EM Events and What's Missing...

[RaDian FlGith]

Before I begin this, please allow me to say that I enjoy the EM events, especially on Great Lakes where our EMs do one hell of a job keeping people interested in what's going on from week to week (props to Malachi and Iatu), and have provided a nice roleplay outlet that includes the PvM crowd (and occasionally the PvP crowd as well, which are ultimately the most difficult to satisfy in a mixed environment).

What's missing though is that little "reason to attend events." Now, mind you, I don't mind having stories to tell years later. I have a few interesting ones from way back in the days of the seers, and those tales will always have great meaning to me, as will those that come these days.

However, since UO is a skill based game, not a level based game, a lot of the monsters that the EMs have access to, and regularly use because they have the ability to stand up for a bit to a crowd, also have a tendency to do mysterious one-hit kills. For instance, I died six times to ... something .. while fighting the Crimson Dragons tonigh, and that's when it really become a bit obvious to me...

I managed to loot two "okay" items, a piece of scourge, a piece of corruption, and 1059 gold from the Crimson corpse I got rights to (and somehow failed to get on the other one I attacked like there was no tomorrow). Meanwhile, with 10 insured items, I dropped 36,000 gold into the vapors of the Ultima Online Insurance Corporation.

Which brought me to, "Why did I attend this?"

Now, yes, attending because it's cool and interesting is fun to do, but if I'm going to be shelling out 36,000 gold for the sake of participation, it's a bit difficult to justify.

What's missing... and please don't mistake this as a gimme gimme... is the reason to attend. Now, I was talking to another friend about this earlier, just after the fight was over, and the events that we enjoy the most are the ones where there are random drops. Where there's a chance to loot something unique. This isn't to say that I think I need to receive something every time... this is to say that I think there should ALWAYS be a chance of getting something. I'm completely and totally on-board with random loot drops, and with the items being no more than decoration (I mean, let's face it, a dark brown kryss that functions as a sextant is cool, but does not serve as a useful PvP or PvM weapon). I get that random is what prevents it from being unfair.

But particularly on large-scale events like this, it feels very anti-climactic to go, and the last dragon falls (off-screen, so you don't even know the event's over), and you walk away going, "Event attended, check. Insurance paid in spades, check. Purpose... hmm..."

I know that there will always be people asking for stuff, and there will always be the, "I wish I'd looted that," crowd... but those silly little trinkets, while Luna/Auction fodder for some, a ticket to riches for others, are pieces of Ultima Online history that mean something to still others.

And, yeah, stuff like in-game museums where you can see a relic left behind or what's left of a rare object are nice too, because you can take someone to that spot, say, "This is what happened," and have something to point to.

It's the emptiness that empties some of the value of this large scale events.

Just my thoughts, but I thought I'd share.

 

[GL_Seller]

You say this isnt about gimme gimme gimme, but then state you want something at every event. These two things just dont go together.

You got 2 ok items and some other stuff. Plus you got to kill crimson dragons who unless they changed it have the ability to randomly drop a crimson cincture.

36k gold takes about 20 minutes of killing stuff to make back...As for the monsters im glad there not just HUGE hps that just stand there and last for ever. I'm sorry but pvm is extremely to easy. Before you ask yes i did solo the crimsons last time they were here, to me that shouldnt be possible but it is..

 

[Taylor]

What's missing though is that little "reason to attend events."

Well, I certainly appreciate your thoughts. I believe that you feel that there are not compelling reasons to attend EM events. However, I don't think that it is fair to assume that all - or event most - folks feel the same.

If there were no reason to attend EM events, then no one would attend. Events on Atlantic have been extremely well attended. Apparently these folks have found a reason.

My reason: because they're fun.

 

[canary]

I think the OP means that it is nice to have things set in game to commemorate large events like this. That could mean a random drop, a sash, or even something for a collection or museum.

Even items I don't own I find cool because they are tied to some historic event in UO. It is just a 'fun' little extra... and something to have instead of just looking forward to only insurance loss.

 

[slavoie]

What ever happened to doing something

a. because it is the right thing to do
b. to do it.
c. there is no c, i just wanted a third line.

 

[MalagAste]

I understand what Ra is saying...

I look at things like the neat little enforcers bardiche that isn't special in any way except it's a nifty color.... but it has a cool name... Something that says... I killed an enforcer...

I love my blue box that says "a magical lockbox".... it's not "special" in any way ..... it does nothing... save remind me that I killed one of the six...

Events I really enjoyed had some tangible "something" that I could cart home and put on display to say "I was there" I did this...

I mean how many kept a book of truth? Does it do anything? No.... but it says I was there. Each time you see it your reminded of time spent "helping" find the true book of Truth....

Like keeping a plain sword and plain shield..... It's not that they are "awesome" weapons... it's that they serve as a trigger for a story. A memento of the occasion.

Just saying it don't have to be a unique one of a kind item..... heck there could be 500000000000 of them... everyone there could get one... but just to have something when your done.


Yes the satisfaction of knowing that I helped to kill the crimson dragons and I got another opportunity to smack talk Andrew was good... but I looted nothing..... I died about 5 times.... why because I was hit by the crimson for 150 damage out of the blue a few times... don't think that was totally necessary... sure it was "fun" in it's way.... do I care that it was in Fel.... No. Did that stop me from participating no....

What does make me not want to participate? People who are there only for the "stuff" spamming constantly can I have a robe, when do I get my pie, I didn't get a pie... are you giving out sashes.... smack talkers... having 50 dragons on the screen all flapping around and everyone standing RIGHT on top of the EM..... zero respect. That makes me want to leave. People who show up and immediately start to complain because there is NO give away.

As it is right now about the only thing I enjoy in the game anymore is the EM events.. thanks in large part to Malachi and Iatu... I certainly hope that the EM program continues LONG after SA...

I fear that the EM program will die out after SA.... and with it my interest in UO. I'd like to see the EM's be able to give out more small drops of uniquely named items so we can have a "record" of our event history.

I don't leave GLs because GL is my home.... because I have a bunch of "history" on GL.... I could care less about the history of any other shard... what I'm interested in is preserving the history of my "home"... GL's. And having a little something from events to commemorate that event means a lot. I don't need some "uber" robe, weapon, piece of armor.... or anything... it can be as simple as a specially titled scroll... or necklace like the pearl necklaces from Melissa...

That's what I'm talking about. But it needs to be "Fair" ...... random...

 

[christy1221]

I like getting items just for the memory. I have a floor in my house that has nothing but event items. And when I look at them I think to myself hey I remember when I got that. I never sell an event item I get. I'm not in it for the gold.

And while I do attend every event I can (even if there is no item at all) I still do enjoy getting an item as a keepsake to take with me.

 

[Tina Small]

I think I understand what Radian's trying to say.

For such momentous occasions as we are supposed to have this weekend, it would be nice to walk away with something to remember them by, even if it isn't something decorative or particularly useful.

I still have some ophidian rations and some useless weapons from the ophidian invasion. I doubt anyone else would ever want them because they probably have no value as collectibles. That's fine with me. I keep them as a reminder of fun times I had in game, kind of in the same way I keep photos from family get-togethers or even just every day occurrences. To someone who is a stranger to the folks in the photo, the photos are probably not even worth the paper they are printed on. To me, however, they may be absolutely priceless.

That's not to say I'd dash back into a burning building to save UO momentos (something I'd probably be tempted to do with very old family photos), because after all they're just pixels in an online game. However, I probably wouldn't just automatically pitch them into the closest virtual trash barrel if I came across them unexpectedly while sorting stuff.

Nostalgia is a very personal thing. I think everyone has things in their life that cause them to feel nostalgic. It just happens a bit more often for some of us, perhaps.

 

[Trebr Drab]

Once upon a time, when an FOA leader was captured, it was determined that he would be transported from the Trinsic Jail to the Yew prison, so that he could stand trial.

Many brave warriors and mages did gather to protect the caravan that would lead the prisoner along the long roads from one jail to another. Along the way we did defend against assaults of orcs and more. It was here that I was made aware that another of the FOA leaders, one Junin Pince I believe, was shadowing the caravan off to the west and killing brave men who were so unlucky to have crossed his path. So there I went, out there into the danger, but with a plan. I would shadow this FOA leader myself, and await a time when a more sizable force found his trail, and assaulted him with my sword joined. But as he spotted me, he came towards me to show me the dirt that so many others had found in his wake. It was touch and go as I beat hasty retreats, then shadowed him more, back and forth. But I knew he could not spend much time on chasing my would be corpse, for he would then lose the caravan. We played cat and mouse, every so often a lone warrior would attempt to take him alone and fall too quickly. In the end, a sizable force never came, and I finally lost him to the woods and the night.

I returned to the caravan, and the way was won to the jails of Yew. And few were the murderous rogues who did not rue the day in an attempt to bushwhack our numbers.

Now that was an event.

 

[Lord Frodo]

No prob. everybody gets a sash that says "BlahBlahBlah", nothing special. That was one of the down falls to the old EM Events. A select few got event items that sold for MILLIONS and MILLIONS. No thank you. If one gets an item all get the same item.

 

[Phaen Grey]

I think folks forget how it was mentioned that the shard pieces would be dropping randomly, how just recently we've received the cloaks of stealth, there have been many souvenirs for this current story arch, but people still want more.

I participate because my character would defend the realm she lives in against the threat, a reward is nice but not necessary.

 

[Taylor]

. . . a reward is nice but not necessary.

 

[Ailish]

I have no stealth cloak ... because the event it was associated with happened at a time I could not attend, and I just can't get into standing around to get stuff handed out to me for nothing. Standing in the Counsellor's Hall going "gimme gimme gimme!" oh ya ...

One of my best memories of an event is from the end of the Magencia. I lost literally millions in insurance over the week it took Napa to get rid of the Rift Guardians in first Tram, then Fel (the only part of the even I did in Tram, in fact). What I have to show for it are 2 small, unusual pieces of blackrock and the Mystic weapon I used to kill the demons when they popped up (that was job, other than healing my archers who were killing the guardians). These little tid-bits are nothing. They have no worth, at least not compared to the rift pilars that my pal Otis got. But to me, they are a memory. All 6-8 of us got these bits, anyone around had the ability to get them as each guardian was defeated.

Those 2 bits of blackrock sit on a table in my house, alongside the Mystic Axe as a memory, a reminder, if you will, of that epic battle that took us days to complete.

I get what the OP is saying. Something that is a memory from the event, no matter how small, is important to the participants. There can be literally thousands of the item, as long as its something each person can take away as a memory. THAT is what is missing.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

You say this isnt about gimme gimme gimme, but then state you want something at every event. These two things just dont go together.

If you actually read the post, then you know that what I'm saying is that there should be a CHANCE for something. I'm not saying, "I want something from every event." I'm saying, "I believe there should be a chance to get something at every event." They are, contrary to your belief, two completely different things. I'm not saying, "If I don't get something there's no point in me going." What I am saying is that there is no compelling reason to go to kill this stuff without some potential for there being something. The game is supposedly about risk vs. reward on a large scale, but you attend many of these events and your reward vs. risk is completely out of kilter.

You got 2 ok items and some other stuff. Plus you got to kill crimson dragons who unless they changed it have the ability to randomly drop a crimson cincture.

By "okay," I mean two items that if I'm lucky, my crafter will be able to enhance. As far as crimson cinctures, since I'm not aware of crimson dragons dropping every other week, I'd say there's no clue as to what the specific loot table is.

36k gold takes about 20 minutes of killing stuff to make back...As for the monsters im glad there not just HUGE hps that just stand there and last for ever. I'm sorry but pvm is extremely to easy. Before you ask yes i did solo the crimsons last time they were here, to me that shouldnt be possible but it is..

I agree that PvM should be challenging. I'm not at all saying that it shouldn't be. As far as how long it takes to make 36k... maybe it takes you 20 minutes to make 36k. I can make it in about an hour if I'm lucky. And that's not the point of the post.

Taking the individual pieces of the post and pointing out that in individual parts they are nothing is one thing. Looking at it as a whole picture is an entirely different thing.

 

[Crysta]

I think folks forget how it was mentioned that the shard pieces would be dropping randomly,

Actually, it was said "to the top attackers". That and random are VERY different. "Top attackers" means the top one damager for each of the three gets one. Random would mean anyone with enough damage to loot would get a chance at getting the one from each of them.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Well, I certainly appreciate your thoughts. I believe that you feel that there are not compelling reasons to attend EM events. However, I don't think that it is fair to assume that all - or event most - folks feel the same.

I believe I ended my post indicating that they were, indeed, my thoughts. I don't believe I claimed to be speaking for anyone else, save for mentioning my friend who feels similarly to me. In order to determine whether my thoughts are isolated or part of a larger picture, they must be shared. You clearly disagree, and that is fine. I'm not going to say that you're not entitled to your opinion... all I will say is that remember that just because you feel this way does not mean that all or most people share your opinion either.

If there were no reason to attend EM events, then no one would attend. Events on Atlantic have been extremely well attended. Apparently these folks have found a reason.

I'm confused... did I misrepresent that I believed that the EM events on GL were well handled? As we all know, the EMs have their limitations, put in place by Mythic. I'm simply suggesting a method of improvement.

My reason: because they're fun.

You know, I have been one of the people standing around telling this to others who spend all day asking, "Where's my pie, where's my robe, where's my sash." But you know, after being to several consecutive events where the insurance money keeps falling out of my bank and there's still not a lot to show for it other than a story, it does leave it a little lacking.

Now, I will say the GL EMs have been very good about providing events where the random rare item does drop. My opinion is that they could do that more often.

Again, I do not feel I have to leave every event with an item. I do, however, feel there should be a chance for an item. It does give a reason for pouring thousands and thousands of gold into the insurance system.

This is not a complaint, which I think is what it's being read as. I certainly have not said here that I am not going to stop attending events, simply indicating that I was starting to wonder why I do. Yes, it's fun to see new monsters, and fun to take part in the plots. If it wasn't I wouldn't do it. But at the end of the day, it's not all that fun to continually die to powerful monsters and be lucky to walk away with a couple thousand in gold.

And as I've also said, if not items, then something to commemorate the event that makes it a historical part of the shard's history. Something tangible left behind. Not something any single player has, but something that lasts past that. Such as the Mother Tree in Skara Brae, the golden lizardman (that no longer reads anything at all) at the entrance to Britain, and other such things on Great Lakes. Something that says, "Today, something was accomplished."

 

[Phaen Grey]

I think folks forget how it was mentioned that the shard pieces would be dropping randomly,

Actually, it was said "to the top attackers". That and random are VERY different. "Top attackers" means the top one damager for each of the three gets one. Random would mean anyone with enough damage to loot would get a chance at getting the one from each of them.

Still doesn't change the fact they are available if you participate.

 

[Taylor]

Again, I do not feel I have to leave every event with an item. I do, however, feel there should be a chance for an item. It does give a reason for pouring thousands and thousands of gold into the insurance system.

I suppose we simply have different priorities. My priority is excitement. Fighting unusual monsters is fun to me, regardless of whether I die and lose insurance money. For some folks, items and gold are their priority. My point is that different folks have different priorities: many find reason to attend EM events, regardless of tangible rewards.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Those 2 bits of blackrock sit on a table in my house, alongside the Mystic Axe as a memory, a reminder, if you will, of that epic battle that took us days to complete.

I get what the OP is saying. Something that is a memory from the event, no matter how small, is important to the participants. There can be literally thousands of the item, as long as its something each person can take away as a memory. THAT is what is missing.

For such momentous occasions as we are supposed to have this weekend, it would be nice to walk away with something to remember them by, even if it isn't something decorative or particularly useful.

I still have some ophidian rations and some useless weapons from the ophidian invasion. I doubt anyone else would ever want them because they probably have no value as collectibles. That's fine with me. I keep them as a reminder of fun times I had in game, kind of in the same way I keep photos from family get-togethers or even just every day occurrences.

Nostalgia is a very personal thing. I think everyone has things in their life that cause them to feel nostalgic. It just happens a bit more often for some of us, perhaps.

I like getting items just for the memory. I have a floor in my house that has nothing but event items. And when I look at them I think to myself hey I remember when I got that. I never sell an event item I get. I'm not in it for the gold.

And while I do attend every event I can (even if there is no item at all) I still do enjoy getting an item as a keepsake to take with me.

This, in case my point was missed in everything else I've been trying to say, this in the three posts above (minimized a bit to help condense the thought) is what I'm talking about.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

I suppose we simply have different priorities. My priority is excitement. Fighting unusual monsters is fun to me, regardless of whether I die and lose insurance money. For some folks, items and gold are their priority. My point is that different folks have different priorities: many find reason to attend EM events, regardless of tangible rewards.

No, I get that, honestly. The problem with a message board is that I cannot adequately convey both the entirety of my thoughts and the entirety of my history of RP in Great Lakes.

I do attend the events for the intrigue, and for the chance to do something exciting. I guess the best way to put it is that particularly at this event with the Crimson Dragons and the Platinum Dragons, it just felt empty. Like I was deathrobing for the sake of deathrobing. There was very little other than, "Hey, event in Felucca. Okay, you all ready to defend Britannia? Here's a gate, pop through gate into the middle of a battlefield in Skara Brae, and not really knowing anything but KILL THE CRIMSON DRAGONS."

Not having faced a Crimson Dragon before, I had no idea what to expect, but given the number of insta-death creatures I've faced in the recent weeks, multiple deaths came as no surprise.

But then, the last Crimson Dragon fell, Andrew tried to coerce people into attacking the Platinums, and Magnus Grey (our EM character) said, "We've won." And I just looked out onto the battlefield and it left me feeling empty, like, okay, we won, so why doesn't it feel like a victory? Maybe part of it was the way it was presented, I don't know. What I do know is lately I've been killed by more insta-kill monsters than I face on my own -- again, not saying PvM should be easy. I'm a strong advocate that things like ancient wyrms shouldn't be soloable, no matter that back in the day (and probably on certain templates) they currently are.

And yeah, when people are standing around hounding the EMs for items, I'm the first to say, in character, that the reason for doing this is to save Britannia or whatever the mission entails. Certainly that's a big part of why I continue to go to the events. Not only because it's something to do, but because it's fun to have RP. I mean, I basically stopped playing my main character save for event nights while "disguised" because I was supposed to be dead, hoping to gain an advantage over Andrew. I do get into the stuff.

I just... I just think something's missing from a lot of the events. I mean, you should see the museum that I'm trying to put together. Museum to many means "all the rares R belong to us." My museum, yeah, I've got some rares in it. But, for instance, sitting right along side the gray and otherwise useless Orcish toolkit are items you can still get in-game today, but their commonality is that they were introduced leading up to LBR. Now, the museum's incomplete, but I do have in the works books that tell the history of each item, how they came to be, and all of that stuff. To me, like another poster in the thread, those silly gray Ophidian rations are as important to me as the yellow tunic and blue kilt that anyone could make a character and have named the same way, but which were worn by a prominent figure in our RP community years ago.

I guess it's hard to differentiate "it's not about the items" while saying, "items should be available," but like I say, it's not that I think we should all walk away each time with something in our hands. But rather that at each event, a couple of people should walk away with something, or something should remain behind to commemorate the event.


Again, too, I think our EMs on GL do a good job of that given what they can do in their roles. I just think there's room to improve.

 

[Tomas_Bryce]

EMs have stated on various occasions that have less flexibility on global events, for obvious reasons.

That is what the Crimson dragon event was/is, a global event. So, you should not really use that as an example as it is not an EM event tailored exclusively for your shard. But a global event created by the Developers and aided by EMs.

I understand what you mean by feeling like there was not much to it. I think that this is definitely due to the way an event is presented. But, sometimes events just go that way, especially global events in my observation! If you are happy with the way your EMs generally perform events, then you should chalk this one off as an exception. It has little to do with rewards given or not.

 

[Xalan Dementia]

indeed, whatever did happen to Fighting for whats Right? I remember the harrassment and personal attacks I recieved during the magincia invasion....why? because I killed void and light demons instead of luring them to standing buildings to make them produce rubble. Many of sonoma's supposed "Legends" assaulted me with insults and lewd language simply because I wanted to Save magincia. Items are a dime a dozen, but being able to say I fought off an invading horde with conviction, that is something rare my friends.

 

[MalagAste]

indeed, whatever did happen to Fighting for whats Right? I remember the harrassment and personal attacks I recieved during the magincia invasion....why? because I killed void and light demons instead of luring them to standing buildings to make them produce rubble. Many of sonoma's supposed "Legends" assaulted me with insults and lewd language simply because I wanted to Save magincia. Items are a dime a dozen, but being able to say I fought off an invading horde with conviction, that is something rare my friends.

I got the same reaction time and time again.

 

[G.v.P]

I think the EM event last night on Ches was pretty boss, lil PvP and PvM, but the EMs didnt really give it a dramatic end, just basically the players played, then it was over lol

 

[The Fallout]

What ever happened to doing something

a. because it is the right thing to do
b. to do it.
c. there is no c, i just wanted a third line.

People aren't raised that way and that does leak into the mmo world.

 

[Stupid Miner]

What ever happened to doing something

a. because it is the right thing to do
b. to do it.
c. there is no c, i just wanted a third line.

It's a computer game, morality doesn't come into in events like this. You help out or you don't, neither is right or wrong.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

EMs have stated on various occasions that have less flexibility on global events, for obvious reasons.

Yes, I gather that... I do regularly give feedback to the GL EMs when they ask for it, and they do, indeed, take it to heart as best they can (not just my feedback, not saying I'm that important, mind you... hehe... but everyone's feedback). The reason for this thread is to voice it more publicly in a forum where Mythic can see some discussion about it. I'm not saying my opinion on the matter is "correct," because, as all opinions, there is no "correct" to it.

That is what the Crimson dragon event was/is, a global event. So, you should not really use that as an example as it is not an EM event tailored exclusively for your shard. But a global event created by the Developers and aided by EMs.

Right... but the thing is, even in the past, global events have had a better... impact?... not sure that's the right way to describe it... but, you know, like the whole Trinsic invasion... it felt like something was going on. Trinsic itself changed. Orc camps popped up. Yeah, I get that we have a limited Dev Team, but, still, I think that there are better ways to go into stuff.

Like, okay, let's take everything leading up to UO:R... That was a fantastic voyage. UO:R itself, not so great, but the journey up to it was pretty cool. Same with UO:T2A (though the voyage after was fun too). Even leading into UO:LBR, there was some fantastic stuff. UO:AoS... yeah... nothing really leading into it, and we all know the devastating effects it had on just about everything. UO:SE... UO:ML... both expansions basically appeared without much fanfare. Now, don't get me wrong, I appreciate that there is all of this stuff going on leading into UO:SA. It just... feels like there's something missing. Like, okay, yeah, I do think the cloaks of corruption, the threads of X, and so forth have been nice and all. But those tend to come from the repeating events, not the epic battles. Really, aside from the cloak of corruption dropping off the Shadowlords, the epic battles for all of this have actually -- save the death robes -- felt a lot less epic than the side events. Maybe that's more my issue than any item or items left behind at the scene of the battle... maybe it's more that the items say, "Something was accomplished," because there's a quality missing from the epic battle versus the stuff that you could do on your own.

I understand what you mean by feeling like there was not much to it. I think that this is definitely due to the way an event is presented. But, sometimes events just go that way, especially global events in my observation! If you are happy with the way your EMs generally perform events, then you should chalk this one off as an exception. It has little to do with rewards given or not.

You might be right about that. I still stand on the idea that the "rewards" are a good idea, epic event or not...

But yeah, maybe that's what I'm missing... that the epic events just don't feel epic.

 

[Trebr Drab]

indeed, whatever did happen to Fighting for whats Right? I remember the harrassment and personal attacks I recieved during the magincia invasion....why? because I killed void and light demons instead of luring them to standing buildings to make them produce rubble. Many of sonoma's supposed "Legends" assaulted me with insults and lewd language simply because I wanted to Save magincia. Items are a dime a dozen, but being able to say I fought off an invading horde with conviction, that is something rare my friends.

I got the same reaction time and time again.

It is good there is still some virtue left in Sosaria.

 

[Stupid Miner]

I'm actually surprised you want this... event items always attract the worst of the rabble of UO.

 

[MalagAste]

It is good there is still some virtue left in Sosaria.

Well you know Trebr I would not be a Royal Knight of Virtue if I wasn't following the virtues... or at least trying.


My MAJOR beef with UO of late:

Despite the fact that UO is BASED upon Virtue... it's entire theme revolves around 8 virtues...

UO continually rewards those without virtue... a lions share of the reward in the game goes to those who could care less about virtue and act more like a bunch of greedy smack talking jerks.

More and more of late that is the case... Magincia great example... act against virtue and HELP destroy the city greedily luring the light demons into town.... get rubble...

Act with virtue and kill the light demons up away from the city trying to "save" it... reward... Nothing.... seeing as everyone else is bent on destroying the city there is no reward at all for attempting to save it.... would it have been possible to save it? Only if there would have been better reward for NOT letting the city be destroyed.

Mysterious "figures" in Haven gathering blackrock.... well.... we all knew they were up to NO GOOD... reward for doing the right thing and NOT turning in blackrock = nothing.... reward for turning in blackrock leading to the destruction of old haven = tons of arties and high level smith hammers.

And all the BS going to the "TOP" damagers... then the reward goes most often to the scripter. Wow... that really makes me glad to participate in a game based on Virtue... and be Virtuous... Not.


Even in Fel being a Murderer has lost most all consequence. No longer do they suffer any "loss" upon death besides the normal insurance money... no longer can you be rewarded by claiming the "bounty" on them...

What is the incentive to be "good" anymore? Where is the incentive to follow virtue? Gone...

To me so much of the heart of the game has been stripped away and forgotten.

Greed rules sosaria now... not British or Virtue. Heck anymore it seems to me a majority of the players don't have a single clue what the virtues even are. Lord who? British? Who's that? Does he play?

 

[Lord Urza]

I can see things from both sides here, because i am not able to solo crimsons, and am in the same boat here that, i useually come out at a -$ wise after events rarely getting any noteable items.

But UO is an mmorpg to often the rpg part is overlooked.
EM events count for the majority of the rpg content in uo today, without them there would be no active story line or dev offered rpg content.
Saddly rpg content is not in high demand, and i rarely see anyone on my shard role playing, however if i do i am eager to join in if at all possible.
The majority of my time on uo would be spent role playing if there was an active rp guild or alliance. ( No body i know r/l has the time to play D&D so i miss that rp fix)

Im more then happy to come out in the hole at the end of an event however if i enjoyed myself. If 20 mins gold farming can pay for a couple hours of event play that seems like a fair trade off to start.

 

[Trebr Drab]

Well you know Trebr I would not be a Royal Knight of Virtue if I wasn't following the virtues... or at least trying.


My MAJOR beef with UO of late:

Despite the fact that UO is BASED upon Virtue... it's entire theme revolves around 8 virtues...

UO continually rewards those without virtue... a lions share of the reward in the game goes to those who could care less about virtue and act more like a bunch of greedy smack talking jerks.

More and more of late that is the case... Magincia great example... act against virtue and HELP destroy the city greedily luring the light demons into town.... get rubble...

Act with virtue and kill the light demons up away from the city trying to "save" it... reward... Nothing.... seeing as everyone else is bent on destroying the city there is no reward at all for attempting to save it.... would it have been possible to save it? Only if there would have been better reward for NOT letting the city be destroyed.

Mysterious "figures" in Haven gathering blackrock.... well.... we all knew they were up to NO GOOD... reward for doing the right thing and NOT turning in blackrock = nothing.... reward for turning in blackrock leading to the destruction of old haven = tons of arties and high level smith hammers.

And all the BS going to the "TOP" damagers... then the reward goes most often to the scripter. Wow... that really makes me glad to participate in a game based on Virtue... and be Virtuous... Not.


Even in Fel being a Murderer has lost most all consequence. No longer do they suffer any "loss" upon death besides the normal insurance money... no longer can you be rewarded by claiming the "bounty" on them...

What is the incentive to be "good" anymore? Where is the incentive to follow virtue? Gone...

To me so much of the heart of the game has been stripped away and forgotten.

Greed rules sosaria now... not British or Virtue. Heck anymore it seems to me a majority of the players don't have a single clue what the virtues even are. Lord who? British? Who's that? Does he play?

I know. And if they reward the truly virtuous in the game, those who play it that way, the same masses would raise a major stink. Because they want it, whatever that "it" is.

The Devs have even incorporated it into the storyline, as the forces of evil are subverting the masses through these rewards and greed. Yet will it ever change? I forever go from some small glimmer of hope to depressed admittance it'll never happen, and back again. Perhaps I'm just a fool hoping for the impossible.

 

[Martyna Zmuir]

I seriously doubt that there was any way to 'save' Magincia, aside from the Void Daemon battle. However, it was very disheartening to see nearly everyone luring the light daemons into town to get the 'phat lewtz' when they went boom. On the other side, it was 'meant to happen' plot wise.

I would like to see Virtuous actions rewarded in events (and no, the bad joke that is the unfinished 'Virtue' system doesn’t count), and evil actions punished. Being a murderer doesn't even mean anything these days.

Items from events are always a contentious issue. And the whiney gimme-gimmes that come to the events ONLY to get an item are why the drops are so infrequent.

Look at what happened with the pies and the cloaks, many people acted like selfish toddlers having a tantrum. Mythic didn't have to give us those items. Heck, you didn't even have to participate in the Luna event to get a shroud! Same with the pies, they were just a fun item.

While I would like a commemorative trinket from the events, I personally don't want to have to listen to the whiners and the crybabies - my ignore list is full already. EM Malachi on GL has done a good job at getting random drops into his events. I can think of 5 events that have had a trinket or two.

The fact that so many people complain that THEY didn’t get an item is why it’s so rare. If they give an item to everyone who shows up, like the shrouds/pies, then the EMs just become living vending machines. Mythic needs to utilize the code from the Asian shards for item distribution, ala the wooden cows.

If just a few people get items at an event then there are accusations of favoritism and conspiracy. Hence the infrequent random drops on high-level mobs.

Is either system good? No, not really, but it’s what we have. This is why the reward halls exist; it’s a way to recognize players without flooding the shards with items.

Would I rather have an item to lock down in my house? Honestly, yes. But do I want to see the EM program spiral into madness? No. Up the ‘random’ drop rates, and have more items drop when they DO drop.

Meh.

 

[Aurelius]

Actually, it was said "to the top attackers". That and random are VERY different. "Top attackers" means the top one damager for each of the three gets one. Random would mean anyone with enough damage to loot would get a chance at getting the one from each of them.

Not quite, because it's still - because it's the only easily measurable game mechanic - going to be about the attackers, rather than truly 'random' which would mean all those who contribute to the event being enjoyed.

For example, I've often felt sorry for the healer/res/vet teams who attend as backup, for the fun and enjoyment of being there and helping others, but who are guaranteed unrecognised by anyone except the few players who thank them for their work.

An option of a minor, purely deco, almost trivial item for those who attend a big event finale like this recent one would be nice - maybe account, or even character, bound, so it's not a free pass to fast cash from trading a 'rare'. Keep it, bin it, wear it or display it - your choice, but you have a memento of the event to bring back memories, if you want one.

(I'd not mind an option for the EMs to flag characters at the event, to mark anyone spamming obscenities - or other unwanted nonsense - to show how 'clever' they are. Those types, I can live without giving any reward at all to, as opposed to those who genuinely contribute something positive to the night, even if it's just a silent presence there).