Old keys... Brick wall

[CryptoCrash]

Im 1/2 way through my 2nd year and loving the game. I now have good equipment and food so the deep mine is now a cakewalk, the 'deep deep' mine offers some challenge still. The issue is i have hit a brick wall. I need old keys so i can get Berkonium ore (i have only 3 ore so no furnace yet)

A full days metal detecting nets on average 5 keys (you want at least 20 before you go mining). such a bottleneck feels like it belongs in a "free to play" game with micto-transactions, not a steam indi game. Im seriously waiting for the pop up that wants my credit card number in exchange for 100 keys.

May i suggest some ideas to deal with this?
- increase drop rate of keys
- reduce number of locked doors (1 not 2 for loot rooms)
- eliminate ruby shards for 'deep deep mine' access (instead make it a 1 crafted item to get access, it can be expensive)
- have Franklin be able to craft an item that unlocks door (that needs frequent recharging or repair)
- Have Jimmy sell keys at a reasonable rate (1,000,000 for 5.... really??? 1,000,000 for 50 keys is reasonable)

[JU1173]

Try crab pots. I find mine get keys on a regular basis. I have 5 now, and at least 2 have keys everyday, I have had all 5 get them, and everything in between.

Also if you have the diving helmet, metal detect in the middle of rivers. There is a ton of stuff in there, including keys.

[ArtyWhale]

Crab pots are the way. I have 54 crab pots and I'd say I get an average of 22 keys a day, don't think I've had under 20, but don't quote me on that part. The only issue with them is the food to go in them. A day of hunting gets me 4-5 days worth of meat for the traps, I just fly around with my glider and drop in on diggos, roos and the fire beasts (whose names escape me).

Hard to disagree with Jimmy's prices though, 1m for 5 keys is extortionate, even if I did pay the toll a few times before discovering crab pots give keys.

[LyaranTirel]

Once you get the diving helmet old keys become very abundant too.

[matt]

By the time you're mining for Berkonium, you should already have a field of Quarries. I usually have 40+ going by end-game. Harvest the field every 4 days and you should build up quite the key supply. I have hundreds in surplus.

The only time I use a metal detector is to clear the area around the Quarries after each harvest.

[CryptoCrash]

Originally posted by matt:

By the time you're mining for Berkonium, you should already have a field of Quarries. I usually have 40+ going by end-game. Harvest the field every 4 days and you should build up quite the key supply. I have hundreds in surplus.

The only time I use a metal detector is to clear the area around the Quarries after each harvest.

are you referencing old drop rates for keys? i have 20 quarries and i get an average of 1 key every 4 days

[Grizzus]

I like sugest to you a crab pots too to take keys. But think why you need a berkorium, i am using only to make a Blast Furnace (+100% reward bars), maybe a improved table saw too. The others tools I consider useless or you dont need improve.

[Grizzus]

Originally posted by LyaranTirel:

Once you get the diving helmet old keys become very abundant too.

Where you can take? Diving?