Request: No new Prize breeds, please!

[saltywench]

The current method of winning a prize dragons is fair for all users. The method you suggest is unfairly skewed toward "hardcore" collectors and against casual players who are just around to have fun.

I'm pretty sure it's the hard core collectors who are the ones having the kittens over unavailability, keeping them rare while trying to find a way to get one, and being grabby handed and finger pointy at the same time. I wasn't saying stop giving out prize dragons. I meant that in addition to being able to win, in addition to adding or not adding rare dragons to the prize pool, making it possible for everyone to eventually get a prize dragon if they want one that badly is a good plan. Casual players can just have fun hoping to get struck by lightning, just like they do now.

 

As far as I'm concerned, I love new dragons. I just think adding yet another type to the prize pool is only going to stress out those people who can't get a low gen of the others even more cause now there will be something else they can't get.

 

If you let the Tinsels or shimmers also be prizes for breeding, I think the whining will ease up a little.

 

Also I don't think trophies and extra egg slots given to users who are loyal and consistently play the game are "unfair advantages." They are rewards and goals to loyally and consistently play the game. A game without goals is pretty boring. Isn't that why lineages were started in the first place? Because the players needed extra goals. This whole thread is basically about changing the available "goal" by adding or changing the prizes that are available.

Edited February 13, 2014 by saltywench

[Odeen]

I'm pretty sure it's the hard core collectors who are the ones having the kittens over unavailability, keeping them rare while trying to find a way to get one, and being grabby handed and finger pointy at the same time. I wasn't saying stop giving out prize dragons. I meant that in addition to being able to win, in addition to adding or not adding rare dragons to the prize pool, making it possible for everyone to eventually get a prize dragon if they want one that badly is a good plan. Casual players can just have fun hoping to get struck by lightning, just like they do now.

The problem then arises that you're doubly favoring hardcore players over casuals, because you have employed a system fair to all (random chance) next to a system that heavily favors hardcore players. Hardcore players, then, are far more likely to get prize dragons than any casual - and possibly more than one, too.

 

I stopped playing MMORPGs because it started to feel as though I had to put forth ungodly amounts of effort to grind for things to get better items, so that I could grind for more things to get better items. I would be a very sad panda if DC started feeling like WoW.

 

[saltywench]

The problem then arises that you're doubly favoring hardcore players over casuals, because you have employed a system fair to all (random chance) next to a system that heavily favors hardcore players. Hardcore players, then, are far more likely to get prize dragons than any casual - and possibly more than one, too.

 

It isn't favoritism, it's a reward. The prize dragon wouldn't be given to someone just because he was popular, (Favoritism; always lurking in the minds of everyone who loses) but because he put out a real effort to achieve it. I haven't seen anyone upset about receiving the gold trophy. Because they were happy they'd earned it. Their effort was recognized. And after the gold trophy? We all just have to hope we get lucky?

 

I think this is why people are whining. Just my opinion, and not trying to go off topic. It's just that this whining is what causes all these hot discussions. Dissatisfaction with the goals.

[Marrionetta]

So maybe we need reward dragons for effort. Hard workers need their hard work validated. However the prize breeds don't exist for that purpose, they're lucky lightning strikes.

[saltywench]

So maybe we need reward dragons for effort. Hard workers need their hard work validated. However the prize breeds don't exist for that purpose, they're lucky lightning strikes.

I agree with you. But that's also the problem. Anything ultimately unattainable is going to cause dissension in the ranks. But back to the question at hand, I think more prize dragons will cause more grumbling. The odds of getting one now are so small. It's not like anyone is likely to win 2, anyway.

[DarkEternity]

Hardcore players are already more likely to get prize dragons than casual players, since only they would be game enough to spend hours stalking and collating information about the CB prizes and rapidly contacting winners. All this effort requires networking, adaptability and access to a repository of rares for trading that most casual player lacks.

 

If the casual player is not willing to go to these lengths, there is little other opportunity to obtain low gens: which are transmitted directly from player to player with no alternative - save the mercy of an individual abandoning dragons to the AP - an event occurring once in a blue moon.

 

I agree with Marrionetta. The focus around the prize dragon is stagnating the market and limiting the potential breeds which could have been brought to the fore. This would give more opportunities for players and artists alike to have their day in the spotlight, one would say.

Edited February 13, 2014 by DarkEternity

[Marrionetta]

I agree with you. But that's also the problem. Anything ultimately unattainable is going to cause dissension in the ranks. But back to the question at hand, I think more prize dragons will cause more grumbling. The odds of getting one now are so small. It's not like anyone is likely to win 2, anyway.

But you don't need multiple CBs. People don't need 1 CB. Adjust the goals, not the entire game system.

[saltywench]

But you don't need multiple CBs. People don't need 1 CB. Adjust the goals, not the entire game system.

I'd love it if we could get the goals adjusted, LOL I'd love it if prize dragons multi-clutched a different color and went to the ap, letting regular players get 2nd gens without having to network and pray someone likes them. I don't see that happening though.

[Starscream]

Idea here - no new breeds added, but still can involve new breeds added.

 

How about a pre-release raffle to a new rare specie that will be cave released. This raffle can happen say a month prior to release letting people have monopoly for a few weeks, the gloating power, the bragging rights then the release where others can also obtain. It's not an exclusive rare, but an opportunity to get a pre-release.

 

It's just a wild idea of my poor meandering mind that is busy studying for 4 midterms

 

[saltywench]

Idea here - no new breeds added, but still can involve new breeds added.

 

How about a pre-release raffle to a new rare specie that will be cave released. This raffle can happen say a month prior to release letting people have monopoly for a few weeks, the gloating power, the bragging rights then the release where others can also obtain. It's not an exclusive rare, but an opportunity to get a pre-release.

 

It's just a wild idea of my poor meandering mind that is busy studying for 4 midterms

O_O I want to have your babies.

[DarkEternity]

I think I just want to see variety. Do the prizes even need to be dragons? E.g combinations of?

 

Scroll based prizes:

- 6 month BSA boon - BSA CD reduced by 1 day

- 1 year summon boon - Summon chance tripled. GoN limit permanently increased by one.

- freezing limit increased by 3 for 6 months

- Egg slot limit and hatchling limit increased +1 for 3 months

- Custom CSS theming for your scroll. The theming is displayed to all scroll visitors.

- Permanent badge displaying winner's placing and year of placing

- The holiday limit for the next holiday of choice is lifted - so the winner can grab unlimited CBs of the holiday (limited only by scroll limits) Boon is one use per win only.

- A 24 hour holiday boon! Winners can spend this, causing holidays on their scroll to breed as if it is holiday season for 24 hours.

- One egg immunity boon! Can be applied to any egg to make it immune from sickess.

- 24 hour unfreezing ability - amnesty for any dragon on their scroll for that duration

- One dragon code changing boon - can be applied to any dragon, as long as code is available

- Influence remover

- 6 month Incubate sticks to teleport link

- permanent trade boon. Lifts the four living thing offering restriction permanently

- one guaranteed scroll name change

- one gender swap. Gendered wrong? Flip dat switch

- one refusal remover.

 

Dragon alterations:

- A CB dragon of a special hybrid. The hybrid has one possible breeding date - twenty four hours at a random day each year. The hybrid has a specific breeding combo - we have to figure it out in the time period

- A CB (ultra) rare released incave that prizewinners are able to vote for. Winners receive a special Spriter Alt esque version of the dragon.

- Winners receive a CB of a dragon... that can be bred from any dragon... At a random minute within every twenty four hour day.

- Winners receive a CB of a dragon that only drops in cave for 30 seconds in a specific biome in an entire week. (During the time period, it floods) Time randomised for every user

- Winners receive a version of a specific dragon rare breed ... which is animated rather than static. Sprite is animated, not the lineage view.

 

Aesthetic:

- Winners receive a forum badge (if their scroll is tied to their forum account) indicating their status as winners

- Winners receive a custom name colour corresponding to their place (forum)

Edited February 13, 2014 by DarkEternity

[djengis]

I'd love to see new price dragons.

[cyradis4]

I agree with you. But that's also the problem. Anything ultimately unattainable is going to cause dissension in the ranks. But back to the question at hand, I think more prize dragons will cause more grumbling. The odds of getting one now are so small. It's not like anyone is likely to win 2, anyway.

Two people have already won twice. There have been a lot of raised eyebrows over it.

 

C4.

[redwolf]

I think the main basic problem is that there is no possible way to get a prize dragon unless you are lightning strike lucky. If you want people to stop *ing, make it possible to EARN a prize dragon by playing the game, not just by being lucky. If it were up to me, I would tell everyone that when their scroll gets to 3,000 dragons, they can have a shimmer or a tinsel. Anyone that sticks around THAT LONG and participates that hard deserves a real prize, not just a trophy. If people have the chance to earn a rare CB, then they can't * that they will never ever get a chance. Also, it keeps them rare. It's damn hard to get 3,000.

I agree with this idea completely, as well as Starscream's idea about pre-releases.

Edited February 14, 2014 by redwolf

[Troubletail]

If we're going to be counting the number of different 'kinds' of dragon in the cave, how about we count from the eggs?

 

Counting, say, the two different sprites of pinks as different 'kinds' from one another seems silly when we can (assuming that it's not our first pink) choose which of those sprites we're going to get. The same is true for things like black/vine alts and nebulas, even though we have considerably less control there- they come from the same egg/can be born to the same parents. It gets a bit muddier with the existence of hybrids and 'kinds' with breeding quirks like seasonals, coppers and stripes, but a soulpeace egg will always be one of two soulpeace sprites, a winter seasonal egg will become a winter dragon, and a green copper egg will never hatch red coppers.

 

By this rubric, we have 6 different prize dragon 'kinds'- silver shimmer eggs will always hatch silver shimmers, gold tinsels eggs will always hatch gold tinsels, etc. Moreover, they have always been awarded in different numbers from one another (with golds in the smallest numbers and bronzes in the greatest). The tiering of the raffle, together with the fact that they breed/hatch true, supports the view that they are meant to be discrete 'kinds' from one another, no matter whether the breed sort treats them that way or not.

[kerrikins]

Idea here - no new breeds added, but still can involve new breeds added. 

 

How about a pre-release raffle to a new rare specie that will be cave released. This raffle can happen say a month prior to release letting people have monopoly for a few weeks, the gloating power, the bragging rights then the release where others can also obtain.  It's not an exclusive rare, but an opportunity to get a pre-release.

 

It's just a wild idea of my poor meandering mind that is busy studying for 4 midterms

I'm okay with this idea, surprisingly. But I'd want to see it be effective for a good three months or so to allow for breeding and to give people that experience with trading, etc. As it is I imagine demands would be quite reduced with the knowledge that they just have to 'wait it out'.

 

I'd also love to see a prize where people get to choose a breed from the completed list and then get it in advance. That would be cool too.

Edited February 18, 2014 by kerrikins

[WraithZephyr]

I'm okay with this idea, surprisingly. But I'd want to see it be effective for a good three months or so to allow for breeding and to give people that experience with trading, etc. As it is I imagine demands would be quite reduced with the knowledge that they just have to 'wait it out'.

 

I'd also love to see a prize where people get to choose a breed from the completed list and then get it in advance. That would be cool too.

a quarterly raffle would work well in those circumstances I think for a pre-release. In terms of the 'picking from the completed list', then that should be a once or twice a year raffle..

Edited February 18, 2014 by WraithZephyr

[IceSapphyre]

I would like to see new prize dragons. Remember how thrilled we were when we first laid eyes upon the shiny and lustrous sprite that was the tinsel? And then the shimmer? I've enjoyed seeing and trading for the new prize sprites we've been given so far, and I look forward to seeing and trading for more in the future.

 

Not everyone gets to obtain a CB - but that doesn't mean we can't acquire offspring. There are always going to be "gripers", and that's fine. Dragon cave shouldn't stop producing new prizes just because it "isn't fair".

 

GL HF.

[Syphoneira]

I would like to see new prize dragons. Remember how thrilled we were when we first laid eyes upon the shiny and lustrous sprite that was the tinsel? And then the shimmer? I've enjoyed seeing and trading for the new prize sprites we've been given so far, and I look forward to seeing and trading for more in the future.

 

Not everyone gets to obtain a CB - but that doesn't mean we can't acquire offspring. There are always going to be "gripers", and that's fine. Dragon cave shouldn't stop producing new prizes just because it "isn't fair".

 

GL HF.

 

 

Personally, as long as the older Prizes continued to be re-presented as well, I would love to see periodic introductions of new Prize dragons - IF the breeding rates were significantly increased for all Prizes and the scarcity was steadily reduced.

 

The raffles were a great idea and something new and different I like the idea of, as well as giving a random chance of 'good' dragons among the players without regard to catching speed - but the scarcity has caused a lot of damage to the site...

[LadyFoxfire]

Honestly? This idea would probably make me leave dragon cave. The only part of it that I personally find has merit are the speacial breeds earned via game play, that anyone can get if they play enough (and not raffle style, literally anyone can get a CB in a given year with enough game play). That I can support, I like that part of the idea. The rest.... !

 

I view Facebook as a haven for computer viruses: the number of friends computers that have been TRASHED is atrocious. I have good security on mine, much better than theirs, but... I'm not going to take that risk. I can't afford a new computer if I trash mine, not of the same quality. Maybe you can? But I'm not that rich, that I can plunk down $500+ for a decent machine every few months. As for twitter, I use it barely at all. I use very little social media, honestly.

 

I am dead against any dragon that you need to use an external site to get. Or even IRC, and I'm *on* IRC!

 

As for the pressure on Tinsels and Shimmers, sure it would decrease! At the expense of a large number of players, who can't get the new exclusives either. It will create a whole subset of the game: Those who have the ability to get the (huge) percentage of extremely exclusive sprites, and those who have to make due with the leavings in the main cave.

 

The extremely exclusive sprites are already 5% of those in the cave. The best 5%. Add 6 more, and it goes up to 10%. At what percentage do we stop? 30? 40? 70?

 

One thing many people like about this game is that anyone can, in theory, get just about anything. There are no "exclusives" that you buy with real money, or that you can't get through game-play. The Tinsels and Shimmers are pushing that badly, but at least that's related to game play.

 

Sorry Marri.... I support a small part of that idea, but for the most part I view it as the best way since the raffle to tear DC apart.

 

C4.

I agree with this completely. If it turns out I have to seek out other avenues (other internet sites) like IRC or the place I despise most and will never go, Facebook, I wouldn't want to be a part of a game that required a person to go there for any reason just to earn a specific breed of dragon. I've tried out other adoption sites and have left because they want RL money for some exclusive breeds. Forcing people to use other sites isn't much different. DC isn't supposed to be an ad place for Facebook and IRC unless DC is getting paid to add more users to those sites - but I still wouldn't want anything to do with them. Twitter? Never done it, never will. I'm old school. I've finally found a place that is user friendly for someone that doesn't practically have to be a hacker to do well in. I wouldn't want to see that change.

 

 

In response to the original post:

 

If there are to be unique new releases, just make them rare like the golds or silvers. Let the shimmers and tinsels keep their place as prize dragon. I don't see a need for more until every single member playing DC has three CBs of each kind of prize dragon. Only then, would it possibly get boring.

Edited February 18, 2014 by LadyFoxfire

[cyradis4]

I would like to see new prize dragons. Remember how thrilled we were when we first laid eyes upon the shiny and lustrous sprite that was the tinsel? And then the shimmer? I've enjoyed seeing and trading for the new prize sprites we've been given so far, and I look forward to seeing and trading for more in the future.

 

Not everyone gets to obtain a CB - but that doesn't mean we can't acquire offspring. There are always going to be "gripers", and that's fine. Dragon cave shouldn't stop producing new prizes just because it "isn't fair".

 

GL HF.

Yep, I was excited to see the tinsels.... Until I realized, months down the road, that I'd never be able to create my own lineages, that I would always be limited to what other people wanted to do with the bright shiny sprites.

 

I was depressed when I saw the shimmers. Three more lovely, sparkly, shiny sprites I'd never be able to forge into lineages of my own. The games to get a raffle ticket were quite fun! Realizing that there were more exclusives sprites I would never be able to work with turned that fun into ashes.

 

So why not release the shiny new sprites IN-CAVE, where everyone can enjoy them? Or at least, have a chance of enjoying at least low gens? This thread isn't about NOT releasing rares in-cave. Its asking just the opposite: that TJ release shiny breeds IN-CAVE instead of making them exclusive raffle prizes. The Shimmers were going to be released in-cave as a new rare, until a new prize sprite was needed. So that's at least one metallic that the general population lost just so the raffle could double the number of exclusives.

 

Leave the raffle with its 6 shiny sprites for several more years. Until the 6 exclusive sprites it already has stop being the 800 ton gorilla in the room of the DC trade / collecting / lineage building markets.

 

Oh and those questioning the spread of a new rare? More CB Golds are produced in a single month (count the number in trades!) than the entire CB Gold Tinsel population has produced in 3 YEARS.

 

C4.

Edited February 18, 2014 by cyradis4

[AnanoKimi]

So basically give everyone the same prize until it is so common it has no really special meaning to it as a prize? That actually seems rather lame.

 

Personally I see a prize as something unique, special, something that against all odds you where lucky enough to get either by chance or demonstration of skill. Giving the same prize every contest really devalues what you receive as a prize. Prizes are what they are, something special you receive, something limited, something no one else can get under normal circumstances. That is why prizes change up every couple of contests or raffles. If everyone got the same prize every single time there was a contest, then it would be no different that finding a Gold, or a Cheese dragon. Why make something special as a prize if its gonna be the same prize every contest? Might as well just give people something that is rare but already exists. Its still rare but easier to get so no complaints about "Not enough low gens" or "They are waaaay too rare and I want one" You can just sit and stalk the cave and be lucky enough to get something someone already owns.

 

So rather than suggesting "No more new prizes" Suggest, "No special prizes at all, lets all just get existing rares" to make the odds of low gens and availability a lot more common than those of existing prizes.

[hazeh]

So basically give everyone the same prize until it is so common it has no really special meaning to it as a prize? That actually seems rather lame.

 

Personally I see a prize as something unique, special, something that against all odds you where lucky enough to get either by chance or demonstration of skill. Giving the same prize every contest really devalues what you receive as a prize. Prizes are what they are, something special you receive, something limited, something no one else can get under normal circumstances. That is why prizes change up every couple of contests or raffles. If everyone got the same prize every single time there was a contest, then it would be no different that finding a Gold, or a Cheese dragon. Why make something special as a prize if its gonna be the same prize every contest? Might as well just give people something that is rare but already exists. Its still rare but easier to get so no complaints about "Not enough low gens" or "They are waaaay too rare and I want one" You can just sit and stalk the cave and be lucky enough to get something someone already owns.

 

So rather than suggesting "No more new prizes" Suggest, "No special prizes at all, lets all just get existing rares" to make the odds of low gens and availability a lot more common than those of existing prizes.

Thank you stating what I believe I failed at trying to explain!

[WolfLover8]

So basically give everyone the same prize until it is so common it has no really special meaning to it as a prize? That actually seems rather lame.

 

Personally I see a prize as something unique, special, something that against all odds you where lucky enough to get either by chance or demonstration of skill. Giving the same prize every contest really devalues what you receive as a prize. Prizes are what they are, something special you receive, something limited, something no one else can get under normal circumstances. That is why prizes change up every couple of contests or raffles. If everyone got the same prize every single time there was a contest, then it would be no different that finding a Gold, or a Cheese dragon. Why make something special as a prize if its gonna be the same prize every contest? Might as well just give people something that is rare but already exists. Its still rare but easier to get so no complaints about "Not enough low gens" or "They are waaaay too rare and I want one" You can just sit and stalk the cave and be lucky enough to get something someone already owns.

 

So rather than suggesting "No more new prizes" Suggest, "No special prizes at all, lets all just get existing rares" to make the odds of low gens and availability a lot more common than those of existing prizes.

Completely agreed. If only the existing two prizes were to be given for lotteries, their numbers would increase, but for what? Yes, they're beautiful sprites that everyone would love to have and make lineages from, but they wouldn't be hardly 'special' anymore.

 

Releasing new prizes adds new pretty shiny dragons and makes sure that the existing prizes keep their prize quality. I don't have anything lower than a fifth gen prize, and I'm not going to complain about not getting them. I like that they're rare and hard to get, and I'm fine with admiring the pretty CBs from afar. c:

[whitebaron]

Prizes can NEVER be as much devalued as you make them out to be, not even with 10 more raffles. Or is it a devaluation already that there are other people that won? There were people that won along with you, or in previous years... their prizes still demand the same high values to get second gens of, if you are even lucky enough to find an empty list!

 

if anything, more cb prizes of the same breeds will garner more intrest, not less, as people finally can manage to get on lists at all.

 

at the moment, i could offer 6 cb metals, non-iou, for a second gen. would i get it? not likely, unless i knew the cb owner, because lists? all full.