Events of the weekend, lessons learned

[Farsight]

First off, I'd like to apologize for yet another thread in regards to the two major events of the past weekend. This is simply my attempt to compile a list of advice, feedback, compliments and complaints in regards to the execution of the events, both the Felucca based event and the Trammel based event.

I attended the events in Trammel on two shards, yet missed the Felucca event entirely.

I encourage posts here to be brief.

And without further ado: Lessons learned.

1. Europa - Dropping 120 people in the middle of a large battle with area-effect casting enemies who paralyze you at sight will insure a huge body count (120 was my last count before the gates opened, and may or may not be accurate)
2. Europa and Catskills - I LOVE having people casting divine sacrifice. Wandering healers would have been more convenient and would allow more people to join in the battle. (special thanks to the healers, by the way)
3. Catskills - The single shadow fiend guarding the shadowlords was a brilliant way to isolate the end game before the group was ready for it. Well done!
4. Catskills - Having no spawn in the entrance gate was also a very wise idea. It allowed everyone to catch their bearings before they went out to get killed
5. All shards - special rewards for whomever got to the end first and had blackrock? Nobody liked that. Seriously, nobody.
6. It may have been a good idea to separate the three shadowlords from each other and randomize their locations per-shard. The gems on the last shards to finish were mostly given out to whomever attended the events on the other events since they knew where to go and what they were facing. It would have effectively split the hoards of players, thus reducing lag. It would also have (likely) prevented one player from getting 2 or all 3 shard of the gem of immortality.

More lessons learned?

 

[Kensai Tsunami]

I didnt even know there was an event!
Considering I work nights, including weekends, I imagine that excludes me from almost all events these days.
C'est la vie.
*sigh*

 

[Fink]

First off, I'd like to apologize for...
..More lessons learned?

You should forward this to Draconi or someone.

 

[Farsight]

That's the intent, but mostly for the shard EMs so they can use our advice to make better events in the future (I know many of the EMs read these boards and respond to the feedback).

I just wanted to see more feedback before I send it all in.

 

[hawkeye_pike]

Good post, Farsight. I agree 100%

I attended the Felucca event last Friday, where the Platinum Dragons fought the Crimsons. Fayaxion, the leader of the Platinum Dragons, picked up the fighters at the Empath Abbey and lead them into the center of Yew, where the Crimson Dragons were waiting for us. The Enhanced Client froze totally when the mass fire spells were cast. I died 5 times and mysteriously ended up near Trinsic, but without any chance to recover my corpse on my return to Yew (due to the lag).

However, the lag caused by particle effects is an Enhanced Client issue, I had learned the lesson and quickly switched to the Legacy Client on the Shadowlord event on Sunday, when I found that the lag was similar.

But back to the Felucca event:

The event was good, but nothing special. The usual follow-leader-and-kill-everything-event. I didn't notice much PvP going on. Some people went grey though; maybe they attacked the blue Platinums or tried to loot corpses. They were chased. I have no idea whether there were any rewards. I didn't even get looting rights on a single dragon, but I grabbed a handful of jewels and shields from their remains.

 

[Crysta]

For LS it was thankfully just a madhouse, and nobody even knew what would trigger dropping the gems so two of them went to random people who really did deserve getting them (no idea where the third went).

My only complaint is that I wish they'd have left a gate to the area open... even if it was just an empty, unused dungeon, it was still fun to run around in.

 

[canary]

I and most others on my home shard were underwhelmed by the last two events.

Actually, the EM on my shard does an AMAZING job... however, I think it was the confines of being given the events by higher ups is what made it so very 'bleh'. I say that because, honestly, all the side events done are truly inspired when created fully by our EM. They are MUCH better than the end of this two year storyline. I'm not a big fan of 'meet, gate, kill'. I RP, so to do that just feels very hollow.

In all, I felt... disappointed.

What I also would have tweaked is had it so that all people who damaged the Shadowlords to the extent they could loot would have been awarded a Gem. That way, in the long run, it STILL would have been a rare (maybe 20-50 per shard instead of 3), but those who participated actively would have gotten something to say 'hey I was part of this'. Just a nice way of saying 'thanks for playing'.

 

[Crysta]

What I also would have tweaked is had it so that all people who damaged the Shadowlords to the extent they could loot would have been awarded a Gem. That way, in the long run, it STILL would have been a rare (maybe 20-50 per shard instead of 3), but those who participated actively would have gotten something to say 'hey I was part of this'. Just a nice way of saying 'thanks for playing'.

The items are intended to be one-of-a-kind for each server.. there are only 3. Its an Ultima history thing.

 

[canary]

The items are intended to be one-of-a-kind for each server.. there are only 3. Its an Ultima history thing.

No, actually Ultima lore states there are TONS of shards available. The shadowlords could have had more than just one each.

What Ultima ONLINE lore teaches us is that Lord British took them all with him in the Void... so how the heck did they even have these shards in the first place?

 

[Ailish]

Napa Valley: No clue who got the shards, but there were two very definite "lessons" to be learned for our EM's.

1 - Leave gates open to "no recall in" locations for large scale events. Someone casted a gate inside the cave and a few people accidentally ran through and had no way back. I marked a run there (it let me) and left to get more bandaids and found that my rune back would not work. Luckily, I was able to have my husband find someone to cast a gate to Luna and all the people who could not get back via EM means were able to get back that way. Would have been better for the EM to have made "perma" gates for the duration of the event - especially since we left the meeting place within 2 minutes of the meeting starting. No room to be late!

2 - After the 3rd shadowlord was killed, but while people were still fighting manifestations and did not know it was "over", the EM ran to the end of the cave and grabbed a "blood ruby" or whatever it was and gave a speech, etc. When I shouted (caps lock) "Hey, you still have people fighting! They might not appreciate you claiming victory while they are still dying!" her response was "Well tell them I said thank you!" People were not pleased.

One other thing. The EM put healers in both the Fel event and the Tram even - but they were healers al a Doom - 5k a pop to rez (tho the would rez a red which was nice, they were camped by platinum dragons, which was not so nice). Healers that did not charge would have been better.

 

[canary]

the EM ran to the end of the cave and grabbed a "blood ruby" or whatever it was and gave a speech, etc. When I shouted (caps lock) "Hey, you still have people fighting! They might not appreciate you claiming victory while they are still dying!" her response was "Well tell them I said thank you!"

hahahaha omg that is WAY too funny.

 

[Maplestone]

What Ultima ONLINE lore teaches us is that Lord British took them all with him in the Void... so how the heck did they even have these shards in the first place?

They made new ones: http://www.uoherald.com/liveevents/event.php?eventid=70

Way back with "The Shattering", there was speculation about whether you could have a gem of immortality within the gem. So in effect, if the Shadowlords were indeed successful and these were real gems, each shard now has its its own set of copies of the world within them.

 

[canary]

Ah, didn't catch that. Thanks.

It still doesn't change then that they could have had multiple copies of it as opposed to simply one each, as they note 'shards' plural in the text.

 

[Hildebrand]

My lesson learned is that I have little faith in these, but I still partake in hopes that I get wowed. Instead, I get mega lag to the point my whole computer freezes like a popsicle and I have to wait for it it to slowly thaw.
It was ridiculous.
So I went to another shard's event, prepared, and did better, but still got nada! Seemed archers and Gr. Dragons were the way to go.

 

[Uriah Heep]

LOL

The sad thing is, people went straight from the event dungeon to the bank and started spamming them for sale...some at 150 mil each, more on some shards.

*shakes head*

 

[hen]

One lesson from Drachenfels. If you want to rally the troops and give an important speech at the Demon Temple, maybe it's best to turn off the spawn first? Or do it somewhere like LBs Castle then gate to the Temple.

 

[RaDian FlGith]

Also concerning the shards...in this case, since they are part of shard history, it might have been better either to keep them in the respective rewards halls with the names of the victors engraved on them, or to have created a special "shrine" at some other public location (WBB, Castle British).

The one I received is on public display in the western wing of the Museum of Britannia on Great Lakes in Compassion Grove (it's the heart-shaped grove just northish of Grizelda the Hag between Britain and Yew). It's behind an RP barrier of power to keep those hands who might want to use it for nefarious purposes out, but it is, indeed, sitting there for all to see, because like you, I feel it is a part of shard history and should be on display.

And in case anyone is under the belief that I'm being snarky or sarcastic with this response, I mean this with all sincerity that I believe the shard is part of GL history, and I strive to preserve GL history as best I can.

 

[Lord Frodo]

Also concerning the shards...in this case, since they are part of shard history, it might have been better either to keep them in the respective rewards halls with the names of the victors engraved on them, or to have created a special "shrine" at some other public location (WBB, Castle British).

Now that is a great idea.

 

[MissEcho]

On total lockup and reboot due to too many people, too many particle effects in a confined area , after waiting for it to unfreeze, I finally had to do a full reboot as SA+Event froze my whole machine up, to find my character had be 'teleported' to the 'safety' of Magincia.

Although I was 'alive' when I froze I got back into the game to just see my 'corpse' decay in Magincia, so I was obviously 'alive' when I was teleported to 'safety'. Suffice to say I lost ALL MY GEAR and no doubt whatever 'arti' I got from the boss shadowlord I had been fighting at the time.

If you are going to teleport people to safety (ie another city) please make sure it is one not filled with spawn (in this case corrupted souls).

 

[Lady Tiger]

Due to the huge patch I had to download I only get to look at the red gate.....I hate dial up...

 

[Mavar]

My daughter completed Ren Quest @ Bristol today. Does that count?