Official Discussion Thread for Crown Crates

Abeille · September 2016

By the way, @ZOS_GinaBruno , many of the Crown Crate hats (which also seem to be exclusive, given the label) don't show any hair. Is it intended? The hats I am talking about are the ones that look like witch hats.

Dagoth_Rac · September 2016

Very disappointed that items will be in Crown Crates that were never and will never be available anywhere else. I will spend a good chunk of crowns on an item I want. But that is because I know exactly how much I am spending and exactly what I am getting. It is a transparent, informed decision. I am not throwing hundreds of dollars down a rabbit hole with no guarantee I will ever get what I want. Put expired items in Crown Crates that were available as a normal purchase for only a limited time? Acceptable. You have the option of paying full price and getting exactly what you want. Or you can wait until item expires as a normal purchase and try your luck on the gamble boxes. But no item should be acquirable via real money gambling and only via real money gambling.

Slurg · September 2016

Am I understanding this correctly? The style parlor, which was long anticipated and wanted by almost everyone, ended up being a pay money to go back to creation screen mechanic instead of involving any in-world interactive features as originally discussed. But this garbage that almost no one wanted has an in-game interaction with our beloved Pacrooti?!?

Way to show where your priorities lie. I'm even more disgusted by this now.

Khenarthi · September 2016

Interacting with Pacrooti for gambling real money makes me feel dirty. What happened to the most loved of all hirelings that he would fall so low?

Abeille · September 2016

Slurg wrote: »

Am I understanding this correctly? The style parlor, which was long anticipated and wanted by almost everyone, ended up being a pay money to go back to creation screen mechanic instead of involving any in-world interactive features as originally discussed. But this garbage that almost no one wanted has an in-game interaction with our beloved Pacrooti?!?

Way to show where your priorities lie. I'm even more disgusted by this now.

One was a feature that people wanted so much, they would get it anyway, being it immersive or not.

The other is a highly unpopular feature that people need a lot of incentive to partake on.

MrTarkanian48 · September 2016

Honest Uncandid Feedback:
This addition represents a new low in this game from an integrity standpoint.

This sort of thing is an obvious greed tactic to exploit
1) Naive players
2) Players that obsess over the latest and greatest exclusive mounts/items
3) Players that have gambling issues
4) Players with a combination of 1-3

If you want to make money on mounts just put them in the store for a high price (like the overpriced banker and merchant (which can't even repair your gear). Some people will buy them and some people will not. But at least you are marketing a product at a set price whether its $20, $40, $50 etc, and you are actually delivering said product.

But you know what you're doing. You put these exclusive mounts behind an RNG wall. $5 a pop to try and get the item you want. Inevitably some players will sink hundreds of dollars in this card game with a real possibility of never getting what they are after. Why make $50 when you can make $100+ right??

I also find it somewhat ironic that you have never incorporated any type of token system into the actual game RNG. 50+ Maelstrom runs and still unable to get a sharpened inferno staff, and that is nothing compared to some other players RNG horror stories. Repeated requests from the player base for some form of token system to be implemented to avoid these types of issues have been ignored...

But now real money gambling RNG is incorporated, and BOOM, what do ya know? A token system appears in the form of Crown Gems! (This is probably how you justify implementing this sort of thing I'd assume.) But wait, it costs 400 Crown Gems to get a mount, and based on videos I've seen you are lucky to get 5 gems in every 4 crates. So at that rate it would cost around $320 to get the item.

So now we have a game that is willing take the time to incorporate a sleezy token system to justify taking money from the player base, but cannot take the time incorporate a token system in the ACTUAL game to relieve the RNG woes.

Feels like a slap in the face.

I couldn't care less from the perspective that it has no impact on game play. I won't buy them, and the people that do will not have any inherent advantage. I subscribe, and buy crowns, but I prefer to use them on things like crown repair kits, scrolls, race change, and other various things that add value to game play.

I just feel bad for the people that get burned by this. I am thankful that the games I played when I was grade school/high school age, when my decision making was less than developed, did not have these types of money grab tactics built into them. Probably would have been poisonous for me. I guess those days are over.

This is a great game IMO. I have played it exclusively for 1-2 years. It obviously has some issues that could be improved to make it exceptionally great. Why not invest the resources to make this game the best so that it sells itself, instead of investing them in exploit tactics/money grabs? Just because every other game out there is doing it does not mean you have to.

Sorry if this is harsh, but that's my two cents.

ZOS_GinaBruno · September 2016

MissBizz wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

Thevampirenight · September 2016

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

Please make most of this stuff the cosemetics giveable in crownstore before you put them into the boxes. I want the anubic tatoos but they should not be in the crowncrates

MissBizz · September 2016

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

Thank you Gina.

[EDIT] If anyone wants to post what they received and if it is in fact considered an exclusive, please send me a mail. I'm wondering if all the things we have not seen in the Crown Store yet are in fact exclusives, or what. Considering we may not get to see how they update the UI to make this clearer before PTS ends.

Abeille · September 2016

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

@ZOS_GinaBruno please reconsider the number of Crown Crate exclusives you are adding. Making the themed mounts exclusive, the ones in the Apex tier that match the theme of the Crate, is not that bad. But not a single new collectible I got from the crates had the "Purchased in Crown Store" line, all of them had only the "Available in the Crown Crates" one.

It makes it looks like you don't intend to release much stuff through direct purchase anymore.

Dubhliam · September 2016

I haven't tested it myself on the PTS, but judging from @Dominoid 's video, I think there are way too many consumables in the loot table.
I would remove potions, poisons and soul gems from the crates, and add Race change, Appearance change and Name change tokens.

Don't make people feel they will most likely lose money by gambling.

I understand you need some kind of a money grab from whale players, but the way it is set up now won't please those players, if will only agitate them.

I know there will be many players put off by these random boxes (mosly non paying customers), but those players will be negative regardless of what is found in those crates.
You need to make sure the ones buying the crates will come out as satisfied customers.

ZunaRoath · September 2016

MissBizz wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

Thank you Gina.

[EDIT] If anyone wants to post what they received and if it is in fact considered an exclusive, please send me a mail. I'm wondering if all the things we have not seen in the Crown Store yet are in fact exclusives, or what. Considering we may not get to see how they update the UI to make this clearer before PTS ends.

I'll check tomorrow as soon as I log into the PTS. I'm also interested in seeing this. I really hope certain costumes we saw datamined, and some mounts and pets are out of this... I was going to spend a lot of money on crown store stuff, but if its going to be stuff that is inside these crates and not in normal crown store... Well I won't. My luck is really really bad and I'll get everything I don't want.

AlienSlof · September 2016

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

This is the official feedback thread for Crown Crates. Specific feedback that the team is looking for includes the following:
Did you like/use the consumables you received from the Crown Crates?

Do you have any general feedback?

Really, really disappointed with 'exclusive to crate' - I tried some just to see and I ended up with an inventory of consumables I had no use for, items I didn't want the first time they were in the store, and the nice items I'd have loved (new mounts, pets, etc,) were tied directly to the boxes.

When you get a duplicate, the payback in gems is so tiny as to be hardly worth bothering with. This makes the funky storm mount horrendously expensive even at the luckiest RNG. Greedy much?

You disappoint me very much with this nonsense.

Needless to say, when they go live, I will spend nothing on gambling. Never have, never will. Offer it directly and I will purchase - if I like it.

Elsonso · September 2016

Abeille wrote: »

So, unless there is some mistake, I'm afraid we are looking at a huge number of Crown Crate exclusives in the future.

Pretty much means that I will be spending less in the Crown Store next year. Hope some of you are willing to cough up my share of Crowns so ZOS can stay in business.

Slurg wrote: »

Am I understanding this correctly? The style parlor, which was long anticipated and wanted by almost everyone, ended up being a pay money to go back to creation screen mechanic instead of involving any in-world interactive features as originally discussed. But this garbage that almost no one wanted has an in-game interaction with our beloved Pacrooti?!?

Way to show where your priorities lie. I'm even more disgusted by this now.

Yup

Izanagi.Xiiib16_ESO · September 2016

Slurg wrote: »

Am I understanding this correctly? The style parlor, which was long anticipated and wanted by almost everyone, ended up being a pay money to go back to creation screen mechanic instead of involving any in-world interactive features as originally discussed. But this garbage that almost no one wanted has an in-game interaction with our beloved Pacrooti?!?

Way to show where your priorities lie. I'm even more disgusted by this now.

No, once you buy the hair pack etc its like putting on a costume, you can swap any time in game. There is a complete restyle/remake of char but thats seperate from the style parlour.

Also on topic, I won't be buying any of these until the consumables are removed. I have absolutely no use for crown poisons/food/potions. I wouldnt mind you leaving in things like crown respec scrolls / horse upgrades but it should be more than just 1 speed upgrade for example. I saw videos where people were getting multiple potions/food/horse upgrades from 1 pack. It should be as follows:

This is the way most pack type systems work. Look at swtor/ mtg / other. you have your 1 consumable (companion gift or mats), 1 low quality item (commons), 1 uncommon, 1 guaranteed rare or better (2-5% chance at ultra / foil).

roman.rebeccaub17_ESO · September 2016

Having tried a few crates out already, I HATE that there are consumables in here. It means I've only gotten 5 gems from one dupe that I got off a crown crate, and as someone with not much disposable income for crowns, I can't afford to gamble like this outside of the PTR.

And just look at all the things (retired stuff not included) that are EXCLUSIVE to these crown gems! It's ludicrous, and we should be able to buy them with normal crowns at some point because I would spend my hard-earned money on a red pit wolf in a heartbeat. Along with dupes giving you only 5 gems each, it just feels like the nonsense some free to play MMOs pull to make you spend more money, and I've already spent quite a bit on mounts and pets in the live store. Aside from getting retired stuff, this whole system seems like pointless nonsense to me.

Sigtric · September 2016

Abeille wrote: »

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

@ZOS_GinaBruno Can you please ask for clarification on how we are supposed to know before our purchase what is a crown crate exclusive and what is not? So far the only difference that seems to be found is after you actually get an exclusive item. In your collections there's no additional tooltip info, but it lacks the "Purchased in the Crown Store" line.

As per Abeille's posts here and here

Yes, we're seeing what we can do to remedy that so it's clearer from the start.

@ZOS_GinaBruno please reconsider the number of Crown Crate exclusives you are adding. Making the themed mounts exclusive, the ones in the Apex tier that match the theme of the Crate, is not that bad. But not a single new collectible I got from the crates had the "Purchased in Crown Store" line, all of them had only the "Available in the Crown Crates" one.

It makes it looks like you don't intend to release much stuff through direct purchase anymore.

I am a bit concerned with this too. If there is a lack of neat things I can buy directly via crowns, my continuing to buy crowns is going to diminish greatly.

Slurg · September 2016

Dubhliam wrote: »

I know there will be many players put off by these random boxes (mosly non paying customers), but those players will be negative regardless of what is found in those crates.
You need to make sure the ones buying the crates will come out as satisfied customers.

Funny thing, that. I WAS a paying customer until ZOS decided to stop allowing me to pay money for the goods that I wanted and decided to try to make me pay to gamble for a chance at possibly getting the things I wanted instead.

Nestor · September 2016

Have not tested on the PTS, but seeing some of the videos and reports of what people are getting, here are my conclusions.

Not that I was inclined to get any of these things anyway, as I won't buy something if I don't know what I am getting, I will say that the Crown Crates do not represent a good value. Too many useless consumables, as I can make better stuff in game. Riding Lessons and Bag Space does have some value, but not one lesson or one bag at a time. The Gem Refund system does not encourage participation as the return is too low compared with what things are priced at.

MissBizz · September 2016

Also I thought everything in the Crown Store was supposed to be equal to or worse than what we have in game?

Darkonflare15 · September 2016

This is not even good. The idea of the crown crates did not bother me because all it is too me is just a new crown item. I cannot pretend to care how this would affect other players since there are plenty of other things that take advantage of other players that most people do not even bat an eye at which I find worst than this. So the idea did not sound bad too me. However the way that this built is just made to take advantage of people. The whole idea that you get items of worth from these boxes is just a lie. Potions particularly health potion are useless. I can get plenty of potions just from playing the game and they stonger than these potions. I do not even use the health potions in game because there too many way to self heal.The whole crown gem idea sounds good and could be good but the way they are going about it is pathetic.

There is nothing good about the crown crates. There is no worth and they spent their time putting a character that players requested for so long to be in game to be the avatar of this. Why Zos? Why could you not put this minigame in game? This game needs more reasons to play it not more reason to not play it. There is no player benefit in this system.

Elsonso · September 2016

MissBizz wrote: »

Also I thought everything in the Crown Store was supposed to be equal to or worse than what we have in game?

Well, you have to admit that "Psijic Ambrosia" has a much better name than "Grand Crown Crate Experience Scroll". More than makes up for the difference in ability. Right?

Besides, ZOS will introduce a "Grand Psijic Ambrosia" that will consist of 100 little fragments and a drop rate close to 1 fragment every 50 writs. It will be 4500% XP for 1 minute, making it the same as 150% for 30 minutes.

MissBizz · September 2016

lordrichter wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

Also I thought everything in the Crown Store was supposed to be equal to or worse than what we have in game?

Well, you have to admit that "Psijic Ambrosia" has a much better name than "Grand Crown Crate Experience Scroll". More than makes up for the difference in ability. Right?

Besides, ZOS will introduce a "Grand Psijic Ambrosia" that will consist of 100 little fragments and a drop rate close to 1 fragment every 50 writs. It will be 4500% XP for 1 minute, making it the same as 150% for 30 minutes.

They also need to introduce a "Major Psijiic Ambrosia" that makes you gain 100%XP. Since there's also a scroll for that in these crates. lol

WaTeR-aBuSeR · September 2016

Sadly they are just copying SWTOR's model down to the revealing of 4 items. Everyone doesn't want consumables but consider them a bonus. ZOS would never give out 4 items for just 400 crowns. Instead, you get one item with a chance of it being worth a lot more. Sadly unlike in SWTOR, the consumables are worse than crafted ones and should have been the equivalent of jawa junk. I mean you copied their system why not just go all the way? Let players trade in for consumables or crafting materials they actually want.

The worst part about these new crates and why players accepted them in SWTOR is the ability to trade and sell them. Exclusives wouldn't feel so money grabby if they could be placed on the traders, but with no global auction hall it would make it very difficult to find that you want. This is just a poorly designed system that doesn't work with the model of the game to begin with. It would have been better if they just came out with sales and brought back older items occasionally if even they put a higher price because you didn't buy it the first time around. I'd much rather pay for what I want then gamble and get a bunch of crap I don't need.

Mix · September 2016

SleepyTroll wrote: »

Mix wrote: »

'snip'

Are you trying to tell us this is what you got from 13 crates?
Also what is an xp scroll, major exp scroll and grand exp scroll?

Yes, when the crowns refresh I will list by crate as that seems to be more useful information than just total looted from all crates at this point.

Crown Crate Experience Scroll: 50% experience point bonus from all sources for 30 minutes.
Major Crown Crate Experience Scroll: 100% experience point bonus from all sources for 30 minutes.
Grand Crown Crate Experience Scroll: 150% experience point bonus from all sources for 30 minutes.

It should also be noted that the Crown Crate Food and Drink are tri-stat but only last 30 minutes.

Suggestion: The Crown Gems obtained for a duplicate item should be enough to purchase a different item in that tier. For instance Superior tier rewards are 16 gems each, if I get a duplicate "Clever Man" Wizard Hat (which looks pretty awesome btw!) I should be able to purchase something else from this tier as a reward. If you already have everything in that tier then you would have to save to purchase from the 40 gem epic, 100 gem legendary, or 400 gem apex tiers. It would help offset the lack of reward feeling upon obtaining a duplicate item and help out those who want to collect many things.

Paulington · September 2016

MissBizz wrote: »

Also I thought everything in the Crown Store was supposed to be equal to or worse than what we have in game?

I pointed this out a while ago @MissBizz in a thread that got basically zero attention when this is a massive issue concerning the implementation of Crown Crates because these items are 100% better than what you can craft in-game and so step into the pay-to-win category. You pay money and get something strictly better than what is obtainable in game.

Really don't understand why people aren't more upset about this and why there is no explanation from Zenimax.

lolo_01b16_ESO · September 2016

@ZOS_GinaBruno Is it intended that you can get adornments / body markings that you can't use on any of your characters? E.g. getting adornments that are limited to Argonians when you don't have a single Argonian.

silvereyes · September 2016

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Did you like/use the consumables you received from the Crown Crates?

No. With the exception of the XP scroll, they are trash.

ZOS_GinaBruno wrote: »

Do you have any general feedback?

Posted this on a different thread before I saw this one.

silvereyes wrote: »

Tried it out on PTS. Bought 13 boxes (5200 crowns / $37.80 US).

TL;DR: if you want people to buy these things, ZOS, at least make the consolation prizes better. $38 is basically buying the whole game again, for a bunch of trash I don't even want and won't use (except the xp scroll and soul gems).

Wasn't as lucky as some of the others. Here's what I got:
3 hats (2 were good, 1 was meh)

1 hair style (useless. was argonian, and I have no argonians)

4 costumes (only 1 of which was any good)

1 memento (meh)

1 pet (dog - looks cool, but I hate in-game cosmetic pets. maybe will be okay if you can limit to player housing next update)

20 crown gems (which I used to buy a storm atronoch aura, which was meh)

3 riding lessons

1 XP scroll

3 soul gems

2 trash mimic stones

2 trash drinks

50 trash poisons

125 trash potions

As a follow-up, I also have to say that the return of 5 crown gems for duplicates is *WAY* too low. Should be closer to 80-90% of purchase price, imo. Not enough to outright buy something without another crate, but enough to feel like it wasn't a major loss.

Abeille · September 2016

Paulington wrote: »

MissBizz wrote: »

Also I thought everything in the Crown Store was supposed to be equal to or worse than what we have in game?

I pointed this out a while ago @MissBizz in a thread that got basically zero attention when this is a massive issue concerning the implementation of Crown Crates because these items are 100% better than what you can craft in-game and so step into the pay-to-win category. You pay money and get something strictly better than what is obtainable in game.

Really don't understand why people aren't more upset about this and why there is no explanation from Zenimax.

So much for the "do no harm" policy

Recremen · September 2016

Dubhliam wrote: »

I know there will be many players put off by these random boxes (mosly non paying customers), but those players will be negative regardless of what is found in those crates.
You need to make sure the ones buying the crates will come out as satisfied customers.

That doesn't make any sense to me. All the items in the gambling boxes are things you'd need to spend crowns on anyway, so non-paying customers aren't the ones who are going to be ticked. The people who are ticked are those like myself: customers more than willing to pay for cosmetic items, but unwilling to gamble for a chance at the cosmetic items with no guarantee that you'll get anything you want, or even anything you can use. We want to pay for items. If you gamble for them, you are not paying for items, you are paying for a chance to gamble. The items should be on the standard Crown Store, so that people can actually pay for them and get them. Everything else is a wash.