Should unlocking Skyshards be available through the Crown Store for Alts ?

Vandril

Other. Please explain.

Rakvicka wrote: »

I have 11 characters, on 7 have it already completed. It is not such burden, but yes, it would be nice. But not via crown store.
If anything else, it should be account based and granted automaticly, as dyes that you can unlock.[/i]

This is pretty much my only complaint. If it hits the crown store, it will ONLY EVER hit the crown store and will never be a built-in feature as it should be. And this applies to every shortcut added to any cash shop in any game.

I'm accepting of it being in the crown store, but not particularly happy about it. I'll purchase them on characters I feel the need to, but with the constant knowledge nagging me from the back of my head that I shouldn't have to purchase them to avoid an activity I find unfun without hindering all the activities I find fun. I won't be able to help but feel like I'm being lightly fleeced.

Curtdogg47

Other. Please explain.

Games got to make money! And I am sure people are willing to pay for this! I personally wont but don't care if others would!

Facefister

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

BrightOblivion wrote: »

People keep saying "This doesn't harm anyone," and, at face value, they're technically right. Your buying skyshards in and of itself doesn't hurt anyone. I'm also not opposed to ZOS making money, as I'm realistic enough to realize they're a company, not a charity, and if they don't make profit, there's no reason for their doors to stay open.

The issue I have with the argument is that, whether you can see it or not, this has the potential to hurt everyone. Let's say that, next year, ZOS decides to design a new skill line or create a new guild, similar to what they did with Summerset. As they're making it, they have a choice. They can make it good and fun and enjoyable, in which case they make profit off the chapter. Or they make it incredibly strong, but make the grind hellacious, in which case they profit off the people buying the chapter to access the skill line and the people buying the instant levelup to get it over with on their alts. And if you don't think they would or that people wouldn't accept it, just look at how many people are clamoring for Psijic Order to be added. Then imagine they made a skill line with stronger skills, but a leveling process far more tedious, and tell me how many people would fork over money. Then try to tell me the folks at marketing wouldn't be the least bit tempted.

In that sense, your paying for convenience now has the very real potential to become paying for everyone's inconvenience later. And that harms everyone playing the game, and is reason enough to be, if not opposed to the idea, at least extremely wary of the idea and the effects and incentives it brings with it.

How to sticky this answer?

Curtdogg47 wrote: »

Games got to make money! And I am sure people are willing to pay for this! I personally wont but don't care if others would!

B2P, Chapters, DLCs or ESO+, tons of cosmetics and mounts, utility items like scrolls and mount training. BUT they utterly rely on selling skyshards.

Universe

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

kind_hero wrote: »

Universe wrote: »

I believe that skyshards shouldn't be made available for purchase in the crown store since it is directly tied to a very long grind for power by skill points(3 skyshards = 1 skill point) and making it available through the crown store is a shortcut for the whales.
No one should be allowed to skip this grind despite the fact he already earned the relevant skyshard achievement/s before.
It is an integral part of the game.
Also, there will be no ingame option to buy the skyshard packs(such as, gold) to skip the long grind of unlocking them, this makes this type of crown store monetization of skyshard packs even more greedy and it will be the only way to obtain the skyshards fast.
Crown Store Shortcuts for Hard/long grinds, such as skyshards, champion points, skill lines and Monster Helm drops etc. shouldn't be available in the crown store.
The game should be played, not bought by a thousand micro transactions.

I will explain by answering to your comment.

The game already has shortcuts for whales, or people who sub and get crowns each month. Some of these include:

• riding lessons
• motifs (which some are quite hard to get or cost a ton in game)
• research scrolls
• xp gains
• storage, banker, merchant
• furnishings/houses (I included them because with crowns you save gold which can be used at something else)

Also your gear is shared, which is the greatest shortcut this game has. When I played WoW, I got a rare BiS rogue dagger on my mage alt (for him it was useless), and there was nothing I could do about it, there was no system to trade between party members (at that time) or alts. In this game things are much much more convenient regarding the most important issue in mmos, which is gear.

Your dyes and cosmetic look of the motifs you learn are also shared.

You say that none should be allowed to skip the grind, but you already skip a lot of grind when you use your main char to boost your alt with gear, enchants, food, xp potions. Getting skill points from your main is not different, it is even less than getting boosts and gear, because the skill points only allow you to enable some skills faster and get in the game you want to play (pvp/dungeons, whatever) faster.

So your only point comes from the sad reality that people have to pay for something they have already unlocked, or done, to skip that time sink on an alt. Because there are many other shortcuts of which you do not complain in this post, like I pointed out. Paying for those is or is not fair, and we need to see the price. Regardless, getting those does not give you an edge, that would be true if a player could buy and add more champion points than others, or if you could buy very powerful weapons from the cash shop, like in TES Blades

P.S. I forgot to mention that I unlocked all the skyshards in the base game, including Cyro, and I only need a few from Murkmire which I do not bother with because I have enough already. Getting the skyshards locked behind the enemy gates was the hardest of all. But that is not the issue. The devs are after some cash with this move, but they also encourage people to complete certain achievements and thus to "reward" the ones commited enough to do some completionist style achievements. If you want a game that does not charge money, you need to go back a couple of decades.

To be honest, buying Welkynar from the cash shop is more a slap in the face to those doing vCR or farming fragments, than this skyshard boost is to most players. I have several alts and am playing them less because I like to do new stuff with my main, rather than doing the same chore all over again.

I already expressed my opinion about this in other posts.
If those posts & the posts of other forum members have not convinced you that skyshards should not be sold through the crown store, nothing will.
I can understand that some just want to turn a blind eye and let it slide, it is your choice.
Though it is the wrong choice.
This will not end with crown store skyshards.

If crown store skyshards packs will be implemented and will be a success, other normal gameplay features may be included in the crown store, such as: skill lines, champion points, item sets etc.
The term of "Pay For Convenience" is very wide and it is flawed at its base.
This convenience has the potential to change the game to micro transactions game and not a game people actually play.

Jhalin

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

@kind_hero

There is a difference between “pay to speed up” and “pay to skip requirements”

The skyshards and skill lines require certain actions ingame to obtain beyond a single button press like those other things you mentioned

Transactions
You learn horse riding buy completing a transaction, either gold or crowns.

You get more bag/bank space by completing a transaction, either gold or crowns.

You obtain potions, food, and drinks by buying them, either from vendors/players or with crowns.


Expedited Progress
You earn exp by killing mobs or completing quests, you can earn more per kill/quest by using an exp scroll, but you still have to kill and quest to earn exp.

You research items by obtaining an item’s, clicking a button, and waiting, or faster by clicking a button and spending crowns, but still requiring you obtain the item.


Gameplay Circumvention, P2W territory
Skyshards are obtained by exploring the game world and engaging enemies to get through to them VS pay cash to acquire skillpoints

Gear is obtained by defeating delve, dungeon, arena, or trial bosses VS pay cash to obtain gear

Level skill lines by completing related actions (gathering lorebooks, or defeated Daedra/undead, completing dungeons and trial achievements) VS pay cash to obtain fully leveled skill lines

Even motifs launching in the store at the same time they launch in game is toeing the line as they affect Master writ drops, and following the Welkynar debacle, we can probably expect future headaches in the way of earning motifs in order to encourage crown purchases over ingame obtainment methods.

The biggest threat here is more intentionally frustrating grinds being designed as a way to introduce gameplay circumvention cash shop purchases as “convenience” options. People who don’t pay up will have a much less enjoyable experience than someone who does, and that’s not what the community should be encouraging by condoning these sort of additions.

If the same requirements, or removal of requirements in this case e, can’t be done through purely ingame means (aka instant obtainment of skyshard skillpoints for gold/AP, instant obtainment of fully leveled skill lines for gold/AP) then it shouldnt be added as a cash shop function

TheValar85

Other. Please explain.

For free or for gold but not for crowns. BTW on that topic watch this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uwsY-Rt3gc

Kombinator

Yes! Please implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

Unlocking Skyshards is pure grinding with maximum limit. Both on neccessity, and on availability. My current character has 60, and i have every skill, and passive i use for combat. You don't need them all, and having it doesn't make you super powerful.

So having the ability to unlock for alts is just a way to avoid some boring grinding. It doesn't harm those who don't want to pay. They can just run around and gather them. But it helps a lot to those who got money, but not that much time.

Sure getting everything free is great, but the team must live on something. And this gets closer to the p2w style, but it's far from the unaccepatble state.

Banana

Other. Please explain.

Account wide everything pack please

HappyLittleTree

Other. Please explain.

Even tho' i don't have a problem to get Skyshards on my alts the old fashioned way i'd rather have seen a fresh take like writ based furnishings which can only be bought with 100-200writ vouchers/per zone that only can be unlocked after you finish the Tamriel Skyshard Hunter Achievement on that character.

The furnishing works like the mundus stones in that you can go over there with your toon and interact with it to get the zone specific skyshard.
This could also be implemented as "Shalidors Library" for the mage skillline

Implementing it as a buyable crown store item is a bit insulting to say the least.

ChuckyPayne

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

I voted wrong!
I support the idea, but I don't agree 100%.

That is good, they finally support that player base who buy that way comfort. Other games offers these too.

I have bad feeling about it too!
-crOwn stOre exlusive
- One time Only
- One character Only
- One zOne Only
- Overpriced

oooOOO
O.o

Of course as usually ZOS do.

I won't buy that packs, I like collect skill points and skyshards, but I don't mind if others can buy.

Ok, ZOS would like more money but we would like QoL changes with skills too.

- After you collected a skyshard, you can see on maps with alts, of course switch on/off filter (console player would be very happy)
- Skill points for trials, arenas
- Skill bar loadouts
- Better skill level up, both bar get exp, both morph get exp (not same time, just if one morph maxed, then other can level up without change morph)
- Better tooltip, option to see both morph tooltips

Wolfchild07

Just the skyshards is pointless to me. You still have to do every main quest line in every zone on every character to get the bonus quest skill points. And no, I still wouldn't buy it from the crown store.

stevenyaub16_ESO

Other. Please explain.

Other:

I don't care and it doesn't effect my gameplay if others can or not.

NovaMarx

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

Universe wrote: »

I believe that skyshards shouldn't be made available for purchase in the crown store since it is directly tied to a very long grind for power by skill points(3 skyshards = 1 skill point) and making it available through the crown store is a shortcut for the whales.
No one should be allowed to skip this grind despite the fact he already earned the relevant skyshard achievement/s before.
It is an integral part of the game.
Also, there will be no ingame option to buy the skyshard packs(such as, gold) to skip the long grind of unlocking them, this makes this type of crown store monetization of skyshard packs even more greedy and it will be the only way to obtain the skyshards fast.
Crown Store Shortcuts for Hard/long grinds, such as skyshards, champion points, skill lines and Monster Helm drops etc. shouldn't be available in the crown store.
The game should be played, not bought by a thousand micro transactions.

Agreed.

Also, making it a Crown Store "exclusive" (meaning not available to purchase with in-game currency) is the definiton of Pay To Win. This gives anyone who can afford it an incredibly unfair advantage over those who can't.

In a perfect world the Crown Store would only be for cosmetic items and certain limited convenience items, but I won't be surprised if ZOS start implementing more P2W items (especially in the form of micro transactions) - since most other MMOs already do. *sigh*

Gorguzkhalrwb17_ESO

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

No.

This would completely contradict the reasons behind why things such as Skyshard rewards were first put into the game.
To encourage exploration.

Bigevilpeter

Shittiest cash grab ever, should be free if you grinded 1 character already. Even if it costs 500 crowns per zone it would still be insanely expensive if you have 10 alts and like 20 zones.

JiKama

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

No.... I've played the game since beta and have dedicated time into my characters. Especially when it comes to gathering Cyrodiil Skyshards. A part of me really hates the idea of it, while the other part is like whatever let people waste money. My main concern goes out to the pre50 players. They'll be playing against people who will have a huge advantage.

Rygonix

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

They literally added purchasable Event Tickets to the crown store during the concluding events of the Indrik celebration. That was slimy enough as it is. I am getting tired of how morbidly obese the crown store is getting with the amount of crap they are stuffing into it.

Besides that I have a stinking suspicion that Alliance Change Tokens are being primed for with the campaign changes being added with Elsweyr.

Bottom line: Stop giving zos ideas for what they can offer in the crown store! It is abundantly clear they have no trouble coming up with it on their own. Seriously.

CassandraGemini

Other. Please explain.

JiKama wrote: »

My main concern goes out to the pre50 players. They'll be playing against people who will have a huge advantage.

Why would you think that? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm against this as well (albeit for different reasons it seems), but what exactly would change if people could buy the skill points instead of just collecting the skyshards? It's just the same now, isn't it? People who are leveling their very first character to 50 do, of course, have a disadvantage compared to those with cp and lots of skill points. So why would it make any difference whether these others have actually bought the skill points instead of just collecting skyshards the old-fashioned way?

JiKama

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

@CassandraGemini Forgot to add the PvP part. The pre50 PvP is my main concern :P

Facefister

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

Rygonix wrote: »

They literally added purchasable Event Tickets to the crown store during the concluding events of the Indrik celebration. That was slimy enough as it is. I am getting tired of how morbidly obese the crown store is getting with the amount of crap they are stuffing into it.

Besides that I have a stinking suspicion that Alliance Change Tokens are being primed for with the campaign changes being added with Elsweyr.

Bottom line: Stop giving zos ideas for what they can offer in the crown store! It is abundantly clear they have no trouble coming up with it on their own. Seriously.

But people here say that they need all the money they can get so they can deliver quality content. I couldn't stop smirking while typing this.

KRBMMO

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

The developers made so many aspects of this game a vast time sink.
It wasn't necessary for them to do it this way - it was a game design choice.
Don't want to spend time? Pay money they say now.

I expect sooner or later every aspect of the game that used to just take time and require dedication to achieve will have a shortcut available for a price.

What I disagree with is I suspect that all these things that were a grind but are now available to buy were intentionally designed from the beginning that way so as to be a cash grab at some point.

So I'm not going to buy these "shortcuts", but neither am I going to level up any more characters in any way that could be considered a "grind".

CassandraGemini

Other. Please explain.

@JiKama Ah, ok. Didn't even consider that, since I don't really pvp myself. Then again the fact remains that you need to unlock skills first by leveling up before you can purchase them, but I guess it's true that you usually unlock skills faster than you gather skill points, so... yeah, alright, that might be a bit of an issue.

Facefister

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

KRBMMO wrote: »

The developers made so many aspects of this game a vast time sink.
It wasn't necessary for them to do it this way - it was a game design choice.
Don't want to spend time? Pay money they say now.

I expect sooner or later every aspect of the game that used to just take time and require dedication to achieve will have a shortcut available for a price.

What I disagree with is I suspect that all these things that were a grind but are now available to buy were intentionally designed from the beginning that way so as to be a cash grab at some point.

So I'm not going to buy these "shortcuts", but neither am I going to level up any more characters in any way that could be considered a "grind".

The problem with P2Convenience that it entirely depends on the inconveniences you have on your standard route. Just take the Welkynar motif, it would take you months, maybe even longer to farm it. But you get it for 6k crowns.

Universe

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

KRBMMO wrote: »

The developers made so many aspects of this game a vast time sink.
It wasn't necessary for them to do it this way - it was a game design choice.
Don't want to spend time? Pay money they say now.

I expect sooner or later every aspect of the game that used to just take time and require dedication to achieve will have a shortcut available for a price.

What I disagree with is I suspect that all these things that were a grind but are now available to buy were intentionally designed from the beginning that way so as to be a cash grab at some point.

So I'm not going to buy these "shortcuts", but neither am I going to level up any more characters in any way that could be considered a "grind".

Agreed.
I won't buy any skyshard packs if/when they will become available.
Only old fashioned grind for me

JykJax

Finally.
Totally fine with crowns, but we just need to check price and details about it :-)

Universe

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

JykJax wrote: »

Finally.
Totally fine with crowns, but we just need to check price and details about it :-)

Not fine at all for obvious reasons.
Also, you can expect it to be very expensive, probably 5,000-10,000 crowns per zone unlock.
Only the whales will buy it.

Elsonso

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

Universe wrote: »

JykJax wrote: »

Finally.
Totally fine with crowns, but we just need to check price and details about it :-)

Not fine at all for obvious reasons.
Also, you can expect it to be very expensive, probably 5,000-10,000 crowns per zone unlock.
Only the whales will buy it.

I am hoping it will be reasonably expensive. I feel my time is valuable, in this game. However, skyshards are something collected while doing other things in the game. I usually grab nearby ones while I am in the area for other reasons. A lot of the stuff in the game is like that.

Rake

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

No. Its unfair advantage. Its P2W

Universe

No! Please don't implement skyshard packs in the crown store. Please explain.

lordrichter wrote: »

Universe wrote: »

JykJax wrote: »

Finally.
Totally fine with crowns, but we just need to check price and details about it :-)

Not fine at all for obvious reasons.
Also, you can expect it to be very expensive, probably 5,000-10,000 crowns per zone unlock.
Only the whales will buy it.

I am hoping it will be reasonably expensive. I feel my time is valuable, in this game. However, skyshards are something collected while doing other things in the game. I usually grab nearby ones while I am in the area for other reasons. A lot of the stuff in the game is like that.

Indeed.
I just wish ZOS management would change their minds about this and not introduce it to the crown store.
I can understand the need to make more profit, but there needs to be a line they shouldn't cross while monetizing the game.

Sennecca

JiKama wrote: »

No.... I've played the game since beta and have dedicated time into my characters. Especially when it comes to gathering Cyrodiil Skyshards. A part of me really hates the idea of it, while the other part is like whatever let people waste money. My main concern goes out to the pre50 players. They'll be playing against people who will have a huge advantage.

I originally did not see anything other than time saving with this feature, however in pvp this will be even more of an issue. The amount of skill points one receives while leveling is not enough to unlock all skills/passives etc. A level 30 new player who is new will have a huge disadvantage against a level 30 player who can unlock every every skill and passive they want in battlegrounds and cyrodil. If the other player got to 30 by running around collecting skyshards and doing quests so they had the ability to do the same, they would no longer be level 30 by the time they accomplished this.