Something interesting to consider

[Manticore]

I wonder if we can create the top valuable EM rare drop each month on a thread somewhere and the shard it came from?

For example, for the month of June, i am guessing either the Napa drop or one of the dolphins etc...

Just be something new to keep up for viewers, shoppers, and collectors.

 

[Sadie-]

So maybe going forward in the monthly EM Drop threads on the last drop day of the month post a poll to let everyone vote for their favorites and let the poll last a week or something?

My only consideration for this would be if there is any harm that could come from it? Do we think the EMs who put in the time and effort to create these events an drops would get hurt over a public vote like this?

 

[Discord]

So maybe going forward in the monthly EM Drop threads on the last drop day of the month post a poll to let everyone vote for their favorites and let the poll last a week or something?

My only consideration for this would be if there is any harm that could come from it? Do we think the EMs who put in the time and effort to create these events an drops would get hurt over a public vote like this?

Competition spawns creativity .

 

[Manticore]

Good points Sadie, but in this case we’re not focusing the worst drop but the best one. And as Discord above eloquently puts it, “it spawns creativity”.

the voting touch is a fantastic idea!

 

[Landicine]

I think voting is probably the best way to get the best idea of the top rares (Wisdom of the Crowd idea), but I also understand Sadie's worry.

While we're not going to scare off the long time EMs, we are going to have another new EM soon with EM Artemis leaving.

Why not put some distance between the creative work and the voting? Start with say January, and do a vote a week for each month up to the present. Acclimate everyone to the process and get a chance to look over rares from a few months back.

 

[Manticore]

We can always tweak it along the way.

 

[Pawain]

I like the idea, but how many votes will be cast? 5 or 10?

If lots of people vote, I would worry more about getting the same graphics that were liked. Kinda like pigs are now.

 

[Draza]

most of the rares collectors have a focus, some are pigs, some are mirrors, ect. I think its ok to have the same graphic, even the same color.

i can see the poll guiding ems to design drops to what we want, and sellers using it to gauge prices.

 

[Manticore]

I’ve always thought there are multiple optics of what we consider valuable especially what they think vs what we think. I am speaking in general of course. The way I interpret it based on general collectivity of an item is like an art work:

1. Majority of the people like realism - example, a pig is just a pig or tree just a tree.
2. Some people and some EMs like Impressionism - example using a beehive graphic and calling it a bell. Most collectors don’t really like it.
3. Very few people and sometime EM creat abstract items - like a blob of nothing and calling it something. Very very few people are interested.

regardless, this voting system will certainly reveal what we players like And not what they think we like. After all, we’re the customers

 

[Manticore]

Now we just need someone to build it. Anyone want to take this task on?

 

[Sadie-]

I’ve always thought there are multiple optics of what we consider valuable especially what they think vs what we think. I am speaking in general of course. The way I interpret it based on general collectivity of an item is like an art work:

1. Majority of the people like realism - example, a pig is just a pig or tree just a tree.
2. Some people and some EMs like Impressionism - example using a beehive graphic and calling it a bell. Most collectors don’t really like it.
3. Very few people and sometime EM creat abstract items - like a blob of nothing and calling it something. Very very few people are interested.

regardless, this voting system will certainly reveal what we players like And not what they think we like. After all, we’re the customers

TLDR: I think a poll at the end of the month where everyone votes for their favorite or maybe top three drops of the month is fine, but it should not be up for commentary on why/ why not or if someone really dislikes a certain drop because these are people who donate time and effort to put this on for us and we need to respect that regardless of if they get paid pennies on the hour.

My Rant:
This is the mentality that I was worried about with implementing a voting system. We are customers to play the base game of ultima online that is entirely separate from events that are put on by paid volunteers. I know not everyone will agree with me here and this is just my opinion/ perception of it but while yes EMs are paid as they rightly should be... they are donating a good portion of time an their creativity to put on events for us. They are still volunteers and owe us absolutely nothing.

Events are an added bonus to the game that really elevates its base system but it is not something we are owed at all and could be removed at any point in time. There are dozens of MMOs that are still running today besides UO and none of them capitalize on what Ultima does which is the interconnected relationships we build together as a community. The delving into roleplay and sparks of creativity that the EMs bring to the table make the game more lively and interactive. The non-paid non-EA associated people like Blend, Alexander, Mio, Kincsem, Onyxia, Wildfire, Fluffy Bunnies (legends) etc just to name a few off the top of my head these players these people put on monthly/ weekly/ yearly events that also bring the community together through auctions, raresfest, design competitions, news reporting, games etc. It is these donations of time and acts of service that make UO so special and amazing and I would not want to chase them away by criticizing or coming off as entitled to the time and effort they do put into the game, and by saying "hey we are the customers we don't like your abstract or impressionistic point of view you need to conform to this mentality instead" it will hinder the game overall because some of the most amazing designs come from the abstract. I go to the asian shards who really just floor me with their creativity and it's amazing but most of their designs are built from throwing random things together that most would never think of.

I don't know, I'm ranting lol but each event in it's own right is a work of art and each EM is in their own right an artist/writer/worldbuilder who is coming up with these plots and stories and we all have our preferences on who we appreciated the most or least but thats what art is. One piece may not speak to everyone but it may speak to just one person and that is enough.

 

[kaio]

Since the can of worms has been opened, i must say that i totally disagree with most of what @Sadie- has to rant about.
There are 312 rare drop pr year, and most events and yes i do a lot of them, has been very low effort. The majority of players don't care about a great or cool story, they just want some pixels to sell. Now with this being said, i would rather see less event, and make rares rare again. Events nowdays are very simple, no interaction with players at all, i remember back when there was riddles to solve whitch made events more entertaining. The Asian shards are not creative at all, duplicated drops with same story, and the only change is the hue of the item.

Lets be honest here, Events and event drop has been out of control for years, regardless of how much or little effort the local EM puts into them, and no EM events won't stop just because 5 players here on stratics vote on which drop they think are the best, nor if someone god forbid mention that maybe the yellow dolphin drop is ugly.

 

[Sadie-]

I liked the yellow dolphin!

I understand and like I said as a tool to possibly spark creativity among the EMs or at least be a small form of feedback I don't think there is an issue on voting for peoples favorite drops the potential issue could come from IF it turns into hateful commentary. A poll is fine but lets leave it at only a poll. I feel bad for the Asian EMs its like one EM for two shards on each of them.

 

[Promathia]

paid volunteers.

Sorry, but EMs are not volunteers. EMs get hired and they get fired.

You can take past UO.com postings:
https://uo.com/2016/01/12/hiring-6-new-event-moderators/ "Hiring 6 new Event Moderators"
Looking for Event Moderators – Ultima Online - " Since this is a contracted position you must be 18 years old to apply. "
Event Moderator Openings – Ultima Online - " The required hours are 24 hours a month and it is a contracted position."

https://www.uoguide.com/Event_Moderator - " An Event Moderator is a paid "contract employee" of EA."


Now that aside: What you like in an EM drop is entirely subjective and you will never have complete consensus on what is a "good" EM drop vs what a "bad" one is.
If an EM really wanted to find out if people liked their drop, I am sure they could easily figure it out. At its core, an EM drop is a memento of the event/story it came from. If you don't like a drop, then just sell it or don't buy it. If you dislike a specific EM, then stop going to their events.

While I think voting on everyone's favorite drop for the month is a nice idea, I just don't trust the community at all to keep it civil and level headed.

They may be employees, but I don't think whether someone likes their drop or not, has anything to do with their job performance.

 

[FaceToName]

Sorry Sadie, but saying ems are paid volunteers, then I’m a paid volunteer at my job, I volunteer 40 hours a week, and they pay me for them. I never been a lot into really doing the events, but every time I try I get bored after 2, story line is almost always a repeat, the way it works is always a repeat, everything is the same, so yeah I believe if we pay for licenses, wich pay for the paid volunteers, therefore they should Probly listen to people and not just get offended if someone doesn’t like a rare they made, or them having 2 drops of the same with diferent hues and same name on 2 shards, how much more work would it actually be to just name 2 diferent names, instead of having the same one, even if they keep the same item just change hue and name