Zoo Tier Idea

[Lady_Calina]

As you are all aware, as the Zoo gain a tier a new creature is placed within it. While this is a great way to reward Zoo patrons, I have an additional idea that I think would be a great way to encourage donations, interest and visits.

The decor of the Zoo is, lets face it, rather bland. I've always thought that, with such beautiful locations like the Tokuno Islands, the Zoo could be much better decorated.

So I propose this: As the Zoo gains each tier, it should not only gain creatures, but certain amounts of decoration as well. This could include shrubs, flowers, trees, ponds for the creatures, benches, statues... or even a feature such a contribution statue that lists the top donations made.

What do you all think?

 

[TimberWolf]

uggg more eye candy.....although the statue idea has merit.

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

Sounds quite interesting. I had often thought that once teir 11 was hit an NPC zoo ranger appearing near the entrance wouldn't be a bad touch. He/she could wander the zoo (since it is basically a circle) and repeat what is said on the signs aloud. *shrugs* But the zoo decor sounds nice as well. I'm sure our crane would like a little pond in there.

 

[Lady_Calina]

Since the time the Zoo was founded alot of new art has come about for us to deco with. So I figured it would be a neat addition to the Zoo. Perhaps if I could figure out how to get the art clips from InsideUO onto a screenshot of the Zoo without it looks like blocks...

 

[Norrar]

*nudges a picture out* Just a thought for the front...nothing great. Simple, yet I thought it went well.

I thought maybe it would be cool if we could stable pets at the hitching posts, and maybe the book could give some random taming hints or zoo facts related to cats. Like when the crane came to be, etc.

*inspects pic* Hmmm....*notices the white spots*

.....

*hand to face*

 

[Lady_Calina]

yea thats the thing i was talking about, i can copy/paste the items from insideuo but that damned white stuff messes up the look... altho i may just make a rough draft anyway.

 

[Corvak]

I do not know Stratics' stance on locally emulated shards for the purpose of private use - but one could be used to make designing the decorations easier.

If it is a no-no, then disregard my suggestion.

 

[Norrar]

To my knowledge, as long as the emulator is used for personal use only...it is fine. I think it is when people start inviting others to join them that it becomes a problem.

And try Macromedia Fireworks MX. You can get a free 30 day trial from them. Hit the magic wand button, click the white and hit delete. Poof. No more white.

 

[Shioni]

It it is animals you like maybe we can beg EA to have *coughs* an small elite team of fiction writers to work on a the lore and biology of the present animals (free of charge!) ^.^

And maybe even consideration for a EM supported zoo event!

whaha How id love to see the sacred Catskills Crane, stolen. (for a few days of course, before its safe return by the brave adventurers)

 

[Norrar]

Would lead to an all out riot, stealing the crane. *nods*

 

[Mikeee]

What do you all think?

I think it would be really cool if there was a top list of contributors and it would say like what you contributed '1,250 drakes!' etc. It would be cool to offer special titles like that to the people for donating certain things. I also think it would be cool to make the Zoo have a more useful function, ie: By going to the Zoo and answering trivia questions you get a free (instantly onto your character) Taming/Lore/Vet Alacrity scroll. That would draw some more visitors

 

[Corvak]

I have to apologize for my ignorance, but what is the story behind the 'catskills crane'?

 

[TimberWolf]

personally I think it would be tasty deep fried....

 

[Vallend]

I have to apologize for my ignorance, but what is the story behind the 'catskills crane'?

When the Community Collections." were introduced with the Mondain's Legacy expansion the zoo was one of them. The new Cooperative Collections at the zoo gave tamers a chance to donate either gold or creatures to build up points. With each new tier reached a new creature would be displayed at the zoo. The crane was the first one. Now there is a decay factor built into this system to keep Tamers always turning in creatures. The zoo decay rate was so high that most tamers on other shards gave up on trying to fill their zoos. Catskills Tamers would not give up though and kept our crane alive when every other zoo let theirs decay away. Its a matter of shard pride that we were the only shard to struggle to maintain our Crane when no one else could. Over time The powers to be realized that their decay rate was to high and readjusted it, but till they did we kept out crane alive and well in the zoo.

 

[TimberWolf]

To put it in perspective...there were weekly taming events and mass donations....not to fill the zoo...but to keep that one crane alive.

Now to be fair...the zoo possibly would have been fixed sooner if we let our crane died.

At one point Devs were quoted on Stratics stating that the decay rate wasn't too high since Catskills kept its crane alive.


Much debate and many disputes existed on how best to fix the zoo. So thought a few well placed explosives would help the most.


It is a tribute to the shard that the crane survived and the shard still comes together to help the zoo.

 

[Lady_Calina]

At one point Devs were quoted on Stratics stating that the decay rate wasn't too high since Catskills kept its crane alive.

See? You can never win!

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

I have to apologize for my ignorance, but what is the story behind the 'catskills crane'?

Vallend and TimberWolf are very correct. It is like pulling teeth for me to ever take any credit for anything as amazing as what takes place in the zoo. It was event holders like SunnySideUp and even one of Grog's alt's that pointed to...*in a VERY meek voice*...to, Hagrid for sparking the first real interest in the zoo. I have a picture of the very first time the Crane popped in our zoo, it was a player by the name of Seagryfn that dropped the final million or so gold to get it to happen. I can remember all of us standing around the donation box as she announced it. None of us really knew what would happen, and NO-ONE knew which animal display would pop first. The gold was dropped, and we all rushed in, racing to find the first animal.

A short time before this I was in my early stages of becoming a tamer. With the very best animal taming jewelry I could find I was taming drakes, or getting killed by them, for about a month. It was the zoo that seemed to help take some of the monotony out of all the endless taming. I hadn't seen a soul at the zoo though, which tugged on me' old heart strings. Suddenly one evening I finally DID see another player come by. I was in my usual role-play mode and said something to the effect of: "*Sigh* I don't think we shall ever see a display." I'll never forget what that player said next. It was a character named: Hamelin who said: "What is it your trying to accomplish here"? If memory serves it was shortly before Thanksgiving weekend that Hamlin and his wife Seagryfn helped to loosely organize the first taming "event". I still have a copy of the very first book that I ran all over Sosaria placing. At the end of the um...Three day weekend we were still a good number of points away from hitting the first tier. So, Seagryfn stepped up to the plate to drop the final gold to "pop" the crane.

I will try to dig up some links dating way back to that time period, and I'll post that first picture of the crane. You'll have to forgive me, for it was taken in the 3d game client (still the way I wish UO would have STAYED, but that is a gripe for another day).

Ever since, popularity in the Royal Britannia Zoo has soared. On this shard and even a few others.

 

[Bob_the_fart_guy]

Sadly even though I have a high post "count" I can only retrieve back as far as 1-26-08 and this picture was taken on: 2-26-2005 at 12:09pm

I could go on, and on about the zoo...how Seagryfn worked out the math of the original decay system, and how it would take like 100 gm tamers donating over 500 drakes EVERY day to maintain a tier 11 zoo. Even IF that had happened, which would have been even more impossible with the original decay system.

But, anyways, there is the screenshot of the first time Catskills had its Crane.

And I suppose I was wrong about Thanksgiving being the weekend we went after it.

 

[Moonwynd]

Thanks for that l'il 'istory lesson. guys. Its all so very interesting and exciting and then to think that Catskills' Tamers are so dedicated to taking such good care of their animals.

Thanks for posting your picture of the crane birth, Bob. Everyone looks so proud standing around their baby. Well done!

 

[Corvak]

Thanks for the history lesson, guys