Innovation and Keys:
1. ASSUMPTION: Many dungeons/raids etc have areas with doors/chests/areas locked with keys.
Usual practice is to have key drops from 'guard mobs', 'jailer' or, in the case of Raid-zone access, drops from a Boss-Mob.
Technique is to have these keys either NO-DROP (cannot trade) or NO-RENT (poofs upon logging).
This either leads to keys in your inventory with no use or their dissapearance should you log.
2. SUGGESTION: All keys have 'expiry date' or a 'serial number'.
When you kill that 'jailor' and get his key, it is either time0stamped or given a 'serial number'
(a) IF the dungeon get 'trashed':
(mobs killed more than a certain number, or 'dungeon boss' is killed) then
it gets 'redecorated' or 'renovated' by its inhabitants.
(b) IF you wait too long:
a certain time passes (4-5 days, or 2-3 weeks, or 5-6 months)
the dungeon also get 'renovated', ie new locks, traps reset etc.
(c) IF it is a 'special zone' it is possible the key will not use a timer or serial-number, but have special conditions. This would only apply to higher-end raid zones as part of some extensive progression system for moving through deeper and deeper zones. That is not to say the key may not just have an expiry timer of '2 years' or merely that the serial-number only changes if the actual boss inside changes (perhaps as part of a Boss rotation).
3. NOW WHAT? : For each case...
(a) Expiry date: Most likely applies to rooms in a Dungeon
It is likely you explored here a while back. Or it is a dungeon that has been trashed by various parties since you were last here. This means the locks have been changed and your keys are of no use. You need to go find that Jailer, or whoever, and get some more keys for your group.
It is also possible some 'special' keys are of a nature that they will 'decay' over this expiry timer. They may be made of 'enchanted Ice' that melts slowly (for access to Permafrost for example).
(b) Serial number: Predominantly for Raid-zone or other zone access.
If the serial number of your key doesn't match the zone-access then this means that the zone you are trying to enter is locked. For Boss-Rooms in a dungeon, this probably means the boss was killed by some other Guild and so you need to get find the mini-Boss who drop the keys and kill him again.
4. WHAT ABOUT MY OLD KEYS?: Not useless by any means....
Once you have returned to where the key used to be valid, or the 'expiry time' has elapsed, you would imagine the key useless. Not so.
All EXPIRED keys become OLD-KEYS. These can be used by somebody with locksmith (or lockpicking if no such skill) as a 'material/component' for making 'Skeleton Keys' for use as a consumable fo the lockpicking skill. This means Theives and Rogues etc will be needing 'skeleton keys' for opening locks (and skilling up).
TL;DR : tut-tut-tut
Make it so that keys become obsolete, whether by the dungeon inhabitants changing locks or renovating the whole thing. (Keys have a serial-number and/or 'Expiry date'). While this makes keys obsolete for opening the doors they used to open, they can be converted into 'skeleton keys' for use as a consumable for the lockpicking skill.
PS :
I haven't even mentioned that I would like to see GATES you have to lift! ... which may take 3+ people to lift... or DOORS so big it takes 3+ people top ush open! maybe, if you can find the pulley mechanism, you only need 2 people to winch the PORTCULLIS up... if you don't know where it is, it will take you 8+ people to lift it!
Since Bazgrim linked to this thread in another thread, I feel absolutely fine necroing it...
What about keys that aren't keys? i.e. you have a quest line to gain entry into some area of the game, and the key is a ring, or a necklace... or you kill a mob, and your key to gain entrance is the fact that you have the head of the old gate keeper in your bags.
Thoughts?
keyrings are one of the few "make it easier" features that i'd like to see if there's going to be a significant amount of keys.
it's not very immersive to need the head of the old gate keeper in my bag in order to enter a zone. i'd prefer if it was just a key. but if it's a head, let it be a head and take up inventory space. at least that distinguishes it from keys.
JDNight said:Question: Does a locked door automatically open if you have the key on your key chain? Or do you have to take the key out and use it?
Would be hilarious if you had 30-40 keys and had to try a bunch of them to find the right one because you forgot which was which.
Lol, I would GM invis near doors just to watch this and the rage that ensued! hahaha :D
Evoras said:Innovation and Keys:
1. ASSUMPTION: Many dungeons/raids etc have areas with doors/chests/areas locked with keys.
Usual practice is to have key drops from 'guard mobs', 'jailer' or, in the case of Raid-zone access, drops from a Boss-Mob.
Technique is to have these keys either NO-DROP (cannot trade) or NO-RENT (poofs upon logging).
This either leads to keys in your inventory with no use or their dissapearance should you log.
2. SUGGESTION: All keys have 'expiry date' or a 'serial number'.
When you kill that 'jailor' and get his key, it is either time0stamped or given a 'serial number'
(a) IF the dungeon get 'trashed':
(mobs killed more than a certain number, or 'dungeon boss' is killed) then
it gets 'redecorated' or 'renovated' by its inhabitants.
(b) IF you wait too long:
a certain time passes (4-5 days, or 2-3 weeks, or 5-6 months)
the dungeon also get 'renovated', ie new locks, traps reset etc.
(c) IF it is a 'special zone' it is possible the key will not use a timer or serial-number, but have special conditions. This would only apply to higher-end raid zones as part of some extensive progression system for moving through deeper and deeper zones. That is not to say the key may not just have an expiry timer of '2 years' or merely that the serial-number only changes if the actual boss inside changes (perhaps as part of a Boss rotation).
3. NOW WHAT? : For each case...
(a) Expiry date: Most likely applies to rooms in a Dungeon
It is likely you explored here a while back. Or it is a dungeon that has been trashed by various parties since you were last here. This means the locks have been changed and your keys are of no use. You need to go find that Jailer, or whoever, and get some more keys for your group.
It is also possible some 'special' keys are of a nature that they will 'decay' over this expiry timer. They may be made of 'enchanted Ice' that melts slowly (for access to Permafrost for example).
(b) Serial number: Predominantly for Raid-zone or other zone access.
If the serial number of your key doesn't match the zone-access then this means that the zone you are trying to enter is locked. For Boss-Rooms in a dungeon, this probably means the boss was killed by some other Guild and so you need to get find the mini-Boss who drop the keys and kill him again.
4. WHAT ABOUT MY OLD KEYS?: Not useless by any means....
Once you have returned to where the key used to be valid, or the 'expiry time' has elapsed, you would imagine the key useless. Not so.
All EXPIRED keys become OLD-KEYS. These can be used by somebody with locksmith (or lockpicking if no such skill) as a 'material/component' for making 'Skeleton Keys' for use as a consumable fo the lockpicking skill. This means Theives and Rogues etc will be needing 'skeleton keys' for opening locks (and skilling up).
TL;DR : tut-tut-tut
Make it so that keys become obsolete, whether by the dungeon inhabitants changing locks or renovating the whole thing. (Keys have a serial-number and/or 'Expiry date'). While this makes keys obsolete for opening the doors they used to open, they can be converted into 'skeleton keys' for use as a consumable for the lockpicking skill.
PS :
I haven't even mentioned that I would like to see GATES you have to lift! ... which may take 3+ people to lift... or DOORS so big it takes 3+ people top ush open! maybe, if you can find the pulley mechanism, you only need 2 people to winch the PORTCULLIS up... if you don't know where it is, it will take you 8+ people to lift it!
Sounds like a very interesting concept. I would enjoy all aspects of this idea. I would also like to see lock-picking be tied into the "Rites of Passage" for rogues somehow. Sounds like a ton of fun.