GW2 Standard Deluxe Ultimate packages: what do you think?

[Cedric Ambidexter.9174]

Hi,

So, the other day I was excited to learn that there was a new expansion for GW2 when I decided to return to the game after a break for over a year.

I went on the website and had a look at the packages, but was kinda disappointed. I'm quite passionate about being a fan of the Guild Wars franchise as a whole (even though I rant quite a lot about my disappointment in the second instalment), but I wasn't very impressed with the lack of thrilling content that comes with the 'Deluxe' and 'Ultimate' packages.

I have to say on looking over it again, I was quite disappointed, because I'd be willing to pay for the Deluxe/Ultimate package if I feel they contained fun and exciting contents for me to enjoy on coming back to the game. The extras are not worth the money in my honest opinion, and add nothing of enjoying to the game. I went for the standard package because of this. I basically wanted something to draw me in or be enticing, but none of them were, unfortunately.

What do you guys think?

Standard£25.99Guild Wars 2: Path of FireMax-Level Boost

Deluxe£47.99Guild Wars 2: Path of FireMax-Level BoostAdditional Character SlotIdentity Repair KitSunspear OutfitLily of the Elon Permanent Pass

Ultimate£69.99Guild Wars 2: Path of FireMax-Level BoostAdditional Character SlotIdentity Repair KitSunspear OutfitLily of the Elon Permanent Pass4000 Gems

[Ayrilana.1396]

Buy the standard version and then upgrade to deluxe with gold if you feel that those items are worth buying. Ultimate is only worth it if you were going to buy that amount of gems anyway.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

I think each person chooses the 'package' that best suits their own desires. And/or wants to support ArenaNet.Some feel the 50% discount on Gems in the Ultimate Edition is enticing.Some only purchase when the Standard/Deluxe Editions are 50% off (as they were a week or so, ago).

[Cedric Ambidexter.9174]

@Ayrilana.1396 said:Buy the standard version and then upgrade to deluxe with gold if you feel that those items are worth buying. Ultimate is only worth it if you were going to buy that amount of gems anyway.

I already bought the standard version, because none of the other extras were appealing and couldn't justify spending that amount of extra money on:

Additional Character slot - bleh (in GW1 I got extra character slots with each expansion I purchased, so why not now? Why is everything so expensive?)Identity Repair Kit - useless junkSunspear Outfit - no thanksCasino Permanent Pass - doesn't quite justify spending double the amount for what you get lol......4000 gems - is that all?

I mean if it something like the following:2/3 glider skins3/5 outfits5 extras - that make the game interesting/easier to playplus the bundle above, THEN it would make more sense as a complete package.

[Khisanth.2948]

@Cedric Ambidexter.9174 said:Additional Character slot - bleh (in GW1 I got extra character slots with each expansion I purchased, so why not now? Why is everything so expensive?)

The campaigns costed around the same as the deluxe edition. Here they gave a cheaper option for the people who don't need or want the other stuff.

[NASATT.3678]

I very happy with PoF deluxe but just can't pay for the HoT because it has guild hall things I don't need etc.

[Donari.5237]

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Cedric Ambidexter.9174 said:Additional Character slot - bleh (in GW1 I got extra character slots with each expansion I purchased, so why not now? Why is everything so expensive?)

The campaigns costed around the same as the deluxe edition. Here they gave a cheaper option for the people who don't need or want the other stuff.

Also HoT came with a new profession (Revenant) and there was a huge outcry over expecting people to pay ten more bucks for another slot if they were full up and wanted to try it. They added the extra slot to the purchase thanks to the PR needs. PoF hasn't got a similar need to make a new character to try out new things beyond what slots you'd need to buy for your base game experience.

[Khisanth.2948]

@Donari.5237 said:

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Cedric Ambidexter.9174 said:Additional Character slot - bleh (in GW1 I got extra character slots with each expansion I purchased, so why not now? Why is everything so expensive?)

The campaigns costed around the same as the deluxe edition. Here they gave a cheaper option for the people who don't need or want the other stuff.

Also HoT came with a new profession (Revenant) and there was a huge outcry over expecting people to pay ten more bucks for another slot if they were full up and wanted to try it. They added the extra slot to the purchase thanks to the PR needs. PoF hasn't got a similar need to make a new character to try out new things beyond what slots you'd need to buy for your base game experience.

That is not true. You are assuming anyone thinking of buying PoF already owns HoT. If they don't already own HoT then PoF is in exactly the same situation. Going from core/free to HoT unlocks rev+herald while going from core/free to PoF unlocks rev+renegade.

[Danikat.8537]

I bought the Deluxe edition of the base game and the Ultimate editions of both HoT and PoF and personally I'm very glad they don't contain anything except a few cosmetics and convenience items - otherwise you're edging into pay-to-win territory where players feel pressured to buy them because they're so useful.

As for why I chose those IMO the Ultimate Editions are a good deal if you buy gems regularly and trust yourself not to spend them all ASAP when you have some. PoF Standard is £25.99, Ultimate is £69.99 and comes with £42.50 worth of gems. Since I'd buy the gems sooner or later anyway I can subtract that cost from the price of the pack, which leaves me paying £27.49 for the Deluxe edition - meaning I get the bonus items for £1.50. I'd already decided I wanted one of the VIP town scrolls somewhere in the desert for cheap telelports to the new maps, and those normally cost 1,000 gems which is £10 so that alone more than covers the price.

(The Lily of the Elon isn't actually a casino, even though it's designed to look like one and the description says it is. There are no casino games players can participate in - instead it's a mini town with a bank, trading post, merchants, crafting stations, mystic forge etc. which you can teleport to for free from anywhere in the world by using the scroll.)

I have to admit if I'd known at the time I bought the base game that a Deluxe Edition upgrade would be sold in the crown store, so I could use gold to buy it, I might have done that instead. But this was before the game was released so I'm not sure that had been decided at the time

[Donari.5237]

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Donari.5237 said:

@Khisanth.2948 said:

@Cedric Ambidexter.9174 said:Additional Character slot - bleh (in GW1 I got extra character slots with each expansion I purchased, so why not now? Why is everything so expensive?)

The campaigns costed around the same as the deluxe edition. Here they gave a cheaper option for the people who don't need or want the other stuff.

Also HoT came with a new profession (Revenant) and there was a huge outcry over expecting people to pay ten more bucks for another slot if they were full up and wanted to try it. They added the extra slot to the purchase thanks to the PR needs. PoF hasn't got a similar need to make a new character to try out new things beyond what slots you'd need to buy for your base game experience.

That is not true. You are assuming anyone thinking of buying PoF already owns HoT. If they don't already own HoT then PoF is in exactly the same situation. Going from core/free to HoT unlocks rev+herald while going from core/free to PoF unlocks rev+renegade.

Hmm, I hadn't thought of it like that. I think you're right that it is the same problem for newer folks -- mostly right, anyway. One key difference is that when people filled up all their slots pre-HoT, they had no idea they might want to have one ready for Revenant. Hence the outcry, it seemed unfair to many. ANet likely doesn't feel the same pressure to help out full-slot people with PoF because the Revenant's existence is no longer a secret.

Note this is all me interpreting my understanding of ANet's position. Personally I'd like a new slot as an intrinsic part of every expansion just to make the expansion feel meatier, as it were. But I don't feel it's deeply unfair of them not to do it, the way it was with the original HoT plan.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

I bought standard PoF. Mostly because my gaming budget is limited (and I'd rather spend it on other games, peripherals, or hardware upgrades). Also, I wasn't really tempted either by the add-ons for deluxe.

• Max-Level Boost: as a veteran, leveling a toon is trivial with tomes & scrolls
• Additional Character Slot: this is good, but I can buy that with gold-bought-gems
• Identity Repair Kit: ditto. Useful, but not special.
• Sunspear Outfit: I don't hate the Outfit, but I probably wouldn't wear it.
• Lily of the Elon Permanent Pass: this... its very convenient as there aren't easy ways to reach PoF for a new character. However, not worth the price of the entire Deluxe edition.

And as others have noted, 4000 gems cost US$50/£42.50. So anyone who is intending (or likely to) buy 4000 gems with RL cash in the next year should always go for the Ultimate package: for the same price as buying the gems plus the game, you get all the Deluxe benefits for free. (Or at least: included in the total price.) That calculus changes when the game is on sale, but even then, I'd recommend Ultimate for people who intend to buy 4000 gems.