The Gold Road Chapter – which includes the Scribing system – and Update 42 is now available to test on the PTS! You can read the latest patch notes here: https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/656454/
Maintenance for the week of April 22:
• PC/Mac: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 22, 4:00AM EDT (08:00 UTC) - 9:00AM EDT (13:00 UTC)
• Xbox: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PlayStation®: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PC/Mac: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 22, 4:00AM EDT (08:00 UTC) - 9:00AM EDT (13:00 UTC)
• Xbox: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
• PlayStation®: NA and EU megaservers for patch maintenance – April 24, 6:00AM EDT (10:00 UTC) - 12:00PM EDT (16:00 UTC)
So now we're gambling for currency
EphemeraCrawford
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We have items that can only be obtained through gems, which can only be obtained through gambling boxes. So if we give them real money, they pay in-game currency out at a random rate of exchange based on box contents.
Imagine paying $15 and getting a random amount of crowns. Maybe you'll get 1500, or maybe 50 depends on the RNG.
These gem exclusive offerings are encouraging some pretty shady practices.
Imagine paying $15 and getting a random amount of crowns. Maybe you'll get 1500, or maybe 50 depends on the RNG.
These gem exclusive offerings are encouraging some pretty shady practices.
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Latios✭✭✭✭✭It’s not like you have to take part in it.
They are cosmectics, won’t alter gameplay itself at all, and are completely optional. I’d really like the senche, but it’s not reasonably priced, so I won’t be getting it. And I can live with that.
ESO plus just got better with no extra cost at all. You think that would have happened without crates and the whales behind them? As long as it’s cosmetics only, the shady practices won’t hurt the general population.The Eon Pokémon.26 -
tactx✭✭✭✭✭You're looking at it the wrong way.
Buying crates gets you a lot of items for a season a lot easier and cheaper than buying every individual item itself. So buying crates (with cash or in game gold) gets you those items and other helpful items like potions and mount books. If you get something you don't want, you can convert that into gems (other games' cash shops often don't do that at all, you're just out of luck).
Those that have been participating in crown crate seasons over time have built up gems and this is merely a reward now for those that have gems.
Sure if you absolutely have to have it and don't want anything else in the crates and haven't participated in crate seasons in the past, then yes, you have to buy a lot of crates and hope for good RNG to get the gems you need for the mount.
Why is this so hard for people to understand?“No one's happiness but my own is in my power to achieve or to destroy.” - John Galt, Atlas Shrugged22 -
EphemeraCrawford✭✭✭✭I'm not debating whether or not the items are optional, I'm pointing out the methods for obtaining in-game currency are questionable. Currency exchange rates are variable, but they are never random.
Gems are no longer a byproduct of the gambling boxes, they are now a primary reason for buying since they have become an in game currency and items are exclusive to that currency. So you are exchanging money for currency, but with a random rate.
I think this is the loot box end game. Everyone knows they have little to no chance of getting what they want from buying boxes, so expectations have shifted to getting a favourable gem return. It's insidious.34 -
Tabbycat✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭The gem exclusive items are there to keep people buying crates long after they got their mount or pet or whatever they wanted from that season.Founder and Co-GM of The Psijic Order Guild (NA)
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rafaelcsmaia✭✭✭✭✭
✭Well I've seen a lot of games on which loot crates are almost needed for a lot of useful stuff or advantages ingame. ESO has only cosmetics and niche stuff.
Overall crown crates are fine, dont want em? Don't buy, its not like other players shiny mount will provide any advantage.
Also don't forget that people willing to buy stuff keeps the game going13 -
myskyrim26✭✭✭✭✭
✭@EphemeraCrawford
Nobody is forcing you to take part in any activities that you don't like.Edited by myskyrim26 on December 15, 2018 2:40PM2 -
EphemeraCrawford✭✭✭✭Hey I'm willing to buy stuff! I do. But I don't want to have to gamble to do it. Just take my money and give me the item. It's getting absurd.23
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myskyrim26✭✭✭✭✭
✭@EphemeraCrawford
When you come to a game, a forum, a shop, a hotel - whatever place selling something - you have to agree with the conditions of this place. If a new ice sabre cat is only for gems - so be it. Get gems or pass by. Who on the earth are you to impose YOUR rules to this game? To its crown store? To any seller, actually?4 -
daemonios✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭This has been true of microtransactions ever since they first came up.
Personally I've never bought a single crown, and the ones I get from subscribing have only gone into dlc and character slots. I refuse to validate the system further by buying cosmetics, mounts or consumables in the store.
Sadly, most people seem to think microtransactions are a valid way of paying for a game, instead of a fixed monthly amount.6 -
EphemeraCrawford✭✭✭✭myskyrim26 wrote: »@EphemeraCrawford
When you come to a game, a forum, a shop, a hotel - whatever place selling something - you have to agree with the conditions of this place. If a new ice sabre cat is only for gems - so be it. Get gems or pass by. Who on the earth are you to impose YOUR rules to this game? To its crown store? To any seller, actually?
My rules? Au contraire mon frere. The FTC has announced they're going to be investigating loot boxes. Their rules.13 -
alanmatillab16_ESO✭✭✭✭✭EphemeraCrawford wrote: »myskyrim26 wrote: »@EphemeraCrawford
When you come to a game, a forum, a shop, a hotel - whatever place selling something - you have to agree with the conditions of this place. If a new ice sabre cat is only for gems - so be it. Get gems or pass by. Who on the earth are you to impose YOUR rules to this game? To its crown store? To any seller, actually?
My rules? Au contraire mon frere. The FTC has announced they're going to be investigating loot boxes. Their rules.
You missed a piece of information. They are investigating loot boxes and how they affect children.
What is ESOs rating again? any rulings coming from that FTC investigation are likely to be based around that. Even IF lootboxes are considered gambling they are unlikely to be banned from any game with a Mature Rating. They will end up as one of the warnings such as "Scenes of Tobacco Use" "Adult themes" etc.11 -
myskyrim26✭✭✭✭✭
✭EphemeraCrawford wrote: »My rules? Au contraire mon frere. The FTC has announced they're going to be investigating loot boxes. Their rules.
Are you an FTC representative? Or a child, maybe? Or cosmetics is the most important thing about ESO for you?
I can't afford 600 gems. I just don't whine about it - I'm a grown up, you know. If I don't have money for something, I just pass by.
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Elsonso✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭EphemeraCrawford wrote: »I'm not debating whether or not the items are optional, I'm pointing out the methods for obtaining in-game currency are questionable. Currency exchange rates are variable, but they are never random.
Gems are no longer a byproduct of the gambling boxes, they are now a primary reason for buying since they have become an in game currency and items are exclusive to that currency. So you are exchanging money for currency, but with a random rate.
I think this is the loot box end game. Everyone knows they have little to no chance of getting what they want from buying boxes, so expectations have shifted to getting a favourable gem return. It's insidious.
A start down the road to recovery for the execs and employees at ZOS behind this would be to offer those "gem exclusive" items for Crowns or Gems.3 -
EphemeraCrawford✭✭✭✭The main issue is not cosmetics, it's the increasingly shady methods ZOS is choosing to use to make them obtainable.
I like this game a lot, and would rather management use a different way to fund the store. It doesn't bother you one way or the other.15 -
myskyrim26✭✭✭✭✭
✭I don't believe that any single person here really cares for gambling thing. Not a single one. It's all about the price - people whine if can't afford something.8 -
UppGRAYxDD✭✭✭✭✭
✭But those plants that attack ppl...."Stendarr's mercy be upon you, for the vigil has none to spare."1 -
TheShadowScout✭✭✭✭✭
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Yes. Yes, we are, if we choose to spend out crowns on the gambling crates.EphemeraCrawford wrote: »So now we're gambling...
Hey, you also have the chance to get a super-special high-value mount with your first crown crate, yes? (of course, that only ever happens to -other- people, right?)
The only thing -I- would want is a "crown gem package" for those like me who don't like gambling (because our luck is somewhere between "bad" and "abyssal"), but still want to get some of that crown crate stuff...
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gepe87✭✭✭✭✭
✭Nowdays its more a curse than benefit to have expensive mounts. No one wants to see that you are financing for ZOS' inertia on fixing the game and making them focused an develop expensive and useless collectibles.Gepe, Dunmer MagSorc Pact Grand Overlord | Gaepe, Bosmer MagSorc Dominion General
If you see edits on my replies: typos. English isn't my main language1 -
MartiniDaniels✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭OP is right, this is legitimatized online slot-machine.. not only in ESO of course, in all the online gaming now.
Though don't blame ZOS - they are just doing same as others - you should blame governments who still done nothing to prohibit this.
P.S. I bought a lot of that stuff and don't care or feel bad about that for myself, but this is gambling for sure and it can hurt children etc, so it should be limited somehow.3 -
Bouldercleave✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭This has been true of microtransactions ever since they first came up.
Personally I've never bought a single crown, and the ones I get from subscribing have only gone into dlc and character slots. I refuse to validate the system further by buying cosmetics, mounts or consumables in the store.
Sadly, most people seem to think microtransactions are a valid way of paying for a game, instead of a fixed monthly amount.
How is it sad? It absolutely IS a valid way of paying for a game. It may differ from your viewpoint, but that doesn't make it any less valid. If buying crates makes you happy - buy the damn crates. If not, well don't.
What is sad is people that come here and try and belittle other people's enjoyment of the game.5 -
Elsonso✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭Nowdays its more a curse than benefit to have expensive mounts. No one wants to see that you are financing for ZOS' inertia on fixing the game and making them focused an develop expensive and useless collectibles.
Hardly. I see so many Crown Crate mounts, particularly on the EU server, that I have to figure that ZOS is doing very well for themselves. ZOS is not going to change anything, other than to tighten the thumb screws when they start to get loose.1 -
Bouldercleave✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭myskyrim26 wrote: »I don't believe that any single person here really cares for gambling thing. Not a single one. It's all about the price - people whine if can't afford something.
I agree. The people that complain loudest about the "scam crates" were also complaining that they removed the free boxes from the daily rewards and eso+ freebies.
I guess the crates are ok as long as they are free.3 -
Reistr_the_Unbroken✭✭✭✭✭
✭Honestly I don’t care either way. This is an 18+ game, why the hell are children playing it? Why the hell are you complaining about how people spend their money op? It’s not Pay 2 Win, it’s just cosmetics your getting, jeez.
Anyways I’m just waiting for those Storm Atro Crates.10 -
Jaimeh✭✭✭✭✭
✭✭✭✭✭I think people are misunderstanding the OP--they are just expressing frustration that ZOS has added yet another level of complication in their crate selling scheme, gem exclusive items, and that there is not a defined exchange rate for gems, (yes, we're getting three cards of consumables, but they are not standard, nor do they have the same conversion rates), so essentially we are gambling not only for the crate items themselves, but for gems as well, since there is no other way these gem-exclusive items can be obtained. I personally think it's a greedy business practice that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of customer satisfaction. These items were added to saturate the gem pool, yet they are not generic things, but really unique in terms of design, and more importantly, not able to be aquired in any other way, thus, they're not only emptying the gem pool, but make yet another attempt to entice people to buying crates. Otherwise, if the addition of these items was only in response to people complaining about gem accumulation, they would have added the option to buy them with crowns as well.
Edited by Jaimeh on December 15, 2018 4:27PM9 -
Merlight✭✭✭✭✭MartiniDaniels wrote: »P.S. I bought a lot of that stuff and don't care or feel bad about that for myself, but this is gambling for sure and it can hurt children etc, so it should be limited somehow.
Diz integrity.
EU ‣ Wabbajack nostalgic ‣ Blackwater Blade defender ‣ Kyne wanderer
The offspring of the root of all evil in ESO by DeanTheCat
Why ESO needs a monthly subscription
When an MMO is designed around a revenue model rather than around fun, it doesn’t have a long-term future. ― Richard A. Bartle
Their idea of transparent, at least when it comes to communication, bears a striking resemblance to a block of coal. ― lordrichter
... in the balance of power between the accountants and marketing types against the artists, developers and those who generally want to build and run a good game then that balance needs to always be in favour of the latter - because the former will drag the game into the ground for every last bean they can squeeze out of it. ― Santie Claws0 -
sevomd69✭✭✭✭✭
✭Its really quite simple...if you think its shady and/or a "scam" don't spend YOUR money on it...I for one don't think its either so I choose to spend MY money on it...not rocket science...8 -
supaskrub✭✭✭✭✭Reistr_the_Unbroken wrote: »Honestly I don’t care either way. This is an 18+ game, why the hell are children playing it? Why the hell are you complaining about how people spend their money op? It’s not Pay 2 Win, it’s just cosmetics your getting, jeez.
Anyways I’m just waiting for those Storm Atro Crates.
Maybe laws per country are different regarding minimum player ages, here in the UK the game has a minimum advised player age of 13 (you have to accept that you are aged 13 or over under ZOS toc when you first install the game/create a new account).
The 18+ that you see on the packing and marketing is nothing more than companies acting advisory as to its contents after outside and governmental pressure in the past, more of a practice of self regulation rather than being legally imposed, it’s certainly not binding in this country as the game can be bought by an adult and gifted to a child.
If loot crates are getting looked into though with concern on exposure to children, then ZOS may well need to revise that minimum age of 13 tick box when installing the game.
Edited by supaskrub on December 15, 2018 5:01PM0
This discussion has been closed.