Guild Wars 2

Why is it impossible to get a black lion key from a mob drop? I know there’s suppose to be a very slim chance they can drop. I don’t know not one single person in the game that has ever gotten one from anywhere except the one near the beginning of your class quest or from buying gems and then getting they keys from the gem shop.

It just feels like a cash grab item to me. Are there any plans to up the drop rate anytime soon?

Vixon.8032:

Why is it impossible to get a black lion key from a mob drop?

Vixon.8032:

It just feels like a cash grab item to me.

You answered your own question.

I’ve gotten more keys from drops than precursors.

Greed.
15chars

I’ve had some drop, not very many at all but some. Now you know one person.

Keiel.7489:

I’ve gotten more keys from drops than precursors.

Key 1.
Precursor 0.

So yeah, I guess I can agree with this statement.

i actually got a few BL keys from a few mobs a month or two ago, but i really haven’t got any more that i remember. Your best bet is to get them from zone completion and if ur rich, go crazy and buy lots from the gemstore

Tachii.3506:

Keiel.7489:

I’ve gotten more keys from drops than precursors.

Key 1.
Precursor 0.

So yeah, I guess I can agree with this statement.

Same

4 keys as drops since launch. Last one was within a month. Quite a bit more from map completion/daily/personal story(just doing it normally not doing the farming run). Best thing to come out of one so far is a BLSK. Not sure why anyone should even care about these things.

I’ve gotten about 6 to 7 BL keys from mob drops and map completions. They are super rare, and should remain so. If you want more, convert Gold into Gems, and buy them from the Gem Store.

I’ve gotten a few from mob drops, less from map completion, and many from ‘the farm’. It is unfortunate they are no longer found in BLTC chests, though.

Oh, and now you have made the acquaintance of a few players that have had them from drops. =)

Another player that gets them from drops here. I’ve received a few from mob drops but they definitely are rare enough to make me headsnap when I get one =)

Probably got 2-3 in the first few months of the games release from drops. Maybe 10 total factoring in personal story + map completion.

If you want keys farm level 10 personal story.

Unfortunately it’s your only option for consistent keys outside of germ purchases.

Vixon.8032:

Why is it impossible to get a black lion key from a mob drop? I know there’s suppose to be a very slim chance they can drop. I don’t know not one single person in the game that has ever gotten one from anywhere except the one near the beginning of your class quest or from buying gems and then getting they keys from the gem shop.

It just feels like a cash grab item to me. Are there any plans to up the drop rate anytime soon?

Gotten one yesterday, one two week ago.

The funniest part: it contained a Magic Find Booster.

Use a Magic Find Booster and find a Black Lion Key.
Open a Black Lion Chest and get a Magic Find Booster.

Get Lucky enough to get a key that gives you more Luck

Great RNG…

Luckily one BL Key can open 250 BL Chests!

No, idk why I have 250 BL chests in my bank, but I do. But yeah the chests are basically junk since the drop rate of keys is so low, and what you get from them isnt worth the gold you spend on gems to buy keys on the TP.

The low drop rate on keys is fine imo… it’s the crap you get in the chests that’s dreadful. It’s mostly one-time extremely minor convenience garbage and things you just use or throw away as soon as possible because it’s not worth the space in your bags. If they’d clean up the rng a bit for opening them they’d be worth getting with gems… maybe. As is, though, you hear about people spending hundreds of dollars trying to get a Black Lion Claim Ticket or 10 scraps… and yet the skins from the Black Lion Weapons Specialist for some awful reason require you to have more than one ticket to claim a skin.

Hundreds of dollars spent on account bound garbage so they couldn’t even try getting the skins with gold after being a royally kittened for being suckered in by gem store “deals” and innocent-sounding npcs, thinking they’d have a chance at getting a couple nice weapon skins, only to find out they can’t even get one. However, they can at least summon a trading post representative anywhere in the world! Oooh, and mystery tonics, oh my!

I sincerely hope when you discard a trading post express that a Black Lion Delivery Agent gets summoned into an endless dark abyss for all eternity.

Oniyui.8279:

The low drop rate on keys is fine imo… it’s the crap you get in the chests that’s dreadful. It’s mostly one-time extremely minor convenience garbage and things you just use or throw away as soon as possible because it’s not worth the space in your bags. If they’d clean up the rng a bit for opening them they’d be worth getting with gems… maybe.

Thanks for the warning. ^u^ It kind of figures.

Honestly, though, Anet needs to earn money somehow, since it doesn’t ask for subscription. Basically, if we really care about the contents of the chests, if we really care about the bonuses, we’ll pay. If not, just ignore them. I just throw them in my bank and cross my fingers, but I don’t sweat it for a second.

Keys as drops: 2
Precursors: 0

Keys as drops: 0
Precursors: 1

Raeysa Penrose.8450:

Honestly, though, Anet needs to earn money somehow, since it doesn’t ask for subscription. Basically, if we really care about the contents of the chests, if we really care about the bonuses, we’ll pay. If not, just ignore them. I just throw them in my bank and cross my fingers, but I don’t sweat it for a second.

I might be wrong, but to me it looks like this week’s sale is an indicator that people are starting to steer clear of buying keys. It’d be a more consistent product if it delivered on odds people actually expect before doing a bit of research. What these keys actually get you is well below what most people would consider fair odds, especially when the claim tickets and skins you can get for them are the most prominently advertised rewards for the keys in the gem store.

I understand that they need to make money on these things and that most money spent on gems is from a minority of players the industry likes to call “whales” who pour money into gems constantly, and I understand that the industry is still early in getting market research on this sort of thing. However, I’d hate to see something happen to the game if they continue these practices, as the line between a mystery box and a scam is still a bit blurry in the social gaming industry.

The price point on a BL claim ticket is roughly $40. That makes each skin cost around $200 if you just buy keys with real cash.

Personally, I think that’s outrageous for a skin.

Tachii.3506:

Keiel.7489:

I’ve gotten more keys from drops than precursors.

Key 1.
Precursor 0.

So yeah, I guess I can agree with this statement.

5 Keys, 0 Precursors, and 3 Keys from Daily Rewards.

That’s since August 2012, by the way.

Hobbitz.5831:

The price point on a BL claim ticket is roughly $40. That makes each skin cost around $200 if you just buy keys with real cash.

Personally, I think that’s outrageous for a skin.

Agreed. Especially so considering this game’s end game was supposed to be all about collecting cool weapon and armor skins.

I’ve gotten several keys, including one last night off a dolyak in WvW. Back in the southsun farming days, got three in a day once

I’ve only ever gotten them from completing a personal story or a map complete. I’m not saying I see them more in the lower level of the aforementioned areas to try and get you hooked early, either, as that would be wrong. Either way, with the unfavorable RNG I just will not buy them.

Oniyui.8279:

I might be wrong, but to me it looks like this week’s sale is an indicator that people are starting to steer clear of buying keys. It’d be a more consistent product if it delivered on odds people actually expect before doing a bit of research. What these keys actually get you is well below what most people would consider fair odds, especially when the claim tickets and skins you can get for them are the most prominently advertised rewards for the keys in the gem store.

I understand that they need to make money on these things and that most money spent on gems is from a minority of players the industry likes to call “whales” who pour money into gems constantly, and I understand that the industry is still early in getting market research on this sort of thing. However, I’d hate to see something happen to the game if they continue these practices, as the line between a mystery box and a scam is still a bit blurry in the social gaming industry.

Fair enough. I’m used to mystery boxes being a hit-or-miss kind of thing in lots of games, so I suppose I just automatically ignored them as anything reliably worthwhile. I forget sometimes that not everyone is familiar with these sorts of conventions, and yes, there should be some kind of description so players can decide whether or not they want to chance it.

Tachii.3506:

Keiel.7489:

I’ve gotten more keys from drops than precursors.

Key 1.
Precursor 0.

So yeah, I guess I can agree with this statement.

Oh cool we in the same club.

I pretty much believe if you get a key drop that’s a precursor u missed out on. So far I’ve had at least 4-5 keys drop for me. There goes 4-5 precursors….

I’ve had maybe 6 or 7 from drops over the entire time I’ve played this game (the last one being last night), and the rest from the personal story/map completion. They seem to be just below a precursor’s level of rarity, though I’ve never gotten a precursor, so maybe not.

Not really worth buying them, even from converting gold, since the Black Lion chests usually have junk.

Never gotten a key as a drop, just story and map complete. It is very, very easy to farm the lvl 10 story on a human commoner though, not the money grubbing that people like to throw around.

Keys as drops: 2 or 3
Precursors: 1

I think I’ve had one drop from a mob, then I think I got one from a gathering node one time. So 2, if I’m not just making that up by tying to remember, and 0 precursor drops.

Edit for a typo.

Precursors: 3
Keys: 3

Unfortunately you can’t sell them for the same price, or at all.

Op, It is not impossible, bit it is indeed rare. I Think I had about 6-7 drops in total since launce. Its like HOW every time it happens!!!

No precursors however… Didnt even know they drop.

The chests give absolutely atrocious drops anyway, so don’t be upset.
Just few days ago I got one from a random mob.
Opened the chest and got random XP booster, 2 Large Winterday Gifts and some other garbage.

I’ve gotten three that I can remember. Never got anything from opening the chests to get excited about. Honestly, from the number I’ve opened, I wouldn’t spend gems for them, ever.

After 4 months of straight playing I’ve gotten about 3 keys from drops. Two of those from yesterday. I honestly don’t think the chests are worth it. People tell me you can get some really great stuff from them but it seems like the rate is so high it isn’t worth it. I had left over gems a while back and bought 5 keys and essentially got nothing out of them, aside from dragonite, so I’m just going to wait for drops. It really makes me wonder why they disincentive people from buying the keys from the store.

Got a few keys over 4 characters but the same as everyone else they are rare and junk in them. Not bothered about them anymore as I seem to get better drops doing champion trains.

TheBlackLeech.9360:

Keys as drops: 2
Precursors: 0

I just got my first precursor tonight! Hooray!

I’ve been playing since the 3 day pre-release. No precursors. No ascended weapon or armor chests.

I’m just unlucky I guess.

Zaoda.1653:

I’ve been playing since the 3 day pre-release. No precursors. No ascended weapon or armor chests.

I’m just unlucky I guess.

Probably we are in the majority. The people who get them are heard from more often than the people who don’t.

Keys as drops 5
Precursors 2

Keys as drops: 5-8
Precursors: 0

I miss getting keys from inside the chests.

Keys as drops: 0
Precursors: 5

I’ve had 6 keys drop from mobs I believe. 3 over a period of time then I had amazing luck and got 3 within a month.

You can get a key every 20 minutes with the human commoner story. Which is about a 10 gold item right now

i thought it was about time that i did some map completes for my 9 characters this week.

i ran 7 of them around Queensdale to complete and was awarded a key in each chest.

that was nice.

I got around 6 keys since the release
0 precursors

Yargesh.4965:

Never gotten a key as a drop, just story and map complete. It is very, very easy to farm the lvl 10 story on a human commoner though, not the money grubbing that people like to throw around.

This is the common answer you’ll hear about finding Keys. People recycle a character spot just to get the lvl 10 story done and get the key reward. Wash and repeat.

2 keys over here myself.

I’ve never had one drop but I’ve gotten several from the Personal Story (there’s something like 3 quests that award them, I have 5 permanent characters and numerous temp ones) and about 3 or 4 from map completion.

I seem to get them just often enough to remind me that the drops from the chest aren’t worth buying keys. And if I start to forget and think it might be a good idea I just level a character to 10, get a free key and remind myself.