Devs Please, No More Of These Me Me Me Events.

[Whinemaker]

Hi,

Let's just say this guy on Pacific was so desperate to get into the daemon room on the 2nd level of Fan Dancer Dojo that he repeatedly lured succubi on me and, actually, being a n00b that he is, died in the process of doing so and got his greater dragon killed as well after I hid myself lol. (No I didn't page on him... c'mon you must be a fool to expect the GM'a to get there within a few minutes... and no I left because I just don't have the energy to deal with people who are born stupid.)

But honestly... you see what happens when you start throwing out events like this, when the goal of them is pretty much personal gain? People luring, afk-er marty farmers, scripters, everywhere. All the bloody losers who can't achieve anything in RL all log in at the same time because UO give them that false sense of reality that they are "1337". The horror, the horror. I don't expect you devs to be perfect, and I understand that this is a business, but please at least take a look at this, get involved as a player or something, and tell me if this is really what you want as a game developer.

As much as I'd like to thank you for bringing ToT back because I missed the first 2 due to RL, thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather you turned this on permanently (with a drastically reduced drop rate and rotating pigments), and made the future events more community based. No more gold rush, new chars won't have to deal with that outrageous Luna vendor prices after the events, and people who can't play 24/7 won't be missing out too much.

Just how I feel (and for once I think I should live up to my user name as the Whine-maker). Cheers.

 

[Cloak&Dagger]

To bad everything in uo is about personal gain, it mirrors life. Everyone expects something for doing an event, anything else is frowned on. If all events were rewardless eventually no one would do them based on that but meh that's life in uo, hell that's life in general =\.

 

[Whinemaker]

Hey you can always give the players something from doing a community based event. The Japanese shards did a pretty good job a few years back. Those events give each shard it's own unique character based on their outcome.

The only difference is, you can't brag about what you have because everyone'd be getting the same item(s). And that pisses everyone off because they're not 1337 anymore.

The thing is when people get so desperate that they'd do anything to benefit themselves, either legally or illegally according to the ToS (and fully knowing that they can hide behind the anonymity of the internet), it's just beyond (to me at least) the spirit of a "game" you know. It's not a game anymore. It's more like... a race.

Maybe online games are just not for me (although UO is the only online game that I've ever tried).

Well talk to you again at lunch break.

 

[Aboo]

. . .Just how I feel (and for once I think I should live up to my user name as the Whine-maker). Cheers.

I started to post that I agree with you living up to your name, BUT I have to totally agree with this part of what you said:

. . .As much as I'd like to thank you for bringing ToT back because I missed the first 2 due to RL, thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather you turned this on permanently (with a drastically reduced drop rate and rotating pigments), and made the future events more community based. No more gold rush, new chars won't have to deal with that outrageous Luna vendor prices after the events, and people who can't play 24/7 won't be missing out too much.

 

[Prince Caspian]

Whenever there is a limited time event that drops a unique item (or set of items), there's not a lot that can be done to stop this mindset.

Since it's an item based game and there is a thriving market for selling items to other players, you always will get greedy selfish idiots exploiting, being rude and cheating to get ahead.

Honestly, the only solution I see for this is just to make the events unlimited in duration. For instance, the new Champ Spawn arties were hotly contested for, with many fights and arguments breaking out, during the first week. Now, its cooled down, since it's obvious the items are here to stay.

 

[Cloak&Dagger]

Well, Like I said it really does mirror life. Do you work for others gain or personal gain? (granted you might be doing it for others gain but that is not your main point you really just want the personal part, the other gain just happens due to you wanting personal gain) Of course this is very general and I am not going to say everyone is like that, Tho I could argue everyone is like that, You gain somehow and that's what drives you to do what you do. But really I have not had a problem with the ToT event, the first two times or now. People do not gain anything on me so I don't mind, I think the old EM events are better examples of things that should have prolly not happened (very unique powerful items?) but I don't disagree with them just think its worse than this *shrugs* I guess everything comes down to the fact that I never shop in luna, ever, only deal with people I know and like and just do not care what other people do, also I just roll with whatever the Developers pump out. It's been 12 long years, lots of things to complain about I just do not see the point in actually complaining about it =\

 

[hawkeye_pike]

Despite all the justified complaints, I still like those events. It gives players something to do before the next stage of the life events begins. You still can ignore people who are harrassing you or who are farming/scripting. Or if you don't give anything about the rewards, this is the best opportunity to have any dungeon outside of Tokuno all for yourself.

 

[Maplestone]

If you don't like the event, you don't have to take part.

The game economy is never going to be "fair" between those who do or don't min-max/powergame/script/24x7/whatever. Could it be fairer? Sure. But it can't be completely fair.

The trick with ToT events is learning to avoid burnout, even if that means missing the best spawn or taking breaks and cutting down on the competitivity.

 

[Bomb Bloke]

If it was on all the time, then Tokuno would be like Ilsh - sure, you'd get the odd person farming in a certain area on occasion, but as the artifacts became more and more plentiful over time, it'd die down to near deserted again. Granted, it wouldn't reach the "totally" deserted status Tokuno is usually in, but it wouldn't be like it is now.

Currently, shard activity is way up compared to what it usually is. We've gone months and months without anything happening. Spontanious, limited events like this are all but required to get people's interest - it's been quite some time since I could run out and join a group doing champion spawns whenever I feel like it, as there simply haven't been enough people around. Likewise, limited events are the only time I'll see more then five different guild tags on my screen outside of a bank zone.

Granted, having such events running all year long would be a very good thing, but they'd need to be different, alternating events - people would be forced to play throughout the year to get everything, so the activity would never really die down.

And let's face it, everyone wants everything.

 

[Maplestone]

So your suggesting something like a cycle of 12 monthly events that are toggled on and off automatically to break up the day-to-day ruts a little?

 

[Bomb Bloke]

Yes. That would greatly increase the server populations, methinks.

Granted, events such as the OP reports may become all to common, but that would just encourage less solo play, wouldn't it? Also a good thing, in my opinion.

 

[CroMag1980]

when the goal of them is pretty much personal gain

The cornerstone of western civilisation that pervades every single thought and deed. Along with its companion - fear. Why be surprised to survive UO has had to appeal to as low a common denominator as every other MMO (or TV show, or movie, or sport, or business, or school). Just go with the flow ^^

 

[Crysta]

Hey you can always give the players something from doing a community based event. The Japanese shards did a pretty good job a few years back. Those events give each shard it's own unique character based on their outcome.

A "unique character", "monument", or "publicly displayed trophy" aren't enough for the majority of the playerbase.. if they were, the EM events on LS would have a hell of a lot more participants.

 

[Cyrah]

Imho the main problem is the rarity of the mempo, and the millions they sell for.

I am appalled and disgusted that the same devs who claimed to play UO let this happen again. Rare, always equals problems in UO. Always.

I suspect UO gets very little attention. Push it through and move on to another EA project.

I commend them for naming the dyes and the drop rate is adequate too. Not being able to obtain ten charges as a major is another reason people act up. Greed.

What was so hard for this team to understand? As nice as they seem to be as real people I think they really messed up this time. Maybe they just do not care anymore.

 

[Prince Caspian]

I suspect UO gets very little attention. Push it through and move on to another EA project.

What was so hard for this team to understand? As nice as they seem to be as real people I think they really messed up this time. Maybe they just do not care anymore.

I doubt many of the employees for EA actually play UO. Because I suspect we'd see a lot more action against griefing and cheating if they had to deal with it firsthand.

World War II Online's developers play the game every night when they get off work, so problems in the game don't get ignored.

 

[Beer_Cayse]

this is one of my several reasons for inactivating my accounts months ago. this is ridiculous.

 

[Jhym]

*shrug* Let them eat mempos. I -don't- care. You shouldn't either.

There are these things called... umm... gates... yeah that's it... that take you elsewhere whenever people are being greedy, selfish, and stupid. There are also about fifty to a hundred spots to go that are pretty much just as interesting as Tokuno, potentially can give you interesting things or otherwise make your night fun.

As much as I dislike greed, the simple answer is to go do something else. I realize it's all about US and WE must do what WE want, but there are times that it's better to bend like a reed or to bodysurf to the next pond during the storm.

Many also fail to realize this is a distraction event -- to get us all concentrating on Tokuno while other Shadowlord things are preparing to be sprung upon us. After all, if you were preparing for invasions by your masters, wouldn't you want the wolves and shepherds all playing with shinies so you can take over the sheep?

Dance sheep, dance.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

Personally, an event like ToT is FAAAAAAAAR more accessible than a lot of events in the past.

I rather enjoy an event where I can be a part of it in several different locations at a time of my own choosing as opposed to "pack as many people as possible into a single location at a specific time for a small number of prizes".

With ToT and systems like it, everyone has a decent chance at the given rewards.

 

[Whinemaker]

If you don't like the event, you don't have to take part... (again, sorry, cropped to save space)

Actually I think that's what I'll do. Like I said in some other posts... I missed the first 2 ToT's and want to use this chance to upgrade my chars' equipment so I won't have to dish out 2-5 mil for a piece of armour in a few months time (and just so you know... I only have 7 mil in total over 9 years so anything over 500k I'll hesitate to buy), but maybe you're right, I'm already down to the point that I'm posting on a gaming forum complaining to complete strangers, so perhaps I should stop participating before further damage is done to my mind.

As for missing the best spawn and taking breaks etc... Most of the time by the time I get there the best spawn's already been taken, and I usually get on 1 hour max per hunting trip. And when people tried to chase me out... guess when that usually happens? At server up at 5:30am when the whole bloody dojo's empty. All I wanted was a quick 30-45 min session before taking a shower and heading out. So yeah.

The burnout... maybe I'm just a bit too naive in believing an ideal game world could actually exist.

==============================

And don't forget, another point of this post is, instead of simply pumping out more pixel cracks for the hamster wheel, more global (i.e. non-EM) shard/community oriented events please!

Doubt anyone will be reading all the way down here though.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Maplestone]

Doubt anyone will be reading all the way down here though.

*notes that I'm reading rather than whacking mobs*

If you have ideas for "community" events that would be more enjoyable than ToT, feel free to post them. Meanwhile, there is a wide world out there ... lots of space to explore. Take a break, let go of some of the competitivity then come back to Tokuno and explore a little ... wander about the various forgotten corners, admire the scenery, pace yourself ... as I said, the real threat in ToT is burnout.

Now stop taking advice from a know-it-all/know-nothing stranger (me) and go have some fun

 

[Lady Michelle]

I refuse to let others get to me they want to be greedy so be it, Least I know Im not is what only matters to me. I go to have fun. and Im just waiting for someone to tell me Im in there spot. because Im going to tell them to write in and have a dev put a sign with their name on it and have the dev placed it in their spot other than that Im staying there, and I have no problems with some one else being there killing things or what im killing. Im still getting my points killing it just has they do. actually I get more arties with others helping killing what Im killing faster the kills faster the points add up. So I would like to tell them Thank you for helping

 

[Whinemaker]

*notes that I'm reading rather than whacking mobs*...

Hey you don't count, you're a mod anyway!

I'm quite fond of the local Japanese events in the past, the Food Donation in 2001 (the one where you get the "We Created The Food" Shirt), the Sake Fountain/Peace Memorial event in 2003 (2004?) that gave each Japanese shard a distinct monument with an endless supply of sake, and the Tree Growing Project of 2009 (the one you get the wooden cow from). They're just plain and simple donation, no fighting, no special/unique reward, and the challenge is that it's not just the quantity of the specified resources that you donate but how well you balance them so that you don't have one type of resource outgrowing the others. I think that'd bring out some of the community spirit in the game because you really need to work together to get the best results. Plus the fun is, you are competing with other shards for the bragging rights.

I quite liked the idea of the invasion system, but instead of make people fight for the loot (spellbooks), perhaps try making it so that the result of the invasion might impact the game in the long run, that if you don't defend the cities properly there might be some negative consequences... e.g. making the defence of the city tier based, for each tier you fail to defend you lose the function of an NPC shop like the stable/reg shop/smith/tailor/provisioner/bank etc, and donations in all form of resources will be needed in order to make them fully functional again.
No pixel crack involved, but plenty of reasons to go out and do things together.

Sometimes it just make me sad when you compare the numbers on the Benefactor of Britain statuette (the one between the guard post and the bridge) of the American shards with those of the Japanese shards... I just feel we don't care about the events any more, other than for the rewards/loot that is.

I refuse to let others get to me they want to be greedy so be it...

Well the players themselves don't bother me too much, they're everywhere, even in RL, and you can't deal with every single one of them. Just a coincident, my friends has just sent me a video (I don't want to advertise for the site hosting it so please google "Brawling Brazilian Bikini Babes" if you're interested), and after watching it I just feel they're exactly what we have in UO, and really, pure entertainment good for laughs (and sometimes I pity them for being born stupid and inferior than most of us). What I dislike is the nature of these kinds of events, where it tends to bring out the darker side of everyone and spoils the (intended) spirit of it because everyone needs more of the new stuff, more of the old stuff, hell, just more of whatever they're pumping out, and the no-you're-in-my-way-now-get-out-before-I-throw-a-fit-and-I-will kind of mentality.

 

[Tom_Builder]

I dont know about the other area's, but at least on Napa in the spawn area. We are working as a team, and I'm getting great drops there. I get anywhere from 4 to 8 drops per spawn. Others are doing as good or better then myself. I have enjoyed this event greatly. I wasnt around for the last two.

Tom

 

[Goodoljoe]

Gms are far too busy stelthily patrolling for afk people hiting golems or macroing magery to focus on the small and not so important problem that afk farming,bod scripting,script resource farming,item duping,speed hacking problems.Give them a break..

(hint: sarcasm)