Curse

Operative 14 · Jun 29, 2008, 08:08 PM // 20:08

But wait, this one's different!

All the other threads I have seen about this topic are about giving players access to the old hats from past festivals. Invariably, these lead to some rather heated debate. Some argue that if you weren't there, you shouldn't have access to them. Others argue that since they are just fun tokens of festivals past that everyone should have access to them. For those of you that may remember, the main argument I've always had in the matter has tended toward the latter, and for me it mostly centers around the witches hat. There is however, one suggestion I have not seen brought up in the past few years where this is an issue, and I realized something;

I don't want THE witches hat, I want A witches hat.

In 2005, Mad King Thorn gave out a Pumpkin Crown to all who attended the festivities. That same year, for Wintersday, players got either a Yule Cap or a pair of Grenth's Horns, I would assume most got both. Next year, in 2006, King Thorn bestowed, namely, a Furious Pumpkin Crown (aside from the witches hat) upon the festival goers. Later, during Wintersday, players got a Stylish Yule Cap and some Great Horns of Grenth.

In 2007, I looked forward to that years incarnations of the hats. I assumed, like I think a lot of people did, that they would reskin the old hats and somehow work a new design in, like opening up Cantha to the festivals the way they did Elona, or maybe just adding a new city like Ascalon or ToPK; but that's beside the point. My friends who had started playing the game were excited about getting the 'pumpkin hats' that I wore on many occasions, and I told them more than likely they would be able to get a distinct version of them during the upcoming festivities. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to get a Witches Hat, and my friends were very disappointed that they weren't able to get any of the original designs that had become almost a trademark of the game.

The original hats from 2005 are classic, and to me, at least, I am somewhat impressed by those that have them because it bespeaks of how long they've been playing the game. In 2006, they gave players hats that were similar, but unique in their own way. The uniqueness and the specialness of the original Pumpkin Crown was not ruined by the Furious Pumpkin Crown. I do remember a good bit of complaining about them just reskinning an old hat, but I think my solution solves that. It is also worth mentioning that I have never seen anyone complain that, while they have the 2006 Furious Pumpkin Crown, they do not have access to the 2005 Pumpkin Crown. Most people seem content with a knock off.

(For those of you that like to skip to the point you can start here)

What I suggest is that forever more, for holidays such as Halloween, Wintersday, and possibly Dragon Fest (starting next year of course) they rehash the old favorites. They make new hats, of course, like they usually do, but in addition they make a standard series of hats that are similar to the old favorites, but maintain a distinction, and then make those available for the applicable holidays thereafter.

For Halloween, make a Standard Pumpkin Crown (or any other name). A jack'o'lantern similar to 2005 and 2006. Something that is similar to the past versions, but retains the uniqueness of all three versions (2005, 2006, and the Standard) in the same manner the 2005-2006 incarnations did. Same thing with the Witches Hat, Mummy Mask, and the Scare Crow mask. Make Standard versions of them.
Exactly the same for Wintersday; Standard Antlers, Yule Caps, Jesters Caps, Freezie Crowns, Wreath Crowns, and Ice Crowns.
Again, for Dragon Fest, a Standard Dragon Mask and Demon Mask.

They could be handed out one of two ways;

One, During the event during the finale, you would just get your new hat along with two or three of the Standard hats.
Or, make the Festival Hat 'Maker' earn his keep and stop being a Festival Hat 'Counterfeiter'. He can copy the new hat you bring to him from the finale you just attended, and then for a week afterward you can spend 100g-1k and buy the Standard version of a hat from him, then save it like any other.

I do not think this would ruin the uniqueness or the specialness of the original versions of each hat if they did it right, just as the 2005 hats were not ruined by the 2006 versions of themselves.

I can see that this would be a good bit of work originally; for Halloween alone they would need to make five hats, counting a new one for King Thorn to hand out. However, what I intend is that they don't make a new classic version of each hat every year, so after the initial work it would go back to just the normal level of work and craftsmanship that goes into each festival.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your critiques.

Shayne Hawke · Jun 29, 2008, 09:14 PM // 21:14

I'm confused on what you're asking for.

One interpretation is that you want to rename the first versions of multi-versioned hats with a "Classic" tag and then ask for more versions of that mask to be made in the future. I don't understand why that addition is necessary.

Another interpretation is that you want a way to buy the old masks. That's a "no" from me.

What's confusing me is this word "Classic" that you're throwing around. I'm not sure what items that pertains to, or how a "Classic" mask is distinguished from the other masks.

Operative 14 · Jun 29, 2008, 10:32 PM // 22:32

Sorry about that.

What I suggest is that the original hats keep their names, like the Pumpkin Crown or the Yule Cap from 2005 stay a Pumpkin Crown or a Yule Cap. Nothing I suggested pertains or affects them in any way, they aren't bought, sold traded, or anything. They are merely used as examples.

Basically what I meant was that they make another, unique (For example) Pumpkin Crown for 2008 that is available to the masses, that is distinct from the other versions, but simply becomes the standard Pumpkin Crown from then on. Think of it as this; in 2005 they had the "Pumpkin Crown" in 2006 they had the "Furious Pumpkin Crown." for 2008, they could have a "(Insert applicable prefix) Pumpkin Crown." And then the 2008 version of the Pumpkin Crown is available afterwards as a standard version of the pumpkin crown.

I suppose my main failing is that I can't come up with a good prefix to show that it is sort of a Pumpkin Crown for the masses from now on.

I'll edit my main post to reflect this. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

Shayne Hawke · Jun 30, 2008, 12:15 AM // 00:15

So, for every future event, you want there to be one mask or one set of masks for every unique festival, and that will be available every year.

Does that mean no new masks will be made? If so, I would not support this idea.

Even if new masks would be made, that creates a sort of a paradox of how after such and so a time, masks went from being exclusive to being up-for-grabs at every festival, and then the masks being available next year, and the year after, etc. It doesn't make much sense to me to have some masks be "You had to be there" masks and others be "Come back next year" masks.

Konig Des Todes · Jun 30, 2008, 03:20 AM // 03:20

How about this idea:

For now on, you get 2 hats for every event (4 for Halloween and Wintersday). One version will be a "remake" of an older hat (Pumpkin Hat, Dragon Mask, etc), the other will be a new mask.

The new mask of one year, will become the "remake" of the next year. So you get 2 chances for each type of hat. The remake won't be the same as the original just as there was the difference between the regular Pumpkin Mask and Furious Pumpkin Mask. But after the remake comes out, that type of hat won't be out again, at least until hat ideas run out.

In other words, I suggest for this year's events to have:
Dragon Festival: "remake" Dragon Mask and a Grasp Mask
Halloween: "remake" Mummy/Scarecrow mask (just one of them) and a "new" mask.
Wintersday: "remake" Ice Crown/Wreath Crown mask and two "new" masks.

With this idea, people would both get new masks and remakes of the old masks. Being remakes they won't be the same as the old masks so people shouldn't complain about the originals being used again (all an argument to further the growth of their e-peens) and with new masks those same people won't complain about no new masks. Seems like the best type of idea to me.

Operative 14 · Jun 30, 2008, 04:36 AM // 04:36

That's the general idea of what I was thinking. I'll use Halloween as an Example again.

On November 1st, 2008, after you attend the finale and whatnot, you should have six hats. One new 2008 hat for LA, one new hat for 2008 for Kamadan, one redesigned Pumpkin Crown, one redesigned Witches Hat, one redesigned Scarecrow Mask, and one redesigned Mummy Mask.

The redesigned Pumpkin Crown, Witches Hat, Scarecrow, and Mummy Mask would be available during the event after the finale, maybe for a day, maybe for a week. Or three hats just pop into your inventory like they do now with the single hat. They would not be available all the time, just during the festivals they come from.

Basically, all I'm saying is this;

The issue has always been that some people say they want the old hats, others say they shouldn't release them again. I propose a compromise between the two. I have never seen people lamenting the fact that they have a 2006 Pumpkin Crown or Grenth's Antlers, but not the 2005 versions of said hats. However, I have seen a lot of people upset because they can't have a Pumpkin Crown or whatever. Give people rehashed designs of the old hats, along with the new design.

Just give people the option of getting hats that are similar to the ones they missed. I think it would satisfy both sides of the arguement equally. Old hats would not lose their uniqueness, and players who lost or did not have access to the originals can have a new hat that is, basically, just as good.