Skull tokens?

Runas

So...I am ultimately curious what the reasoning for the increase of cost on the skull tokens was, I mean "inflation" may be a reason sure, but ultimately what I have noticed in the years playing here, is the cost generally has stayed the same on these. On top of the OOC investment increasing the chance of quality loot has been significantly decreased and we can no longer use IC credits to purchase them like we could all of but a few months ago when the last promotion was. Can we either have the price looked into as it used to be 24.99 for the five tokens.

OR

Re-instate the IC purchasing of skull tokens with credits.

I dont think I am alone in this revelation but I am going to bring it up here.

Axius

That skull tokens with credits thing was the first time they did that, and I do want it back, honestly. It was the best way for someone like me to participate.

In so far as the pricing on skull tokens though... That's not gone up from the last time the did it via the website.. though if I were to weigh in, I wish they'd do something closer to pricing similar to the stockings..

1 for 4.99, 5 for 19.99, 10 for 39.99 and 40 for 99.99. and yes, I acknowledge that I am including an inherent discount of "bonus tokens", but that tends to the typical of IRE. And the 40 for 99.99 is probably the one I'm mis-remembering the pricing and token amounts for >.>

Rhyot

I wasn't really a fan of the bought skull tokens with IG credits only. Though, the skull tokens being quite expensive this round has me thrown for a loop. The last time we could buy tokens with money, it was 5 for 24.99, 10 for 45, so on so forth.

So, @Oleis, why are skull tokens a little more expensive this round than previous rounds? Not saying its a bad thing, just overly curious.

Lin

I'll say it's a bad thing. That's a preposterous price for so little a return.

Rhyot

@Lin: All gambling can be seen as preposterous. Doesn't mean it isn't a good thing. Maybe there's a reason why the prices are $45 for 5 tokens. Maybe the prizes are better this time around than the last few go-arounds.

All gambling is just that... a gamble. You have no idea what you get. All pray to RNGesus. But still, @Oleis, can you give a little insight as to the price increase this time around?

Runas

I checked a couple of the other IRE games, it looks like its a company wide price increase in comparison on all the promotions.
I am going to imagine now that this was not an @Oleis decision as much as an upper upstairs decision.

However like @Rhyot said, its definitely a curiosity for all of us, perhaps we do have something special lurking that hasnt been found yet.

Axius

well, under American law (since IRE is a company based in America, just check the T.O.S.), this would constitute as gambling, which is legal, but they are required to denote all winnable prizes in some form or another. The problem with this "Special lurking prize" would not be something they could legally do, honestly, because it's against the law for casinos and other gambling establishments to conceal the potential prizes in an act written to protect the gamblers at least somewhat.

at least, if I recall the law correctly. But then again, I might not be, since I am tired, recovering from depression, still feeling sick, and not sleeping so well for personal reasons.

Seth

Hmm, Imperian has all the prizes listed in their help files. Maybe ours needs an update?

Seir

The reality is that there is more inherent, and stable, value in purchasing credits for the same amount of money versus purchasing tokens that are RNG dependent and can completely backfire in terms of worth. I'm not one to usually complain about promotions, but I've also noticed the price increases and have found them to not be worth it.

Oleis

There was not a price increase from the last time we did Skull Tokens on the website. That's something I would have had to change in-game, regardless of whose decision it was, and there was no such change. It is standard across the games. One of the other three may have had to change their prices this round, but we did not. That's also why we're not selling for credits. The promotion from IRE was to sell skull tokens on the website for specific prices.

That said, I think the wheel payout is a little low currently (thanks to @Razmael for number-crunching help) and I'm going to spruce it up a little bit.

Kerryn

Changed or not, personally, I'd be more apt to buy them, if there were cheaper options, IE: 1 token 4.99. 45.00 out the gate for something that may not be worth the gamble (We have no idea what's available to be won and even if it's -worth- the gamble.) If I'm going to gamble and potentially get nothing from it, I feel a LOT better tossing 5-10 bucks here, maybe 25.00 at a time. Instead of 45 and being severely disappointed when RNG screws me over (RNG hates me) and gives me squat. Or the coveted 'let me increase this random skill that you already have transed'. Hahahahah...thanks RNG. Ya Jerk. 5-10 bucks is easier to shrug off than 50 bucks in those situations.

Or, I can wait for the next Cryptic chest promo and buy 5 chests for 24.99.
Or gift bags at 5 bucks a pop.
Or buy 10 credits and get a free giftbag for 4.99
9 bucks for a skull token is a bit much, when all other promo's seem to follow the 5 bucks entry point. Unless the prizes from the wheel are better than what chest/giftbags can give and those already are pretty amazing things, so I find it hard to believe that the wheel gives better than what cryptic chests gives as prizes.

But, maybe I'm wrong. Is anyone willing to share what they've won from using the skull tokens bough from the website?

Fezzix

Gambling implies that you can lose. While some wheel prizes are better than others, you are still guaranteed a prize when making a spin. I wouldn't call the Wheel of Fates "gambling" so much as I would call it a "grab bag." 

Also, I have heard rumors of other IRE wheel prizes being more appealing. Is there any truth to this? Does anyone have insight on it?

Faerah

Fezzix said:

Gambling implies that you can lose.

"Gambling" only requires an uncertain outcome from an investment made. That's the difference between "gambling" and "purchasing." If you purchase something, you know with certainty what you are getting for your investment. If I go to the store and a shirt I like is priced at $25, I know for $25 dollars I will be getting that specific shirt. There is no uncertainty.

If you "gamble," you are by definition putting down money with uncertainty as to what, if anything, you will receive. However, the capacity to not get anything is not a qualification as to whether you are gambling or not. For example, if I have $25 and I decide to purchase a ticket that will enter me into an "every spin is a prize!" wheel raffle - I am still gambling, because I do not know with certainty which prize I will get. In short, I am playing a game of chance in which I do not know what I am getting for my money until after the money is spent.

Accordingly, a "grab bag" that you pay a sum to enter into is gambling. Legally, it has to be that way or else people who run gambling establishments would get around the "gambling" label by giving junk "prizes" to everyone who dealt in. It also just logically flows that "gambling" involves "chance" but that "chance" does not have to equate to "loss."

Edit: Also, on topic - in no world will I drop $45 for wheel spins (especially when they are likely to give me useless gold and extra useless lessons). I would rather just buy 100 credits at $40 and a Starbucks latte.

Seth

That latte is about $40 anyways isn't it?

Emir

But /worth/ it.

Leana

This came up a while back when the price was first jacked up. The explanation they gave is our wheel (that's Aetolia's) was the only one without a negative attached to it. The wheel does not murder or violate you like it used to, even on free spins. I don't know if the other wheels got updated, but at the time, they still did the same old stuff: killed you, gave you all afflictions, boosted level, experience, skills, took away experience, took away skillranks, etc. We're the first spinoff so we're spoiled.

I couldn't find out, so working on the assumption that a skull token always guarantees a reward, you end up overall better off with buying the skull tokens than not if you factor in selling the physical rewards it can give you. I think the worst possible 'reward' are the lessons, but even they come to the rough average of about 34 credits. When you consider each spin is at most $9 and $10 only gets you 25 credits (without bonus) it's still a safe investment.

@Oleis My request would be to have the Wheel help scroll (17.4.1) updated to list all possible rewards for free and paid spins. Not knowing what to ask all the various gambling deities what I want to win is a big problem. I'm sure others hesitate on buying skull tokens for the same reason.

I miss our help scroll Celani angel, who kept them all up to date and in glorious technicolor.

Seth

There is a job opening 

Leana

(sarcasm) Not sure when this happened, but having the free wheel spin give 3 random comms as a potential prize is awful. It's just as bad as having it give a transcendent skill a skill up. I'd rather it just kill me. (I miss violent wheel. though. Bring back sexchange, afflictions, death, and add teleport to random location, buried underground, flung to an island, or forced to fly for like 5 minutes(fizzy lifting drinks) )

Seth

It would be cool if it could take you over trans for a diminished return on resistances.

Not wanting to sound like a sook but I can't justify  $66AUD for 5 spins of not knowing what the prize pool is.

Runas

I spent half of my birthday money to see if I could get lucky since I guess the wheel got looked into, I got..... Rope commodity, Gold commodity, an artifact pipe, 2 tickets, 5000 gold, and some ink... Happy unicornsing Birthday I guess... I made a trump tweet for this...then figured it was inappropriate..

But oh god, either I have bad odds or this is a crud promotion. Has ANYBODY got anything good, post your spoils...

Fezzix

Runas said:

I spent half of my birthday money to see if I could get lucky since I guess the wheel got looked into, I got..... Rope commodity, Gold commodity, an artifact pipe, 2 tickets, 5000 gold, and some ink... Happy unicornsing Birthday I guess... I made a trump tweet for this...then figured it was inappropriate..

But oh god, either I have bad odds or this is a crud promotion. Has ANYBODY got anything good, post your spoils...

Those don't sound like skull spins. Skull spins give 200 lessons, more than twenty times that much gold, artifacts, chocolates, etc. Those prizes are what you get from free spins. Maybe it's bugged?

Runas

I dunno, it might be...im trying to see if I got anything I didn't notice and I asked a couple other people who have got similar things from the wheel. Oh...there we go I got 50 credits, so I guess that kinda makes up for it with the pipe. Still kinda meh. I suppose I am leaning towards the wanting to win big and being a sore loser range, so maybe I shouldn't complain so vocally. I suppose I just hoped for better.

Fezzix

@Runas Oops! The artifact pipe is indeed a skull spin. The others are not.