Almost never use those due AF is dead.
There should be some function to exchange dungeon keys for scenario keys. Like 3 dungeon per 1 scenario? I’m okay even 5 per 1. At least I can do 2-3 additional scenarios.
Otherwise my patron benefits are wasted. Not to mention I don’t play the game while I can.
For now I use dungeons keys less than 25-30 times per week (i.e. about 4-5 full runs at best), even I play almost every day. Grind is fun, you know.
Yes, I aware I can use em in SM/E1, but drops from there are almost nothing for updating mythic or legendary gear, also anima shards sink too fast if you use low level distillates.
I hope its not sound as nonsense and Funcom will think about it.
The Activity Finder queues are often long and annoying, but if you find a cabal that’s active in your timezone, or try to work out who else is playing at the times you’re on, then there are plenty of dungeon runs happening. It does require a bit of effort on the player’s side though.
Totally disagree about lfg. Wait dungeon run happen in lfg is same as que AF. And i don’t fit to tank category to start fast my own run. Also maybe I’m nerd in grandma basement and bad with socialization (p.s. I’m not, at least about nerd part).
I dunno about cabals but if you are not fluent with english (if cabal is english speaking ppl) its pointless, you will sit there and que AF as always. Ppl usually want to play with those who can chat in discord/etc. This my experience from many other games.
But its not a my point.
My point is to give chance to play in different way cuz run dungeons is problem due very low population in AF. And weird AF functionality. I wish devs at least put some option to auto accept AF groups and start dungeon in AF with 4ppl while queing for 5th member (i.e. lower 5 to 4).
For now I almost do not bother to que after I did my daily challenge and some missions. No point to waste time and I log out. No fun.
But instead of this I can run at least scenarios using dungeon keys as payment for scenario’ ones. And have some better progression on my gear. Otherwise w/o progression I’ll become bored of game and stop playing it. It can be apllied to any other player.
Some solo activity is still activity than dead population.
The thing is, making it so that you could exchange dungeon keys for scen keys would probably lower the number of people who use the AF even more. It’d reduce the incentive for people to use the AF, which is a bad thing long term. Solo play is good to have, but the social aspect of the game is a bigger hook to keep people playing.
If English isn’t your first language, a good cabal can be harder to find. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find other people who share your language though - there are non-English speaking cabals out there, and you don’t have to be in a cabal to do stuff with people, it just makes it easier to find others with similar goals.
You get as much out of a cabal as you put into it. If you join one then just sit in silence and don’t join in, then you’ll benefit far less than someone who takes part in the chat. Most good cabals aren’t too concerned about people’s english skills - if you have enough ability to make yourself understood, that’ll do. It’s also a good way to develop your language skills, I’ve played with many people who joined in part to help practice their english, and it’s always impressive to see how much they learn!
Auto accepting groups isn’t a good system, because then you get zoned in to dungeons with people who are AFK. Starting a dungeon without a full group can suck too, if you’re low on damage then you can find yourself stuck waiting, unable to do anything until you get your 5th person. Or if you’re the 5th person and you zone in to find that several of the bosses in the dungeon are already dead, then you’re going to have to go through the AF queue again to use up the keys that you have left over. It all just adds to the frustration.
I can understand your reasoning - it’s annoying to have an unused resource when it could potentially be swapped for another. But part of game design is finding ways to motivate people to take part in group activities. They’re unlikely to introduce something which would undermine that goal.
This new boss encounter scales to any level or difficulty, and group size. Complete it solo or with 4 other friends. Loot from this encounter is free once every 8 hours, and subsequent completions costs only a single dungeon key!
From Rosenbrawl Open Week - Feb 12 - Feb 19
Your wish is granted, at least temporarily, since that encounter rewards E-level appropriate scenario loot chest.
Scenario cannot replace dungeon. Benefits of dungeon run are obvious if you are leveling your talismans/weapon.
Noone will run scenario instead of dungeon just because there will be possibility to exchange keys.
But if there is no group to run then is suggestion to afk? This is true korean way to make games, i.e. pay for play than afk, we don’t really care as long there is money income.
AF is not punishment, its an option. If you cannot use it because of low population why not to spend you ingame time in other way?
And social acpect is not slavery for making money from players. You will be social ingame or you won’t be. Its not real life.
Ppl will use AF as they use it before it won’t be affected by possible additional scenarios.
Why it would be in first place? As I said benefits of dungeon run for leveling is higher.
Example, compare how much distallies you can get for talisman/weapon e8 run and from e10(!) sceanrio: 6x3400exp vs 1x4000exp?.. 2 first bosses can be done faster than any scenario and already give you 2 distl+drops, which can be radiant.
You mean investigation mission. Well its locked anyway. Iirc you need another brawler to finish first missions to unlock. I’m not really care about brawl to unlock investigation. Can brawl mobs tho And most thing is … autoscale of boss? Totally PITA. I’m pretty sure need to run it in half-tank with chaos disc, cuz ‘very friendly’ mechanics for melee.
But its just my speculation anyway, didn’t find any guide yet. And its just event, short one.
You’ve just said that you would run more scenarios instead of queueing for dungeons if there was the possibility of exchanging keys…
I’ve yet to see any time in the game where there are so few people online that it is impossible to get a group. I’ve spent a lot of time online all day too, having done shift work, and I’ve always been able to use the AF, my cabal and friends lists to find groups.
There are certainly times when it’s quieter, and harder to find a group, but with a bit of effort you can find other people who are online at the same time and having the same problem. A lot of the time people think it’s going to be too hard to get a group, so don’t bother queueing in the AF. But if you post LFM then suddenly you get a load of people asking for invites (often more people than you need).
The idea that it’s hard to get a group, so the game should be changed to make it so that you don’t need a group any more is a bad one.
If you’re saying that people will use their dungeon keys for more scenarios, then still queue up in the AF for dungeons, then why bother making it so that you can use dungeon keys for scenarios? You’d still need to spend MoF on keys to open the dungeon chests, because you’d used them on scens instead.
It was answer to your suggestion that exchange of key will lower ppl in AF even more.
Let me try explain again. Not my level of english tho.
Example, I log in the game. Que in AF for e4, e6-e9 (even e4 is almost nothing for legendary talismans). 1hour I’m doing random missions, no group in AF.
30-40min break from AF for scenarios. Que again for another 1hour, while afk’ing, no group in AF (no runs in LFG too). Final afk for 30min till autologout (autologout is total BS). Nothing.
So, now I just logout after I’ve done with missions and scenarios. 1,5, 2, 3 hours of afk no fun.
You can say 3 additional scenario keys, I’ve spend, is just another 40 mins of play. But that time I actually play and feel satisfacted.
I likely won’t say: screw that afk fest, why should I buy another month of patron? As I said if progression of my gear slowed because of factor which is irrelevant to me I won’t play for that.
And don’t bring social aspect here. Like, be a bee and scream politely in lfg. With good amount of active players (like it was 1-2 years ago, even 1year ago was ok) AF wasn’t a problem. I had my AF group I run dungeons. Now I afk.
I don’t feel that there should be effort (from players) while population is low, there should be alternative if devs have no idea how to increase number of active players. And I suggested this key exchange.
Another situation when you need upgrade your glyphs while you don’t need upgrade talismans/weapon. Likely noone (who cares about their time) will run dungeon for pity 1 distall at the end (which may not be happen due bad co-ordinated group for example). At least not via AF for sure.
If you want to run multi player content, then the social aspect is relevant.
If you want zero social interaction and zero effort, then you’re unlikely to get the most out of a multiplayer game.
Investigation mission unlocks the PVE encounter, that doesn’t scale automatically - you choose the difficulty level yourself. There’s a side mission available after you finish the investigation mission that lets you replay the encounter as many times as you want, and allows you to open the reward chest for free every 8 hours, or by spending a dungeon key/it’s cost in MoFs.
Then there won’t be AF at first place. Git social. Period. But AF exist almost in any multiplayer game. If its not working there should be alternative for players. I just suggest one.
There is no affection to any social aspect in game by possible existance key exchange. I don’t see any convincing fact of that. And btw scenarios can be done duo. AF works here a way better. Your social acpect right in the place.
Also, did I say I refuse to play in group?
So sitting in lfg trying to gather the group for hour is real effort. Okay. Understandable for current situation. But I thought effort is overcome game content not overcome low population on server.
This topic stuck in 2man conversation. I won’t put anything more. If ppl have other opitions they will say.
During events is differcult to get groups for dungeon as everyone is using their keys in the new boss fight. better rewards per key than doing dungeon.
AF has been dead for a long time. It didn’t take long after swl came out that many people saw the folly of splitting up the AF into 10 brackets, and dividing playerbase in 10.
After the NYR raid came out, many people suggested grouping the AF for dungeons in the same logic: SM, E1 (E1-E4), E5 (E5-E9) and E10.
Funcom has their top men working on it right now…, after two years I’m sure they’ll deliver soon ™.
Because the AF is dead, people have moved to LFG or cabal chat to form groups. It’s crap, but it’s the only option.
Many other mmos created and rely purely on an Activity Finders for a very good reason. People don’t want the hassle, or staring at chat instead of gaming.
It’s rare to find an MMO that only has an Activity Finder, and no guild system or LFG chat channel. AFs are normally implemented so that people who don’t want to be social still have an avenue of access, but MMOs thrive based on their communities.
And most thing is … autoscale of boss? Totally PITA. I’m pretty sure need to run it in half-tank with chaos disc, cuz ‘very friendly’ mechanics for melee.