This is only an opinion, but i have used my cartel coins and made some credits online, but the packs i have purchased gave me crafing crap i don't need <i don't craft> multiple speeders of the same type <made some credits on that> armor I dont want <why do i want to look bare chested?> and none of the crap i wanted <the monkey lizard, the throne, or even god forbid revans mask> Oh btw i heard some guy got 4 of revans mask. I'm just wondering how th heck they rare and ultra rare is working for some and not for me. I know i'm not lucky, but come on..... anybody agree or disagree???

As they say, random is random. Some people have luck, others don't.

You are guaranteed to get the crafting materials, that is clearly stated, so it's not really something you can complain about. It's also abundantly clear that you only have a "chance" at getting any spesific thing and if your list is as narrow as that pet, throne or mask then you should be using GTN. The packs are random. Random isn't fair or unfair, it's just really annoying when it doesn't work and great when it does.

 

Personally I would've loved it if you were guaranteed to get an armour set or one of the rare crystals, but that is simply not the case and thus I do not spend my monthly cartel coins on it. Better to buy a cool-looking set to know what I'm getting and put the parts I don't want on GTN.

You are guaranteed to get the crafting materials, that is clearly stated, so it's not really something you can complain about. It's also abundantly clear that you only have a "chance" at getting any spesific thing and if your list is as narrow as that pet, throne or mask then you should be using GTN. The packs are random. Random isn't fair or unfair, it's just really annoying when it doesn't work and great when it does.

 

Personally I would've loved it if you were guaranteed to get an armour set or one of the rare crystals, but that is simply not the case and thus I do not spend my monthly cartel coins on it. Better to buy a cool-looking set to know what I'm getting and put the parts I don't want on GTN.

 

Well fortunately for me i know how to program, and just thinking of the code for the randoms stuff i know that their randomizer isnt very good at randomizing things i opened 4 containers in an hour and got the exact same thing

Well fortunately for me i know how to program, and just thinking of the code for the randoms stuff i know that their randomizer isnt very good at randomizing things i opened 4 containers in an hour and got the exact same thing

Thing is you need to take in to account how each item is weighted in the randomizer. Some items have a much higher chance of being dropped then others items and some like the super rare have a really low chance. Hints why you can end up with 4 packs with the same think. One the rare occasions some people get really lucky and get a good item a few times. Just cause you haven't gotten what you want doesn't mean their randomizer suck it just means the luck was not with you. Now I'm off to go sell the lizard monkey I got last night

Sadly, it is all luck of the randomizer. lol. Some people score big and many others dont fare so well. Ive picked up a few decent items from cartel packs and other stuff is just ok. Its the risk you take when buying a randomized pack though.

The Cartel Market, over all, is actually amazing. Since it's release (and without spending more than maybe 20 bucks), I've made around 5 Million Credits, Unlocked all inventory and cargo bay slots on ALL characters, unlocked the additional 4 character slots, bought legacy items like species and Rocket Boost, etc. I've bought several sets of the CM market gear....

 

The fact that most of the items go on the GTN is what makes it awesome. If you're buying tons of gambling bags (and actually opening them) then you're doing it wrong.

You puts in your coins, you pulls the lever, you gets what the machine gives you. That's the nature of it.

 

It must be highly addictive or bluehairs wouldn't sit there shoving nickel after nickel into the machine for hours on end.

As they say, random is random. Some people have luck, others don't.

 

Or as they say, "RNG is the worst, and laziest way to go about a video game". A skill based reward system with a minor reliance on RNG, for everything, is the only way to go.

 

Further, this is not a gambling site. These things should not even be in the game, and the only reason they are is the current money grab.

 

The game has such potential, but this is the entire reason the game is in the state it is. These guys just don't get it.....and at this point I believe they never will. Second rate people make second rate games as that is all they know.

You are guaranteed to get the crafting materials, that is clearly stated, so it's not really something you can complain about. It's also abundantly clear that you only have a "chance" at getting any spesific thing and if your list is as narrow as that pet, throne or mask then you should be using GTN. The packs are random. Random isn't fair or unfair, it's just really annoying when it doesn't work and great when it does.

 

Personally I would've loved it if you were guaranteed to get an armour set or one of the rare crystals, but that is simply not the case and thus I do not spend my monthly cartel coins on it. Better to buy a cool-looking set to know what I'm getting and put the parts I don't want on GTN.

 

 

until that cool looking item you bought off the GTN is then changed by bioware a month after the fact LOL...oh unless of course you read the forums and know that change is coming which..I do not..so now the suggestion box is getting filled

Or as they say, "RNG is the worst, and laziest way to go about a video game". A skill based reward system with a minor reliance on RNG, for everything, is the only way to go.

 

Further, this is not a gambling site. These things should not even be in the game, and the only reason they are is the current money grab.

 

The game has such potential, but this is the entire reason the game is in the state it is. These guys just don't get it.....and at this point I believe they never will. Second rate people make second rate games as that is all they know.

 

Methinks you need to figure out who EA is and how they operate.

 

They do not make games for the love of the game. They make games to maximize their profit. That is 100% the goal of every EA executive. They're not second rate. They're very good at it. Very, very good.

 

The gambling packs help them achieve that goal. They're going to keep doing it until people quit buying them... and people are not going to quit buying them.

Methinks you need to figure out who EA is and how they operate.

 

They do not make games for the love of the game. They make games to maximize their profit. That is 100% the goal of every EA executive. They're not second rate. They're very good at it. Very, very good.

 

The gambling packs help them achieve that goal. They're going to keep doing it until people quit buying them... and people are not going to quit buying them.

 

Exactly. Humans are provably very bad at dealing with probability. Most think that because there is a chance that they may get a good item that they will, if only they buy a few packs, or a few more, or a few more. People fall into the trap not realizing that the only way to win is to not play. If everyone realized that then gambling boxes wouldn't sell and EA wouldn't sell them. But they do sell, in every game they're available. And people don't just buy a couple and stop, some spend buttloads on them, which makes EA a ton of money. I have heard the lottery called "an idiot tax" before, and I feel that's an appropriate fit for gambling boxes as well.

 

I dislike them (in case you couldn't tell) and don't buy them, but I have no problem buying the pieces from people who do. People can waste (again my opinion) their money on whatever they want, as long as I can still get the items (through trading) then it doesn't bother me.

 

 

Edit:

Well fortunately for me i know how to program, and just thinking of the code for the randoms stuff i know that their randomizer isnt very good at randomizing things i opened 4 containers in an hour and got the exact same thing

 

If you're familiar with programming and RNG then you would know that "5,5,5,5,5,5,5" is just as random a series of numbers as "5,7,8,2,3,4,2". Random doesn't mean "it's different every time", it just means "it's unpredictable".

Edited January 9, 2013 by MillionsKNives

[quote name='Galbatorrix']The Cartel Market, over all, is actually amazing. Since it's release (and without spending more than maybe 20 bucks), I've made around 5 Million Credits, Unlocked all inventory and cargo bay slots on ALL characters, unlocked the additional 4 character slots, bought legacy items like species and Rocket Boost, etc. I've bought several sets of the CM market gear.... The fact that most of the items go on the GTN is what makes it awesome. If you're buying tons of gambling bags (and actually opening them) then you're doing it wrong.[/QUOTE] Twenty bucks for five million? I'm tending to think not as the average rate of return on cartel farmed products is about 83,332 credits per dollar. Even the newest items such as character unlocks are costing about 6 dollars and yeilding 500,000 credits. That would mean in order to earn 5 million credits returned it would cost approximately 60 to 80 dollars in investments, which seems about right. Always take what the gambler "says" he lost and triple it if you want to know the truth LOL. Bottom line here is that you could do much better just spending 20 minutes a day farming or playing the gtn, and not handing over real money to them, which is exactly what they want you doing. Credits mean nothing to them. Your money does.

It's random(ish). Don't get mad over buying gambling packs...I have zero sympathy.

Twenty bucks for five million? I'm tending to think not as the average rate of return on cartel farmed products is about 83,332 credits per dollar. Even the newest items such as character unlocks are costing about 6 dollars and yeilding 500,000 credits.

 

That would mean in order to earn 5 million credits returned it would cost approximately 60 to 80 dollars in investments, which seems about right. Always take what the gambler "says" he lost and triple it if you want to know the truth LOL.

 

Bottom line here is that you could do much better just spending 20 minutes a day farming or playing the gtn, and not handing over real money to them, which is exactly what they want you doing. Credits mean nothing to them. Your money does.

 

I got the Nihlius mask originally and sold it for 2.8 Million. Since then, I've used that money to make money buying and selling off the GTN. For instance, I bought a Throne for 1.5 Million and then sold it for 2.5. To be honest, I've probably made more than 5 Million thanks to the Nihlius mask. Though admittedly, getting the mask in the first place was luck.

Methinks you need to figure out who EA is and how they operate.

 

They do not make games for the love of the game. They make games to maximize their profit. That is 100% the goal of every EA executive. They're not second rate. They're very good at it. Very, very good.

 

The gambling packs help them achieve that goal. They're going to keep doing it until people quit buying them... and people are not going to quit buying them.

 

When I need someone to explain the philosophies of business practices, I'll be sure to give you a call. LOL I only have a masters and 35 years experience running one. ;p

 

....and they are not very good at it. To the contrary, I would contend that they are horrible at such, and if it were up to me I'd clear the table and start over. Best guess is that their sophomoric business practices are yeilding them about 1/3 to profit they should be attaining is such a rich, plump market.

 

They should be sitting on top right now, the next wow, with subscriber revenue topping the charts. What they are doing is what many "dumb" companies do, fail to provide a marketable product designed to maintain over the long haul (because of their second rate nature, low bid contractors and employees etc), then bring in rescue teams, blame the developers, and attempt to repair the mess their own stupidity has created when the "short term, quick profit" approach blows up in their collective faces....such as we are seeing now.

 

Had they done it right from the get-go, had keen business sense, sought more then "lowest bid, lowest cost", we would not even be here. It is only this ripe market, the constant turnover in demographic (new kids entering the market on a continual basis), that has allowed them to survive at all. In an adult market they would have collapsed long ago. In short, they are a junk company, bottom feeders, scrounging along on less then ethical business practices that would never fly in more mature markets.

Edited January 9, 2013 by Blackardin

I got the Nihlius mask originally and sold it for 2.8 Million. Since then, I've used that money to make money buying and selling off the GTN. For instance, I bought a Throne for 1.5 Million and then sold it for 2.5. To be honest, I've probably made more than 5 Million thanks to the Nihlius mask. Though admittedly, getting the mask in the first place was luck.

 

Ok, I can go with that. A single item, single stroke of luck can tip the charts. Nice!

 

I thought you were speaking of average revenues while playing the market.

Hmm... yeah... you make a good point. They're only here selling gambling packs because they completely screwed up making the game.

 

But you have to admit they're really really good at selling gambling packs...

Ok, I can go with that. A single item, single stroke of luck can tip the charts. Nice!

 

I thought you were speaking of average revenues while playing the market.

 

 

Well, people could always buy the packs, sell them (350-400K each) and then use the money to play the GTN as I did until they can buy everything they want with credits. They could spend the same 20 I did, make around 1.5 or so Million off selling the packs and then begin the "GTN Game!"

Hmm... yeah... you make a good point. They're only here selling gambling packs because they completely screwed up making the game.

 

But you have to admit they're really really good at selling gambling packs...

 

No question there. They are aces at this type of thing. if i didn't agree with that in all my blathering, I apologize.

As they say, random is random. Some people have luck, others don't.

 

Yep, gambling is gambling, a lottery is a lottery, that's just how it is with gambling bags.

Well fortunately for me i know how to program, and just thinking of the code for the randoms stuff i know that their randomizer isnt very good at randomizing things i opened 4 containers in an hour and got the exact same thing

Sign of a well functioning randomizer. Any attempt to skew results based on previous results would in turn negate the entire concept of random. I always gave Winamp crazy props for it's randomizing algorithm back in the day, after hearing the same song in a 300+ song playlist 3 times in a row.

The Cartel Market, over all, is actually amazing. Since it's release (and without spending more than maybe 20 bucks), I've made around 5 Million Credits, Unlocked all inventory and cargo bay slots on ALL characters, unlocked the additional 4 character slots, bought legacy items like species and Rocket Boost, etc. I've bought several sets of the CM market gear....

 

The fact that most of the items go on the GTN is what makes it awesome. If you're buying tons of gambling bags (and actually opening them) then you're doing it wrong.

 

Agreed! There is nothing more satisfying that paying only 300k to get all my inventory modules and 450k for bank tabs unlocked for all my characters. Then I can also skip level requirements for most of the legacy character perks by paying with my Cartel Coins.

 

I have unlocked all my legacy stuff and bought all the skin unlocks in the GTN for 1mil. Then I also bought all the other gear sets on the GTN for only 200k, which is not even a day of daily grinding. The beauty about the cartel market is that players can trade it for whatever value they think it is.

 

I am also lucky with the Cartel Packs, I got like 1 overlord throne with the first pack I got and use the credits to trade for even more expensive stuff. Originally all I wanted are pets and toys in the game, but instead got super rare drop I did not even want.

Sign of a well functioning randomizer. Any attempt to skew results based on previous results would in turn negate the entire concept of random. I always gave Winamp crazy props for it's randomizing algorithm back in the day, after hearing the same song in a 300+ song playlist 3 times in a row.

 

MMORPG RNGs are notoriously non-random however.

Sign of a well functioning randomizer. Any attempt to skew results based on previous results would in turn negate the entire concept of random. I always gave Winamp crazy props for it's randomizing algorithm back in the day, after hearing the same song in a 300+ song playlist 3 times in a row.

 

Yeah, I thought the same thing about my formerly favorite poker site's randomizer after seeing the 2 of diamonds in 3 different places on the same table at the same time.