self>SabSparrow: /* Lockpicks vs keys */ Added a table for the faction merchant, hopefully I got the maths right

2025-02-07T06:53:20Z

Lockpicks vs keys: Added a table for the faction merchant, hopefully I got the maths right

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{{item infobox
|type = [[Key]]
|value=750 {{gold}}
|uses=Reusable until broken
| rarity = 1
| render = [[File:Item Generic 3.jpg|100px]]
}}

A [[lockpick]] is a type of [[key]] with a few unique properties :
* Lockpicks can unlock any generic locked [[chest]]
** They are the only keys that can open [[Locked Chest]]s found in [[Eye of the North]] and in [[hard mode]].
* Lockpicks are not always consumed upon use but have a chance of being [[#Retention|retained]].
** Retention is considered as a game of chance for the purpose of the [[Lucky and Unlucky]] titles. Successfully retaining will count as winning 250 tickets, breaking will count as losing 2.5 games of chance for every 1% of the retention rate of the chest.

These properties make lockpicks strictly superior to keys in functionality, however they are usually more expensive and more difficult to acquire.

== Acquisition ==

; Core

* Random [[drop]] in [[hard mode]]
* [[Chest of Woe]] and [[Underworld Chest]] (hard mode only; always drops)
* [[Merchant]] (cost: {{cost|1500}}) except in [[pre-Searing Ascalon]]
* [[Pokhe]] (cost: 2 {{zsilver}} and {{cost|50}})
* [[Zaishen Chest]]

; Factions
* [[Faction merchant]] (cost: {{cost|1200}})

; Eye of the North

* [[Chest of Burrows]]
* [[Hidden Treasure]]s
* Random drop in [[normal mode]]
* As a quest reward from [[Mano a Norn-o]], [[Plan A]], [[Shadows in the Night]], and [[Single Ugly Grawl Seeks Same for Mindless Destruction in Ascalon]].

; Beyond
* [[Royal Gift]] drop (1-5 lockpicks)
* As a quest reward from [[Warning the Angchu]], [[Free Birds]], [[Honorable Combat]], [[A Treaty's a Treaty]], and their corresponding [[List of hard mode quests|hard mode version]] quest.
* [[Imperial Guard Lockbox]] drop (10 lockpicks)

== Retention Rate ==

Each chest has a base retention rate that depends on the price of the equivalent key associated with this type of chest. In addition, a bonus inherent rate is applied, that depends on the character's [[level]] and the account's rank in the [[Treasure Hunter]] and [[Lucky and Unlucky|Lucky]] title tracks. This bonus rate is equal to :
:: Bonus Rate = ( 0.5 * Level + 3 * Treasure Hunter rank + 2 * Lucky rank ) / 100

The bonuses for all potential combinations of account-wide title ranks for a level 20 character are given in the right table below:

{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="750px"
|- valign="top"

| align="center" | '''Chest-specific retention rate'''

{| {{STDT|#CA8}}
|- style="background:#CA8;"
! Key Cost || Chest Rate
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0050}} || 55%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0080}} || 54%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|00200}} || 50%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0300}} || 45%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0450}} || 35%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0600}} (EotN NM) || 30%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|0750}} || 25%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|1250}} || 10%
|- align="center"
| {{cost|1500}} (hard mode) || 0%
|}

| align="center" | '''Inherent lockpick retention rate at level 20'''

{| {{STDT|#CA8}}
|- style="background:#CA8;"
! || colspan="8" | [[Treasure Hunter]]
|- style="background: #DCA;"
! [[Lucky and Unlucky|Lucky]] || 0 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6 || 7
|- align="center"
| '''0''' || 10% || 13% || 16% || 19% || 22% || 25% || 28% || 31%
|- align="center"
| '''1''' || 12% || 15% || 18% || 21% || 24% || 27% || 30% || 33%
|- align="center"
| '''2''' || 14% || 17% || 20% || 23% || 26% || 29% || 32% || 35%
|- align="center"
| '''3''' || 16% || 19% || 22% || 25% || 28% || 31% || 34% || 37%
|- align="center"
| '''4''' || 18% || 21% || 24% || 27% || 30% || 33% || 36% || 39%
|- align="center"
| '''5''' || 20% || 23% || 26% || 29% || 32% || 35% || 38% || 41%
|- align="center"
| '''6''' || 22% || 25% || 28% || 31% || 34% || 37% || 40% || 43%
|}

|-
| align="center" |
: NM EotN chests in normal mode do not have a key, but offer a 30% bonus, which would be the equivalent of a 600g key.

|}{{clear}}

For instance, without any bonuses from titles, the retention rate for Jade Sea chests at level 20 is 40% (30% from the chest itself, as the equivalent key costs {{cost|600}} gold, plus 10% from the character being at level 20). With a rank 2 in the treasure hunter title (+6%) and Lucky title (+4%), the retention rate becomes 50%.

One lockpick is expected to open an average of 1/(1-RR) chests, with RR the total retention rate. If opening locked chest in hard mode for example, with rank 2 in both Lucky and Treasure Hunter (RR=20%), one lockpick is expected to open 1,25 chests, so four lockpicks are expected to open five locked chests (<code> = 4*1/(1-0.2) = 4*1/0.8 = 4*1.25 </code>).

=== Lockpicks vs keys ===

For characters without any ranks in Lucky or Treasure Hunter, it is almost always more cost-effective to use keys instead of lockpicks to open chests.

The higher the title track ranks, however, the higher the lockpick retention rate and therefore the higher the number of chests it can open, to the point where it can become more cost-effective to use a lockpick instead of a regular key. The first table below shows the breakpoint for lockpicks bought from a merchant at {{cost|1500}} while the second table uses the common player trade price of {{cost|1250}}. If the player's bonus rate is equal to the given value, using keys or lockpicks will cost you as much. If it is higher, using lockpicks will be cheaper.

{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="80%"
|-
| align="center" |'''Based on 1 {{plat}} 500 {{gold}} lockpicks''' (Merchant price.)
:{| {{STDT|#CA8}}
|- style="background:#CA8;" align="center"
! Key cost !! Base Rate
|- align="center"
| 50 {{gold}} || 42%
|- align="center"
| 80 {{gold}} || 41%
|- align="center"
| 200 {{gold}} || 37%
|- align="center"
| 300 {{gold}} || 35%
|- align="center"
| 450 {{gold}} || 35%
|- align="center"
| 600 {{gold}} || 30%
|- align="center"
| 750 {{gold}} || 25%
|- align="center"
| 1 {{plat}} 250 {{gold}} || 7%
|}
| align="center" | '''Based on 1 {{plat}} 250 {{gold}} lockpicks'''. (Typical price for buying them from players in-game.)
:{| {{STDT|#CA8}}
|- style="background:#CA8;" align="center"
! Key cost !! Base Rate
|- align="center"
| 50 {{gold}} || 41%
|- align="center"
| 80 {{gold}} || 40%
|- align="center"
| 200 {{gold}} || 34%
|- align="center"
| 300 {{gold}} || 31%
|- align="center"
| 450 {{gold}} || 29%
|- align="center"
| 600 {{gold}} || 22%
|- align="center"
| 750 {{gold}} || 15%
|- align="center"
| 1 {{plat}} 250 {{gold}} || 0%
|}
| align="center" | '''Based on 1 {{plat}} 200 {{gold}} lockpicks'''. ([[Faction merchant]].)
:{| {{STDT|#CA8}}
|- style="background:#CA8;" align="center"
! Key cost !! Base Rate
|- align="center"
| 50 {{gold}} || 41%
|- align="center"
| 80 {{gold}} || 40%
|- align="center"
| 200 {{gold}} || 34%
|- align="center"
| 300 {{gold}} || 30%
|- align="center"
| 450 {{gold}} || 28%
|- align="center"
| 600 {{gold}} || 20%
|- align="center"
| 750 {{gold}} || 13%
|- align="center"
| 1 {{plat}} 250 {{gold}} || 0%
|}
|}

== Notes ==
* Since Faction merchants are only available in alliance-controlled outposts, it is not uncommon for some players to resell the discounted lockpicks to other players for a small margin.

Lockpick - Revision history

self>SabSparrow: /* Lockpicks vs keys */ Added a table for the faction merchant, hopefully I got the maths right