Recommend avoiding dwemer crates entirely, here's why

davey1107

It's a pity, I really wanted the Dro cub. But I'm going to put out a general consumer advisory to avoid buying any crates whatsoever. Feel free to ignore that advice, but it's my hope that if sales plummet ZOS will make the system better. Here are the problems with this season, based on watching a friend open his 15 pack then reviewing some 45 pack YouTube vids.

Also, It doesn't matter if you hate or love the crown crate system. This is about whether that system is a good value, regardless what one thinks. Crown sales are rare, so I'm going to use the cheapest "normal" prices to gauge value - $40 for 5500 crowns, and 5000 crowns for 15 crates. This puts the crates at $2.42 each. Based on the pulls, 45 crates reward about 200 spare gems, so $0.55 per gem.

Why this season blows a skeevers butt:

1. ZOS has added substantially more items that you can earn more than one of, reducing the ability to trade in items. In other words, unlike costumes where a second draw provides gems, things like those 100 gem furnishings can repeat. So you're not going to get gems for a stupid repeat tapestry...as if anyone wanted even one. You're going to get screwed.

2. ZOS has weighted the system to reward endless Nix Hounds (see other threads). My friend got 6 in 15 crates, online the 45 crate videos got 22 in 45 crates. And note that they've put the Nix as the ONLY pet in the 16 gem category. Others are all 40+, meaning they weighed the crates with the item that pays out the least gems for repeats. Scam artistry at work, folks.

3. The rewards are now stacked with mementos, utterly useless rewards.

4. The rewards are stacked with useless xp scrolls. Maybe nice in crown packs, but these are virtually worthless for most players, and can be easily made in game.

5. legendary rewards are now stuffed with crap. The number of total rewards went up to 23 from 14 (in wild hunt), locking players out of earning more repeat item gems for what they want. This includes making two items from one mask with very minor variations, adding more mementos, adding overpriced pets like the netch (which should be one category down) and adding items like motifs or xp scrolls to this category.

Based on the data, if a player wants a specific apex reward and can't pull it, it's going to cost $193.50. A specific legendary item is about $48. Whether the system is fun or not, the value sucks.

What ZOS could do to improve value and help customer relations:

1. Make an apex reward an apex "coupon" that allows users to pick the apex item they want. The prices are so high that it's unlikely people grind past one apex mount anyway...just let players have the damn one they want, you already charged them like $100+ for,the damn thing.

2. If they must include garbage in the legendary category, make this a choice as well. Meaning ONLY ONE furnishing item, ot 3-4. Like make a Clavicus furnishing category. The first time you pull it, you can choose a statue or a tapestry or a banner. The second time, you can choose one of those again or trade for gems.

3. Collapse items into packs. Three eyeshadow rewards is ridiculous. Make this a pack of three eye shadows instead of three rewards.

4. Change exchange rates. Offer 50% gems for repeat items, and 25% gems for ANY item.

5. Fix RNG. No item should come up more than 20% of the time. Look at how pissed people are over the Nix...you're burning out your customer base.

6. Standardize reward tiers. For example, eye wear, hats and tattoos ALL stay in the 16 gem category, costumes in their own category and pets all in one. Discount one if it stinks, but no 100 gem flower hats.


Until the system is overhauled, I recommend a total boycott. If we totally reject this season, we can get a better value next time around.

Zhaedri

Oh man, I was really hoping the dwarven crate would be an improvement to the player experience of opening crates. Now it seems like it's taking advantage of people with gambling addictions and screwing their player base out of good items. So disappointing.

Hanokihs

Honorable mention goes to the newest feature: drop-locked items. Meaning, you can't exchange gems for them, no matter how many you end up saving due to trading in your mimic stones and poisons. Because this crate season already has massive balancing issues in terms of high vs low value rewards, these three mounts (the dual-colored horse, senche, and wolf) will be next to impossible for most people who want them to obtain.

Between this and players feeling ripped-off over the Nix, even a good chunk of the defenders are eager to see the Crate system crash and burn.

MarkusLiberty

You don't get gems for tapestries/furnitures? You did in the last crate season

DocFrost72

If you're trying to get something specific from the crown crates, of course they're terrible value. Working as intended.

If you have 1500 crowns a month rolling in for two years, and nothing at all strikes your fancy, maybe you'll drain some of the stockpile you have and see what you get. That is the only way to purchase a crown crate, or you WILL be disappointed.

I don't speak to if I agree with this philosophy/business approach.

grim_tactics

I would recommend that no one waste money UNLESS you have Crowns just sitting there and there's something you want to roll the dice on, but these are the worst RNG crates since they've been introduced.

Banana

You don't need to convince me. Pay for rng

Hippie4927

Too late for me.......I already purchased 15 of the crates. I didn't get any nix hounds! I did, however, get 14 monocular contrivances. On the up side.....I got the dwarven senche, 2 motif books, a guar ride and other stuff.

Oh! And I also got the DromA'thra cub.

Elsonso

Gee. Rip-off crates are bad? Who could have possibly guessed?

Turelus

I'm really sad that something already controversial has seen changes which are stacked even more against the consumer.

It really makes me sad that Zenimax/Bethesda/ZOS at whatever level this gets pushed have lost perspective of making games for their fans and care more about the money.

Hey, shouldn't be surprised I mean... paid mods right?

Rohamad_Ali

I've never had a problem not buying those . I have that black cat bad luck with gambling . Direct purchases only and I wish we had more direct purchase items . I like to support the game on top of my sub now and again . It's just never going to happen with lottery boxes .

WhiteCoatSyndrome

Turelus wrote: »

Hey, shouldn't be surprised I mean... paid mods right?

This. This right here is why I'm glad there hasn't been an ES6 announcement. While there is admittedly no guarantee that a few years between now and then will save the next single player game from being microtransactioned to death, at least it leaves the possibility open.

dodgehopper_ESO

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

I've never had a problem not buying those . I have that black cat bad luck with gambling . Direct purchases only and I wish we had more direct purchase items . I like to support the game on top of my sub now and again . It's just never going to happen with lottery boxes .

Ditto.

Elsonso

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Turelus wrote: »

Hey, shouldn't be surprised I mean... paid mods right?

This. This right here is why I'm glad there hasn't been an ES6 announcement. While there is admittedly no guarantee that a few years between now and then will save the next single player game from being microtransactioned to death, at least it leaves the possibility open.

Well, now that they have Creation Club, they might feel they can close the door on unofficial mods from places like Nexus. These just expose the players to an unsatisfactory experience full of crashes and poor game play experience. [/sarcasm]

ESO needs a "Creation Club" though. Consoles so desperately need add-ons to fix what ZOS cannot, or does not, want to fix. The only way I see ESO getting that is if ZOS/Bethesda/Sony/Microsoft get paid by the players for the use of add-ons. Something for all the new ZOS Monetization people to do. (I wish ZOS would hire ToS Enforcement people instead of Monetization people)

Muttsmutt

yeah the crate experience was definitely made worse this season
OP makes some good suggestions that don't lose zos money, and may even earn them some considering it will make crates feel less like an obvious con

SOLOistheNAME

This was my first time buying crates since morrowind released and would probably be my last. I'm use to RNG stuff, but the amount of money these crates cost and the number of repeats you get is ridiculously. My signature says it all. lol

grizzledcroc

We def need responce for this

Stopnaggin

The only response you'll get is "we have moved this thread" or "we are closing this thread" . I've bought crates before, I collect senche items, but this season is terrible. Now with things locked behind a weigheted rng with no possible way to guarantee to get what I want, I'm done with crates. Once I miss out on one of the senche mounts there won't be a reason to keep collecting. This results in less money from me now and in the future.

Kaymorolis

I'm glad that I don't buy the crown crates. I prefer to spend my crowns on things that aren't controlled by the RNG.

Stopnaggin

Kaymorolis wrote: »

I'm glad that I don't buy the crown crates. I prefer to spend my crowns on things that aren't controlled by the RNG.

I didn't mind buying them before, but now after the first 15 pack I think I'm done.

Stewart1874

I also got 6 nix hounds in my 15 crates. Random huh...

FYIW Won't be buying crowns till next sale. Not spending that kind of money for 6 'random' repeats. Was absolutely seething.

Dark_Dread

I agree, not to mention some of the items are notoriously bugged (like the eight fanged nose chain) and they do not respond when you let them know about it, leaving the customer feeling like they do not care if they offer a defective item, as my post got 0 responses after flagging a dev with the problem.

To me they are not worth the purchase and will be my last crate purchase. Devs can not be that unwilling to please or reward the players or they will simply stop buying.

TheRiverBlues

There's definitely a lot of "trash" rewards in this season's crates. Mementos with effects that don't last very long, costumes that are essentially recolors of themselves (looking at you ordinator armors) or are just minor alterations (IMO I like the snood but the variants with the flowers on it should not belong in any tier higher than superior) Motifs in legendary tier (Even with talk about a transmogrify system on it's way, who knows how long it will take for them to actually make it)

This was very lack luster compared to the Wild Hunt Crates.

lagrue

Turelus wrote: »

I'm really sad that something already controversial has seen changes which are stacked even more against the consumer.

It really makes me sad that Zenimax/Bethesda/ZOS at whatever level this gets pushed have lost perspective of making games for their fans and care more about the money.

Hey, shouldn't be surprised I mean... paid mods right?

As a modder I had never been so mad in my life, as the night of E3. RIP Bethesda. Losing focus all over again.

We can't crowdfund to make our mods better - but if Bethesda sees a chance to profit from OUR work well then:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

SirGabenOfSteamia

Hanokihs wrote: »

Honorable mention goes to the newest feature: drop-locked items. Meaning, you can't exchange gems for them, no matter how many you end up saving due to trading in your mimic stones and poisons. Because this crate season already has massive balancing issues in terms of high vs low value rewards, these three mounts (the dual-colored horse, senche, and wolf) will be next to impossible for most people who want them to obtain.

Between this and players feeling ripped-off over the Nix, even a good chunk of the defenders are eager to see the Crate system crash and burn.

Yeah, even the stupid resplendent sweetroll is paywalled. And it's like the only furniture piece I wanted from the crates

SydneyGrey

Actually, you CAN exchange the Clavicus Vile banners/hangings for gems. I bought 15 crates and got the smaller of those Clavicus hangings, and exchanged it for gems.
I agree with most of what you said, though.

Pele

Rohamad_Ali wrote: »

I've never had a problem not buying those . I have that black cat bad luck with gambling . Direct purchases only and I wish we had more direct purchase items . I like to support the game on top of my sub now and again . It's just never going to happen with lottery boxes .

Yep. I loathe RNG and wish the crate drops could be purchased too.

Blutengel

I wouldn't be bothered by all this if the crown crates we're at least more reasonably priced. A buck a crate would be ideal I would probably even buy a little more. Makes me sad that zos is becoming more greedy by the day.

Ehrlichcoleb14_ESO

I bought 15 crates. 11 of them had the same outfit in it. I didn't get a single legendary tier item or duplicate epic tier. Just a bunch of the same junk from the superior tier. Managed to scrap all of it for exactly 100 gems.

So basically. I paid $40 for a single outfit I wanted. Can't say I'll be doing that again. Was dumb on my part to expect anything else.

Thannazzar

16 crates (got me)

Nix hound
Dromoathra seniche
Breton Hero Outfit
2 Ashlander costumes
1 monocle
3 different momentos
1 clavicus vile statue
1 ordinator costume
1 Nedic costume
1 Dwemer Hat

102 gems worth of duplicates and trash to save for the undead or daedra pack whichever comes first.

That said dissappointed the 2 colour dwemmer mounts aren't gem purchasable .

Not a great fan of rng's, however don't do female toons or non-armor costumes and non lore mounts so little else to spend eso+crowns on. Missed out on the old better stuff as didn't start eso till last summer so glad of the chance to pick them up.

That said, its about time eso let you cash in any crown crate reward for gems, not just trash/duplicates/decos.

Yarlenzey

Hippie4927 wrote: »

Too late for me.......I already purchased 15 of the crates. I didn't get any nix hounds! I did, however, get 14 monocular contrivances. On the up side.....I got the dwarven senche, 2 motif books, a guar ride and other stuff.

Oh! And I also got the DromA'thra cub.

You got MY crates. I had to BUY my monocular contrivance with half my converted gems.
I wanted a Guar - any of the three available, but nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

keep the cat.