are gems the only way to unlock....

[notoriousace.1385]

mounts, outfits etc? i know you can turn gold into gems, but is trading gems to unlock these things ultimately the only way to get them? can't unlock any through an achievement or buy any from an in-game vendor?

[Tanner Blackfeather.6509]

There are a few outfits available in game, but all mount skins and the vast majority of outfits are gem store only.

The outfits available in game are mostly ones based on old Town Clothes (a defunct system of items creating a more "civilian" look), which are available as tonics on the TP and those tonics can be exchanged for a corresponding outfit. A very basic one is dirt cheap, but the others are fairly expensive. Technically this supply is also limited as it's a matter of converting existing items that aren't created anymore, however the supply seems to be big enough it'll likely never actually run out.

There's also a Halloween outfit available during the festival.

[Cyninja.2954]

Just to be clear:

Mounts are unlocked via playing the PoF expansion story and maps.

Mount skins are unlocked via the gem store and there is currently no in-game skins outside the gemstore.

This is somewhat mirrored for gliding and glider skins, except that each of the legendary back items comes with a unique glider skin.

There is three ways to acquire gems, purchase with real money or convert gold to gems or get free 400 gems per 5k achievement points.

[melandru.3876]

you can get mount skins for free, but it requires the following

first, you need a black lion key (map completing/weekly key farm)second, you need a black lion chest that has a 2k gem mount as rare drop (changes each few weeks)third, pray to rngesus and lootcipher to get lucky and get the2k gem mount skin

[Susy.7529]

@Cyninja.2954 said:Just to be clear:

Mounts are unlocked via playing the HoT expansion story and maps.

Mount skins are unlocked via the gem store and there is currently no in-game skins outside the gemstore.

This is somewhat mirrored for gliding and glider skins, except that each of the legendary back items comes with a unique glider skin.

There is three ways to acquire gems, purchase with real money or convert gold to gems or get free 400 gems per 5k achievement points.

PoF

/15characterslimit

[Cyninja.2954]

@Susy.7529 said:

@Cyninja.2954 said:Just to be clear:

Mounts

are unlocked via playing the HoT expansion story and maps.

Mount skins

are unlocked via the gem store and there is currently no in-game skins outside the gemstore.

This is somewhat mirrored for gliding and glider skins, except that each of the legendary back items comes with a unique glider skin.

There is three ways to acquire gems, purchase with real money or convert gold to gems or get free 400 gems per 5k achievement points.

PoF

/15characterslimit

Ah yes, my bad. Yeah when writing and not double checking. Thanks, will correct up top

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

About the outfits you can unlock if you own a transformation-tonic, you can see all possibilities at a Black Lion Trader (Merchant). But that is not questing, that is buying straight out of TP.

There is another option for outfits, it is just not very reliable to say the least. The Guaranteed Wardrobe Unlock, which is a possible loot from opening Black Lion Chests. The biggest problem behind this method is, it is random.

And there is even another option. It basically involves the Black Lion Chests again. You sometimes gain Black Lion Statuettes out of them. As you can see in the link, the vendor has a small collection of gemstore-skins and Outfits ^^. So if you want one of these, learn how to farm BL keys. It is not that difficult and time-consuming. Using this method, you may have to use not a single piece of gold for the unlock. They sometimes update the Statuette vendor with new stuff. So if you read in the patch-notes that the vendor has been updated, it is worth to check the exchange-list. Mount and Glider skins have not been in the vendor yet.

[Eros.6801]

I'm agreed with @"HnRkLnXqZ.1870" , I usually have an empty char slot and re-do lv 10 story every week for a guaranteed BLC key and during week days either do map completion for random key or farming gold. This method is RNG and time-consuming but at least you know it works. Last night i just got "Menzies's Agony" from BLC it's a nice GS skin which cost 600 gems.

Just my thought and not relevant to the topic but i'm happy that mostly everything Anet put behind the paywall/RNG method are only skins and some utility stuffs. As long as it stays that way, i'm ok with anything even if i have to grind my way through it.