[News]Re-Opening of the EM Hall

[Napa Valley News]

Recent news from EM Fiorella and EM Sangria!

Please come to the Re-Grand Opening of the EM Hall!! Sat Feb 20th, 7pm PST. Cupid Brothers will be there at the beginning for last minute ticket turn ins for your Valentine's bear. EM Sangria & EM Fiorella will then follow up with a meet and greet session to talk with the players.

Topics will include: Oracles, communication with players, RP, PRT's,
events and story arc; a brief catch up OOC for those that maybe confused, suggestions always welcome of course, ideas of things you'd like to
receive as rewards. (within reason!)

So come christen our Newly Redesigned EM Hall. Enjoy some fun and friends and maybe some food and drink while we're there.

EM Sangria & EM Fiorella​

Regards,
Lady Mana


More...

 

[sir TEDLEY]

comments
comunications with players - they talk the talk but dont want to hear it , all they say hmmmmm maybe , then we cant do that ?

suggestions and ideas - they like to hear them but wont do them (within reason)

rewards LOL ok if you have a contest and someone wins a scroll or trophy they should get them , if the em's want to put it in the reward hall then make a replica but the people that won should get to keep them i mean they did win them .

the hall did look nice

 

[Lady Mana]

I'm in the midst of projects so I don't have time to get really in to it, but here's my rundown from the meet and greet:

The hall did not disappoint! It's definitely a nice design. I do miss the statue of Kaen, but ah well. Everyone arrived and chit chatted with the EMs for a while, and then they started going through their checklist of things to discuss. A daemon statue was put out that, when double clicked, would give robes to people that said "I was killed multiple times by Professor Jenkins and have the death robes to prove it". This method of item distribution will probably be used in the future, too.

As for things that were discussed, it ranged from Player Run towns to Event Drops.

EM Sangria was kind enough to post a log of the event, too, so have a run through of it here: Event Log

The highlights are this:

Decorations:
EM Sangria: What do you think of the redecoration?
Miss FTD: nice
Holden Caulfield: bar could be bigger
EM Fiorella: Well I think I have a pretty good touch
----
Mutant Cure Potions:
EM Fiorella: It was meant to be given to maya as part of the storyline
T s i o n: when did they poof?
EM Fiorella: They had an invisible timer
----
Oracles:
EM Sangria: OK for oracles
Dragonslayer: please dont yell
EM Fiorella: Slim please keep it down tonight
SIR TEDLEY: doh sorry
EM Sangria: to use them
EM Fiorella: I'm asking as a personal favor
EM Sangria: they are activated with a key word
EM Sangria: usually one of the words that is used
EM Sangria: in the first thing you hear
----
Event Notification:
EM Fiorella: Lanterns are ok, but don't always give all the info
EM Sangria: feel free to e-mail us - we DO respond eventually
EM Fiorella: and it's very time consuming so even if you see lanterns
Edinburgh: a book next to the lanters with more info is good
EM Fiorella: Cyurs only works if people are willing to use him
EM Fiorella: We can change it to news instead of bank
----
Player-Run Towns
EM Fiorella: Do we have any player run towns?
Steve Irwin: i know we have establishments
EM Fiorella: *hears crickets*
EM Fiorella: I can ask our boss if establishments wil work as well
EM Fiorella: Ok I'll post on our website some information on what has been done for other PRTs, and please
----
Event Feedback
Dragonslayer: on the events
Trinidaddy: no more fel yew gate events please
EM Fiorella: How do you like the current arc of events?
Saphira: YEAH PLEASE NO MORE OF THOSE
Trinidaddy: too laggy
....
EM Fiorella: So most of you are following the story line ok?
Holden Caulfield: jenkins was fun
Trinidaddy: i was on death arrow for the event
Hoolio: yes
Debbie: yes no clue where it going though
....
EM Fiorella: well sometimes we don't realize how powerful we make our monsters
EM Sangria: aye we did go overkill a couple of times *blushes*
....
EM Sangria: oh yeah, we were going to work on something with pirates
----
Items
EM Fiorella: so what sorts of items?
T s i o n: fuud with a date or slightly different color
Debbie: deco
Watcher: something with the player's name on it
...
EM Sangria: btw the mortor and pestals from fell have fireworks instead
EM Fiorella: they maybe drop one way, doesn't mean they'll drop the same way next time
----
Future Events
EM Fiorella: Ohh maybe something Srping themed?
EM Sangria: Don't know yet.
EM Fiorella: *looks at Sangria*
EM Sangria: Spring
EM Sangria: I am so SICK of snow

There's lots more in the chat log, so go check it out for yourself!


Regards,
Lady Mana

 

[Lady Mana]

Here are some of my thoughts on what was discussed. Feel free to add your own to this thread, especially if you weren't able to make it. The EMs will probably read your input.

1. Make sure to give 'Quest and Event' feedback on events at the following link: UO Feedback. If you do or don't like something related to events, say so there, instead of disrupting an event and making the experience bad for those around you. Also remember, EMs can't change game mechanics. So no, you can't ask to bring your red to Trammel for the purpose of an event. You can, however, bring your blue to Felucca. *winks*

2. Remember the EMs try to entertain us all.. maybe not all at the same time (though they do try!). Sometimes your cup of tea might not be the current event, but might be the next event, or the one after. Don't complain if the only event you went to wasn't the 'right' event for you. Try some more in the future. As for monsters... don't complain to me about things being too hard unless you were with us in the fight against Ba'al and Astaroth! Even then, I haven't seen a monster top those two. And I even brought a quarter of Atlantic in for backup (Barton supporters, all you did was feed the thing!).

3. I would suggest not making the timers invisible on future items. For one, it lets people know there's a timeframe to accomplish something, and for another, people might buy or sell the items without realizing it goes poof in an hour. There's no real drawback to just keeping the timers, but there is a drawback to making them invisible.

4. A lot of us know this already, but for those of you who don't, an oracle is an NPC that speaks to you when you say keywords (just like how a town crier says the news when you say 'news'). What I find most useful is just repeat each word that an oracle says to you. For instance, if it says "Hi my name is Joe", say the following: "Hi" "My" "Name" "Is" "Joe", all in separate lines. You're bound to get something. Furthermore, you can try asking things like: who, what, where, when, job, help, hi, hail, news, or giving them gold. Works like a charm!

5. "Trinidaddy: how do i become more involved with game like you guys?"

Trinidaddy, from what I recall, there was one public call put out over a year ago. There was a link on uo.com, but I can't find it anymore. Details from when it was initially posted can still be found in the Stratics archives, though: link. Otherwise I would try to contact Mesanna via PM and ask her personally, as it seems she is the boss lady of the EM program.

 

[Kirthag]

As with most EM events, I missed it... (sometimes it really sux being in Hawaii ya know). However, I do have some thoughts...

Oracles
Good idea. Just make them talk like quest givers, Keywords are Capitalized. Am able to figure it out then. I use caps on my bartender...
Example:
Bartender says: So ya wanna know what Activities are going on?
Keyword is Activities.
Customers says Activities and then Bartender responds with my latest event info.
(yeah, my bartender needs updating!)


Awards
I know Theowulf said it years ago in not so many words... the event is the award! UO used to be about community, activity and storyline... not pixels.

It takes a lot to put on an event. Not just planning, but gathering resources, allotting time, BEING THERE. I know, I host events... and basically no one really pays attention unless I put up 5mil or offer my head on a platter anymore (and even that is not much of a draw).

The EMs have the advantage of making custom awards (gifts?) for people, but that is of itself having to become the norm. An event without some rarity on Napa means poor turnout. There is something wrong with this picture...

As for the status of certain awards... (and as I told Tedly) the scrolls he mentions are still "attached" to our houses, and I believe the intent is to have them moved and on display in the EM award house - of which I have no issue. My house has gone through... uhm... 3 renovations since the Winter Deco contest, people might not get-it anymore. IMHO, if the community at large cared more about the contests, I'd see more of an incentive to keep the award for what it is, not for the worth of its rarity.

We've become so pixel-minded... it sometimes disgusts me.

Personally - I don't think EVERY single event needs a rare drop or award of some sort. I find it frivolous and just more pixel crack that will be cross-sharded by roving merchants to be sold for tons of gold elsewhere. Is this what UO has become?!?!! I'd much rather participate in a well thought out, planned and implemented event than a ****ty one with a grossly long-named robe. 'nuf already!!!


Item Distribution
*takes on the air of... an oracle* I see abuse in the future....
(already seeing those Jenkins robes on vendors for millions!)


Player Run Towns
This requires community.... of which Napa is sorely lacking. There are struggling establishments, but these I've noticed are starting to disappear as the player(s) who run them are jumping shards or fallen onto hard times. On my monthly rune check, I dumped 8 runes of establishments that have dropped or disappeared from the Napa Landscape. EIGHT!

GTI has something, and there are a few long-standing player houses with vendors outside of Luna - but they are struggling as well. The only real "player run town" I see is Luna... how the players all rallied around Gus, how people are reacting to Brian Blackstone's death.... these are centered on Luna.

Perhaps make a Luna Merchant's Association? Dunno....


There are no real physical locations that would constitute PRTs on Napa anymore... and no real incentive either for them. When houses fall, people build castles without the ability to put up anything else to make a town. Players also have toons that fill all their needs... they have their own smiths, tailors, fletchers... who needs a town?!? About the only thing that players need from one another are resources... or rares - and all one need do is make one circuit around Luna for all of that.

edited to add And protection - back-in-the-day PRTs were formed for protection against reds and pks. Trammel based play doesn't need that so everyone is spread over hither and yon. House teleport tiles removes even the need to gate or recall. Just.. *poof* and you're there.

Some of the larger guilds (M^F, I*C) had Trammel-based towns... they've all but gone now. Anyone see any 'Bears lately?

*sigh*

The Old Towns (Mith, Village of Virtue, Paws, Stormhaven, etc.) are ghost towns or just plain gone. We have nothing like Pax Lair on Napa... nothing at all.



Feedback
Would be nice if the EMs would actually use the Stratics Board...
http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=181342 is just one example of feedback....








Not being overtly critical or opinionated. My responses will at minimum generate thought, but hopefully spur action.




last edit, i swear...
I have noticed, and even witnessed, that Napa has become a "farm" for other shards.
Players from other shards (whom I call Roving Merchants) keep a toon here on Napa just for Napa events & extra rewards. Then, when they feel they have enough, they cross shard to whatever shard (usually Atlantic) and sell the napa items for HUGE gold. This has become the norm... there are several "farm" shards... is just , and this I've heard on ATL, Napa is the easiest to get stuff from.


Gotta make you wonder.....

 

[Kirthag]

Hopefully the EMs will read this thread...


Quite the discussion regarding the robes... and sashes... and the method of distribution in the Trader's forums:
http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=181404
http://vboards.stratics.com/showthread.php?t=181305

 

[five oclock]

on the farming..thats as old as fel. People come here...take the champs...get the scrolls..and transfer back to there home server...

sad but true..BUT its legal.....

aye makes ya wonder...

 

[tirrag]

Perhaps make a Luna Merchant's Association? Dunno....

Greetings Being one of those struggling merchants outside of Luna, I think something along these lines is a great idea but for merchants in general. I spend a lot of time promoting via Rune's placed in strategic locations that I feel would catch my target audience and that does drive traffic (some). I also believe my location in general is a good one, but population is low.

Luna is fantastic because its a group of vendors in one place, but I love being a country bumpkin vendor. There is something about the excitement of traveling the land and happening upon a cool vendor I also very much enjoy serving my community. Nothing makes me happier than when someone stops by and asks for a custom piece or requests something on my message board

While I have found many vendor runebooks, I have not yet found a repository or directory of vendors that the vendors themselves can participate with. There's lots of great vendors out there. With traffic low on Napa I think its even more critical to assist players in finding any vendor in or out of Luna that is active. A merchant's association could potentially fill this void.

I've also often thought it would be neat to have a "Merchant's Market" where various merchants get together at a certain place and time to present their wares and offer their services. In order for this to work though I think we would need a way to lay out or lock down our wares for all to see without risk of losing inventory.

 

[Kirthag]

I love your thinking Tirrag!

My vendor rune book is always available for anyone to share - I don't mind competition, or maybe someone else has something I don't have that a customer wants.

Which is your vendor? Maybe I already have a rune in my book.

Oh, will be adding this book to the library in my shop.

 

[tirrag]

Hi! I run Kuulas Arms & Equipment. Its up from the N Britain exit, past the cemetery, near the cave in the mountains. I stopped by your house in luna and saw the outside luna vendors book. It would be an honor to get added I will drop off a rune for inclusion.

 

[Kirthag]

Done.

 

[tirrag]

it was great meeting you thanks again for the tips and adding me to the book!

 

[sir TEDLEY]

i dont need any armor because i use the knights armor , but my blacksmith only likes to make weapons (super slayers ) all natural but what i havent seen in a long time is sets of armor , plate armor knights do have to have plate i dont have imbueing cant aford another slot but i havent seen a good warriors armor vendor in a long time . maybe you guys could add sets of armor ?i would but i have a ruff time figureing all that numbers out , just easier for me to make weapons

 

[tirrag]

greetings i have a vendor dedicated specifically to Armor Sets. Love making armor sets! I would say that is by far my favorite I currently have plate as well as several sets of Dragon (with enough stats to actually be useful) and some others. I have also in the past sold several bone, samurai, etc. they are pretty popular. I also have the more common LRC/LMC type sets. I like to create more off-the-wall sets as well like mana sets loaded with MI and/or MR. one of my favorites was the RPD set. lots of bite to that set for melee fighters when making metal sets that are not commissioned i usually use golden ore. lots of benefits as it gives luck and lower requirements naturally. easier to get folks into the heavy plate if the ST requirement is in the 70s as opposed to mid-90s also helps the situation of being on the borderline ST for a 90s armor and get hit with that weaken spell...

Kirthag, I had a vision later last night similar to the old web-ring approach. You are gracious enough to maintain the book and that is the most important first step. Each vendor in your non-luna book should be required to place a rune back to your house prominently on their steps. the rune would be labeled something like "Member of the Non-Luna Vendor Network". thoughts?

 

[Kirthag]

We are getting waaaaay of topic now in this thread...

Tirrag, perhaps make another thread for this discussion?