2013-08-04 - Two-Headed Madness

[Angela_1]

I agree with you guys, catching eggs has turned into a competition and is simply not fun anymore. I logged on late, (today instead of yesterday) and once again have logged on one day after the release. Now I basically have no chance of getting both eggs unless I'm gifted some...

 

I remember in the past I could catch more eggs the next day...

[BlitzDrake]

Yeah at this point I'm done trying for the Green Opals. I'm just going to go after another pair of Blues.

[Angela_1]

At this point I'm done trying for both of them. I might find some in later days.

[dragonpuck]

I have to agree, and always have stated, that a 24 hour release would benefit all, especially the time zone issues. It is and has been suggested many times as a compromise between the endless release( of which dragon I can't remember, or perhaps refuse to remember) and immediate mix with blockers. My frustration comes not from not being able to catch the pretties, but from not being able to even see them to miss .

I have unlimited time, but even I don't sit in front of my computer wearing out my F5- to see the SAME 3 dragons for an entire hour.

 

I thought the idea was to get more variety??

 

My question TJ is ,that if the cave in programmed to release so many of x but x never makes it to the front three ,what happens to them????

 

Belated 'grats to the spriters. I am, as ever ,amazed at the ability some have - especially considering the size-- I can't even see much of the detail which I know is there.

[XDLugia]

Edit: Congrats on your successful earthquaking, xdlugia. If I was you I would run out and buy a lottery ticket. Brush some of that luck off over here.

I doubt I have much luck left.

*gives some luck anyways*

[BlitzDrake]

Yeah, I have to agree. These events are suppose to be fun but I'm seeing more complaints about how people haven't managed to get one, or both of the new releases. I might have been able to get a Green Opal if I happened to be on my computer at midnight. But this isn't and shouldn't be the case. Not everyone has the same timezone so when I woke up the next day to see this, blockers were already mixed in with the new eggs, which I'm sure other people have had that problem. Even if it's hard to code the drops like this, maybe put an announcement on the cave so those that aren't on the forums can still know about it?

[TwilitProphet]

I have what most would likely consider to be a fast connection. And as you can see from my signature (if it'll actually show the stuff I have. |: It doesn't sometimes even if I've unfogged em), I manged to get at least two of each egg this release. This time around I was lucky and managed to grab some within an hour. Even at the five minute drops I didn't really catch anything. I also woke up with what my boyfriend has dubbed the 'Dragon Cave Hangover' where I wake up with a headache from stressing out over catching these eggs.

 

I've stayed up until at least 3:30 in the morning at times. I'm normally able to grab a simple pair of eggs, but that is only because I lose sleep and stay up all night until I mange to grab two of each egg. Why? Because I've figured out that if I don't lose sleep for that one night, I'm not going to be able to catch any eggs when I wake up in 8 hours. Because the normal eggs will already be back in the mix. That's not just frustrating for me. It's 10 times as frustrating for users with connections/reflexes worse than mine.

 

I'm not 'whining' because it's difficult for me to get eggs. It's not difficult for me as long as I manage to remember what day is the first Sunday of the month (if I do manage to forget and miss the midnight drop, it is rather difficult though). I'm mostly upset that it's so difficult for other members to get these eggs. Especially on the same day the eggs were released!

 

It frustrates me. This is a game. Games are supposed to be fun, right? The only time I really enjoy the 'high loss to small win' is with the raffle. Because the raffle only happens once a year and in my mind is a bonus to the Christmas/New Year season. It's a special occasion so of course it'll be a challenge to win.

 

Officially, as far as I can tell, the 'on paper' rarity of dragons goes Common, Uncommon, Rare. However, in actual gameplay the rarity goes Super Common, Common, Uncommon, Semi Rare, Rare, and Ultra Rare. And things labeled common (I can't give an example. I don't know the 'on paper' rareness of any of the dragons) can be uncommon, semi-rare, and rare. Rares? They go from Ultra Rare to 'you will see this once every Tuesday when a rainbow peeks out during a sunrise'. (Exaggerated, yes, but I imagine that this is how it feels to some users.)

 

I don't care about rare dragons. I have all the current rare dragons I care about having. I only wanted one of each rare dragon sprite, and I got that. I just wish that dragons that are meant to not be rare would drop in a frequency that's appropriate for their on paper rarity. I also think that new dragons should be dropped with a higher frequency on the same day they're introduced. Not everyone can be at their computer for the 3 or 4 hours they actually drop with a high frequency.

 

I used to think that they dropped so thickly because their species were recently introduced into the numbers that TJ uses to determine ratios. If this is still the case, the fact that it only takes under 8 hours for the other dragons to pop in says to me that either A: There are so many users now that the ratios even out in a mere quarter or less of a day, or B: The drops have been tweaked so that they DON'T try to fill the ratios anymore.

 

If the case is A, I don't think there's a way to please everyone without changing the way ratios work completely. If the case is B... then ugh why? ):

 

Rotation in the stagnate biomes would help a lot. Booting unwanted eggs to the AP after a certain amount of time/rotations would also help. Because the AP doesn't block anymore that means there's a treat of ER and Incu-hatchable cave born eggs for users casually browsing the AP.

 

Personally I just wish that the ratios were set in a way that the 'on paper' rarities were actually the in-game rarities.

 

Now that I have accidentally typed a wall of text, please don't take anything I said as a jab at you if you have a different opinion from me. Everyone's allowed their own opinion and I'm not trying to start a confrontation at all. In fact I usually stay out of stuff like this because I hate when people take what I said the wrong way. I try to be as un-confrontational as possible, but I'm terrible at properly expressing my take on things without accidentally rubbing someone the wrong way. I just really want everyone to have a fair chance at the new eggs and for everyone to be able to enjoy the game.

 

Glad I got to vent it thought. I feel a little better now.

Edited August 5, 2013 by TwilitProphet

[Fuzzbucket]

Just a thought.

 

Remember teleport ?

 

We knew it was being worked on and many of us (including moi ) hassled TJ mercilessly. Sock posted several times that it was being tested among the mods, to make sure there were no glitches, and to be patient. As far as I recall, in the end – I suspect TJ got fed up with our whining (yes, we did… let’s be honest here) and opened it up for general use. It was a matter of hours before he had to remove it again and rejig it.

 

If a huge change were being planned here, and if I were TJ - I would keep my mouth WELL shut till I was sure sure sure it was 100% bugfree.

 

I have no idea if this is the case, but…

 

And to those saying he never changes anything – the AP has had a good few changes recently – no blocking, the one egg per breed trial, the one egg per BREEDER thing, and more. And we asked for more releases and we have them. (And I think monthly is better than every two months, as the more there are, the more often people get locked, leaving things open for others to grab stuff…)

 

No I don’t think TJ is god, but I don’t think he’s the devil incarnate either.

 

As for the idea that there should be a thread in help – no; it should be in suggestions where – amazingly – there are already several, like mossy egg… Help is for thing that have gone wrong or that can be done but you can’t work out how – or plain glitches in existing things, like eggs not getting views, or vanishing from scrolls or changing gender after breeding – isn’t it ? But it needs to offer a concrete suggestion; a whine thread “no fair want want want hoarders suck gifters are mean” is a rant thread and against the rules.

 

There IS the cave feedback thread, of course…

 

For the record, I am neither hacked off nor yowser fantastic everything is perfect. I still very much enjoy the game, including new releases – but I can also see the issue about volume and timing of new eggs.

 

And I’ll have some of Ayelldee’s cookies, if that’s OK ? and a more comfortable sofa than mine (if you want to complain about something new, some of IKEA’s seating is - well, I think it’s designed for people with six foot long LEGS…. My upper legs aren’t long enough to let my back reach as far as the back of the sofa… Now THAT’S what I call frustrating… )

 

[purpledragonclaw]

I'm posting in here much later than usual, but I managed to grab one of the multi-colored eggs. I can't stay out of the AP, so I don't have as many egg slots as I should, but slowly but surely I'll grab them all.

 

ETA: Just grabbed my first opalescent egg.

Edited August 5, 2013 by purpledragonclaw

[Ponystar17]

Just a thought.

 

Remember teleport ?

 

We knew it was being worked on and many of us (including moi ) hassled TJ mercilessly. Sock posted several times that it was being tested among the mods, to make sure there were no glitches, and to be patient. As far as I recall, in the end – I suspect TJ got fed up with our whining (yes, we did… let’s be honest here) and opened it up for general use. It was a matter of hours before he had to remove it again and rejig it.

 

If a huge change were being planned here, and if I were TJ - I would keep my mouth WELL shut till I was sure sure sure it was 100% bugfree.

 

I have no idea if this is the case, but…

 

And to those saying he never changes anything – the AP has had a good few changes recently – no blocking, the one egg per breed trial, the one egg per BREEDER thing, and more. And we asked for more releases and we have them. (And I think monthly is better than every two months, as the more there are, the more often people get locked, leaving things open for others to grab stuff…)

 

No I don’t think TJ is god, but I don’t think he’s the devil incarnate either.

 

As for the idea that there should be a thread in help – no; it should be in suggestions where – amazingly – there are already several, like mossy egg… Help is for thing that have gone wrong or that can be done but you can’t work out how – or plain glitches in existing things, like eggs not getting views, or vanishing from scrolls or changing gender after breeding – isn’t it ? But it needs to offer a concrete suggestion; a whine thread “no fair want want want hoarders suck gifters are mean” is a rant thread and against the rules.

 

There IS the cave feedback thread, of course…

 

For the record, I am neither hacked off nor yowser fantastic everything is perfect. I still very much enjoy the game, including new releases – but I can also see the issue about volume and timing of new eggs.

 

And I’ll have some of Ayelldee’s cookies, if that’s OK ? and a more comfortable sofa than mine (if you want to complain about something new, some of IKEA’s seating is - well, I think it’s designed for people with six foot long LEGS…. My upper legs aren’t long enough to let my back reach as far as the back of the sofa… Now THAT’S what I call frustrating… )

This sums up how I feel about the drama perfectly. Thanks, Fuzz, I was having trouble thinking of how to put it.

[Angela_1]

They go from Ultra Rare to 'you will see this once every Tuesday when a rainbow peeks out during a sunrise'. (Exaggerated, yes, but I imagine that this is how it feels to some users.)

Haha I totally agree with ya there. The only rares I have are from trades or gifters, excluding Vamps. I found all my vampires on the AP.

 

 

edited to add:

 

OMG I actually saw an Opal (and missed it).

 

EDIT: Saw a multicolor too.

Edited August 5, 2013 by rubyshoes

[Angela_1]

-comment removed and edited to the post above this one, please don't double post- thank you - ruby Edited August 5, 2013 by rubyshoes

[Walker]

Guys... there is no such thing as "on paper" rarities and never has been. The rarity ranks were created by the users. We've all seen how populations of any species can suddenly fluctuate, though. TJ never sits down and says in the first posts that, "This is a common breed and always will be!" The rarity rating system is not official.

 

Also, caught my second opal!~ Wasn't too hard here. I still need to grab some green ones once I have space, but I have the blue.

[Blindstar97]

Awww why? I just egg locked myself and when I was putting the eggs on a site a saw the new eggs... and I didn't see a single one while snatching up some CBs in the cave. Dang, I need, like, a pager that tells me when there's a new release being, er, released so I can jump on it... unnnngaaah...

[Fuzzbucket]

Guys... there is no such thing as "on paper" rarities and never has been. The rarity ranks were created by the users. We've all seen how populations of any species can suddenly fluctuate, though. TJ never sits down and says in the first posts that, "This is a common breed and always will be!" The rarity rating system is not official.

 

Also, caught my second opal!~ Wasn't too hard here. I still need to grab some green ones once I have space, but I have the blue.

RIGHT ON Walker - and thanks. Blusangs aren't rare. But we all want them so much that they appear to be. Same with coppers - Marionetta] Fi (corrected and how very embarrassing...) said they are only uncommon - but we all want them (and are breeding them too, which adds to the ratio issue) so - CBs are like hen's teeth.

Edited August 5, 2013 by fuzzbucket

[DigitalGarden]

(...but Marri didn't make Coppers, it was Fiona BlueFire and Nakase D: )

 

CBs so far:

 

3x colorful

2x purple opal

2x green opal

 

Since it meets my basic scroll goals (not including hatchlings that I'll breed and freeze myself later) - I'm done hunting for now. Good luck to those who are still trying to get 'em.

[xxBurningxx]

I haven't really read any of the conversations prior to this, but I will say: I don't see new releases as a challenge. Regardless of how absolutely impossible it is to catch something, I think it's fun. I mean come on, be grateful for a new breed of dragon! They're permanent. Okay, yeah, the Coppers.....ahahahaha, but still. That doesn't mean it's /impossible/.

 

That aside, I still only have one purple Opal, and two Undecideds~

[auburn]

The new dragons are wonderful, but I'm with everyone who regrets the lack of a mass-drop. It would have spared us a lot misclicks - three in my case. Plus waiting for the commons nobody wants anymore to be cleared off the page so as to make room for the new eggs can be awfully tedious. I hope the mass-drop is back for next month's release.

[TwilitProphet]

But that's just it. When you say things like that, the way my brain works it sees "This species isn't rare" as the 'on paper' rarity. And the 'you guys make it rare' as its 'in game rarity'. It kind of feels like "Well its you guys' fault for liking them so much. They're not supposed to be rare. YOU make them that way." If they're not supposed to be rare, why should they be rare? If they're supposed to be common, or uncommon, why does it have to translate otherwise?

 

I'm sorry I can't understand it the way you do. But that's the best way I can explain it. It's just like economics and the idea of raising prices because people have more money. Except I kind of understand that since in the real world we're working with a limited amount of goods. In Dragon Cave it's totally different. So I don't understand how something that's supposed to be common/uncommon is allowed to become rare.

 

I've been under the impression that the response to this is usually "they only look rare to you. They're actually common/uncommon!" when they're not. Kind of shocked to see "you've made them rare so they're rare".

 

I just can't wrap my mind around this sort of thing. Now I'm kind of emotionally worn out because I didn't expect THAT part of my post to be what gets broken down... handn't braced myself for that.

Edited August 5, 2013 by TwilitProphet

[skauble]

Guys... there is no such thing as "on paper" rarities and never has been. The rarity ranks were created by the users. We've all seen how populations of any species can suddenly fluctuate, though. TJ never sits down and says in the first posts that, "This is a common breed and always will be!" The rarity rating system is not official.

 

Also, caught my second opal!~ Wasn't too hard here. I still need to grab some green ones once I have space, but I have the blue.

Well, there's a "rare" and "common"category. After all, one of the guidelines in the Request section to keep "rarity" in mind and the idea that there needs to be more dragons in the cave that are common breeds than rare breeds, and a BSA guideline that states that rare dragons won't get BSAs.

 

I think the fact that "rare" and "common" do get used in an official capacity is part of what convinces people that there's a more structured, detailed system in place.

[hopeitallaway]

beautiful new releases. thanks so much to everyone involved.

 

though i can't seem to get any opal eggies. still trying.

 

ps: site looks weird. no layout at all. someone else noticed this?

[Bugzilla]

ps: site looks weird. no layout at all. someone else noticed this?

It looks like there are/were some issues with the site, resulting in some images or style sheets not being loaded properly. If you reload the page and optionally clear your browser cache, things should work again.

 

[sylphoflights]

Gosh ever since the Bloodscales I've been craving some new two-headeds and both of these look so pretty! Wish I'd been able to catch more of the colorful ones though...

[Zucni]

Well I didn't do too bad for hitting the release late. I got 3 silvery opals and one color changer. I also snagged an imp that I needed and an ice.

[Angela_1]

I know this sounds totally lame but would anybody mind catching one of each for me? I'm on my iPod and it is impossible to catch anything with an iPod regardless of where you are. My computer has a virus that won't allow me to use my fastest web browser so I have no chance to grab one... If anybody would be so kind as to grab me some I will be forever grateful.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Angela_1