Raising Dragons for Rare Eggs

[angelicdragonpuppy]

This sounds a bit like achievements to me. Basically, getting oddball little messages when doing random things around the site. I know a few rabid achievement hunters that would certainly be happy to see such a thing. Given the way badges are multiplying, it seems we are headed that way regardless eh?

Not really achievements, just random little treasure hunt like things with very tiny rewards. I have enough to do on DC to keep me entertained at present, but I would find such things in future--it'd be more fun for me to have the scroll say "go catch a dragon with X in the code" or "find five balloon eggs" then it would be for my not-so-random head to try to come up with random goof things to do.

[Dolphinsong]

The trouble is, when there are rewards involved, you are punishing those with set goals. Either by forcing them to ignore those 'quests' or by forcing them to release those unwanted dragons they were forced to raise for said 'quests'. All in all it is very unfair and it basically something to avoid.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

The trouble is, when there are rewards involved, you are punishing those with set goals. Either by forcing them to ignore those 'quests' or by forcing them to release those unwanted dragons they were forced to raise for said 'quests'. All in all it is very unfair and it basically something to avoid.

Because someone getting a single free teleport or a 24 hour goofy scroll background is so awful and unfair to those who can't take two seconds to grab an egg and put it back again, an action that takes a total of about a minute.

 

Eh, I've said my bit, I'll leave it up to others to ponder on.

Edited July 18, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy

[Pokemonfan13]

You seem to not understand. Shuffling our goal is basically forcing us to change them. And you are also forcing us to raise additional dragons outside of those goals and forcing us to mass release in order to remain at our orginal goal. THAT is where we are against it.

 

Now, if you make it an EITHER/OR situation, such as Account Age at 4 years or more AND/OR 500 dragons on scroll, then its fine as there are TWO options for those of us with strict goals. But having only ONE option that requires forcing people away from the goals (And I'm sorry, mass release is NOT fun nor something those of us with very little time want to do)

I'm not sure you understand the point of angelic's list. If you get something that doesn't match with the way you play the game you hit a button that gives you another goal, and if that goal doesn't match your play style you shuffle again, and if that doesn't match you hit another shuffle, and if that one doesn't match you wait for the next day and hit another shuffle. There has to be at least one that doesn't disrupt your play style, if nothing else the "get x number of eggs of y type" since all you need is that number of free slots and you can abandon them the moment you reach the goal. Although there should be a limit on that one that they can't be bred from your scroll, since it would just encourage people to breed unwanted eggs if you can breed the eggs to use.

 

It IS an or situation, since there's a big list of different tasks that all lead to the same results.

 

I think some other people need to suggest more list elements, since it seems a bit short right now,

Edited July 18, 2012 by Pokemonfan13

[Dolphinsong]

Because someone getting a single free teleport or a 24 hour goofy scroll background is so awful and unfair to those who can't take two seconds to grab an egg and put it back again, an action that takes a total of about a minute.

 

Eh, I've said my bit, I'll leave it up to others to ponder on.

And how is that helping the overflowing AP issue we have had for a long time now? It only makes it worse actually.

[Pokemonfan13]

That's why I think they should all be "raise x number of this type of blocker" but apparently that is too likely to cause problems with peoples' play styles, which is why angelic came up with all this other stuff.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

And how is that helping the overflowing AP issue we have had for a long time now? It only makes it worse actually.

If an egg is in the AP, it's in the AP. Picking up an egg already sitting in the AP and then putting it right back doesn't make the situation worse in any way. It's the same old AP as always.

 

Not to mention that if other people do choose to do the more energy-intensive goals that require actually raising dragons, they might get some of those from the AP, which should actually be helpful.

 

Also thanks PF, I'm glad I make sense to someone, haha. ^^

Edited July 18, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy

[stogucheme]

I like the idea! And I do think the reward should be getting a dragon of some sort. It can even be just an uncommon, or a 'common' that's rare in the cave (like Seasonals).

 

@Dolphinsong: No one is trying to punish anyone for not doing X. In fact, it's quite the reverse. Right now, users are forced to hunt in the cave or trade on the forums for precious eggs. This would give people who suck at hunting/trading an equal chance to catch things. (And if you remark, "Well, that's just part of the game!" then I would like to remind you that that does not make it fair, and THIS would be part of the game, were it accepted.)

 

Other Options:

-breed/raise an inbred dragon

-breed/raise a 13 gen dragon (since only 13 generations show up on the lineage page at once)

-breed/raise a hybrid dragon

-breed/raise two hybrids together

-breed/raise a PB egg of X breed

-have all types of dragons

-have all types of X (Halloween, Christmas, Tinsel, etc.) dragons

-have all dragons that are found exclusively in the Coast/Desert/etc.

[Dolphinsong]

I seriouslly do NOT want any 'required number of generation bred' requirements as part of any goal. Not everyone grabs and keeps eggs from the AP, perfering CBs and there are those like me who most of their dragons is at most, a third gen. I don't want to go hunting the AP for anything with such a high gen just to try and breed a required 13th gen for a goal.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

I seriouslly do NOT want any 'required number of generation bred' requirements as part of any goal. Not everyone grabs and keeps eggs from the AP, perfering CBs and there are those like me who most of their dragons is at most, a third gen. I don't want to go hunting the AP for anything with such a high gen just to try and breed a required 13th gen for a goal.

You seem to keep ignoring the fact that 1) these goals are all optional and 2) if you get an undesirable goal you can simply shuffle to get a new one.

[Dolphinsong]

Its better to have it so the MAJORITY of players can at least do the goals, not a small selection of them. High generation requirements is not something most players can aquire nor breed that easily themselves as refusals occur more often the higher generation the mate is.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

Its better to have it so the MAJORITY of players can at least do the goals, not a small selection of them. High generation requirements is not something most players can aquire nor breed that easily themselves as refusals occur more often the higher generation the mate is.

I fail to believe that your statement about higher gens refusing more often is true, considering my high gen metals are much happier breeders than my CB ones. Especially since your initial objection was 'but I don't want high gens on my scroll' rather than them being hard to obtain.

 

I think almost all of the ideas thus proposed are quite open to most players. Considering I tend to see very few people with strict limits for what they want on their scrolls, even more so. If you'd like to propose some ideas you find appealing instead of simply nitpicking at ours, though, I'd be happy to hear them.

Edited July 18, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy

[Dolphinsong]

I don't mind goals such as 'Breed x many of this breed of dragon' as one doesn't have to keep the resulting egg as it would count as being a sucessful breeding as the egg DOES exist, just not on your scroll. If the goal requires raising a certain number of dragons to adulthood, then do not have a time limit on them at all. This would allow those with stricter goals to complete said quest when new releases occur.

[stogucheme]

I don't mind goals such as 'Breed x many of this breed of dragon' as one doesn't have to keep the resulting egg as it would count as being a sucessful breeding as the egg DOES exist, just not on your scroll. If the goal requires raising a certain number of dragons to adulthood, then do not have a time limit on them at all. This would allow those with stricter goals to complete said quest when new releases occur.

There's a time limit? I thought that you could keep the goals you got?

[Vhale]

What might need clarification. It's not clear if you are talking of existing eggs or a brand new egg. IE, if these quests were simply an alternate means of getting a gold, they only add another method of getting the same end result and nothing new. If they were the only way to get some new thing (a GON type dragon) then they become a means to an end. Personally, I read them as a new way to get a gold, not introducing a new GON type dragon. I think Dolphin's reading them as the opposite.

 

That does bring up one thing though, rares, ie golds, are bred to hell and back. I'm not sure quests would be able to coexist happily with how ratios work. IE, if questy things were too easy, would we have the ratios so far out of whack breeding and cave drops would stop?

[Millennium07]

I'm kind of in the middle. On the one hand, I have a very strict limit on my scroll in that I only have as many Dragons as their are genders x2. In other words, I have only 4 Magi Dragons (2 Adults, 2 Hatchlings), I will only ever have 4 Magi Dragons. Wheras for the single-gender Dinos, or the restricted Holidays, I have only 2. Asking me to raise an Earth Dragon only to release it would be unfair, as I already have my 4 Earth Dragons, and I dislike having to needlessly release Dragons on my scroll.

However, I appreciate that they are optional. And, honestly, as long as the prizes are silly like a background or a extra-use of BSA then I woulden't care either way, as I woulden't use it. But if the prize were a trophy then I would be very displeased, as I also aim to collect all of the trophies I can (I've already missed out on the Carrot Cave one and do not intend to miss out on any more). And, obviously, as has been said before, TJ has vetoed spontaneous egg creation, so rares coulden't be the prize either. I guess for me it would depend on how it were handeled.

[Fuzzbucket]

And, honestly, as long as the prizes are silly like a background or a extra-use of BSA then I wouldn't care either way, as I wouldn't use it. But if the prize were a trophy then I would be very displeased, as I also aim to collect all of the trophies I can (I've already missed out on the Carrot Cave one and do not intend to miss out on any more). And, obviously, as has been said before, TJ has vetoed spontaneous egg creation, so rares couldn't be the prize either. I guess for me it would depend on how it were handled.

This. As long as it doesn't actually affect normal play, I couldn't care less, but if it became something someone playing in their own sweet way will then lose out on - no.

[stogucheme]

This. As long as it doesn't actually affect normal play, I couldn't care less, but if it became something someone playing in their own sweet way will then lose out on - no.

Fuzzy, I'll quote what I wrote earlier:

Right now, users are forced to hunt in the cave or trade on the forums for precious eggs. This would give people who suck at hunting/trading an equal chance to catch things.

I know this forum is big on doing things yourself, and earning your way up, and being patient and all, but this would be doing things yourself and earning your way up. This method would allow people who don't use the forums, or suck at hunting/trading, or have lousy connections get the eggs they want. And I don't find a problem with that.

 

This wouldn't make anyone lose out on anything- they could catch the eggs in the cave or trade for them. It'd just be an alternate method of acquiring the eggs.

[Millennium07]

This wouldn't make anyone lose out on anything- they could catch the eggs in the cave or trade for them. It'd just be an alternate method of acquiring the eggs.

Yeah. So, what if I want a Silver, or a Chicken. I'm Borderline Autistic, so trading is out, and I'm also a 2nd-Year College Student, so I can't hunt as much as others either. Why should other people get eggs for raising cave blockers, or shoving them into the wilderness (which doesn't count towards the ratios), when guys like me have to work damn hard to stalk the cave for them? Stalking the cave for eggs is PART OF THE GAME. If some people can't be arsed then go play some other game.

And besides, that would count as Spontaneous Egg Creation. I much preffer the suggestion for diff. backgrounds or temp. dress ups. Silly little things just for fun that doesn't mean players like myself lose out.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

I still prefer the idea of small goofy things as rewards (or at least only very tiny helpful things like one-time BSA use) to eggs. As has been made really clear, people are going to shriek unfair if there's some truly nice bonus to doing the quests, so it's best to just stick with small prizes.

[Fuzzbucket]

Yeah. So, what if I want a Silver, or a Chicken. I'm Borderline Autistic, so trading is out, and I'm also a 2nd-Year College Student, so I can't hunt as much as others either. Why should other people get eggs for raising cave blockers, or shoving them into the wilderness (which doesn't count towards the ratios), when guys like me have to work damn hard to stalk the cave for them? Stalking the cave for eggs is PART OF THE GAME. If some people can't be arsed then go play some other game.

And besides, that would count as Spontaneous Egg Creation. I much preffer the suggestion for diff. backgrounds or temp. dress ups. Silly little things just for fun that doesn't mean players like myself lose out.

Exactly. If rares become achievable by something many of us don't want to do, they will reduce the numbers available in the "ordinary" way.

Silly little things - sure

[Ember_Silverly]

I really fail to understand how adding new features to a game will force someone to change the way the game is played. Games regularly get tweaked, updated, and changed. Rule sets change and new items and ideas are added. Take the recent example of Diablo III. That game has been tweaked many times and is consistently changing the way the players play the game. I hear people complain that the changes aren't doing enough or aren't consistent, but I never hear them complain that Diablo is forcing them to change their play style. I tend to find this argument invalid because, technically, any game forces you to play in a certain style, that's why it is a game and not chaos.

 

Either way, I like all the ideas that are presented so far. Either as a way to catch existing rares or a new one, or as a way to get silly things for our scrolls. Anything that helps ease the perpetual burden of cave-blockers get a big 'yes' me. Plenty of other games are adding achievement-like things to them so I think it would be cool if Dragoncave did it as well. It certainly works to help players hold interest over a longer period of time (another complaint I've seen on the board). We even already have precedent for this in the form of trophies for collecting x number of dragons.

 

However, Dolphinsong does have a point that one way to get rid of cave blockers is to create hybrid dragons that use existing ones as base. That certainly does seem to be effective from what we've seen so far. However, I do not think this is the only way to get rid of cave blockers (nor do I think by itself, it is enough).

 

[angelicdragonpuppy]

However, Dolphinsong does have a point that one way to get rid of cave blockers is to create hybrid dragons that use existing ones as base. That certainly does seem to be effective from what we've seen so far. However, I do not think this is the only way to get rid of cave blockers (nor do I think by itself, it is enough).

While hybrids do create an effect on their parent breed's popularity at the beginning, from what I've seen it's a very short effect. Spitfires are still sitting around the cave, and old hybrid-makers like stones are most definitely not high on people's priority lists (if how long they sit is any indication Dx). Thus I agree that extra fun stuff to prompt users to get more AP stuff would be nice. Yah, there are things on the forums that are user-organized that do so, but one actually in-cave would be grand. I tend not to join the forum ones because I feel there's too much competition/rules/craziness to get a reward.

 

And again, most of these things wouldn't even require dragon rearing. You have ones that'll appeal to people with strict scroll goals (or, y'know, at least not be hard or negative for them to do), and you have ones that more relaxed people could in theory fulfill by AP-hunting and raising. Sounds good to me.

[Tiki G]

As far as I can tell, from many of the new updates, DC has been requiring players to change their style of play all the time. Teleport was a biggie. There were still quite a few users who were against it but it still happened. It forced a user to pick up a dragon that they might not want in order to trade or gift anymore.

Same with summoning. Summoning is basically the same as this quest suggestion. You have to pick up 3 different dragons in order to get a rare. And now that it's being updated that your chances are uped every new pair of Trios, it is forcing people to pick up more and more of a dragon they might not want in order to have a good chance at summoning this rare egg. I haven't heard any complaints about that yet though.

 

This is entirely optional. You can either hunt in the cave and catch your own CB Rare, you can get together a nice trade and get a CB Rare through trade, or you can complete one of these quests and get a CB Rare. You are given the option to chose however you want to get your rare. If you are willing to collect 100 CB Pebbles in order to get a CB Silver then good for you. If you are willing to sit in the cave for hours and hours just to maybe catch a glimpse of a CB Silver and finally manage to catch one after years of looking, then good for you. If you manage to trade for a 2nd Gen Tinsel by catching (and trading the offspring of) a Holly then trading the Tinsel's offspring for a CB Silver, then good for you.

(All of these are true examples. Things I have done. Except for the Pebble part obviously.)

 

So the way I see it, this is the same as summon. You must collect a certain amount of certain breeds in order to get a CB Rare. You are not forced to do so. If you don't like Ice Dragons, you don't have to collect it. But you will not get the chance of getting a GoN. Something you cannot get any other way. If you don't want to collect more than 2 Pebble Dragons then you do not have the chance of getting a free CB Silver. But you are more than free to catch/trade for one yourself.

 

Like others have mentioned, this is already happening on the forums. Threads where users have to raise x amount of dragons to get nice Rares. No one is forced to do this. But if they do, they get rewarded. If they don't want to, they can skim right over that thread and go about their day.

 

 

 

Of course this suggestion would need a lot of fine tuning and certain rules. But I think it has potential.

[angelicdragonpuppy]

While I don't mind 'collect X of this caveblocker breed' quests, I do hope they're not the only sort. If the quest is always 'go fetch 100 stones!' or something similiar than they're going to be very boring and very similiar to current user-run reward systems.

 

Of course, if we went with some of the suggestions already made, you'd have to do multiples to get a rare, seeing as some are much easier than others. Perhaps 100 or 150 goals completed per rare?

 

...Although I'm still not sure how I feel about rare eggs as prizes. Iunno. I know we already have things like Trios summoning and such, but somewhere on this forum (unless I've been badly misled?) it's still stated that we should avoid new spontaneous egg creation requests. And--again, maybe just me--but I feel like CB Silvers/Golds are still rarer than 100 Stones. I could raise 100 Stones and not see a CB Metal in the cave once. So I guess I'd want the reward ramped to a really super high level of points required... but I'd also like the more mundane, silly rewards at the lower levels. If the only reward is one a year's worth of questing away, then I might just not bother.

Edited July 18, 2012 by angelicdragonpuppy