Why we also need craftable, bound versions of gathering glyphs

[Fleabite.7528]

I really like the addition of glyphs to gathering tools - and it was a nice surprise to see them added not only to the unlimited tools but also to the one-time use ones. It’s also great that the drops vary by level and zone. In theory it’s a great incentive to up our gathering. And it should be a nice money earner for Anet too - by encouraging us to buy more unlimited tools.

But here’s the problem. The glyphs are only dropping as very rare items from Black Lion Chests. The resulting scarcity sees the most useful ones now selling in the TP for 750g (50% boost); 250g (leather) and 205g (tailoring.) That’s almost 1,000g per useful set.

I would love to equip all 10 of my characters with glyphs - but that would need an absurd amount of loot. In turn that means I’ve no incentive to buy more glyphs, or unlimited tools. So both Anet and myself are losing out.

Why not assign each of the 6 glyphs to a profession, and allow us to make account bound versions? Perhaps high end player-made glyphs (slightly inferior to BLC drops?) could only be used in unlimited tools - with less good ones in the trashier tools? Heck, why not incorporate glyph-making into craft leveling itself?

Glyphs are a great addition. But as things stand, the present scarcity-based system surely appears to be acting as a disincentive to their use.

[DeanBB.4268]

You don't just share one set of unlimited tools via shared inventory slots?

[Fleabite.7528]

@DeanBB.4268 said:You don't just share one set of unlimited tools via shared inventory slots?

You can, yes - but it's fiddly as heck. Why not also encourage glyphed tools on each character if we want them? I just don't see why it should cost 10,000g to do that.

[Hesacon.8735]

If they're going to do that, they should be unique crafting glyphs, like the chef one has a chance of any random food ingredient or armorsmith any ore or cloth. Even then, the crafting price would have to be on parity with current glpyhs.

[DeanBB.4268]

@Hesacon.8735 said:If they're going to do that, they should be unique crafting glyphs, like the chef one has a chance of any random food ingredient or armorsmith any ore or cloth. Even then, the crafting price would have to be on parity with current glpyhs.

But the TP prices are not set by Anet, but by the buyers and sellers, so there is no way to do that. I assume, over time, the prices will drop as more glyphs hit the market.

[Leablo.2651]

@Fleabite.7528 said:In turn that means I’ve no incentive to buy more glyphs, or unlimited tools.

With gold, you mean. The incentives are exactly where Anet intends them to be.

[Zaxares.5419]

+1 for this suggestion. While I doubt it would happen as I'm sure ANet is using it as an extra hook to get people playing the BLC lottery, allowing craftable glyphs could be a beneficial gold/mat sink that could help stimulate the economy (particularly if it was given to Jeweler, whose base crafting mats like Gold and Silver Ore lag far behind the prices of other base mats.)

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

@Leablo.2651 said:

@Fleabite.7528 said:In turn that means I’ve no incentive to buy more glyphs, or unlimited tools.

With gold, you mean. The incentives are exactly where Anet intends them to be.

Yes, this. I do not see any reason to believe that ANet wanted these to be uniformly available to people, but rather, in the same model as the Living Store episodes, something you got for free if, and only if, you were here at the time it launched. Afterwards, you pay one way or another for this.

That said, I did purchase mine from the trading post by cashing in my harvested resources, so ... I don't feel it is out of reach of relatively casual players, honestly, to save for and acquire them. Cost was comparable to my ascended set.

[Fleabite.7528]

@SlippyCheeze.5483 said:

Yes, this. I do not see any reason to believe that ANet wanted these to be uniformly available to people, but rather, in the same model as the Living Store episodes, something you got for free if, and only if, you were here at the time it launched. Afterwards, you pay one way or another for this.

Yes but.... Poor drop rates from BLCs are in turn a poor return for Anet. I certainly have no incentive to buy more boxes, knowing there's only a tiny chance of a drop, It's the same reason I don't play the lottery.

However, I would buy more unlimited tools for my characters if I had more glyphs - and enabling players to craft (even inferior) versions would likely make Anet more money in the long run.

[Biff.5312]

I think most people, like me, share tools across all toons via shared inventory. Buying multiple unlimited sets with glyphs would indeed be crazy. However, I wouldn't mind what you suggest - or any method of making them more common. The prices are currently too high to really justify purchase. They save you less than they cost.

[Khisanth.2948]

@Biff.5312 said:I think most people, like me, share tools across all toons via shared inventory. Buying multiple unlimited sets with glyphs would indeed be crazy. However, I wouldn't mind what you suggest - or any method of making them more common. The prices are currently too high to really justify purchase. They save you less than they cost.

you assume the crafting price would be cheap but there is no basis for this assumption

[Biff.5312]

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Biff.5312 said:I think most people, like me, share tools across all toons via shared inventory. Buying multiple unlimited sets with glyphs would indeed be crazy. However, I wouldn't mind what you suggest - or any method of making them more common. The prices are currently too high to really justify purchase. They save you less than they cost.

you assume the crafting price would be cheap but there is no basis for this assumption

I do?

[Khisanth.2948]

@Biff.5312 said:

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Biff.5312 said:I think most people, like me, share tools across all toons via shared inventory. Buying multiple unlimited sets with glyphs would indeed be crazy. However, I wouldn't mind what you suggest - or any method of making them more common. The prices are currently too high to really justify purchase. They save you less than they cost.

you assume the crafting price would be cheap but there is no basis for this assumption

I do?

Yes, you and everyone else saying the current prices are too high.

[Biff.5312]

What I'm saying is that if there were more glyphs available from any source, the prices would go down. The supply is currently severely limited, which is stymying demand. Draw a supply/demand graph and move the supply line to increase it's current quantity value. What happens to the price?

If they were craftable, people would make them until the prices drop to match the price of manufacture (maybe not even then, if they contribute to levelling). The only way you're making sense is if by 'cheap' you mean any value less than the current selling price. That doesn't equate to 'cheap' however.

Even if they did make it that costly, it would prevent prices from going up at least, but I doubt that would ever be an issue.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

@Fleabite.7528 said:

@SlippyCheeze.5483 said:

Yes, this. I do not see any reason to believe that ANet wanted these to be uniformly available to people, but rather, in the same model as the Living Store episodes, something you got for free if, and only if, you were here at the time it launched. Afterwards, you pay one way or another for this.

Yes but.... Poor drop rates from BLCs are in turn a poor return for Anet. I certainly have no incentive to buy more boxes, knowing there's only a tiny chance of a drop, It's the same reason I don't play the lottery.

If you believe you have a better way to structure these items, which will make ANet more money, you should present that proposal to them instead of a resume. I have absolutely confidence that, should your idea prove to actually be better than the current model, they will have no hesitation inviting you to be part of the team.

Otherwise, I think you mistake your personal spending habits - which I absolutely believe you are an expert on, and are correct about here - with the habits of the entire userbase, statistically.

[Zet.9130]

@"DeanBB.4268" said:

But the TP prices are not set by Anet, but by the buyers and sellers, so there is no way to do that. I assume, over time, the prices will drop as more glyphs hit the market.

The prices are the result of market pressure; supply and demand. Anet controls the price of all the goods in the TP by regulating supply. A great example is Permafrost dye. The dye was incredibly expensive, supply takes a jump and the price comes down.Permafrost Dyehttp://www.gw2spidy.com/item/81571

[Airdive.2613]

You don't "need" them at all. We have been playing without them perfectly fine for about 6 years, am I right?It's just another vanity item to strive for, working as intended.

[Devildoc.6721]

I just wish they'd sell the glyphs over the BLTC separate from the infinite tools (obviously at a lower price than the infinite tool), I have enough of them. I bought the mining pick with the glyph of bounty to put on a harvesting sickle, now I have a mining pick I'll never use because it has no glyph.