Logosmas, Stockings, and Candycanes!

Ehene

lol everyone's talking about "if I spend $xxx I have a X% chance of getting something I want" and I'm over here like, I don't have $5 to buy one normal stocking.

Asmodron

Soooo, out of curiosity, do the wings have any special fluffy snow message when used, or is it just a desc change?

Devran

Asmodron said:

Soooo, out of curiosity, do the wings have any special fluffy snow message when used, or is it just a desc change?

I'll let you know!

Once I get paid anyway.

Edit: Honestly I'd feel pretty disappointed if it was just a desc change..

Kellonius

Frederich said:

$139 gets you 400cr.

89*5 = 445.  Tundral drinking horn is like 100+cr.

You got above what you would have normally, so long as you spend the candy canes on somefin.

I didn't say I did not get the value I was looking for, just that there wasn't as much stuff. IIRC last year the stockings gave a bunch of stuff: herbs, minerals, gold, crowns(I think?) and so on. I was just saying that two items underwhelmed me in terms of how much was in there, which is why I phrased my comment that way.

Makarios

Hmm. Would people prefer less consistent value for more variation? We figured people would prefer the consistency, but perhaps not.

Cooper

Different people will prefer different things.

I personally do not like spending money, getting unlucky, and feeling bad that I spent money. So I would prefer consistency.

Krypton

Give 'em consistency, and they'll be underwhelmed. Give 'em variation, and they'll feel cheated by the unlucky draws.

Sena

Personally, the whole "get a special currency to buy reskinned artefacts with" concept doesn't really appeal to me, regardless of the value. The addition of random artefacts was a big improvement, but it still lacks the draw/fun of the gambling promotions like globes or the wheel, and lacks the simplicity of a straight credit bonus.

Though I don't have any money to spare this month regardless.

Cooper

Also by consistency I mean being able to pretty much rig the 'big prizes' during the globe and giftbag promos. And the wheel if you are Kandra who seriously won it like 15 times.

Asmodron

Sena said:

Personally, the whole "get a special currency to buy reskinned artefacts with" concept doesn't really appeal to me, regardless of the value. The addition of random artefacts was a big improvement, but it still lacks the draw/fun of the gambling promotions like globes or the wheel, and lacks the simplicity of a straight credit bonus.

Though I don't have any money to spare this month regardless.

I agree with this.


I think it would have been a hit if there were rare or new items for grabs. If there was a talisman cache, you could be sure that there would be a frenzy on them. Even simple things could go a long way.


Currently what all of us are seeing are items we could already always have gotten, but with a new desc. A lot of us have several ice figurines on hand as is and likely customized all we wanted.

Frederich

Well.  For 'variation' with extravagant stockings, like.  It can't get any worse than it is now (which is 10-30 canes worth of arties as an extra).  Which isn't so bad, but I'd just like the chance, if even minute, to get something better than a cigar box, a flower pot, etc.  I'd like the chance to get nothing, but in return for getting nothing, I get extra canes.  I'd love to open one and go "HOLY HECKLES" and draw out an artie regen ring, or even just the icy cleaver.

Consistency is good, except whenever the 'consistency' is mostly the low tier stuff on the list, which almost always gets artefact box tradein confirm'd...

Now, if there were other artefacts for the low-tier.. it might be better?  So far, we have artie pipes, terribad cache, cigar box (probably the other items of the same equivalence), and brooch of the tempest.  I felt prettty lamed out on an artie pipe, but I do have a fancy pipe (it aint makin bubbles but w/e).

Kellonius

Makarios said:

Hmm. Would people prefer less consistent value for more variation? We figured people would prefer the consistency, but perhaps not.

I understand its hard to find balance, but that is what people really want. I personally don't want to feel like I have not reached the potential value that I could have by a straight credit purchase.

Consider this: I bought an extravagant stocking for 130 dollars. The closest package to this is 400cr for 140. I hold an elite membership so I would also receive 40 bonus credits. My stocking held 89 candycanes and drinking horn. Now, per post value, I actually made out. 89 x 5 = 445 + 150(horn) = 595 credits. Great. But I don't want a horn. I don't care for a horn. So my actual value for that item is 100 credits. Secondly, these candycanes only offer the illusion of getting something better. They can only be use for reskinned artefacts (many of which I already own), so now I must do one of two things: buy more stockings to obtain candycanes to get a higher tier item, OR trade in my candycanes for 3cr per, bringing my total actual value for the entire stocking down to 367(89 * 3 = 267 + 100), below what I would get if I bought credits outright. So now I am busy purchasing candy canes from others in game in an attempt to keep to value of the candycanes. You also have to consider what people are sacrificing by joining in these promotions: they are losing the elite bonus and also the ability to choose how to use their credits since anything traded in is paid in bound credits.

What people really want is to purchase a stocking which has enough value that if everything had to be traded in they would still break even, but also had the bonus chance of obtaining an additional item of some sort that could raise the value of the stocking beyond breaking even. Let me be honest for a moment: when I hear the term "promotion" I liken that to "getting more than normal" but I feel like these promotions have so very little chance of that unless you spend exorbitant amounts of money that its actually just another money-grab scheme. 

Omor

Kellonius said:

Makarios said:

Hmm. Would people prefer less consistent value for more variation? We figured people would prefer the consistency, but perhaps not.

<buncha stuff>

Let me be honest for a moment: when I hear the term "promotion" I liken that to "getting more than normal" but I feel like these promotions have so very little chance of that unless you spend exorbitant amounts of money that its actually just another money-grab scheme. 

Just wanted to point out the inaccuracy here, though I do agree with most of your points. Candycanes are unbound for a reason. I can't tell you the amount of people that made off like a bandit spending very little or no real life money on promotions in the past (see globes). Can't speak for the candycanes yet, as it's only 5 days in, but I'm pretty sure those same people are gunna pull a lot of credits from this promo too.
Again, I do agree with most of your points. I decided early on not to partake in this promotion very much, just got the special stocking to see what's in it. 

Senoske

Omor said:

Kellonius said:

Makarios said:

Hmm. Would people prefer less consistent value for more variation? We figured people would prefer the consistency, but perhaps not.

<buncha stuff>

Let me be honest for a moment: when I hear the term "promotion" I liken that to "getting more than normal" but I feel like these promotions have so very little chance of that unless you spend exorbitant amounts of money that its actually just another money-grab scheme. 

Just wanted to point out the inaccuracy here, though I do agree with most of your points. Candycanes are unbound for a reason. I can't tell you the amount of people that made off like a bandit spending very little or no real life money on promotions in the past (see globes). Can't speak for the candycanes yet, as it's only 5 days in, but I'm pretty sure those same people are gunna pull a lot of credits from this promo too.
Again, I do agree with most of your points. I decided early on not to partake in this promotion very much, just got the special stocking to see what's in it. 

To be honest, I somewhat agree with @Kellonius. The base stockings really don't give much, had I known how little they'd be worth I would have just bought 5, 1 for me, 5 for friends of the next level up.

Secondly, these candycanes don't really do anything for the IG credit market, which in case anyone hasn't been able to look, is HORRID right now. The amount of credits for sale is abysmal. People are hoarding credits for the next promo like globes to buy caches or to pay for pieces alone. There hasn't been a promo to really boost the amounts of credits flowing into the game and candycanes are just another way to make people who were going to buy credits to gamble for the stockings. Less credits = credit prices going up. We're almost at 10k/credit. I feel sorry for any new person who doesn't have retire credits or have the funding to buy their nobrainers because they're really just plain boned unless they put in ridiculous amounts of hours to grind gold.

Even when I bring in some really pretty decent gold from all of my crafts (yay being able to afford arties slowly), buying credits in game really hurts the bankaccount.

Cooper

@Kellonius as someone who has played the giftbag, cache, talisman, and globe game I can tell you that over the long run you get a significant amount more than if you had just purchased credits.

The problem for some is that they aren't willing to spend hours trading with people, get stuck with incomplete sets, take the risk of getting unlucky and not getting more credits than you spent, and aren't patient. They want the results immediately.

That is great for people like me who are willing to pay 30 credits for a cache, knowing that if I buy 40 that I'll certainly make more bounds credits than I spent unbound for. And it's great for the people who only want to spend a little but still get good value for what they spent because they can sell to people like me. 

Kellonius

Cooper said:

@Kellonius as someone who has played the giftbag, cache, talisman, and globe game I can tell you that over the long run you get a significant amount more than if you had just purchased credits.

The problem for some is that they aren't willing to spend hours trading with people, get stuck with incomplete sets, take the risk of getting unlucky and not getting more credits than you spent, and aren't patient. They want the results immediately.

That is great for people like me who are willing to pay 30 credits for a cache, knowing that if I buy 40 that I'll certainly make more bounds credits than I spent unbound for. And it's great for the people who only want to spend a little but still get good value for what they spent because they can sell to people like me. 

I would agree if we were just talking about globes/giftbag/etc. But these stockings are basically candycane + maybe artefact + gold. There is nothing really to trade, except the candycanes, and no one is selling them for less than 4 credits, so you aren't going to get a "significant" amount of anything in the long run. Since the artefacts are only guaranteed in the higher tier stockings, that's really making my point, you would have to spend exorbitant amounts of money just to make out or you would need to get extremely lucky on the lower tiered stockings.

Epifania

Not really digging this promotion or the candycanes but that's just me. Can't be happy with every single promotion though so that's okay. I will just hold out for the next chance to gamble on something with a bit better return chance. 

Devran

I like the fact that the top 2 tiers get something every time. But I also like the idea of having the chance to get nothing and get more candycanes, but also having the chance of pulling out a higher tier artifact.

Nazihk

One thing I really really hate about this promotion is the golden/platinum stockings. Specifically, I hate the fact that I have to go so long before I can find out exactly how much I made out of my promotion.

I bought some stockings, got a platinum, and have to wait till the promotion is over to find out how I did on it. Very frustrating.

Jonathin

Daeir said:

You say that, but once you have a shackle, it's almost impossible to go back to not having one.

I'm going to second this. Never having to worry about mass running out just as a boomerang comes in is bliss.

Datrius

Nazihk said:

One thing I really really hate about this promotion is the golden/platinum stockings. Specifically, I hate the fact that I have to go so long before I can find out exactly how much I made out of my promotion.

I bought some stockings, got a platinum, and have to wait till the promotion is over to find out how I did on it. Very frustrating.

Just keep in mind that it's a free bonus and has better chances at good loot!

Prythe

Datrius said:

Nazihk said:

One thing I really really hate about this promotion is the golden/platinum stockings. Specifically, I hate the fact that I have to go so long before I can find out exactly how much I made out of my promotion.

I bought some stockings, got a platinum, and have to wait till the promotion is over to find out how I did on it. Very frustrating.

Just keep in mind that it's a free bonus and has better chances at good loot!

Well, free, but not in that most folks I know buying five are amortizing the costs and ROI across seven.

Datrius

Also, kinda wanna try a fancy stocking, if anyone wants to negotiate one. Hit me up IG

Camroth

Does anyone know how many candycanes are the average in a grand stocking?

Frederich

@Camroth I've seen 30ish (1/3rd of an extravagant stocking in price/rewards) for the reward.

Frederich

You open an extravagant stocking and find a group of 97 candycanes, an antler pipe, and a group of 14 valerian leaves inside!

So far, out of 5 stockings (4 of which count towards my limit).

Antler Pipe
Antler Pipe
Cigar Box
Boots of Dex
Brooch of the Tempest

Got about 89-95 candy canes each so.

100cr (pipes)
100cr (box)
500cr (boots)
150cr (??? Brooch)

465 candy canes (2325cr)

So, rough-about.  I'm slightly ahead of my goal, and that's only because of the boots that are actually useless to me...  I'm just hoping that huge stocking is gonna be worth...

Kyrra

You open a logosmas stocking and find a group of 3 candycanes, a festive, wooden flowerpot, and 

a group of 8 steel bars inside!

Thank you, @Alinixa!

Puxi

What kind of value is e eryonr getting out of this promotion? Specifically the extravagant. Still on the fence if I'm going to get some. Do we have any inclination what will be in the gold one at the end of the month?

Frederich

@Puxi

Posted what I've gotten from 5 extravagants up above.  That should give you a good idea.

Puxi

Frederich said:

@Puxi

Posted what I've gotten from 5 extravagants up above.  That should give you a good idea.

Do you feel it has been worth so far?