I have my own thoughts on the LS event, I was there, but this post isn't about the LS event, or any other event.
This is about EM events, and rewards for them, in general.
I have a hard time imagining anyone showing up to an EM event without the hope of some kind of tangible reward, sadly....The days when UO players would do things without tangible rewards are, I think, long gone.
Leaving aside how anyone might feel about that, I think it's a fact. (I look forward -not really, I'm being sarcastic here- to the inevitable post blaming this on Trammel....I have a nice LOL waiting, if I notice it.)
So I think it's very necessary that there always be some kind of tangible reward. Tangible rewards for in-game, manufacturer sponsored events are part of the long history of UO. Seer events had rewards. Go to the Glowing Orb Museum on LS if you want to see one of them. There was a time when a 15% HCI, 35% DI, 50% Hit Lightning katana would have been a good item....There's one at the Glowing Orb. It's named Spark. It's still got a coolness factor to it, even though better items are now commonplace. I bet it'd sell for 100m based on rarity alone. (I think there's only one.)
Having said that? No one should show up for an EM event expecting a reward, feeling entitled to one, or willing to judge the event by whether or not he or she personally gets a reward.
The reward distribution system could be the fairest, most objective system ever devised, and there's still good odds that you, personally, are not going to get ones. If they gave out rewards to everybody, the rewards would lose meaning, and people will complain.
To go to an event for a chance at a reward is one thing. That's just a playstyle.
To go to an event expecting or feeling entitled to one is just stupid, because strictly by the numbers the odds are going to be really against you. Count the players on the screen, and consider that there's maybe, maybe in the neighborhood of 1 to 10 rewards to hand out. If there were only 20 players, and 10 rewards, that still means half the people won't get one. And sometimes there's a lot less rewards than 10, and a lot more players than 20.
If you are absolutely 100% not going to enjoy your time at an EM event unless you get something, then don't show up. It doesn't matter how good the event is, how fair the distribution system is, there's excellent odds you're going to hate your time.
Go do something else. Plenty to do in UO.
So yeah I think that's it for me for now...In summary, the events need to have rewards; for a player to go wanting a reward is one thing; but if you expect a reward or won't like the event unless you get one? Don't bother, there's great odds you're going to have a miserable night.
-Galen's player
