This currency shows that the devs have long term goals for the game. They can also tweak it in the future by expanding the supply (higher drop rates, more per drop, or more ways to earn it) and the demand (more desirable costumes, collection hoarding, and more that I may not think of). As a new currency, it prevents direct hoarding prior to release. However, because you can buy them, you can indirectly hoard them through influence. But that will cost a lot more right after release, and much less as time passes. Yes, too much new currency can be bad. But we are talking about only one added since HC started. They just now released it and have set up the focus to be on their new release of hard modes, which they should be promoting their hardwork on. They opted to allow some other methods of earning it by doing content that they want more people to do (content outside AE, but even farmers can earn thru influence). And yes those alternate methods to earn rewards SEEM low (consider those burning through PI radio missions), but they are not the current primary focus.
They did say they were considering changing costs on yet to be released costumes. Hence, they have begun considering tweaks to their brand new system. I have faith that the HC devs listen to THE BEST community of any mmo game and that they have lots of compassion for this great game. Give them some time to adjust the supply and demand. Nobody is perfect, especially right out of the gates. And they will need feedback, hopefully in positive ways, from all of us. So please continue with ideas and feedback.
I am excited to see long term goals and not immediate satisfaction through handouts. I shy away from hardmodes and haven't done a single one. I have 45 50s and over 250 leveled alts. I play my own way and feel no need to dictate others in how they should play. I enjoy playing trials, TFs, iTrials, MSRs, hami, radio missions, story arcs, AE stories, AE farms, nemesis farms, other farms, base construction, costume contests, chatting in AP, and even some light roleplaying. The devs ARE volunteering to develope a game with so many different ways to play, enjoy, and have fun within.
And yes, it may take forever to get mini mod for the 20+ little pixie characters I have. But I will give the HC devs a chance and TIME to implement and tweak this new system.
As some feedback, I hope the devs do shift this system to reward for doing their new content each time a page is released, and I hope more embrace this as an alternative to AE. I play AE a lot and don't want it to go away. I do want other areas of the game to be just as rewarding, but in different ways. This new currency CAN possibly help with that.
Edit: Went back to OP and to make sure I keep on topic, I do feel bad for having costume options (mini mod and blob mod) locked behind this system. But they are really nice rewards, and systems need awesome rewards to make them worthwhile. Otherwise nobody would care to participate in the new currency system. I am glad they created an exciting reward that isn't more power creep.