It was revealed at the Heart Of Thorns presentation that ArenaNet would finally be implementing a Legendary Precursor Quest. Although there’s no hard details on it yet, I’ve seen a lot of people announce that the quest will undoubtedly result in a price crash on Precursors. While the news of the quest chain did affect Precursor prices on the Trading Post, I think we need to think rationally about the part Precursor’s and Legendary weapons play in Guild Wars 2’s economy and what a Quest Chain will still likely cost players.

What Is A Legendary Precursor Quest?

This has been something that ArenaNet has wanted to do for a long time. It was originally called a Precursor Scavenger Hunt and was due to arrive around 12 months ago.

We still plan to do both new legendary weapons, as well as a clear path (on top of the current random chance) to gain precursors which players can see their progress and understand how much work they have left to do to gain it.

It’s highly likely the precursor concept will involve playing varied different content all over the game to gather numerous content specific materials that are combined together to make a precursor.

 

We do also want to maintain that chance you could get lucky and earn one earlier through random drops, so when we add the new system we will not remove the current one to ensure players have multiple ways to gain the items. Also with the upcoming update to WvW, there will be a chance players can earn precursors from the WvW rank reward chests as well.

Everything went quiet from ArenaNet and it was assumed that the concept had been scrapped or was pending an expansion pack. The premise behind the Scavenger Hunt was to provide players with another avenue of obtaining a gaurenteed Precursor weapon without relying on random drops or the Mystic Forge. It was envisaged by fans and ArenaNet that a Precursor Scanvenger Hunt would be similar to that of a personal story, where players would battle creatures from around Tyria and completing certain tasks to obtain a Precursor of their choice. It was never envisaged that the process would be fry.

If you’ve ever played a Paladin or Warlock in World of Warcraft and completed the unique Mount quest chain, imagine something similar.

How Much Will A Precursor Cost From The Quest?

We don’t yet know what a Precursor will cost when completing the quest chain ArenaNet have devised, but I would be very surprised if it was any cheaper than the current Trading Post average price. ArenaNet still want to ensure that Precursors aren’t easily obtained while they also don’t want to devalue them. I’ve spoken below about why, but a key part of the purpose behind implementing a Precursor Quest is to allow players incremental progress into obtaining one. If that means spending a varied amount of money over a long period, as opposed to one lump sum, it’s better for players who struggle to save.

What Does This Mean For The Economy?

Precursors and Legendary Weapons are the most sought after items in Guild Wars 2. Besides Ascended weapons and armor, they’re the most expensive and time consuming to obtain. They take a considerable amount of resources and as a result, are a long term carrot for player progression. The most difficult part of any Legendary is the Precursor, not only because of its cost but the fact it’s only available in two ways:

1. Pure luck if you manage to craft one using the Mystic Forge.
2. Pure luck if you manage to find one as a random drop.
3. Guaranteed if you manage to save/earn enough Gold to buy one directly from the Trading Post.

Both of these methods allow for several things are sought after by ArenaNet for several reasons. The “luck” approach appeals to the gambling player who has a “one more try” attitude. The possibility of obtaining a Precursor worth thousands of gold, by throwing in only 4 Rare weapons. We’ve all at some point or another experienced entrapment when using the Mystic Forge, hoping that the next creation will result in what we’re after. The reality is that it rarely happens but the continued itch keeps people playing.

On the purchase side of things, Precursors being incredibly expensive is lucrative for ArenaNet because players with disposable income are more inclined to purchase Gems to convert to Gold. ArenaNet need Precursors to have value to ensure that there’s a permanent, long term itemised goal for its player base. Although the cost of Precursors has dropped after the announcement there would be new Legendaries and a Precursor Quest Chain, it's only by about 20%. I suspect that will quickly recover when the cost of the Precursor Quest Chain is discovered. 

What Should I Do To Prepare For The Quest Chain?

At this stage and until we know more, I would simply recommend that you continue to save your money for as long as you possibly can. That way, when we find out exactly how much the quest costs, you’ll have a head start.