Seriously. Random loot boxes that drop off trash anywhere in Norrath, at a rate higher than ethereals or the old LON cards dropped (the drop rate in vanguard is perfect, honestly) that require keys to open, and those keys are bought with station cash. It creates a new item that new players can market on the broker and make some coin from, and it gives you a station cash sink as well as more station cash sales. Fill them up with different loot every month, or every quarter, or whatever... make them drop items that are no longer in game or can't be had any other way, and see what happens. The mechanic is different from the goblin ticket, because dropped loot boxes encourage people to go out and play. It's just a suggestion.
I know! Rogues can open them..on top of the bank in Orgrimmar I'm kidding with you a bit. GW2 has this, and it's one of the more annoying/transparent "we want your money" things their cash store offers. Any bit of anything that's dropped that has to be accessed via Station Cash automatically gets my veto. I want SC to be fluff, fluff and nothing but fluff. I'll buy a lot of fluff, but if it starts being things you can actually do better at the game with, then my SC dollars stop.
As long as the boxes contain nothing like high end gear, it sounds like a good idea. Otherwise, it's crossing that line of pay-to-win.
In Vanguard, lockboxes dropped (a different one each month) and they require a skeleton key to open (which can be bought for a buck/buck fifty on the marketplace (or cheaper in a package deal)) and they drop xp pots, buff pots, ground mounts, flying mounts, all kinds of cool stuff (in VG, they have items that will clear lockout timers early, which sell on the marketplace and drop in the boxes, too.) They even drop more skeleton keys. It's basically gambling, sure, but you can sell the boxes on the broker, and people who want to gamble can do so and you can take their plat. The thing about it is, though, that they drop different ones at different levels and they drop maybe one every couple of hours of grinding. So you get bronze or copper and lower levels, and silver or gold or platinum at high tiers. Maybe I just think differently about things. I probably wouldn't spend SC on keys, maybe with my free 500 each month, but I'm really just looking for something fresh to motivate me to continue to redo the same stuff over and over everyday. I'm bored, and I am far from the only one who is bored or who has quit from the boredom. It would be nice to have something new to make me say "I'd like to spend a few hours in Norrath tonight."
In Eq1, the first character I rolled was a Halfling cleric named Paddyofurniture. The name got busted out after about a year for naming violations (really just someone with no sense of humor or style) and so I became Paddyo. In Eq2, I just stuck with Paddyo, and Furniture is not a valid last name. I tried B'Gyn for a while, but got scolded and warned for that.
there is greater creativity yet to channel! =X Phurniture --> Phurni'Ture --> Pherni'Cher --> Furni'Cher --> Furni'Ture --> Fyurneshare --> Phyurneshair --> Phiournicher --> Fiournicher...etc...couple dozen combos there bruv =]
Ugh! I hate lockboxes. You should not have to spend real money to access something that dropped from a mob. It puts an unpleasant taint to the game when those get introduced. My son played Star Wars Clone Wars heavily, until they introduced the lockboxes. He got frustated and has not played it since.
I've never been a big fan of anything where I'm paying real cash for only a chance to get something I want. If I'm going to spend real money, I'd much rather simply be able to buy the item outright. Yes it would cost more, but it's worth it to not have corpses laying everywhere full of lockboxes no one wants.
Lockboxes are a great way for a baby rogue to practice skillups and earn some plat. I don't like the idea of boxes that can ONLY be opened with an item from the marketplace. Edit: A tinkered key or tying opening to the disarming skill might work. WoW has an actual skill used just for unlocking boxes, but in EQ2 I think the disarm trap is the closest.
I think the gambling is the worst aspect of FTP games. Paying for a small chance of getting an item places a potentially unlimited cost on the item and is why I don't play most Korean games. For those that like to gamble, they already have LON loot cards.
I'll be shocked if some version of this is not in EQN. And it needs to be introduced here, in fact, along with new dailies/monthlies it would be a great addition, to gen more cash.
I would like to see something like random boxes scattered about Norrath. (That don't require station cash to open.) That could contain completely random things, like potions, items, spell scrolls, etc; even the occasional monster. Much like the baskets in majdul, or the little barrels in some old world zones. A throwback to old school rpgs where you could search things for items inside towns and dungeons.
like in copying LOTRO? it's true that LOTRO copied eq2 shamelessly. maybe the devs could come up with something a little more creative along these lines? i like the idea, i just hate the thought of copying the copy-cat
hehe- or like in guild wars where barrels exist and boxes that have loot? again, i love the idea, but hopefully we won't copy other games. everquest 1 and 2 have often been pointed out as the leaders whom other games like to copy. maybe they could come up with something similar but different enough so it won't look like we copied them? maybe some built in scavenger hunt or something.
