Some requested changes to HG PVP rewards

There are surprisingly few threads with this topic considering...

The base curse should be much easier to earn, but still require PVP. After you get the Blessing, there should be faction leveling cosmetics that you can only get through PVP. And for the PVE aspect, there should be cosmetics you can get by completing commendations. We already have a huge lack of cosmetics, so making the base curse more casual would help solve that problem.

The curses don't need to be easier to obtain imo, but the progression and reward system should be reworked in order to give people incentives to keep pushing levels before that. Right now, there are too little incentives for too long (a few trinkets / titles / one Figurehead).

If we compare that to the "longest" PvE curse (the gold curse) : it takes roughly half the time needed to reach lvl 100 for a 60% winrate (and lower) player, while awarding a lot of stuff on the way. Without even taking checkpoint cheesing into account.

How I would do it :

• good rewards spread out before lvl 100. Clothes, another curse like the Athena one for lvl 50 (it has no business sitting at lvl 105 with how easy it was to get in the first place)... That would give the incentives for even the worst swabby to keep pushing the next few levels, and the ones after that.
• get rid of the winstreak system. Progression is balanced around it, making it mechanically way more punishing to lose for the people with low winrates. That's creating more "ladder" anxiety that necessary for the people that should be encouraged the most to participate and stick through the tough start.

Treat the first 100 lvl as an introduction to the mode instead of the purgatory before the good stuff it currently is for many. They should have designed it in order to get beginners to stick to it and try their best.

After that, the mode is actually really fine imo. They should probably find a way to create stakes for competitive players tho if they get rid of the winstreak system. A ledger of sort in addition to lvl based rewards, should do the trick.

Imo they designed the hourglass system to satisfy a already established PvP population with little thought for new players conversion or the longterm health of the mode

@remakoro This is the exact response I was expecting, almost feeling like a copy paste at this point.
I listed several ways it could be introduced without it being a spit in the face but to elaborate
Making level 100 more attainable without any other changes would be a spit in the face of those who persevered, but they could grant those who WERE level 100, a level spike, up to the next big reward (maybe adding weapons of the damned every 100-200 levels)
Or, make a variant of the curse for PVE like I said, it's not about the blessing or skele in particular it's their grandeur compared to the PVE curses, one is an entire body filter and the other is a brand new model, compared to a texture filter that's almost rarely visible aside from a little glow the earlier curses have.
And again a possible flameheart ghost curse/ghost skeleton at level 500.

On to the argument of "But you can't get PVE curses through PVP" I get that, I do, but it's comparing the golden curse to golden ghost, and ashen to the ghost curse.
Ashen and sunken are ludicrously easy to get compared to gold, the PVP curses IMO should be the same. The ghost/skele curse should be easier to get, and the gold ghost/skele should be the real showboat curse.
On the more personal side of this argument it's basically saying I, and the admittedly very small group of probably old aged players (I'm not old just can't handle the stress physically) shouldn't even get a slim chance of getting these curses. This part shouldn't hold much sway in the grand scheme but I still wanted to mention it.

@grog-minto This. This I would be overjoyed about. Even just making the first 100 levels not a complete slog without streaks.
I don't think removal of the streak system would be good, maybe reducing it's necessity, especially in the first 100, would be a great improvement imo.

@remakoro
The emporium outfits function differently than the skele curse, you can't customize them whatsoever. Not to mention they cost actual money. I see your point in that, but it only makes me think the entire skeleton model shouldn't take a stressful slog to obtain in the first place, and instead should have prestigious options for those who want to flex.

I would try the flip the argument but I can't even think of an example, PvE can be boring to a PvPer, but PvP for someone who only enjoys PvE isn't boring, it's stressful and demoralizing. It causes burnout and anxiety, it actively makes people quit even if they want to persevere. I'm sure the clip of the hopeless solo slooper being so burned out from PvP they gave up comes to mind for some. PvE is boring. PvP is demoralizing. Both are true, it's just that one actively makes people quit.

@remakoro
So to enjoy a grilled cheese you must burn the roof of your mouth?

@remakoro What about someone who can't eat spicy things?
Should they just give up on wings altogether because everyone else decides hot wings are the only type of wings allowed?
Sure he could get a chicken breast instead or chicken nuggets, but he's just not allowed to have non-spicy wings?

Heck, I rather do the tall tale, Heart of Fire 50 times without dying/sinking and find all journals again just to unlock 1 skeleton curse.

Then Sea BoundSoul 50 times, not sink & find all journals to unlock the Ghost.

Along with having Athena lvl 20 & Reaper Lvl 75

From the posts so far it seems the majority wishes for these curses to be either easier to obtain or have some way/variant to obtain through PvE.
While just like in other similar posts there's a minority that wishes for nothing to change. Not sure if this is some sort of gatekeeping, fear of wasted commitment or otherwise.

I doubt just one post will change anything but I'm hoping to see some kind of change to their attainability.
A cosmetic this fundamentally changing and requested shouldn't be locked behind a mode only a small percentage of players even remotely want to interact with (legendary weapons and arena cosmetics part 2, burnout boogaloo)