I post this in The Black Hole because a tiny little whining might be on its way ... I find the new vehicles awesome. I see people driving around and I want one. Yesterday evening I spend 3 hours in game together with ton of other people - tp'ing around to get some 'free stuff' = a vehicle. MA wrote there will be one per (lucky) person in a limited time, but there would be plentiful. How much is plentiful? My question now is: 1) Could MA have handled this in another much better way? I was thinking of the christmas gifts, where there is a basis gift, then 2 for people who deposits and 3 for people with estates. Would it have made sense if everyone(not depositers/new players xmonths old fx) got a small startercar, people who has been members for x years a little bigger car, and people who depositet a nicer car? 2) Would it have made sense, to set the tt a little lower on these cars - and then everyone in game got a 'teaser' car for a limited use (and then avoid the horrible price wars going on atm) - because I'm sure that's the point, to tease entropians to buy Vehicles in future (which is fine with me, but everyone should be able to play along that road then and not only a few). 3) How can MA claim, that there's only one car per person, when I met several people both yesterday and today who was handed out 2 and 3 cars? TBH - I think it sucks and seeing some getting more than one car pisses me off (not the persons fault, only MA to blame). Yes, I didn't grow up! Yes, being one of the players who deposits a lot and being a part of the 'crew' which 'pays the party' I believe I also deserves a car! In my world, screw what Frank/MA said on EF about 'event' and 'fun' or whatever he said... I found it frustrating for most people in game, lots of lag (This morning I was hanging over Emma while she was handing out vehicles and I could not get down again because of some bug ... no one could hear me scream *EMMA DON*T LEAVE I LUV YOU * - and when I relogged she was gone)... really unfair and just like another 'do you feel lucky, do you?'-casino and another huge failure marketing stunt ... I do not feel angry or am envying any of the people who got a vehicle though - just to make this clear :) I find it awesome for everyone who succeeded - but I sure believe this could have been handled way more professionel! Your opinion?
Two things I find annoying : 1. Many reports of certain avatars receiving more than one. 2. Seeing the cars on auction, proving that some did not truly appreciate the gift. Beyond that, it is what it is. I am accustomed to not receiving cool stuff, so not much to dissapoint in that regard.
I totally agree. In the one time I managed to find Emma, she was surrounded by a sea of screaming green dots and I waited patiently until she said she is moving to the next place and everyone tried to TP... so the TP stopped working and after a couple of minutes the server crashed This was supposed to be a fun event? If they wanted to make it like a treasure hunt, they should have hidden tickets all around Calypso for us to find. Then the guides would stand in a designated place awarding ticket holders with cars, one per avatar. Same result, same number of cars but much less grief.
I would have liked a car to, but wasn't willing to loose a lot of sleep over it, so I left the game without having one :( If FPC would have given out the cars like they do the xmas gifts then only the better players would have gotten one, where now new players got a car to. Sure just 2 people handing them out was maybe not a good idea knowing that Entropians do about anything to get some free stuff and doing it in some other way would maybe be better. Some people mentioned that handing them out after some sort of mission, or like they did on RT after some music quiz would have been better and I agree with that. I must say that is was very nice to see people at places where normaly nobody is and that places were crowded for the first time in EU history. I also had the oportunity to drive a car and I must say they are very fun, they don't have any use so far but they are fun.
That's the point - they could have handed out a smaller car for new players to make sure everyone got one. Everyone is getting xmas gifts too - only depositers and estate owners get more than one ... And yes, lag was incredibly horrible. I also agree though, that it was nice to see people in game suddenly (met people who havent been in for years) - but they also got disappointed, some could hardly handle the game with all the lag - and I wonder if they ever come back again after this? It would also be nice if the game itself dragged in the players and not potential free stuff - but that's another discussion ;)
seeing how it works even a 1 ped tt car would have gotten everyone a good impression on how it works, so yeah gift style would have been allot better. then again the run on oil would be sick then instead of cars so dunno, meh not gunna wine plenty to come :)
I am in agreement with Lykke fullheartedly. Simon and Emma have friends ingame and favoratism also plays a big role when it comes to some peops gettin more than one car. I suddenly dont like those two at all. This whole afair has left a lasting and bitter impression on me regarding the unfairness of FPC and their choice of distribution of said items. It is a wonderfull game and I like it, just dont like the unproffesional corrupt way that FPC chooses to manage things. Just aint right towards frequent active depositing gamers. I do post my hofs here, yet all added up together does not even come close to the ammounts of money, I have have deposited and wasted on mining. I have thus vowed never to get involved with vehicles of anykind or anything related to them on Calypso for as long as I remain a economically viable gamer in this virtual universe. By the looks of things that gang of swedish people are not realy worthy of my hard earned cash. I was in tears tho and deeply grieved.
If everybody would have gotten a car then there would have been way to much I think and lag would have been even worse. I think the way they did it on RT was a good way to hand out free stuff. And if FPC would have given it a bit more thought they could have come up with a better solution then the one they used now espacially because they could have anticipated this problem. But thats typical FPC and MA they usually don't think to much about events (I remember about 1.000.000 robots at Hadesheim a while back and servers crashing and people complaining). I would have thought that with their new creative guy (forgot his title and name) it would be a bit better and if we as the comunity can come up with better stuff then they do, something is wrong.
First I want to point out that this event on Calypso was held by FPC staff. I'm not sure how much we could blame FPC or MA for the mess because we don't know who decided what. Further I want to point out that the giveaway event on ROCKtropia was organized much better. Cars were given away in a Jeopardy style quiz. (More info on the vehicles page). Of course the fact that RT is less crowded than Calypso was one key for the success of this event. I can also understand that some resident ROCKtropians are worried about people who just came over from Calypso and tp'ed back right after they got their car, especially when they already got a car on Calypso like Naomi. And now it's time to join in the bashing. Those distribution schemes absolutely suck, they are extraordinarily unfair, they assist cheaters and are very frustrating. No matter your effort, knowledge, spent PEDs, in-game or off-game skills you can still get nothing while the cheater next to you gets double the regular amount. And it's really incomprehensible since their are a lot 'soft' mean of distribution like the one we saw on RT and also several 'hard' ones supported by in-game mechanics, just 3 or 4 of them: 1. Putting very limited try-out items in regular loot. Very limited like 1 or 2 time use. 2. Using the ingame gift system. 4. Using the event system, numerous events of all kind at different times. 3. My favourite: A nice quest chain with the desired items randomly looted, if you don't get the item you still get regular loot like skills for '2nd price'. Why is it so hard MA/FPC/Whoever to do it right? (Same unlucky distribution happens with drops of new items. As soon as the VU is done they drop to the firsts who concentrate on crafting/hunting the specific items/mobs. (Remember SGA?) Get that changed too!)
I am such an optimist... every time something like that comes up i think this: Well, it is kinda scary how thoroughly they prove me wrong, every single time, time and time again. Mindark/FPC - you have some awesomely creative brains within the community, why do you refuse to learn from people who actually PLAY your non-game? It's not like you've shown just once that you're able to do it w/o help... please, let people help! (Seriously, you're in dire need of some help, pissing off people YET again, to that extent - people who are already used to all the frustrations and deprivations, that's really an art form... but if you did that inadvertently, please, get help, or you will kill this game even more than you did - no "oh so cool" vehicles will help you beyond a certain point...) And, just because i am a strong believer in creative criticism: I'd have put it up as a prize for a "special mission",something that let's people reach the goal w/o spending peds (for our non-depositing friends) but keeps them busy and spreads them all over the planet... you DO KNOW that your servers can't handle 200 avatars in the same place, so why, MA, why do you set up such bullshit events all the time? (and no, it's not my computer, i had hardly lag, but it took 5+ minutes until Emma was VISIBLE for me (and 90% of the other avatars in the crowded places), how the heck are we supposed to find INVISIBLE GUIDES?????? Nonetheless i found Emma 3 times, but i swear i didn't even show up on her screen, for exactly the same reason. Summary: You guys suck, next time give them away to everyone being entitled to all 3 x-mas gifts, simply use the gift system - people will still whine, but they are not totally pissed off by wasting 3 hours on finding guides that won't give me a car anyway, simply because they CANT SEE ME!
Just to clear a few things up with what yove said, MA didnt handle it, the planet partners did. Calypso had thier free for all greed fest that caused near riots. Rocktropia had a trivia quiz and party to hand them out, RT is whare i won mine, with dignity in a cilivised way. rather than shouting "ohh me me me me look im here...." and so on. So its FPC that dropped the ball here NOT MA :) :: EDIT:: And since FPC & Calypso is being bought off of MA, thier now seperate entitiys :)
Old business trick, no matter what customers tell you, you always shrug and blame the other guys - works incredibly well. Same as "run two brand names and make everyone out there believe that your two brand names are trying to compete, trying to be the one to offer stuff cheaper". Oh well...
Exactly - the sale of Calypso is just a trick to brush up the books, with an expected income of the FPC sale, the number do not look THAAAT shitty to possible investors/players. And, MA will persist when FPC goes bankrupt and tells everyone that their PEDs are gone... and happy sell more planets to more planet partners. I so hate that they split it up, this just blurs responsibilities. On a sidenote: FPC has 2 guides distributing car giveaways, for allegedly 800k players - how many has Rocktropia?
Wasnt it the same guides?? Anyway, I seems to have been more 'organized' there - and yet the whole way is just ... pleh ...
on the subject of cars and distribution: their system of distributing was somewhat random. I got mine on a hunch. went to the first tp on the list (aegis) and there was simon and just one other avatar handing out cars. heard emma was at the next tp on the list at the same time. they walked through most of the tp's, did a detour for swamp camp and where there were more than a few people they just chose a few avatars and moved on. not a fair system, it could be compared to some nobles walking ammong the peasents trowing a handfull of coins at them... about the price, I'd say it will drop in a few days. was thrilled to see that one of the components in a car needs basic filters to be produced :D. on the subject of utility: didn't yet understand if mobs atack you without passengers but if yes then they're useless as decay per hit is immense they are fast and did a tp run in amethera that went smooth but unless the other crafted cars are better(saw a jeep, it ain't) the cars will be mostly memories soon enough(they are cheaper than tp chips though)
Umm, no idea - but Emma and Simon work for FPC, if they gave away the cars on Rocktropia, too, well... would just underpin the points i made above :P
Is this a appology???? : Monday the 21st was a very hectic day, to say the least. Entropia Universe update 11.2 was released, featuring vehicles. With it came a gift package of 200 cars that FPC was to distribute among the participants. The conditions were to get the cars out on the release day, during EU/USA time zones. Every time Emma or Simon showed up chaos erupted. I think I know how the iPhone stores felt on release day. At times, the number of simultaneous users online was over 50% of average figures – something we didn’t expect, and it added to the chaos. The cars were delivered in small batches in both settlements and in the wilderness to keep the stock as long as possible, before the reps moved to the next location. The stock was depleted just before 3AM Tuesday Swedish time. In retrospect, the usage of the word “plentiful” was a mistake and shouldn’t have been used. The reason it was used was due FPC being excited that we this time actually had gifts, with TT values, that we could give out. And in that sense 200 cars was plentiful, compared to how often we have had given out freebies like this in the past. We were eager and excited and missed how the wording could be perceived, thus creating mismatched expectations. The lesson learned is that the next time the actual number of items available will be shown beforehand. In closing, I would like to send my regards to MindArk who has created a really fun and thrilling system, which adds a new layer to the Entropia Universe, and in doing so, to Planet Calypso. It will be very interesting to see how the vehicles are going to be used in various events and in future landgrabs. /Marco And no mention of rectification or upping the ammounts of gifts to make right with us. I mean cmon! 200 cars and over 10 K gamers and 2 planets! U gotto be kidding me!!! LAME!
Yes, they probl thought the amount alone was the problem ... bah, things are not thought through - which is such a shame. The vehicles have been on their way for so long and yet things turn out like this. I won't say it is all bad. I still like the idea of the vehicles etc. I just dislike the way it's been implemented. And I know some says we should be happy - because they hand out things for free ... One thing life taught me is, Nothing in this world is free - it's just wrapped in nicely in goodwill. (anyway, I love challenges )
Yes sweet aunty Lykke it sounds like the twistings of seasoned con-artists and i feel even more violated. My mom Evey is angry cos I have been crying and upset with all of this. Shes the strong one tho. I love her so and her support helps. Yet FPC official reponse above just dont make things right and the Entropia experience is kinda ruined for me now :( I am so sad at all of this.