[Suggestion] Map Completion Rewards adjustment

EDIT: Please refer to my more recent posts on the Map Completion rewards Adjustments as there are better suggestions and the idea of guaranteed black lion key is not as great as an idea as I initially thought - https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/446784/#Comment_446784

Currently when you complete a map you have a chance to get a transmutation charge or a Black Lion Key (excluding City maps and Southsun Cove which only give a single transmutation charge).I think most people can agree that getting a transmutation charge rather than a black lion key, this is doubly irritating when you remember that the latest iteration of the black lion chest gives you a chance of 5 transmutation charges, its incredibly disappointing.

I would suggest removing Transmutation charges from the map completion reward and make it a guaranteed Black Lion key or provide an amount of the Black Lion Statuettes, at least in the case of statuettes you can buy 2 transmutation charges or you can save them up for greater rewards.

I feel like this kind of change would incentivise people to do map completion more, and maybe encourage people to buy Black Lion keys because they're closer to that item they wanted rather than through frustration.

If you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to post them below :)

They can't be a guaranteed chance because it would affect the in-game economy too much. If it was a chance at statuettes instead I think it would still impact things too much.

But I do think there's some improvements to be done, and we certainly do need better rewards and incentives.

@ProverbsofHell.2307I can't say I agree with the first half as we don't know what keys and charges make for Arena Net, I probably should go into the Chest's item pool as well as statuettes but I feel that this has already been covered by MMOInks and that they outright let you buy gem store items via statuettes once you've attained enough of them (buy more keys essentially)In relation to this though, I would have suggested crafting bags, however, they are already part of the BL chest pool and you get 40 of one material from the map you completed.

What if...instead of charges and keys, the reward was a key fragment, 5 fragments for a BLK(the player estimated chance of getting a key is about 20%). Nobody gets to feel sad for completing 10 maps and getting nothing but useless charges while the amount of keys doesn't drastically increase out of thin air.

@TWMagimay.9057I really don't think that we need to fragment keys as getting a key is difficult enough outside of buying one outright, not even going into key drop rates, and I feel it would be even more frustrating as its less of a reward than a transmutation charge which you can at least use once you have it. Charges are also gained through WvW regularly by doing tracks and they are , again, found in Black Lion chests in a bundle of 5 (should it drop that is)

I'd be motivated more if the reward had some connection to the map/area. Maybe a collection item, a racial armor skin, a choice of dyes maybe - or even just resources at the level of the local nodes. I agree transmute charges aren't really needed but no need to get rid of them. Just add more rewards - most maps don't give enough anyway.

I complete Bloodstone Fen with all my toons because you get 5 Blood Rubies, which makes it worth doing regardless of the rest of the completion prizes. That's an example of how it should work - a reward with local significance and enough to make it worth the effort.

@TWMagimay.9057 said:What if...instead of charges and keys, the reward was a key fragment, 5 fragments for a BLK(the player estimated chance of getting a key is about 20%). Nobody gets to feel sad for completing 10 maps and getting nothing but useless charges while the amount of keys doesn't drastically increase out of thin air.

The rewards are already too insignificant. If I had to complete 5 maps just to get one key, I'd never bother.

@Biff.5312 said:

@TWMagimay.9057 said:What if...instead of charges and keys, the reward was a key fragment, 5 fragments for a BLK(the player estimated chance of getting a key is about 20%). Nobody gets to feel sad for completing 10 maps and getting nothing but useless charges while the amount of keys doesn't drastically increase out of thin air.

Technically, with a 20% chance of the reward being a key you are already doing 5 maps just to get 1 key, if you take your lifetime average into account.

@RobotInProgress.9782 said:

@TWMagimay.9057I really don't think that we need to fragment keys as getting a key is difficult enough outside of buying one outright, not even going into key drop rates, and I feel it would be even more frustrating as its less of a reward than a transmutation charge which you can at least use once you have it. Charges are also gained through WvW regularly by doing tracks and they are , again, found in Black Lion chests in a bundle of 5 (should it drop that is)

So, 5 charges are worth more than 1 key but charges drop from everywhere while keys are hard to find? That's one weird logic you got there, mate.

@TWMagimay.9057 said:

I was refering to a key is worth more than 1 charge and that providing key fragments instead would be a worse reward because of the amount of effort it would take to get 1 key. Sorry I didn't say it correctly.

I definitely disagree with a guaranteed key. Mapping is too easy and if they felt the need to nerf key farming via the chapter 1 PS, then they won't agree with this - especially for cities and the like.

But I agree that transmutation charges are a bit meh. It is a nice way to farm up them if you're low due to changing appearance a lot (like myself), but otherwise not exactly exciting. Though I don't know of anyone who is frustrated that they didn't get that 25% chance drop of a key and instead got the charge.

I would suggest a 50% chance of the statuette, a 20% chance of a key, and a 30% chance of Black Lion Claim Ticket Scrap. That way every drop is worthwhile - the most common drop can get you 4 different items, or saved up for better, and if you put in the effort to map 100 maps and get the "worst drop" every time, you'd still be able to get one of the best drops out of a key, but drops less frequently than transmutation charges. With cities, Chantry of Secrets, and Southsun Cove giving a guaranteed transmutation charge still (to avoid farming statuettes easily - it'd be very easy to get 100 statuettes by making 17 characters and mapping every city).

(Side note: I wish they'd give Southsun Cove some vistas and hero challenges, and bring back the exotics / chance of better-than-transmutation-charge drops... It was only exploired because it's just WP and PoI, so easily mapped by low levels if they know how to run; if there were level 80 veterans to kill for a hero challenge though....).

@Biff.5312 said:I'd be motivated more if the reward had some connection to the map/area. Maybe a collection item, a racial armor skin, a choice of dyes maybe - or even just resources at the level of the local nodes. I agree transmute charges aren't really needed but no need to get rid of them. Just add more rewards - most maps don't give enough anyway.

I complete Bloodstone Fen with all my toons because you get 5 Blood Rubies, which makes it worth doing regardless of the rest of the completion prizes. That's an example of how it should work - a reward with local significance and enough to make it worth the effort.

Non-city maps give the bold already. You get 50 Fine / 5 Rare material of that zone's level. With LW maps (Southsun, Dry Top, etc.) you get the map specific materials (karka shells, passion fruits, amber chunks, blood rubies, etc.). With S2 maps and on, you get the map / season currency as well.

Technically, with a 20% chance of the reward being a key you are already doing 5 maps just to get 1 key, if you take your lifetime average into account.

No, because you're getting other rewards on the 4 other maps. The goal isn't to acquire as many keys as possible. It's just to make the rewards an actual incentive for map completion.

@Biff.5312 said:

Racial armor - would be cool as it already exists in game, however, it becomes redundant to anyone who has already bought the racial armor and would be better for replacing the weapon/armor drop you get alreadyDyes - dye packs in the chest already, rng is involved so your chances of getting something rare (or you want) are iffyCollection items - if the collection was for that area that would be kinda fun to go through but there would be more work involved considering how many maps there are at the moment.Bloodstone Fen and other LS3 maps have items specific to them which is why its worth while doing map completion there, in base tyria that reward is the 40 of a map material.Charges aren't completely useless either, its just they shouldn't be as part of one or the other when charges are provided via key and chest.

It's a chance for a key with a consolation prize. That seems like a decent reward.

In addition, you get a decent chunk of local (harvestable) mats and/or local currency and/or gear. Now, for the PoF maps, a single exotic seems weak since prices are currently depressed, but other than that, I think it's fair for something that normally only appeals to a certain sort of completionist-type player.

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

Map completion, in my opinion is a bit of a slog to go through, especially for maps like Brisban Wildlands, but I can see what you mean when you mention the key farm nerf, I just thought that map completion takes a lot longer to do, and the chest pool is more diluted than it used to be (although I could be completely wrong on that)

I do like the idea of Statuettes, key and scrap chances as that would be a major improvement on the system as is (although I'd be inclined to put in like a 2.5%/5% for a BL Claim Ticket, but that's just me being greedy ^^')And yeah, cities should still provide transmutation charges, and I'd love to see Southsun Cove updated with what you suggested but with it being an old map and the ease of completion I don't think that's going to happen.

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:

Yeah you already get materials and leveled gear as is, PoF is a different situation all together, especially with deflated prices of rare mats/ectos/ etc, especially now that we've got events like the one at Palawadan which throw unidentified gear at you, so I understand why a single exotic is given (even if two would be nice ;) ;) )Mind you, for PoF it could be tied into the Map bonus rewards, but I am unsure

Or, just change transmutation charge with statuettes?

@maxx.1279 said:Or, just change transmutation charge with statuettes?

That is something I suggested

@RobotInProgress.9782 said:

@maxx.1279 said:Or, just change transmutation charge with statuettes?

I guess I forgot about that as I was reading other posts lol.I don't know if this would fit their idea of reward for the leveling map completer though they might not know what it is. a 100% random drop would be interesting any item in the game possible?

Statuettes aren't a reasonable suggestion. They rather reluctantly added the statuettes to appease us due to growing lootbox tension. But now they really need the statuettes attached exclusively to the chests and I don't think they would give out statuettes amywhere else.

@ProverbsofHell.2307 said:Thanks for sharing your opinion on the statuette idea, if that's the thought behind it then just providing a key would be a better option rather than some of the other stuff being suggested involving scraps and other stuff.Do you have any source for statuettes being an appeasement offering due to lootbox tension?

@RobotInProgress.9782 said:

@ProverbsofHell.2307 said:Thanks for sharing your opinion on the statuette idea, if that's the thought behind it then just providing a key would be a better option rather than some of the other stuff being suggested involving scraps and other stuff.Do you have any source for statuettes being an appeasement offering due to lootbox tension?

Yeah I don't like the scraps idea either. Don't get me wrong, I would profit from and enjoy rewards like that... but I don't think they would do it.

And I don't have a source for that. Those are simply my thoughts on the matter. Perhaps however, it was all just a coincidence?

@ProverbsofHell.2307 said:I think scraps could work but it could take ages to make a single ticket which wouldn't be worth it, hence the emphasis on the BL key, not unless you could get a few, but that would mean adjusting the amount in the chest. Either way I can see that affecting the TP after a while, so maybe not... shrug

BL keys as a reward are meant as a tease to get players to purchase them with real money... that's why the drop rate is so low. Anet has to be able to pay the electric bills to keep the servers running. :)

This reminds me of something I though about before.

@"MithranArkanere.8957" said:What I'd do with those instead is having the enchanted powder NPC also have another conversation to open a different vendor panel that lets you trade amounts of all account bound BL consumables and coin for "Tin Black Lion Keys".

These Tin Black Lion Keys would be kind of like the opposite of a Golden Black Lion Chest Key. When used to open BL chests, they would not give the guaranteed items, and would not produce uncommon or better items.

What if there was something similar for maps? A Key that isn't as bad as a Tin key, but that isn't as good as a normal key. But always a key. Call it "Brass Black Lion Key". Maybe have this "Brass Key" have a similar chance to give a normal key when used.

And for cities instead the transmutation charge or a brass key, they would have the Tin key. So we could have:

• Tin keys
  • For completing cities and from trading consumables you don't want at the enchanted powder NPC.
  • Can't give guaranteed items or rare items.
• Brass keys:
  • For completing other maps.
  • Can't give rare items, but has the same chance to give a normal key as the current chance to get a key from a map.
• Silver keys
  • The current Black Lion Keys.
• Golden Keys
  • The current golden BL keys.
  • Guarantees an uncommon or better item.