Re-Event

[Pokemonfan13]

No, I was thinking more along the lines of:

 

(assuming theres a 2013 hunt) collect all eggs. go to basket and there could be a note that says "You seem to have missed some 2012 eggs, click here to hunt" which would open up the 2012 easter egg hunting instance.

when you get all those, if theres still time, have the message pop up with 2011, 2010, 2009. There is no way that anyone is going to get EVERYTHING that was released during one event window, but just having the chance might be enough. The reasoning for doing it in reverse is simple: way less likely to get the 2009 eggs if you missed three years of events, therefore you have to wait until the following easter (2014) to try again.

 

Priority for hunting needs to go towards /current/ event. Once current event stuff is done, why not have the remaining time to hunt older stuff. Its more ads being loaded for TJ (because some of us are crazy and do load ads.)

I like what you suggested. I was talking to the "lag" people where you do last years hunt instead of this years hunt. Well, what if you participated in last years but didn't have enough time to collect everything?

[Tawanda001]

But... people do try for Olympic golds across multiple years. Phelps has 19 medals now? The main limitation is their own physical ability to compete. It's not that the event isn't there anymore.

Yeah, but they're trying for the current medal. If Phelps tore a rotator cuff and had to drop out you don't think he'd be asking for do-overs after he healed do you? One shot at this years medals and that's it, no matter how many times we have the Olympics.

Sometimes you just accept that you missed out.

 

Honestly I went to work pretty darn tired a few times because I stayed up too late hunting DC Easter eggs and H'ween candy (Shhhhh....don't tell my boss). I put up with with that inconvenience, making a special effort to get everything back when it was available. Now you want to go back and "fix" it because some people think it wasn't fair they weren't around for it?

[KageSora]

But... people do try for Olympic golds across multiple years. Phelps has 19 medals now? The main limitation is their own physical ability to compete. It's not that the event isn't there anymore.

Sorry, I got a little distracted so I didn't explain it as well as I meant.

 

I meant more like if they offered you a chance to, say, perform again for the judges from the previous time's event, and they'd compare you to video footage from the last event, and then they'd give you a gold if they thought you did better than the winning team did last year. In addition to, or instead of, actually competing in the current events.

 

Tawanda put it better, I think.

 

 

Kagesora: having it only be able to happen during events, after current years event has been finished, within the remaining time frame of the event, with the missing years in reverse order isnt difficult enough? I really dont believe anyone could get multiple years worth of easter egg hunting done in the time window. Its only a few days long, and it looks like we average roughly 43 eggs for the easter event. one egg every 10 minutess or however long it is between eggs.. it doesnt leave enough time for people to get /everything/. The 12 days of christmas thing for example... if there was an event like that going on.. you wouldnt get the chance to do old event stuff until the last day. It doesnt leave much time, therefore, will be a much harder challenge than we dealt with.

Depends on the person and the reason they don't have the other ones.

 

 

Last event there were 42 eggs, if I just counted mine right. Let's say each egg took 10 minute to appear. That's 420 minutes, or 7 hours. In three days, there are 72 hours, which leaves 65 hours if you manage to get each egg on the dot when it appears (assuming it took exactly 10 minutes per egg).

 

Even if we assume a window of 20 minutes to allow for distraction and such, that's only 14 hours if I'm doing my math right. Which still leaves 58 hours.

 

Obviously, if a person has a lot of family time then it's harder work--which is the same problem they run into now.

 

But, if they're like me and have a lot of free time during those times, they can fairly easily get at least 2 years' worth. (I'm not very social, we have events at my house/places I can get Internet, and I don't sleep as much as I should).

 

And if I work, I can at least probably get a year and a half completed, and then it's just a waiting game and the next year same thing if my life hasn't changed too much.

 

So, really, it's only hard work if they're running into the exact same problem that's causing people to want this in the first place. Otherwise, for people like me, it's easy.

[Sir Barton]

I actually wouldn't be in favor of re-events. Since they are year and/or holiday specific, it seems pointless to offer them after their time has passed. It is a testimony to how much time a play has spent on the site. For some of us it's a testimony to not having much of a life which can kinda make having all the badges a bit sad when you think about it.

 

I'm in favor of leaving the historical value intact by not re-releasing old event items and just continue to look forward to future events.

 

If it happens, fine it just seems that there are better things to focus on.

[Lythiaren]

So... given a user who missed out on, say, a chunk of Easter one year due to family obligations, and assuming their situation hasn't changed significantly (ie. no sudden emergencies or other life-changing circumstances, so they're still visiting relatives or having Easter egg hunts and generally having RL fun instead of sitting in front of a computer spamming F5 like a well-trained lab rat pressing a lever for bonus food pellets)... what makes you think this theoretical user would be on during a following Easter for long enough to complete the current year and get into retroactive collection? They'd just build up a backlog. And then they'd either feel pressured to clear in subsequent years, or stop caring about "finishing" an event because "I'll pick it back up next year".

 

On one hand lies undue stress, on the other lies apathy. Neither one sounds particularly appealing if you ask me. Except the part where they get to have fun away from the computer. I don't get nearly enough of that.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Lythiaren

[Fuzzbucket]

Reading the latest posts I suddenly have this sick feeling....

 

LAG ????? It is bad enough over holidays as it is.... especially for those (NOT ME !) with rubbish connections who work their butts off trying to get THIS year's stuff.... There is lag already when we are all hunting eggs and decorations and so on... would it get worse if past ones were included ?

[Moonlightelf]

Re-releasing events is, in my opinion, stupid. Lets take an example from conventions. Say... AnimeExpo, ComicCon, SakuraCon, AnimeCon... Just pick one convention that comes into your mind.

 

Now, they are annual events, alright. There's a lot of people. They went all the trouble to get into there. And the arrangers of the events also spent all the time and did the effort to get that up. Cosplayers are ready with their costumes and all...

For some reason, you miss the convention. You really wanted to go there, but there came up something else. Or your parents decided that it's good to spend more time with them. Or are concerned that something happened to you. Again, pick a reason you missed the convention.

 

The convention goes past.

And next year there is another one then with different theme.

Month later you would have some time. The missed convention bugs you, since you weren't there. Would you go all the trouble to contact the people setting it up to set it up again just for you, inviting all the people to the event again, asking the performers/cosplay-contestants/lecturers/etc back there and do everything else just because you or small amount of people missed it?

 

While the events of DC aren't the same as conventions... But...

• They were limited.

  They were going for several days. Most people aren't spending 5 days at another place during holiday. But if you did, too bad. You decided to go there. Or your guardians decided that for you. DC isn't responsible for your or your parents decisions.

• They were unique.

  The sprites are done and released to be admired by other people. And people are "Wow, look at that! That's awesome!" because it is something new and shiny. Someone, who missed the event, can never get that feeling of "Wow! Awesome new shiny things!" if the event is re-released. They have seen them already. Why bother then?

• The event ended nicely and was a success.

  There might have been a tiny problem, but that's it. And people liked it and talk about it for a little while. Some are disappointed, and others are happy. Some are unhappy since they missed it. There is always next year with something possibly even more amazing stuff and you possibly won't miss that then, right? And then you can plan things ahead. You have a whole year to plan how the next year's event will go for you!

• Disappointment also belongs into holidays.

  I am sure that everyone has been disappointed (if they haven't, then they will be) at some point on the holiday, when there wasn't exactly what you wanted inside the present box. Or someone's boyfriend/girlfriend breaks up on Valentine's day (ouch). Maybe the Halloween costume wasn't as comfortable to wear as it looked like. Or maybe you couldn't participate into something because you were grounded by your parents (and that one definitely isn't DC's fault that you did something stupid to earn it.)

• They were... pixels.

  You are sad because you missed some pixels? Tough luck. There is always next year though. Then you possibly get even prettier pixels, right?

So my advice over the matter is... get over it and let someone else have their special feeling. I am sure that you will eventually get your special feeling too at some point. Edited August 2, 2012 by Moonlightelf

[inlaterdays]

Well, what we're aiming for is that the events themselves would be redone--in a sense.

 

You know how there were different ornaments for this year's Easter Egg hunt as opposed to last years? What I'm shooting for is that the first time a person participated in the Easter Egg hunt, they'd be able to collect the first set, and then next year the next set, etc etc...

Thanks for explaining! I see what you are getting at now.

 

I still see logistical problems with this, though I don't have any personal objection to people being allowed to get badges after events - I just can't think of a practical way to accomplish it.

 

Would the person trying to collect the badge from the previous year have to choose between participating in the current year's event or the last year's one? Would they be allowed to do two at once (which could be pretty time-consuming)? Or would the current year's event not be open to them until they'd completed the one for the year before (which doesn't seem quite fair)?

 

Also, making multiple events available simultaneously seems like it would involve a lot of work for TJ, and a drain on the servers for those who are hunting for eggs in the cave.

 

Holidays are generally pretty confusing, and while I know those who are suggesting this mean well, I think it might end up causing more problems than it solved.

 

There ARE some badges anyone can get at any time - the trophy for number of dragons and the Magikarp badge. Would it be more practical to suggest increasing the number of trophies any player can work toward rather than repeating badges for special events?

[RainDear]

Depends on the person and the reason they don't have the other ones.

 

 

Last event there were 42 eggs, if I just counted mine right. Let's say each egg took 10 minute to appear. That's 420 minutes, or 7 hours. In three days, there are 72 hours, which leaves 65 hours if you manage to get each egg on the dot when it appears (assuming it took exactly 10 minutes per egg).

 

Even if we assume a window of 20 minutes to allow for distraction and such, that's only 14 hours if I'm doing my math right. Which still leaves 58 hours.

 

Obviously, if a person has a lot of family time then it's harder work--which is the same problem they run into now.

 

But, if they're like me and have a lot of free time during those times, they can fairly easily get at least 2 years' worth. (I'm not very social, we have events at my house/places I can get Internet, and I don't sleep as much as I should).

 

And if I work, I can at least probably get a year and a half completed, and then it's just a waiting game and the next year same thing if my life hasn't changed too much.

 

So, really, it's only hard work if they're running into the exact same problem that's causing people to want this in the first place. Otherwise, for people like me, it's easy.

This would work for people who just missed one or two events, but how unfair would new members find this system if they join 3 or more years too late for the first event? Eventually, they would be so far behind, they wouldn't even try. How fair would that be for them? As others have said, it is not the job of the site or TJ to make everything available to everyone, even attempts to make some things "fair" are doomed to make some people even more unhappy than they were inevitably going to be, anyway. I think the system is already as fair as possible.

[Rally Vincent]

To me, it kinda feels like saying, "Hey, we know you didn't win a gold medal at the last Olympics.  Would you like to re-try to beat the winners last time?  If you do, we'll give you a gold medal, too!"really want this thing I wasn't even a member of your site for.  Can you re-release it for me?"

 

I don't think that example is accurate. The Gold medal is more like a real egg, where there is a competition (with the fastest clicker the "winner"), while easter eggs can be compared to merchandise like pins, buttons, posters, mascot figurines orsomething similar. Nobody would redistribute main game eggs that are already caught, just like Olympic competitions would notbe held again for the same medal. But what's the harm in giving out mascots one more time to those who appreciate them?

 

 

[*]They were... pixels.

You are sad because you missed some pixels? Tough luck. There is always next year though. Then you possibly get even prettier pixels, right?

If they are just pixels, why such a strong opposition? Let them have their possibility to acquire them next year.

 

Events are UNIQUE every year even in the real world, they don't repeat the events exactlly every year nor allow those who missed previous years to 'attend' said events cause said events is long over and won't happen like that again.

Real world events merchandise can be sold (often people acquire those items with the intent to make a fortune out of them since they are limited and collectors will go crazy to complete their collection. In the real world, there is a chance to get those items even after the event has ended. Then, you can always aks someone else to go get them for you, while in DC it isn't allowed to have other users do actions on your scroll. Real world comparions are flawed in my opinion.

 

 

 

So my suggestion for this is: in the case of easter eggs.. lets say this years event was your first time... so just have the previous years show up /under/ the ones you caught this year. Tj probably has them set to show up in a set order, but somehow i dont think it would be that hard to code the site to say "look they want to hunt the 09 eggs, just throw them under this years eggs".

I like this idea. It is a good compromise and will preserve "status" of being a "original" easter egg collector, if that's what some people need.

[stogucheme]

How about this? We have 2 different times for each event, plus do the hunt for 2013, then 2012, etc. eggs thing. Take this year for example. Calendar for reference. Valentine's Day was on a Tuesday. So, from the 10-12, you can choose to hunt Easter eggs, or you can hunt from the 17-19. You cannot hunt at both events.

Then we've got Halloween. (Don't remember if that was a weekend thing; pretend it was.) It's on a Wednesday. From 26-28 or from November 2-4, you can hunt for candy/do the haunted mansion/etc., but you can't do it on both days.

Next is Christmas. Let's pretend it's a 12 day thing always. Christmas is on a Tuesday. From 13-24 or 26- January 6, you can hunt.

 

This will alleviate lag and provide more flexibility and fairness. DC should be a challenging game, not a frustrating one.

[Dolphinsong]

In all fairness, if you miss the event, you miss the event, no 'make up time'. The events are warned weeks in advance and given several days to do said events. That still gives time to do said events even with family pulling you away during the actual day of said holiday.

 

It is unfair to those who DID attend the event to allow one to still get said event items after that peticular event is over. DC is not responsible for you missing the event when it has given fair warning.

Edited August 2, 2012 by Dolphinsong

[stogucheme]

@Dolphinsong & Lythiaren:

Can we at least have 2 times for each event so that in the future we can avoid this and alleviate lag?

My solution will have users spread out more (since you have to choose which time you'll do it) so it alleviates lag and gives them 2 chances to get stuff. This will not give "make-up time," only 2 chances to do each event so that you don't have to schedule your life around a silly computer game. Please, give me a good argument as to why this is bad.

 

Also. You need to decide what side you're on. Do pixels matter, and thus both sides should care about them, or do they not, in which case no one should care that others want them, too?

Edited August 3, 2012 by stogucheme

[Dolphinsong]

Re-releasing events is a big NO in my book, no matter what kind of compermise is made. Even MMO games have ONE TIME ONLY events.

 

World of Warcraft, twice they had an anversity done where those who log in during that week receives a noncombat pet in their mail. One was a Blizzard Cub, another year it was the Onyxia Whelpling. Those who missed out will NEVER receive those items, no matter how much they beg.

 

EverQuest 2 has their own limited events, called Live Events, that run for a set duration and once its over, thats it, it'll never happen again.

 

Guild Wars has their own holiday events, where you can get up to two custome masks, but they never release those masks again after that year's event is over.

 

All three of those games, the event items are basically untradable, meaning they cannot be given/sold to those who missed out. There are games that have limited events that allows trading/selling of those items but they are so expensive the average player cannot afford them.

 

TJ gives us a full week usually for events (Easter hunt being 3 days! THREE), sometimes longer based on how large the event is. The only time he extends it is due to downtime (The second easter hunt on the site infact had several more days added due to site going down several times for several hours)

[stogucheme]

That's nice and all, but...how many players were frustrated by this and left? There's a reason I said screw it with pokemon.

 

Also what about the DC members that don't go on the forums and thus didn't know about it until it happened?

[Dolphinsong]

Again it is not our responsibality nor TJ's as there is a link to the fourms right there on the cave itself. Its the scroll owner's problem as there is a means to check on upcoming and current events going on by going to the fourms. Yes TJ could actually put an announcement on the cave itself if he so wished, but to re-release an event because they didn't go to the fourms to see what is going on isn't his problem.

 

Besides, it is VERY VERY common place for sites such as Magistream, Unicreatures, DragCave, and other similier sites to do things for the holidays. Its almost taken for granted with how often it happens.

Edited August 3, 2012 by Dolphinsong

[rubyshoes]

I've read through the thread and I don't really like the idea of re-releasing events either.

[Lythiaren]

If they left then... tough? If they got frustrated and left, rereleasing anything won't bring them back.

 

If you want another video game example, I returned to Runescape a couple months ago. I missed years worth of holiday events and items. At the end of the day it means I'm never going to have an Eek, or a corgi pet, or a turkey, or the neat cobweb cloak. None of them. Ever. I wasn't there for the event, so I don't deserve to have one. Do they affect gameplay at all aside from being cosmetic items? Not at all. I can't send a pet into battle, the cloak does nothing but look neat. If I asked on the forum for them to rerelease the untradeable holiday rewards. I'd get laughed off and I'd deserve it for acting like I should be treated like a special snowflake.

 

Since each event is built from the ground up (except Easter obviously since there's not much to add to an Easter event) I feel like it cheapens our efforts with subsequent events if we were to re-release. It seems like, for some reason, all the work we've put into organizing an event means nothing because people only want to rush through it to get at a previous year's goodies, so why bother trying to make a better, more interesting event if all the users care about is what came before? What, do you feel like the events are getting worse over time? Are you not entertained?

Edited August 3, 2012 by Lythiaren

[stogucheme]

Again it is not our responsibality nor TJ's as there is a link to the fourms right there on the cave itself. Its the scroll owner's problem as there is a means to check on upcoming and current events going on by going to the fourms. Yes TJ could actually put an announcement on the cave itself if he so wished, but to re-release an event because they didn't go to the fourms to see what is going on isn't his problem.

 

Besides, it is VERY VERY common place for sites such as Magistream, Unicreatures, DragCave, and other similier sites to do things for the holidays. Its almost taken for granted with how often it happens.

Last time I checked, there was no indication of there being news about the cave or anything at the forums link. Nothing tells them, "Hey, even if you don't want an account you should go here to read about new things happening on DC." There is no indication that the forums are required for gameplay at all. When I joined 2 days before V-day, I didn't realize there was a news section, didn't realize DC did a thing for V-day, and missed out on the Alt Sweetlings. The only reason I joined the forums at all was because I was curious.

 

Don't tell me it's their responsibility to magically know that they need to go to the forums, find this magical news section, and check it for when it (very inconsistently) updates, based on one link up top. Are people going to be blamed for not going to the "shop" link as well?

 

Pull the other one.

 

ETA:

Dude, it's common sense that updates are on forums tongue.gif

Then apparently, I don't have common sense. Neither do most scroll users, either- the majority of DC is not on the forums.

Edited August 3, 2012 by stogucheme

[Princess Kiara]

Dude, it's common sense that updates are on forums

[fainewebbe]

In all fairness, if you miss the event, you miss the event, no 'make up time'. The events are warned weeks in advance and given several days to do said events. That still gives time to do said events even with family pulling you away during the actual day of said holiday.

 

It is unfair to those who DID attend the event to allow one to still get said event items after that peticular event is over. DC is not responsible for you missing the event when it has given fair warning.

 

This pretty much sums up exactly how I feel. I've missed plenty of events here, and that's just the way life is. It makes the dragons I have from the events I was here for that much more special to me.

[Princess Kiara]

Yes, I agree! Plus, I'm miserable now because I didn't get the Neptune divine from Howrse's companion journey promo, but if I were to get another chance at it, it would be unfair to those who worked hard for one. It would make Neptune that much less special...

[Dolphinsong]

Dragons from missed events are easy to get (save for Hollies) just not as CBs.

 

Its the goodies themselves I beleive they are wanting to do the re-release event for, which I am against.

[fainewebbe]

Dragons from missed events are easy to get (save for Hollies) just not as CBs.

 

Its the goodies themselves I beleive they are wanting to do the re-release event for, which I am against.

 

Oh, I thought they were wanting CBs of Holidays dragons re-released as well.

 

Either way, I still say no. If you weren't here for it, you miss out. That's why it's an 'event' and not a 'whenever I can make it.'

Edited August 3, 2012 by fainewebbe

[inlaterdays]

Are you not entertained?

...I'm sorry, but this is the best line. ^^^

 

Lythiaren and Dolphinsong make good points - special event items are pretty standard for online games of any sort - even Neopets has them, though I believe those can be sold or traded.

 

As I've said in the past, I am not personally against re-releasing scroll badges, I just honestly can't think of a practical way to do it that wouldn't cause confusion, server lag, and a whole host of potential complications. Not to mention extra work for TJ.

 

No one's come up yet with a way to solve any of the practical problems.

 

I suggested on the last page that maybe there could be more "player does something to get it" badges like the trophies or the Magikarp badge in addition to the event badges - would something like that be doable and would it make people happy?