Motif costs more than a DLC!?

Veuth

Soooooo is there a reason that a single motif is more expensive than Orsinium and Morrowind? Since when is a cosmetic re-skin worth more than 20+ hours of content with tons of other cosmetic re-skins that probably look even better? Sure, some of them you can get in-game but doesn't that make it even more pointless to put in crown store?

MagicalLija

Yeah its a bit weird

Acrolas

Different items in the Crown Store have different costing procedures, factoring in such variables as intended audience size, balancing content play to convenience, in-game utility, window of availability, etc.

Dungeon game packs have a smaller audience size than overland game packs, so the dungeons are cost more crowns.
In-game motifs have more in-game utility and requests than seasonal motifs, so the in-game motifs cost more crowns.
Motifs have a smaller audience then game packs, so the motifs cost more crowns.

I know, some people would love to think all it takes is a dart board and some evil laughs. But there's an appropriate methodology to it.

Veuth

Acrolas wrote: »

Different items in the Crown Store have different costing procedures, factoring in such variables as intended audience size, balancing content play to convenience, in-game utility, window of availability, etc.

Dungeon game packs have a smaller audience size than overland game packs, so the dungeons are cost more crowns.
In-game motifs have more in-game utility and requests than seasonal motifs, so the in-game motifs cost more crowns.
Motifs have a smaller audience then game packs, so the motifs cost more crowns.

I know, some people would love to think all it takes is a dart board and some evil laughs. But there's an appropriate methodology to it.

Yeah that does actually make some sense, and none of this is to the verge of being infuriating or a bad PR service because it's purely cosmetic and doesn't include any Pay2Win garbage that other games have practiced. Still, it's funny to poke fun at though.

heaven13

I'm actually pretty sure that the motifs that are also available in game are priced as they are so as not to destabilize market. Because if you compare crown exclusive motifs (2000 crowns) to motifs that can be acquired in game (usually 5000 crowns) there's a definite difference.

You can either spend the time farming (for chapters or gold), but save money or spend real life money but save time. Even factoring in gold-to-crown gifting, it's about the same. Time spent but gold saved (for cheaper trader deals) or time saved but more gold spent.

Neither is clearly superior to the other; it all comes down to personal preference and what assets you have more of.

THE_BIG_BOSS

Yes. Deal with it.

DeadlyRecluse

Yes, and it is, imo, a good thing.

Using crowns to circumvent the in-game economy should always come at a steep cost.

idk

The motif is available free in game. Get it that way. It makes sense Zos can get away with pricing the motif like that since it is just making it easier. I choose getting it for free.

Dagoth_Rac

In real life, a fancy sports car can cost the equivalent of years of food and water and shelter. Cosmetic/luxury/vanity items have an exaggerated pricing model. Generally, the *less* important and necessary an item is, the easier it is to sell at extremely high price points. And whether that random person you pass while questing is wearing "Orc" or "Ancient Orc" armor is not very important or necessary to gameplay.

WrathOfInnos

It is a little strange. The way I see this is that the DLC’s bring access to motifs, you don’t simply get the motif for buying it. You’ll still have to do the content a lot to earn it in game. Directly buying the motif is the alternate method for those that don’t want to spend the time to earn it. A shortcut for those that don’t mind spending crowns, and like cosmetics more than content.

Danikat

There's also the fact that it's in their interest to keep the cost of DLC down if they can because then people are more likely to buy it and spend more time in the game while they complete it (which increases the chances of them buying other stuff in future).

Also people tend to be happier playing in populated maps - if you hardly see any other people you might start thinking they know something you don't and are avoiding this area for a reason, or that the game as a whole is pretty empty. (Not to mention the practical aspect of needing people for group content.)

Didgerion

DLC are sold cheap to keep as many players in the new content as possible. I doubt Zos has profit out of it.

Motifs are sold for profit to those who really enjoy the game but don't have time to grind.

VaranisArano

The Crown Store motifs are priced as high as they are because its a pay-for-convenience option for people who don't want to obtain them through in-game methods.

That's why you see things like the Ra Gada motif selling for 5000 crowns, when the pages were selling for 2k gold on PC/NA at the time.

Theoretically, the high price in the Crown Store encourages people to obtain the motif by playing the game as well as offering a pay for convenience option.

However, ZOS has been messing with that formula with recent updates. Releasing DLC motifs before they drop from the dungeons, or increasing the grind for Welkynar enormously relative to the Crown Store price all smack of ZOS wanting to encourage players to pay for the motifs through the Crown Store, with in game acquisition becoming a grindy, more painful alternative.

Jayne_Doe

I recall there being a certain amount of hand-wringing when players learned that motifs would be offered for sale in the Crown Store. Once we saw the prices, a lot of players at the time seemed satisfied that those prices wouldn't interfere with the in-game economy.

If you really want it and don't want to play the content, then you can buy it in the crown store. I prefer to buy motifs from other players if I'm not doing the content (PvP and dungeon DLC motifs).

I'm assuming that the recent CS tactics (as mentioned above) are due to the fact that not many players pay for that convenience and so they are coming up with ways to get more players to spend Crowns on motifs they can otherwise get by playing the game.

rexagamemnon

Ya, something is wrong with that picture. Motif shouldnt cost more than dlc