Materials For All Toons

Is it equally difficult for engineering to make materials (whether just going forward or including those already in the game) redeemable via the Marketplace redemption mechanism?

The Vanguard of the Heavens cosmic skin has been on the Marketplace since forever. Was that an impossibly difficult feat for engineering, or does that material skin somehow differ from all other non-chroma materials?

Same question re the Royal Chroma materials on the Marketplace: was that a super-difficult whistle-causing experience for engineering and yet singular to just those materials?

After all, from the POV of the player, whether we get something via style unlocking, or the redemption mechanism, or as a grant, makes absolutely zero difference. But are all three mechanisms equally engineering-whistling-causing? It's difficult to understand from the player perspective why one material would be available via the Marketplace redemption method but super-difficult to use that mechanism to deliver other materials to players. (Or to use the grant mechanism that gives us our Augments.)

Could you perhaps take a moment to very briefly explain why it's so impossible for materials to be made account-bound and available on all characters via the Marketplace redemption mechanism? Or is it just too complex an engineering issue to be worth going into here on the forums? Or is there some reason to not just put existing materials on the Marketplace itself as account-bound items?

How we qualify to obtain said materials is also pretty much irrelevant to the player perspective, after all.

For crying out loud. Mepps just cleaned up the thread. Do you folks really need to try to litigate this issue again! If you don't like loot boxes don't buy them. Quit with the armchair psychology and trying to protect people from themselves. If you really care about the issue contact your MP or MoC.

You have to pay real money to replay content too though. I guess a good argument against my point would be that there’s an abundance of items in time capsules, unlike the rare items in raids where there’s usually only maybe one or two items with a heavier tense of rarity

They feel as if buying them is necessary because they have this assumption that’s telling them that every single skill point in the game is needed

Thank you for your feedback Mepps, it was very insightful.

Even if I disagree with your position on Time Capsules/ Booster Bundles not being gambling, I respect that you re-opened this thread and laid out your arguments for the DCUO community to see.

If materials being unlocked is a tall order, maybe adding new materials/styles to the Marketplace on a more regular basis I think would be a good compromise. Maybe releasing a Material and a Style Item on the Marketplace every time you release a Time Capsule /Resurgence Capsule/ Booster Bundle, just to add a bit of flavor to the Marketplace as it has gotten pretty stale. Yes, they might make more in Loot Boxes, but if that is the crux of the argument, why not put everything in loot boxes?

Again, I appreciate the work you and the Devs do and I really enjoy your community livestreams (maybe one day I will actually take part in those Babyface boss battles).

I bought the Batman Cowl full price and I was more than a little bummed when the price got slashed, but I don't regret the purchase. Actually the release of the Knight of Vengeance Cowl made me sadder than the price cut, because I think it is better than the Batman Cowl, since you can change its eye color.

Do you really get $1 worth of stuff in every time capsule, though? Is a collection piece for a collection you're not likely to ever complete worth $1?

Is a single piece of armor?

I guess maybe our view of what is worth $1 in online games may be different, at least compared to what other games offer. Booster bundles I can get behind, though.

You get a choice of reward, additional Quarks, a chance of stabilizer fragments and some TCs give a bonus catalyst with each open.

Value is in the eye of the beholder. Water to me has less value than to someone who lives in a desert.

To Mepps, the Booster Bundle extras have a $10 value based on their price in the Marketplace, however to me they have little to no value as I can get those items in the game for free (except for the Nth Metal Detector, which I never use). So I’m essentially paying $10 for a lottery ticket, hoping to get the prize I want.

To be fair, you do get $5 worth of replays, which yes....you can get with Loyalty/DBC grant, but they aren't 'free' (unless you get your loyalty/DBC points without paying a sub or having lifetime....which if you've figured out, clue me in plz). Agreed on the other $5 worth though. Not sure anyone in the history of anywhere has purchased repair bots or compound Omegas for real world cash or loyalty.

You are right about replays, but again, like the Nth Metal Detector, it only has value if you use it. I’m not a hardcore endgamer, so I’m not replaying Missions, I can get plenty of catalysts and all the extra doodads from my alts. I use the replays I get from my subscription for style items when needed and if an alt happens to get a feat my main didn’t. If I’m hurting for replay badges, I’ll buy them when they are on sale, I don’t need to get them from a loot box.

I appreciate your point of view on this. I was talking from personal experience to loot boxes (Mostly mobile games - which are gambling of some sort) Gambling Addiction sucks. It's this "I will open one more loot box" but It's never one more. This is happening even if I got what I already wanted. This is what I meant. Other than that, I appreciate the effort the Devs puts into the Capsules and styles, I learned to play the broker game and get what I want from there or use my monthly DBC\Bonus Stabilizer to open some caps. I try to be very careful with this but still support the game where I can.

These are indeed cosmetics, probably the best we have in game (Give or take OG Phoenix Material is still my favorite). Nowadays I know to complete the style I want on the character I want it (Superman stuff on specific character) so I don't need to get the style again for another character - and the gear boxes are more than enough for me aswell.

Again - I appreciate your perspective and thank you for taking the time to explain this.