Joining anniversary present

[Auriene]

Recently, I have taken a look at my stats visible on my scroll and I thought about something. Just a suggestion, of course. Joining anniversary present for each player.

 

Edit:

_______________________________________________________________________

 

CURRENT SUGGESTIONS:

 

- anniversary trophy / badge -

- option 1 - new type of trophy / badge for every passing year,

- option 2 - one trophy / badge changing every year.

 

- anniversary card -

- option 1 - one-time message appearing on your scroll,

- option 2 - anniversary card, possibly connected to the anniversary badge: "... you can click on the badge to get to a special page, where each year a new anniversary card (random design and message) appears, dated and signed from the first dragon you got that year. I’m thinking like the 2012 and 2014 Valentine events. Over the years, you accumulate more cards “from your dragons”. I think that would be super cute! " (wobster109)

 

- bonus shards -

- receiving an amount of shards as an anniversary gift

- option 1 - "... 500 shards, about the market value of an uncommon dragon" (wobster109)

 

- anniversary custom code -

- ability to choose a custom code for one creature,

- important note: the idea has been mentioned in other suggestion threads already and it seems that it would require TJ to check and assign submitted codes manually. Unless he would be willing to make it automatic, probably with something similar to the name checker we already have - not happening, most likely.

 

- anniversary mini-game -

- "...perhaps a mini-game that you could ONLY play on that date" (Fuzzbucket)

 

***

 

ANNIVERSARY CREATURE SUGGESTIONS:

 

- anniversary unbreedable -

- "...a trinket creature, like Leetle Trees or other non-dragon creatures." (Stromboli)

- "... an unbreedable dragon" (sorenna)

 

- anniversary dragon -

- special anniversary dragon received every year by every player on their joining anniversary,

- sprite: only one type, no changing sprites every year,

- egg: abandonable, not tradeable, possibly protected against dying from sickness,

- dragon: able to breed true and to produce 2nd gen. offsprings.

 

***

 

CURRENT QUESTIONS AND IDEAS:

 

- what about people who don't have their joining date registered in the game?

- solution 1 - making possible for them to choose a date manually, for example, through the Account Settings,

- solution 2 - "...setting an arbitrary date for all of them" (sorenna).

 

- what about players who might forget to check on their scroll on their joining anniversary?

- solution 1 - making the anniversary bonus obtainable for the entire week or for the entire month after the anniversary date,

- solution 2 - an e-mail reminder, for example, a day before the anniversary,

- solution 3 - automatically assigning things to players' scroll regardless of their activity.

 

- what about egglocked players, or players who have their joining anniversary during the event? (in case of having an anniversary growing creature)

- solution - an anniversary egg not counting towards the player's eggs / hatchlings limit.

 

- should long-time players receive multiple anniversary creatures at once, one for each anniversary? (in case of having an anniversary creature)

- option 1 - yes, it would be fair,

- option 2 - long-time players should be able to receive multiple badges, unbreedables etc., but in case of breedable creatures, they should count from the year of introduction.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

I don't know if something similar has been already mentioned in Suggestions/Requests, but I thought it would be good to share the idea. How could this work - at least in my head:

 

-> Each joining anniversary, a player checks on their scroll and they receive a message / pop-up / whatever, something along those lines: '<date> marks your <number> anniversary as a DC player - thank you / congratulations / let's celebrate / other nice things'. The message contains that clever clickable thingy that would redirect player to the page where they would be able to receive their anniversary present. I understand that it would be hard for many of us to remember to log in exactly at the day of anniversary, so let's assume that the message is active for a week or even for a whole month, if necessary.

 

-> Present - I suppose that many desirable options are probably out of discussion, such as prizes, cave born hybrids, custom codes etc. I would not consider already existing dragons also - we can already exchange shards for dragons we want, even for rare ones, if we have enough patience and determination. I vaguely remember 'an extra egg slot for every year' idea, but I suppose it's gone since the platinum trophy introduction. Therefore, my proposition is: one egg of a Unique Anniversary Breed. Egg does not count towards the player's eggs / hatchlings limit, but similarly to those from the market, it cannot be traded. Of course, it can be influenced, incubated, bitten etc., and when it hatches, you can freeze the dragon, or release it, or even kill it if you want. Maybe the egg / hatchling could be protected from dying of sickness, though.

 

-> Would this affect the game in a negative way? - Nah, I don't think so. After two years, practically every player would be able to have a pair of anniversary dragons, so I suppose they won't suddenly take the place of prizes, SAlts' offsprings or NDs. Trading for 2nd gens. would be relatively easy, probably like trading for Avatars now, and building a PB lineage would be also possible... in time.

 

-> Um... What is the point? - Well, the anniversary dragon would not be something extremely valuable, but it still would be something nice and unique, especially with a really, really nice sprite and, let's say, an anniversary-themed description. Even if you have no luck with raffles, or can't catch or afford rares or SAlts' offsprings, or can't make NDs, or can't summon that GON, or can't get that upside-down Mint - you still would be able to have something special on your scroll, something to build a nice lineage with etc. And maybe you would also feel a bit appreciated as a player, or something.

 

-> Should the presents count from the year of introduction? Or long-time players should be able to recive multiple eggs on account of all those previous anniversaries? - The second option would be a nice way to appreciate long-time players, but on the other hand, what fun would be in receiving five, six or ten anniversary eggs at once? The first option would be better, I suppose.

 

So... what do you think?

Edited December 14, 2019 by Auriene

[Sazandora]

I suppose I could like something like this being implemented, it'd make me feel appreciated for sticking around for so long. I'm a little hesitant towards the idea of the anniversary gift being an entirely unique, new dragon, and while I'd love CB hybrids I'll have to say no to them. I remember TJ saying something along the lines of regretting ever making the CB hybrids a thing (outside of his scroll, of course). Plus the anniversary gift doesn't have to be all that special, maybe you could choose to receive any standard egg that could be obtained from the biomes all year instead of something like CB Prizes, but maybe its biome would be listed as "Cave".

[RealWilliamShakespeare]

I'm definitely against a special egg or dragon, and definitely against extra egg slots. I don't believe being around for a certain amount of years should warrant an advantage like that.

 

I would be in support of a trophy/badge that's shaped like the number of years you've been around (such as the number 5 if you've been on the site for 5 years. Like the dragon breeds trophy, it stays as one trophy but merely changes shape depending on how long you've been around). It'd be a cute addition that doesn't unnecessarily give any advantages or special treatment, but would be a nice commemoration.

Edited December 10, 2019 by RealWilliamShakespeare

[HeatherMarie]

3 hours ago, RealWilliamShakespeare said:

I'm definitely against a special egg or dragon, and definitely against extra egg slots. I don't believe being around for a certain amount of years should warrant an advantage like that.

 

I would be in support of a trophy/badge that's shaped like the number of years you've been around (such as the number 5 if you've been on the site for 5 years. Like the dragon breeds trophy, it stays as one trophy but merely changes shape depending on how long you've been around). It'd be a cute addition that doesn't unnecessarily give any advantages or special treatment, but would be a nice commemoration.

 

I could get behind some badge or something simple like that. But I agree NO to a special dragon that can't be gotten any other way. Prizes are enough of a headache, we do *not* need another ridiculously-rare randomly-gotten dragon. DC is a collecting game, not being able to *collect* a dragon except for one random time a year is... No. 

 

Also, I must say that for us old-timers I don't really know if this suggestion is even possible? The game didn't always keep track of join dates, that's a relatively new thing. My scroll simply says   Joined in 2008 , so I'm not sure what a 'join date' would even be for older players?

 

 

[Ruby Eyes]

I'd love to be able to pick a code for whichever egg I grab next But a badge is probably enough.

 

  

15 minutes ago, HeatherMarie said:

Also, I must say that for us old-timers I don't really know if this suggestion is even possible? The game didn't always keep track of join dates, that's a relatively new thing. My scroll simply says   Joined in 2008 , so I'm not sure what a 'join date' would even be for older players?

I think I've seen dates somewhere 2010 and onwards; my own scroll also just says "Joined in: 2009" (probably estimated due to my oldest dragon?)

Edited December 10, 2019 by Ruby Eyes

[Bloommist]

Mine was 7 years yesterday haha, so this is a coincidental thread :) I like the badge idea that changes per year you have been on the site.

 It would be a nice addition and something to look at and enjoy, whilst on your scroll.

 

I agree as a collection game we shouldn't just be given a egg or special breed even if that does sound really cool, I personally like working for my eggs it's more fun that way, I enjoy the waiting and random collection that comes with this amazeing game (life not game it's more than that haha obsession maybe) I think to be just given a egg would defeat the object of the game, might make it to easy and take away the fun, although I do enjoy the raffle,

 

I do think some sort of acknoleggement would be lovely though, like others have said a badge 

Edited December 10, 2019 by Bloommist

[purplehaze]

My scroll is also a 2008 one, with no specific date. Maybe it could use the date of the oldest dragon on our scroll. That would be pretty accurate for mine, although I think it took me a day or so to actually find a dragon egg. Some people lost their first dragons to sickness or running out of time, too, but I would think that their first surviving dragon would do as well.

 

I am not in favor of a special egg -- that just causes too many issues. But I would love the idea of a badge to be displayed on our scrolls.

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by purplehaze

[OMGitsKairi]

I like the badge idea, but I also like the custom code idea that @Ruby Eyes mentioned. That way people could still have a "special" dragon, but it would really only be "special" to the user who owns it. I feel like the vast majority of the user base would be unaffected if I were to have a random Vine egg with my dog's name as a code. 

[Auriene]

I suppose that the date of joining should be possible to obtain, somehow... but in case it disappeared or wasn't recorded by the game, maybe the player should be able to pick an exact day and month for themselves? That would solve the problem.

 

I confess that I don't like the idea of a badge, because, well... You cannot do anything with it. You can't get a 2nd gen., or make a lineage with it. I suppose that I could catch a nice common on my joining anniversary, or buy a rare from the market, then name it, breed it - and I would have more fun with that than from receiving a badge (and now I'm thinking about it - hey, that's a nice idea). Personally, I almost entirely forgot about the existence of badges - well, maybe I check on the new ones after each event, but that's it.

 

I remember that custom code idea has been marked somewhere as 'not happening', since it would force TJ to apply codes manually or something, like with those first prizes. If something changed - oh my, I would love to get the most common anniversary egg if I would be able to pick a code! But it probably won't happen.

 

The anniversary dragon wouldn't be very different from a CB Holiday, for example, because everyone - literally, everyone - would be able to get a CB - one, then two, then more - with the minimal effort, and they would be able to swap and trade for 2nd gens... I thought that a special anniversary dragon would work as a counterbalance for our 'unobtainables', not as another one. At the same time, it would be something unique. DC is an ancient game in terms of Internet, there are players who are here for over a decade... and I suppose that a joining anniversary would be a perfect occasion to receive something that would mark each passing year. Something special and something to have fun with. Besides, I suppose it would be great to build anniversary lineages. Imagine, "14th gen for the 14th DC anniversary" breeding project on forums or something like that :)

 

I know that a 'special dragon' term gives many players an instant allergic reaction, sometimes to the point they don't even want to read the rest of the suggestion - but... well, I suppose I just wanted to give it a try. Although I understand that for a player who isn't into naming, or lineages, or breeding, the badge would be a safer option - we all have our own definitions of fun when it comes to playing. Maybe I'm so indifferent over 'specials' because I am also on Magistream and I have a great time playing it, even though there are tons of gorgeous creatures I won't be able to have. But that's just me, I suppose.

[Fiona]

We already get an annual present. We just get it on DC's birthday, not on our anniversary date. And yes, it's not some "only once a year" otherwise unobtainable egg. Still, that's enough for me. The badge idea would be kind of fun, but I'm another one of those whose "join date" is simply 2008. And no, the date of joining is not going to be possible to obtain, as TJ has said he has no records from that. If he doesn't have it, no one would.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Fiona

[HeatherMarie]

On 12/10/2019 at 10:57 AM, Auriene said:

 

The anniversary dragon wouldn't be very different from a CB Holiday, for example, because everyone - literally, everyone - would be able to get a CB - one, then two, then more - with the minimal effort, and they would be able to swap and trade for 2nd gens... I thought that a special anniversary dragon would work as a counterbalance for our 'unobtainables', not as another one. At the same time, it would be something unique. DC is an ancient game in terms of Internet, there are players who are here for over a decade... and I suppose that a joining anniversary would be a perfect occasion to receive something that would mark each passing year. Something special and something to have fun with. Besides, I suppose it would be great to build anniversary lineages. Imagine, "14th gen for the 14th DC anniversary" breeding project on forums or something like that

 

 

I can understand the appeal here, but it's not comparable to CB holidays. You have to *catch* CB holidays, you have to hunt for them (or trade for them, or do *something* in order to obtain them). And CB holidays are not one per year, and everyone can get them at the same time (instead of a random join date throughout the year). 

 

Leaving aside CB Prizes (because I really don't want to touch that here), there is no other dragon in the entire game that you are just *given* for no reason at all, no other dragon that you can have with no effort put forth. That's kind of a pretty big part of what DC is, hunting and breeding and *working* to obtain dragons you want. Not being handed a dragon every single year just because you joined?

 

I'm curious about the actual mechanics of this unique anniversary breed, though. How exactly would it work? Every user obtains a CB Anniversary Dragon on their join date, and then... You talk about lineages, so obviously they are meant to be breedable. Can they produce more of their own kind? Would *those* be abandonable/tradeable? Would we be seeing a ton of trades wanting '2nd-gen from a 2008 Anniversary Dragon' and such? 'Cause that is, again, just producing yet another Prize situation where a very tiny subset of users have what's wanted. 

[Auriene]

45 minutes ago, HeatherMarie said:

 

...there is no other dragon in the entire game that you are just *given* for no reason at all, no other dragon that you can have with no effort put forth. That's kind of a pretty big part of what DC is, hunting and breeding and *working* to obtain dragons you want. Not being handed a dragon every single year just because you joined?

 

I'm curious about the actual mechanics of this unique anniversary breed, though. How exactly would it work? Every user obtains a CB Anniversary Dragon on their join date, and then... You talk about lineages, so obviously they are meant to be breedable. Can they produce more of their own kind? Would *those* be abandonable/tradeable? Would we be seeing a ton of trades wanting '2nd-gen from a 2008 Anniversary Dragon' and such? 'Cause that is, again, just producing yet another Prize situation where a very tiny subset of users have what's wanted. 

 

Eh, I'm not much convinced by that 'working to obtain dragons' part... We have Prizes and Upside Down Mints that can be obtained only by sheer luck, for example, and if you have a desirable CB Prize, hybrid or Spriter's Alt, you can obtain pretty much anything you want only by putting an offspring of your dragon up for a trade or arranging IOUs. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, though. It's just the way the game works *shrug*. But well, I suppose that every player can have their opinion on what DC is... although there's no need to state that opinion as though it is the only rightful one.

 

As for the secont part - yes, I thought about the breedable dragon, able to produce abandonable and tradeable offsprings. Just one breed though, NOT different anniversary breeds, NOT different sprites for each year, no alts or anything like that. As for the tons of trades for different 2nd gens - I don't understand why only 'very tiny subset of users' would be able to participate, since pretty much everyone would get one CB and possibly more in the future...? Probably during the first year, the demand would be a bit higher, it's just the way it is with every novelty, but the distribution would be definitely wider than with prizes. I wouldn't compare them.

 

Basically, I thought about something similar to GON. They are limited to 3 CBs per scroll and the summoning can be unsuccessful for a long time (unless something has changed - then please, by all means correct me). They are special - but 2nd gen. Avatars aren't really valuable, they are often bred for free. They are fun to play with nonetheless, if someone likes their sprites and GON / Avatar lineages.

 

I should probably remind that I didn't start this thread just because I would like to see a new special dragon introduced, though... The main idea concerned a joining anniversary present, with message and all. I just thought it could be nice for players to receive some kind of a gift-reminder, and I've explained earlier why the idea of an anniversary dragon appeals to me most (well, not counting the custom code, but that would probably stay a dream forever). Some people here liked the idea of a badge (I find badges a bit useless, but I'm totally fine with other people liking it more than the special dragon suggestion). Maybe someone will come up with something else...? Or maybe we don't really need anything like that? I don't know. I just know that it could be fun :)

[wobster109]

An anniversary gift would be nice. I’m also opposed to a new dragon breed though, or anything that is a big major prize. It feels like the sort of thing that merits a trinket, not a big reward.

 

I’m also opposed to choosing the whole code, because soon all the “good” or “interesting” codes would all be taken, just like names. Here are some more options:

 

- Receive 500 shards (about the market value of an uncommon dragon).

- Choose a non-rare, regular cave egg, and choose the last 4 characters in the code (but the first letter is still random).

- Receive a badge on the first anniversary. The icon of the badge never changes, so it doesn’t need 12 or 13 (?) different sprites, and more and more in future years. But you can click on the badge to get to a special page, where each year a new anniversary card (random design and message) appears, dated and signed from the first dragon you got that year. I’m thinking like the 2012 and 2014 Valentine events. Over the years, you accumulate more cards “from your dragons”. I think that would be super cute!

[Sazandora]

I'm going to be the selfish prick here and say that I would very much appreciate an anniversary gift that's solely for me and only me. Yeah, we have the Dragon Cave anniversary and all, but it's not about me so it doesn't count. An anniversary gift like this would be a nice incentive to keep playing, something to reward me for sticking with this game for so long. Call me a greedy self-centered son of a but it's just how I feel. Something like a "thank you for playing!"-kind of gift, I'd love it.

It doesn't have to be some kind of super special shiny unique dragon or anything. Maybe just a badge or whatever. Just something, anything, that'd make the game acknowledge the fact that I've played this game for another year -- that is a pretty long time, after all! -- and reward me for it.

[Stromboli]

A badge would be nice. Or even just a "Happy anniversary!" notification like GPX+ does. Just a little acknowledgement of your anniversary.  
 

Not a fan of a new dragon breed that's given on anniversaries. Even the "random luck" Prize and upside-down Mints require you to actually play the game to get them. Maybe if it was more of a trinket creature, like Leetle Trees or other non-dragon creatures.  Maybe an alt Paper Dragon that looks like it's made of confetti 😂 

But if it were a growing creature, what to do about people whose anniversary is on, say, Halloween? Are they just always gonna have to lose an egg slot during those high-demand periods, or else have to postpone taking their anniversary gift until several days after their anniversary?

 

 

There is the issue of what to do about all of us who don't have an anniversary date though.

[Stormcaller]

I like the badge idea too.  I'm quite fond of the little badges and think they could be used much more often they are.  Giving some recognition for longevity would be a good thing too, just as the trophies for number of dragons collected are. It would be simple but effective.

[Natayah]

The badge seems kinda fun. I would say if you like the idea of a yearly fun reward event, there are a few Player Events, while not "official DC Events"; these things happen once a year. That is the DC Birthday Gifting for getting Gifts on your Birthday and the Secret Santa (which is open now and only during Xmas); those might be something fun. I know there are lots of raffles and giveaways and such you can win and enter on the forums and Discord and such by players that are ongoing frequently, but I get wanting to get something more "special" during a once a time special time of year, and those threads kinda seem to fit that niche at least a bit. And they let you request some nice things. So I hope that helps with some existing alternatives if nothing else.

Edited December 12, 2019 by Natayah

[HeatherMarie]

4 hours ago, Auriene said:

 

Eh, I'm not much convinced by that 'working to obtain dragons' part... We have Prizes and Upside Down Mints that can be obtained only by sheer luck, for example, and if you have a desirable CB Prize, hybrid or Spriter's Alt, you can obtain pretty much anything you want only by putting an offspring of your dragon up for a trade or arranging IOUs. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, though. It's just the way the game works *shrug*. But well, I suppose that every player can have their opinion on what DC is... although there's no need to state that opinion as though it is the only rightful one.

 

From the on-site introduction:

 

So, at the very least, it is the 'rightful' description that DC is a game about 'grabbing and raising'. 

 

 

4 hours ago, Auriene said:

 

As for the secont part - yes, I thought about the breedable dragon, able to produce abandonable and tradeable offsprings. Just one breed though, NOT different anniversary breeds, NOT different sprites for each year, no alts or anything like that. As for the tons of trades for different 2nd gens - I don't understand why only 'very tiny subset of users' would be able to participate, since pretty much everyone would get one CB and possibly more in the future...? Probably during the first year, the demand would be a bit higher, it's just the way it is with every novelty, but the distribution would be definitely wider than with prizes. I wouldn't compare them.

 

(bolding for explaining) I specifically talked about 2nd-gens from a specific year. We have that already with Prizes, and to a lesser extent CB holidays. Trades asking for 2nd-gens *from a specific year*. A lot of people, especially in the Trading Hub it seems, value older, 'original' dragons above newer mass-gotten dragons, ie CB Prizes from the very first or second Prize-Winnings way back in (2010 I think?). Or CB holidays from their introduction year, instead of from the newer holiday biome. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't extend to these Anniversary Dragons, people seeing the ones from older users as more desirable because, in general, there will be less of them. 

 

All that aside, it does seem a simple badge would be a lot easier. And there is still the issue of *what* the 'join date' will be, for those of us who simply don't have that data in the system. I guess the most logical thing there would be to base it on the user's oldest dragon, although that's often not 'really' correct.

[Fuzzbucket]

A badge would be OK - to update every year, not a new one every year. Or perhaps a mini-game that you could ONLY play on that date. NOT a special dragon.

 

And yes again - what about those of us who have no defined join date ?

[Auriene]

12 hours ago, Stromboli said:

Maybe an alt Paper Dragon that looks like it's made of confetti 😂

 

Sounds awesome! I already want one ❤️

 

9 hours ago, HeatherMarie said:

From the on-site introduction...

 

Eh... In my opinion, this is only a very basic description, we have 'grabbing and raising eggs', but we have also breeding, trading, neglecting etc. And I don't see how obtaining an egg through logging into your scroll and clicking something during a special anniversary day / week / month would be different from obtaining an Upside Down Mint, or Holiday egg from the biome. Let's not argue over semantics.

 

9 hours ago, HeatherMarie said:

...trades asking for 2nd-gens *from a specific year*. A lot of people, especially in the Trading Hub it seems, value older, 'original' dragons above newer mass-gotten dragons, ie CB Prizes from the very first or second Prize-Winnings way back in (2010 I think?). Or CB holidays from their introduction year, instead of from the newer holiday biome. I don't see any reason why that wouldn't extend to these Anniversary Dragons, people seeing the ones from older users as more desirable because, in general, there will be less of them.

 

Sorry, but I am pretty active on the market recently and I haven't noticed anything like that. There are people who are looking for prizes from specific years, but these are usually a few trades for dozens, at least, just like with the people looking for specific codes, for example. Nothing to disrupt the market in the way you try to show. Personally, I usually see many, many more 'looking for 2nd gen SAlt' trades than 'specific date prize' ones.

 

Thank you for your ideas! @Fuzzbucket - there's a possible answer to your question, I've updated the first post

Edited December 12, 2019 by Auriene

[Auriene]

9 hours ago, Natayah said:

The badge seems kinda fun. I would say if you like the idea of a yearly fun reward event, there are a few Player Events, while not "official DC Events"; these things happen once a year. That is the DC Birthday Gifting for getting Gifts on your Birthday and the Secret Santa (which is open now and only during Xmas); those might be something fun. I know there are lots of raffles and giveaways and such you can win and enter on the forums and Discord and such by players that are ongoing frequently, but I get wanting to get something more "special" during a once a time special time of year, and those threads kinda seem to fit that niche at least a bit. And they let you request some nice things. So I hope that helps with some existing alternatives if nothing else.

 

I sometimes check on Player Events, and I sometimes think about participating since many of them look really awesome. The thing is, I am not very active on forums, at least not regularly. I don't want to be that one terrible person who engages in something only to vanish shortly after, forgetting to log in and not reading PMs for weeks. That's why I trade solely through the Trading Hub, for example. I've messed up a few trades only because someone decided to contact me through the forums and I didn't check PMs... 😳

 

Edit: sorry for the post after post!

Edited December 12, 2019 by Auriene

[sorenna]

I love this idea!  I would be okay with any of the options "specific new breed," "choose your own code," or "special sprite of a regular breed" (e.g. an upside-down Balloon, or a multicolored Paper).

 

If a new breed or special sprite ends up being the choice, making it an unbreedable dragon would eliminate the high demand for eggs and the issue of whether it breeds true/only produces mate's breed/hybrid potential issues.  I'd love to have a multicolored Paper (it was folded out of anniversary cards!) or a 'dragon' made of glitter or something along those lines; it would be pretty and fun without causing a whole bunch of "Pleeaaaasse breed for me!!" pressure.  Or even a Leetle Something (rosebush? party hat?).

 

Some things to think about:

* do they accumulate, one each anniversary?  I think it would be really nice if they did, but I could see people being upset that someone who's played 2 years has the same number of Anniversary Dragons as someone who's played 12 years.

* how to hand them out?  It could work like Prizes, where there's a page you visit and you have a month to claim your egg, but where should the link be so that people would notice it? 

* should inactivity affect earning the dragon?  Leaving your scroll for 11 months and then coming back to claim a special egg seems to go against the basic idea of honoring people's participation, but how would inactivity be measured?  (some ideas: if you're gone long enough for your dragon names to disappear, your count resets to 0 the next time you log in; if you fail to earn at least 1 shard in a week, that week isn't counted toward the year; if you don't have at least 1 growing dragon on your scroll for a month, you get a pop-up asking you to confirm you're active; just ignore it and let people earn Anniversary Dragons for any level of activity) 

* I think some very old scrolls don't have a start date on them, just a year.  How to determine their anniversary - set an arbitrary date for all of them, like January 1? 

 

 

If it ends up being the "choose your own code" option, what breed/s would be involved?  A randomly selected common, a choice of X breed options, a single semi-rare breed?  I'm kinda assuming the distribution would work like Prizes, where you visit the page to claim an egg, but there would be a box for "enter the code you want" (with maybe a 'random/don't care' button too?) where the code could be specified...

Edited December 14, 2019 by sorenna

[HeatherMarie]

17 hours ago, sorenna said:

 

Some things to think about:

* should inactivity affect earning the dragon?  Leaving your scroll for 11 months and then coming back to claim a special egg seems to go against the basic idea of honoring people's participation, but how would inactivity be measured?  (some ideas: if you're gone long enough for your dragon names to disappear, your count resets to 0 the next time you log in; if you fail to earn at least 1 shard in a week, that week isn't counted toward the year; if you don't have at least 1 growing dragon on your scroll for a month, you get a pop-up asking you to confirm you're active; just ignore it and let people earn Anniversary Dragons for any level of activity) 

* I think some very old scrolls don't have a start date on them, just a year.  How to determine their anniversary - set an arbitrary date for all of them, like January 1? 

 

 

I'm not sure attempting to measure inactivity would be a good idea, or even possible with any real accuracy. Dragon names don't disappear for inactivity anymore, haven't for a long time, so that's out. Not earning shards has pretty much nothing to do with being active, since not everything you do in the game gives shards. The growing dragon idea might be a little more accurate, but again not everything in the game requires growing dragons (breeding to the AP, naming, describing, etc). 

[Natayah]

If you log onto the game & are active during a release and/or DC Holiday/Events: You get fun games and New Dragons.

If you log onto the forums and/or chats & are active: You get community fun of various types including ways to be gifted and win dragons.

If you log onto the game just itself and are active in all sorts of various ways from catching dragons, growing dragons, breeding dragons, etc. Normal Game Play, you earn Shards which you can use in the Market to Buy Dragons of your Choice you Desire. You can save up and spend as you like. There is also a Trading Market for Players and you don't have to log into the forums/chats. Just the Cave. And the Prize Raffles Every Month that don't require much to be able to enter for free.

 

I'm not sure how much more ways you can get free dragons and some very nice free dragons you earn, but you have to be active. At least a little. And it doesn't matter your play style as there a bazillion ways you can do this. I already feel like the idea of an "anniversary gift" has been given to us thru all these different forms. You just have to decide how you want to cash in on your activity to get them. You don't have to grind away hoping to be lucky enough to score a lucky catch or trade or gift. I mean, you can buy at least one CB Gold/Silver Plus other stuff a year by doing some not super hard activity with your 100 shards a week and if you miss some here and there it isn't a huge deal. I don't know how many and much more free nice ways we can earn free nice dragons. But you got to put in some effort in some way. And you choose however you want to. But just because you won it or earned it or were gifted it or however you got it, and it wasn't just once a year doesn't make that dragon less special. If anything, remember when the Prize Dragons could only be won once a year? That was crazy on how much demand were placed on those dragons. The once a month wins have really helped with that. Having something with more chances helps spread the love and wealth around a bit more, and it just ripples out into people being able to offer nicer things of all levels more to all people.

 

But you gotta put in some effort. Sitting around and saying "well I'm busy I will only do this" is fine. TJ has spent a lot of time along with others developing ways for you to cash in and get special dragons thru all those play styles. But you don't get random dragons showing up on your scroll because you didn't do anything. Just having an account for a long time may or may not be an accomplishment. I mean, there are tons of scrolls that have been inactive for forever. Or ones that were made and then people left or forgot about the game and may return later. They don't just have free magical rare dragons showing up on their scroll and auto hatching and growing into perfect adults without work. You have to at least monitor them a bit and put them in hatcheries and stuff. 

 

Even with Badges, you have to do a little more than just log in and show up. You usually have to at least click a few things or a few buttons if nothing else. It isn't a game if you aren't playing to possibly attain something. You have to put in some effort. Just being around long enough isn't enough of a reason to be rewarded. I don't personally care how long you've been around unless you have been around a long time and you have been an active person involved with the Player Community, in any way, if I know you or not, and you do something that contributes to the enjoyment of others, however you do that, because you are giving back and helping the game be more positive for other people and that keeps the game going and growing and it ripples out in very many positive ways that pay it forward. A lot of people try to go out of their way to reward that or give opportunities to reward that however they can. And it doesn't matter if you've been here for 6 months or 65 years, if you are contributing to the game, many go out of their way to reward that and regift and pay forward and are very generous. 

 

It's OK if you just want to play in the Cave. The Trading Market for buying with Shards was an awesome addition. I love it and love the dragons I've bought with it. I consider them very special to me. You get Monthly free Raffles that now earn you more chances to win than the original inception of it. I don't think just being "older" means you should get or earn a special dragon. You can earn or win or be gifted special dragons all day long for reasons or no reasons. I appreciate long time players, and appreciate those who take time away and come back. They are awesome. But I appreciate the newer players just as much. Older players are usually, not always, but often, richer players, or certainly richer and sometimes even bitterly envied by those with less time and/or luck or whatever than them. I don't think we need to add to that gap. Just be active in the way you are, and the game already seems to have a lot of ways of rewarding that. I don't think an Anniversary Dragon just because your scroll (because its the age of your scroll, not your activity) hung around long enough is a really great addition though.

[Keileon]

For the join date of older players: egg laid date of the player's oldest dragon. I realize that in the case of people getting rid of their first dragons it won't be accurate, but it's still an option to consider.

 

As for the suggestions themselves, neutral. A unique dragon would be neat, though I'd settle for a trophy/badge just as well.