For the Health of the Game: Retire Old Crown Crates

merpins · March 2023

I understand that crown crates are a financial decision to help the game stay afloat. I personally do not believe the game needs this system at all, both for financial stability and other factors. I believe it's an exploitive practice.
...But let's assume that the game cannot survive without crown crates. Rather than reusing the crates that came out years ago in infinitum, I think crates should be retired entirely after a number of years. Definitely continue to do what is currently being done, reuse and reintroduce crown crates for limited time sales. Players still want to get the crates that have come and gone. But I think crates from a number of years ago, let's say 5 or 6 years ago +, should be retired, and their item pools should be added to the game as collectable cosmetics.

the game is currently lacking earnable cosmetics in-game. It lacks real reason for players to interact with the game, and adding a ton of cosmetics to the game to fill up all old content would take a lot of manpower that I don't think ZoS is willing to spare for free cosmetics that would only garner favor from players. doing it would be a good thing and would be popular among players, but it's very unlikely such a suggestion would blow over positively in the company. But if they took the old cosmetics from older crown crates, and added those to the game as things we can earn through new achievements and challenges, or even through a vet overland or some other new game mode, it would be a great middle ground. Sure, it wouldn't be anything NEW. But it would bring a lot to the game for players to actually earn.

I have many opinions, much of which I've voiced in the forums over the years, about Crown Crates and loot boxes in general. I won't go deep into it here. But though this idea probably won't ever happen, I think it should.

vsrs_au · March 2023

I thought the endeavour system, and the endeavour seals section of the Crown Store, fit the definition of earnable cosmetics. Or were you talking about something else?

merpins · March 2023

vsrs_au wrote: »

I thought the endeavour system, and the endeavour seals section of the Crown Store, fit the definition of earnable cosmetics. Or were you talking about something else?

The endeavor system is designed to get players to play the game every day in order to earn enough to get something good out of the crown crate loot table. It's a micro-management system, similar to games like Farmville, that is to get players hooked on an easy thing they can do every day, even if it doesn't really give much of a reward.

Endeavors take a couple minutes a day to complete, and give basically nothing. You need to do them consistently every day for 6 months+ to be able to earn anything substantial. The problem with a system like this in a game like ESO is ESO isn't a mobile game. You can't just passively pick up your phone and do a system like this without really thinking about it. You have to really think about it to do it. The game cannot hook a player with a system like this like a mobile game can, and thus it causes burnout in players. It's a detrimental system that hurts more than it actually helps the game.

I'm talking about having REAL earnable cosmetics in game. A reason to play game content beyond just lore. Currently, there is no incentive.

Zyva · March 2023

I believe they mean earnable as in, I can go out into the overworld and grind an achievement, quest, or zone for a cosmetic. This game is AMAZINGLY short on such things compared to other mmos. You get a sense of accomplishment as the only way to get earnable cosmetics is to... EARN them.

I do not count the endeavor system as earnable, as the time required for the top tier is so enormous. The endeavor system is a time-sink to make players log in every day hoping it will add up enough to eventually get what their richer companions can just go buy with real money with a single swipe. I imagine it is also a way for the game to say there is no 'gambling' with crates as endeavors plus gems means everything can, technically, be bought. But there is not a sense of accomplishment.

Faulgor · March 2023

Didn't we have that topic like 3 days ago?

Doubt you can convince ZOS to do this. Besides the obvious financial loss, adding all crown crate collectibles as earnable rewards to the game would be a tremendous undertaking. Might be easier to just add those crates as drops to particular zones, but that's not the same thing is it.

I'll say that there are a lot of activites in the game that just don't feel rewarding (anymore), e.g. treasure chests or pickpocketing. I remember when Vvardenfell released, opening treasure chests for Buoyant Armiger motifs and pickpocketing for the house styles was a good incentive to build for something else besides combat. I miss that. Adding some old, retired crown store items to these activites would be fantastic and simple, but I'm not hopeful.

Danikat · March 2023

In theory I like the idea, I certainly like the idea of having more cosmetics earnable in-game rather than coming from the crown store or in crates.

I'm not sure it would do much to motivate me, but that's because I'm not interested in most of the things in crates. I never buy crates but since the endeavours were introduced I've been looking at the selections more and found entire crates have nothing I actually want. So if the same items were in-game rewards it's unlikely I'd go out of my way to get them. But then I want to do all the quests anyway, and I've collected hundreds of skins in Guild Wars 2 just because they came from things I was doing either way, so I'm sure it would be the same in ESO and I'd end up picking up a lot just by playing.

Add in the fact that I would have already had time to get the things I want most with seals of endeavour and it's even less likely there will be former crate rewards added in which I want to get.

But that's just me. I know other people like and want to get a lot more stuff from crates and have said they're frustrated that it's so slow to get them with seals and absurdly expensive if you buy crates, so for other people it might work better.

Destai · March 2023

vsrs_au wrote: »

I thought the endeavour system, and the endeavour seals section of the Crown Store, fit the definition of earnable cosmetics. Or were you talking about something else?

It's a safeguard against potential pro-consumer legislation. When you really break it down, you can't earn much from it. There's still oodles of limited availability on those items, players don't know what the future holds, and using seals on one item all but guarantees missing out on others. It's also a way to get players in the game every day, which isn't bad in and of itself, but it's just one more nudge to contend with in the game.

Danikat wrote: »

In theory I like the idea, I certainly like the idea of having more cosmetics earnable in-game rather than coming from the crown store or in crates.

I'm not sure it would do much to motivate me, but that's because I'm not interested in most of the things in crates. I never buy crates but since the endeavours were introduced I've been looking at the selections more and found entire crates have nothing I actually want. So if the same items were in-game rewards it's unlikely I'd go out of my way to get them. But then I want to do all the quests anyway, and I've collected hundreds of skins in Guild Wars 2 just because they came from things I was doing either way, so I'm sure it would be the same in ESO and I'd end up picking up a lot just by playing.

Add in the fact that I would have already had time to get the things I want most with seals of endeavour and it's even less likely there will be former crate rewards added in which I want to get.

But that's just me. I know other people like and want to get a lot more stuff from crates and have said they're frustrated that it's so slow to get them with seals and absurdly expensive if you buy crates, so for other people it might work better.

I was in the same boat until the Stonelore stuff came out. It was the one time I got crates, and to some extent, I feel like it was a mistake. I really liked all the druidic content and would've loved to have someway to actually earn them in game. That would have gotten me excited for High Isle and Galen more than the story ever would have. All of that content should be permanently in the game and earnable through actual gameplay.

mdjessup4906 · March 2023

Might be easier to just add those crates as drops to particular zones, but that's not the same thing is it.

This is a great idea. Rename them to something lore friendly and make world bosses in some of the more dead zones have a chance at dropping them, or even just randomly finding them out in the world.

I never buy crates either, but getting surprise collectibles for stuff I'm doing anyway is always fun.

spartaxoxo · March 2023

I wouldn't want my radiant apex to get added to a dungeon or something. Not because I care if others can earn it, because I'm glad they can through endeavors. But, because then people who already collected those items wouldn't be getting new stuff.

I'd prefer new items be added to content so everyone has a reason to get it.

Carlos93 · March 2023

It would be easier to add vendor NPCs in towns to sell old content and crown boxes.
Players go to these vendors to buy whatever they want in exchange for crowns.

ZOS_Icy · March 2023

Greetings,

This thread has been moved to the Crown Store & ESO Plus section, as it is better suited there.

Thank you for your understanding.