Traveler's Steel-bound Lootbox and Black Key disparity

[Feirlain]

Hi everyone,

Been doing a lot of adventuring in Middle-Earth as of late (being stuck indoors - lol) and have noticed a real disparity between Traveler's Steel-bound Lootbox drops and Black Keys. I have been getting lots and lots of Lootbox drops - probably 50+, of this supposed 'rare' item. I know when Mordor first came out, some dailies had the ability to generate Black Key shards that you could put together to make Black Keys. Well, since that was removed, the Lootboxes just stack up with only the Treasure Hunt or purchase in the Store making keys available. Now I'm all for SSG making money, it keeps this wonderful game alive and expanding, but if the Lootboxes are no longer going to be rare, and if there are only very restrictive ways of getting Black Keys, I believe a solution to the Lootbox numbers is in order.

I have two proposals. One, dramatically reduce the number of Lootbox drops. This would bring it more in line with its 'rare' status and help keep inventories from being flooded with them. Or two, which is how many other games handle Lootboxes - let them keep dropping like candy (so people can buy many keys to open them), but allow them to STACK so they aren't hogging up enormous amounts of inventory space.

Hope this idea helps with the disparity between Lootboxes and Keys.

[Nosdracir]

Do you know that you can filter them out by character or entire account so that they do not drop for you?

Use ALT-R to bring up filter panel and drag one box into left side to filter for character and right side to filter for entire account.

[Feirlain]

Do you know that you can filter them out by character or entire account so that they do not drop for you?

Use ALT-R to bring up filter panel and drag one box into left side to filter for character and right side to filter for entire account.

Well, it's not really about stopping them altogether. I actually want to get them (heaven forbid I did turn them off, I would certainly forget to turn them back on again when I wanted - lol). It's about the complete imbalance of keys to boxes ratio.

Either cutting down on the drop rate or having them stack would be a better solution - with the stacking option probably being better for SSGs pocketbook.

[orangeman]

I used the last Black Key I had in storage on an alt that just reached 130 thinking he might get something good. Hmph! Got 1000 embers, an essence box that yields the equivalent of the Flickering essences that drop on landscape except that it is account bound, some cosmetic piece (again account bound), and 5 chunks of skarn. And they expect people to PAY for keys? Nope, boxes are now filtered on every toon I have. Don't have to worry about them ever again.

[DavidmeetHal]

I used the last Black Key I had in storage on an alt that just reached 130 thinking he might get something good. Hmph! Got 1000 embers, an essence box that yields the equivalent of the Flickering essences that drop on landscape except that it is account bound, some cosmetic piece (again account bound), and 5 chunks of skarn. And they expect people to PAY for keys? Nope, boxes are now filtered on every toon I have. Don't have to worry about them ever again.

That's good to know, I have about 5 keys that I bought some time ago, but never used them. They are still in storage.

[friimynd]

make them stackable to infinity, and put them in the wallet instead of generic inventory
lol
it's fine; you just drag out of box and hit ok to destroy

[Flaxie]

Hi everyone,

Been doing a lot of adventuring in Middle-Earth as of late (being stuck indoors - lol) and have noticed a real disparity between Traveler's Steel-bound Lootbox drops and Black Keys. I have been getting lots and lots of Lootbox drops - probably 50+, of this supposed 'rare' item. I know when Mordor first came out, some dailies had the ability to generate Black Key shards that you could put together to make Black Keys. Well, since that was removed, the Lootboxes just stack up with only the Treasure Hunt or purchase in the Store making keys available. Now I'm all for SSG making money, it keeps this wonderful game alive and expanding, but if the Lootboxes are no longer going to be rare, and if there are only very restrictive ways of getting Black Keys, I believe a solution to the Lootbox numbers is in order.

I have two proposals. One, dramatically reduce the number of Lootbox drops. This would bring it more in line with its 'rare' status and help keep inventories from being flooded with them. Or two, which is how many other games handle Lootboxes - let them keep dropping like candy (so people can buy many keys to open them), but allow them to STACK so they aren't hogging up enormous amounts of inventory space.

Hope this idea helps with the disparity between Lootboxes and Keys.

There is no disparity. You get endless supply of boxes, you buy endless supply of keys, they get endless access to your money.

[Once_of_Bree]

Don't encourage lootboxes and keys. As has already been mentioned just filter the lootboxes (account wide) and it's as if they never existed, which is as it should be.

[DoRonRon]

Store them in an old kin house chest and occasionally take them on to BR to check out if there is any customer value in them. The keys are free there.

They are only for those who have excess disposable cash and limits on a range of other factors. The excuse made for those factors is often to support the game developers. That makes the publisher very happy, as they handle all the money as the sole owners of SSG.

With free LP (and MC) they would be more suited to time limited devs to "catch up" (or get ahead of the competition), so would need a high drop rate of the boxes for their limited time in the game.

My key stacks only take up four storage slots. That's unlikely to change. Selling the half I can on the AH is lucrative but would be too much like predation of a fellow customer. The quandary; if you have to resort to such means what do you bring to the game? Who want's to group with players who don't earn their place and cheat - might be a dev/staffer taking a player's slot because they can arrive fully kitted out the day of the item level increase.

[Arnenna]

Well, it's not really about stopping them altogether. I actually want to get them (heaven forbid I did turn them off, I would certainly forget to turn them back on again when I wanted - lol). It's about the complete imbalance of keys to boxes ratio.

Either cutting down on the drop rate or having them stack would be a better solution - with the stacking option probably being better for SSGs pocketbook.

They're never going to reduce the drop rate of boxes. they act as a constant reminder to players - to buy keys. Filter them, and don't worry about forgetting to turn them back on, if you ever pick up a key on the massively rare occasion, the AH is always flooded with them at a few silver each.

[auximenes]

I think they need to add BSK's back to a few loot tables. Keep them very rare, but there should be some way of getting them without purchase. Gold Hobbit presents? Reward Track (might have been in there but I forgot)? Teal Delving chests? And what about being able to barter Embers for them?

[Flaxie]

I think they need to add BSK's back to a few loot tables. Keep them very rare, but there should be some way of getting them without purchase. Gold Hobbit presents? Reward Track (might have been in there but I forgot)? Teal Delving chests? And what about being able to barter Embers for them?

There was at least one chest that had one in it, but I don't remember if it was the last cycle or the one before.

[Alefroth]

Well, it's not really about stopping them altogether. I actually want to get them (heaven forbid I did turn them off, I would certainly forget to turn them back on again when I wanted - lol). It's about the complete imbalance of keys to boxes ratio.

Either cutting down on the drop rate or having them stack would be a better solution - with the stacking option probably being better for SSGs pocketbook.

Why do you need to keep them if they drop like candy?

[DoRonRon]

Why do you need to keep them if they drop like candy?

To have SSG e-commerce come up with a Lootbox Carry-all for want of something actually applicable and functional?

[Alefroth]

To have SSG e-commerce come up with a Lootbox Carry-all for want of something actually applicable and functional?

Why do you need to keep them if they drop like candy?

[istvana]

I filter mine as most of us do. If I decide to delete a character and use 4 keys I just spend some silver or even one or two gold and buy four lootboxes. That much cash is meaningless to anyone that has played long enough to have the free keys.