If they implement the new curated RNG for leads (and give 100% until completion in Treasure maps), it would solve the problem. It would be not so bad to get 20 maps from market after a while, and the price tags would drop significantly, because of smaller demand.

Elendildur wrote: »

I wonder if it might be easier to just let players purchase the specific zone maps directly from the achievement furnishers. The maps aren't so valuable that they need to be a limited item, the only drops anyone cares about are the leads, and since Necrom, the only leads are for furnishings, so only the housing community really needs them

Direct purchases for gold would be nice, even if you had to have cleared the zone before you buy the zone map. But nothing in this game is ever that easy.

They've already been using the IA seller Ool as a secondary source for zone maps, purchased with Archival Fortunes. With 44 zones and a weekly rotation, it's a long gap between when the maps for the zone you need come around. And at 2K Fortunes a pop, it's not a cheap option. I for one would rather spend my IA currency on actual furnishings, not a chance at a lead.

Galatherys wrote: »

It took me dozens upon dozens of Telvanni Peninsula maps just to get ONE green rarity lead for the little mushroom identification book…I was gonna try and complete the codex buuuut that would bankrupt me

Wait until U51 before you try for the book leads again. You'll get a better chance after the update in September. Also, the book was one of the few Antiquities that was upgraded (from green to purple); so if you collect the codex of 3, you'll be able to buy them in Necrom from the Achievement Vendor there for gold.

onyxorb wrote: »

My thought with curated maps is that once opened, the map is bound so you can't try to resell.

Making maps bound isn't the answer. There are already too few maps on the Guild Trader market since Unopened Treasure Chest Maps were introduced. A lot of players, myself included, are just holding onto their unopened maps and letting them stack right now. With U51 and the introduction of a new Alchemy reagent (Fossilized Verminous Bones) dropping from "original Alliance zones" maps, the value of maps will be equal or greater than the new material for quite some time.

onyxorb wrote: »

Just that the grind would be so much less painful if we had a real way of farming maps for a zone.
Also respects people's time and makes us more likely to keep players happy and playing. (just my opinion).

Curation (based upon the location of where the player opens an "unopened" map) would give players more control over how they spend their time in ESO. It doesn't eliminate the need for maps, but it does make farming material, sets, and leads less punishing by removing one of the current layers of RNG that are stacked against players.

There are 254 unique maps can drop for the current slate of 44 zones. Random drops from unopened maps mean that a player has to open hundreds of maps to get a handful of maps for the zone they need. That is punishing any way you look at it. And it will only get worse as new zones and their maps are added to the game in the future.

Curation is the next logical step to making ESO less grindy for players at all levels, now and into the future of ESO.