ANSWERED:Raffle Rethink?

[Cinnamin Draconna]

I'm the exact opposite. I'd love to win just so I COULD breed.. especially for trading purposes. 2nd gen prize eggs are the best trade bait around next to cb metals and NDs.

 

But I would NOT charge an arm and a leg for them. I would take IOUs.. but not for much, because I don't want to wait forever to get my side of the trade. And I would gift if I felt like it.

 

What I woudn't put up with would be begging and/or demands. PMs like that would get blocked and/or reported. But polite, reasonable requests would be answered and filled as bred (depending on the co-operation of the dragons). I'd probably post a waiting list on my website, just so folk would know what was going on and why it was taking so long.

 

The problem as I see it, is that the limited amount of cb prize dragons is what causes the problem. Folk like to complete their scroll goals, and lots of folk want at least a m/f pair of everything. The limited amound of prize dragons makes that almost impossible. So folk want the prize dragons to be bred.. LOTS.. just so they can have prize dragons for their scroll too. It's not that folk are greedy or mean or selfish.. it's the fact that the prize dragons are so limited.

[siliconrose]

This thread has opened my eyes to something I had never realized before. I had always known that winners would be inundated by requesting, begging, demanding pms, and perhaps emails and thought that I would be able to handle that. This thread has made me aware of the scrutiny that the eggs and then dragons as well as the scroll and member are subject to. I find it creepy if not frightening that the dragons are watched and breedings noted, etc. If I became aware of this type of watching on my scroll, it would certainly change my play behavior-hide my scroll, quit the forums, leave my prize unnamed-if I didn't just quit. At this moment, I am not surprised that so many winners left, I am surprised that any stayed.

I stalked the winners of the original contest. I tried to be polite about it -- I favorited a link to their prize dragon, not their scroll, and I never hassled via PM winners who didn't specifically "opt-in" in their signature or posts, but at one point I was trying to build a comprehensive tree of prize offspring. I quickly realized it wasn't feasible. But there was so much competition for offspring; I know I probably missed out on a chance or two of getting a 2nd gen because I had such a strict guideline on my own behavior.

[MedievalMystic]

You have a super-rare limited edition CB dragon that everyone wants an egg from, you're going to get stalked and watched.

 

This idea of stalking winners just boggles my mind. Yeah, I can understand people wanting to see the dragons and checking them out in the beginning when they're released on winners scrolls if TJ didn't put an image of them up himself in a news announcement, but I can't even begin to imagine actually PMing the winner of any contest, be it here or on another game, and begging and/or asking for anything. Ever. I just can't do that. It creeps me out thinking about it. If the winners breed and release eggs into the AP, I'll certainly try and snag them, but that's about the only way I'd get a prize dragon offspring. Watching their scrolls, lurking around all the time in hopes of figuring out when they breed or whatever? >_< Forget it.

[Fuzzbucket]

This idea of stalking winners just boggles my mind. Yeah, I can understand people wanting to see the dragons and checking them out in the beginning when they're released on winners scrolls if TJ didn't put an image of them up himself in a news announcement, but I can't even begin to imagine actually PMing the winner of any contest, be it here or on another game, and begging and/or asking for anything. Ever. I just can't do that. It creeps me out thinking about it. If the winners breed and release eggs into the AP, I'll certainly try and snag them, but that's about the only way I'd get a prize dragon offspring. Watching their scrolls, lurking around all the time in hopes of figuring out when they breed or whatever? >_< Forget it.

Do you never ask anyone to breed anything ? (Just curious...)

[MedievalMystic]

Do you never ask anyone to breed anything ? (Just curious...)

 

No. I never have. lol

 

Edit: There's nothing wrong with PMing someone, especially if they have a note in their siggy saying they don't mind, about breeding you(general you)some egg that you might need for projects, etc, but somehow it seems like a totally different ballgame for prize dragons. Unless a winner plainly had 'YES, PM ME FOR PRIZE DRAGON OFFSPRING' in their signature, I'd never dream of contacting them. Period.

Edited January 4, 2013 by MedievalMystic

[Fuzzbucket]

No. I never have. lol

WOW ! I would be a bit iffy about asking a winner (unless I knew them) but - my apologies to all those people I have asked to....

 

And thanks to all those who did anyway ! Not least TheGrox !

[Evilminion]

While I've always been flattered when somebody PMs me to ask for an offspring from two of my dragons, I'm not usually comfortable doing the same. At least, not when the scroll owner is a stranger; I'd feel weirdly guilty even sending the message!

 

For whatever reason, though, that sense of imposition vanishes if the stranger has dragons with super-goofy names. I guess I figure people like that are just friends I haven't met yet...

[MedievalMystic]

While I've always been flattered when somebody PMs me to ask for an offspring from two of my dragons, I'm not usually comfortable doing the same. At least, not when the scroll owner is a stranger; I'd feel weirdly guilty even sending the message!

 

Yes, exactly!

 

 

For whatever reason, though, that sense of imposition vanishes if the stranger has dragons with super-goofy names.  I guess I figure people like that are just friends I haven't met yet...

 

I love the way you think!

[Fuzzbucket]

While I've always been flattered when somebody PMs me to ask for an offspring from two of my dragons, I'm not usually comfortable doing the same.  At least, not when the scroll owner is a stranger; I'd feel weirdly guilty even sending the message!

 

For whatever reason, though, that sense of imposition vanishes if the stranger has dragons with super-goofy names.    I guess I figure people like that are just friends I haven't met yet...

I'm surprised not to have heard from you..... I speak as the owner of Mouldy Hedgehog and Teeny Weeny Tiny, to name but two... And then there are my pillows...

 

But anyway - I think winners are smart enough not to allow themselves to be harassed, no ? I still think if we don't know how many there are, that makes things easier.... Those who stalk and beg won't know how many they need to look for, and those who don't won't worry anyway !

Edited January 4, 2013 by fuzzbucket

[Emeraldmay]

What if the prize dragon was like the frills - will breed it's mate's breed but not it's own? That way nobody else would be able to get the sprite, but they could get the 2G's from it, a bit like spriter's alts? You could still get a good price for them and all, you could still collect them, but they wouldn't be an ultra new breed so that would cut the rush for them a bit. (IMO at least)

 

Other than that, I think this thread is jumping the gun a bit, so will continue to lurk

[fuzzzzj]

Here is my 2 cents about having prize dragons being unbreedables.

 

I would not like it one bit. If I don't win I would gladly pick up a messy lineaged distant offspring of whatever dragon to slowly complete my sprite collection and to just hoard stuff. But if they were unbreedables I would probably never get one and that would make me very sad because I could never satisfy my collecting tendency or ever breed it possibly. That's when I don't win.

 

Here is if I win:

I check my e-mail it has the magic instructions on how to claim and I follow them and I eventually get my egg. Then I would go nuts for 2 hours.

 

Once I hatch it and it grows up this would happen:

"Hey it grew up !"

*2 minutes later of happiness*

"So what should I breed it with and to who?"

*Some time investigating stuff later*

"Alright I'll breed it with this dragon!"

*Clicks actions and no breeding thingy comes up*

"Wait... what? "

*Discovers it's unbreedable*

"I can't do anything with it at all... "

*Huge disapointment*

 

Anyways what I'm trying to say here is that I would be really sad if I couldn't breed it at all ever. I want to spread the love with others and I'll certainly do that with my holiday dragons. It would also create some more drama for other users as well. It's not gonna be the same reaction but they might have a similar one. Some people might even get a little angry.

 

Also if people don't want to be harassed, this is what they could do: hide their scroll, put in their siggy that they don't want any breeding request for that paticular dragon, and block people who still bother them while never breeding it.

Edited January 4, 2013 by fuzzzzj

[Phoenixfyre]

I'm surprised not to have heard from you..... I speak as the owner of Mouldy Hedgehog and Teeny Weeny Tiny, to name but two... And then there are my pillows...

I had to go stalk your scroll just to find your Pillows after reading that!

 

I've never asked for, begged for, whined for etc...any dragon. I have posted in gifting threads and been fortunate enough to be a giftee of offspring from some lovely dragons of some very wonderful people though! I would never bother a prize winner...I might go look at their dragon, but I would not ask. Now if that person has stated that they will be breeding and are taking names, that would be different.

[Fuzzbucket]

I had to go stalk your scroll just to find your Pillows after reading that!

 

I've never asked for, begged for, whined for etc...any dragon. I have posted in gifting threads and been fortunate enough to be a giftee of offspring from some lovely dragons of some very wonderful people though! I would never bother a prize winner...I might go look at their dragon, but I would not ask. Now if that person has stated that they will be breeding and are taking names, that would be different.

Good, aren't they

 

I THINK if I won, I would think very hard and post in my sig in some form what I would and wouldn't be OK with....

 

I don't have to worry, though, as I NEVER win !

[DarkEternity]

Problem: everyone wants a prize dragon egg but feels unhappy if other people win and they don't

Solution: Park an unbreedable sticky note on everyone's scroll with the words 'prize dragon egg', visible only to the owner of the scroll.

Possible issues if the solution is implemented: mass delusions reported amongst those who frequent the website known as 'Dragon Cave'. But reduced levels of stress and anxiety.

[TheGrox]

I don't really want this thread to become some sort of general discussion about the raffle and what you'd do if you won. We should probably stick to discussing suggestions and changes - isn't that what this section is for?

 

I don't really like emarldmay's idea of prizes being like frills. It would be better than completely unbreedable prizes, a lot better, but still there is no chance that anyone else will ever get one - not too good for the people who collect sprites.

Edited January 4, 2013 by TheGrox

[Evilminion]

Spam removed. Edited January 10, 2013 by SockPuppet Strangler

[fuzzzzj]

I don't really like emarldmay's idea of prizes being like frills. It would be better than completely unbreedable prizes, a lot better, but still there is no chance that anyone else will ever get one - not too good for the people who collect sprites.

This.

 

I don't really want this thread to become some sort of general discussion about the raffle and what you'd do if you won. We should probably stick to discussing suggestions and changes - isn't that what this section is for?

Of course, I was just trying to illustrate my viewpoint on unbreedable prizes a little bit more .

 

If we want to make prize dragon increase porportional to entries I'm not sure how much of a percent the community should get one.

Here's some calcualtions saying how many prize dragons would be given out with 50,000 entries:

1%- 500 dragons

2%- 1,000 dragons

3%- 1,500 dragons

4%- 2,000 dragons

5%- 2,500 dragons

 

Thoughts?

[northxblue]

While I haven't really had much to do with the forum, I've been on dragoncave for a number of years and I don't see a problem with the prize dragons being breedable like the tinsels or if more people had the chance to get them. Yes, they are supposed to be rare and wonderful, but keeping certain things in mind, I don't really see a reason why only a lucky few should ever to able to have them.

 

If I've read rightly, the gold/silver/bronze tinsels were prizes for having the best-decorated christmas tree. I could understand if those dragons weren't breedable because the winners actually did some work to earn them, but with the new prize dragons being awarded on the luck of the draw, anyone at all can win them as long as they've made enough recipes. While I think the raffle is a fairer method to obtain prizes, at the end of the day, they're just raffles - something special for those that were lucky enough to win the draw.

 

Somebody mentioned why on earth people should 'share' their prizes, but isn't having a low-gen/CB dragon prize enough in itself? Not to mention that the eggs/hatchlings could have serious trading/gifting worth in getting other rares, or simply making a friend very happy indeed by the power of friendship trading.

 

That's just my thoughts on the matter though; whether the new dragons are breedable or unbreedable, it just seems like it would be a shame for dragoncave to start off 2013 with drama and resentment instead of good will and charity.

Edited January 5, 2013 by Kuraselache

[TheGrox]

I would still prefer a much lower percent. If you give out 2000 prizes, they'll have saturated the trading market within a couple of weeks, and the current tinsel drought now (that has taken 2 years to occur) will happen with these new prizes within a few months. That's how the ratios seem to work.

 

Going by your 50000 entries estimate (which is probably about right), maybe 0.2% (100 prizes) or 0.4 (200 prizes) would be better, in my own opinion of course. =)

 

Maybe I should see if I can get a mod to add a new poll about this? With different percentage options. Because I think we've gathered the vast majority of people want some sort of increase in prizes, and a most people want this to be proportional to entries.

Edited January 5, 2013 by TheGrox

[fuzzzzj]

@Grox

Yeah those percents are crazy, and still it is only 1% of the population... That 0.4% sounds about the right number.

So perhaps the poll could have numbers ranging from 0.4%-1%?

[PinkyHedgehog]

May I suggest doing the poll about the differents ideas we have came up until now?

 

 

Because I think we've gathered the vast majority of people want some sort of increase in prizes, and a most people want this to be proportional to entries.

Of people who VOTED. I didn't vote 'cause I didn't liked any of the options, they are all about "more prizes" or "no prizes".

[TheGrox]

This is my problem - how do I fit everything into one poll? :c

 

I created the current poll because egenerally changing the amount of prizes seemed to be the most supported option.

 

Would you prefer then, the next poll to have options like "bronze trophy limit", "entries for being active during the year" (what skauble suggested before), "bonus entries based in trophy level", "make earning entries more difficult" and so on... ? I need help here .

[PinkyHedgehog]

Would you prefer then, the next poll to have options like "bronze trophy limit", "entries for being active during the year" (what skauble suggested before), "bonus entries based in trophy level", "make earning entries more difficult" and so on... ? I need help here .

Yep, something like that ^^ and list those options in the OP with a little explanation next to them to avoid confusions.

 

Also, a "I like more than one!", "Don't change anything" and "I want to suggest something else" options :3

 

 

Now, which ideas should be on the poll? My favourites:

"Hide the total number of prizes", "Increase the number of prizes", "Entries for being active during the year"

[fuzzzzj]

"Hide the total number of prizes", "Increase the number of prizes", "Entries for being active during the year"

I think we should start with a poll saying if we should hide the number of prizes or not. It's a yes or no question so that make things a bit easier and it's the easist for TJ to do.

 

Perhaps this:

-Yes, you should absolutely keep it hidden.

-Yes, we should keep it hidden.

-Yes, we should probably keep it hidden.

-Maybe, leaning towards keeping it hidden.

-Maybe, I can't decide.

-Maybe, leaning towards keeping it public.

-No, we should probably keep it public.

-No, we should keep it public.

-No, we should absolutely keep it public.

-I have no idea.

-I don't understand.

-No raffle at all.

Feel free to revise and edit to your needs or you could trash it.

Edited January 5, 2013 by fuzzzzj

[Ashes The Second]

Spam removed. Edited January 10, 2013 by SockPuppet Strangler