Fixing the Current CB Prize System

[The Dragoness]

7 hours ago, Fiona said:

There was a suggestion in the "Prizes in the Market" thread that I actually liked very well that would add a line to Olympe's break down above, and that was regularly retiring raffle dragons to the market, and replacing them with new raffle dragons. It shouldn't be a frequent thing, but say every three or four years or so a new CB Prize is introduced and the current Prize is "demoted" to "save up shards and buy it" status in the market. Prices could then be relatively low, say 4 to 6 months worth of shards. And though the offspring of the new prize would be the new craze for awhile I think it would be mitigated by the knowledge that you'll get a CB eventually through the market if you aren't lucky enough to win one.

Sorry, but I really dislike this idea. Wouldn't we eventually encounter the same issue with the new Prize breeds? Until the CBs appear in the Market, their 2Gs will be extremely valuable and difficult to get. I imagine that it would be similar to the chaos following the original holiday raffles. I really would rather not see more exclusive (even if only for a few years) dragons introduced. I also dislike the idea of making CB Prizes so cheap. I want them to be obtainable, but only 4 months of shards sounds like way too little. It makes the CB Prizes sound less like special, well, prizes. To me, a year of shards at a minimum sounds fair. I think they should cost more than CB Golds, as they are the rarest thing in the game.

 

 

[Fuzzbucket]

9 hours ago, Pilauli said:

Um, @olympe?

It would (at least in my opinion) be more interesting to have more kinds of raffles, rather than more winners per raffles.

 

Here's something else that might help, albeit potentially tricky to code.  What if lower-gen prizes produced prize offspring more often than high-gen prizes?  There'd be (compared to now) less undesirable high-gen prizes and more of those "2G prizes that everyone wants but can't trade CB golds for".  It might even get to the point that the prices could be driven down a little bit.

Doesn't help. What we all want is CB prizes. To be blunt, 2gens aren't that hard to get, but are impossible to build checkers etc with.

 

And please no more raffles of any kind.

[Ruby Eyes]

5 hours ago, The Dragoness said:

Until the CBs appear in the Market, their 2Gs will be extremely valuable and difficult to get.

Sure - but only until then, really. It means that those who are willing to wait a little longer will eventually get rewarded. Patience is the key then, while the handful of winners have their share of excitement and feeling of oh-my-gosh-I'm-special. I actually think with a proper schedule (meaning if everyone *knew* that each Prize breed would be available after, say, 2 or 3 years of raffles), it would remove some of the trading tension, too.

 

1 hour ago, Fuzzbucket said:

To be blunt, 2gens aren't that hard to get

They aren't? I dunno, I never have what's asked for, so I always need to rely on kind gifts and forum games for them. I just have no 2nd gen Prizes or CB metals to trade for them!

Edited October 23, 2018 by Ruby Eyes

[Moonlight_Eevee]

@Fuzzbucket @Ruby Eyes As someone who has a prize, a CB Female Bronze Tinsel, I have my own set of obstacles with my prize. Sure, I very rarely get the emails asking about potential offspring, but getting a 2g Prize is easier said than done. While there are some dragons that I get a 2g prize out of automatically, others aren't so lucky (looking at you monarchs). Not to mention Bronze is probably the least desired colour out of all three of them as I've seen multiple people wanting a 2g prize but no bronze. But then again, it does come down to personal taste and sometimes I wish I could be as lucky to win something a little more desirable.

[Ruby Eyes]

1 hour ago, Dalek Raptor said:

multiple people wanting a 2g prize but no bronze

That might also be the result of there being more CB bronze Prizes in existence than the other two variants. Another imbalance created by the raffles.

 

(I'm actually looking for a Prize and a prizekin from that exact type of Prize (for checkers), but again: nothing to trade for. And prizekins seem to be available only when someone else asked for a Prize from that breed ...) Wow!

Edited October 23, 2018 by Ruby Eyes

[Soulsborne]

1 hour ago, Ruby Eyes said:

(I'm actually looking for a Prize and a prizekin from that exact type of Prize (for checkers), but again: nothing to trade for. And prizekins seem to be available only when someone else asked for a Prize from that breed ...)

 

That's not true for quite a few (don't have the numbers) CB prize owners. Some of us are willing to trade / IOU for other things than the usual stuff... just take a look at the profiles of more people.

 

[I'll take myself as an example here but I KNOW that there are more with similar offers out there - because sometimes we do talk - you can get 2G prizes for catching and/or hatching a certain number of easier to get dragons, e. g. red / pink BSA, Halloween stuff, 2Gs from whatever sb wants for their projects, 2G Holidays, or just CB hatchies of uncommon breed XY, etc.- just keep your eyes open and maybe just ask nicely for such an option - that's usually not the kind of deal you'll find on the trade hub... for obvious reasons]

[Shadowdrake]

Part of the problem with that is you're not allowed to say you have something intangible in trade threads (mass hatchie iou, 2g prize of your choice, can make nds, etc etc), so you have to actively go looking for prize holders who are willing to be PMd and have slots available and will accept what you want to breed, which is only allowed in signatures and profiles that the forum can't search for. Also, yeah you can poke prizes owners but the culture on the forums has been "Don't bug the prize owners" for a long time, and even though they're slowly becoming more common to see the culture is still "specific 2g prizes are impossible to get" which frankly discourages most people from even checking. Market prizes would at least break down that illusive division by letting, y'know, everyone become a prize owner.

 

Also also 3g prizes are not worth much and trying to trade for something worth more than a CB gold yet is a 2g doesn't really feel worth it when you prefer CBs for your scroll goals.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Shadowdrake

[olympe]

5 hours ago, Soulsborne said:

That's not true for quite a few (don't have the numbers) CB prize owners. Some of us are willing to trade / IOU for other things than the usual stuff... just take a look at the profiles of more people.

While that is probably quite true, I've seen too many profiles linking to an external site that then explains in painstaking detail which hoops you have to jump through in order to qualify to request a prize IOU, including how to contact the person, when to contact (only when the signature says so) and which kind of information to include. Never mind that you absolutely may not forget to add the super-secret password hidden somewhere in the third stipulation that then gets changed to something else in the second-to-last stipulation. (While the very last rule of the CB owner tells you to spell the super-secret password backwards...) Of couse, you'll also need a positive trading record (where the **** do you get that???) and, just to be sure, you need to pay in advance. Also, you may not request certain pairings, or you'll merely trade for X number of breeding attempts. If you manage to do everything right, you sometimes still need to ask what the person would accept as a trade (and try to get that) - because, for some inexplicable reason, that's the one thing that's not mentioned in the rules. (Or, if you're very lucky, you get told how many CB golds to deliver somewhere before the last password change.) Also, don't forget that exceptions are made for other CB prize owners requesting a 2nd gen swap, who will always go to the top of the list.f

 

Yes, I've seen things very similar to that. (I think the "spelling backwards" thing may be my invention - but the super-secret password, never mind the change of said super-secret password, are things I've actually seen.)

[SickSoul]

12 minutes ago, olympe said:

While that is probably quite true, I've seen too many profiles linking to an external site that then explains in painstaking detail which hoops you have to jump through in order to qualify to request a prize IOU, including how to contact the person, when to contact (only when the signature says so) and which kind of information to include. Never mind that you absolutely may not forget to add the super-secret password hidden somewhere in the third stipulation that then gets changed to something else in the second-to-last stipulation. (While the very last rule of the CB owner tells you to spell the super-secret password backwards...) Of couse, you'll also need a positive trading record (where the do you get that???) and, just to be sure, you need to pay in advance. Also, you may not request certain pairings, or you'll merely trade for X number of breeding attempts. If you manage to do everything right, you sometimes still need to ask what the person would accept as a trade (and try to get that) - because, for some inexplicable reason, that's the one thing that's not mentioned in the rules. (Or, if you're very lucky, you get told how many CB golds to deliver somewhere before the last password change.) Also, don't forget that exceptions are made for other CB prize owners requesting a 2nd gen swap, who will always go to the top of the list.f

 

Yes, I've seen things very similar to that. (I think the "spelling backwards" thing may be my invention - but the super-secret password, never mind the change of said super-secret password, are things I've actually seen.)

 

Not to mention most of their WL IOUS if they do take them are only 2nd gen eggs from tinsel x rare pairings like holiday dragons

 

The system needs to be changed or hell they need to not allow rares to breed with tinsels.

 

I feel like more chances to win or have it so if you win one year you cannot for x amount would help spread out the first gens

[olympe]

20 minutes ago, SickSoul said:

Not to mention most of their WL IOUS if they do take them are only 2nd gen eggs from tinsel x rare pairings like holiday dragons

 

The system needs to be changed or hell they need to not allow rares to breed with tinsels.

Wait, what? All our lovely Prize x holiday / Prize x rare would go poof since we wouldn't be able to continue them any more! Please no restrictions on what can breed with what. We've been there, done that - and really don't need to go back to it.

 

A much more awful thing having an effect on this is that new common breeds tend to dominate any breeding attempts done with them. But changing that is a suggestion of its own.

Edited October 23, 2018 by olympe

[SickSoul]

Just now, olympe said:

Wait, what? All our lovely Prize x holiday / Prize x rare would go poof since we wouldn't be able to continue them any more! Please no restrictions on what can breed with what. We've been there, done that - and really don't need to go back to it.

 

True, I suppose damage is done. Hahah perhaps a limit of not breeding them with rares if a new one ever comes out!

 

Either way, my point was more so that with the ious that people ask for usually are not obtainable for the normal player at all. which severely limits the chances of even getting a gen 2

[The Dragoness]

7 minutes ago, olympe said:

While that is probably quite true, I've seen too many profiles linking to an external site that then explains in painstaking detail which hoops you have to jump through in order to qualify to request a prize IOU, including how to contact the person, when to contact (only when the signature says so) and which kind of information to include. Never mind that you absolutely may not forget to add the super-secret password hidden somewhere in the third stipulation that then gets changed to something else in the second-to-last stipulation. (While the very last rule of the CB owner tells you to spell the super-secret password backwards...) Of couse, you'll also need a positive trading record (where the do you get that???) and, just to be sure, you need to pay in advance. Also, you may not request certain pairings, or you'll merely trade for X number of breeding attempts. If you manage to do everything right, you sometimes still need to ask what the person would accept as a trade (and try to get that) - because, for some inexplicable reason, that's the one thing that's not mentioned in the rules. (Or, if you're very lucky, you get told how many CB golds to deliver somewhere before the last password change.) Also, don't forget that exceptions are made for other CB prize owners requesting a 2nd gen swap, who will always go to the top of the list.f

 

Yes, I've seen things very similar to that. (I think the "spelling backwards" thing may be my invention - but the super-secret password, never mind the change of said super-secret password, are things I've actually seen.)

So, as someone who has a google spreadsheet with all of my CB Prize information, I want to comment on this. I actually put together the spreadsheet for other people's convenience. I'm totally fine with being contacted at any time about anything, but people kept asking me the same basic questions over and over. So I decided to make the spreadsheet so they could just find their answers there. It has helped a little bit. And as for the passwords some owners use... I kind of understand that. I personally will never use one, but I can see how it would guarantee that the person messaging you actually did read the information provided. People have asked me numerous times if I will add them to my 2G Prize list...which is clearly full. That comes across as very ignorant.  I also ask that IOUs be paid in full before I send 2G Prizes, but that's because people have scammed me over CB Golds, NDs, and 2G Prizes in the past. It sucks to waste your time breeding/hunting in the hopes of getting something you really need in a trade...and the person blocks you as soon as you send your side. I do make IOU exceptions for 2G Prize swaps (although they don't go to the top of the list--I breed in order of payment received), but only because breeding for a trade is different than trying to catch something, and I can check their Prize's progeny page to make sure that they're actually working on our trade, unlike someone's time spent in the cave. And if someone doesn't want to be contacted about their Prize, leave them alone. Seriously. I've talked to a few CB owners who publicly retired their Prizes but still receive PMs asking to be added to the list...it only takes a few seconds to check their signature/profile. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I always check before asking people about trades (even before I won). I think that's simple courtesy. 

 

Most of these "rules" exist for a reason. I try to be very open-minded with trades (heck, I'll even take messy BSA hatchlings) and I give Prizekins away for free. I let people choose any mate except Celestial and that's only because of how annoying their BSA is. I charge per Tinsel egg, not number of breeding attempts. I have even listed examples of what I'll trade for in my spreadsheet. But I've been burned too many times to trust that every person will fulfill their IOU, actually take the time to read the spreadsheet I provided for their convenience, be timely, etc. So I take precautions. If someone doesn't like it, they can just not ask to be added to my list. It doesn't seem very fair to complain about someone handles their own dragon. You (general you) can dislike it, but don't make them out to be bad people.

[olympe]

@The Dragoness

Frankly, yours is one of the more accomodating one, although it is a whole lot of text to wade through.  

No, I wasn't kidding about password, password change and the like. I've also seen things like "PMs must use [insert random thing here] as topic, or they will be deleted." 

PMs must contain the relevant info in the following format: [...]

You need to keep an egg slot open at all times once you're on the top of the list.

You need to take your egg within 24 hours of it being bred. If you fail to take it home, I consider my part of the trade done.

And, after you've worked your way through a literal Great Wall of text, you find out you need to offer at least several CB golds, NDs, or a 2nd gen from Prize or SA in order to not wait until Kingdom Come -and, of course, you're restricted to certain mates.

 

The list goes on. Which is why I've given up on checking Prize Owners' profiles a long time ago, the ones I did check were just too ridiculous. (Although, truth to be told, I've seen most of the really annoying stuff from an SA owner...)

 

[osean]

54 minutes ago, olympe said:

@The Dragoness

Frankly, yours is one of the more accomodating one, although it is a whole lot of text to wade through.  

No, I wasn't kidding about password, password change and the like. I've also seen things like "PMs must use [insert random thing here] as topic, or they will be deleted." 

PMs must contain the relevant info in the following format: [...]

You need to keep an egg slot open at all times once you're on the top of the list.

You need to take your egg within 24 hours of it being bred. If you fail to take it home, I consider my part of the trade done.

And, after you've worked your way through a literal Great Wall of text, you find out you need to offer at least several CB golds, NDs, or a 2nd gen from Prize or SA in order to not wait until Kingdom Come -and, of course, you're restricted to certain mates.

 

The list goes on. Which is why I've given up on checking Prize Owners' profiles a long time ago, the ones I did check were just too ridiculous. (Although, truth to be told, I've seen most of the really annoying stuff from an SA owner...)

 

Not all prize owners are like that. I do have a list of three at a time and I will breed him with what ever they like except celestials as I don’t like their breeding cycle. I rotate my list so if they pick a common then it can take a while. I have one trade with a striped river and one with a summer and both parties are aware that it may take time.  I also have one with a holiday as it was their choice.  I have no secret password or anything like that and honestly only have the information in my profile for you guys.   Having won the raffle has changed my Game play style a lot!

[animatedrose]

I try to keep to a limited list too with my prize. No secret passwords or anything. I don't really see a point to it. I haven't been burned yet but I usually try not to do exchanges with just anyone unless I get to know them a bit first, to know if they're trustworthy. I haven't really been bugged about mine, though I did keep my status hidden for over a year when I won to avoid that.

 

I usually don't do trade dealings here on the forum. I feel better on the Discord because then there are other people who you can ask about the person in question if you don't know them. You can't really do that here on the forum. I've never tried to do 2g prize swaps before but I've always just viewed it like 2g SAs--most of the time, forget it. Don't bug them. Everybody and their grandmother probably already is. So I just leave any 2g swaps to the Hub, since then I know exactly who is looking for them. I'm not about to pester anyone about their prize because...I didn't want to be pestered a lot either...

 

But yeah, just my two cents. I definitely wouldn't bother with the kind of system olympe described seeing. That's way too much and I'd probably forget whatever ten or so interchanging passwords I've set for it anyway. :/

[relaks]

This isn't really the thread to discuss whether you have or don't have convoluted rules about your 2g offspring or even if those rules are justified or not.

 

Here's the issue: the general feeling is that obtaining a 2g prizes is impossible for way too many users. We don't have CB prizes.  We don't catch Gold dragons, and certainly not multiple Silver eggs. We are not spriters and therefore don't breed 2g SA's progeny. Some of us don't have the time to raise 15+CB hatchies without it affecting our play style. If you can only play a couple of hours every day, you don't have time to hunt a lot. And for newer users, especially, it's take longer because they don't have as many eggslots. That can take weeks.

And that's just for ONE 2g. If you're interested in building a lineage (and I have the feeling that EG checker is generally prefered in the forums), you'll have to repeat the process to possibly get a mate. So even longer.

I'm not saying they are unreasonable demands, but they are not affordable for plenty of people. 

 

And honestly, my issue is that it doesn't only affect 2g trading, but metallics as well. I couldn't care less about 2g tinsels, tbh (though I'd love 2g shimmers, because I love Shimmers). But Gold and Silvers? Love them. I'd be way more willing to raise 15 BSA for a Silver, honestly.  Problem: I've seen many times people asking 2g prizes/SA kin in exchange for their CB Gold and Silver egg(s). Some may say: "will consider other offers", but it's clear that the priority is 2g prize/SA kin. 

I'd like a CB Gold, too. I'd love multiple Silvers. I'd love to build my own lineages. But I can't catch them because: a) I don't have time to hunt for hours; b) my connexion is crap. So ok, maybe I'll trade for one. But I can't, because I don't have 2g prize.

It's a vicious cycle, IMO. It can be frustrating. I personally have learnt to not be too upset: I'll just breed the lineages I can have, try to catch some other pretty dragons on my own, and that's all. But it's not sustainable to have a majority of the players feel so frustrated over a breed (or a few breeds). 

 

Adding a new breed to the equation wouldn't solve the problems. Even if tinsels and shimmers became obtainable via the market (and thus more "common"), the trading market would still have a problem with the new breed, making the rarer dragons unattainable for many people, because then everyone would want a 2g of the new exclusive breed.  

[Ruby Eyes]

1 hour ago, relaks said:

(and I have the feeling that EG checker is generally prefered in the forums)

Checkers are just great for bringing the maximum number of tiles on the screen with a lineage, since that cuts off at 12 generations. They have the biggest visual effect with regards to "male of breed X with female of breed Y".

 

Those walls of text are actually useful most of the time: they tell me I don't need to bother. I don't mind the passwords (type "proof that you have read until here and didn't just go TL;DR"), but I do wish people would first put what they would trade for, eventually, instead putting of all the other conditions first. But that's probably just me.

 

Yeah, trading for CB metallics is actually the other side of this: traders often demand 2nd gen Prizes (or SA offspring) for their CB metallics. Offering them a 2nd gen from HM usually just gets me a rejection, since all they see is "Hellhorse? Nah, don't need. And NOT WHAT I ASKED FOR!"

[Soulsborne]

2 hours ago, relaks said:

Some of us don't have the time to raise 15+CB hatchies without it affecting our play style. If you can only play a couple of hours every day, you don't have time to hunt a lot. And for newer users, especially, it's take longer because they don't have as many eggslots. That can take weeks.

 

Don't take this the wrong way but

 

1) [taking your example here] even for a newbie with only 4 egg slots hatching 15 eggs would mean 2 weeks at most (4 eggs every 3 days) which can also be spread out over a longer period to be able to do something else than just gathering payment for an IOU.

2) [regarding the bolded part] you want something rare and aren't willing to do something quite simple for it (= still a lot easier than catching CB metals / creating a ND / having access to breeding 2G prizes yourself)?

Breeding a 2G prize can take weeks / months depending on the mate... that is affecting our playstyle as well. I don't think taking 2 weeks to pay for something like a 2G is too much to ask. (I know I've taken a lot longer fulfilling IOUs for prize swaps or offering prize offspring for something else I wanted)

 

---

(the following might sound partially like an attack at individuals here in this thread - IT IS NOT - it just means that the general tone / opinion expressed towards prize owners could be more nuanced)

 

I have a secret list of who I want to surprise gift offspring whenever I'll get the chance (and I'm sure I'm not the only person who has something similar). Some people got on there simply because I read somewhere on the forum about them looking for a certain combination BUT while critique about the prize system is perfectly fine and necessary - I wouldn't really consider some people here for my list after reading how they see all CB prize owners as "the pure evil" [the exaggeration was for effect! You'll get the drift]

[relaks]

1 hour ago, Soulsborne said:

 

(the following might sound partially like an attack at individuals here in this thread - IT IS NOT - it just means that the general tone / opinion expressed towards prize owners could be more nuanced)

 

Just to make it clear, I wasn't blaming prize owners for the prices they ask. I'm not one myself so I wouldn't know how hard it is to get a 2g out of a CB prize, and I don't know how it disrupts normal gameplay. And I totally understand wanting to trade for 2g to build nice lineages, I wouldn't begrudge them that.

I'm sorry if it seemed I put the blame on the owners. My problem is with the system and how it messed up the trade market.

 

And maybe you're right and I should be willing to put more effort if I really, really wanted a 2g. 

 

 

But in the end I think most people are fed up about the whole system, not about individual prize owners. 

Maybe some people want prizes because they are rare or valuable, but tbh I think people want pretty things on their scrolls and  building lineages... which would be so much easier if there were more CB prizes. That or making them easier to breed true. 

 

(As an analogy, I'd say I "understand" why a diamond is expensive in a jewelry store, the problem is that Prizes shoud not be "diamonds".)

 

As it is right now, it is quite toxic to the site. 

Edited October 24, 2018 by relaks

[The Dragoness]

23 hours ago, olympe said:

@The Dragoness

Frankly, yours is one of the more accomodating one, although it is a whole lot of text to wade through.  

No, I wasn't kidding about password, password change and the like. I've also seen things like "PMs must use [insert random thing here] as topic, or they will be deleted." 

PMs must contain the relevant info in the following format: [...]

You need to keep an egg slot open at all times once you're on the top of the list.

You need to take your egg within 24 hours of it being bred. If you fail to take it home, I consider my part of the trade done.

And, after you've worked your way through a literal Great Wall of text, you find out you need to offer at least several CB golds, NDs, or a 2nd gen from Prize or SA in order to not wait until Kingdom Come -and, of course, you're restricted to certain mates.

 

The list goes on. Which is why I've given up on checking Prize Owners' profiles a long time ago, the ones I did check were just too ridiculous. (Although, truth to be told, I've seen most of the really annoying stuff from an SA owner...)

 

Yeah, rambling is a proud specialty of mine. But it doesn't leave any questions to be asked, so it works 

 

I'm definitely not going to deny that some CB Prize owners are "strict" with their dragons. I can recall seeing some profiles that didn't exactly help me out either, but that's just how people are. But I've seen non-winners with strict rules too. If they choose to be that way, then that's their choice. They will probably lose out on trades as a result. Before I won (not that 2G Prize trades are much easier now, but I'm trying to show my experience from the other side), I traded with both "strict" owners who only bred their Prize with one mate and asked for crazy high prices with rules on how to speak to them that honestly made me nervous about contacting them at all and extremely sweet ones who gave me 2Gs for free. I've also experienced those extremes with non-winners. One non-winner told me that I could only contact them during the morning in their time zone...which was on the other side of the world. This was just general chat, not delivering eggs or anything. So it does go both ways. I hope that you realize that not all CB Prize owners are like that, as many of us (especially the newer ones from what I've seen) make a huge effort to be open-minded. 

 

@relaks, I'm not going to lie...15 CB hatchlings (especially common) is not very much. I've traded more than that for a single CB Silver. Please don't take that the wrong way. But Soulsborne is right. CB Prizes are very difficult. I know that the community sees them as magical CB Gold magnets (which they can be, to be fair, but it's an exaggeration), but they love to go weeks without producing shinies, and that's if they produce anything at all. I'm a month in with mine and have not gotten a single Tinsel yet, even though I used fertility and uncommon to rare mates. 15 CB common hatchlings that I could easily catch myself isn't really equal to taking up several weeks of breeding attempts for my Tinsel, IMO, as I do have a list of other people to get through. That's also several weeks that I can't breed her for myself or gifts. I'm sure some CB Prize owners would accept an offer like that, but I only would for a Holiday mate. If I really wanted those 15 CB common hatchlings, I could probably catch them myself faster than I could breed a 2G Prize for the person who offers to catch them for me. 

[osmarks]

@relaks

To overextend/possibly break your analogy, I'm fairly sure diamonds are only expensive because of piles of price fixing.

 

Anyway, yes, CB prizes aren't instant-win things. I've talked to several prizewinners on the Discord, and it generally seems this way. However: prizes are still pretty powerful! If you breed once a week, that's a prizekin (which I believe I got a CB copper for in the past) most weeks and every few (3-6 maybe? It seems that way) you get a 2G prize. Yes, people have said that getting CB golds for them is quite hard, but I'm sure it's possible to get at least a silver. This is still pretty powerful for a thing you get entirely randomly. And the trading power isn't even the only issue! Part of it is that lineage builders find it really hard to get low-generation Prizes for their nice sprites.

[olympe]

Which brings it back down to rarity as the root of the problem. I rest my case.

[DragonLady86]

3 hours ago, osmarks said:

@relaks

To overextend/possibly break your analogy, I'm fairly sure diamonds are only expensive because of piles of price fixing.

 

Anyway, yes, CB prizes aren't instant-win things. I've talked to several prizewinners on the Discord, and it generally seems this way. However: prizes are still pretty powerful! If you breed once a week, that's a prizekin (which I believe I got a CB copper for in the past) most weeks and every few (3-6 maybe? It seems that way) you get a 2G prize. Yes, people have said that getting CB golds for them is quite hard, but I'm sure it's possible to get at least a silver. This is still pretty powerful for a thing you get entirely randomly. And the trading power isn't even the only issue! Part of it is that lineage builders find it really hard to get low-generation Prizes for their nice sprites.

It is not a prizekin every week.  It took me two MONTHS to get the first egg out of mine and he has only produced 2 shinies thus far.  I get far more "no egg is produced" results than anything.  and fails are only good if it's a breed someone happens to want.