Curse

mrip · Jun 17, 2005, 02:27 PM // 14:27

So you can either pay tens of thousands for that eternal shield or you could use the crimson carapace shield that is better basically for free. Why pay 30k for a staff when the collector's one is pretty much the best you can get? If the answer is just, "They look cooler, and even though they aren't as good I think it's worth it," I don't understand you guys.

Midnight Scorpion · Jun 17, 2005, 02:32 PM // 14:32

Gold sink.

AcidRock · Jun 17, 2005, 02:35 PM // 14:35

maybe just because money isn't worth anything if you don't spend it, since everything is almost given for free in this game and money is useless... you have to find a way to spend it for stuff that looks cooler for you than what is the best to have. useless money for useless items, that's how this game works. best items are free, useless but cool items are not (even if they are free if you drop it). The one thing i dont understand in this game is why everything is so easy to get, i mean, it's not like its hard to get an eternal bow or a storm bow, just go a few hours in the underworld with a good party and you'll get it. So why is there money anyway in this game ?

Caco-Cola · Jun 17, 2005, 02:38 PM // 14:38

Both arguements thus far suck.

For one, it's not a gold sink. The money is never leaving the economy.

Now if they had a vendor who sold..whatever shield someone wanted and charged 100k for it THEN it'd be a gold sink, because the money would be essentially deleted.

Second of all, money isn't worth anything unless you spend it? So basically instead of having 30k I should just go spend it on some worthless item that is actually worse just because it 'looks cool'?

Wow...how uh...stupid.

Myodato · Jun 17, 2005, 02:52 PM // 14:52

Why have 15k armour that is effectively the same as 1.5k armour ?

The PvE content in Guild Wars is limited. One of the simplest ways to make it seem less so is to introduce items that are significantly harder to get than their gaming value suggests.

Another way to think of it is, it's high-end content that doesn't unbalance the game.

mrip · Jun 17, 2005, 02:55 PM // 14:55

I haven't played WoW, but do they so the same thing of creating rare, but not as good items, for which people pay ridiculous prices?

AcidRock · Jun 17, 2005, 03:01 PM // 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caco-Cola

Second of all, money isn't worth anything unless you spend it? So basically instead of having 30k I should just go spend it on some worthless item that is actually worse just because it 'looks cool'?

Wow...how uh...stupid.

Then what would you spend your 30k on if not on a 'cool' items ?
Tell me anything that is not free and better than what is actually free... if you think about the 15k armor... well it is useless you pay 15k + all the cafting material for what... the look nothing else... so again... what is money usefull to ?

mrip · Jun 17, 2005, 03:04 PM // 15:04

I think the rare items should be the best available, and the cool ones should come from the collectors. The good collector items aren't available until you get to the desert, so people would still pay $$$ for them. AND, people would pay for the rare items that are actually the best. Doesn't that just make more sense? I mean, wouldn't the other members of your party feel better knowing you had the "best"equipment rather than the stuff that looked "cool"? Isn't the point to do well in the game? Isn't that the point of getting better equipment?

Reiden Argrock · Jun 17, 2005, 04:32 PM // 16:32

pff, who wants to actually be good? lol
j/k, I say if they want to spend all their time spending money on items that look good, but aren't really, then let em, I'll just own their arse in pvp

Galatea · Jun 17, 2005, 05:44 PM // 17:44

They're worth more because they're cosmetic. Sure, you can have the best item in the game for free, but some people get a kick out of others saying, "OOOohh! Lemme see that! That [sword/axe/staff/shield] looks SO COOL OMG!"

It's the same with 15k armor - sure you can get the cheap stuff, but if you can pay more to have something 'rare' that looks cool, then why not?

Algren Cole · Jun 17, 2005, 05:51 PM // 17:51

Abercrombie & Fitch used to sell a pair of jeans with grass stains on them....said jeans would cost the consumer about $120....millions of people purchased these jeans when at gap they were selling jeans without grass stains for $50.....

If you don't get it....you're dumber than you should be.

Slade xTekno · Jun 17, 2005, 05:53 PM // 17:53

People coming from other games will have trouble adjusting to the system currently present in Guild Wars. Due to the general balance that exists between items and the lack of any unique rares, money is instead spent not only on the performance of a weapon, but its appearance.

Buying for cosmetics is the "leveling" after you hit the level cap. Yes, you already have the max damage weapon and armor set. Instead of having to splurge on the 1337 uniques that no one has, you spend gold on making your character look exactly like you want him/her to.

You'll understand this once you have everything.

Phaedrus · Jun 17, 2005, 06:09 PM // 18:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrip

So you can either pay tens of thousands for that eternal shield or you could use the crimson carapace shield that is better basically for free. Why pay 30k for a staff when the collector's one is pretty much the best you can get? If the answer is just, "They look cooler, and even though they aren't as good I think it's worth it," I don't understand you guys.

The collector's caster items are only good for specialists. Some people use builds where having generic bonuses (which collector items do not offer) are a better idea. Yeah, I can get a 20/20 healing staff. What if I use healing and prot prayers? Most of my heals are less than one second casts anyway, but my prot spells aren't. I could get a prot icon focus, but what if I need the staff for an enchanting wrap (for my prot spells) and an energy head?

Please, please, please, don't be the arrogant guy who lectures people on what is "better" what is "right" or why we do things. If you knew, you wouldn't need to ask the flame-baiting question.

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Ensign · Jun 17, 2005, 06:25 PM // 18:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Yeah, I can get a 20/20 healing staff.

Where? =(

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

What if I use healing and prot prayers? Most of my heals are less than one second casts anyway, but my prot spells aren't...what if I need the staff for an enchanting wrap (for my prot spells) and an energy head?

Then use a Protection staff. You want the fast cast and fast recharge for the skills with the long cast / recharge times, whatever those happen to be.

Universal cast and recharge caps out at 10%. Specific ones go to 20%, meaning that unless you're using a build with 3 lines that all need fast cast and recharge, one of the specific staves is going to be better.

Of course all of this depends upon finding a perfect 10/10 staff of the right attribute for your class. Otherwise there's no contest. =)

As stated, people are paying for cosmetics because that's the endgame of the economy - you can get everything that you need for your character fairly quickly, and all that's left to throw money at is the perfect weapon with the right graphic.

Peace,
-CxE

Digitalblast · Jun 17, 2005, 06:29 PM // 18:29

why pay 250k for a house when you can sleep under a 40 million dollar bridge?

Madjik · Jun 17, 2005, 06:32 PM // 18:32

you cant salvage runes/upgrades from anything a collecter gives you.

Phaedrus · Jun 17, 2005, 06:33 PM // 18:33

Right, but the point is *most* healing spells are, not all. A prot staff doesn't help with healing (or resurrecting), nor does it speed up skills that're handy with quick recharge like heal other. A 20/20 healing staff/focus doesn't give me coverage on prot skills. I use weapons on my casters that suit their abilities...I don't care what it looks like. All fire staves look the same. All air staves look the same. It boils down to the mods. Thankfully shadow and ghostly staves aren't impressive-looking enough that casters will abandon perfectly good focii or staves for them.

So I guess I don't see how that's the case with casters. A collector's holy staff looks just like any other holy staff. Their protective icons are no different than the ones I find. You should be clear: that's why people buy eternal shields, fellblades, and storm bows.

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