A Real Look At Void Storage Costs!

So they have released “new prices’ for void storage and frankly I can’t see what all the fuss had been about for the old prices. The new plan is to buy the storage for 100g, this was previously 1000g. The price to deposit is 25g which on the ptr is 100g, and the price to withdrawl now is free (ok so I am ok with  that). But looking at the cost to buy storage and the cost to deposit  .. what was the big deal with the ptr costs?

I mean lets look at this as objectively as possible, Void Storage is an extra what .. 80 slots for gear alone. 80 Slots. 80. 80 slots by 100 pieces of gear plus opening costs .. 9k gold for 80 extra storage slots. 80. Yes I know, I repeat myself but I cant help it look at that number .. 80.

By the end of Wrath most of us were already toting around 20 or 22 slot bags in most of our bank and character spaces. These days the largest bag one can get is the Illusionary bag .. a whole 26 slots. Sor Barring your backpack you have 4 bags on your person and 7 bag slots in the bank. So 11 bag spaces. If we look at upgrading from 20 slot bags (and lets be reasonable), then you get an extra 66 bag spaces. 66, and thats assuming you are still toting around Frostweave bags. By now most people are decked out with at least Embersilk bags in most slots, but thats another kettle of fish, We are being reasonable! 66 Slots over 11 new bags. 66

The cheapest Illusionary bags I have seen on my realm are 3.5k gold. On average they are usually 4k and at most I have seen them selling for 6k but most times when I browse the Auction House they sit there for 4k gold. 4000 gold. For one single 26 slot bag. For a whole 6 extra bag slots. So lets do the math, 6 slots = 4k, we have 11 bags with 6 extra slots … 44,000 gold to upgrade from 20 slot bags to 26 slot bags. Or, and here we go, 44k gold for 66 storage slots. 66.

44,000 gold for 66 spaces. 9,000 for 80 spaces. 66, 80. 44000, 9000. Lets be real subtle, 667 gold per storage slot or 113 gold per storage slot (rounded figures). Seeing my point? Even at the inflated rates that the costs showed on the PTR the cost per storage slot is a steal! I mean how can anyone complain about that!

They did though, they complained and bawled and now the prices are 100g to buy the storage and 25g per item. 2100 gold for 80 extra storage tabs. For a packrat or a collector that is nothing chump change.

2100 gold for 80 spaces vs 44000 gold for 66 spaces.

I don’t think blizzard should have messed with void storage .. I think they should have made the mats and ability to make illusionary bags cheaper!

Ousting The Absent Guild Leader

This is just a short post. I was going to go into a lot of depth but in the end figured I could just as clearly state what was on my mind in 4 paragraphs as I could twenty, so here is to light reading!

So far Patch 4.3 looks pretty good, though there is one thing that bugs me .. and that is the ability to oust a Guild Leader if he has been absent 30 days.

Now I will be honest I didn’t make the guild I run, and while I always joke that that was a coup and we replaced the old leader with a much more tyran.. genial leader, the truth is that the old leader wasn’t interested in stickin around, promoted me and went on his way. Which is fine and how in a well run world sucession should occur.

I also realise that there are guilds who have absentee guild leader who don’t show up in months or don’t do too much. The upcoming ability to replace an absentee leader is good, if you have a leader who simply doesn’t play he (or she) needs replacing. The system doesn’t allow for replacing Guild Leaders who need removal for other reasons, and I don’t think we will ever see that come into play (unless they introduce an annual ballot or something :), which I fervently hope they don’t I enjoy my despotic rule).

No I like the idea of being able to replace a GM if needed and forge ahead. My biggest peeve with the new ability is the time frame. 30 Days. Seriously. 30 Days. 30 Days is nothing. I’m not sure what Holidays are like in America but if your average Australian takes off all his years holidays in 1 hit then there are your 30 days all used up! Well 28 anyway. So if someones taking an extended trip, gets hospitalised by accident, moves home or whatever that causes a break of over 30 days .. they can lose their guild.

To me, I think 30 days is not long enough. If a guild can’t survive without 1 member for 30 days, no matter who the member is, then the guild has problems, and replacing that 1 member isn’t likely to help. Yes, absentee guild leaders should be replacable, no, they shouldn’t be replaced after what isn’t even a minimal time away.

So I would say fine, keep in the new method of replacing a Guild Leader, but be reasonable and raise the bar a bit. I would say 45 maybe 60 days would be better, and I hope that Blizzard are listening to some of the other objections I have seen out there and take some action on it.