marshill88 wrote: »

(...) I'm gaining a crate addiction, and I don't like what I'm becoming.

Be very careful or you will start losing a lot of gold and/or real money with that thought that "on next crate I will have a really great prize"

PS - Never forget that in gambling the odds always favors the house.

Know the odds, have realistic expectations, and only buy if it is worth it to you. As others have recommended elsewhere, it’s generally best to buy a lot from a single season that you particularly like rather than the same number across many seasons as in the latter case, you’ll be stuck with more collectibles you don’t like and fewer gems. As for Pacrooti, turn off the sound or dialogue specifically while opening crates if he bothers you.

"Patience is a virtue my friend". LOL and "I admire your perseverance" . Loot boxes are fun some times but like all things must be in moderation. If you don't have will power then it is not the loot box that is the problem.

I've always held it against ZOS that they took a beloved hireling character and turned him into a sleazy crate-pusher. The soundbites they wrote for him really are glaringly manipulative, and I always have to grit my teeth a little whenever I open my free Twitch crates. It's especially ironic and slightly disturbing considering that part of Pacrooti's hireling narrative is overcoming a gambling problem, so you'd think he'd know better than to try to lure other people into it. At the very least, the Pacrooti we know and love deserves better than being a shill (unless it's for mole asses).

Pacrooti has never said anything that *encouraged* me to buy more crates, in fact he ticks me off so much it takes me weeks to feel like trying again. His timing is perfect to be as mocking as possible--his little amazed gasp when I win my third copy of a trashy tattoo I didn't want in the first place, his "I've never seen suck luck!" when I get something I think is butt ugly. If we had the chance to win an opportunity to Blade of Woe that sleazeball I would buy a lot more crates.

Pacrooti isn't even real. He's just a bunch of pixels on a screen, just like the stuff in the crown crates. You're being conned into paying actual money, for things that don't exist when you turn off your computer, more or less.

Crate prices should go up , x10 . That way we could hope to get better servers to enjoy a lagfree cyro

Lugaldu wrote: »

UntilValhalla13 wrote: »

Pacrooti isn't even real. He's just a bunch of pixels on a screen, just like the stuff in the crown crates. You're being conned into paying actual money, for things that don't exist when you turn off your computer, more or less.

But there are also many other examples. You buy a ticket with "real" money, watch a film in the cinema and consume a story with fictional characters, then the film is over and you go home. What is left of it? Just the memory and 2 hours of (possibly) good entertainment.

No. Tickets to cinema are completely different from gambling, even if the prize for gambling has no real value. There're no cimena addicts that can spend their whole fortune on movies and no underhanded manipulations to coerce people into going to cinema again and again and spend more and more.

This whole discussion is so difficult because for most people they have complete self control in this situation and can either go their entire time without feeling the urge to buy the crates or can buy and pass as they like.

As someone who’s had issues with addictions from close family I get why it isn’t always that easy for some people and IMO ZoS should implement something in the game to essentially opt out, cap or freeze usage in of the crates. Similar systems work in bookies but that would essentially see them accept they are gambling which I’m sure they don’t want to do so they will continue to do nothing.

Leaving the onus solely on the player whilst creating something which is a real money sink hole is really poor practise from ZoS. As far as OP, honestly I’d say if you feel this way remove yourself from the temptation completely. Ultimately you gain nothing from these but can lose lots if it gets out of control.

Shantu wrote: »

In 5 years I've never purchased a single crate. While I understand it's a choice people are free to make, I've always felt it to be a rather slimy way to leverage addictive gambling impulses for profit.

Its not slimy. You may not always get what you really wanted but you're still getting items for the crowns you paid. Sometimes you end up with both pets and mounts in the same 4 crates which ends up being a huge bargain. I've taken looks at the end value of items I've received after buying a 15 pack and it ends up being well worth the price.

And even THEN the crown gem accrual ends up letting you outright buy what you wanted.

I've regretted some of my purchases in the past. I learned that if I am more careful I don't regret my purchases nearly as often. I still make mistakes, but not to the point that I blame someone else for the purchase/decision I made.

Loot boxes are not a great value proposition. Don't buy them unless you are willing to accept the worst outcome, which is a few stacks of consumables that you can convert to gems. I have bought a few over the years, but only as a form of entertainment where I enjoyed the novelty of opening loot crates.

I'm not saying loot crates aren't gambling. I'm saying loot crates aren't the reason anyone gambles. The truth is, gambling can be fun. Stay within your means, and enjoy the gambling experience. Otherwise don't buy loot crates.