Funcom, every time I think you’re so close to be a respectable company you do things like this. I thought the Museum was for everyone and that anyone, even f2p players, would be able to complete it. However, the discovery that Solar Shards can only be bought with Third Age Fragments shattered that belief. Stop monetizing every portion of the game. Game events are supposed to be celebrated by all players but if you lock essential items like Solar Shards behind cache paywalls (since you need to open caches to get Third Age Fragments) it’s a slap in the face of the completionists and those that want to experience the entire game.
Not only is the simple fact that they cost Third Age Fragments a disgrace, the fact that they cost 300 Third Age Fragments only compounds it. If the Shem of Solar Metal costs 1 Solar Shard per upgrade and you only get the average of 10 TAF from each cache you open, it would take 60 caches to get the TAF needed to get all the shards needed to upgrade Shem of the Solar Metal. That’s either waiting 60 days to get all the daily keys needed or spending $90 for keys. $90!!! As much as I know there will not be a response from Funcom, I urge the devs to change it so even f2p players can get the shards. The museum should be a testament to the dedication of its players, not evidence that you have a fat wallet.
There’s the MoF to Aurum exchange if you don’t want to pay. Granted, that’s going to take a LONG while, but if you want to get technical about it, you can, as a F2P player, get those shards.
Do we know whether they actually drop as well? My guess is that they’ll be a rare drop from the Solar boss, so this is just a way for those with more cash than time to get it without getting lucky or stalking the AH.
I’d like to see a comment from someone Funcom-related. There are many strange things in this case.
LIke, why this vendor? It has nothing to do with anniversary event. Why this shard specifically but not any of 9 others? Why TAFs? Such a price for event-limited item is guaranteed to raise concerns.
I would say that I’m inclined to think it’s a backup way of getting one (sort of like how rare the hel museum piece was for a while) and people complained. I hope it’s a drop somewhere and that this is just an easier way to get.
You seem to be severely misinformed. My condolences.
But what of the Lunar Shards? If the Solar golem didn’t come over then it would stand to reason the Lunar one didn’t, either. Not to mention the centerpiece item that Dr Caligari no longer sells.
I didn’t even look at the achievement list. Ok, that makes no sense on why the Lunar one is here, but the Solar one isn’t. But Funcom is Funcom, so that’s all the explanation we need.
Samsu Nasiru was never part of the TSW anniversaries either. Currently the gold shem lists its location as “unknown”, so Blingzilla may come back in some form.
Golden Week(end)s/Gilded Rage only started happening after the first anniversary event. There’s still a chance that we’ll see those again now that SWL is entering its second year.
