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Wednesday 30 July 2014

Pack, Pack, Pack, what Pack is that?

Over the years of playing Wizard101, I have purchased a number of packs.  The reasons for the ones that I purchase are many and varied, but "what is the best pack to buy" is a question we are often asked, and it is something I found I couldn't answer without knowing more about the person asking the question.  So, instead of that, as it can take some time, I thought I might compile some stats on the packs and the rules that I follow to help you go through your own process to select and buy a pack.

An interesting starting stat.  Do you know how many packs there are?  I know I didn't know!  After a little research, here is how I see them:

  • 7 Lazy Packs
  • 15 Furniture Packs
  • 6 Housing Packs
  • 3 Aquarium Packs
  • 15 Gear Packs and
  • 9  Miscellaneous Packs

That makes, as of mid-July 2014, a total of 55 different types of packs!  Wow!

I never realised there were actually that many!!

OK, I know I have broken these up into my own kinds of categories, but when I realised just how many there were, I knew I had to get some sense of order for them so I could put something together that made some kind of sense!

Let me try to explain my thinking here:

  1. Lazy Packs:  These are packs with just lots of reagents (100) that are pretty common around the Spiral.  You might think that, just because they are common, they should be easy to pick up at the Bazaar, but that isn't quite how it works.  These reagents are the basis of Reagent Recipes.  If you want to get some of the more challenging reagents, you can craft them, and they need these simple reagents as a basis for that recipe.  That makes these seemingly common reagents actually a bit tricky to get a hold of...so...perhaps the next time you see that Cat Tail or Mist Wood, perhaps you should just pick it up?
  2. Furniture Packs:  The packs that just focus on Spiral World themed furniture.  Used effectively, this stuff can be awesome.
  3. Housing Packs: The packs that just contain generic housing items that aren't really themed.  These are more things to support your house and will support a variety of different decorations.
  4. Aquarium Packs:  These packs have a set of 3 of each type of aquarium.  A nice easy way to do it if you can afford the 750 Crowns.
  5. Gear Packs:  These are the the real lucky dip.  You can get some truly awesome stuff in these packs and it is usually worth the effort to roll the dice.  That being said, some are definitely better value than others.
  6. Miscellaneous Packs:  These packs don't really fit into the other categories (in my way of thinking!) but are interesting to play with from time to time.

So, to that end, I might write a post or two about the different packs.

I can remember when I was first trying to figure out what pack to buy, just reading the description in the Crowns shop was something that I found difficult to understand.  Hopefully it will make it a little easier for those young Wizards looking to buy their first pack.

See you 'round the Spiral!

Morgrim

2 comments:

  1. I'd be interested to read your take on which gear packs are better than others. I seem to remember that you favour the pack that gives the gear that has extra energy for gardening (and fishing now of course).

    And where do things like the Wyvern Hoard pack fit into your categorisation?

    I had not realised that there were so many different ones! 55 wow!

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  2. Thanks Scarlet. The Wyvern Pack is one the most subjective and interesting packs. I was really striving to get the Greenwarden's Energetic Shroud for ages. High levels of energy are an important part of the game once you get away from fighting - and of course it also helps with pets for more fighting!

    I have always loved the Wyvern's Hoard pack (I'll tell you all the reasons why later!). It fits into my 'Gear Pack' category as it has some great gear.

    Yes, when I checked them out, 55 was a surprise for me too. The addition of the 3 Aquarium packs has bumped it up just that bit further to reach 55. Most of them ... well, they would be purchased by people other than me, as they are not high on my shopping list, but there are a couple of standouts for me, and I'll probably waffle on about them more than most :)

    Morgrim

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