Breaking News... All Host Events Will End At Posted Time....

[ChipNDale]

Another good point. Arwen/EvieAnne, were you here during Beta? I can't remember.

For those who weren't, here's how lines for Host rooms have worked (please anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, I don't claim to be an Expert on anything in VMK...)

In the very beginning, there was no limit to the amount of people who could get in line. Might be in the 300-400's (cteddiesgirl, if you're reading this, can you put in your opinion? I think you have a lot of experience with this.) However, there were so few players that this seldom was the case (again, in my experience).

Then they limited it to 100 or fewer in line.

Then limited back down to 50 or fewer.

Now VMKPass.

My whole point of this was to reiterate that Virtual Magic Kingdom is an ongoing trial and error process, and that it will continued to be tweaked and retested (I HOPE!!!) until things run smoothly. Just that it's only a few days into VMKPass and that we should all try to be patient.

Oh, but Arwen, I think that's the best idea (and Chip, I think you had said this earlier, and Sorcerer? I forget)... Make it more of a FastPass-type option, with a finite amount of tickets in a specific time window. Maybe qruthie can explain if this is feasable to do from a computer programming point of view?

Tiki

Your Right this is just another phase and will like you said get tweaked utill they find what works best, how ever i do feel that if we do not provide feedback good or in this case bad they will not have the data need to know that it needs to be changed, how to changes, and why it should be change to fix what problem.

In this day and age almost anything can or could be done by a computer so i ma sure vmk could make it model fastpasses with limits better.

The old days of endless lines is what this is reminding me of and i did get in but like yoiu said we now have over 5000 users on during an event when before it was in the 2000 that is a lot more people who want in and want a chance to get a prize.

I think i am almost in to this event only an hour in and i started at 96 and i am at 6 now YEAH!!

 

[bevgray]

Keep in mind that we are in a "beta test" period for the VMK Pass system since they just rolled it out. Give it a week or so to shake down and for Staff to figure out the flaws and to tweak it as needed. I agree a finite number of passes for an event makes a lot of sense although I'm not sure how VMK could judge the "length" of time each guest spends in a room to ascertain that number.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

The solution lies in the Walt Disney Company's own legal paperwork, I believe. I think it was 2005 when they filed paperwork to patent and/or copyright various types of FastPasses beyond what they have now. One included an option involving resorts. The higher level resort you stayed in, the more FastPasses per day you received. There was also some mention of being able to get your FastPasses from the resort ahead of time.

So, how could this be applied to VMK? VMK would need to estimate the amount of players who could go through the room and trade, play or hang out in the alloted time period for the event. Figure out how many VMK Passes that would equate to. Add all of the numbers for all events for that week together. Divide by the average number of players who tend to play a Host game or want to play them (say 600, based on the queue lines).

What I'm getting at in a round about way is allow each player 2 or 3 VMK Passes per week to Host Events. Let them choose ahead of time what events to use them on. Then everyone who wanted to could get into hopefully at least 1 event. For the most popular things, like the Yard Sale... either use the random format they already had (click click click) or do some type of random lottery system with the caveat that you couldn't be selected for that event again for the rest of the month. For the teleporter games, return to the old format. All this would drastically reduce the time in line and you'd be guaranteed to get in if you had your own "VMK reservation," so to speak, for a slot in the game.

I suppose this would be harder to implement thanks to all the muling, but limiting how many events we can get into per week would at least reduce some of the congestion. I'd say only one set of VMK Passes per IP address, but that's not helpful because there are many who have more than one person play VMK on the same computer.

I know the idea of limiting the number of events we can go to may not seem fair, but it's the only way I can think of that the Pass can be used efficiently for events.

 

[peasy]

I'd love to be an early bird and get on right at 5:30,...but I'm never home from work at 5:30 - so I guess my hopes of doing any host games during the week are over? Interesting. Maybe they need to start varying the times that events will start? I dunno, this just doesn't seem like a good thing.

 

[doodlebug]

I waited in line for around 2 hour and at 4:30 I lost my spot!! This new system is making me less and less happy about VMK... I was only 14 spots from the room too....

 

[Laurabearz]

I waited in line for an hour and a half this afternoon. It was 2 minutes after the game ended that I was to enter the room. Could not enter. They should limit the pass to a smaller number so people don't waste their time. This is ridiculous.

But you see... with VMK Pass your time is NOT wasted... you can talk with friends, play games, clean your inventory, conduct trades ANYTHING No time wasted.

Before... if you didnt get in right at the nanosecond the game started, you were forced to click non stop over and over and over again.... and you may or maynot be successful. But your time is wasted by clicking and clicking and clicking or giving up...

VMK Pass changes that... Yes you still need to get in line as soon as posible, but at least you can get a place in line and go about your business...

 

[debbi801]

I'm less than thrilled. I just spent all evening in line only to not be able to get in. Unless you try in the first couple minutes you won't have a chance at these type of events.

This is where I am too. I'm on the east coast. I got in line at about 8:45 my time. I was in the 300's. It is now 10:30 and I still have 55 people in front of me. There is no way I'll get in tonight. I need to get to sleep. I think I almost like it better when I got line too long messages.

 

[Arwen]

But you see... with VMK Pass your time is NOT wasted... you can talk with friends, play games, clean your inventory, conduct trades ANYTHING No time wasted.

Before... if you didnt get in right at the nanosecond the game started, you were forced to click non stop over and over and over again.... and you may or maynot be successful. But your time is wasted by clicking and clicking and clicking or giving up...

VMK Pass changes that... Yes you still need to get in line as soon as posible, but at least you can get a place in line and go about your business...

I did waste time because the only reason I was on at that time was to get into the host game. Plus I can not go into any other room that has a line while I am in line for the host room.

 

[Lauralee]

I've been waiting in line for over an hour. Spent some time in the Blue Bayou and playing mansion game. I was watching my place in line and was at 91. Then I got white box vmk crash! No chance now that I'll make it into the host room. I'm reserving judgment until vmk has more time to work out the kinks.

 

[cowboys_girl]

There is no more hanging out and dancing now!!! The room now has the river and you get in as soon as you enter. She us running us through like cattle!

I made it in. Started in line at over 600 at 6:12pm and made it. Thank goodness for the Pass or I would have given up clivking long ago!

-Stacey

 

[peasy]

That's what happened! I posted on the other thread, I missed my chance to get in after waiting through 620 spots, ROFL! I was serving up my family the dinner I cooked (quickly) and in under 4 minutes the line shot through 40 spots! I came into the room to see the flashing box and as I grabbed the mouse and went to click...

POOF...it was gone

I'm such a dweeb

I was really glad to see I would have made it though. The pass rocks!

 

[hdmonkeybug]

This has been bugging me too. What I think, and its just my opinion, is that if a host room like tonight is sceduled from 8:30-11:30, they should not let anyone get in the line after 10:30, but if you are in line at that time, you still will get in. Finish the line and its done. At this point, the way it is, you can get into the line up until the last minute, but you won't get in. So stop allowing people in line at a certain time, but those who are in line will have the chance to play and the hosts won't have to stay all night. Would solve the problem for everyone. Also, I don't think that the hosts should be allowing people to hang out in the room forever. If they are having a visit and chat room, like both of the events tonight, people should have a limited time there. I never go into a host room and hang and chat. I go in, may ask a question or two, maybe some small talk, and I go. I am never in a host room more than a few minutes. When people get in and stay for long periods of time, it is not really fair to anyone.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I'm less than thrilled. I just spent all evening in line only to not be able to get in. Unless you try in the first couple minutes you won't have a chance at these type of events.

Agreed. Frustrating day in vmk today partly due to the VMK Pass. I like the overall idea of it, but to be able to be in the line and think you are getting a chance at the host event, and then to be denied access is worse than not even being able to get in.

While I love the concept, it just seems like a disaster to me so far, as far as events go.

First time since I have started VMK almost a year ago that I did not get in at least 1 host event all day (even though I was in line!). Very frustrating.

My point is that they should not let people get in line if they have no chance to get into the game.

Word for word - I could not agree more.

But you see... with VMK Pass your time is NOT wasted... you can talk with friends, play games, clean your inventory, conduct trades ANYTHING No time wasted.

I agree whole-heartedly with this point. There are 2 issues that are existing here. 1. The function of the VMK Pass 2. Being in a 300 person line and never even getting a chance at a prize.

The function of the VMK Pass is phenomenal. It is absolutey wonderful to be able to do things while we are in queue. This is a function that other on line games use and it is GREAT!!! I love it and would not want to see it go away.

Being in a queue for 2.5 hours only to hit "enter room" and go nowhere because the event is over is ridiculous, almost to the point of cruel. "Hey player, hop in line for a game with a really cool prize. Oh, did we forget to mention, you dont have a chance on Earth of ever getting to the game?" If I cant get it - dont let me in line.

When people camp out overnight to buy a Wii, at some point prior to the store opening a staff member comes out and says - "Everyone from "this" point back, you dont have a chance of getting a Wii. Go home." I dont know the programming side of games enough to offer a solution, but the current line situation is just plain awful.

Love the VMK Pass - Hate the "teaser" line.

Disney Dreams (with an s)

 

[SorcererDonald16]

You know, I genuinely feel that someone somewhere thought it would be a great idea along the parks version of FP, as I covered in my earlier post. And yeah, it makes sense theoretically, but in practice as it is now is plain silly. Again, the FP system in the parks have an allocated number of passes, return times are spread out per group of folks, and they have the whole day to accept the hordes of people into the FP attractions. Not so in a Host event.

Also, the point of FP in the parks is to spread the crowds out over the most popular rides/attractions and reduce wait times (although as most can attest to, that means a nightmare in standby lines at times). In VMK, there is no point to it as far as that goes. With only 1 game/event, there's only 1 most popular attraction in the whole "park."

And as Dreams said, it's almost cruel to let us stay in line that long and then not get to play. Imagine how children must feel over this too? They patiently stay in line only to be told by a pre-written pop up the equivalent of "Sorry, no game for you." That's really nice. I'm not faulting the Hosts obviously, and I certainly don't think they should be working 2 hours past game close to deal with a 600+ queue (with things like the Yard Sale, poor Hula would probably still be trading with people until game open the next day! ). But this was not well thought out by someone(s) in design or wherever else.

I honestly don't get why anyone is happy with this as it is now. Unless you are in the first few seconds for most things other than teleporter games, you likely have no prayer of getting into an event. How is that fun, helpful, or even useful?

Again, my advice: Open more Host rooms at once, or limit the number of Passes for Events we can get per week, or go back to the old system in certain events (such as the teleporter games).

 

[Disney Dreams]

Pull apart the VMK Pass and the Long (pointless) lines.

Keep VMK Pass. And go back to limited lines.

This would allow us to do things while we wait, but not create lines so long that there really is no point in getting in because the show's over by the time you arrive.

VMK Pass - GREAT
Rooms that close before you can even get to the door - AWFUL

 

[darkacre]

No matter how they do it, only a limited number of people are going to get in to each game each time it is run. The current system at least gives you a clue whether you will be one of those people while letting you do other things at the same time.

If you are in line for 30 minutes, and move from 400 to 350, you can assume that 100 people an hour are getting through. If the room is only open for another hour and a half, you should realize that you are almost certainly going to miss out on the room. Still, the choice is yours to stay on that pass in case a bunch of people bail out.

But meanwhile, you can be playing games, trading, chatting, whatever. Under the old system, you can click for 3 hours and never know if you are getting in or not, plus you can do nothing else while you are clicking to get into line. That sucked.

I hope they keep it just the way it is. If the line is 450 people long and it's not a maze event, at least I know in advance what my chances are.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

Yes, a limited number of people went through before as they are now. But before you had a chance to get in even if you couldn't click fast enough at the opening of the event or if you couldn't be on for the start of the event. You knew if you got in line you'd most likely get to play, or at least get to go through a prize teleporter that might give a lesser prize, but a prize nonetheless. Now it's be there in the first few seconds or no dice in many cases, even if you get in line.

Personally, I'd rather take my chances with clicking "enter room" for three hours than wait in a line for over 2 hours as I did last night, let alone 2 hours and not get in. [I cannot believe I just typed that, ugh... ]

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Well, my views on the pass system is somewhat divided.
Bfore it was rolled out, I loved the idea that now we were more guaranteed a spot in line.

Now we find out that that spot in line does not necessarily guarantee that we will get into the room.


Sorry, but this is a huge let down. I don't have an easy solution to the problem (other than more Host games). But I really think that if we get into the line, we should be assured to get into the room for our chance.

If they cut off the time that we could get in line, I would be happy about that. But, as stated, most of our west coast people as well as those that have lives and can't log in at the start would be unhappy and never have their own chances.

I really do think that there should be more host games now that there are so many more players. There should be at least 2 every day. Just like today, there is only 1 scheduled. Why? It was perfectly fine when there were only 2000 people logged in to play. But now there are 2.5 times more people playing.

I know that it may not be overly possible to add more games because they probably would have to add more staff to this "free" game.
But I do think the best solution at this time is to do this.

I also think that maybe the times should be altered a bit. There should be a game open later then 8:30 pm pst. As stated, some people on the west coast don't get home until the games are over or almost over.

As for the teleporter game rooms, why should they have to close those rooms right at the posted time? Staff doesn't really need to stay in those rooms for people to get in there. The game is self-explanatory and all people have to do is pick their teleporter and be on their way. So let those people that got in line get in. But close the line at the appointed time. Seems pretty straight forward to me.

Bottom line, right now, do not let people in the line if they can't get into the room. There's nothing more disappointing as waiting for an hour or more with a pass only to find out that when your time comes to get into the room, you can't get in.

 

[cat_herder]

Thats Right Host_Lily just said watch newsletter for more information and about game times all games will close at posted time no matter what. So if you have a pass or are in line and you enter the room after the event they will not allow you to get a prize or play or anything. Closed and exit please is all Host_Lily would say.

VMK PASS IS NOW OFFICIALLY BAD!!!!! IF you DO NOT ENTER QUEUE AT POSTED TIME YOU MOST LIKELY WILL NOT GET ANYTHING!!!!!

S0---- it is back to way it was when host games first started; you spend hours in line just to get in the room and be told it was closed. Really big improvement VMK. Now maybe they will start opening more the one room for host games like the should at the beginning.

 

[cat_herder]

at least when your clicking you know that if you get in you would have gotten a chance to play a game or won a prize via a teleporter. They could do the same thing just drop a teleporter and leave no host no problem the game is removed from the list and eveyone in line gets a prize. That is fair i got home at 5:32 it too 2 minutes to get to vmk and get logged in and then in the room so only a few minutes after posting and i just bearly got in before she closed i got in at 7:29 as she was barracading the door way.

Do one of two things vmk, let those in line get something better then the boot.
or two dont allow vmk pass on host events.

Three come up with a better solution then you have now!

You know, I just find this so terribly funny. On the first day that fast pass was released and I posted how it wasn't working for me, everyone jumped my case telling me, "Oh how wonderful fast pass was and how wrong I was". Now people are seeing my side of the coin.

The solution is the same is it has always been and it's the solution that VMK has tried for ride-a-tons = open more the one room at a time of the staff games.