Dungeon Key Changes

xeltey

There is a feature in the Neverwinter game whereby players can open a bonus chest at the end of certain dungeons through use of special items named:

• Legendary Dragon Key
  
• Daily Dungeon Chest Key
  
• Epic Dungeon Chest Key
  
• Standard Dungeon Chest Key
  
• Mystic Dragon Key
  
• Arcane Dragon Key
  
• Dragon Queen’s Key
  
• Lesser Demonic Key
  
• Greater Demonic Key
  
• Malabog’s Castle Key
  
• Valindra’s Tower Key
  
• Kessell’s Retreat Key
  
• Ancient Runic Key
  
• Dark Fey Key
  
• Thayan Chest Key
  
• Thayan Lair Key
  

Keys are currently acquired by purchasing them from the Zen Market, completing certain campaign tasks, or obtaining them from certain non-player characters. Each key can be used to open and claim the rewards from one chest.

In the Sea of Moving Ice update releasing on the live server on November 8th, there will be a change happening to how these keys work.

There is currently a bug on the live server whereby a player may view the rewards without using a key. This bug has been fixed. When this fix gets to the live server, opening a chest will consume the key, give the player the rewards, and display those rewards to the player. To ensure that keys are not accidentally used, the user interface in game will alert you to which key would be consumed and ask for confirmation before continuing.

Since this bug has been live for a long time and we believe that some players may have come to rely on this bug, we are providing advance notice of the change.

As part of this change we are also lowering the cost of the Zen store item “Legendary Dragon Key 5-Pack” from 300 Zen to 250 Zen.

We are pleased to address this bug because it resolves an inequity between the minority of players who knew about it and the majority who did not, and because the Neverwinter design team will be better able to design rewards for chests going forward now that the bug has been fixed.

- The Neverwinter Team

urabask

Rofl. They're seriously trying to imply that an interface with an accept and decline option was a bug. At least be honest about it.

beckylunatic

urabask said:

Rofl. They're seriously trying to imply that an interface with an accept and decline option was a bug. At least be honest about it.

No kittens.

I have *occasionally* temporarily declined a reward to view my collections in case I have a chance to pick an item I haven't ticked off yet, but that's not sufficient cause for building in the option to decline. And if your bags are full, the stuff goes into overflow. It was entirely reasonable to view this as a key-saving feature.

The devs have also had hundreds if not thousands of opportunities to discuss this with the playerbase and chose not to. I think there have even been periods when peeking didn't work in some way or other and they fixed it.

I guess hiding the relic armor in an RNG box didn't work well enough.

And Cryptic, don't you think 16 types of keys is... excessive?

malakut

Press 2 to Decline.

oldbaldyone

A reduction in ALL key costs would be in order to make this even REMOTELY reasonable. This has been in the game for years, and the fact is that rarely, VERY RARELY, is the chest contents worth the cost of the key. Reduce all key costs by half at least (including the zen pack), and drastically improve the drop rates for items in the chests.

This is not a bug fix. This is a change to the way the game has worked for years. You have created multiple dungeons that used the same logic...I guess copy/paste is alive and well if this is considered a "bug" cause you have copied it for years. The key system is flawed and this makes it 10 times worse.

Please spend time focusing on things that actually matter and stop taking away things that benefit players.

Here is all this will do:

- Most players won't bother with the keys.
- Any rare drops from chests will go through the roof and average players will have NO chance to get them.

This stuff is just getting silly now. I was really hoping this was announcing the removal of the key system, or the announcement of a keyring. Should have known better. Mailbox capped (sell those bags and inventory slots!), and no consumed keys (and yes, why was there a accept/decline option if this is a bug?)

loexwell

You really, really think you can sell this as a bug to the players?
We are not 4 year olds.. it's really insulting.

thefabricant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojydNb3Lrrs

I am out. I am pressing, "shift 2" on the Neverwinter experience while the option still exists and declining to play.

ruffneck

Leeches
Vampires
Greed

all i will say

Think the above posts clearly show Cryptic is not in the habit of "telling the Truth"

E.o.S

Unknown

This content has been removed.

mattia78

diogene0

Thiis is what I would do if I wanted to upset all the players of my game at once. So good job on that, you're going to unite the entire playerbase against you.

To be fair, this change is incredibly upsetting, to the point I'm not seriously reconsidering my commitment to this game. This would be a huge breach of trust if this ever goes live. How can i trust the company not to screw me once again if such an horror gets validated and pushed to live?

micky1p00

lukejones77

We're hearing one side of the story here.

The other side of the story is that the game is extremely grindy, and decent drops very rare. I'm kinda happy to do extra dungeons runs, with my purchased keys, if I'm not forced to consume the key for rubbish drops. I don't mind so much being able to have a look, and try again (and again, and again, and...).

This makes dungeons runs with purchased keys a losing long-term proposition.

If the this change comes into effect, and the drop rates stay as bad as they currently are, I see a lot of people spending a lot less time playing the game.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

macaran5123

If this goes live, please reduce the campaign key generating tasks to 20 seconds, instead of 20 hours. If I can't decline a chest with a +1 ring and a peridot, I sure as heck better be able to pop out keys like mad.

sockmunkey

kuero21

shadw2012 said:

lirithiel

xeltey said:

We are pleased to address this bug because it resolves an inequity between the minority of players who knew about it and the majority who did not, and because the Neverwinter design team will be better able to design rewards for chests going forward now that the bug has been fixed.

The minority? Try the vast majority FFS. But pat yourselves on the back for finally fixing this GAME. BREAKING. BUG. Better design rewards? What a laff. Do rewards even exist in NW anymore?

They can go HAMSTER themselves with a rusty 2x4. No more keys for me. Will free up valuable bag space. But keep making these moronic game changes and watch the playerbase dwindle to a trickle.

nameexpired

"Bug" - how dare you insult your players this way. Really. DECLINE Button. Sorry.

lazaroth666

Now it makes sense that Strumslinger took his vacations for this week, he knew that this would unleash hell, lol.

I usually don't care about any nerf and I don't longer post any comment about anything done by Cryptic regarding to fixes, bugs, etc but this change is really, really pathetic.

arabatur

My expectations of Cryptic/PWE have always been low so not to get unduly surprised or disappointed when the unexpected arrives. But this justification sets a new a low. Time to seriously lower the bar. In fact HAMSTER it, I'll just remove the bar completely.

nameexpired

macaran5123 said:

If this goes live, please reduce the campaign key generating tasks to 20 seconds, instead of 20 hours. If I can't decline a chest with a +1 ring and a peridot, I sure as heck better be able to pop out keys like mad.

Might not help. In my experience you have to have the key in your inventory when you enter the dungeon to have the chest unlocked. I think I had a Malabog key "stored" in the campaign window and "released" it after I entered the dungeon. Could not open the box.
Similar to edemo, i had a key in the shared bank. Could not open the box with the leg. key, even after moving it to my inventory.
So, at this time I have 12 stacks of keys sitting on my inventory.

What might the term "inventory bullies" refer to?

kwillem

Does this mean that everything in this game with a decline button is a bug?

thegreatmikey

Do not call a feature a bug. I do not normally do this, but I am doing it this time. I am not buying this explanation at all. We are being directly lied to. I am calling it out loud and directly accusing. To whoever ordered this lie be told: show me evidence to prove otherwise.

I suggest editing the original post to say that the feature is being removed. I would respect that far more, since I understand how a company exists to make money and would want to sell more keys.

dupeks

The dishonesty here is insulting.

This was not a "bug" it was a design decision. Trying to play it off like this has been a long-standing bug is just being dishonest and cowardly.

I agree with others in this thread, seems like this may be the last straw for me too

fernuu

This will be most constructive comment that can be done:
What a joke

hawkend

hastur905

You can't be seriously referring to this as a bug?!? I mean i remember a bug fix months ago where if you had a key in for the chest in ELOL you couldn't leave the dungeon if you didn't use the key. You posted a fix so now you can leave the dungeon without using it. I even remember a post that trumpeted the idea that you could preview the contents of the chest before using a key.

How is this a bug fix?

The drops are so miserable as is, so I can only assume you plan to make the rare drops in those chests 25%, or you plan on giving VIP one of each of those keys everyday for having dumped actual money into the game, because it sure ain't from the game with the ZAX where it is.

I honestly thought that when you said you wanted to ALLOCATE resources to the proper area's you meant you were looking to make content, like dungeons. But it seems that because we won't play the new Voninblood grind to your satisfaction the decision has been made to make us not like dungeons anymore. Effective allocation of funds, and perhaps the first truly big gong on the death knell for this game. Although I really can't say its's the first, but this one is really deafening.

ghoulz66

Kidding? You expect people to spend real money on keys and have zero control with them? May as well call the game a gambling booth now.

kangkeok

lukejones77 said:

We're hearing one side of the story here.

The other side of the story is that the game is extremely grindy, and decent drops very rare. I'm kinda happy to do extra dungeons runs, with my purchased keys, if I'm not forced to consume the key for rubbish drops. I don't mind so much being able to have a look, and try again (and again, and again, and...).

This makes dungeons runs with purchased keys a losing long-term proposition.

If the this change comes into effect, and the drop rates stay as bad as they currently are, I see a lot of people spending a lot less time playing the game.

Very true indeed. Adventurers explore dungeons for treasures. No treasure? No adventurer.

aulduron

Why do you keep trying to drive players from the game?

I've probably opened 1000 chests and used about a dozen keys, because the stuff in the extra chest is worthless. Not only is it time to quit buying keys, it's time to throw away the stacks of keys I already have. The keys cost more than the HAMSTER in the chests. Lately, I haven't even been taking stuff out of the free chests, because I just discard the stuff anyway.