Outfit Change Tokens

WhiteCoatSyndrome · January 2018

Right now the Outfit Change Tokens have a number of disadvantages:

Purchasing one adds several steps to Outfit creation: Enter Crown Store -> Select Outfit Change Token to buy -> Confirm Purchase -> create Outfit -> click Apply -> Buy Outfit. You can do it in slightly different order, but all the steps are still there, while most players already have gold on hand, which cuts the first half out. Speaking of different order—
Purchasing one after creating an Outfit with the intention of using it to buy the outfit kicks you OUT of the Outfit creation screen, and you have to re-enter the creation screen to purchase the outfit. (I did notice the changes made to the Outfit are persisting now, which is good, but it's still jarring to be kicked out and have to re-enter the creation screen to finish.)
They don't allow you to do anything you can't do with in-game gold, which as mentioned is more easily obtained.
They cost real money, and it's very obvious that the sale of these things is the reason Outfit changes cost so much in in-game gold.

There is, therefore, very little reason to use them. They're less convenient for a higher cost and less functionality – gold will let me do the same thing with fewer steps and can be used on other things if I change my mind about the Outfit.

I would like to suggest that their functionality be altered to allow the user to access Motifs they don't already know. This will make them useful to people who don't have access to dozens of Motifs, which given the cost in time and/or gold it takes to obtain some of those, will be much more in line with Zenimax's stated goal of convenience item. Instead of saving the player 20k on the Outfit, they'll be saving 20k on Motif pages (if not more), and more importantly valuable play time. Also, as a number of Motifs have been available for purchase on the Crown Store, I do not consider this to be out of line with previous offerings.

Elsonso · January 2018

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

I would like to suggest that their functionality be altered to allow the user to access Motifs they don't already know. This will make them useful to people who don't have access to dozens of Motifs, which given the cost in time and/or gold it takes to obtain some of those, will be much more in line with Zenimax's stated goal of convenience item. Instead of saving the player 20k on the Outfit, they'll be saving 20k on Motif pages (if not more), and more importantly valuable play time. Also, as a number of Motifs have been available for purchase on the Crown Store, I do not consider this to be out of line with previous offerings.

Interesting idea.

Recremen · January 2018

This is truly a fantastic idea. I know we're a bit late in the game to be talking about changing an existing system, but Outfitting as it stands desperately needs to be brought back into line with the other cosmetic systems. I honestly wouldn't even care if it delayed the launch of the feature, it is an abomination for it to be so out of whack in terms of in-game expense and monetization options.

I would like to add, as my best friend has suggested nearly the same idea previously, that the outfit change tokens be modified to allow equipping both unknown motifs and unknown dyes. As someone who has every motif and nearly every dye unlocked, and who plans to have them all done before Summerset release, I do not see this as an inappropriate way to try to monetize the whole shebang. If someone wants to spend the time in game to earn permanent unlocks for these things then that's great, but if they can't or won't then this seems completely in line with the "cosmetic and convenience" mission of the cash shop. I didn't get these achievements for the exclusivity, I got them to be beautiful, so it is absolutely no skin off my nose if someone else wants to pay irl money for the same options. Make Tamriel more beautiful.

Nihility42 · January 2018

I'd worry what this would do to the price of motifs.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · January 2018

Nihility42 wrote: »

I'd worry what this would do to the price of motifs.

Speaking as someone who is farming and saving Motif pages with the intention of selling them when the patch hits, I figure if someone is willing to pump real money into the game this way, that keeps the servers running and I'm fine with not making a few extra k of pretend-gold off said pages in exchange.

More practically, there will always be people who would rather buy them with in-game currency, and there are benefits to doing so: learning more Motifs increases Master Writ chances for the Blacksmithing, Woodworking, and Clothier Writs, and prices on those are likely to go up with the additions to the Writ vendors. Altering the Outfit Change Tokens this way just means the people who like to play dress-up and don't want to craft aren't being punished. It also gives Zeni less incentive to charge through the nose for Outfit changes, because the Tokens will be viable without needing the gold cost on the other side to balance them. And that means the people who aren't in-game millionaires will have more in-game gold to spend on those pages instead of dumping it down the Outfit sink.

Stirvik · March 2018

So basically apart from saving the time / gold in requiring the required material, there is still that 10 - 5000+ hour game play, depending on the type and rarity of motifs.
The words 'Taken' for a 'Ride' come to mind.

Taleof2Cities · March 2018

@WhiteCoatSyndrome, your thoughts are well-presented, thorough, and clear.

However, as someone who has done a LOT of work to obtain motifs for crafting, master writs, and the outfitter release, I can’t buy in to this idea.

You’re basically allowing players access to end game crafting by simply leveraging their wallet.

Motifs took a hit when the outfit system debuted ... I don’t want to see them minimized any more than they already are.

WhiteCoatSyndrome · March 2018

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

@WhiteCoatSyndrome, your thoughts are well-presented, thorough, and clear.

However, as someone who has done a LOT of work to obtain motifs for crafting, master writs, and the outfitter release, I can’t buy in to this idea.

You’re basically allowing players access to end game crafting by simply leveraging their wallet.

Motifs took a hit when the outfit system debuted ... I don’t want to see them minimized any more than they already are.

I have to ask what guilds you're in, because mine have Motifs flying off the shelves at up to double the price they were before the patch, even some of the dirt common ones.

Also, how do you feel this would this be significantly different from selling Motifs in the Crown Store like they already do?

Gnortranermara · March 2018

I wasn't sure where this post was going, but great idea. The tokens have absolutely no value to me and I'd never buy one when I can simply use in-game gold. If they allowed unlearned motifs to be used, then I would see the value in buying one. (I personally still wouldn't since I know most of the motifs, but still... it would make them valuable for others.)

Taleof2Cities · March 2018

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Taleof2Cities wrote: »

@WhiteCoatSyndrome, your thoughts are well-presented, thorough, and clear.

However, as someone who has done a LOT of work to obtain motifs for crafting, master writs, and the outfitter release, I can’t buy in to this idea.

You’re basically allowing players access to end game crafting by simply leveraging their wallet.

Motifs took a hit when the outfit system debuted ... I don’t want to see them minimized any more than they already are.

I have to ask what guilds you're in, because mine have Motifs flying off the shelves at up to double the price they were before the patch, even some of the dirt common ones.

The issue for me is not so much about the price of motifs for sale in-game, @WhiteCoatSyndrome.

What I'm most concerned about is further devaluation of end game crafting. That includes access to motif styles that have a minimum crafting requirement or can only be bought with vouchers (or AP for that matter).

WhiteCoatSyndrome wrote: »

Also, how do you feel this would this be significantly different from selling Motifs in the Crown Store like they already do?

Fair point, but some motifs in the Crown Store are only offered for a certain period of time before being removed.