FAQ for the shop and effect items.
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So, I keep seeing a lot of the same questions coming up about shop items/ effects. I thought I'd make a thread answering the ones I see most often, in the hopes that new folk will get their answers quickly and can get back to enjoying the game! ;)
Mods- if this is wrong of me, please feel free to slap me and delete this. Q: What are micro-transactions?
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Micro-transactions are a way for a free game like this to make the money it needs to keep on going. PoE is completely free to play, so the money the devs get from selling items in the shop is the ONLY money they get.
Q: Why are the prices too high/too low/not what I expected?
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See above: GGG only makes money from selling these items. They set the prices that they feel will get them the right amount of money to keep on going- and since a lot of the items can be reused, chances are people will only ever buy them once. That means they need to be a touch more expensive for GGG to get any real money from them, because many people may only ever buy one item. If you have a serious issue with this, you can always let GGG know through feedback, but there probably isn't much that people on the forums can do. ;)
Q: I don't like the number of points I get for $5 or $10! Why is it like this?
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Chris from GGG gave us the following reason for the uneven amount of points for lower transaction amounts:
" EDIT: As an addition to this, GGG has said that they are considering altering the amount of points given for each transaction. Keep an eye on announcements for more info on this if/when it happens! ;) Q: Everything in the shop is pets and glows and stuff- can I buy stuff that makes me stronger/ more powerful/ gives me extra xp?
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No. GGG is decidedly against the concept of 'pay 2 win' gaming, and nothing you can buy in the shop will give you an in-game advantage over other players. Not even the kiwis.
Q: Surely having more tabs is an advantage?
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Extra tabs don't allow you to equip or use more items when you are playing- it only means you can store more items. This confers no real in-game advantage, as your character's power level is unaffected. All players can pass items between their characters using the shared stash already, so even this mechanic is not rally altered.
Q: So what is the difference between a normal stash tab and a premium one?
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Premium tabs can be colour-coded and labelled to make sorting your items easier. Normal tabs can't be.
Q: It says I can buy more character slots? How many do I start with?
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Everyone has 24 character slots per account, unless you purchase more.
Q: How can I buy stuff?
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Mouse over the 'shop' tab in the top of the website and click on 'Purchase'. There, you can buy GGG points which can be exchanged for goods in the shop. The more you spend, the better the value for money.
Once you have your points, click on the shop and pick the effect, item or pet that you want, and so long as you have the points, you can buy it. Q: Are items account bound, or character bound?
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Items are account bound. Once you have them, you can use them on whichever of your characters you choose.
Q: I bought something, but I can't find it!! Where's it go?
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Items in game appear under your micro-transactions tab. This is a green $ sign in the bottom right of the screen, near your powers and Mana pool. All shop items- including dances- appear here as physical items, just like items in your normal stash.
Q: So how do I add a weapon/item effect?
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Left click the effect you want to use in your micro-transactions tab, and then click on the item you want to add it to. For gems/spell effects, you need to apply the effect directly to the gem BEFORE you slot into into an item. If it is already in a slot, remove it and then apply the effect to it, before putting it back in.
I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert. Last edited by Misguidance#4689 on Jan 30, 2013, 7:50:33 PM Last bumped on Dec 1, 2016, 12:34:51 PM
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Q: Can I re-use (item) again, or do I lose it once it's on an item?
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You can reclaim effects from items, and use them again on other items.
To do this, open the micro-transactions tab and click on the 'Reclaim Effect' item at the top right. Then, click on the item you want to remove the effect from. The effect will then reappear in the micro-transactions tab and can be reused. Remember to remove gems from items to remove the effects from them. Q: Can I use this effect on more than one item at once?
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No. Effects are one per item- so if you have two weapons, and want the same effect on both, you will have to buy it twice- once for each item.
This also applies across characters. Any character can use an item in the micro-transactions tab, but item effects can only be used by one character at a time. If you want all 5 of your characters to have an Emerald glow, for example, you have 2 options: 1. At the end of every play session you can reclaim the Emerald glow and put it back into your micro-transactions tab, so you can re-apply it to your next character's weapon when you log them in. OR 2. Buy 5 copies of the Emerald glow effect- one for each character. Q: Do weapon effects work on bows?
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Yes they do! There are no official pictures of this yet as far as I know, but I have posted a picture of one of my own characters with the Verdant effect on his bow. Weapon effects cannot be applied to shields, but shield effects may be possible in the future.
Q: Can I lose these effects by mistake?
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Items cannot be sold to vendors or traded while they have an effect on them. The latest patch also corrected a bug where effects could 'overwrite' each other, causing one of them to be lost. This no longer happens, but if an effect vanishes from your characters mysteriously, drop a note to the Support team and they may be able to help you track it down.
Q: What happens if my character is deleted with an effect in use?
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Currently, this would result in the effect being lost, but as above you can contact Support and they will arrange to recover the effect for you. This might take about a week to arrange, and GGG are working on a way to prevent this from happening- keep an eye out for future updates on this! ;)
Q: If my Hard Core character dies, do the effects on their weapons get lost?
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No, the effect can be retrieved from the character once it is transferred to the normal league. Their items are still gone, but the effect is not deleted.
Q: I bought Stash Tabs before the Open Beta. They are now available in a bundle... can I get a refund?
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According to management, 'Closed Beta players who purchased more than five stash tabs before 1pm PST January 23 can contact our support team to receive a free stash tab per group of five that they purchased (prior to that cut-off date)'. This would basically mean you'd be getting the same bundle that is now on offer, so get in touch with Support and they will sort things for you!
Q: I bought something yesterday, and now it's cheaper! Can I get a refund on the difference?
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Sorry, but no. GGG has a no refund policy on micro-transaction items. Items will go on sale now and then just like any other shop, so keep an eye open for sale announcements and think carefully before you spend those hard earned points! ;)
Q: Can dances be used by all my characters?
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Sort of.
Dances are class specific, so if you buy a Shadow dance, any Shadow character you make can use that dance. However, if you make a Templar, he won't be able to dance unless you also buy the Templar dance. There's no limit on how often you can use a dance, though, and once you've bought it for your class, you don't need to buy it again (the shop will even tell you that you own it, in case you feel like trying to purchase it again!) Q: Can I have a Kiwi? I keep seeing them in game, but there are none in the shop!
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Sorry, the Kiwis have flown! :( They were released as part of the supporter packages that could be purchased in the closed beta, and they are exclusive to those packs. This applies to all varieties you might see in game, from the lowly brown Kiwi to the super-fancy diamond ones. There are, however, some other lovely pets on offer in the shop if you feel the need for company on your travels.
Q: Can I trade this items with other playes?
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No, items bought through the store are bound to your account. You can trade them between your own characters, but not with other players. This is to prevent people demanding cosmetic items (which cost real money) for in-game items like weapons and armour. If this was possible, it would upset the in-game economy and essentially make it possible for people to pay real money to get an in-game advantage, which would go against everything GGG wants for their game.
Q: When will ____________ be available to buy?
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We all want lots of cool stuff and cool effects for this game, but it is early days yet! The devs have promised more effects, items and actions for our favourite items, spells and characters, so the best thing to do is keep an eye on the announcements for updates on when new stuff will be around!
Q: I have another problem. What do I do?
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If it's not on here, you can ask here or on the forums in general and we will do our best to answer. Try to use the search function at the top of the forum before posting, as there is a good chance that someone else may have asked the same thing, and had a good answer. You can also contact support if you can't find what you are looking for on here.
(If anyone has anything to add to this, please let me know and I will edit this post accordingly!) I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert. Last edited by Misguidance#4689 on Jan 30, 2013, 7:48:44 PM
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Sorry for having to split this into 3 posts- I was having funky problems with the forum. XD
I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert. Last edited by Misguidance#4689 on Jan 24, 2013, 9:08:56 AM
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I've updated a few things to be a touch more accurate. If anyone has anything to add, please let me know. :)
I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert.
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" Paladin? -_- Templar! /fixed Good guide, covers everything obvious and questionable. Lady Luck Loves a Trust Fall Last edited by Denninja#6883 on Jan 24, 2013, 1:02:00 PM
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Ha!
well spotted. :P I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert.
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This is really, really good. We can't sticky it quite yet but the information here should prove current and useful for many days to come.
I sort of wish GGG had done a real FAQ about the mtx process and details on the shop page. Maybe in the future. Excellent work, Misguidance. https://linktr.ee/wjameschan -- everything I've ever done worth talking about, and even that is debatable.
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Thanks guys!
I've updated a few things to match what Chris said (and thanks for the update Chris- that's awesome news!), and I'll try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. :) I'm not a n00b- I'm a Online Game Floor Examination Expert.
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Item Effects works on bows ?
like "Emerald Weapon Effect" , can you (GGG) make a Clip whit this ? thanks :) |
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