Summer Solstice Decent Idea - Aweful Execution
Looked like a good idea on paper but clearly not thought though. First of all having such short time windows, really 2 - 2 hour windows, to begin with made it highly restrictive. Then to further restrict the possibilities of receiving an item by having only a few winners in games after long lines restricting getting in. Finally, lets not forget to mention that the tide happen what once in the first session? How about the hide and seek game? Really? This is the best you all could come up with? I'm sorry to say this is about as bad as it gets to planning and execution.
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So you want a time that allows more people to come, then complain about the lines with a more restricted time. Sounds doable.
What I noticed:
Things I think can be improved:
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It was personally stressful to try and make the limited time frame, and having to get back to real life quickly, I found myself franticly trying to finish the events. I was lucky enough to get a shell though.
But now, without a way to get the items to my home shard, it's meaningless to me.
It feels like when I participate in other EM events. I've never seen a drop, so I just stopped participating, because it feels meaningless. But this being a "highlight" of the season, that's a big disappointment.
If I was able to spend a bit more time there, perhaps it would have been more chill. But it really just seemed difficult and frantic for almost everyone that could make it.
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I missed the 25th anniversary so I do sympathize with the people that couldn't make the event due to it only being a limited time for 1 day. I also feel for the people that weren't able to get a watermelon before the clicky was taken down. That was a super quick removal.
While there were several things I do think should have been better executed, it did feel good to finally log in and look forward to doing something. I also enjoyed the "guards" Mesanna sent when the first time slot was over (crimson dragons / black rock golems / raptors /etc). It was fun working together with people on Origin to take them out. The down side now is that we needed to wait 5 weeks for an event that took 4 hours. And now that the Summer Solstice event is over, we have nothing new to look forward to.
It is not a type of event I am interested in, I was pvping through it, I am not interested in the clicky rewards, or being sociable to this degree in Trammel.
But they do different things, appeal to different players, it is cool, the fact you have problems with queues and stuff is just funny, doesn't this always happen everywhere, isn't this just the same old in human life - we can never get it right, but again, be happy it is even like this.
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Siege or Atlantic. Siege I feel would be breaking role-play of my character a bit... If it is even possible to go there.
Either way, thanks for the offer of help. Part of the reason I started playing UO again is because it's an MMO I can play by myself but still somewhat interact with a community... events, running vendors, doing spawns or net tosses. I have very sporadic availability to play, which lends my gameplay to keeping to myself and being a bit of a loner. It just kind of stinks in situations like this that you either need to be a super multi-year vet or in a large guild.
Either way, it was fun
LOVE IT!!!!!
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo
THE NEGATIVE: I can only echo what others have said about not having enough time. And the frustration with the players cheating and cutting in line with multiple characters.
My day started with 3 hours of standing and walking around on blacktop in 90-degree heat looking for a used car and haggling over the sticker price. OH MY GOD, it sucked so bad!
But I was able to attend the 2nd hour of the first block. Once I figured out where things were I did the clickies for one account. Unsuccessfully looked for shells twice (I think there was some trouble getting the tide to roll in, it seemed to take a long time). Then got in line for the dunk tank. I got three from the front of the line and the clock struck 1:00 EST and shut down before I got a turn.
The second block of 2 hours, I zipped through the clickies with my other two accounts. I jumped around in the pyramid twice. Then I got in line for the dunk tank with ONE character.
In the hour and a half I had left, I successfully got through the dunk tank line twice with no luck at the dart board. I can't speak to what happened in other game lines, but the dunk tank line was full of cheating players. They jumped through the gate, getting in line there, passing more than half the people who started at the back. There were those who moved along with one character but when they got to the front had their other characters join them in line, thus getting multiple tries at the dartboard with a single turn in line. And there were those who literally just jumped in anywhere they liked.
I was on my third try in the dunk tank line when the clock ran out and the game shut down. So, I TOTALLY get why people cheat in order to be able to come up with the prizes. But it sure sucks for those unwilling to cheat. I had 0 time for the other games that required you to get through a long line. It's not much fun to devote almost the entire time at the fair to one game and come up empty.
I hope others will take the time to offer some constructive ideas either in this thread or through some other communication with the devs.
THE POSITIVE: I had a lot of fun chatting with those who stayed awake in line instead of holding it up because they were managing multiple accounts at once. It looked fabulous and fun and festive! Loved it!
The EM's were as attentive as they could be for the crowd they had to handle. They were friendly, interactive, fun and funny!
The watermelon is adorable. The root beer is fun! The frog will be cute in the garden! My favorite is the little red crab I can put in a cooking pot! So cute!
I did get a couple shell necklaces because hubby, after doing the clickies, spent most of his time waiting for the tide to roll in. He got in the boat race line, but too late, the clock ran out. I'll look a gift horse in the mouth on the necklace. I was a bit bummed at first, because I thought the prize might be one of those sweet starfish! Then I was bummed I couldn't wear the necklace. Then I was kinda bummed I got two of the same color. Was there more than one color shell necklace to be had?
I do thank the Devs and EMs. I hope they know their time and effort is appreciated despite my complaints that come along with this post.
Thank you again! Happy Summer!
P.S. The colors I saw on the nautilus shells were beautiful! I would have been so happy to keep those instead of turning them in for the necklace!
It would take a little bit of thought / setup initially but afterwards it should be pretty much "flipping it on".