Permanent Contracts/Single-Use Drops from BL Chests

[Serahni.5294]

So, I sent in a ticket about the amount of single-use hairstyle kits I'm getting since the shake-up of the BL chests, and they just told me to post something about it here, so here goes.

Firstly, I get that the chests are a gamble and that, sometimes, you get things you don't really want or need. If that's what the general consensus ends up being, then so be it. That's gambling for you. But has anyone else noticed the sheer increase in drop-rate for the single-use hairstyle kits? I have a permanent contract, and I now have 14 single-use ones, 9 of which I have received just from opening some chests in the last week. Now, yes, I understand that I can still use them, and I'm sure people with the permanent bank and trading post contracts have had this frustration for a while, and I'm also sure that people with permanent contracts are in the minority, but being spammed with things that have no value to me because of another item I own is putting me off opening more chests. The team already acknowledges that people don't want/need multiple copies of the same special items, that's why those things transform into keys if you end up with duplicates. My permanent hairkit is in an inventory slot, is there not some way to extend the treatment of "duplicates" to those who have likely invested in the game if they hold permanent contracts? I love that others are being given a chance to hoard hairstyle kits, but I don't want them.

Otherwise, loving Path of Fire and the effort put into Wintersday on top of the recent Living Story update. Merry Christmas, Anet, you're doing great. (But please, no more single-use hairkits. I can't handle more style.)

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

I think it's just your luck. I've opened, maybe, 20-25 chests in the last couple of weeks, and nary a Hairstyle Kit.

[Serahni.5294]

They've been removed as a rare drop, (the drops that are the bonus 4th item), and now appear as a regular drop. So I know they've tweaked something with them. I'd send you mine if I could!

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

No, thanks. I'm happy with what I've received.

[Laila Lightness.8742]

@"Serahni.5294" said:So, I sent in a ticket about the amount of single-use hairstyle kits I'm getting since the shake-up of the BL chests, and they just told me to post something about it here, so here goes.

Firstly, I get that the chests are a gamble and that, sometimes, you get things you don't really want or need. If that's what the general consensus ends up being, then so be it. That's gambling for you. But has anyone else noticed the sheer increase in drop-rate for the single-use hairstyle kits? I have a permanent contract, and I now have 14 single-use ones, 9 of which I have received just from opening some chests in the last week. Now, yes, I understand that I can still use them, and I'm sure people with the permanent bank and trading post contracts have had this frustration for a while, and I'm also sure that people with permanent contracts are in the minority, but being spammed with things that have no value to me because of another item I own is putting me off opening more chests. The team already acknowledges that people don't want/need multiple copies of the same special items, that's why those things transform into keys if you end up with duplicates. My permanent hairkit is in an inventory slot, is there not some way to extend the treatment of "duplicates" to those who have likely invested in the game if they hold permanent contracts? I love that others are being given a chance to hoard hairstyle kits, but I don't want them.

Otherwise, loving Path of Fire and the effort put into Wintersday on top of the recent Living Story update. Merry Christmas, Anet, you're doing great. (But please, no more single-use hairkits. I can't handle more style.)

I barly get those but i get an rdicelouse amouth of merch expresses

[BeardedVagabond.8136]

Clearly none of you read what he asked. He said not to remove them for everyone. But if you have the permanent ones, that you would then not Receive redundant items. Which a lot of people do complain about, and have valid points.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

I don't think that's what he said, entirely. Having a permanent contract would not affect the drop rate of the corresponding single-use item, which is what the OP was concerned with, as well. It's just luck/RNG.

Sure, it would be great if those with Permanent Contracts never got single-use items, but getting that many in the last week (or whatever) was just luck.

[Aurelian Omenkind.2470]

I have none of the permanent contracts, but I would definitely be in favor of something that removes the single-use item(s) from the drop list for those who have the permanent one(s). Getting a single-use item in those cases is practically like getting nothing at all from that slot. In effect, it’s more like losing value from the chest since you got two usable items instead of three.

[Zaklex.6308]

I've personally received about 30+ in the last couple of weeks, but then again I opened about 200 chests...so, and they'll probably sit my bank along with the 10 Total Makeover kits and the 1 Identity change kit...none of which I have permanent contracts for but I really don't want them either...don't really change my look once I pick it in character select. Yes, I'm almost always satisfied with my characters, but then I change everything manually and don't commit until I'm happy...that's not withstanding the new hairstyles released, would have to be something totally awesome to get me to change.

[Serahni.5294]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:I don't think that's what he said, entirely. Having a permanent contract would not affect the drop rate of the corresponding single-use item, which is what the OP was concerned with, as well. It's just luck/RNG.

Sure, it would be great if those with Permanent Contracts never got single-use items, but getting that many in the last week (or whatever) was just luck.

With all due consideration, I don't think you really paid attention. Firstly, my main point was is there something that can be done about receiving duplicates if permanent contracts are held. I realise my first question was regarding the drop-rate, but there are subsequent questions in my post that are equally as relevant to my purpose for posting, if not more. Remember, as I said in the opening sentence, I sent a ticket about this originally and was told explicitly to create a forum post about it. So I did.

Secondly, as I said, the rate of these items HAS changed. As far as I recall, before the Wintersday update, they were considered a rare drop and therefore you only got them if you got that bonus 4th item. They are now a regular drop, meaning you can get them as one of the other two items as well as the guaranteed. My question regarding their drop-rate was not HAS it improved, but has anyone else noticed it. Perhaps you haven't opened any since last week's update? Black Lion Chests got a massive revamp. Now it's hard to get scraps and merchants, but you get a lot of dye kits, upgrade extractors and there are new armor/weapon specific wardrobe unlocks as well as new Wintersday minis, and the Wintersday and Frostforged weapon skins are dropping. Trust me, they updated the chests in the last week.

Oh, and also, just to clarify, I never in any way suggested that my drop-rate improved because I have the permanent hairkit. I know why it improved; because they made them a normal drop and not a rare.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Perhaps, you misunderstood. As noted above, I've opened 20+ since Wintersday began. Not a single Self-style Hair Kit. Sorry to hear your luck gave you so many.

And, as expressed above, I'm sure the few that own Permanent Contracts would prefer not to receive the on-time use versions.

Good luck.

[Serahni.5294]

Just as an update; I just opened 35 chests and got 6 single-use hairkits. I mean, I don' t mind a few but, at this rate, the drop-rate on them is so insane for me that I'm actually hesitant to open chests at all.

[Bast.7253]

Again, if we had a way of combining those single use items into permanent contracts, they wouldn’t be wasted and could eventually be sold on the trading post. So the single use ones would have more value in the long run, to everyone. Only other solution would be to make the single use non account bound and sellable to start off with.

[Rayti.6531]

As an owner of all permanent contracts, I have a quite high chance of getting one of the many single-use items which are not really useful to me... From the few BL chests I've opened over the past few years, I still have the following single-use items left taking up slots in my bank:

• 45x Merch Express
• 72x TP Express
• 64x Repair Canister
• 67x Bank Express
• 5x Hair Style Kit (not sure if I threw the rest away - if not this might explain a possible recent change in drop rate)

All of these items are of as good as no use to me (except for maybe dropping a merch express here and there if they are needed by others in farm events). I kept them "just in case", because I still believe that ANet will one day come up with something...

One possibility to solve/remedy the problem would be to add a merchant which accepts those single use items in exchange for something else. Doesn't even need to be fancy things - I'm thinking revive orbs, boosters, maybe makeover kits (at a higher exchange rate). Just something to let permanent contract owners get rid of those single-use items in a different way than destroying them, since some (many?) players spend RL money on BL keys.

[Drarnor Kunoram.5180]

I wonder if they can do a pass on all account-bound items that have permanent and limited-use versions and, if you have a permanent version bound to your account, the limited-use versions stop dropping. While the bank access/hair stylist/etc. contracts are the example noted here, it also happens with finishers, especially around Halloween.

[Tanner Blackfeather.6509]

I'd think that the simplest option would be to make them tradeable for Statuettes. Even at 1:1 it would offer something of more value to that user.

[Shirlias.8104]

They should be removed from BLC if you already own the permanent version.Extractors too.

[Deihnyx.6318]

Yeah I've had this issue and that's the main reason why I didn't keep the stylist when I looted it.Because I've already had so many air stylists anyway, and just like merchant and bank access, they're just accumulating and they're useless.

I would LOVE any mystic forge recipe to turn these into a permanent.Ex: X stacks of bank access = one permanent accesssame for stylist.

OR, let us trade it or send it to friendsOR, let us spam the bank so other people can use it.

ANYTHING is better than absolutely useless.

[Rysdude.3824]

Im sittings on a stack of those hair kits, teleports, revive orbs, etc and would love if they made those non account bound. They’d make great gifts!

[Drecien.4508]

I have so many single use merch, bank, Tp, and tele to friends from bl chests that ill never need to get a perm contract. #toomuch

[Serahni.5294]

I was okay with wearing the occasional drop, what concerns me is the sheer rate at which I'm receiving them. It must be brilliant if other people without the contract have the same sort of rate, but it's actually reached a point where I think I will stop purchasing keys for a while. (No, I am not going to be one of those "I WILL NEVER PURCHASE AGAIN" boycotters.) I just need a break.

[Cobrakon.3108]

Maybe something as simple as a mystic forge recipe using the hair style kits.

[Biff.5312]

I don't want it permanent - I design my toons the way I want them upon creation. Very rarely a newly available hair design might grab my eye, but not enough to justify either the accumulation of the kits nor a permanent one. Instead, I would like to see the option of turning in any 'prize' in exchange for currency - either scraps or perhaps even keys. And they could penalize with the numbers. For instance, trade 25 BLC items for 1 new key. Anything to make them somewhat useful again.

If they don't do something to allow us to trade in useless prizes, the result is that eventually any given player will have so great a chance of duplicating junk vs getting something worthwhile that it will affect key sales. Therefor if they want to keep selling keys to the same players, they NEED to do something to make it possible to profit by acquiring further prizes.

[Neural.1824]

Applying the same duplicate mechanic in this situation would be nice, or some method of converting them into something of equal value.

[Serahni.5294]

I think converting them to statuettes, if they intend for those to stick around, is a great idea. At the moment, they don't have things like the bank express or trading express as a reward from the statuette, (though I wish they would, I'm low on bank expresses since they stopped dropping for me), but it seems reasonable that things that ARE available could be swapped back for their statuette value.