Trader's Canyon

[olympe]

@Jazeki: Thanks for your elaborate post. It pretty much covers all the points I was going to make.

 

This system of having to have the newest breed of Holiday X first before you can buy the next newest one (first Mistletoes, then Solstices, then Wrapping Wings, then Winter Magi, then Ribbon Dancers, then Snow angels, then Yulebucks and, finally, Hollies) with a prize stipulation (as suggested) of 6 months worth of points seems wrong to me for many reasons:

1. Seriously, it takes too long. For a player joining now, it would take at least 4 years of playing dedicatedly - if they don't buy anything else and only one of each Winter holiday breed. No Valentine or Halloween dragons, no rares or even prizes. In effect, it would take much, much longer. Sure, rewarding dedication is one thing - but there needs to be a limit to what you expect people to put up with. Remember, there will probably be people still joining in 5 or 10 years...
2. People are forced to spend lots precious points to buy stuff they might not even like in order to unlock the breeds they actually want. Imagine someone new doesn't like half of the Christmas dragons - but desperately wants a snow angel. You're actually telling that person how to play the game, or enforcing a certain play style in order for them to get what they want. Which just isn't much like DC.
3. At the very least, prices need to be lower than the 6 months worth of playing, as has been suggested. Sure, life is full of choices, but at the very least, I'd expect you to be able to buy one holiday of each season per year, probably more than that. Holiday dragons aren't that hard to catch, after all, and their price should reflect that somehow.
4. This suggestion came up to put everyone on a more equal footing that doesn't depend on internet speed or reflexes. Putting new players at a serious disadvantage by only letting them have the more common newe holidays for some years to come seems to run contrary to that intention, and quite jarringly so.

On another note - is there anyone right now who has more than 1 CB holly? After all, they were released with a limit of 1 per scroll, and only later got the limit raised to 2 - way after there were no more CBs around. In order to have 2 CBs, someone would have had to catch one and choose another one for HM.

 

If nobody does have 2 CB, will the holly limit be of 1 CB per scroll? (TJ?)

 

About availability: I feel that holiday dragons should only be available during their respective breeding window (of 1 week). This should give everybody with the necessary points ample time to cash them in, and would still be true to the holiday spirit. Plus, the amount of holiday dragons you can actually buy is limited due to time and egg slot constraints. Not to mention that you'd have to forsake breeding projects for some extra CBs.

 

About limits: I feel that scroll limits (2 CB of Vals and Xmases) should apply for bought dragons, too. However, I think that Halloween dragons should stay unlimited. Don't forget that there are already scrolls with 70+ CBs of one Halloween dragon or another. Adding limits now would feel wrong to me.

 

[Jazeki]

@Olympe- I think that people should have unlimited Halloweens too, but only be able to purchase however many of each breed they can feasibly hold on their scroll/ afford each breeding season. I named seven because that seems like a good number for someone who has a gold trophy can catch if they were eggs. Of course this would apply across all scrolls whether someone had a gold trophy or not. Meaning those with fewer slots can buy more when theirs hatch. I'd love to buy an unlimited amount each time, but I seriously doubt that would be allowed and I have no scroll space.

Edited April 28, 2015 by Jazeki

[olympe]

@Olympe- I think that people should have unlimited Halloweens too, but only be able to purchase however many of each breed they can feasibly hold on their scroll/ afford each breeding season. I named seven because that seems like a good number for someone who has a gold trophy can catch if they were eggs. Of course this would apply across all scrolls whether someone had a gold trophy or not.

Well, even with endless incubates, but no killing/forcing/EQ-ing and an endless amount of "points" and no desire to catch the new ones, it would be possible to raise up to 28. (Day 1: Buy and incubate 7. Day 3: Hatch first batch, buy and incubate 7 new eggs. Day 5 and Day 7: Same as Day 3.)

 

However, people probably won't have enough points, much less would they want to miss the all-new dragons. Plus, especially older players who like breeding projects will want to continue those instead of getting more old CBs.

 

Personally, I'd probably try to fill up to 8 CBs of most Halloween breeds. First on my list would be Marrow #3 and #4, then Shadow Walker #8, Grave #8 and Cavern Lurkers #5 to 8, followed by Marrows #5-8. I kind of like powers of 2 for breeding purposes.

[pederino]

If you look back, you will find I am QUITE happy to see it never happen But if it does, I certainly want to see it done as right as it can be.,

Yeah, I know. I want to see this done as right as this can be too.

 

Most HMs were not seasonal dragons. And they were handed out at one specific time of year, right after a holiday raffle. But I take your point about having to get holidays you DON'T want in order to get back far enough for those you do want.

 

Holiday dragons happen at holiday times. That is life. Are YOU saying that it has been so unfair all these years on people who spent time with their families ? I spend time with family at these times - and I can find a few minutes to catch a couple of dragons and even play the holiday games. It doesn't take THAT long. The HUGE majority of your time is available for family. I bet most people here find plenty of time during the holidays to go on facebook and the rest.

 

Yes, i know most HMs were alts and Hybris.

I also do find time to spend a few minutes on DC those days. But the point of the shop (from what Ive gathered) is to give a better availability to all users. But the problems with the holiday week is: people are breeding planned lineages (taking up one egg slot per succesful lineage) and there is a new release (if you want christmas or valentine, fortunately that is a maximum of just 2 egg slots), some do breedings to gift, others to trade; if you add that they want to buy during that time, then there is a max of 2 CBs of past holiday to add to the egg slots. Holidays are very busy on DC as is, if you limit the shop to be available during those holidays, then you are making players do a more tight schedule and change their plans.

This is a game. I dont know you, but I play games to escape from reality (or "life"), just for a while. I am not gonna lie, I like a sense of reality in games, but if that "reality", stops me from doing many things or even affects my goals in the game entirely and there is no solution for that, then thats a bad thing. Of course, and fortunately for me, a shop that is only active during certain times doesnt affect me completely, so I am not totally against.

 

 

I just figure that if one holiday is allowed, all should be. No insults intended. But a bitten CB of another breed is not the same as a totally CB vampire.

 

Yes I thought the same. And about the CB vamps, it depends on the player; since they dont breed, a bitten CB is the same as a pure CB for me, but for others it is not the case.

 

All games make you do thing you don't want to do.  But I would hate to see one holiday dragon "cost" hugely more than another.

 

Yes and no. All games force you to fulfill their main goal, but they let you do it the way you want, doing side-quest, not doing them; with items, without them, which items you will use; in many RPGs you can decide which attributes to boost on your character, and so on; all of them give you a false sense of liberty.

Edited April 28, 2015 by pederino

[osean]

In my opinion it should be kept simple with out all these extra rules. I would not like to have to wait years for a past Holiday if I have the points for it. There already is a limit on the amount of CB Holiday dragons (except Halloween) that adding any other stipulations would suck the fun right out of this game. A person should not be forced to get dragons they don't want just to get one that they do. As far as Halloween is concerned you already are limited to the amount that can fit on your scroll and your point totals that adding anymore stipulations is pointless in my opinion.

 

I feel that vampires should be on the list to purchase as well for those who do not want a CB that has a bitten by on its page. I have one that is CB that does not show the bitten by because I received it before the date that TJ changed the parameters.

 

As far as prizes are concerned there should not be a limit either unless there is a limit already in place per the parameters of the game. I imagine that they would be ridiculously expensive to purchase point wise where you would not be able to earn the points for more then 2 in a year.

 

Everyone plays this game pretty much how they want within the parameters already set by the game itself, that adding anymore rules on what they can redeem their points for just sucks the fun right out of this game.

 

[Guillotine]

Honestly I agree that just having Prizes available for a short time and making them extremely expensive (so that you are exceptionally unlikely to afford more than one Prize a year) OR having very cheap raffle tickets for a (weekly?) drawing that could include normal dragons, Hybrids and/or Prizes would be the best way to handle them (since i can't remember how the spriters feel about Prizes being obtainable as anything but a prize).

 

As far as Holidays go... While i don't mind getting them in reverse release order, I think allowing people to pick and choose during the holiday breeding time would be best.

 

Also, I prefer the shop being open year-round, but only having holidays and maybe also prizes during specific time periods. No reason to have it be super-restricted as far as time goes. i mean, content restrictions make sense. Not so much time.

[Syphoneira]

In my opinion it should be kept simple with out all these extra rules.  I would not like to have to wait years for a past Holiday if I have the points for it.  There already is a limit on the amount of CB Holiday dragons (except Halloween) that adding any other stipulations would suck the fun right out of this game.  A person should not be forced to get dragons they don't want just to get one that they do.  As far as Halloween is concerned you already are limited to the amount that can fit on your scroll and your point totals that adding anymore stipulations is pointless in my opinion.

 

I feel that  vampires should be on the list to purchase as well for those who do not want a CB that has a bitten by on its page.  I have one that is CB that does not show the bitten by because I received it before the date that TJ changed the parameters. 

 

As far as prizes are concerned there should not be a limit either unless there is a limit already in place per the parameters of the game.  I imagine that they would be ridiculously expensive to purchase point wise where you would not be able to earn the points for more then 2 in a year.

 

Everyone plays this game pretty much how they want within the parameters already set by the game itself, that adding anymore rules on what they can redeem their points for just sucks the fun right out of this game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Since we have no idea whether anything such as this will ever fly to begin with, and also no idea as to which, if any, dragons would be accessible through any such suggestion as this, I'm just going to take a run at this with my trusty speculators on, lol.)

 

Exactly!

 

The area of suggested price limits are such that some of the suggested restrictions are superfluous to begin with - and telling people how to play has never been A Good Thing on DC.

 

If people can come up with the price, why shouldn't they be able to get what they actually need/want - and have points for - during the brief period it's available?

 

 

This is being presented as a reward and encouragement for long-term active membership.

 

What kind of a reward does this work out to be with such restrictions, and how does an incentive to stay playing regularly for years work, when this may involve years of first having to earn unwanted dragons we may even not want to have on our scrolls, simply in order to be able to get what we want?

 

If that's expected to be such a major factor in players staying and coming in regularly, it must be realized that this might be more likely to make (especially newer) people wonder how many years they'd be playing, and why, even whether the game/dragons were worthwhile in the first place.

 

 

Wouldn't it be better if people were pleased and excited about what's already a VERY long-term goal, even without any additional restrictions at all?

 

Especially regarding younger members, (to whom a year - never mind several - is a significant portion of the time they've been alive, and a much longer time to them than to older adults) or those wondering whether they'll be alive or have internet 3 or 5 years down the road, something none of us actually knows for sure, come to that.

 

 

If someone only wants to collect the maximum of whatever they can afford or obtain of specific past Halloweens - why not? How many can they actually earn per year, anyway, and what does it actually signify, in the greater scheme of things?

 

There are already people with vast armies of specific CB Halloween sprites, which doesn't seem to have done us any harm - and we see the benefits of this in the AP when they breed pretty lineages in season, with most of the results landing there.

 

If someone wants to buy only one specific colour of a past CB Prize every year or 2nd year and blow possibly all they can scrape up doing it, who cares if 3 or 6 years down the road they have 3 or 6 older Prize dragons of the same colour and are making complex lineages to their hearts content?

 

This is a collecting game, and one where lineages play a very large role - for many long-term players, DC isn't about rares or trade prices, it's about the dragons.

 

 

Also, if a very limited quantity is supplied and at only one time, there would be only a very few people having any chance at all, with everyone else trying for any particular dragon out of luck possibly every year, forever.

 

There are ramifications, the potentially negative consequences of which must be considered, especially if this is to be regarded as a reward and incentive.

 

 

Postulating freely, with my speculators on: IF we were able to get new Prize dragons in the Raffles every couple of years as a result of this ever being implemented, people would be moving on, making progress, with new winners and new dragons - and DC would hopefully be able to avoid a new bout of problems as a result, by having sufficient new sprites given out and a good enough breeding rate that the site could take it in stride and enjoy it, knowing that progeny would work their way throughout the community in a reasonable period of time.

 

Being able to obtain the older Prizes themselves on an annual basis, should this be a priority for them, should also have a strong psychological benefit for the bulk of the non-winning community, as they'd have future hopes of being able to ultimately breed the lineages of their dreams, with long-term future planning made possible by this, albeit in terms of years, even decades.

 

The older Prizes, (and Hollies,) which many love and which make beautiful lineages, should not be placed at risk of going extinct down the road by having reduced or eliminated annual levels of distribution, which require certainly enough to at least offset attrition and take into account annual increases in new membership, something which would require an alternate method of distribution to prevent TJ having to hand out ever-increasing hordes of ever-increasing dragon types, and (in the event of any of this happening,) this was one of the proposals for that alternate distribution.

 

The Raffle was a brilliant way to randomly gift previously never seen sprites throughout the community without regard to internet speed or capacities, ultimately in a manner giving an equal, if infinitesimal, chance to all attending.

 

I doubt the intention of the Raffles was to randomly create any exclusive group able to rule trade forever, although it did give an advantage to them for an extended period - which had devastating effects on the Cave.

 

Imbalances in that degree are not healthy for any community, and the increase in Prize distribution last year made an immediate, major and positive difference to the site.

 

So could this, if handled properly.

 

But if the reward is likely to merely add stress and disappointment, there's no added incentive to stay and play - instead, quite the reverse.

 

 

There seems to be a concern from some that the reward that is to be given shouldn't just be freely given, as rewards have always been - I can't see much logic in this line of argument at all.

 

Occam's Razor is very versatile - the simplest solution is often the answer, and a series of restrictions which are in some cases already imposed by the time/points involved and the alteration of promised reward into a multiple-years-long slog of being told what you must have on your scroll first would be more likely to cause people to lose interest altogether than to engage in any such proposal.

 

If this is NOT to be a reward and incentive for regular long-term play, then please redefine the reasoning more clearly, because that is the purpose I keep seeing people attribute to this, and if I'm proceeding under a misapprehension, I'd like to know.

 

I'm afraid that I really couldn't support any proposal involving such restrictiveness and officially-imposed scroll-control as this, and would not wish to make the appearance of doing so.

 

 

I've heard the soldier's experience of warfare described as being something to the effect of suffering long periods of boredom punctuated with periods of terror - in a collecting game of this nature, we generally look for neither, lol, encountering more along the line of periods of boredom tolerated in the hope of frequent rewards.

 

And since we're here to have fun in our leisure time by collecting the dragons we want and doing with them as we please, 'fun' would probably be defined by most as being able to do this with reasonable time and effort and no gratuitous restrictions.

[Pixxelation]

Disclaimer: did not read the entirety of the above post due to length. However, I'd like to clarify that that IS the point of the proposed limits; keeping CB holidays a reward for committing to the game. As it stands, newer players cannot acquire CB Holidays of the past, and that's how it's always it's been. IMO, if that changes, it still needs to be something the player earns, not the immediate ability to obtain any past CB Holiday. Hollies would immediately lose all value, for instance, which isn't fair to the current CB owners, especially those who chose them in the raffle.

 

Maybe instead of one breed a year, two a year would be a more reasonable limit, and instead of forcing the player to obtain all the holidays each year, they automatically get the option to by the next two each year. So someone who joins this year could get Mistletoes and Solstices this year, Wrapping-Wings and Winter Magi the next year, Ribbon Dancers and Snow Angels in 2017, and Yulebucks and Hollies in 2018? This yearly rate can also increase to three once there are enough holiday dragons released.

[Syphoneira]

Disclaimer: did not read the entirety of the above post due to length. However, I'd like to clarify that that IS the point of the proposed limits; keeping CB holidays a reward for committing to the game. As it stands, newer players cannot acquire CB Holidays of the past, and that's how it's always it's been. IMO, if that changes, it still needs to be something the player earns, not the immediate ability to obtain any past CB Holiday. Hollies would immediately lose all value, for instance, which isn't fair to the current CB owners, especially those who chose them in the raffle.

 

Maybe instead of one breed a year, two a year would be a more reasonable limit, and instead of forcing the player to obtain all the holidays each year, they automatically get the option to by the next two each year. So someone who joins this year could get Mistletoes and Solstices this year, Wrapping-Wings and Winter Magi the next year, Ribbon Dancers and Snow Angels in 2017, and Yulebucks and Hollies in 2018? This yearly rate can also increase to three once there are enough holiday dragons released.

 

 

Isn't this supposed to be a reward and incentive to keep playing on a regular basis, so that people do that through the year in order to earn a specific dragon?

[Pixxelation]

If all the holidays are immediately available to them come holiday time, it completely ruins much of the point of holidays being limited releases. I'm very much against this shop idea to begin with, but I'd be okay with it under circumstances that would prevent all holidays from being available from the get-go. Note that I'm saying this as an artist who worked on two of the past year's holidays; I am not too comfortable with the idea of them all instantly being available to everyone who missed the release. I want them to become harder to obtain as the years go by, as it has been with basically every past holiday, and a suggestion like this would completely devalue all holidays and prevent that from happening.

 

IMO, these controls would combat the issue of owners of old holidays going inactive while also retaining the current market value of second-gens and such.

[Fuzzbucket]

If all the holidays are immediately available to them come holiday time, it completely ruins much of the point of holidays being limited releases. I'm very much against this shop idea to begin with, but I'd be okay with it under circumstances that would prevent all holidays from being available from the get-go. Note that I'm saying this as an artist who worked on two of the past year's holidays; I am not too comfortable with the idea of them all instantly being available to everyone who missed the release. I want them to become harder to obtain as the years go by, as it has been with basically every past holiday, and a suggestion like this would completely devalue all holidays and prevent that from happening.

 

IMO, these controls would combat the issue of owners of old holidays going inactive while also retaining the current market value of second-gens and such.

I can see the point though. If I come in as a new but fervent player and have NO interest in - say - sweetlings or arsanis, and my main wish in the cave is to get me a Val 09 CB, I think it would be very sad - and a major turn off - to HAVE to collect all the others first.

 

So MAYBE - given that you feel so strongly and you are a cave artist and I believe in taking their views on board - just make older ones "cost" more, rather than forcing players to collect things they actually don't want.

 

But as one who hates the concept of VALUE anyway, I am torn on that one. Rares are one thing, but past holidays are - something else. I have CB holidays from as far back as 2010, and I wouldn't feel devalued at all if others were able to get them today (well, in season) - on the contrary, it would up my chances of building pretty checkers !

[olympe]

Disclaimer: did not read the entirety of the above post due to length. However, I'd like to clarify that that IS the point of the proposed limits; keeping CB holidays a reward for committing to the game. As it stands, newer players cannot acquire CB Holidays of the past, and that's how it's always it's been. IMO, if that changes, it still needs to be something the player earns, not the immediate ability to obtain any past CB Holiday. Hollies would immediately lose all value, for instance, which isn't fair to the current CB owners, especially those who chose them in the raffle.

 

Maybe instead of one breed a year, two a year would be a more reasonable limit, and instead of forcing the player to obtain all the holidays each year, they automatically get the option to by the next two each year. So someone who joins this year could get Mistletoes and Solstices this year, Wrapping-Wings and Winter Magi the next year, Ribbon Dancers and Snow Angels in 2017, and Yulebucks and Hollies in 2018? This yearly rate can also increase to three once there are enough holiday dragons released.

This would still be a big disadvantage for newer players, and for a very long time at that. In effect, although this might probably motivate older players to keep playing, it would do the very opposite for newer players. Which is a very bad thing, because we need that influx of newer players because it's them who's most likely to raise all the lovely commons we old players already have armies of. It's mostly the new players we need to even out the ratios. Actively driving them away with such an elitist approach seems like a very bad idea.

 

Note that I'm saying this as an artist who worked on two of the past year's holidays; I am not too comfortable with the idea of them all instantly being available to everyone who missed the release.

~Removed; work it out in PM~

 

I really don't think that trading value of 2nd gen offspring of any dragon should be the most important thing to focus on. After all, trading value is very subjective. And raffle prizes were never said to be a guaranteed "money printing press" that worked forever, as you seem to imply, but a nice gift for the lucky winners.

Edited April 30, 2015 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Thuban]

I'm not entirely sure why you guys are pushing for such harsh penalties. From the beginning, at least my original idea was about being able to slowly earn these eggs. I dont know why pushing for one egg a year happened. Take holidays for example...

 

They would only be available during their windows to be picked up. So if one is obtained, users wont be able to breed them for holiday offspring until the following year anyhow. I dont think it is necessary to have to force users to collect each of the previous years to work back to the ones they actually want. That is forcing a play style. I can think of several breeds I wouldnt want forced on me if I decided to work back to hollies for example.

 

Thats where the general prices came into play: If you have the points to get the thing, then you get the thing. No hoops.

 

With the eggs being untradable, there is a drawback.

With holidays only showing back during breeding window, there is a drawback.

Waiting a year to get holiday babies from it, drawback.

Giving up holiday slots to get these eggs.. drawback.

 

Why would you then add yet another limit of "only one egg per year? It is reasonable that over the course of a year, you could get one egg from each holiday type (as in one v-day, one halloween and one christmas) OR one prize.

 

 

Im still leaning strongly in the direction of only one of each type of prize being available per user, however 6 years to get all of the prizes IS insane. Its still makes them available.. but not at reasonable rates. Most people would want their own cbs of every version... but to limit themselves out of any other goodies for 6 years to accomplish that, is overkill. I would far rather see it take 8 or 9 months to earn the ability to get one, than full year. Its still a time sink.

 

 

 

[Pixxelation]

 

I really don't think that trading value of 2nd gen offspring of any dragon should be the most important thing to focus on. After all, trading value is very subjective. And raffle prizes were never said to be a guaranteed "money printing press" that worked forever, as you seem to imply, but a nice gift for the lucky winners.

 

 

Thuban: as I have said, I am very opposed to this idea by nature. I like that holidays are limited releases, and want to preserve that. If this does eventually happen, I'd much rather it be in a manner that preserves that limitedness and keeps older CBs as a reward for players who have played for years, as they are now.

 

I don't think forcing players to collect the is a good idea, either; that's why I suggested that they automatically unlock each year, rather than forcing you to collect them. So you'd gradually unlock the ability to purchase older breeds--two a year, reverse chronologically--which keeps older CBs as a reward for long-term playing while also making them available to newer players.

Edited April 30, 2015 by SockPuppet Strangler

[osean]

If all the holidays are immediately available to them come holiday time, it completely ruins much of the point of holidays being limited releases. I'm very much against this shop idea to begin with, but I'd be okay with it under circumstances that would prevent all holidays from being available from the get-go. Note that I'm saying this as an artist who worked on two of the past year's holidays; I am not too comfortable with the idea of them all instantly being available to everyone who missed the release. I want them to become harder to obtain as the years go by, as it has been with basically every past holiday, and a suggestion like this would completely devalue all holidays and prevent that from happening.

 

IMO, these controls would combat the issue of owners of old holidays going inactive while also retaining the current market value of second-gens and such.

I respect your point of view but I totally disagree with it it for a number of reasons.

 

I expect a Holly would cost at least 3 times as much as last years Xmas dragon if not more. The cost of the older CB Holidays would prevent a lot of people from obtaining them right away especially if they are interested in CB prizes as well. Holidays have a very small breeding window and would not breed true until the following year. Some of those people who redeemed their points may not be active that following year which would keep numbers lower. Also the limit of 2 CB per scroll (except for Halloween) would be enough to keep the numbers at a reasonable level. I would be willing to bet that half of the original Holly owners are inactive at this point and a lot of holly breeders have really long and ugly lineaged Holly's, so adding fresh blood is win win for everyone.

 

I was inactive for almost 5 years so I have CB Snow Angels and a CB Val 09 but none of the ones after that. I would not have an issue with people who redeemed their points for those first if that was their choice. We also don't know if they were there for the event and just not fast enough to catch that years Holiday dragon as I was here for the Yulebuck and could not catch one to save my life. I don't feel it is fair at all for someone who has been here for 3 years to not be able to get something that I could because of the fact that my scroll was created in 2008 so technically I have been here longer even with my 5 year hiatus.

 

I expect the cost for the older past Holiday dragons would be high enough that the average person will not be able to afford a ton of them right away which would mean that they trickle through the system and not flood the trades as the prizes have.

 

[Thuban]

My original suggestions included just pricing older dragons higher. Using low numbers for example:

 

If a 2015 v-day is say.. 2000 points, then one from the previous year should be higher, which takes longer to earn.

 

 

[Jazeki]

If all the holidays are immediately available to them come holiday time, it completely ruins much of the point of holidays being limited releases. I'm very much against this shop idea to begin with, but I'd be okay with it under circumstances that would prevent all holidays from being available from the get-go. Note that I'm saying this as an artist who worked on two of the past year's holidays; I am not too comfortable with the idea of them all instantly being available to everyone who missed the release. I want them to become harder to obtain as the years go by, as it has been with basically every past holiday, and a suggestion like this would completely devalue all holidays and prevent that from happening.

 

IMO, these controls would combat the issue of owners of old holidays going inactive while also retaining the current market value of second-gens and such.

Actually, you have no way of knowing if they missed the release or not. As some users have pointed out, they may have been present, but been unable to catch or perhaps even only have one of your mistletoes or one or a few of your desipises. Also, I'm pretty sure not everyone is going to want your dragons specifically. They'd just have that option. Additionally, not everyone is going to be able to even afford or have room for one or more holidays.

 

By your standards, I should have access to all of the breeds rather than just two since I've been playing since 2009. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I can or will empty out my hypothetical point amount on all of the holiday dragons. I'd only be interested in buying hollies, yulebucks, and maybe one snow angel. Realistically, I'd probably be only to afford one if I didn't put my points towards something else like a prize.

 

Additionally, having these isn't going to devalue older dragons or ruin the trade market. People will simply ask for Holly 2007 or Honorable Mention Only offspring. I know there are other Xmas HMs. Really, if people want to be choosy, they will and the market and availability won't be affected.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Jazeki

[AnanoKimi]

I'm not entirely sure why you guys are pushing for such harsh penalties. From the beginning, at least my original idea was about being able to slowly earn these eggs. I dont know why pushing for one egg a year happened. Take holidays for example...

 

They would only be available during their windows to be picked up. So if one is obtained, users wont be able to breed them for holiday offspring until the following year anyhow. I dont think it is necessary to have to force users to collect each of the previous years to work back to the ones they actually want. That is forcing a play style. I can think of several breeds I wouldnt want forced on me if I decided to work back to hollies for example.

 

Thats where the general prices came into play: If you have the points to get the thing, then you get the thing. No hoops.

 

With the eggs being untradable, there is a drawback.

With holidays only showing back during breeding window, there is a drawback.

Waiting a year to get holiday babies from it, drawback.

Giving up holiday slots to get these eggs.. drawback.

 

Why would you then add yet another limit of "only one egg per year? It is reasonable that over the course of a year, you could get one egg from each holiday type (as in one v-day, one halloween and one christmas) OR one prize.

 

 

Im still leaning strongly in the direction of only one of each type of prize being available per user, however 6 years to get all of the prizes IS insane. Its still makes them available.. but not at reasonable rates. Most people would want their own cbs of every version... but to limit themselves out of any other goodies for 6 years to accomplish that, is overkill. I would far rather see it take 8 or 9 months to earn the ability to get one, than full year. Its still a time sink.

I have to agree with this. The Holidays displaying within their window is enough of a draw back on top of their 2 CB per scroll limit. Even with Halloween being limitless, there is the draw back of how much egg space are you willing to give up to have a ton of Halloween eggs. On top of that Store eggs will hopefully be untradable meaning there will be no way to market and profit from lets say CB Halloweens, or other CB dragons obtained by this method. On top of that Prices will/should be high enough to cause one to be a little cautions on how to spend ones points to obtain what they want.

 

Personally though, This whole store idea is still kind of bad. There have to be restrictions, prices, time limits, breed limits (as in what breeds are we gonna include), Scroll limits (How many of each can each player have?) and honestly that seems like more work that its worth.

 

At minimum for prizes, I feel that they can be given out it a different fashion with something like milestones where when a user his x milestone they get rewarded. Of course the milestone would have to be something like "Be a DC member for 1+ years" or "Reached x amount of cumulative views" Things like that. Once you hit that milestone you are rewarded with one of 6 prize dragons. Something like this still includes game play but it actually feels like a prize when you get them instead of "Oh Yeah I earned x amount of money and I can buy my self that trophy I never won but always wanted." It honestly feels like we're cheaping out with prizes. These milestones would be endless but you would only be able to unlock as many as 6 (any 6 but a limit of 6) because currently there are 6 prize dragons. The more prizes become available, the more things you can unlock.

 

In terms of holidays, why not a like have it like "Trade me one of these and I will give you one of these" Like lets say During holidays, along with the event you get a page to visit The holiday dragons. You get to pick whether you wanna visit The solstice, yulebuck, etc. You pick one and on their page is the image of that holiday dragon with an egg of its breed at its feet with some sort of message like "Hello travler. You've come all the way to see me. For that I will offer you a trade. Trade me [insert breed of holiday here] and I will give you one of my offspring." The breed they ask will be a holiday that is not their own and it will obviously have to be a bred one. It could be like "Trade me a Wrapping wing with 5 Days left and I will give you something nice" and if you oblige you get a CB holiday of its breed. Its a 1-2 day cool down so once you visit one holiday dragon, you cannot visit another. It would say something like "Having visited that previous holiday has tired you out, and you decide to rest in and try again tommorow."

 

You could offer any holiday egg you want, which means things like messy holidays or holiday breedins that went wrong things like that can be offered in exchange for a CB holiday egg. Lets say there is a 1-2 day cool down with only 1 egg per trade with a holiday, it means you will have to not only choose the eggs you offer wisely to keep the ones you really want, but as well keep an eye on space. This would help limit users while still allowing them to get what they want. Access to these could be limited to bronze trophies and over to ensure the user has had some time to familiarize themselves with DC have played some, and as such have some knowledge under their belt. I would make my own thread for this buuut this is a really out of nowhere suggestion that I feel could help replace this idea and make it less intrusive in terms of getting what we want.

[Jazeki]

@Anano-This sounds cool, but what happens to the eggs that users trade to get the CB ones? Do they just go to the AP?

[AnanoKimi]

I want to say they either go to the AP or they get deleted from the system. Not sure which would be better. Maybe AP seeing as someone who doesnt care about lineages could be trading in something nice that someone else might want.

 

Heck something similar to this could be done in terms of Prizes. Rather than milestones have it like you complete a task given by some strange old man. In return you might get something nice like, at the end of the week in completing his tasks he rewards you with things like blusangs, Pyralspites, Papers, cheeses, things like that. On rare occasions (lets say once every 20 is rewards) he will offer you a prize. His requirements every week could be something like, "Trade me 2 Neotropical hatchlings" and say something about if you help him out enough he may trust you with a special reward of some kind.

Edited April 29, 2015 by AnanoKimi

[Ruby Eyes]

Wilderness might be a good destination.

[Red2111]

i haven't kept up with this discussion since i last posted but i read the last few pages.

 

i play another game called Puzzles and Dragons, which is a free game app on my phone. how this relates to the discussion is that in each game user's get "log in bonus's" awarded each day a person logs in, with the bonus increasing for consecutive log in's and capping out at 7 days as the max (with a set number of points). the points are used towards pulling for eggs in a slot machine that awards new dragons (sometimes rare breeds, sometimes multiples of what you already have, its randomly generated).

 

point is, i think a "Log In" bonus awarded daily for logging in the first time to our scrolls is the way we should go about as the main function of earning points. not a side game. this is a passive way that doesn't make people do something extra or take away from the main function of this game AND it rewards dedication to the game; especially if points/mana awarded is increased for consecutive days logged in and capped at a certain number

 

ie: day 1 you get 100 mana, day 2 you get 150 mana, ect at a cap of day 7 with 500 mana, and each consecutive day after 7 you retain 500 mana a day. but if you miss a day, the award resets to 100 mana the next time you log in (even if you only miss one day) and you have to work back up to the consecutive log in bonus.

 

like i said, this could be the main way to earn mana, but not the only. there are already inset functions/achievements in the game that could be taken into consideration. perhaps for every 100 or so descriptions you rate, you get x-amount of mana awarded, with a cap of how much you can earn each day. during events (like easter) perhaps people could get mana awarded for collecting all the little collectables as a 'pat on the back' good job sorta thing.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

with the dragons available ... what if the holidays available were tied to the trophy you have. you have to show dedication to earn those trophies.

 

take the current Christmas dragons

 

no trophy - Mistletoe & Solstice available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Ribbon Dancer & Angelwing

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Yulebuck & Holly

 

 

fast forward to 2018 christmas season, the options would look like this

 

no trophy - 2017 & 2016 available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + 2015 & Mistletoe & Solstice

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing Ribbon Dancer

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Angelwing & Yulebuck & Holly

 

 

[AnanoKimi]

i haven't kept up with this discussion since i last posted but i read the last few pages.

 

i play another game called Puzzles and Dragons, which is a free game app on my phone.  how this relates to the discussion is that in each game user's get "log in bonus's" awarded each day a person logs in, with the bonus increasing for consecutive log in's and capping out at 7 days as the max (with a set number of points).  the points are used towards pulling for eggs in a slot machine that awards new dragons (sometimes rare breeds, sometimes multiples of what you already have, its randomly generated).

 

point is, i think a "Log In" bonus awarded daily for logging in the first time to our scrolls is the way we should go about as the main function of earning points.  not a side game.  this is a passive way that doesn't make people do something extra or take away from the main function of this game AND it rewards dedication to the game; especially if points/mana awarded is increased for consecutive days logged in and capped at a certain number

 

ie: day 1 you get 100 mana, day 2 you get 150 mana, ect at a cap of day 7 with 500 mana, and each consecutive day after 7 you retain 500 mana a day.  but if you miss a day, the award resets to 100 mana the next time you log in (even if you only miss one day) and you have to work back up to the consecutive log in bonus.

 

like i said, this could be the main way to earn mana, but not the only.  there are already inset functions/achievements in the game that could be taken into consideration.  perhaps for every 100 or so descriptions you rate, you get x-amount of mana awarded, with a cap of how much you can earn each day. during events (like easter) perhaps people could get mana awarded for collecting all the little collectables as a 'pat on the back' good job sorta thing.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

with the dragons available ...  what if the holidays available were tied to the trophy you have.  you have to show dedication to earn those trophies.

 

take the current Christmas dragons

 

no trophy - Mistletoe & Solstice available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Ribbon Dancer & Angelwing

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Yulebuck & Holly

 

 

fast forward to 2018 christmas season, the options would look like this

 

no trophy -  2017 & 2016 available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + 2015 & Mistletoe & Solstice

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing Ribbon Dancer

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Angelwing & Yulebuck & Holly

The issue with log in rewards like that is that not everyone has the time to log in daily, or at minimum remember to do so. If the earned mana resets for missing a day, we would be penalizing someone who may be a dedicated player but has classes and finals, family, work, etc that may eat up that one day they missed. Its unfair to penalize them for being busy despite their being dedicated players.

 

In terms of available holidays through trophies, Some have said that basing one's self off of trophies as a symbol of "dedication" is flawed due to different play styles. For example, not everyone hoards. Some players only catch and grow 1 stage out of each dragon (which varies anywhere between 3-5 stages per.) That means not everyone may reach the gold trophy level unless more dragons are added. I'm not quite sure how well this works out so I am only stating this as someone had made mention of it before. It may or may not be true, and with all the different breeds available it could be possible but I highly doubt there are enough dragons to reach 500 dragons by only collecting 1 of each stage of dragon.

Edited April 29, 2015 by AnanoKimi

[RecycledHeart]

i haven't kept up with this discussion since i last posted but i read the last few pages.

 

i play another game called Puzzles and Dragons, which is a free game app on my phone.  how this relates to the discussion is that in each game user's get "log in bonus's" awarded each day a person logs in, with the bonus increasing for consecutive log in's and capping out at 7 days as the max (with a set number of points).  the points are used towards pulling for eggs in a slot machine that awards new dragons (sometimes rare breeds, sometimes multiples of what you already have, its randomly generated).

 

point is, i think a "Log In" bonus awarded daily for logging in the first time to our scrolls is the way we should go about as the main function of earning points.  not a side game.  this is a passive way that doesn't make people do something extra or take away from the main function of this game AND it rewards dedication to the game; especially if points/mana awarded is increased for consecutive days logged in and capped at a certain number

 

ie: day 1 you get 100 mana, day 2 you get 150 mana, ect at a cap of day 7 with 500 mana, and each consecutive day after 7 you retain 500 mana a day.  but if you miss a day, the award resets to 100 mana the next time you log in (even if you only miss one day) and you have to work back up to the consecutive log in bonus.

 

like i said, this could be the main way to earn mana, but not the only.  there are already inset functions/achievements in the game that could be taken into consideration.  perhaps for every 100 or so descriptions you rate, you get x-amount of mana awarded, with a cap of how much you can earn each day. during events (like easter) perhaps people could get mana awarded for collecting all the little collectables as a 'pat on the back' good job sorta thing.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

with the dragons available ...  what if the holidays available were tied to the trophy you have.  you have to show dedication to earn those trophies.

 

take the current Christmas dragons

 

no trophy - Mistletoe & Solstice available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Ribbon Dancer & Angelwing

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Yulebuck & Holly

 

 

fast forward to 2018 christmas season, the options would look like this

 

no trophy -  2017 & 2016 available

 

bronze trophy - those listed on no trophy + 2015 & Mistletoe & Solstice

 

silver trophy - those listed on bronze trophy + Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing Ribbon Dancer

 

gold trophy - those listed on silver trophy + Angelwing & Yulebuck & Holly

How about instead of a log in reward how about this?

 

Been playing for two years: Solstice and mistletoe

 

3 years - Winter Magi & Wrapping Wing also become available.

 

4 years - Ribbon Dancer & Angelwing also become available

 

5 years and beyond - Yulebuck & Holly also become available.

 

 

But keeping in with the cb limits, you can only have two of each.

Edited April 29, 2015 by RecycledHeart

[Fuzzbucket]

Wilderness might be a good destination.

Then they don't count for the ratios so we would be back to square one...