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You weren't bamboozled. Unfortunately, so long as players support the boxes in droves they will be the name of the game. There's nothing wrong with people getting them going in knowing their odds, but it's clear that a lot of people really can't help themselves. There's a thread on TERA about their current RNG boxes and someone dropped $1,000 on them and didn't get the desired prize. I doubt that person would have paid $1,000 to direct purchase that mount, but people will spend quickly again and again on micro transactions because each one really isn't "that much".
These boxes are exactly why China's law just went into effect forcing publishers to disclose the drop rates for their items. Some are creative with even that, though. Blizzard, for instance, says that players, on average, will get one of X item every thirteen boxes, rather than explicitly saying there's a 7.7% chance to get X, which has 20 different variants between all the characters, meaning there's a .39% chance that a player actually gets that specific item they're going for.
China is also supposed to have included in the law that all RNG items in the cash shop must also have a means of earning them in game by playing or with in game currency. I don't know that the items in these boxes can skirt that, since even though they're airtight, the airtight versions can only be won by someone paying real cash first. I'm also not sure how this will be put into effect for Global or even KR and other Asian regions once it's in place. Here, for instance, Nexon has started disclosing the drop rates for the major prizes on the News page when they're released, following what's been established in KR. Perhaps all regions will follow the requirements and change the system to match China's going forward.
TL;DR, your friend's odds of winning were displayed. I think the rates should be higher and there should be direct purchase, but as long as people are buying up 1,000 boxes, which I know of at least one player definitely doing, or buying a few hundred worth at the least, they really have no incentive to change anything.
Odds of getting a pet for reference: 1.1%, so on average, someone should get a pet every 100 boxes in the long run. To each their own, but I don't think a convenience item is worth $100, and that's if RNG holds to the averages for you.
Odds of getting Succubus Queen: 0.27%, so on average, someone would likely get one every 370 boxes. Again, much more than I'd spend for an outfitter.
If the enhance rates go up to compensate I guess it's fine--which they did hint at--but if not or if they don't go up enough it will mean the resources for each weapon to +10 and beyond will be even more taxing since there will only be one failure before total loss anytime your main weapon is already higher.
While some may be okay with tedium on their games, most aren't, and never being able to craft top stat gear no matter how much effort is put in takes its toll. Maybe one day these KR devs will understand that. Effort and skill should be rewarded, not pure luck.
Anyway, they've even upset the KR players with this, so that's really saying something.
@EnigmaTaro Well, he's technically right since Global = NA now in terms of CMs, GMs, and everyone on the publication team. Players have listed in detail the kinds of things we'd like to see in events. We've even made threads thanking them for enjoyable ones and pointing out what we do and don't like about each as they come out. A lack of suggestions isn't the issue, nor is a lack of constructive feedback as to what we want in events.
Lastly, the Global team is just not very responsive at times. In some instances we get amazing changes like seal shop features that don't exist in other regions. In some instances we make it clear that we don't like what's going on--such as the April Fool's numbers, which were promptly removed in KR but never touched here in NA. In the interest of not rehashing everything that's already been voiced, the fact is that players share our thoughts pretty regularly, so the onus isn't on them to make it clear what needs to happen for a more enjoyable experience.
Except there have never been enough high enhance weapons to go around. That's exactly one of the things they mentioned in other reasons for proposed changes. If everyone waits for someone else to make them one there will be an even bigger shortage because no one will be making them. The argument that everyone can just buy them is even less sound than actually saying they're easy for everyone to make.
