*GRR* Interpretation of the "official" rules

[aeryn]

<on soapbox>

So... I'm in VMK_Mocha's room and I have a friend over who I'm showing the game. We waited an hour to get into her room and finally did. I'm in the room, I did a trade with Canadian and then got booted. My friend was still in the room so I encouraged them to stay and wait to trade. After all, trading with a VMK Staff member, you won't have a problem there.

Turns out VMK_Mocha's interpretation of the rules was that she/he would only trade like *value* for like *value*. No where in the rules did it say trades were based on value. When my friend questioned him/her about it, she was told that she wasn't going to trade a retro boat pin for a yeti (all that my friend has -- I made her character for her this morning while I was waiting for her to come over.) Then VMK_Mocha tells her to ask me about pin values becuase obviously we're on the same machine. Of course, with the limited vocabulary on VMK, my friend (I was standing behind her at this point) couldn't explain that my home network has a *router* and 4 computers on it and with the wonders of modern networking and network address translation (NAT'ing) we appear to have the same ip, but really we are on different computers. While having this conversation, my friend got booted. I half wonder if that was on purpose.

I was finally able to get back in (after waiting for another hour since I'd been booted earlier) and when I questioned VMK_Mocha and mentioned that the official rules per the website said nothing about equal value, I was told to send in my comments on the official web site.

Gah. I'm totally disgusted now.



Atleast thanks to the kindness of Canadian, I was able to collect the pink hat. Thank you *so* much Canadian for that one bit of magic in an otherwise unmagical experience. I don't know that I'd be able to get my friend to even come back, I hope so tho.

I have run an online game for the last dozen or so years, I *know* how much effort goes into it, how much work and time it takes, how hard it is to keep things fair. But good grief. When there are official rules posted, Official STAFF should abide by them.

</off soapbox>


Official rules per the site:

Trade with VMK staff members:
Just like in a Disney park, VMK staff members will be trading pins during the event. Any staff member who is wearing a Goofy hat and is in a Pin Trading Guest Room will trade pins with you. If they are wearing the pin and you see them in a Pin Trading room you may ask them to trade with you. If you see a VMK staff member outside a trading room and/or not wearing a Goofy hat, please don't ask them to trade.

Some notes about trading etiquette:

1. Please ask a Player first if they would like to trade, and wait for a reply before sending a Trade request.
2. When you're done trading, leave the room so someone else can get in.

 

[Maleficent2]

I hate to inform VMK_MOCHA but my understanding of "REALWORLD" pin trading is that if a CM has a PIN on their Lanyard they MUST trade with you for whatever you are offering! Value has nothing to do with it with it comes to CM's now with other players that is a different matter.

VMK_Mocha needs a refresher course in "DISNEY PIN TRADING"!

Those were the rules as I know them when Pin trading first started and may have changed but I do not think so.

Will go over to the Pin board and ask for you.

Mal

 

[blizzard]

I was there when this was going on. Lost connection before I got to go next though.

I can see both sides of it. I think they are trying to avoid people having many mule characters lining up to trade worthless pins for submarines. I think she assumed that since the IP was the same, this was a mule character. On the other hand, if a guest is new (and we all were at some point) they could use a little hand up, and a good pin for a not so good pin is a nice way to do this.

I hope your friend wasn't too turned off by this experience. Did they get to trade anything? If I knew, I would have lent them a flying saucer to trade.

PS. I am back in line for her room. I would like to get another submarine if I can.

 

[Antelope]

That is so untrue. They should take anything willingly. When I was at DL, I overheard 2 castmembers talking about pin trading. They have to trade as part of their job so the following was heard: "One person traded me this little pin that was right on my pin cart for this HUGE pin on my lanyard. I was like... Uh, Thanks!... and then they left without hardly a thank you." Though they have the ability to not trade anything technically, it's part of their job to do so. Their is no equal thing with cast members. They are supposed to trade all they can off their necklace. Period.

EDIT: And ther you go. Malifiscent said the same thing! LOL! Running at posts huh?

 

[Maleficent2]

VMK_Mocha needs a refresher course in "DISNEY PIN TRADING"!

and also let me say DISNEY MAGIC!


Mal

 

[MaliaMichelle]

Same thing happened to me yesterday. I offered her a pin that is buyable and she said "is that all" or something like that. I switched to a different pin.

Now I relize that I traded her my only tomorrowland 8/9 pin. Great. I was so frustrated. After a day of crashing everytime I tried to do anything, I was so excited to make it to her, and didn't relize what I did. Oh well, it's my fault. I didn't even get what I wanted either. I wanted a lion pin, but she was out.

 

[Raccyn]

I saw this happen with VMK_Mocha yesterday and again today just now. I was in the room when that convesation was going on too. She informed me of her version of the rules when I went to trade with her last night. So I ended up with nothing special because I had so little to give. Today, when VMK_Annie was judging a pin room, I asked to trade with her and she accepted. While trading, I asked her if the pins had to be the same value and she said, "No, not with me!" She then gave me the flying saucer pin for Esmeralda!!! Annie rocks! Oh, and I was second in line just now in Mocha's room and I got disconnected. Not worth another hour of wait to play by her rules I don't think. Now, who needs peeps for their pin rooms. I'm on my way!

 

[MaliaMichelle]

I saw this happen with VMK_Mocha yesterday and again today just now. I was in the room when that convesation was going on too. She informed me of her version of the rules when I went to trade with her last night. So I ended up with nothing special because I had so little to give. Today, when VMK_Annie was judging a pin room, I asked to trade with her and she accepted. While trading, I asked her if the pins had to be the same value and she said, "No, not with me!" She then gave me the flying saucer pin for Esmeralda!!! Annie rocks! Oh, and I was second in line just now in Mocha's room and I got disconnected. Not worth another hour of wait to play by her rules I don't think. Now, who needs peeps for their pin rooms. I'm on my way!

My experience with Annie wasn't positive. I was in a room she came in. She had on a hat. I asked her if she would trade with me since she had on the hat. She said "wait", then traded with the owner and left. I thought the event rules state that if they have the hat on, they trade. I know they are busy, but if they are not trading, they should take it off.

 

[aeryn]

My friend went home. I'm hoping to convince her to play again from home some time (was just easier to show her the ropes in person, specially with the vocabulary so limited...)

Oh well. I've decided to spend the evening helping people get their rooms popular enough to be judged.

 

[ferriz]

at disneyland cast members HAVE to trade with you. i believe the only way they dont have to is if you have a disney pin that is from an unauthorized source, but most cast members dont know enough about the pins to spot one. there are some lanyard only pins, exclusive to cast members and if they are wearing it you can trade them.

the only things they can not trade are holiday pins. these are special ones like 4th of july, "i worked there" 50th aniverary pin, etc. if these are not on a lanyard and just on the cast member him/herself they do not have to trade.

i feel that since those are the official DISNEYLAND/WDW rules that VMK staff, who are pretending to be actual CMs while in the game should have to obey those rules, end of story!

 

[GBShorts]

I traded with Mocha yesterday and I asked what she wanted for a lion. She said "I'm new to this, something of equal value I guess?" so I offered the toucan (same type pin, I assume same value) and she said she had a ton of those already but that she would accept it.

On another note, I was at VMK_Babs room for about an hour today waiting because those there before me mentioned she said she would "be back" later. I found out through a couple of friends that she wasn't even in the game anywhere...

yikes. Anybody know if she came back after about 2:30CST?

 

[MaliaMichelle]

My son and I play at the same time. We are on two seperate computers though, but we only have one DSL modem. Does that mean we have the same IP addresses?

There is a site you can go to, to see your IP, but I can't remember where.

I'm am not trying to cheat the system at all. In fact is upsets me to see some bragging about how they have mulitiple lion pins. If you can only go to each CM once and there is only about 3-4 trading this weekend, how are they getting so many unless they are using mule account?

I admit, I use mule accounts to get invisibility pins, but I wouldn't do it to get extra pins from VMK staff members. It wouldn't be right.


****edited to add...

I found this site:

http://www.whatismyip.com/

and checked both computers and we do have the same IP address. Great. Now VMK probably thinks we have been trying to scam them.

 

[skuttle]

I'm so sorry that many of you had bad experiences! I haven't been able to get into a VMK staff room with the person in there so at least you all made it that far. I agree though, they are staff, what do they need the pins for? Can't they just get more if they want it?

Anyone know if the lion pin will be available for purchase eventually?

 

[Antelope]

I got an answer from VMK_Annie about that. She talked to Yavn and actually neither of them were sure that it would be for sell OR not.

What does this mean? I'm not sure. Pretty open ended, huh?

 

[MaliaMichelle]

Babs told me that the lion pin will one day be for sale, but she didn't know when.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

I am a little annoyed at Mocha right now myself. I waited for 35 minutes to get into her room to see what all of the hustle and bustle was about, said hi to everybody and then got booted. Excuse me but I did nothing wrong.

 

[FlyThenFall]

To hide IP addresses I also like using Proxify, it does wonders to get past the filters at my school! I don't like how the CMs can see that we're on the same IP address and bust you for it, seeing as you need a high speed account to play VMK. And when people have high speed, they usually share the connection to all their computers...meaning they're all on the same IP number!

Anyways, back on topic I haven't had a problem with trading. My brother made a brand new account on VMK and only had an Autopia and Rocketship pin...and really wanted a Submarine pin. I was on my account and saw that Mocha was on, so I signed onto his account and went into her room...and sucessfully traded the Autopia and Rocketship pin for the Sub pin. And I was running 2 games on the same computer (I admit it!). Is this now taboo behavior?

 

[blizzard]

I thought she was just being picky for repeat IP's, but it sounds like she is doing this to everyone. I think, especially for someone brand new, they should allow a few one-sided trades to go through. Most of the players are only little kids.

Of course the flip side is that she had nicer pins a lot longer than some of the other cast memebers. (but she was out of submarines when I got back in so I got the tomorrowland limited pin)

Again, I hope your friend comes back to play.

 

[ferriz]

My son and I play at the same time. We are on two seperate computers though, but we only have one DSL modem. Does that mean we have the same IP addresses?

There is a site you can go to, to see your IP, but I can't remember where.

I'm am not trying to cheat the system at all. In fact is upsets me to see some bragging about how they have mulitiple lion pins. If you can only go to each CM once and there is only about 3-4 trading this weekend, how are they getting so many unless they are using mule account?

I admit, I use mule accounts to get invisibility pins, but I wouldn't do it to get extra pins from VMK staff members. It wouldn't be right.




and checked both computers and we do have the same IP address. Great. Now VMK probably thinks we have been trying to scam them.

i originally had one separate account, not necessarily a mule account that i signed up for so my friends and i could have similar accounts. the name was an inside joke between us on all 3 of our accounts.

i stopped using it when i realized that i didnt have the "here from day one" thing like on my ferriz account.......so i just transfered my stuff over to my account and used up the credits i had earned when i switched to that one.


my friend has a guy account with a very similar name........but he logs in on my dads computer all the time. i hope they dont think im scamming them, he has mule accounts.

i applied for CL......i hope this doesnt affect my chances.


on a happier note, i finally managed to get into VMK_Mochas room, and managed not to get kicked out today right before closing........

i offered my disneyland 5/9 pin for people mover pin and asked if she would trade. she said "normally no but i remember you kicked out last night so i will trade you"..........oh well no complaints!

 

[piratesmate]

Well I sat in Mocha's room for an hour - in the room, not the queue - but she never came back. These events just aren't worth the time!