Why are motifs prevented from dropping months after they are released?

Sallymen

In the nicest way possible, I want to express how lame it is for motif style pages are locked after several months when the content releases. We still do not have drowned mariner, house mornard or firesong motifs dropping yet and it has been months since they came out. Not only that but it is kinda misleading to label them in the outfit station as being able to acquire them when they cannot drop yet.




Imagine the confusion of new players who go in and want to get these cool motifs but are slapped in the face after hours of grinding to know that they are not yet officially dropping. Is it too much to ask for the description to change for not dropping yet or better yet to stop this silly waiting game to acquire wearable items months after they already released?

Elsonso

Are these Crown Store styles?

Sallymen

Elsonso wrote: »

Are these Crown Store styles?

No they are styles that are suppose to be given and rewarded by doing daillies but for some reason they are gated behind months of waiting.

tomofhyrule

Short answer: to get people to go back to the content.

They've done this for years. People will grind out their "do 30 dailies" achievements and then do the zone story, and then it'll empty out. Staggering the motif releases gives people a reason to go back after a few months to repopulate the zones.

What this year did that the others didn't was that there was no motif available for a while. Most Q4 DLCs have 3 motif pages dropping - one right away, and then two others over time. We only got 2 styles with this DLC, so they cut the 'drops right away' one.

Vylaera

Literally the worst possible model for drops. Motifs should start dropping immediately when people are actually excited to do the new content. No one wants to come back 6 months later to do content they've already done to grind out a motif. Q3 and Q4 motifs begin dropping when the next chapter is getting teased and the content isn't new anymore lmao it's the opposite of fun or engaging, it's a chore.

I could not care less bout corporate engagement models, I want to get the motif when the content is new and fresh, and if I can't, then I won't. I still don't have 90% of the chapter or dungeon motifs because I do not want to grind content, for one, and I don't want to grind stale content I've already played, secondly.

Sallymen

tomofhyrule wrote: »

Short answer: to get people to go back to the content.

They've done this for years. People will grind out their "do 30 dailies" achievements and then do the zone story, and then it'll empty out. Staggering the motif releases gives people a reason to go back after a few months to repopulate the zones.

What this year did that the others didn't was that there was no motif available for a while. Most Q4 DLCs have 3 motif pages dropping - one right away, and then two others over time. We only got 2 styles with this DLC, so they cut the 'drops right away' one.

And when you look at the image or the style page tool tip it says they should be dropping but they aren't. I agree with Vylaera. This is the lamest model they can come up with and is annoying to do old content when the new one is suppose to drop.

DMuehlhausen

Vylaera wrote: »

Literally the worst possible model for drops. Motifs should start dropping immediately when people are actually excited to do the new content. No one wants to come back 6 months later to do content they've already done to grind out a motif. Q3 and Q4 motifs begin dropping when the next chapter is getting teased and the content isn't new anymore lmao it's the opposite of fun or engaging, it's a chore.

I could not care less bout corporate engagement models, I want to get the motif when the content is new and fresh, and if I can't, then I won't. I still don't have 90% of the chapter or dungeon motifs because I do not want to grind content, for one, and I don't want to grind stale content I've already played, secondly.

Maybe nobody does, but you go back and do it so it's working

Vylaera

DMuehlhausen wrote: »

Vylaera wrote: »

Literally the worst possible model for drops. Motifs should start dropping immediately when people are actually excited to do the new content. No one wants to come back 6 months later to do content they've already done to grind out a motif. Q3 and Q4 motifs begin dropping when the next chapter is getting teased and the content isn't new anymore lmao it's the opposite of fun or engaging, it's a chore.

I could not care less bout corporate engagement models, I want to get the motif when the content is new and fresh, and if I can't, then I won't. I still don't have 90% of the chapter or dungeon motifs because I do not want to grind content, for one, and I don't want to grind stale content I've already played, secondly.

Maybe nobody does, but you go back and do it so it's working

I don't though, that's what I said. I do not go back and grind the motifs because I don't want to.

flizomica

I get why they want to extend the life of content, but for me, it does the opposite. I don't want to go back and re-farm content that I've already spent loads of time in.

I completed my stickerbook 100% for Earthen Root Enclave, so there's no way I'm gonna go back and spend even more time grinding for motif drops as I'm burned out on that dungeon. Likewise, I'm not gonna head back to Galen to grind dailies or volcanic vents for those motifs because I'm critically bored of that content, having already grinded it for antiquity leads and such.

I just wanna ride the hype train of new content to its natural conclusion, yknow? Its way more fun to grind motifs when the associated content is fresh and exciting.

tiriusavarao

For me it just means I will play new content less. No use farming zone dailies early on if I know motifs will be added later. And by the time they are added, there's a good chance I'll have completed the Q4 zone and going back will just become a grind. I'll hop into a vent if I pass one that is active, but delve and world boss ones are just not worth it for just a piece of armour. It is much more fun to alternate questing and dailies as you go, but not like this.

For the dungeons, I don't really play the latest ones at all. I ran Earthen Root and Graven Deep twice for the quest and then some lorebook collecting and doing the side bosses, but by the time the motifs start arriving, I'm starting to lose interest in going back for them. It is a shame that it deminishes the draw of new content. Graven Deep in particular is aesthetically a very nicely designed area, but knowing I'll have to go back later for the best rewards makes me not want to play it now.

Marto

I can understand delaying motifs a bit. Heck, I'd probably prefer it if some of them were delayed. That way people have enough time to learn and get used to the new dungeons, and to finish the majority of quests in DLC zones.

But I'm talking about a 1-2 month delay. 3 months at the most.

Delaying motifs for over 6 months is pretty ridiculous.

Caribou77

Almost as if thoughtful consideration of the customer’s experience were a distant, barely perceptable shadow behind a much larger objective…

amig186

I don't believe they've ever done it exactly like this, Markarth had the Arkhth-whatever Armoury style on launch, Deadlands had House Hexos style, Firesong still has diddly squat 2 months after launch. House Mornard is such a cool looking style, and it worked fine on PTS so I don't get why it's taking them so long to add it to the drops. Once you complete all the Galen sets and get all of the deck fragments there's just no point in doing the dailies anymore.

Maitsukas

amig186 wrote: »

I don't believe they've ever done it exactly like this, Markarth had the Arkhth-whatever Armoury style on launch, Deadlands had House Hexos style, Firesong still has diddly squat 2 months after launch. House Mornard is such a cool looking style, and it worked fine on PTS so I don't get why it's taking them so long to add it to the drops. Once you complete all the Galen sets and get all of the deck fragments there's just no point in doing the dailies anymore.

From what I recall, there wasn't a properly named style material on PTS for those motifs (just Firesong Circle Style Item & House Mornard Style Item, both appeared to use a similar icon for healing) and there aren't any achievements to track motif progress in-game as well.

SpiritKitten

Maybe they will release them during a Galen zone event.

Faulgor

Sallymen wrote: »

In the nicest way possible, I want to express how lame it is for motif style pages are locked after several months when the content releases. We still do not have drowned mariner, house mornard or firesong motifs dropping yet and it has been months since they came out. Not only that but it is kinda misleading to label them in the outfit station as being able to acquire them when they cannot drop yet.




Imagine the confusion of new players who go in and want to get these cool motifs but are slapped in the face after hours of grinding to know that they are not yet officially dropping. Is it too much to ask for the description to change for not dropping yet or better yet to stop this silly waiting game to acquire wearable items months after they already released?

That the style descriptions are just flat out wrong shows such a blatant carelessness about the quality of their product.
If you aren't 100% up to date with their Cash Shop show cases, you never know what currently drops. It's unjustifiable.

rpa

Do enough people to significantly liven the empty chapters and dlcs care? I admit not being good consumer in general and not costumer in particular but I just don't get exited for opportunity to regrind dead content. It's dead for reason.

Sallymen

Not asking for much... why would you release motifs of previous content when you are releasing or about to release new one. You want your players to play the new content not waste time on old one. With how big the game is and how the motif is technically in the game but not obtainable is a waste of space.

Aliyavana

House mornard is too good, it shoulda released already

Prophet_of_Malacath

flizomica wrote: »

I get why they want to extend the life of content, but for me, it does the opposite. I don't want to go back and re-farm content that I've already spent loads of time in.

I completed my stickerbook 100% for Earthen Root Enclave, so there's no way I'm gonna go back and spend even more time grinding for motif drops as I'm burned out on that dungeon. Likewise, I'm not gonna head back to Galen to grind dailies or volcanic vents for those motifs because I'm critically bored of that content, having already grinded it for antiquity leads and such.

I just wanna ride the hype train of new content to its natural conclusion, yknow? Its way more fun to grind motifs when the associated content is fresh and exciting.

Quoting this one for truth.

There are some zones (like High Isle) that just weren't for me - I go do content elsewhere or RP or PVP. The fact that motifs don't drop only makes me less likely to ever bother with them (and helps kill the completionist tendency I have. I might have farmed motifs while content was new - but months later? Pfft.

If they want us doing old content, why not make (do X times) or (kill Y mobs) unlock mobs as collectible furnishings? I'll go do dungeons x500 times to get bandits, amunculi, draugr, etc (whatever generic mob is relevant there) & build my own RP dungeons, lol.

I had already forgotten the High Isle motifs existed & not interested in the grind,

amig186

Maitsukas wrote: »

amig186 wrote: »

I don't believe they've ever done it exactly like this, Markarth had the Arkhth-whatever Armoury style on launch, Deadlands had House Hexos style, Firesong still has diddly squat 2 months after launch. House Mornard is such a cool looking style, and it worked fine on PTS so I don't get why it's taking them so long to add it to the drops. Once you complete all the Galen sets and get all of the deck fragments there's just no point in doing the dailies anymore.

From what I recall, there wasn't a properly named style material on PTS for those motifs (just Firesong Circle Style Item & House Mornard Style Item, both appeared to use a similar icon for healing) and there aren't any achievements to track motif progress in-game as well.

I meant the style itself, there were no apparent visual issues, you could paint it whatever colour you wanted and it looked perfectly fine. The material and achievement are probably trivial to set up and not something that would take months.

MasterSpatula

It's amazing how, when they have a truly terrible idea, they end up doubling down on it. "Hey, 'let's do a content release with literally none of the accompanying motifs. If they dislike the way we've been staggering out the motif releases the last couple years, which literally every sane human being would, they'll REALLY hate it this way! And if there's one thing we want, it's annoyed customers."

How did one person, even one person, just one, think staggering motif releases was a good idea--much less the number of people it would take to make it go live--MUCH LESS be so committed as to push something every last person one of them knows is already an inherently bad idea to such an absurd extreme ?

Elsonso

MasterSpatula wrote: »

It's amazing how, when they have a truly terrible idea, they end up doubling down on it. "Hey, 'let's do a content release with literally none of the accompanying motifs. If they dislike the way we've been staggering out the motif releases the last couple years, which literally every sane human being would, they'll REALLY hate it this way! And if there's one thing we want, it's annoyed customers."

How did one person, even one person, just one, think staggering motif releases was a good idea--much less the number of people it would take to make it go live--MUCH LESS be so committed as to push something every last person one of them knows is already an inherently bad idea to such an absurd extreme ?

A complaint in the past has been that people tend to achieve new things right away. New dungeon comes out, it is conquered A.S.A.P., or faster. New gear comes out, the challenge is to get it by end of Day 1. By the end of the week, many players are like children on Christmas morning, surrounded by discarded wrapping paper and toys, asking if this is all they got.

One way to combat this is with an insane grind due to drop rates too small to be measured. A step beyond that is to make the player assemble parts, which are found through grind, some of them with tiny drop rates. The step beyond that is to increase the number of parts until taking off shoes is no longer enough to count that high.

Apparently, another way is to just not release the new content all at the same time.

It all appears to be the same goal, though. Spread out the discovery after release.

AndreNoir

Yeah it's weird but the same story with blueprints even worse: first they sell crown-only chapter themed house and then after almost an year you can start grind blueprints for it

SpacemanSpiff1

to extend the playtime of the content.

code65536

Vylaera wrote: »

Literally the worst possible model for drops. Motifs should start dropping immediately when people are actually excited to do the new content. No one wants to come back 6 months later to do content they've already done to grind out a motif. Q3 and Q4 motifs begin dropping when the next chapter is getting teased and the content isn't new anymore lmao it's the opposite of fun or engaging, it's a chore.

I could not care less bout corporate engagement models, I want to get the motif when the content is new and fresh, and if I can't, then I won't. I still don't have 90% of the chapter or dungeon motifs because I do not want to grind content, for one, and I don't want to grind stale content I've already played, secondly.

I hate this model too. Which is why I never bother with new overland content when it comes out; I refuse to be manipulated. So for overland content, I just don't touch it until all the stuff for it has trickled out. So what if it's half a year later? It's not like there's any urgency for me to set foot in the zone.

Ashryn

I would think this has the opposite effect...

Why bother buying it for top dollar when new content comes out- especially when you know the motifs and blueprints won't be dropping until later? Wait 6 months and you have a chance to get them AND you'll pay a lower price for the content. I know I will definitely be considering this this year!

wolfie1.0.

They want to motif-vate you to play.

Elsonso

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

They want to motif-vate you to play.

Dad? Is that you?

Ashryn wrote: »

I would think this has the opposite effect...

I debate that. They are clearly working to try to get people to return to zones. They even alluded to this in the letter from Firor. Maybe this isn't the best way, but my guess is that it does have the effect they are looking for, or they would not be doing it.

Sallymen

Elsonso wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

They want to motif-vate you to play.

Dad? Is that you?

Ashryn wrote: »

I would think this has the opposite effect...

I debate that. They are clearly working to try to get people to return to zones. They even alluded to this in the letter from Firor. Maybe this isn't the best way, but my guess is that it does have the effect they are looking for, or they would not be doing it.

Why would you want to motivate people to do old content to get stuff that should have been released with it when new content is either released or soon to be released. Woo talk about hype by inconveniently forcing players to do older content if they want stuff that should have been released with it day 1.

wolfie1.0.

Elsonso wrote: »

wolfie1.0. wrote: »

They want to motif-vate you to play.

Dad? Is that you?

Ashryn wrote: »

I would think this has the opposite effect...

I debate that. They are clearly working to try to get people to return to zones. They even alluded to this in the letter from Firor. Maybe this isn't the best way, but my guess is that it does have the effect they are looking for, or they would not be doing it.

I couldn't resist. Yes I think that it's all about extending existing content as far as they can [snip]

[edited for bashing]