Murphy actually had enough "Swift Hawk" exoskeletons on hand to outfit the high-level players taking part in the assault on Base R-9. But this scheming dev understood the principle of "hunger marketing" all too well and didn't hand out the precious Creator technology in bulk.
Once you had too many of something precious, it stopped being rare.
Besides, given the players' current gear, a set of Wayfarer basic armor paired with armor plates would still give them a significant boost.
Although Murphy's "dev team" lacked anyone with real expertise in game balance, he understood that this wasn't the time for runaway stat inflation. Progress had to come one step at a time. Until he found a replacement for the exoskeleton, he didn't intend to make it widely available to players.
Besides, as Catch Shrimp had just pointed out, these Swift Hawk exoskeletons didn't have the harsh usage requirements of the Hunting Crown. In theory, even a brand-new player could put one on and go solo a BOSS to farm some gear.
This was an out-and-out beginner's wonder weapon, perfect for rich guys and gals with cash to burn who were still waiting to join the game. They could put one on and strut around town.
With a piece of gear this good, did you really think you could get your hands on it without your wallet getting lighter?
And hadn't the players been complaining that the game didn't have a cash shop?
This dev, who loved taking suggestions, was adding that wicked thing for them right now!
Murphy had already decided that from then on, he would put five exoskeletons up each month as prizes for the top five guilds in the upcoming "Territory Contribution Rankings." This unique leaderboard, set to launch at Mirian's suggestion, was meant to better motivate