Talk:Lockpick
Drop research[edit]
Observed drops for Lockpick
im not very good with coding but i just got a drop from a mountain pinesoul in ice cliff chasm hm-Siris Of Elona 19:58, 1 March 2009 (UTC)
Its Siris again i was thinking that it would be interesting if we can throw enough information together to nail down the cost of this title a little more precise than just saying it varies by drops, so i did some cash return rates for 100chests, i don't have the patience to bother with putting this into a chart, let alone the knowledge, but i did some statistics last time i was grinding chests in ice cliff chasms:
- 100chests = 44 lockpicks, after all of the selling was done the "profit" came out to be about 38% of the overhead value of the lockpicks, this was at a retention rate of 55% in nm. -Siris Of Elona 19:58, 1 March 2009 (UTC)
Ok, just got a lockpick in norm mode EotN. Don't recall ever getting them in norm before. Possibly due to the recent update? Took two screenies just in case anyone wants to see proof. Aro 02:06, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
Bonus for normal mode[edit]
Can anybody note how much bonus for normal mode chests there is? Should be easily readable. Have to work another day before I may enter hard mode... you lucky ones that have the time to play now! - MSorglos 01:52, 20 April 2007 (EDT)
- Vabbi Chest I got a chance of 43% with level 20, treasure hunter 1 -> should be inherit bonus of 30% (30+ 20/2 + 1*3)
- Kourna Chest with 48% -> inherit bonus of 35% (normal mode both) - MSorglos 12:55, 20 April 2007 (EDT)
- margonite chest: 50% chance with rank 5 chest title and no luck-title bonus
Price[edit]
People who controles a city in Factions can buy these for 1.2k from their private merchant -.- TomokoFile:Tomoko's Cookie.jpg (talk)
Eye of the North[edit]
As all Locked Chests in EotN require Lockpicks I've amended the page accordingly. --Evil Geek 21:09, 25 September 2007 (UTC)
Lockpick from a Dungeon Chest?????[edit]
- → moved from User talk:Gaile Gray
Hey, sorry im new to adding topics to wiki, but after reading about receiving a lockpick from from frostmaws burrow i was so upset i just had to post something. Frostmaw's burrow is by no means an easy dungeon (like the snowman lair for example). In my opinion the diamond made the dungeon worth the effort, lockpicks do not. It seems of late that locked chests have been dropping more and more purples rather than golds, which is already making it not worth buying lockpicks since most golds we get arent even worth 400gold. And while im on the topic of lockpicks.... why is it that all the chests in EN are locked chests, but lockpicks are never dropped in EN normal mode. Keys are dropped for the chests they open in every other area, but I have never seen a lockpick drop in EN. As far as Frostmaw's burrow is concerned please please please change the reward to something other than a lockpick, and as far as lockpicks go in general, please either make them start dropping in normal mode EN (just like appropriate keys drop in every other area of the other campaigns) or make them less expensive. Well thats it for my soapbox, thanks for listening. =)
- I've had lockpicks drop for me in GWEN, both in dungeons and zones--this was prior to Hard Mode going live. As I haven't been been back in a couple of weeks, I reckon I'll be one of those who'll be unable to turn on HM right away since I believe I finished GWEN prior to September 25th so I can't say for certain if lockpick drop rates have changed.
- However, I almost never bought lockpicks when I started playing through GWEN, and I've opened my fair share of chests so I'm reasonably sure they did drop for me since. I do think that the dungeon chest rewards need some tweaking; I remember chests where the only interesting loot was a precious stone plus one other item. That I don't remember what the other items were is testament to my disappointment at the reward. Svartalve
22:58, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
- This has already been explained on the main site. Diamonds have had their value decreased due to the chest drops, and lockpicks are not subject to such fluctuating prices. Furthermore, if you want golds from Locked Chests, opening them in HM only. In addition, you mentioned that lockpicks are not worth buying since most golds are not worth 400g.... well... now you don't have to buy them! Instead of making lockpicks less expensive, try suggesting that GWEN Normal Mode not have Locked Chests, and instead have some other type of chest worthy of the high purple drop rate. -- Counciler 23:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
- I think that the reason Locked Chests are in EoTN Normal mode is so that players don't have to juggle carrying 4 different keys around. I personally like being able to use lockpicks, since my retain % seems even better than the 50% it's given as. Yukiko
00:29, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Yep, you hit the nail right on the head. It's been mentioned in one of the previous talk topics why the locked chests in GWEN collectively didn't have the same quality rewards as locked chests in hard mode--that is the developers weighed the convenience of just one kind of key for the entirety of GWEN normal versus the usual one key type per region. Svartalve 02:18, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Only problem that I have with lockpicks for eotn chests is that lockpicks don't drop in normal mode (except for this dungeon and 1 quest). With keys there is at least the chance of a free chest. Sadie2k 02:38, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- But they *do* drop in Normal mode GWEN (or at least did). I've played a lot of GWEN since release but tapered off at least a few weeks before GWEN hard mode went live, and during the time I've played I had lockpicks drop--not as often as I would like of course but then I could say the same of keys everywhere. For more info here's the Talk page I was referring to earlier Locked Chest in GW:EN (later on in the back in forth is Erasculio corroborating that lockpicks dropped in normal mode. I will concede that perhaps with the introduction of GWEN Hard mode that lockpick drops have been limited to Hard mode as it has been for the other campaigns. If that's the case I think lockpicks should resume dropping from Normal mode GWEN in addition to Hard mode, since unlike the other campaigns, which have specific Normal mode keys for normal mode chests, GWEN only has locked chests for both modes. Svartalve 03:44, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- In that case i retract my objection. I must just be chronically unlucky :( Sadie2k 03:46, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Right now it does seem so; if it's any consolation now that I've tried out Hard mode I haven't had any lockpicks drop yet either =). However if Gaile could confirm whether lockpick drops have been stealth changed with the latest update then we'll know for sure if Lady Luck just won't give us the time of day or if the apparent uber-scarcity is intended. Svartalve 03:51, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Unlucky is more likely, since I have gotten at least 1 lockpick dropped in EN HM. Yukiko 10:43, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Unlucky is more likely, since I have gotten at least 1 lockpick dropped in EN HM. Yukiko
- Right now it does seem so; if it's any consolation now that I've tried out Hard mode I haven't had any lockpicks drop yet either =). However if Gaile could confirm whether lockpick drops have been stealth changed with the latest update then we'll know for sure if Lady Luck just won't give us the time of day or if the apparent uber-scarcity is intended. Svartalve
- In that case i retract my objection. I must just be chronically unlucky :( Sadie2k 03:46, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- But they *do* drop in Normal mode GWEN (or at least did). I've played a lot of GWEN since release but tapered off at least a few weeks before GWEN hard mode went live, and during the time I've played I had lockpicks drop--not as often as I would like of course but then I could say the same of keys everywhere. For more info here's the Talk page I was referring to earlier Locked Chest in GW:EN (later on in the back in forth is Erasculio corroborating that lockpicks dropped in normal mode. I will concede that perhaps with the introduction of GWEN Hard mode that lockpick drops have been limited to Hard mode as it has been for the other campaigns. If that's the case I think lockpicks should resume dropping from Normal mode GWEN in addition to Hard mode, since unlike the other campaigns, which have specific Normal mode keys for normal mode chests, GWEN only has locked chests for both modes. Svartalve
- Only problem that I have with lockpicks for eotn chests is that lockpicks don't drop in normal mode (except for this dungeon and 1 quest). With keys there is at least the chance of a free chest. Sadie2k 02:38, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Yep, you hit the nail right on the head. It's been mentioned in one of the previous talk topics why the locked chests in GWEN collectively didn't have the same quality rewards as locked chests in hard mode--that is the developers weighed the convenience of just one kind of key for the entirety of GWEN normal versus the usual one key type per region. Svartalve
- I think that the reason Locked Chests are in EoTN Normal mode is so that players don't have to juggle carrying 4 different keys around. I personally like being able to use lockpicks, since my retain % seems even better than the 50% it's given as. Yukiko
- This has already been explained on the main site. Diamonds have had their value decreased due to the chest drops, and lockpicks are not subject to such fluctuating prices. Furthermore, if you want golds from Locked Chests, opening them in HM only. In addition, you mentioned that lockpicks are not worth buying since most golds are not worth 400g.... well... now you don't have to buy them! Instead of making lockpicks less expensive, try suggesting that GWEN Normal Mode not have Locked Chests, and instead have some other type of chest worthy of the high purple drop rate. -- Counciler 23:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
(Reset indent) First, yes, the reason for moving to lockpicks in GW:EN is to avoid your having to tote multiples types of keys in what is a smaller, but denser, map. We're sensitive to your inventory space. :)
Secondly, you guys know we try really hard to not to "stealth updates," and I don't see us sneakily reducing a drop, I really don't. There have been times in the past -- just a few, mind you -- when someone has thought we've "nerfed" a drop, but in fact there was a bug that had caused it to stop dropping. Thankfully, that does not appear to be the case here, as Yukiko confirms that lockpick drops continue. I would like to track this and if, after 3 or 4 days, we have a large number of people saying "I've played for many hours, no lockpicks" I will talk to John, our items guy, and James, lead designer, and ask if there's the possibility of a bug. At this point, I really believe there is no bug but that this is just a matter of, as always, luck. -- Gaile 
16:22, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Hello Gaile, thanks for the clarification. Now that you've mentioned bugged drops I recall the Destroyer core situation just soon after GWEN launch. It's good to know that there is no known lockpick drop bug right now. I just didn't want to categorically state that lockpicks *do* drop in GWEN especially after finding that only one other commenter confirmed that they had gotten one (and last September at that). It would've been quite embarrassing to have adamantly claimed one thing that would later be refuted. Thanks Yukiko for the second, more current confirmation as well. Svartalve 16:34, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- Interesting discussion...now that I think about it, I've never seen a lockpick drop in normal mode for EOTN. Either I'm just really, really unlucky or maybe the drop rate needs to be raised a little.
Likai 23:27, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- I can say that i have played NM GWEN for hours and not once had a lock pick drop. I asked in my guild about the drop rate of lockpics in NM gwen, and everyone said "Lockpicks dont drop in NM, they'll drop in gwen when HM comes out". I asked each of my guildies if any of them had ever had a lock pick drop in GWEN NM. The answer was "No". Thus either lockpicks dont drop in NM gwen or my guildies and i have been incredibly unlucky. Thats over 30 people and none of them have had a lockpick drop in NM gwen and many of them have completed the game. I myself have been farming norn points in NM and i have cleared the fells outside olafstead repeatedly and not once had a lockpick drop, but then to be honest after killing nearly 4000 enemies, ive only had 3 gold drops,so i may be just very very unlucky -- Salome 13:54, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
- During the recent EotN reputation weekend, my wife and I ran a few dungeons and cleared a few explorable areas in NM and each got 3 or 4 lockpicks dropped for us. None for dungeon chests either.158.147.93.84 15:11, 3 March 2008 (UTC)
- I can say that i have played NM GWEN for hours and not once had a lock pick drop. I asked in my guild about the drop rate of lockpics in NM gwen, and everyone said "Lockpicks dont drop in NM, they'll drop in gwen when HM comes out". I asked each of my guildies if any of them had ever had a lock pick drop in GWEN NM. The answer was "No". Thus either lockpicks dont drop in NM gwen or my guildies and i have been incredibly unlucky. Thats over 30 people and none of them have had a lockpick drop in NM gwen and many of them have completed the game. I myself have been farming norn points in NM and i have cleared the fells outside olafstead repeatedly and not once had a lockpick drop, but then to be honest after killing nearly 4000 enemies, ive only had 3 gold drops,so i may be just very very unlucky -- Salome 13:54, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
- Interesting discussion...now that I think about it, I've never seen a lockpick drop in normal mode for EOTN. Either I'm just really, really unlucky or maybe the drop rate needs to be raised a little.
I have noticed the more you farm one area, the lower the drops tend to be. So when you are working on titles, make sure you mix the zones up a bit. I have also noticed when doing missions with particular other guildies, one persons drop rate seems higher than the others, depending on the combination. It could just be me, but a friend and I have an ongoing joke, when we do a mission together, he is my lucky charm, as I always get gold drops, without fail. I can also verify that lockpicks drop in hard mode, as I got 3 of them vanquishing last night Med Luvin 14:34, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
Kit vs Key?[edit]
Is this actually a kit? or a reuseable key? LeFick 16:59, 22 October 2007 (UTC)
- Re useable key until it breaks Tomoko 16:57, 24 October 2007 (UTC)
Could someone clarify why this is listed as a Kit? 
22:31, 24 October 2007 (UTC)
- Because the infobox automatically classes it as "type" kit when the "uses" field is filled in. I believe you can over ride the action by entering your own "type" --Lemming
22:34, 24 October 2007 (UTC)
Lockpicking for titles[edit]
As you progress towards titles, of course you break fewer and fewer lockpicks, but you need many more points. The following is a chart of the statistical number of lockpicks one would run through if starting at 0 high-end chests opened for Treasure Hunter and 0 tickets won for Lucky opening one specific level of chest exclusively. Multiply by your typical lockpick cost (1500g or 1250g) to find the total cost.
Statistical Lockpicks broken for Titles
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Looking at other variations of reaching these titles, it is actually cheapest to use keys on 600g chests for the first two ranks of Treasure Hunting, then continue using 1250g lockpicks on 600g chests until Treasure Hunter is maxed (Lucky should be at rank 5). After which, use picks on 50g chests to finish off the Lucky title. This should cost just under 5 million gold, although the actual cost will vary with luck. --Thervold 23:44, 1 November 2007 (UTC)
I dont think their will be variation at all on total price for both title between two players as far as the both use the same stratergy , Keys of 600g until TH2 , max treasure hunter on 600g with lockpicks , max lucky with 50g chests. The reason why was that I from TH3 to TH4 I keep record of the retained and broken lockpicks as well as the number of lockpicks used.After hitting TH4 I did some math and the retained lockpicks where extremely close to the % I had for retaining them at that point , so , ultimately ,at the end of maxing both titles the % of retained lockpicks , and therefore total cost , will be what is expect with pretty much no variation.
- Yeah thats how probablities are. You can just see what happened once and then say its whats expected with pretty much no variation. --76.22.247.48 00:49, 3 January 2011 (UTC)
Lockpicks Bugged?[edit]
Is it just me or does anybody else think Lockpicks are bugged somehow? I mean for me it seems that for about 2 Weeks now the Lockpicks are bugged as _all_ my lockpicks broke after one use - and thats alot. I've used about 100 Lockpicks for opening Hardmode Chests and before I had a Chance of 15% and I retained the lockpicks according to the percentage (Statistically every 7th Lockpick doesnt break at 15% Retain Rate) But since two weeks or so every single Lockpick broke even though I now have a retain rate of 20%. I've used more then 100 Lockpicks and every single one broke but statistically every 5th shouldnt do. Thats what made me think its like a normal key which can only be used once. I also tried it in Normal Mode with a very cheap Chest (Istani Chest) and it broke with a chance of 74% of beeing retained even though on the second Istani Chest it has been retained. So that broken Normal mode one might just been bad luck and they work in normal mode but in Hardmode its extremely unlikely that more then 100 Lockpicks break without a single one beeing retained. Would be great to know if anyone else has noticed this too. SilentStorm 02:59, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
- Oddly enough I'm experiencing the exact opposite, not that I'm complaining. But since the last day of the festival, I have yet to break a lockpick in Hardmode. I've had the same 7 lockpicks now through 4 vanquishes now.--75.60.221.251 04:27, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
- What's your Retain Rate for Lockpicks in Hardmode then? SilentStorm 13:25, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
lockpicks[edit]
- → moved from User Talk:Gaile Gray
Has something changed since this last update came down the pipe? I pay extremely close attention to my retention rates over time (currently 0.65 on titles and base where i run). Since the update of the last 21 picks I have run in normal mode with an 0.65 rate of RETENTION 13/21 have broken. I have run thousands in this spot and that is unprecedented in the time I've been documenting this. I would chock it up to a string of bad luck but this is post-update only. Maybe others have noticed this as well? 67.191.245.177 20:18, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- ever hear of variance? look on any gambling forum and you will hear people complain about nothing else... 21 uses certainly can not constitute a fair test of probability. --Lemming 20:20, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- I figured I'd get a wise ass response to my honest question. I've seen spurts where I'll break 2-3 in a row but not 5-6 not with a 65% retention rate. I'll run a full bill and post what I get though I'm sure nothing short of n= infinity would satisfy. 67.191.245.177 20:23, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- To be fair, Lemming's answer was perfectly sensible. If you've ever done any intensive studying of the mathematics behind chance and know how the mechanics of odds work, then you'll also know that these things usually really only apply to big numbers. I understand that it's no fun losing a bunch of lockpicks in a row, but even if you ran again with a hundred picks, you'll probably get a similar string of bad luck again along the way. The longer you keep doing it, though, the more it will even out, and the more accurate it should get. I don't mean to discredit the possibility of a bug here- it's always possible. It's just not very likely. --
Elv 20:57, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- To be fair, with a sample of 21 you'd expect a +/-22% margin of error from my quick and dirty calculation. --Valshia 21:04, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- My own retention rate is really low. Even in NM it's below 50%, although I'm not sure exactly how much it is right now. (Treasure Title progress, and all.) I'm usually so unlucky that all my lockpicks will break in a row, regardless of the area. Heck, they'd probably spontaneously corrode if I entered Old Ascalon. Even so, I've had strings of 10 losses, and strings of 5 or 6 retentions. The odds of this happening are very slim, but it's not impossible. It's why I'm more inclined to consider 67.191's losses a bit of bad luck than anything else. I was never a fan of calculating odds, because ultimately even a very accurate calculation is not 100% solid. It's a good indication, but there is a certain degree of error. -- Elv 21:17, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- I too have been noticing an odd streak of broken lockpicks in GWEN. I've been attributing it to luck, but I've gone 5-6 broken in a row with an above 50% retention rate. Since it's Rep point weekend, I'll be there more, so I'll keep an eye on it. If it is just bad luck, I've been cursed over a week now.Shen 23:30, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- 67.191 mentioned it specifically as happening after today's update- is it the same for you, or has it been going on longer? I mean, if it has only started for you today, then a bug would be more probable. -- Elv 23:44, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- The chance of breaking 6 lockpicks in a row with 50% retention is about 1.5%. This is bound to happen to someone. In fact, if you use enough chests it'll probably happen to you a few times. And you can just be unlucky enough to hit that 1.5%. While it's worth investigating the extremely abnormal events (anyone remember how bad Price of Failure used to be?) bad luck - even extremely bad luck - does happen. -- Sirius (talk) 01:19, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
- I've had worse, 13 lockpicks in EotN and all but 2 broke with a supposed RR of 40%. I don't have the gold anymore to even buy lockpicks, and theres hardly any point when all of them just break. Random chance is one thing, but randomness in a program can only go so far. I suspect something is wrong with the code. Especially if this has happened before with Price of Failure. 86.137.70.195 19:40, 15 July 2008 (UTC)
- The chance of breaking 6 lockpicks in a row with 50% retention is about 1.5%. This is bound to happen to someone. In fact, if you use enough chests it'll probably happen to you a few times. And you can just be unlucky enough to hit that 1.5%. While it's worth investigating the extremely abnormal events (anyone remember how bad Price of Failure used to be?) bad luck - even extremely bad luck - does happen. -- Sirius (talk) 01:19, 1 March 2008 (UTC)
- 67.191 mentioned it specifically as happening after today's update- is it the same for you, or has it been going on longer? I mean, if it has only started for you today, then a bug would be more probable. --
- I too have been noticing an odd streak of broken lockpicks in GWEN. I've been attributing it to luck, but I've gone 5-6 broken in a row with an above 50% retention rate. Since it's Rep point weekend, I'll be there more, so I'll keep an eye on it. If it is just bad luck, I've been cursed over a week now.Shen 23:30, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- My own retention rate is really low. Even in NM it's below 50%, although I'm not sure exactly how much it is right now. (Treasure Title progress, and all.) I'm usually so unlucky that all my lockpicks will break in a row, regardless of the area. Heck, they'd probably spontaneously corrode if I entered Old Ascalon. Even so, I've had strings of 10 losses, and strings of 5 or 6 retentions. The odds of this happening are very slim, but it's not impossible. It's why I'm more inclined to consider 67.191's losses a bit of bad luck than anything else. I was never a fan of calculating odds, because ultimately even a very accurate calculation is not 100% solid. It's a good indication, but there is a certain degree of error. --
- To be fair, with a sample of 21 you'd expect a +/-22% margin of error from my quick and dirty calculation. --Valshia 21:04, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
- To be fair, Lemming's answer was perfectly sensible. If you've ever done any intensive studying of the mathematics behind chance and know how the mechanics of odds work, then you'll also know that these things usually really only apply to big numbers. I understand that it's no fun losing a bunch of lockpicks in a row, but even if you ran again with a hundred picks, you'll probably get a similar string of bad luck again along the way. The longer you keep doing it, though, the more it will even out, and the more accurate it should get. I don't mean to discredit the possibility of a bug here- it's always possible. It's just not very likely. --
- I figured I'd get a wise ass response to my honest question. I've seen spurts where I'll break 2-3 in a row but not 5-6 not with a 65% retention rate. I'll run a full bill and post what I get though I'm sure nothing short of n= infinity would satisfy. 67.191.245.177 20:23, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
Well probably no one is reading this anymore, but anyhow i'd like to add a comment. There is no way that it makes sense with the chances of retaining your lockpick. Mathematics or not, this is a computer game. A computer game with ridicously high demands of getting to your goals. Why would you use mathematics that screw certain people and reward others? That's just lame and unsatisfying for any gamer. I currently have a "48 percent" chance of keeping my lockpick on NM. Which apparently means that every 10th. time it doesn't break. And we're not talkin' 21 or 40 lockpicks here. It's constantly and it's stupid. What do you need percentage for if it's random luck anyway? I could have 99 percent chance and still have everything broken. But that's your mathematics... come on... this isn't poker and we're not playing for money. --The preceding unsigned comment was added by 212.10.241.76 (talk).
- Sign next time. Post your data. The QQ you wrote does not help anyone. Atm I'm at ~6,600 chests and the retention rate I experience suits the stated one. –aRTy 00:33, 13 February 2011 (UTC)
- My experience of late corresponds to the unsigned pragraph above. Treasure hunter lvl. 5, Lucky lvl. 2, 260 picks used in just over 3 weeks, and a bit over 80% destroyed in use. I've had maybe 10 picks drop during that time. The figures I've experienced do not agree with those published on the lead page. ~Ecks
40% chance in normal mode (GW:EN)[edit]
In GW:EN normal mode I'm getting 40% chance to retain the lockpick. Nothing in the article explains this.. perhaps it needs updating? --Combatter 18:25, 23 April 2008 (UTC)
- Bit late, but there's a note there that explains that "Eye of the North Chests in Normal Mode have a 'virtual key cost' of 600 Gold meaning a retention rate bonus of 30%". Assuming you have no treasure hunter or lucky progress, you'd have an inherent retention bonus of 10%, making it up to a 40% retention total for you. --Talonz
// 21:45, 15 July 2008 (UTC)
Dungeons have higher break rate?[edit]
Is it me, and people in my alliance, but we seem to have next to no chance of retention in hard mode dungeons? (compared with anywhere else) josəph 23:16, 28 April 2008 (UTC)
Price listing[edit]
Since the lockpicks cost 1500
from the merchant, I think that is the price that they should be listed at. Nothing else that I've seen on the wiki lists prices 'typically charged by other players'. The fact that they are available discounted to some players is documented in the Notes section. I think it's misleading to list the price of lockpicks as anything other than the merchant price. --
Wyn 13:38, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
- I fully agree on that. Dominator Matrix 14:02, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
- The usual stance on pricing is that the wiki should not be tracking or setting prices for items that fluctuate in price. However, the case can be made that lockpicks bought in bulk from town-owning players have stayed at 1.25k pretty consistently. It is, afterall, only 50g more than they are themselves paying for the keys, which is only a 4% profit margin. Buying from players at lower prices is possible, but you'll spend a long time in town searching for them. Compare that to the prices of ectos or black dyes, which do fluctuate quite a bit. --
Alaris 14:11, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
- I still think that placing the 'player price' comparison on the talk page for reference would be better than having it in the main article. It could be linked to the note on the discount pricing.--
Wyn 14:39, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
- Unfortunately, it's an integral part of price estimates and cutoffs. There are comparable prices for party points or alcohol, even though the prices for those things are more subject to supply and demand. -- Alaris 15:31, 16 July 2008 (UTC)
- Since such a large part of the article is devoted to the cost-benefit of using lockpicks compared to keys, I think it is good, even vital, to have the statistics using also the 1250 price. Having all those statistics available using only 1500g lockpicks becomes very non-useful, as those who would be interested in the statistics buys them from players in bulk, at ~1250g. And the price is already stated as 1500g, so it is not like the merchant price is not listed in the article. --Lensor (talk) 12:37, 31 August 2008 (UTC)
- I still have a problem with the 1250 being used as the value. We have a note listing that they are available from other players typically for 1250, but all the tables list the key cost at 1250... it is just not consistent with anything else on the wiki, and is very confusing for players when they go to the merchant and the price is 1500. -- Wyn 14:09, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- And they should be confused! There is something wrong with paying 1500g for lockpicks, and the sooner they figure out why, the better. Also, I've been buying lockpicks for months now, and 1250g is the standard bulk price. -- Alaris 14:33, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- Wyn, I agree with you that the use of 1250g on the wiki for the price of lockpicks is like nothing else on this wiki. It is neither the price of the merchant nor the price of the discount merchant. However, lockpicks are not only unique in this wiki; they are also unique in the economy in Guild Wars. There is No other item in Guild Wars that (1) has consistantly had the Exact same price for so long, and (2) is available on the market at least 90% of the day, every single day. The fact of the matter is that the players in Guild Wars have essentially established their own Lockpick Merchant where the players themselves sit around in the major towns and sell lockpicks at a set price. Thus, the reason we use 1250g lockpicks in our calculations is because these lockpicks are available to all players at all times. If you don't believe me, log on, go to Kamadan, and look at the 1-3 people selling lockpicks for 1250g each. Blood Red Giant 15:26, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- Please point out to me in case I'm just blind and have missed it, where exactly in the article does it say lockpicks are available from the merchants for 1500? The fact that this information is not readily available bothers me as it is a part of the game. Everything in the article (with the exception of the note saying one table is based on 1500 g lockpicks) lists the cost as 1250. This just seems lacking in factual information to me. Regardless of the fact they are readily available from players at the lower price, we don't tell people that it's generally much cheaper to buy materials from other players (though they are regularly available in LA and Kamadan) than to buy from the traders. Why are we for all intents and purposes eliminating the merchant cost of lockpicks from the lockpick article? -- Wyn 15:39, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- Please point out to me in case I'm just blind and have missed it, where exactly in the article does it say lockpicks are available from the merchants for 1500? The fact that this information is not readily available bothers me as it is a part of the game. Everything in the article (with the exception of the note saying one table is based on 1500 g lockpicks) lists the cost as 1250. This just seems lacking in factual information to me. Regardless of the fact they are readily available from players at the lower price, we don't tell people that it's generally much cheaper to buy materials from other players (though they are regularly available in LA and Kamadan) than to buy from the traders. Why are we for all intents and purposes eliminating the merchant cost of lockpicks from the lockpick article? --
- Wyn, I agree with you that the use of 1250g on the wiki for the price of lockpicks is like nothing else on this wiki. It is neither the price of the merchant nor the price of the discount merchant. However, lockpicks are not only unique in this wiki; they are also unique in the economy in Guild Wars. There is No other item in Guild Wars that (1) has consistantly had the Exact same price for so long, and (2) is available on the market at least 90% of the day, every single day. The fact of the matter is that the players in Guild Wars have essentially established their own Lockpick Merchant where the players themselves sit around in the major towns and sell lockpicks at a set price. Thus, the reason we use 1250g lockpicks in our calculations is because these lockpicks are available to all players at all times. If you don't believe me, log on, go to Kamadan, and look at the 1-3 people selling lockpicks for 1250g each. Blood Red Giant 15:26, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- And they should be confused! There is something wrong with paying 1500g for lockpicks, and the sooner they figure out why, the better. Also, I've been buying lockpicks for months now, and 1250g is the standard bulk price. --
- I still have a problem with the 1250 being used as the value. We have a note listing that they are available from other players typically for 1250, but all the tables list the key cost at 1250... it is just not consistent with anything else on the wiki, and is very confusing for players when they go to the merchant and the price is 1500. --
- Since such a large part of the article is devoted to the cost-benefit of using lockpicks compared to keys, I think it is good, even vital, to have the statistics using also the 1250 price. Having all those statistics available using only 1500g lockpicks becomes very non-useful, as those who would be interested in the statistics buys them from players in bulk, at ~1250g. And the price is already stated as 1500g, so it is not like the merchant price is not listed in the article. --Lensor (talk) 12:37, 31 August 2008 (UTC)
- Unfortunately, it's an integral part of price estimates and cutoffs. There are comparable prices for party points or alcohol, even though the prices for those things are more subject to supply and demand. --
- I still think that placing the 'player price' comparison on the talk page for reference would be better than having it in the main article. It could be linked to the note on the discount pricing.--
- The usual stance on pricing is that the wiki should not be tracking or setting prices for items that fluctuate in price. However, the case can be made that lockpicks bought in bulk from town-owning players have stayed at 1.25k pretty consistently. It is, afterall, only 50g more than they are themselves paying for the keys, which is only a 4% profit margin. Buying from players at lower prices is possible, but you'll spend a long time in town searching for them. Compare that to the prices of ectos or black dyes, which do fluctuate quite a bit. --
Reset indent You're right that 1500g should be listed more explicitly in the wiki, which I'll change later today, if it is not done by the time I am back on. Blood Red Giant 15:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
- Looks like the page has been updated to be a bit more explicit about Lockpick acquisition. Blood Red Giant 02:37, 26 February 2009 (UTC)
Suggestion for further research[edit]
Now, before anyone tells me "it's just random, you're inferring a pattern where none exists", let me pause to note that I do understand the random nature of both the break/retain behavior of lockpicks and the purple/gold return from chests. Let me also note that I have on occasion retained my lockpick after getting a gold drop, and broken my lockpick for a purple. I am not asking whether there is a 1:1 correlation, because I know it isn't there. But! I've noticed a tendency - at least in the few hundred lockpicks I've used, which I admit is too small a sample for statistical significance - toward breakage being correlated with gold drops.
When I started poking around the wiki with this thought in mind, I noted a surprising lack of hard research on the relative drop rate of purples/golds from chests of various weights. Heck, I haven't even seen anyone attempt to verify that the purple/gold rate is equal for equivalent chests (e.g. same drop rate for Vabbi Chest and Luxon Chest) - which, given the suspicious nature of many folk on this wiki, was surprising to me. So ... anyone in our mighty research collective interested in (a) establishing a "gold probability" for high-end chests, and (b) examining a "gold correlation" for lockpick retention? 
(AUNTMOUSIE) 17:41, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
- I've been doing the chests at the beginning of EotN (Boreal?), and it's 1 gold per 3 chests there (sample size in the 2000-3000). I don't know what the drop rates are elsewhere. -- Alaris 18:04, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
- I read somewhere (perhaps ingame) that the gold/purple ratio hangs in balance with how many ppl use that area for chest hunting. EG an over farmed area where 3 chests are runnable in 3 minutes is less likely to drop a gold than a area where it takes 10 minutes to get 2 chests. I just got a elite monk and mesmer tome just from vanquishing hard area's in one day, to me personally, this seems to be valid, because whenever i run the snowman cave i tend to get 3 purples to one gold most of the time.(Ixillius 10:59, 14 February 2009 (UTC))
- It could be that those areas just have farther chests, and generally more difficult mobs... It may have nothing to do with whether ppl farm there. I'd generally expect better quality the further into the game you are. Boreal is the first place you are in EotN, so, not surprisingly, quality is relatively poor. -- Alaris 04:32, 10 March 2009 (UTC)
- It could be that those areas just have farther chests, and generally more difficult mobs... It may have nothing to do with whether ppl farm there. I'd generally expect better quality the further into the game you are. Boreal is the first place you are in EotN, so, not surprisingly, quality is relatively poor. --
- I read somewhere (perhaps ingame) that the gold/purple ratio hangs in balance with how many ppl use that area for chest hunting. EG an over farmed area where 3 chests are runnable in 3 minutes is less likely to drop a gold than a area where it takes 10 minutes to get 2 chests. I just got a elite monk and mesmer tome just from vanquishing hard area's in one day, to me personally, this seems to be valid, because whenever i run the snowman cave i tend to get 3 purples to one gold most of the time.(Ixillius 10:59, 14 February 2009 (UTC))
"Based on 1,250Gold lockpicks. Typical price for buying them from players in-game"[edit]
That's not really a typical price anymore. I see them going for 1-1.1k, maybe add another table for 1k picks? --Gah 
Eat my uber regen. 22:20, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- Really? I'll buy 1k lockpicks with ALL my money then! Nono.. lockpicks will never be sold in bulk below it's real price: 1.200k, the extra 50g is just for profit margins from Outpost owners. --
Karasu (talk) 22:23, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- I haven't seen them that low either, but... They are available for purchase with zcoins, which may indeed end up skewing things. Freedom Bound 22:32, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- Anybody buying those with zoins isn't right in their mind. It's not worth it compared to the unique rewards -- Karasu (talk) 22:34, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- Ok, the question is: did you see them selling for that price in bulk? Or did you see someone offering 1 or 2 of them for that price and/or someone offering to buy them for that price? --JonTheMon 22:40, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- Uh, I always see them for that price... whenever I buy lockpicks (10+ at a time), I buy them for 1k each, and it's not exactly hard to find a seller for that price... --Gah
Eat my uber regen. 00:29, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
- We're talking closer to stacks here.. -- Karasu (talk) 14:49, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
- You'll waste a lot of running time finding sellers for 1k. I mean, if you'd rather waste time than waste money, go ahead... but you can easily find ppl to sell stacks at 100k/80, and they'll provide you with unlimited quantities. 1k each is harder to find in large quantities. -- Alaris 22:47, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
- I've been seeing bulk Lockpicks for about 1.1k, the only way I see this viable is through use of zcoins, which is odd since there are more profitable zcoin rewards. NineSidedDie 03:05, 18 October 2009 (UTC)
- In bulk at 1.1k ea? I sincerely think this well will dry up soon. The 1.25k ea well will never dry up, because its trivial to get lockpicks at 1.2k ea for some players. The 1.1k requires more work... farming, zcoins... -- Alaris 15:00, 19 October 2009 (UTC)
- In bulk at 1.1k ea? I sincerely think this well will dry up soon. The 1.25k ea well will never dry up, because its trivial to get lockpicks at 1.2k ea for some players. The 1.1k requires more work... farming, zcoins... --
- I've been seeing bulk Lockpicks for about 1.1k, the only way I see this viable is through use of zcoins, which is odd since there are more profitable zcoin rewards. NineSidedDie 03:05, 18 October 2009 (UTC)
- You'll waste a lot of running time finding sellers for 1k. I mean, if you'd rather waste time than waste money, go ahead... but you can easily find ppl to sell stacks at 100k/80, and they'll provide you with unlimited quantities. 1k each is harder to find in large quantities. --
- We're talking closer to stacks here.. --
- Uh, I always see them for that price... whenever I buy lockpicks (10+ at a time), I buy them for 1k each, and it's not exactly hard to find a seller for that price... --Gah
- Ok, the question is: did you see them selling for that price in bulk? Or did you see someone offering 1 or 2 of them for that price and/or someone offering to buy them for that price? --JonTheMon 22:40, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
- Anybody buying those with zoins isn't right in their mind. It's not worth it compared to the unique rewards --
- I haven't seen them that low either, but... They are available for purchase with zcoins, which may indeed end up skewing things. Freedom Bound 22:32, 5 June 2009 (UTC)
Edit on the Lucky part of the Graph[edit]
It happened to me at first. I was looking at it, and I thought it was like...somehow part of the Treasure Hunter one too. Was hoping we could get "Lucky" sideways, or kind of out of the area it's in and move it more towards the right for it's numbers. Than 05:44, 13 February 2010 (UTC)
Unlucky Points Chart?[edit]
Would anyone who is good at charts care to make some sort of chart that shows the number of unlucky points you would get for breaking your lockpick on a chest, even if the chart is only on the talk page for lockpicks? The chart for how many lockpicks you will break to obtain each lucky rank is nice, but for those interested in unlucky points, 50g chest with 55% retain rate = 137 unlucky points; 50g chest with 75% retain rate = 187 unlucky points, etc sure is helpful to see visually. I was trying to make a chart, but I am stumped as to how to properly do the layout. Undead minion 22:09, 1 May 2010 (UTC)
I messed with it and I think I did ok...
Unlucky Points Earned From Broken Lockpick
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