How Do We Get Tier 1 Keys?

[noneuklid]

As far as I'm aware, the only non-Platinum option for a greater than 1% drop rate is the first reward of a low-level Endless Defense mission.

 

It seems really strange to me that I'm practically tripping over T2 raid/exterminate keys and T3 keys are relatively simple to get, but getting a T1 key requires a specific and dedicated farming strategy.

 

If there's an intent to have a progression mechanic, having T1 Void missions offer rewards that help people accomplish T2 and T3 missions would make a lot of sense.  In fact, I realized that T1 keys were so difficult to obtain when I was researching how to finally get the Braton Prime pieces I'm missing.  Since several complete Prime blueprints can be assembled from T1 missions alone, it seems like this might have been the intent at one point... but the rarity of T1 keys is prohibitive here.

 

There are hundreds of ways of increasing the availability of lower-level keys -- up to and including making them rare drops from regular containers or even as blueprints for credits -- and just as many possible permutations on T1 reward tables to help people 'gear up' for tougher Void challenges (Forma and Reactor blueprints being an obvious one as well as Prime weapons, but even regular blueprints and rare mods help the transitional stage).  I think that this could be a pretty valuable effort in smoothing out some of the more abrupt jumps in the game (if literally nothing else, it would get newer players used to Void maps sooner).

[Eidolon_Slayer]

T1 keys can be received as a reward from low level defense missions ( such as level 5)

[Completionist]

I come across them once in a while, rare for me actually. I haven't tried hunting for them though so I don't know their rarity.

[CY13ERPUNK]

it is very counter-intuitive that t1 keys are MUCH harder to acquire than t2/t3 keys

this shows a clear flaw in the key delivery system

[noneuklid]

I think it's an interim system -- I suspect they intend to smooth out drop rates quite a bit.  But I think this specific area (availability of T1 keys and the T1 drop tables themselves) marks a particularly good place to put in some effort.

[taiiat]

it is very counter-intuitive that t1 keys are MUCH harder to acquire than t2/t3 keys

this shows a clear flaw in the key delivery system

as nice as it is to be drowning in TIII keys (sometimes) honestly, it makes no sense. at the very least, higher level Defenses, should have slightly higher adjusted drops for the TIII keys, and the low level Defenses should drift into higher Tiers slower. such as you'd need to go to wave 15 for a lv8 Defense to go to Tier2 rewards.

Edited September 13, 2013 by taiiat