Improving Static Dungeons

[reposted from a reply to a thread in 'Next Patch' since its more appropriate here]

You'd need to do a quest to get a 'key' which is a one use item that gets you into the dungeon. Ideally, this should be a 'key-ring' with say up to 36 keys, all keys on a given key-ring would access the same instance of the dungeon. You'd just 'split' off a key and give it to another member of your team(s).

Such 'dungeons' could actually be enclosed outdoor playfields with wandering mobs as well as more fixed boss mobs - how cool would that be? They'd also be able to be designed with a particular number of participants in mind (determined by the key-ring size) and there could be level limits (both upper and lower) on actually 'using' the key. Different quests could lead to keys for the same 'static' but for different level ranges and hence with different mobs and loot, or simply with less keys on the key-ring...

Once inside there are no save terms, and if you retreat, you'd be unable to re-enter as you'd have lost the key. Warps in would have to be disabled for this to work though.

You'd get the playfield to yourself (and your team(s) mates of course), get guaranteed access to the boss and guaranteed drops of the loot (which would be nodrop and properly unique).

Static dungeon mobs should be a mix of normal mobs, tougher mini-bosses and the very tough main boss. The main boss should be more than just a HP punch bag though, it should have special and unusual attacks and a modicum of AI in the form of 'behaviours' such as a boss that can do area-root-and-run in order to get to range, or even get away to heal up a bit...

Maybe there could even be NPC's you need to talk to, mini-quests within the dungeon, stuff like that...

This is a bit like the AC2 vault system mind you, but that isn't a bad thing in my books.

This isn't to say dungeons like Camelot aren't also needed, where teams can fight over the boss mob and the loot is semi-random, but many people would like to be able to do the statics 'properly'.

None of this should require any significant additions to the game (the 'key' mechanism and the warp denial being the only ones I can think of) - if FC gave us a booster pack with stuff like this in it, I'd buy it in an instant... :)