Store cosmetic prices seem steep

Nikai

I'm Australian so I expect it to end up costing even more than the displayed price, with the overwhelming number of paid cosmetics would the team consider greatly lowering the price? I understand the really awesome sets with lots of particle effects being more expensive, as well as it being only in very early alpha. But for the sake of the many poor people who wanna support this game and its awesome devs would you make it closer to the sub fee?$250 USD ($337 AUD) is a lot, and thats just so I can get one months mount reskin.

I would personally love to see a price drop to more of a WoW or PoE level so I can feed my brainwashed psyche limitless tiny hits of consumer fueled serotonin by spending $10-$50 on getting some unique cosmetics, honestly craving anything to feel involved in the incredible world and systems the AoC team is creating.

Seriously loving everything else you're doing, AoC exceeds what I've come to expect from MMO's in every way and its incredible

FuryBladeborne

Hi Nikai, you probably don't know this, but once you buy a pre-order package, you get access to buy individual cosmetics that are generally $5-30 depending on whether your buying pet skins, clothing skins, house skins, etc. Once Ashes releases, such cosmetics should be sold without paying for an additional package.

Here is an explanation of how individual cosmetics become available after purchasing a preorder package:
https://ashes101.com/store

Noaani

The price of the actual cosmetics is just fine.

$25 for caravan and freehold skins is perfectly appropriate. $5 for the Berylscale Band seems like a really good deal if you are interested in that aesthetic.

The packs that you can get are expensive, but that is in part because you are buying a pack. The $250 pack, for example, has a total of $190 worth of cash shop currency and game subscription time, so the cosmetics contained in it cost a combined total of $60, and the alpha/beta access is technically free.

If you are not interested in a pack, just wait until the game is released and then you can buy the cosmetics individually.

Nikai

Okay thanks heaps for the quick response, sounds much more manageable. I'll save and get it in a month or w/e, so I don't need to have sleep for dinner.

So what is going to be the availability on cosmetics from previous packs/Kickstarter? I'm assuming Kickstarter is limited edition and gone now and the packs will all become available in store on release?

Noaani

Nikai wrote: »

Okay thanks heaps for the quick response lads, sounds much more manageable. I'll save and get it in a month or w/e, so I don't need to have sleep for dinner.

So what is going to be the availability on cosmetics from previous packs/Kickstarter? I'm assuming Kickstarter is limited edition and gone now and the packs will all become available in store on release?

Nope, nothing sold on the store pre-release will be sold again.

Vhaeyne

Enthusiast prices for enthusiast items.

I don't see the issue when you gain no in game advantage from a few cosmetic options. Especially when the Asmongold gang are going to /spit at you for having them.

Nikai

Tbh I think you're 100% right. After thinking about it, seeing 2000 people running around in the same set on launch day would be pretty lame. I just hope the ingame sets and costumes outmatch what you can buy on the store. If I enjoy the game but dont feel epic enough wearing in game loot I know I'll feel compelled to spend a lot of money on costumes from the store.

Noaani

I agree in that the quality and variety of the in game cosmetic looks - and how hard they are to acquire - is what will be the biggest factor in players deciding on how successful the store is.

Thing is, if it is fairly easy to gain a look that is comparible in style and quality to a store item, the store won't get much in teh way of sales. To me, the trick is to make the best looks of any given style come from in game actions - but actions that are difficult. Then the next tier needs to be the store items - and these should also have the most in terms of flexibility to them (ability to dye more channels or some such). After that it is the rest of the games items.

Vhaeyne

Sometimes I hear what I want to hear, but I think I heard Steven say something like this:
The normal gear will not look overly epic.
The cosmetic gear will look really good, and be worth the money.
The best looking gear will be earned in game, but will be really hard to get.

I hope I got that right. It seems like the best compromise between no cash, and a cash shop.

Nikai

Sounds like they've got the right idea, making legendary shit legendary again hella keen

Jackless

Tbh make the prices as high as possible. The less cosmetics bought the better for immersion.

Merek

Jackless wrote: »

Tbh make the prices as high as possible. The less cosmetics bought the better for immersion.

Especially because they've got the weird idea that non-lore friendly cosmetics will be enjoyable. Some players may think a plush duck head is "funny", but it really detracts from the game world.

Tres

Jackless wrote: »

Tbh make the prices as high as possible. The less cosmetics bought the better for immersion.

I vaguely remember that in a very early livestream. Steven mentioned, that the web cosmetics prices would be on the expensive side by design. He explained that it was partly because it will help retain some exclusivity to them.

This makes me think they are expensive because Steven doesn't want everyone running around having every store cosmetics. He prefers them to be somewhat rare.

The comment even sparked conversations here in the forums of people talking about what they thought the in game store cosmetics should be worth compared to the web ones.

Kurrig

I'd be interested in cosmetic "freehold" items providing they were interactive in some way. That being, they provide minimal buffs, open doors to 1-2 man dungeons, offer up mining nodes once a day, mini-games, various types of small game content, these sorts of things, then I might consider buying into it. Otherwise I can do without cosmetic gear. But to each their own and have no problem with players that choose to buy into it.

Reglon

Ideally cosmetics would apply to objects and mounts and not to gear. Or for compromise gear cosmetics are worn in place of real gear and not over top of it.

FuryBladeborne

Reglon wrote: »

Ideally cosmetics would apply to objects and mounts and not to gear. Or for compromise gear cosmetics are worn in place of real gear and not over top of it.

Then it is not a cosmetic. It is the actual gear.

Aryielle

that would make them p2w and we are anti p2w

Kurrig wrote: »

I'd be interested in cosmetic "freehold" items providing they were interactive in some way. That being, they provide minimal buffs, open doors to 1-2 man dungeons, offer up mining nodes once a day, mini-games, various types of small game content, these sorts of things, then I might consider buying into it. Otherwise I can do without cosmetic gear. But to each their own and have no problem with players that choose to buy into it.

Kurrig

Aryielle wrote: »

that would make them p2w and we are anti p2w

Kurrig wrote: »

I'd be interested in cosmetic "freehold" items providing they were interactive in some way. That being, they provide minimal buffs, open doors to 1-2 man dungeons, offer up mining nodes once a day, mini-games, various types of small game content, these sorts of things, then I might consider buying into it. Otherwise I can do without cosmetic gear. But to each their own and have no problem with players that choose to buy into it.

Honestly, I could give 2¢ about any shop item. It would be nice if they were inteactive items though. And if you exclude the "minimal buffs" that I suggested none of them would be p2w.

The items I suggest are no more than interactive games for simplistic sake and time killers. If you have played Wildstar previously you might be familiar with some of these ideas. That's all I am suggesting.