Dr Ishmael.9685:

Bored at work, on a whim I decided to just type “skins.json” into the URL. And whaddaya know, it worked!

https://api.guildwars2.com/v1/skins.json

Okay, how about skin_details.json? Yep!

https://api.guildwars2.com/v1/skin_details.json?skin_id=1343

The details appear to be a stripped-down version of item_details.json. I haven’t attempted to process everything yet, but here’s what I’ve seen so far:

{
skin_id: integer,
name: string,
(maybe) description: string,
type: enum(Armor, Back, Weapon),
flags: [any(“ShowInWardrobe”, “HideIfLocked”, “NoCost”)],
restrictions: [<race>],
icon_file_id: integer,
icon_file_signature: string,
(maybe) armor: { type: <armor_subtype>, weight_class: <armor_weight>},
(maybe) weapon: { type: <weapon_subtype>, damage_type: <damage_type> },
}

I’d guess that type can also be Outfit or Back, but I haven’t found any of those yet since there are so few compared to armor and weapons.

[edit] Found type:Back, does not have a back:{} sub-object.

[edit2] Found flag HideIfLocked, seems to be on most gemstore skins. This explains all the people on reddit who couldn’t unlock a quaggan backpack (because they hadn’t opened the container yet) and also couldn’t see it in the wardrobe.

[edit3] Doesn’t look like outfits are in here at all.

Dr Ishmael.9685:

Discovered a new attribute on item_details.json: default_skin. Woo-hoo!

smiley.1438:

ISH, YOU HAXOR!

(thanks for the info!)

Stefan Larimore.6872:

Ya, you guys found it before I could document it. Was part of the item “name” fix and a result of the wardrobe feature. I’ll get some documentation up on the API wiki today (unless someone beats me to it).

As you can see it isn’t very interesting yet since you can only cross-reference skins that are the ‘default_skin’ of certain items. But will be more useful once we ship APIs that show personalized items, such as the /characters API.

Lishtenbird.2814:

Ya, you guys found it before I could document it. Was part of the item “name” fix and a result of the wardrobe feature. I’ll get some documentation up on the API wiki today (unless someone beats me to it).

As you can see it isn’t very interesting yet since you can only cross-reference skins that are the ‘default_skin’ of certain items. But will be more useful once we ship APIs that show personalized items, such as the /characters API.

Stefan, you might not be the right person to ask it, but…

Could you tell us if this problem (transmuted weapons receiving name from stats item and not skin item) is a temporary bug or an intended change? We, the aesthetics-driven people, are really saddened by this change and would appreciate any official news. Thanks!

anzenketh.3759:

Stefan, you might not be the right person to ask it, but…

Could you tell us if this problem (transmuted weapons receiving name from stats item and not skin item) is a temporary bug or an intended change? We, the aesthetics-driven people, are really saddened by this change and would appreciate any official news. Thanks!

The API bug and the transmutation bug(if it is a bug) were unrelated. The API bug was patched last hotfix.

Dr Ishmael.9685:

But will be more useful once we ship APIs that show personalized items, such as the /characters API.

Any news on how soon we might see those?

Killer Rhino.6794:

NEW APIs!?!? Thank you so much, Dr Ishmael!

Stefan, my eternal gratitude!

LadyRhonwyn.2501:

Hm, how do those skin id’s translate to a chat code? The recipes and items both have a different calculation, so I presume this one has too….

Dr Ishmael.9685:

Skin/wardrobe prefix is 0×0B (11).

LadyRhonwyn.2501:

Skin/wardrobe prefix is 0×0B (11).

thanks, now I’ll know what I’ll have to implement tomorrow :P

darthmaim.6017:

This is awesome, tomorrow i will see what evil fun stuff i can do with it :P

Stefan Larimore.6872:

Stefan, you might not be the right person to ask it, but…

Could you tell us if this problem (transmuted weapons receiving name from stats item and not skin item) is a temporary bug or an intended change? We, the aesthetics-driven people, are really saddened by this change and would appreciate any official news. Thanks!

The API bug and the transmutation bug(if it is a bug) were unrelated. The API bug was patched last hotfix.

Hi Lishtenbird,

Yes, this isn’t the correct forum. But I went ahead and inquired internally here to someone who might know. In short, this can be considered a bug, but one that is not easy or fast to fix. There is a desire to address this along with some other improvements to the tool tips of transmuted items. But there is no ETA for this.

As to any ETA for other API releases, unfortunately I don’t have one right now either.

Thanks all!

Dr Ishmael.9685:

Discovered something else just now – in terms of chat links, outfits are not skins. They use the prefix 0×0C (12).

And yes, I checked, but outfits.json does not exist (yet). Considering there are only 7 outfits, and new ones are released rarely, it may not be all that useful anyway.

Lishtenbird.2814:

Hi Lishtenbird,

Yes, this isn’t the correct forum. But I went ahead and inquired internally here to someone who might know. In short, this can be considered a bug, but one that is not easy or fast to fix. There is a desire to address this along with some other improvements to the tool tips of transmuted items. But there is no ETA for this.

Thank you for going the extra mile and checking it out! It’s next to impossible to get any kind of response in the main forum at the moment. I’ll go deliver the info now.

Zandock.7912:

Why would this be considered a bug? I would much rather be able to see the name of the base item I’m using at a glance rather than the useless name of whatever skin I applied to it.

Einlanzer.1627:

Why would this be considered a bug? I would much rather be able to see the name of the base item I’m using at a glance rather than the useless name of whatever skin I applied to it.

Because the name of an item is descriptive of the aesthetics of the item, not the stats. The way it is now, the game is rife with nonsensical thematic mismatches and common/generic names for items using special or legendary skins. Presumably, you’d still be able to see the base item at a glance under the transmuted label, with the primary name being derived from the current skin. That is how it should be.

You may not have noticed it as a problem depending on if and how you transmuted gear in the past, but trust me, most people see it as a big problem and something that needs fixing.

Shiren.9532:

I actually really like the new system. The item’s true name is shown and the transmute is listed in the description. It reminds where I got my items from and it preserves the integrity of items like Infinite Light or Dwayna’s Longbow. I really want the current system to stay.

Minami Kaori.2548:

I would like my awesome staff to say Tormented Staff, and not “X’s…. Pearl Quarterstaff of Y…..”

Einlanzer.1627:

I actually really like the new system. The item’s true name is shown and the transmute is listed in the description. It reminds where I got my items from and it preserves the integrity of items like Infinite Light or Dwayna’s Longbow. I really want the current system to stay.

Sorry, but this makes zero sense. The name of any item in the game is descriptive of the visual appearance of the item, not of its stats. Now, when you have have a Berserker’s Spineguard equipped and you apply the Quaggan backpack skin to it, instead of being called a Quaggan Backpack like it should be, it’s still called a Berserker’s Spineguard, which is dumb.

It worked correctly before. The original item’s name should be preserved where the skin name is currently. Literally nobody in the thread on this topic in the General forum approves of the new system.

Shiren.9532:

I actually really like the new system. The item’s true name is shown and the transmute is listed in the description. It reminds where I got my items from and it preserves the integrity of items like Infinite Light or Dwayna’s Longbow. I really want the current system to stay.

Sorry, but this makes zero sense. The name of any item in the game is descriptive of the visual appearance of the item, not of its stats. Now, when you have have a Berserker’s Spineguard equipped and you apply the Quaggan backpack skin to it, instead of being called a Quaggan Backpack like it should be, it’s still called a Berserker’s Spineguard, which is dumb.

It worked correctly before. The original item’s name should be preserved where the skin name is currently. Literally nobody in the thread on this topic in the General forum approves of the new system.

It does make sense. Someone with a Molten Sword does not have Infinite Light, even fi they transmute on it. It’s a Molten Sword with the same skin as Infinite Light and the current system accurately states that. Transmuting an appearance doesn’t create that weapon, it just makes it look like that weapon and that’s exactly what the current system indicates, it’s still a Molten Sword.

Prior to this update my warrior had several Molten weapons with berserker stats. I transmuted Shaman’s Norn weapons on top of them and it changed the weapon’s name to “Shaman’s Norn Greatsword” etc despite them being neither a norn weapon nor a Shaman’s weapon.

You might think losing the original item’s name means little but for a person who spent 800+ gold acquiring Infinite Light, this is a big deal. Their Infinite Light was earned.Players acquired the same skin in sPvP before the new system with a small fraction of the effort. Other players will transmute that weapon onto multiple swords across their account, but only one of them will be Infinite Light, the others are just transmuted to look like it. They can apply that skin to as many items as they want but under the current system not one of them will be Infinite Light.

The current system most accurately represents equipment. It states what the core item is (which with the new system is the actual item – unlike stones/crystals the new system doesn’t consume two items, only one item and that item is the one is the one that has the dominant name) and it states on the same tool-tip which transmutation it is currently using.

The current system makes perfect sense.

Einlanzer.1627:

I actually really like the new system. The item’s true name is shown and the transmute is listed in the description. It reminds where I got my items from and it preserves the integrity of items like Infinite Light or Dwayna’s Longbow. I really want the current system to stay.

Sorry, but this makes zero sense. The name of any item in the game is descriptive of the visual appearance of the item, not of its stats. Now, when you have have a Berserker’s Spineguard equipped and you apply the Quaggan backpack skin to it, instead of being called a Quaggan Backpack like it should be, it’s still called a Berserker’s Spineguard, which is dumb.

It worked correctly before. The original item’s name should be preserved where the skin name is currently. Literally nobody in the thread on this topic in the General forum approves of the new system.

It does make sense. Someone with a Molten Sword does not have Infinite Light, even fi they transmute on it. It’s a Molten Sword with the same skin as Infinite Light and the current system accurately states that. Transmuting an appearance doesn’t create that weapon, it just makes it look like that weapon and that’s exactly what the current system indicates, it’s still a Molten Sword.

Prior to this update my warrior had several Molten weapons with berserker stats. I transmuted Shaman’s Norn weapons on top of them and it changed the weapon’s name to “Shaman’s Norn Greatsword” etc despite them being neither a norn weapon nor a Shaman’s weapon.

You might think losing the original item’s name means little but for a person who spent 800+ gold acquiring Infinite Light, this is a big deal. Their Infinite Light was earned.Players acquired the same skin in sPvP before the new system with a small fraction of the effort. Other players will transmute that weapon onto multiple swords across their account, but only one of them will be Infinite Light, the others are just transmuted to look like it. They can apply that skin to as many items as they want but under the current system not one of them will be Infinite Light.

The current system most accurately represents equipment. It states what the core item is (which with the new system is the actual item – unlike stones/crystals the new system doesn’t consume two items, only one item and that item is the one is the one that has the dominant name) and it states on the same tool-tip which transmutation it is currently using.

The current system makes perfect sense.

No, it doesn’t. A “Krytan Greatsword” describes the look of the weapon, not the stats. If I am using Peacemaker Greatsword for the stats, but I want give it the Nightmare skin for the looks, I want the name of the weapon to become “Nightmare Greatsword”, not stay “Peacemaker Greatsword” – because that doesn’t make any thematic sense.

There is virtually unanimous agreement on this, because the way it is now is objectively nonsensical.

Dr Ishmael.9685:

Wow, way to derail the thread, you two. Take it to PMs, maybe?

Combination NC.9813:

I actually really like the new system. The item’s true name is shown and the transmute is listed in the description. It reminds where I got my items from and it preserves the integrity of items like Infinite Light or Dwayna’s Longbow. I really want the current system to stay.

Sorry, but this makes zero sense. The name of any item in the game is descriptive of the visual appearance of the item, not of its stats. Now, when you have have a Berserker’s Spineguard equipped and you apply the Quaggan backpack skin to it, instead of being called a Quaggan Backpack like it should be, it’s still called a Berserker’s Spineguard, which is dumb.

It worked correctly before. The original item’s name should be preserved where the skin name is currently. Literally nobody in the thread on this topic in the General forum approves of the new system.

It does make sense. Someone with a Molten Sword does not have Infinite Light, even fi they transmute on it. It’s a Molten Sword with the same skin as Infinite Light and the current system accurately states that. Transmuting an appearance doesn’t create that weapon, it just makes it look like that weapon and that’s exactly what the current system indicates, it’s still a Molten Sword.

Prior to this update my warrior had several Molten weapons with berserker stats. I transmuted Shaman’s Norn weapons on top of them and it changed the weapon’s name to “Shaman’s Norn Greatsword” etc despite them being neither a norn weapon nor a Shaman’s weapon.

You might think losing the original item’s name means little but for a person who spent 800+ gold acquiring Infinite Light, this is a big deal. Their Infinite Light was earned.Players acquired the same skin in sPvP before the new system with a small fraction of the effort. Other players will transmute that weapon onto multiple swords across their account, but only one of them will be Infinite Light, the others are just transmuted to look like it. They can apply that skin to as many items as they want but under the current system not one of them will be Infinite Light.

The current system most accurately represents equipment. It states what the core item is (which with the new system is the actual item – unlike stones/crystals the new system doesn’t consume two items, only one item and that item is the one is the one that has the dominant name) and it states on the same tool-tip which transmutation it is currently using.

The current system makes perfect sense.

I worked hard to earn my Infinite Light, and then I worked some more to get an Ascended sword to be more effective in Fractals with. Wanting to combine style and function, I transmuted my Infinite Light onto the Ascended blade and was very disappointed to discover that the sword had lost its name after the update. The name means a lot to me, and I have no less earned it just because I upgraded it.

And if someone uses their Infinite Light skin on more weapons they have still earned it just as much as you, because they had to acquire the first one. When you have collected an entire stack of the most expensive lodestone in the game, why not make the most out of it?

nightzirch.3126:

Wow, way to derail the thread, you two. Take it to PMs, maybe?

+1

I came here to read the devs’ replies to the new awesome APIs, not to read another discussion between forum users. We have that enough already.

StevenL.3761:

Wait, what? What /characters API are we talking about here? There’s going to be an API that returns the unlocked skins and stuff?

(off-topic) Can you guys please not quote all 4+ paragraphs of the post that is directly above yours? We know who you’re responding to.

nightzirch.3126:

No. The API does not support character or account data. Yet. The only thing the two before-mentioned skins.json and skin_details.json do is returning a list of all the unique skins in the game, and give us details about them.

StevenL.3761:

As you can see it isn’t very interesting yet since you can only cross-reference skins that are the ‘default_skin’ of certain items. But will be more useful once we ship APIs that show personalized items, such as the /characters API.

What exactly is this /characters API? I have to know now.

Dr Ishmael.9685:

What exactly is this /characters API? I have to know now.

Eventually (hopefully soon) Anet will implement a method by which you can “login” to the API in order to access account-specific information such as character and guild info.

LadyRhonwyn.2501:

I was looking at the skin details, and noticed one thing missing: handedness of a weapon. You can get the damage type (not sure how useful that is for a skin…) but not if it’s a two hander or an off hander, for instance…

Think.8042:

But that’s entirely static information (based on weapon[type]) – no need to supply that.

Different question: can we get skin_ids from the item_details.json for consumable[transmutation] “skin unlock” items like the gemstore weapons/armors?

poke.3712:

I’ll get some documentation up on the API wiki today (unless someone beats me to it).

Since you didn’t get to doing it that day, I “beat” you to it now… ^^

Sariel V.7024:

Wish I had seen your post before I spent a weekend making a program to dig into the data, poke ;D

Turns out I needed more than just that information, anyway

Sariel V.7024:

Located outfits, I think. They’re a type of container. The item ids I was able to find for each don’t link to anything in the API.