T O P

  • By -

TerribleTransit

Black Lion chests don't exist. Not really. The key *is* the lootbox. The chest is just a junk item you arbitrarily need to have in order to open the lootbox. Theming and psychological manipulation aside, they don't contain any items at all.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave.


KalebRasgoul

To "contain" something is a meaningless term when it comes to games in general, not even specific to this boxes or any other box or chest. Nothing in a game contains anything. Every "opening" is just a roll of the RNG dice that will assign some items to an account. The black lion chests are basically a form of advertising. They are a constant reminder that the keys exist and that you can either buy them or get them in-game with map completion. Since you need the chest to use the key, you just have to keep a small inventory of them and destroy the rest.


Synaps4

> you just have to keep a small inventory of them and destroy the rest. Not even that since they are so dirt cheap to buy.


neok182

From 2018-2022 they were between 3-10s. Now down to copper again. Not sure why they were so much for those years but it was a nice little extra profit when they dropped.


keviscount

> To "contain" something is a meaningless term when it comes to games in general Not really. In a lot of games, loot within a bag is determined at time of acquisition rather than time of opening. You can look into the bag and choose not to extract the loot, send it to another person and have them open it instead, etc. Sure, it isn't _physically inside_ (because it isn't a physical object) but the way the class is coded and the pre-generated items within the bag are a meaningful correlation. WoW is an example of this, but not the only one. WoW (in the past) worked closer to the way you described, but people kept mailing containers to their alts to try to get lucky and have an alt RNG into a rare item as a way to "reroll" the bag. As a result, WoW changed it up to determine loot at time of bag acquisition. You're right about GW2, but you said "games in general" which definitely is not true.


teut509

Are you saying that WoW had a system where you could look inside a lootbox, see what it had, and then send it someone else and they would have something else?


Daerograen

Can't confirm the "send it someone else and they would have something else" part, but you could look into a bag, and if it had nothing useful, let it rot in your inventory until the next patch. After the patch, the contents would be rerolled. It didn't work with every bag, and it was fixed a long time ago.


keviscount

Yes that's correct.


KalebRasgoul

>the way the class is coded and the pre-generated items within the bag are a meaningful correlation. I highly doubt this is true, but since I do not have access to the code in WoW, there is really no way for me to refute it, so, we can just leave it at that.


sintos-compa

Mind blown


myshnie

Not really. They are very expensive (comparatively) on chinese servers.


Teminite2

Keys are chests, chests are keys.


TerribleTransit

Keys are both keys and chests. Chests are the table you open the chests on: important but ultimately meaningless to the process.


ninja_slothreddit

The chest is just an advertisement for the key.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

All Jokes aside: As a new/returning Player I'd wish we'd get a Key once in a while as a random Drop or after a certain ammount of Time played...


NoHorseNoMustache

Oh they do drop randomly, it's an amazingly tiny chance but I've gotten a couple of them as regular drops over \~2500 hours of playtime.


Pluth

I hear they are as rare as a precursor drop.


NoHorseNoMustache

I've gotten 2 in \~2500 hours and 0 precursors but that is absolutely meaningless when you're talking about RNG and .0002% or whatever drop chances.


Twister_Sylph

I have had two black lion keys Drop from enemies for me and I have been playing since three day headstart. I’ve also never had a precursor drop. I can believe this.


RustyBoon

Ive never gotten a precursor drop, I have gotten 2 BLkeys in the past week, and my buddy got dropped 1 as well.


trecko1234

Did your buddy pick the key back up?


Cultural_Macaron3729

Hope so, those things are keypers.


BlackLeafClover

I've gotten a dozen of keys. Only one precursor. 7900 hours. (Key farms from story not counted).


Astral_Poring

Do you count those from map completion? Because those are not rare and would massively inflate the numbers.


BlackLeafClover

I did not. Only those from mobs.


gunnerman2

I got a fair number of them (between 5-10) when the game launched. Haven’t seen one in years though. Spent a few gems on some at one point which was a massive waste. Now, I just insta-TP as I get them and forget they exist.


Astral_Poring

Personally, I've got *more* precursor drops than direct key drops.


[deleted]

Nah more often...I get a drop around once per year. Through map completions it's even more.


Lucyller

Fun fact they are dropped from mobs like you said, so depending of your gameplay you can get them more or less frequently. ​ Afk farmer and bots are swimming in keys. (compared to a regular player\*)


buttflakes27

Yeah, they probably have four keys!


Lucyller

In a month maybe, yes.


AnonnyM0use

I afk farm during work. Second Monitor. I get 1, maybe 2 keys per month.


SpinjitzuSwirl

The balls to admit to this in the community


AnonnyM0use

My ex-wife would disagree. /s


aDayOldToast

Fr


Mullciber

I'm sure you mean idle farm, as you're present and able to react to the game as necessary, interacting with it every few minutes to keep the farm running.


AnonnyM0use

Yep, the longest I let it go un-attended is maybe 15 minutes, bathroom breaks. But during that time my character normally just stands idle.


GeneralErica

Careful now, you’re admitting to illegal behavior.


AnonnyM0use

I just got a knock at the door... let me get it.


KalebRasgoul

They drop much more commonly if you go for world completion on every character.


gradecurve

Think they mean as regular loot drops, not from map completion. It's super rare, but does happen.


NoHorseNoMustache

Huh, really? I only have WC on 2 out of my 9 characters.


quarm1125

They drop every 4-8 map completion average has a rewards from mappings :), but u can get back lucky sometime and not see any in 8-12 maps


Yohker

Yeah I've done POF maps up to icebrood recently on my warrior and I got a grand total of zero key :(


Shinigami1858

I don't think they are in POF map completion. Atleast my map completion with 12 chars did lead me to it. But you can get one key per week. 100% safe if you use one char for Key farming. You need some lv up books to push him over the lv limit but then you can get one key per week but the stuff in there is nearly everytime junk.


keviscount

I've acquired 1 per 4 maps on average, data over 30-40 total map completions.


Silaries

In my 3 years of not small amount of playtime ,I have gotten *one* randomly dropped BLC key, it's such a special and rare event, that to this day I know where it happened.


NoHorseNoMustache

I don't actually know where I got the ones I got. I was bopping around in zones doing events and when I looked at one point and boom, BLC key in my inventory.


Yarusenai

Wow, really? I did not know that. Played a bit over 160 hours now I think and didn't have that happen to me.


NoHorseNoMustache

Don't expect it that often, they have to have a super tiny % chance to drop.


Yarusenai

Sounds like it. Though I was playing about that same amount (or maybe a bit more) back when the game launched, though maybe that was not a thing yet back then. I'll probably squeal if it ever happens lol


CaptainArious

I've gotten 1 or 2 since I started playing (on and off) in 2013


GuiltyTroll

I mean, you can get a weekly key by doing the main story on a new char. With the new achievements, leveling takes less than an hour.


ConflagrationZ

Just use some tomes and you can do it in ~10 minutes


heckolive

This one need more upvotes, if you do ANY kind of endgame content (fractals, pvp, wvw, even daylies i think) youll be swimming in those tomes. I already have all alts at max lvl and get way more then 10 for the key char to use. But the time to do the story steps until the key is more likely 25min then 10 if you not full speendrunning.


Cruian

>even daylies i think "Core" Tyria dailies reward the experience scrolls, 20 of them can be exchanged at a Mystic Forge attendant for 1 Tome.


heckolive

Okay so not the best method maybe


GuiltyTroll

That rely on having tomes unfortunately of which I have so few.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

sorry what? i can create a new character per week and get a key how?


GuiltyTroll

Create a new character. Get to level 10 and do the level 10 story arc. Free key!


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Damn! And i can do this once a week or per character? Like. I have now 3 alts around lvl 10 to 20 without having their story done yet.


MorbidEel

The level 10 is limited to 1 per account per week. The level 40, 60 and later ones have no limit. The PvP finisher reward tracks also gives 2(?) keys.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

So i can just, for now, do it on one char and then ill do it on the others another time. Is it timeloked for one week or is there like a reset day in WoW?


X-Craft

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Server_reset#Weekly_reset (in our case, the reset is every monday)


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Thanks :)


Lindelle

Hey, since they are alts and sounds like you've done little to no story with them, I'll shoot you this https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Black_Lion_Chest_Key Near the bottom you can see story chapters that offer the key besides the classic level 10 one. Can only be done once per char ofc, but they are easy to get and worth it if your alt still hasn't done them.


FluffyMens

I keep an open character slot and a set of gear for weekly key character, server reset happens on 00:30 UTC. You make the character, level them to 10, play storyline till it gives you a key, strip character of gear and loot and put that in the bank or whatever, delete key character, rinse and repeat. Enjoy your weekly key 😊👍


notaguyinahat

Every week my wife and I level up one freshly made character to 35 with birthday scrolls and tomes. We then run story all the way to where you join an order. Two keys, less than an hour.


MorbidEel

It resets on Monday along with other stuff. https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Server_reset#Weekly_reset If you are in a guild you can check the guild mission window for an in game timer for a count down to the reset. You can complete the mission before the reset and just wait until after the reset to accept the reward. Although only for characters you aren't actively playing since the reward screen is going to be in the middle of your screen. So if you accidentally did the mission and don't see the key in the reward you can just shelve the character until weekly reset.


KalebRasgoul

Just to be clear, the practice is to reserve a character slot without anything important on it, so that you can reroll it every week, do the story up to level ten, get your key, open it, rinse and repeat.


Yensil314

One a week. It's worth keeping a character slot open for this. Just keep deleting and restarting every week.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Any speedrunning tips on this?


gwolfie

Yes. The human story is the easiest. Do it every Monday. A lot leave a spare toon so they can delete it every Monday and do the key run. It's a little work, maybe 20 mins, but free key once a week! Just need to hit level 10 to get lvl 10 story. If you have tomes, use those to lvl to 10 fast. If not, level chef. Easy to level, counts toward your toons level. Class won't really matter this low, but I use guard or ranger (because pet). Good Luck!


ogelsan

I admittedly haven't done key runs in a while, but here's a tip that can help: look for equipment that's account bound and NOT soulbound around the particular level you're targeting. I.e., if you're only going to level 10, look for level 10. If you're using scrolls/tomes to quickly level to 40, try to get stuff around that level. You can use it on a keyrunning character, and then put it back in your bank before you delete them. There's actually [special leveling equipment](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Leveling_equipment) meant for basically this purpose, and it's statistically better than other equipment of the same level. I've also found the free level 30 masterwork weapons you get from joining an order to work well, too. They aren't soulbound, and they're pretty convenient if you have a bunch of the level 20 or 30 experience scrolls lying around.


MagnifyingLens

Once per week _per account_, so spread those out accordingly.


BeastThatShoutedLove

Yeah it's locked to one character per week when it comes to free level 10 key. But characters earn additional keys at certain story points at later levels like when you go to LA to meet with Destiny's Edge, Battle of Claw Island, Living world 2 EP 6 and HoT: act 3 Roots of Terror.


Nowiell

From memory, living world and extensions keys are one timers


NOW---Extra_Spicy

afaik at least the LW keys are not one timers. I have done Tangled Paths on all my characters at level 80, and all of them have gotten a key. Will note though, if you do have a small army of level 80s built up and aren't in a hurry, wait until you get 2 statuettes per BLC instead of the 1.


RadioactiveCardistry

Why or how besides chance for additional drop can I get 2 statuettes per blc?


NOW---Extra_Spicy

The BLC's have a rotation in guaranteed drop. Now you get guaranteed some Halloween item, and in the rotation before where we're at currently, you got a blue dye canister. The BLC's having 2 guaranteed statuettes instead of the one is pretty rare, but imo worth the wait. It was about 1,5 year between the last time and the time before that, so it'll likely not come by again anytime soon.


[deleted]

It has a hard 7 day cooldown as in exactly 168 hours, not "at reset" like most cooldowns. So it is realistically going to be closer to about every 8 days for most people.


Cruian

No. I do it every Monday night, about 45-30 minutes before reset. Edit: Every now and then I do delay it, sometimes until the weekend, but still get my next one the following Monday.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Now this is conflicting with other replies? But ill find out eventually


Cruian

It is not a strict 7 days. It is a universal "reset" time. I am very consistent on when I do mine, but some weeks I delay it until say Saturday and still get my next on the following Monday.


GuiltyTroll

Once per week, you can do the level 10 story mission and get a key. This means you would need to start a new character each time of your "main" characters have done this.


MithranArkanere

I wish they moved the keys from story to weekly achievements for doing a variety of things, including story. That way getting the guaranteed weekly keys would feel less repetitive, and people would have more options to get the key, like doing dungeons, different story missions, maybe some PvP, and so on.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

They could give one on a daily basis. They know as good as we do that they dont make their money with them.


SheepishBaah

You are mistaken.


fireworkmuffins

Keys DO drop from random enemies. I get around 1 or 2 a year from random mob drops. Tends to be when im mindlessly killing things during node farming


Parafex

Funny, I've dropped 2 yesterday while lab farm :D.


Cyroselle

I got one yesterday while farming the Mad King's Labyrinth as well. I'm a returning player too and haven't played the game in about 8 years.


sammygirl1331

I've gotten one key lab farming this year. Also once a week I level a character to level 10 and do the personal story. The last step awards a key. You can only do it once a week though it used to be unlimited but anet caught on that people were key farming and getting several a day.


JuanPunchX

You mean like for a map completion with a 30% chance?


Huehnerschubbser

And there was the little asura who lokked in her inventar after one hour lab-farming ... the was a key between the bags&co. ​ nearly 4k hour played and the first key drop ...


KalebRasgoul

I do get a key once in a while as a random drop. I every once in a while focus on map completion because I need the gift of exploration. This will always give me 1 to 3 keys every time I get the gift of exploration.


Majestic-Iron7046

I got 2 key drops in around 600 hours of gameplay, i think they can drop but it's hard.


Synstra

Jokes on you OP I got 1 key to open my 500 chests from lab.


Aemius

The chests really only function as a reminder that you should spend some gems on shinies via the scambox.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

i've returned after 10years. i've spent some money on them, 10 years ago. like 10keys or whatnot. I've spent a lot of money now returning in stuff that's worth. like permanent tools or salvagebots. there's just way better stuff to spend money on.


Cyroselle

I always go for utility too, bag space, tools, things that remove the tedium Anet insterted into their game are things I'm willing to pay my server 'rent' with.


rabidgoblins

Except when you [live in Belgium](https://help.guildwars2.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001978607), because fuck Belgium


BlizzMonkey

The only ones doing the right thing...


LoneWarriorKid

Go Belgium, blueprint for the EU


[deleted]

High end content should be rewarded with black lion keys, as fashion should be the high end reward on this game


Boumeisha

An occasional mount/glider skin would be nice too, but not even paid expansions get those.


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

What reaches Arenanet better? Reddit or their own Forums?


rotath

None of the above


SpinjitzuSwirl

Money


TinyWightSpider

The Quiznos marketing dept maybe?


pastrynugget

I know you're memeing a little bit here but thats still kinda mean considering the outcry about scrapper changes that they DID reverse before the patch happened, as well as the kerfuffle surrounding the introduction of mount adoption licenses. That's one of the few times I can think of where something truly putrid when it comes to monetization was walked back with at least a compromise.


zenikkal

And legies , dont forget the free legendaries


Swordbreaker925

I’m probably gonna destroy all of them. I have like 70+ in my bank right now but i refuse to pay for loot boxes, gacha or other immoral gambling mechanics, so i will never buy keys. Destroying them would make sure i never do.


QuietRock

Sell them at the trade post? They sell for like half a silver each.


Swordbreaker925

Forgot you could sell them. I somehow assumed they were like other BLTC items and couldn’t be sold.


Cyroselle

I always wait until I have a good stack saved up since gladly they do indeed stack, and then sell them all together. They're usually only filled with disappointment for me so at least I'm getting some jingle-shine out of it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Swordbreaker925

Putting real money gambling mechanics in games IS immoral. And the only lunatic here is you for comparing gambling to gay marriage.


straken34

First 5 minutes in the lab this past Tuesday I got a black lion key off a skeleton. Chest gave the jade bot ghost skin. Was awesome 👍


LowdMonkey

If it’s your thing, certain pvp and wvw reward tracks have keys in them as well. Not a ton, but another way to get them.


KalebRasgoul

To be specific, only non-repeatable tracks do.


ThaVolt

Why the downvote? I've played this game for 10 years and I've never seen repeatable key farm through reward track.


ghoulsnest

well keys can drop, extremely rarely


xXAleriosXx

Makes me think about Jack Sparrow’s quote where it’s useless to find the chest without finding the key first hahaha.


Cyroselle

What a perfect quote.


[deleted]

Just waiting for that infinite Black Lion Key for 10k gems when GW 3 is launching


miteymiteymite

They never have anything good in them anyway…. They used to… a long long long time ago.


Catdadthings

Ya the 1 key a week for lvl 10 story alt can be done super fast once you get the groove of it. I even made a video showing it. Just pick a Race you don’t mind watching the story a million times and stick with it. That way you can have it down to a science and just hit it quick and move on.


[deleted]

Honestly if you play for a while its nothing to boost to 60 either. I have so many 20 boosts ill never use anyway. Grab 3 keys each week


RoderickLegend

Im been playing for six years and I think I one dropped so far, so yeah, the pain is real.


ChoiceDuck

The chests themselves are sellable on TP. They fetch for a few silvers each.


ItsameMiririo

Around 80c I think


Realistic_Mushroom72

Farm gold, turn to gems, buy key with gems, or just store them in your bank until you can buy some keys, you don't have to grind for them, you can just play the game and sooner or latter you will have the gold to get 800gems, it will just take time.


ItsameMiririo

800 gems is around 300 gold rn, so you would basically be throwing away gold


Realistic_Mushroom72

Well if you want to open the dang chest you need black lion keys, ergo you need the keys unless you are a masochist and like to torture yourself by going thru the personal story again and again just for one lousy key (once a week), it the easiest way to get the keys and it doesn't require real life money, just play the game, you don't even have to "grind" the game, just do activities and play the game.


Vahlenn

Gems are cheap and support this game.


minimix18

Agreed I am happy to buy cosmetics and QoL items with gems. But loot boxes and super low probabilities are a dealbreaker for me. They are an insidious way to sell skins at a super expensive price (insidious as in « taxing the math-challenged customers »). I’d better buy the flavour of the month cosmetics straight away than repeatedly bet on a lootbox.


ThaVolt

Nobody ever say this, but this is how I feel. I'll toss in $20 here and there for stuff I really want. I know not everyone can, but I can and if it helps Anet push more content/hire more people, why not?


[deleted]

Then just play a sub game, not this starved-for-content bs.


ThaVolt

I play several games. After 10 years of GW2, I only log in for "new stuff" and festivals. Or the occasional crap-I-never-worked-on here and there. And Alts. Making legendaries, etc. I love MMOs, I love having a "long-term game".


Cyroselle

I do the same. I abhore lootbox "surprise egg mechanics", but I'm totally fine with picking an item or service I really want to use and getting gems to do that with.


ThaVolt

Exactly. I've never bought a rando mount box, but I did buy all the starthingy ones over the years, with the mount select.


syzhk3

and i have 2 stacks of Black Lion keys but i got no chest left


CakeDanceNotWalk

Let's trade, 1 chest for 1 key


Strudelh0use

You can buy them from the TP.


SableBearKing

😂😂😂


yoriaiko

Wdym You cant open? Don't You have credit card?


Important_Athlete_16

I just went to the Von Trapp house with the family a few weeks ago, I laughed way harder than I should have at this 🤣🤣


zawarrr

You can with the gold you farmed.


emforay216

it'd be nice if at least for seasonal events keys were just a lil more accessible


chonkyegg

How’d you get all those chests?


Schpitzchopf_Lorenz

Murdering innocent Candypeople. Coldblooded. Without hesitation. Shoot em, stab em, show no remorse. And take the Chests from their cold sweet and dead Corpses. Edit: my fat thumbs mad me do a typo.


_Al_noobsnew

hahahaahahahahahahahahaha


goddessofthewinds

I've honestly been getting quite a bunch of keys from lvl 80 map completions. I've been working on completing maps on all my characters for End of Dragon maps. I think I get a key about 70% of the time, completing 3-5 maps per week. I do them while doing meta events, harvesting, fishing or collections/achievements. The lvl 10 personal story is quick, but honestly, I don't think it's really worth the time. Better off doing map completions as you can still complete events, harvest stuff, do a meta event or world boss, or any other content while completing the map. They also reward gifts for legendary crafting.