2012-10-30 - Halloween Update

[DragonWolf256]

Unfortunately, even knowing about the hurricane isn't always enough.

 

News broke this morning that the levee in NJ broke and just last night the transformer in NYC exploded, leaving half the city without power. This adds a lot of users affected by things not in our control and leaves tons of people without power that did previously have it.

 

~

 

I didn't even mention people who are dealing with flooding issues earlier, either. This is no small deal.

 

This is a huuuuge hurricane. Probably the worst since Katrina. The damage has been extensive. Can't we just extend a little courtesy to these users and wait for them to enjoy the event with us? 3=

 

Won't it be more fun to have the dragon released to us all at the same time? A lot of the fun of these DC events is the community. All of us discovering things at once and the excited chatter brought on by the adrenaline of the event? That's a lot of what makes it fun. I'd love to give a chance to the whole community to participate in it. <3

 

 

 

I cut it out because I was not replying to it there. But see above, please.

As has been previously mentioned, Halloween is about the Greed. Moving the drop to Saturday, while a nice gesture, in reality will probably not help most in Hurricane Sandy's path. If the storm is moving as slow as is reported on the West Coast, the tenth may be a better bet, or even later.

 

Just saying a drop tomorrow and one in a week or so, with breed limits for the time being, may be the best thing.

[Shihaya]

Could people who have not just been hit by what's probably the worst Hurricane in recent history please shut up about "unfair" and "they made plans"?

I guess people affected by Sandy made plans, too, like surviving, not drowning, getting food, saving their most precious posessions...

[kokoro456]

Why not have the two days and put a limit of how many eggs people can get so it would be fair for the word you guys forgetting here, EVERYONE. Both people who weren't affected and people who were would have the same number of 2012 Halloween dragons, then everyone would be happy.

[AngelKitty]

I'm sad to see so many demands this have been announced earlier or it be changed because people had already rearranged their schedule for this and now can't make it. There are people whose lives are in danger from this natural disaster. People who could face extensive property damage and the time and money that comes with that if they make it out okay. That's not something they can help. Your schedule is. And we did receive warning that things could change if necessary because of Hurricane Sandy.

 

God, THIS.

 

Also, I'm pretty sure TJ lives on the east coast, since cave time = EST. So, you know, maybe he or his family or friends are being affected by the hurricane too. Don't know if they are, but it's something to consider.

[pinkgothic]

I have one question and I'd really like to hear an answer:

 

Let's imagine, this hurricane wouldn't hit the US American east coast, and half of, e.g. Japan would be without power for the 31st.

Would the drop of the new eggs also be delayed?

 

If not, we do have a whole new level of injustice here.

As someone who doesn't live in the USA: I don't think that would be an injustice. The majority of Dragon Cave's player base just happens to be from the USA, so USA events will have a greater impact on the community than events anywhere else in the world.

[Tiki G]

I'm surprised people are actually getting upset about this...

 

Thank you TJ. I just got power back a few minutes ago. Don't know how long it will stay on. I'm so glad that now I'll have a chance at getting the new Halloween dragons though.

[panic siren]

Yes, I am a bit disappointed, but Yes, I do think it is a thoughtful gesture. While I believe that perhaps a two day event would have been more beneficial to all parties involved (aren't the christmas drops 3 days to accommodate travel plans or whatever?) . I too am focused on the line about further changes possibly being needed.

 

Living in a Hurricane prone state where we know what to expect and how to (more or less) efficiently deal with mass power outages, and have the resources to do so - some of the last storms that have gone through here, power was knocked out from two weeks to over a month depending on the area, the wiring, etc.

 

That's coming from a state who has dealt with storms on a regular basis.

 

There really is no one way to win this. Do not be surprised if we'll be celebrating Hallow-Christmas - I can imagine it will be 2-3+ weeks for some to get power back, if not more.

 

My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have/still are enduring Sandy.

[Ashtoret]

Could people who have not just been hit by what's probably the worst Hurricane in recent history please shut up about "unfair" and "they made plans"?

I guess people affected by Sandy made plans, too, like surviving, not drowning, getting food, saving their most precious posessions...

Yeah... as if they'd worry about catching eggs on the 3rd then...

Edited October 30, 2012 by Ashtoret

[Anna Selka]

I have one question and I'd really like to hear an answer:

 

Let's imagine, this hurricane wouldn't hit the US American east coast, and half of, e.g. Japan would be without power for the 31st.

Would the drop of the new eggs also be delayed?

 

If not, we do have a whole new level of injustice here.

Let's face it, there would be absolutely no delay. And yes, I do think that sometimes people forget that this game is played worldwide. (However I will give TJ credit, because he always tries to avoid obvious cultural references and to make the game enjoyable by everyone.)

 

That being said, I understand why the release is pushed back and I agree that it's a good idea. But I think announcing the delay so late does put many people in an uncomfortable position. Thankfully I am free on Saturday, but that may not have been the case, and I really feel for those that have prior commitments. I support their right to express their frustration.

 

As hard as it may be to hear, yes, a majority of people aren't affected by Sandy, and yes, the argument used to justify the delay can be used against it too, like it or not. The most reasonable solution is to give both these groups an opportunity : having the drops last two days is not such a big deal and peace would be restored. The drop could be coded so that if you catch a dragon on one given day, you can only catch Halloween eggs on that day. This way, everyone gets a one day drop, just spread over two days.

 

[Duysterwald]

1. I live in Western Europe, so I am not affected by hurricane Sandy at all. The egg drop delay doesn't affect me: I would have been able to catch 7 Halloween eggs on October 31, but I will also be able to do so on November 3rd. So where Halloween 2012 eggs are concerned, it doesn't matter to me. The delay has an advantage for me, though, but in an other area: it gives me more time to collect old Halloweens: I can now get more of them than I had previously planned.

 

2. I certainly believe (and have no doubt whatsoever) that TJ made this decision out of sympathy and concern for those affected by hurricane Sandy.

 

3. While people's complaints about schedules are understandable in a way, I do think pixels and messed up schedules aren't as important as the well-being of human lives. We all value human life, yes? And we can all agree that human lives are more important than pixels and something as mundane as schedules, yes? Well then, the point is moot. Just a matter of seeing things in perspective and knowing what true priorities are in particular circumstances. And a matter of just being grateful that all YOU have to worry about is something as mundane as schedules, rather than your well-being or the huge personal monetary cost of being affected by something serious. ...You know, if I'm perfectly honest, sometimes I think people these days are too spoiled/pampered and too removed from reality to really know what things are truly important anymore. Just one of those side-effects of postmodern life, I guess....

 

4. However, despite all of the above, I must state that I do find this delay an itty little bit hypocritical (guess I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here). I mean... if there was no hurricane Sandy in the USA right now, but a disaster like the 2004 tsunami disaster happened again right now in Asia, would TJ have delayed the egg drop out of sympathy for the affected DC players in Asia? Or, what about the 2009 snow storm (which left people stranded in other countries) that I hear people talking about on IRC? People on IRC said that they complained about it to TJ at the time but he wouldn't delay an egg drop for them. So, what message does this Halloween delay of today send to those abroad? Is only the hurt of Americans important enough? Are DC players from other parts of the world just second-rate 'citizens' of the DC world? Dragon Cave is clearly an international community, so to prioritise only one nationality would kind of reek of "favouritism" (if you see what I mean). So, what I'm saying is... if TJ is all about fairness, then he should act the same when similar disasters happen abroad during a major DC holiday. Today's delay should kind of be a precedent in that regard. I'm not saying that DC stuff should always be postponed in case of a disaster - only when there's a DC holiday event, because those holiday dragons can only be obtained once a year. Other breed releases aren't worth postponing, because they'll be available all year round. So, my point in a nutshell: if you're gonna be fair, then be fair all the way, and not just half the way.

 

That's all that I wanted to say, I think. For the rest, I hope that hurricane Sandy will be over soon and that those affected by it will survive it unscathed.

[Akrona]

glad to hear it! a lot of people i know won't have power for at least another few days.

[Inutomaru]

Why not have the two days and put a limit of how many eggs people can get so it would be fair for the word you guys forgetting here, EVERYONE. Both people who weren't affected and people who were would have the same number of 2012 Halloween dragons, then everyone would be happy.

Adding a limit to Halloween Dragons, the one Holiday Dragon that does /not/ hat a limit, is a whole 'nother can of worms to open.

That would anger users more, splitting the days AND having a limit.

 

It is PLENTY fair for TJ to have pushed the date back so that the east coast and other areas affected by the storm, (Which, have you seen recently? It is HUGE, covering areas further than the east coast.) PLENTY of time to catch the eggs or recieve them from another source.

[Twilight Dream]

I have one question and I'd really like to hear an answer:

 

Let's imagine, this hurricane wouldn't hit the US American east coast, and half of, e.g. Japan would be without power for the 31st.

Would the drop of the new eggs also be delayed?

 

If not, we do have a whole new level of injustice here.

Pfft, sorry to be a pain etc to everyone...but I'd like to know the answer too. Of course, everyone will say "yes" now, anyways. But the real truth? Maybe we should look to the past, instead.

[Fuzzbucket]

Anyway, I hope everyone just stays safe! The safety of people is a lot more important than an event on a gaming site. <3

THIS ! (And I am not affected and have organised my life around tomorrow too.) I believe the word is sheesh. There are gifting threads all ready for those affected by the date change - as there were when we thougt the issue would be the people in the storm area.

 

I assume that zombies will happen tonight, but if someone wants to test that out for us and let us know later, that'd be nice. =p

I will report back. Though judging by my prowess on that from last year, mine will likely all crumble either way

 

But I have to try, as my tombstones will go away tomorrow so what else can I do....

 

 

[toddfan]

I live in the UK here, so obviously I'm not personally affected by the hurricane at all. But I'm really disappointed in some of the userbase here screaming about what an 'injustice' it is.

 

People's lives, their homes and their livelihoods. These things are far more important than collectable pixilated dragons. Pixilated dragons aren't real, you guys. People are.

 

Let's try to remember that, shall we?

[carmen8386]

thank you TJ...after going through the last two days of the most horrific weather conditions and now busy with clean up after the storm and busy helping find lost pets i was afraid that i would miss the halloween drops this year...i was lucky i didnt lose power during sandy though my house has major damage and flooding everywhere around me

 

thank you again TJ

[xxBurningxx]

...Sorry if this is already answered, but Zombie revival attempts will still be going on tomorrow, right?

[HeatherMarie]

I can't believe all the "unfair" talk going on here. It's.... horrible.

 

TJ is trying to help the many, MANY users who are being affected by this horrible storm. How is that "unfair"?

 

We ALL still get 24 hours to catch eggs. I don't care what "plans" you have, if you want those eggs you can find 10 minutes in those 24 hours to grab them. 24 hours is a LOT of time to be able to grab eggs. No one, *no one* works 24 hours, or has every single minute of a 24 hour day taken up. Grab on your lunch break. Get up earlier then usual and grab then. Grab while your kids are playing. Grab whenever you can. 24 hours is PLENTY of time, no matter what the actual date.

[cottondragon]

Could people who have not just been hit by what's probably the worst Hurricane in recent history please shut up about "unfair" and "they made plans"?

I guess people affected by Sandy made plans, too, like surviving, not drowning, getting food, saving their most precious posessions...

THIS, 100 times! I can't believe how selfish and thoughtless some of you lot are! People have DIED, people have lost their homes and you go complaining that about a little gesture that tries to give a TINY bit of comfort for those who have had probably the worst days in their life?!? Gosh what a sick world, full of spoiled brats *sorry, but this makes me SO angry*

[xxBurningxx]

...Sorry if this is already answered, but Zombie revival attempts will still be going on tomorrow, right?

[LyricShadowcrow]

I understand the delay and am disappointed as well. However I think that with a super storm like Sandy hitting the East Coast things need to be considered. I start volunteering at a dog rescue center on the 3rd. I will hopefully be able to hunt in the evening after work.

 

For those that are being affected by Sandy I wish you all the best of luck and take care!

[Lady_DragonRider]

Thank you for letting us know.

TJ said everything else is the same, just the new dragon drop has changed.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Lady_DragonRider

[Pixxelation]

But we can't enjoy it as a community if half of us have scheduling issues that prevent them from getting the dragons. I'll be fine, but Iworry about others with scheduling issues. In addition, I love my dragons to have specific dates, so it's a bit of a let down not to have them say "Caught on 10/31/12"

[smurfettedoesnotshare]

Ok, first off, I'd like to say I think it's a nice gesture, and I support it. Secondly, I doubt there will be 2 days of drops because that sets a nasty precedent for multiple holiday drops.

 

Now the two issues I have with this are:

1. Power.There's absolutely no way they're going to have power restored to more than 10% of the affected areas in 3 days, especially not with a flooded substation, 2 closed nuclear power plants and the one one place that caught fire. I've grown up with hurricanes, and you're looking at 7 days - 3 weeks, at least. So, will we have the Halloween drop on Thanksgiving?

 

2. The feel-good kumbaya attitude vs. the grabby hands attitude. Yes, we all want eggs, but there are plenty of people who cannot grab an egg for themselves even if they sit at the cave all 24 hours of the drop. No exceptions are made for them. It's not fair to you to postpone it? Oh well. New releases happen all the time without warning and TJ just gave you 3 days warning for this one. I've been part of relief efforts, if someone lost their home, they probably also lost their laptop. Delaying it just so, "They can all be with us," is a silly expectation. Red Cross doesn't hand out laptops in their kits, so they still won't be with us. There were fatalities. Do you really think someone's going to appreciate the gesture of holding a drop for them after they've lost their homes, worldly possessions or a loved one? I certainly wouldn't.

 

Not trying to be rude, but I had to say something. Again, it's a nice gesture, but ultimately just that.

 

Edit: I can't spell worth a darn today.

Edited October 30, 2012 by smurfettedoesnotshare

[KrazyKarp]

-comment removed - ruby

 

Anyways, I'm curious about Zombies, too...

Edited October 30, 2012 by rubyshoes