It seems like Radiant Apex "Alternatives" are becoming a recurring thing.

B0SSzombie

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have noticed, but there have been more and more recolors/reskins of Apex Mounts that normally would qualify as a Radiant Apex Mounts that are instead made available outside of extremely low RNG.

Just for anyone that is unaware, Apex Mounts are Mounts with typically a very unique appearance and are exclusive to Crown Crates. They are very rare, and can be bought for 400 Crown Gems.

A Radiant Apex Mount is an Alternate version of an Apex Mount, and will have a different coloration compared to the "normal" Apex Mounts as well as different visual effects. These are the rarest items in Crown Crates, and can not be bought with Crown Gems. You have to rely on get unbelievably lucky.

However, there have been a handful of recolors of Apex Mounts that aren't Radiant Apex Mounts, that instead of being obtained through luck, are outright purchased instead. Apex Mounts never got reskins/recolors prior to this, unlike other Crown Store items, probably to really keep them unique. But these Alternatives provide another option for people that can't get a Radiant Apex.

The first of these was actually the Bloodshadow Wraith Steed, released as part of the Summerset Collector's Edition:

And it was actually a recolor of the Psijic Horse Exemplar (Apex) and Psijic Spectral Steed (Radiant Apex) from the Psijic Vault Crown Crates:



Next was the Wasseek Horse-Lizard, one of the early Crown Gem Exclusive items:

Which was an alternative to the Horse-Lizard Steed (Apex) and Scorching Horse-Lizard (Radiant Apex) from the Xanmeer Crown Crates:



The next one, and I'm sure you've seen this one quite a bit, was the Ebon Dwarven Wolf, available through the Antiquities System via the Greymoor Chapter:

And you guessed it, it's an alternate version of the Dwarven Wolf (Apex) and Vitrine Dwarven Wolf (Radiant Apex) from the Dwarven Crown Crates:


(Fun fact: the Ebon Dwarven Wolf was actually added to the game's data around the same time as it's counterparts, along with an Adamant Dwarven Wolf, Vitrine and Ebon Dwarven Horse, and Adamant and Vitrine Dwarven Senche, but it was never actually implemented until the Antiquities system).

Then we have the most recent one: The Blazeborn Wolf, which will be a Crown Gem exclusive later this month:

It's an alternate version of the Frost Atronach Wolf (Apex) and Dark Aeon Wolf (Radiant Apex) from the Frost Atronach Crown Crates



Then comes a pair that haven't even been announced yet, but will be added to the game files in the upcoming Update 29 patch!

The first is the Bloodroot Wild Hunt Senche:

Which is a reskin of the very old Wild Hunt Senche (Apex) from the Wild Hunt Crown Crates. It's so old, in fact, that Crown Crates didn't even HAVE Radiant Apex Mounts at the time!


And the second is the Nighthaunt Gloomspore Senche:

It's an alternate to the Gloomspore Senche (Apex) and Shadowcap Cave-Senche (Radiant Apex) from the Gloomspore Crown Crates:



It's an interesting idea, that allows people to get a neat looking Mount without completely relying on gambling. Only issue is that they may be Crown Gem Exclusives moving forward. But in a sense, it's nice to have the option: If you can't get lucky and get a Radiant Apex Mount, but accrued enough Gems, you buy the other version instead!

Hanokihs

Whew. Someone needs to jazz up that Blazeborn Wolf; it looks kinda rough compared to its brothers.

I agree this is a good idea, though. I'm glad they started doing it, and hope they come up with a lot more of these alt versions in the future; never enough mount possibilities for my character aesthetics.

B0SSzombie

Hanokihs wrote: »

Whew. Someone needs to jazz up that Blazeborn Wolf; it looks kinda rough compared to its brothers.

I agree this is a good idea, though. I'm glad they started doing it, and hope they come up with a lot more of these alt versions in the future; never enough mount possibilities for my character aesthetics.

I'd wager it will look better in game than that photo.

The flames in that Shot are REAL low quality.

Hanokihs

B0SSzombie wrote: »

Hanokihs wrote: »

Whew. Someone needs to jazz up that Blazeborn Wolf; it looks kinda rough compared to its brothers.

I agree this is a good idea, though. I'm glad they started doing it, and hope they come up with a lot more of these alt versions in the future; never enough mount possibilities for my character aesthetics.

I'd wager it will look better in game than that photo.

The flames in that Shot are REAL low quality.

That's true. The florescent orange skin in the picture also highlights how flat and blocky the texture is; if it was like the green one, only more gray/brown with bright orange flames, it would probably look a little better.

ThorianB

That is one reason i can't get excited about mounts and most non combat pets in this game. They are just recolors( is it even fair to call them a reskin when all they are doing is changing a few colors?). Its the same pet over and over. Its like owning 10 of the same car in every color available. The animations are different or unique. it really is a huge disappointment. I guess that is a good thing though because the only reason i would buy crown crates are for cool mounts and i have not seen any that i liked for a really long time and once you own one, no need for the other variations.

Rkindaleft

There's actually another example here being the Sunspire Dragonbreak mount and it's similar crown gem cousin, albeit neither from crates.

The Kyne's Aegis skin has this problem too, but made worse due to the fact that the brother skin from the crates, again, actually looks better.

I'm fine with exclusives being offered (based on your points here) as long as they do not devalue previous releases or devalue in game achievements.

B0SSzombie

Nchuleftingth wrote: »

There's actually another example here being the Sunspire Dragonbreak mount and it's similar crown gem cousin, albeit neither from crates.

The Kyne's Aegis skin has this problem too, but made worse due to the fact that the brother skin from the crates, again, actually looks better.

I'm fine with exclusives being offered (based on your points here) as long as they do not devalue previous releases or devalue in game achievements.

There's also the Factotum Polymorph from Halls and it's Silver Crown Store Counterpart.

But this was specifically in regards to Radiant Apex Mounts. The items that have Crown Store reskins can technically be obtained by anyone as long as they muster up the skill.

Radiant Apex Mounts can't be gained through skill at all, only luck and/or money.

tsaescishoeshiner

Crown Gem exclusives are a terrible practice IMO. I know there are some players who routinely gamble and have a lot of gems, but the high price is too inaccessible, especially for the short availability window.

Then again, I'm happy the most particle effecty/fantastical mounts are less common

Fightin_Irish_Johnny

I really wish they would make a selection of Radiant mounts that can be purchased using crown gems. For many the RNG is just too expensive to open enough crates to get the radiant mounts. By too expensive I mean having to purchase and open about 300 to 350 crates.

Generally one radiant will drop by then but some have even gone further and not seen any. This number is pretty accurate. I have collected 35 radiant mounts and have not had very good RNG most of the time. I almost always end up opening that many crates before seeing a radiant mount drop.

I have on only a couple occasions seen one drop after opening around 40 crates. All the rest upwards of 300 to 350 crates. Also the 300 to 350 crate count to see a radiant drop means 300 to 350 in a given crate series. If someone hopes to see one drop from opening say 150 in one season and 150 in the next crate season it's not likely the two different crate seasons will work together towards the RNG of expecting to see one drop.

Also keep in mind none of this is guaranteed. There are some who say they have opened 500 in one crate season and not seen a radiant. Yet others say they get one on their second crate

If they made a special selection of like 8 to 10 radiant mounts that could be purchased for 2500 to 3000 crown gems each, it would allow the people with bad RNG to at least get something after opening so many crates. The gems accumulate from getting repeated items and by selling off the unwanted drops.

Yes you can buy the regular apex mounts for the 400 gems but they are not very often as appealing as the radiant mounts. Some are actually very plain. I am sure there are lots of players that have accumulated tons of crown gems and like myself have nothing at all to spend them on. I am actually sitting on 20,000 crown gems.

Best of Luck !

B0SSzombie

Fightin_Irish_Johnny wrote: »

-Snip-

That's literally the point I was making with this thread. They're making Radiant Apex Alternatives that are equally visually appealing, but made available through direct purchase instead of luck.

The favored method going forward looks like Crown Gem exclusives. Don't be surprised to see more of them as time goes on.

Fightin_Irish_Johnny

Oh wow nice ! Apologies... I did not actually read the whole thread. Good info and glad to hear. Best of luck !