let me start with saying I don’t want the Legion version of depleted keys back. I would like to see a iteration of this system with more player agency involved.
What I recently noticed while playing keys above 10+ is, that too often a key gets depleted because a player you get from the LFG tool (with high score) manages to overestimate themselves and ruins the key. There is no way to see if that person is good or maybe just had a bad day. So the idea that I had was to bring back depleted keys, but in a different form compared to legion.
The new depletion system would allow players to visit the nice Panda Lady (Lindormi) in Dornogal and ask her to deplete your key. This would make the key frozen at the current level it is. For example a 10+ key would stay a 10+ key but yield no rewards (no items or score). The way to turn back the key is to either complete the key on that level in its depleted state or ask the Panda Lady to turn it back.
The idea is to give players that are pushing the option try keys before they commit to them. Advantages and disadvantages that I see in this system are:
pros:
-You can practice keys without the fear of losing them
-Player have the choice to invest more time in order to find a group that suits them
-Allows for more people to be invited to keys as the risk is lowered
-Players wouldn’t be as scared to play higher keys
Cons:
-Time investment in keys would increase significantly
-the key levels would gradually increase over the season with lower level keys becoming more rare
-Players might be afraid to play the actual key if anything in the depleted key goes wrong
Timing higher keys would be the goal of the system and it is mainly targeted at the high end of mythic+, where the end of dungeon rewards do not matter.
I would love to read about your idea and feedback on this idea.
Sure. And with WHO exactly would you try the key ? I struggle to beleive that you would have random PuGs join your key knowing that all they will do for the next hours is wipe to it.
The best option to smooth out “homework keys” is to implement the following changes :
Timing someone else’s key also increases your key level.
Giving keys 3 “charges” before depleting or being able to buy upgrades with crests.
That’s all you need to do. And before you respond, here are the limitations:
If you have a 9+ key in your bag. And you join a +8 key and time it. Nothing happens. But if you join a 9+ or above key and time it, your key will be upgraded to a +10. If you dont, nothing happens.
And why dont you get punished if you dont time the key (like the key holder) ? Because the key holder can +2 and +3 chest it (extra advantages) AND has a say on who gets invited. More risk, more reward. The invited person has no agency, so he has a lower reward.
Upgrading gear with crests would require to use appropriate crests for the level. Not just any crest.
I was thinking about the charges on your key too. Just feel like even if you have charges you might get unlucky and it will still happen where its depleted because you couldn’t find a group.
The reason I believe my system will work is because its aimed at pushing keys. So if everyone has the same goal of timing a +12 key for Score purpose only they might want to give it a test run and see if there are some thinks that go wrong or could be improved.
This is NOT about farming gear and crests.
your system would only increase the gap between no lifer premades and pugs.
with pugs you will have nobody who will practice your key, they try to get score and thry wont with your key no matter they fail or not.
your idea only benefits premades