Alliance Pack versus Regional Trait Pack

[Bitter Thorn]

The regional pack looks a little better.

Why is the Alliance Pack more costly?

Alliance Pack $20

* A number of consumables and Tier 1 items themed to a nation or group from Golarion's lore
* You will be able to select the nation or group of your Alliance before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

versus

Regional Trait Pack $15

* One of your characters will gain a background related to one of the regions of Golarion
* Your character's background will be visible to other players
* Includes Tier 1 items reflecting your character's regional background
* You will be able to select the Region before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

Perhaps being a member of a faction carries some in-game benefit beyond the package, while being from a region is simply a role-play or background item without mechanical effect?

[KarlBob]

T7V Jazzlvraz wrote:

Perhaps being a member of a faction carries some in-game benefit beyond the package, while being from a region is simply a role-play or background item without mechanical effect?

If this turns out to be correct, I hope GW keeps selling them until factions enter the game. Jumping straight into faction conflict could be worth $20 to some of us.

[Pyronous Rath]

i donno got both hoping i can use both on the same char.

[Guurzak]

I wouldn't consider purchasing any of these packs until we have specific details on a) when they'll be released, and b) what's in them. It could very well turn out that these packs contain nothing of use to T2+ characters and will not be deliverable until after the first generation of characters has outleveled their usefulness.

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

As Ryan implied, we'll still be able to sell them to others. Disappointing, but it's *a* use.

[KarlBob]

Guurzak wrote:

I wouldn't consider purchasing any of these packs until we have specific details on a) when they'll be released, and b) what's in them. It could very well turn out that these packs contain nothing of use to T2+ characters and will not be deliverable until after the first generation of characters has outleveled their usefulness.

Some of us already purchased them, back during the second Kickstarter campaign. We've been waiting a while to see whether we have a pig in a poke, or a cat to be let out of the bag.

[KoTC Edam Neadenil]

They were always a gamble.

It was made clear at the time that none of these packs were essential and there would be no "pay to win".

[KarlBob]

KoTC Edam Neadenil wrote:

They were always a gamble.

It was made clear at the time that none of these packs were essential and there would be no "pay to win".

True on both counts. If a regional trait pack just includes things like a re-skinned long sword labeled as an Aldori dueling sword, or a set of leather armor re-skinned as an Eagle Knight uniform, I'll be happy. Purely cosmetic variations on the same things that I might find dropped by goblins in my first couple of hours of play.

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

I hope there's some way for both these items and the Daily Deals to be used as skins for more powerful items after we've "outgrown" them.

[KoTC Edam Neadenil]

Of course they may become collectors items and super valuable.

[Caldeathe Baequiannia]

There are several attributes that might be applied to ensure the low-level items from the packs retain a high value without being pay-to-win.

Make them some combination of:

• encumbrance free
• immune to decay
• permathreaded without taking a slot
• unlootable / unloosable

They're still just an item of a basic nature which will never equal a T2 or T3 item, but their inherent value skyrockets beyond their direct usefulness.

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

KoTC Edam Neadenil wrote:

Of course they may become collectors items and super valuable.

I've never understood the benefit of a collector's item that has no use other than ownership. It seems so...limited.

[KoTC Edam Neadenil]

T7V Jazzlvraz wrote:

KoTC Edam Neadenil wrote:

Of course they may become collectors items and super valuable.

I've never understood the benefit of a collector's item that has no use other than ownership. It seems so...limited.

The you don't understand collecting.

All of your classic collectors items, old coins, stamps, Elvis autographs, dead butterflies, barbie dolls, original unplayed still sealed up Beatles vinyls etc tend to be things that have no real pragmatic use.

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

KoTC Edam Neadenil wrote:

The you don't understand collecting.

I think my bank account may be quite happy about that :-). As close as I've ever come to collecting was a couple years in the early days of eBay buying up those few third-party items of Traveller I'd missed in earlier years.

Those felt as if they had use beyond ownership, but I can see the opposite view that they didn't.

[Caldeathe Baequiannia]

T7V Jazzlvraz wrote:

KoTC Edam Neadenil wrote:

Of course they may become collectors items and super valuable.

I've never understood the benefit of a collector's item that has no use other than ownership. It seems so...limited.

Benefit, use and value are intertwined but not equal. Paper currency has a lot in common with collectibles. It's valuable because we all agree it is, not because it actually has any value.

A valuable collectible without usefulness is still a way to store the value in a compact and discrete form until you want to realize it. More discrete than a bank account, and in most cases (sudden trends aside) less subject to inflation.

(edit: A hundred dollar bill put aside carefully 40 years ago is worth less than the day you put it aside. Unless you can find collector who wants it....)

[Bitter Thorn]

T7V Jazzlvraz wrote:

I hope there's some way for both these items and the Daily Deals to be used as skins for more powerful items after we've "outgrown" them.

+1

[KotC Carbon D. Metric]

I'm thinking (Craft Cloth) Varisian Robes Recipe that you can use any tier of ingredients you'd like to replace the initial one you purchased.

[Bitter Thorn]

Bitter Thorn wrote:

The regional pack looks a little better.

Why is the Alliance Pack more costly?

Alliance Pack $20

* A number of consumables and Tier 1 items themed to a nation or group from Golarion's lore
* You will be able to select the nation or group of your Alliance before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

versus

Regional Trait Pack $15

* One of your characters will gain a background related to one of the regions of Golarion
* Your character's background will be visible to other players
* Includes Tier 1 items reflecting your character's regional background
* You will be able to select the Region before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

Will the benefits from these work when beta starts?

[KarlBob]

We don't know.

[Bitter Thorn]

Bugger.

Not that I can get on the GW site right now.

[KarlBob]

As far as I can tell, they haven't given an answer on that site, either.

[Bitter Thorn]

Bitter Thorn wrote:

The regional pack looks a little better.

Why is the Alliance Pack more costly?

Alliance Pack $20

* A number of consumables and Tier 1 items themed to a nation or group from Golarion's lore
* You will be able to select the nation or group of your Alliance before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

versus

Regional Trait Pack $15

* One of your characters will gain a background related to one of the regions of Golarion
* Your character's background will be visible to other players
* Includes Tier 1 items reflecting your character's regional background
* You will be able to select the Region before use
* One per character
* May be purchased multiple times per account

Is there any new information on this especially if it will work early in beta?

[T7V Jazzlvraz]

Ryan posted on the Alpha boards that the packs should arrive in time for EE, but there's no search function, and I can't remember which board the thread was on.

[T7V Avari]

Katapesh +1
Ustalav +1
Cheliax +1