or at a ridiculous high price. I know mmo is all about show off because ppl irl have nothing to show. Show off makes only ppl mad. This game already have too much elitists. They dont have to get more rewards. Then they get even more arrogant. Many of them are the toxic part of the community. And are often on the forums because ingame they have completed everything already. I am sure they dont have a mirror in their home. 
 

skyscale if often annoying. Bouncing and all energy is gone for nothing. Often fast out of breath because its heavy weight. If you go from the ground then in no time the energy bar is empty. Or you hover near an edge of a mountain but energy bar is empty so you cant go up there. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Holmindeboks.3490

[Zebulous.2934]

I suppose the question would be: Are the extra mastery effects worth the extra effort spent to get them?  Would new players be willing to go and get them?
would improved fire breath be useful at all?
perhaps a stamina increase?  is it enough to be useful? 
Being able to fly further is useless if you flew passed the designated rest stop and now have nowhere to rest.  It would be the same as having no bonus at that point.

I can understand the dread Op is expressing.  

It would be kind of awesome if you could switch to gryphon after gaining height with the skyscale.  But that would be rather exclusive and arguably even further gated.

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Zebulous.2934

[Lucy.3728]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:03 AM, craphunter.5098 said:

I finally set myself the goal of getting it and having gone through 3/4s of the journey, in the very last stage I find out the next expansion will streamline the process for everyone seemingly without any real consolidations for those who have already unlocked it or are in the process of unlocking it.  So you can understand a little bit at least why I am pissed off at Arena net.

Well, tough luck for you.

I've had the kitten for 2 years and did the whole ordeal a second time a year ago with my second account. Enough time has passed for me. I had a lot of fun with the scale and definitely wouldn't have waited over a year just to have it easier.

But for you, it's like buying something for $100 and finding out 2 weeks later that it's dropped to $80 xD

[Lucy.3728]

52 minutes ago, Zebulous.2934 said:

It would be kind of awesome if you could switch to gryphon after gaining height with the skyscale.  But that would be rather exclusive and arguably even further gated.

If you're not in combat mode, what stops you to use your griffon hotkey twice?

I often switch from skimmer to skyscale - on the fly.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Lucy.3728

[Lucy.3728]

3 hours ago, Holmindeboks.3490 said:

I know mmo is all about show off because ppl irl have nothing to show. Show off makes only ppl mad. This game already have too much elitists. They dont have to get more rewards. Then they get even more arrogant. Many of them are the toxic part of the community. And are often on the forums because ingame they have completed everything already. I am sure they dont have a mirror in their home. 

So bitter.
The appearance must be very important to you if it pisses you off that some players have skins that you can't afford, or maybe they don't currently exist.

If you would complain about the goodies that make the game life easier and are locked behind such a paywall, but no, you whine about purely optical changes that otherwise affect nothing in the game.
So superficial.

And that some people might not have anything to show off in real life is maybe because they don't care. They don't put any value on such things.

I have quite a lot as a casual gamer. I've been playing again for 3 years and mostly WvW, where it's not raining gold. And still I have several skins and goodies and even a legendary armor and 2 legendary weapons and sigils. At the moment I'm saving up for legendary runes.

And what other players have I don't even see, because I, as a WvW player, have set the game so that all people have a standard appearance. Anything else would be too distracting in WvW. And so that I myself do not stand out from afar, I do not wear blinki blinki.

[Zebulous.2934]

1 hour ago, Lucy.3728 said:

If you're not in combat mode, what stops you to use your griffon hotkey twice?

I often switch from skimmer to skyscale - on the fly.

  huh, I wonder why more people don't fly up with the skyscale and switch to gryphon to zoom across maps.  From the videos I have seen, a diving gryphon is faster and easier to control than a beetle.

[Gibson.4036]

11 hours ago, Zebulous.2934 said:

  huh, I wonder why more people don't fly up with the skyscale and switch to gryphon to zoom across maps.  From the videos I have seen, a diving gryphon is faster and easier to control than a beetle.

It appears there are a lot more players with Skyscale than there are with both flying mounts. Easiest place to see this is in Drizzlewood during the cache keepers, where griffon is clearly superior, but a lot of players are still using skyscale.

Griffon users do use Springer or Skyscale to get height and switch to griffon.

[thorrand.6548]

I personally enjoy the time I put into getting that accomplishment but the thought of it being made available to everyone doesn't take away from that for me at all. Also, the skyscale collection really isn't bad at all besides the time gating. I also learned new systems in the process that turn a profit with the charged crystal. 

[Lucy.3728]

16 hours ago, Zebulous.2934 said:

huh, I wonder why more people don't fly up with the skyscale and switch to gryphon to zoom across maps.  From the videos I have seen, a diving gryphon is faster and easier to control than a beetle.

My thoughts (considering myself):
You have to know the map almost by heart (with the Beetle, too).
Otherwise you crash or miss to climb back up to the desired heights. Also with Griffon, you have to know the limit of when the possibility of going up disappears. I think it's fluttering twice.

Diving is fast, even faster is 1x flutter while diving. That's how you master the Griffon races. And those are the only times I used the Griffon after I got the Scale. The one master race in the desolation took me about 30 tries for gold. It was frustrating. My coordination is too lacking. Needed it for an achievement.
On my second account I didn't even unlock the Griffon, nor the Beetle. Straight to Skyscale.

Even in Drizzlewood, I switched to Skyscale as soon as I unlocked it. Before that, I always had to use the Griffon (and the Springer), and since I didn't know all the champ spot designs by heart (is it sea level or way up), I often missed getting up high enough and failed and didn't get the kill.
Another popular Griffon map is Dragonfall.

My success rate with Skyscale is much higher.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Lucy.3728

[Gravitron.7982]

On 7/29/2023 at 12:08 AM, Dondarrion.2748 said:

Yes, it is too much, and frankly this entire post just sounds bitter and entitled.

Why is toxicity your first reaction when someone is voicing their own opinion or concern about something they might not enjoy about the game?

[vandrefalk.6823]

4 hours ago, Gravitron.7982 said:

Why is toxicity your first reaction when someone is voicing their own opinion or concern about something they might not enjoy about the game?

They have been playing on and off for 10 years, and still go about completing the Skyscale collection just now AFTER SotO was announced, AND we know there will be benefits from having acquired it the old way in addition to getting the new masteries, and still they want unique bonus for veterans... tell me how this person isn't just being entitled.

None of us really enjoyed the Skyscale grind that much, not all parts at least. I did it just after it was released and the time gating was even worse, before it got nerfed the first time. But I'm not on here complaining asking for stuff to feel special, I'm just happy if more players get access to the mount. It devalues nothing.

Edited August 3, 2023 by Dondarrion.2748
Spelling mistake

[Debesyla.7102]

First people complain that "skyscale collection too hard" -> now "too easy"..?

Ah, I guess it's true, it's impossible to make MMO players happy... 🙃

[kharmin.7683]

4 hours ago, Dondarrion.2748 said:

 

None of us really enjoyed the Skyscale grind that much, not all parts at least.

There are quite a few posts in the other skyscale complaint threads that would beg to differ.

[Zebulous.2934]

I don't blame Op for thinking that the mastery benefits given to current skyscale owners won't be actually useful.  You aren't going to need those extra benefits on the new maps, because anet will want everyone else to go get their first skyscale in that zone. 

So where are the current skyscale riders going to use their improved mastery abilities?  At best, the bonus abilities could allow a player to finish the new content faster. Is that desirable?  And what about after the player completes the expansion? Will those bonus mastery abilities still be useful in other content? 

Op thinks that a skin would be more exciting than a vague promise of "better" skyscale mastery.  

 

 

[Gravitron.7982]

7 hours ago, Dondarrion.2748 said:

They have been playing on and off for 10 years, and still go about completing the Skyscale collection just now AFTER SotO was announced, AND we know there will be benefits from having acquired it the old way in addition to getting the new masteries, and still they want unique bonus for veterans... tell me how this person isn't just being entitled.

None of us really enjoyed the Skyscale grind that much, not all parts at least. I did it just after it was released and the time gating was even worse, before it got nerfed the first time. But I'm not on here complaining asking for stuff to feel special, I'm just happy if more players get access to the mount. It devalues nothing.

Just because you don't complain about something, doesn't mean other people can't. They also paid for the same product, your concerns aren't the only ones that matter. But I do agree with you that Skyscale is a grind.

[Dante.1508]

I agree a lot of work and grind for very little reward.. at least you too can stick to every single vertical surface known to guildwars 2 as well now..

[Yaki.9563]

I got the skyscale not too long ago. I wish it didn't exist and I think it's bad for the game. But since it does exist, I see no reason that there isn't an easier path to get it with the new expansisn. The value of the skyscale isn't dependent on how hard it is to obtain.

And you do get something for getting it the traditional way. You get additional mastery options that the other players won't get (unless they complete the current collections as well).

[nosleepdemon.1368]

Why would you do something you don't enjoy? I don't get modern gamers at all. Don't you realise your time is important? If you don't like doing whatever it is you are doing in game RIGHT NOW, then stop! The ends do not justify the means, you shouldn't 'grind to get to the good bits'. In that regard, I don't care that it will be easier to get the Skyscale soon. I got it after finishing the 'return to' stuff (easily the most fun I have had in this game, especially compared to the utterly wretched story in Cantha) and it was pretty fun to explore for the collections. Unfortunately right now by the same token, there isn't much for me to do in game. I don't fancy the teenage angst type writing in EoD, so I have moved on to more engaging games for now.

Edited August 3, 2023 by nosleepdemon.1368