Detailed Second Birthday Present Poll

Well, having now signed up as an Elite Guru Supporter to do this poll, i hope it's worth it.

As is stated in another poll, it seems that ANet is of the impression that we want a new set of mini-pets as a second birthday pressie for our 2 year old characters.
For some this is fine and desired, but it does seem that this is NOT want is wanted by the majority.

The previous poll covering this only goes so far as to say yes or no. I have decided to expand on this and i have included what seem to have been the most popular ideas on many other threads covering this subject. These do not represent my personal choices or opinion, but are taken from previously suggested ideas.
This way, we can really get a true idea of what is in fact the most popular suggestion. I know that i will have missed some suggestions and i apologise if your's was one of them.

Please do post your thoughts, if for nothing else but to keep this thread current.

Thanks for your time and i'm really curious to see the most popular idea.

Ferret

P.S. I just wanted to add that i do appreciate we get a present at all for our characters, as ANet certainly do not have to do anything. If it is finally a mini-pet regardless, i'd still be thankful, but it would be nice to think the most popular option was at least seriously considered and reasons given why it could not be implimented.

Other ideas voted on:

Disguises - 7

Hair Change Token - 2

Face Change Token - 1

Extra (special) Hero - 1

Special PvE only Skill - 1

Nothing at all - 6

Gold - 1

New Underwear (or none!!!) - 1

You left out the best one! Disguises!

Mods, close the other thread.


I'd take a veteran title.

Sorry, i knew there'd be at least one i'd miss. It could potentially come under a special suit of max armor (as it'd have to be a clothing set).

The other i missed off was Mounts, but that was delibrate because that just wont happen as a birthday pressie. That is such a major upgrade, it'd be something far more in the realms of a new feature for chpt 4.

Personally, a hairdresser ticket. Alternativly, age title + emote.
Though I'm pretty glad we're getting anything.

Everyone loves auras.

Disguises.

Or gold.Since chances are the smartest of the two year old characters will be selling the minipets.

Nameable weapons?

Think of the hilarity, "I'm wielding (rude word)"...

How can we not vote for that?

Boss aura FTW!!!!

Facial appearance change and/or name change

Hair dresser, please.

I had suggested specialty heroes before. I'd much rather something both relatively unique, and actually usable. A title would to a degree fit that, as it would count towards the titles title. Still, not terribly useful overall. Storage is nice, but I'd hate for expanded storage to only come out when your character hits two (I can imagine the hue and cry). Weapons and armor fall into the same kind of flash as mini-pets to me.

At the same time, I wouldn't want the heroes to be like Razah, where you fill a missing gap with an elite hero. Something like a third ranger, warrior or monk would be excellent. I had suggested something like a Charr Shaman or Fire Caller, or perhaps a dwarf or even a Rurik (although a King Adelbern was suggested to me later - get them both and have them go at it: "You not Adelbern son!").

I voted for the token. I get something special and pretty much a guarantee that I'll like it.

I fully support your right to create and vote in a poll, and your interest in doing so. But I cannot help but mention that many of the requests in that poll are truly not possible as birthday presents. We are working on... other things. Those... other things mean that team members are assigned to significant, time-consuming, and extremely valuable tasks. We must focus on the future while supporting the present, and the presents, too.

So while I appreciate the thoughts behind many of these excellent ideas, they are, unfortunately, unrealistic requests and will not be possible as a 2nd birthday present. That is not because we don't want to give them, but because (1) we have time constraints that would not allow their implementation by April 28th, (2) they are features or elements that we intend or hope to offer all players, not just birthday celebrants, or (3) they demand too many resources that are, for the good of the game and the good for the entire playerbase, best focused elsewhere.

I hope this note isn't discouraging -- that's not at all my intention! I'm offering these words only to let you know about some of the realities that we face -- as devs and as players -- and to ask for your support. Player polls are great, and they do help us learn a lot, as long as "wish" doesn't become "demand" or "unfulfilled promise." Thanks for understanding.

Thanks Gaile for your input, it is much appreciated.

It does leave me with one question though, does that mean it will DEFINATELY be a new mini-pet set, or are some of the above still possible?

I'm sure auras or visual ideas would not take any more work than pets, or am i wrong?

Thank you again for your participation.

Ferret

The French new Community manager currently compile suggestions about the second birthday issue with Anet, in order to send them.

No big hopes, but he tries to help us .

Source.

My professional opinion? You're wrong. I mean that politely, though.

See, the nifty thing about minipets is that they take exactly ZERO work, art-wise. No new models, no new textures, no new animations, practically no new programming. They're simply scaled versions of already existing assets with a standard minipet AI applied.

Unless Anet has the WORST system in the world for adding things to their game, minis must be absolute cheese to add by the handfuls.

On top of that, they're groovy! ^_^

Ahh! I think I am beginning to see the light! So what you Really mean, Is that the devs are working on something really sweet for chapter 4? Hell, I'd take a piece of coal for my second b-day if Chapter 4 is cooler than prophecies!

Just, Well, do whatever. I frankly don't care. GW rocks, and I don't play because I get b-day presents every year.

And you are wrong, and willfully so, from the appearance of the rest of your post.

I am pretty sure that disguises would be easy to add too (considering we saw player model change on several occasions with no serious side efects (rollerbeetle disguise, jududndu, twice in missions, transmogrifier tonics (!!) ) )