5 Ways to Enjoy Key Quest with a Slow Connection

Have no fear, my fellow Key Questers, there are ways that you can still enjoy this awesome game and shower your pets with the rewards you will gain! Image the training your pets could complete at the Mystery Island Training School or the magical neggs you could obtain from The Neggery! You might even be lucky enough to complete the Secret Laboratory Map! When I first started playing Key Quest, I had a super fast computer. I would fly through mini games and collect keys before my opponents could say "Pocket Portal." However, fast forward to today - I have a slower computer and internet connection BUT I still enjoy playing Key Quest daily. In fact, I can still bank about ~50,000-100,000 neopoints a day on Key Quest alone! How you ask? Let me tell you!

1. Low Res - What it is and why you need it:

Knowing how to play with the low res version of Key Quest is critical. There is a low res version to Key Quest here that I use rather than the normal version. When you open the low res version, right click and hover over "Quality" and you'll see your choices for Low, Medium, High. I recommend using Low for mini games and Medium or High for normal game play. I have noticed a significant difference between the low res version and the normal version when it comes to the speed of my game.

The low res version has helped me improve at mini games and makes general game play more bearable. If you're willing to sacrifice the excellent graphics and pretty colors, you will agree.

2. Make Key Quest Friends:

Playing Key Quest with friends is always a blast for many reasons. There are so many qualities to look for in a Key Quest friend like if they play fair and by the rules (duh!), if they enjoy friendly taunts and warnings, and if they have a slow internet connection too (huh?). Why should you seek a friend with a slow internet connection? If you both have slower internet connections, it makes playing the mini games more fun because they are played on a level playing field. You both have a chance at winning the mini game which always adds more fun and competition!

Another bonus of Key Quest friends is that your friend understands that you have a slow internet connection. They know that if you suddenly leave a game, it's not because you're a quitter (because that is against the rules) but because your connection booted you out of the game. You also know ahead of time that your friend isn't going to quit on you because you are only friends with questers who follow the rules, remember? :)

3. Learn to Embrace the Silver Key:

If there is one thing you take away from this guide it is this: A silver key is just as good as a gold key! Although the gold key awards you better prizes, getting those prizes is still totally random. This means that you could spend 5 consecutive days opening 50 gold vaults and getting 200 junk prizes (okay, you probably aren't THAT unlucky, but it is possible).

If you play a 2 player, 5 key game you will leave the game with AT LEAST a silver key. This means that you are still in the running for awesome codestones, neggs, and other prizes. If you have a slow connection and don't win gold keys often, just leave this guide knowing that you can still get awesome prizes and make lots of neopoints with silver keys too! Don't worry, though, readers, you can still win gold keys by mastering your strategy - read on!

4. Master Your Strategy:

What beats a fast internet connection? A solid, well thought out strategy, of course! Have you ever played someone who wins every mini game but fails to use a Loaded Gummy Die when they're 3 spaces away from the Treasure Chest? I know I have! Just because someone has a fast computer does not mean that they know the ins and outs of Key Quest strategy. Now, I am not claiming I have the perfect strategy for Key Quest. In fact, no one does. Your strategy is up to you and your knowledge of the game. To develop your own strategy that works for you, I recommend focusing on the following areas to develop and improve your game play.

Boards: Know and understand the different boards. Make sure you know exactly where each portal takes you, which home squares set you up for early success, and what keys to go for first. It's good to know what general route you should take to reach the most keys. However, with random events and powerups, knowing the path of least keyless resistance will not always work. That's why you need to develop other areas of your strategy.

Powerups: Know the powerups, what they do, when you or your opponent can use them, and what their little icon is to ensure you're never in the dark on what powerups your opponent has. Once you start using powerups (and having them used on you too!) you will learn when to use certain powerups to give you the advantage and when to save power ups golden (get it?!) opportunities.

Alignments: Know what alignment your token has so you are prepared for the alignment tiles around the board. When you land on an alignment tile that matches your token's alignment, you receive a charm. If you land on another alignment tile, you receive a hex (whoops!). This can become a critical part of your strategy since sometimes charms give you great rewards while hexes will sometimes bring you a visit from the Pant Devil. These charms and hexes could mean the difference between a gold and silver key so you do not want to make a mistake here!

Mini games: There are some mini games that are possible to win with a slow computer and there are some that you unfortunately have no chance on. Figure out early on which mini games your computer can handle and perfect your technique. You are already at a disadvantage that your opponent probably has a faster computer so make sure you know the rules and techniques of the mini games to help you win! Minigame victors receive various prizes including your choice of the 5 colored keys or powerups that could give you the upper hand.

Preference: The way you play and the choices you make during your quest are 100% up to you. Find out what moves and techniques work for you and stick to them. There are also mounds of guides out there with suggestions on strategy to help you get started. Just remember...

5. Have Fun and ALWAYS Play Fair:

No matter what, know that Key Quest is a game and is meant to have fun! Always play by the rules and have good sportsmanship. Even if you end up with 10 silver keys a day, you are still bound to get amazing prizes and make a good chunk of neopoints. As long as your computer can handle the game without kicking you out (it will happen periodically, no worries), Key Quest is a wonderful income generator to help you reach your Neopian goals.

I hope to see some of you at the vault!