Pale Branch spear - an exotic... with infusion-level rarity

[Super Hayes.6890]

4 hours ago, Gop.8713 said:

That would only solve the problem for ppls who can't handle the idea of something they like being locked behind rng. What about the ppls who can't deal with things being expensive? Or only available in pve? Once they introduce it to a vendor that would solve those, but then what if it takes a lot of map currency and there are ppls who just don't want to grind?

I think the only real solution here is that everything available in each release should just be delivered in a mail packet the first time you log in, that way everyone has everything and no one even has to play the game. Would probs help with lag too . . ?

Yes, this. Finally someone gets me!

[Super Hayes.6890]

4 hours ago, Gop.8713 said:

 

Duplicate post

Edited September 13 by Super Hayes.6890
Duplicate post

[Darklord Roy.2514]

On 9/11/2024 at 11:01 AM, Chyro.1462 said:

The main thing wrong with it is that it's an exceedingly rare drop that is account bound. So if you want it, there's no other way than pray to RNG that it blesses you with that miniscule chance and there's absolutely no other way to aquire it than through pure luck. You could be farming this meta religiously for years and not get the drop if the drop rate is the same as the super rare infusions.

Tequatl ascended skins have joined the chat.

The individual box may not be as rare as the spear, but considering that you need one per weapon it takes SIGNIFICANTLY longer to unlock all of them. And they're account bound, because they're ascended.

[Gaiawolf.8261]

Well since they "fixed" woad armor acquisition, and you can get it in PVE now, pale spear should be available in spvp/wvw.

[Ashen.2907]

1 hour ago, Gaiawolf.8261 said:

Well since they "fixed" woad armor acquisition, and you can get it in PVE now, pale spear should be available in spvp/wvw.

I saw that the armor was added to the wvw skirmish vendor but missed it being added to pve. 

[Gaiawolf.8261]

43 minutes ago, Ashen.2907 said:

I saw that the armor was added to the wvw skirmish vendor but missed it being added to pve. 

You can also buy it from the Fort Mariner Lionguard merchant in Lion's Arch.

[Ashen.2907]

1 hour ago, Gaiawolf.8261 said:

You can also buy it from the Fort Mariner Lionguard merchant in Lion's Arch.

Oh wow, didn't expect that. Already had it from wvw.

[QueenKeriti.5176]

1 hour ago, Ashen.2907 said:

Oh wow, didn't expect that. Already had it from wvw.

It still costs the same badges of honor + memories of battle.

[Ashen.2907]

53 minutes ago, QueenKeriti.5176 said:

It still costs the same badges of honor + memories of battle.

Then not really acquired in PvE except in the sense that the vendor happens to be on a PvE map?

[QueenKeriti.5176]

55 minutes ago, Ashen.2907 said:

Then not really acquired in PvE except in the sense that the vendor happens to be on a PvE map?

Yup. I found the NPC they mentioned earlier. It's just the skirmish merchant but on a PvE map.

[Mic.1897]

On 9/11/2024 at 12:01 PM, Chyro.1462 said:

The main thing wrong with it is that it's an exceedingly rare drop that is account bound. So if you want it, there's no other way than pray to RNG that it blesses you with that miniscule chance and there's absolutely no other way to aquire it than through pure luck. You could be farming this meta religiously for years and not get the drop if the drop rate is the same as the super rare infusions.

Welcome to any MMO ever

[HotDelirium.7984]

On 9/11/2024 at 8:20 AM, BlueTheRaptor.4576 said:

Alright ANet, I've only seen one single forum post talking about this, and not in the Janthir Wilds thread. Time to rectify that. No one will be surprised when I say:
It NEEDS an increased drop chance rate, or an alternative method of acquisition that doesn't leave it up to RNG alone.

Janthir Syntri meta, as a whole, has relatively lackluster rewards. This is, of course, nothing unusual for map metas, even the big ones- the main bulk of the loot is always basic stuff. Having items of increased rarity and value is something that gives people motivation to do those map metas. This is true, and I'm not against that kinda system in particular. It's just... the Pale Branch spear is, in my opinion, the most beautiful spear skin in the game. But it's neither a precursor item nor used for any kinda collection. It doesn't contain an infusion, it's only value is in it's artificially inflated rarity. It's drop chance being so miniscule would sting less if it were an ascended, perhaps- and yet, we all know there's actual ascended drops in other metas that seem to almost have a more frequent drop rate.

(This is NOT me saying that the drop rate for those ascendeds should be lowered, let me be clear.)

The two easiest alternative methods of acquiring this spear that I can think of?
One: remove it's Account-Bound On Acquire status and make it sellable in the Trading Post. The rarity of the item will naturally make it be sold for a ton of gold, but that would still include an alternative acquisition method while maintaining the rarity.
Two: add a WvW and PvP reward track to obtain it from. Apologies to the WvW and PvP mains out there, but statistically speaking both of these gamemodes are less populated than general PvE content. Your average PvE-er won't have the patience, willpower, or capability (for any number of reasons, irl included) to slog through a full reward track in a short while- and even then, the shortest while you can get through a full reward track in measures in several hours. WITH boosters. It would take effort to get to this spear- effort that is already demanded of us when we do the Janthir Syntri meta just to be meta with disappointment all over again.

I know not everyone will agree that something like this should be done, of course, I'm no fool. But in the grand scheme of things, I'm firmly convinced this would only improve things. Maybe it's silly to be so hung up about a simple weapon, and for it's cosmetic appearance alone at that, but I know I'm not the only one who's been trying to get their hands on this weapon day in and day out, and constantly getting more and more discouraged with every RNG failure that gets tossed at us like bricks to the face. I reiterate that were this an infusion, or even an ascended, I'd be less annoyed and frustrated at the situation- Dragonvoid infusion, Chak Egg Sac infusion, Vial of Liquid Aurilum, the Queen Bee infusion, all those come to mind and all those remain at the rarity they are for a reason. But... they are infusions. Infusions have always been on a different scale of value and rarity in this game. While this spear is literally just an exotic with no other purposes or uses.

So please, ArenaNet. Please add a new acquisition method for the Pale Branch spear. There would be many, MANY, people who would sincerely thank you for it. (And personally speaking, finally having the spear would let me start finding joy in doing things in Janthri Syntri again, as opposed to just feeling like I'm biding my time before the next disappointment.)

They probly will later since they did that for all the super rare SOTO items. If they did it now even less would do the event. Its game design strategy.

[Gaiawolf.8261]

14 hours ago, QueenKeriti.5176 said:

It still costs the same badges of honor + memories of battle.

Both of which can be acquired from PVE rewards. Badges from AP rewards in any game mode, and memories just from the TP.

14 hours ago, Ashen.2907 said:

Then not really acquired in PvE except in the sense that the vendor happens to be on a PvE map?

So yes, you can get them by only playing PVE without ever setting foot in WVW or sPVP. Might take a new player a little while to get enough AP, but most PVE vets will already have enough badges in their wallet to instantly go to LA and grab them.

Edited September 14 by Gaiawolf.8261

[QueenKeriti.5176]

2 hours ago, Gaiawolf.8261 said:

Both of which can be acquired from PVE rewards. Badges from AP rewards in any game mode, and memories just from the TP.

So yes, you can get them by only playing PVE without ever setting foot in WVW or sPVP. Might take a new player a little while to get enough AP, but most PVE vets will already have enough badges in their wallet to instantly go to LA and grab them.

I was just clarifying the cost is still the same in that going to that LA merchant doesn't change what currency it takes. 🙂 

[Gaiawolf.8261]

11 minutes ago, QueenKeriti.5176 said:

I was just clarifying the cost is still the same in that going to that LA merchant doesn't change what currency it takes. 🙂 

That's a true story. 

I was just reiterating that it only takes PVE to acquire, in case that wasn't clear.

[Shadowmoon.7986]

just wait for the end of the xpac, they will probably add it to a merchant like all the soto account bound items. I just wish they would assign an intern to retroactively add old account bound items to a merchant as well. Heck, just make a post asking the community to compile them all and we would be willing to do it for free.

SS

[Gaiawolf.8261]

I'd hate to be the guy who designed this thing. How did that go in the staff meeting?

"Hey Alex, good job on that spear skin. It looks nice."

"Thanks."

"Too bad we'll be locking it into obscurity behind RNG and making it account bound, so hardly anyone will ever see it in game."

"Wut? I KEELL YOU!"

[Gop.8713]

Or they could be pleased that it's seen as the prized skin in the release, knowing it's going to be made more readily available in time . . .

[Ashen.2907]

49 minutes ago, Gop.8713 said:

Or they could be pleased that it's seen as the prized skin in the release, knowing it's going to be made more readily available in time . . .

This.

Certainly better than, "Good job designing that spear. We are going to make it so common that people will consider it vendor trash and avoid using it."