Hello.

The keyword for this post is unique gifts, and the idea is to consider what I would give to a friend who plays the same game.

In most cases, when someone is starting MapleStory for the first time or returning to it, it tends to be during a major season, so I tried thinking about what would make a good gift if we assume that friend is a player beginning during that period; of course, more than anything else, the person’s own motivation matters most, because if they truly want to play, they will do so even if you tell them not to, whereas if they do not really have the desire, then no amount of support will stop them from quitting fairly quickly in the end.

Still, if we assume they do have that enthusiasm, then for someone I care about, mesos would certainly be fine, but personally I would be more inclined to gift pass items. In most games, passes tend to offer a great deal of value for the price and provide benefits that become almost essential for comfortable gameplay, and MapleStory has also been leaning more strongly in that direction lately.

There is certainly its own meaning in staying completely free-to-play, but the convenience and advantages you gain from these pass items are substantial enough that, when someone is starting with genuine commitment, they can create excellent synergy, which is why I feel they make quite meaningful gifts.

<Welcome Maple Package>: 9,900 Cash

This <Welcome Maple Package> has been sold in its renewed form since last summer. Contrary to the expectation that it would be a one-time purchase per account with no repurchase possible, the purchase count was reset in the first winter update, so at this point it seems likely that the purchase limit will continue to reset once every six months, with each first summer and winter update.

This is, of course, good for existing users as well, but it is especially appealing for new users.

• Tera Burning Booster Exchange Ticket

Even in Challengers World, you only get up to three Tera Burning characters, so from a new player’s perspective, being able to add one more is extremely valuable.

• Beauty Awards Hair&Face Coupon / Skin Coupon

Some characters do start with a decent default look, but that is not always the case, and since mannequin slots are provided by default, choosing one of the hairstyles or face options that players have already more or less vetted is simply a net gain.

• Transparent Accessory Set

These are close to essential items, and while events have recently started giving out one set by default, they can be moved to other characters through Cash Shop storage, so here too, more is simply better.

• 4 Select Slot Max Expansion Coupons Exchange Ticket

This is also now given out almost by default in recent events, but since it can be passed to other characters, the more the better.

• 20 Character Slot Increase Coupons Exchange Ticket

Character slot coupons are something new players tend to need in large numbers, and this package gives 20 of them. In the event coin shop, purchases are limited to 5 per season, and while they can be bought with Mileage in the Cash Shop, buying them individually costs 4,900 Cash each, so in practice that Cash or Mileage is usually better spent elsewhere, which makes this a very useful amount. On top of that, before the renewal, the package only gave 1.

• 6 Types of Mastery Elixir Exchange Ticket

The Mastery Elixir is a newly added item introduced with the renewal, and it sets all Trait levels to 100.

The effects at Trait level 100 are shown above, and all of them are worthwhile, but Insight in particular is widely known to be equivalent to 5% Final Damage, so it is often treated as essential among essentials.

These levels do rise little by little through normal play, and for existing users raising characters on the main server, it is possible to pass down Trait-related potions accumulated through Monster Collection to sub-characters, but in Challengers World that is not possible, so raising them is not easy.

You can buy Trait Growth Elixirs in the event coin shop, but it takes 9 to reach level 100, and each one only raises a single Trait, which makes the hurdle feel even higher. Taking that into account, I would say the appeal of this Mastery Elixir, which lets you start by setting every Trait to level 100 right away, is quite substantial.

In conclusion, it is worth the price even for existing users, and for new users, it functions as an even greater reward.

<Challengers Pass>: 19,800 Cash

The Challengers Pass is a pass that can only be purchased in Challengers World, and it is tied to an event that becomes available as soon as Challengers World opens.

To begin with, if we look only at the special support items available through this pass for the current season, the list is as follows.

• Select Symbol Exchange Ticket: 200

• Experience Core Gemstone: 300

• VIP Sauna Pass: 10

• Special Medal of Honor: 100

• Sol Erda Fragment: 400

• Advanced EXP Exchange Ticket: 2,000

• Karma Black Cube: 20

• Karma White Additional Cube: 20

• Karma Black Rebirth Flame: 300

• Transcendent Growth Elixir (200~269): 1

Even if you value only the Sol Erda Fragments here at their initial price of 5.3 million mesos each, they already exceed the price of the pass, so once you factor in the other items as well, the value is more than generous. Since the daily attendance score was changed to a level-based score, the experience-related rewards have also become more valuable.

On top of the item rewards, the Normal Monster Damage +200% effect is a major help for reaching one-shot thresholds while grinding, so this pass as well is easy to recommend as a purchase.

<Genesis Pass>: 30,000 Cash (subject to change later)

As for the Genesis Pass, it was not released this season, so I can only go by previous information, which makes it difficult to discuss in detail, but judging from the situation, if things proceed according to the announced plan, it seems likely that it will start releasing steadily again from the next season in summer. If it returns while maintaining the same overall direction as before, then

with benefits such as a shortened Genesis liberation period, buffs when challenging commander bosses up to and including the Black Mage, and guaranteed Magnificent Soul value in a system that can otherwise feel hopeless when luck goes against you, I would say this too has more than enough value to justify buying. It noticeably changes the quality of your Maple life, including the difficulty of taking on post-Black Mage solo bosses.

Becoming a good partner..

Alongside that, if the <Challengers Partner> event continues to run in the future as well, then forming a partnership and steadily giving points could also make for a good gift.

To be honest, this is really about mutual benefit, and I would also like to give someone benefits through this event while receiving them myself, so in that case it becomes a rather nice situation where both sides are effectively giving each other gifts, which is why I think it can be a good gift for both people.

Next time, I am hoping we will be able to give each other Sol Erda Fragments as gifts.

Thank you for reading.