In the spirit of constructive criticism

[SimbaCub63]

Like many of you, I spent Sunday waiting and crashing. Never saw a costume judge or stepped one foot into a prize machine room. (I did briefly SEE the interior of the prize machine room once .. before I crashed. But my character never got to actually move inside! LOL)

However, I still managed to hang out with friends and have some fun and refused to let the "event" ruin my Halloween weekend.

But while I was waiting, I sat puzzling over why this was not going well and trying to figure out what might help it run better. I had the following thought.

Because the big problem seems to be the "kick out" time for these events - something that apparently can't be shut off in the main game with any ease - I'd like to suggest that maybe VMK could create an event-only "Party Pavilion."

It could work like the Tomorrowland Arcade but would only open up once a month or so for "events". You would enter it through VMK and it would be a seperate pop-up window with it's own server. (Notice that you can stay in the arcade for MUCH longer than you can stay in VMK - which is why so many of us come back to find out our connection in VMK was lost while we were gone.) Now, it might mean that events become more "game oriented" and we might not carry our avatar into the event space, but with creativity that can be overcome. (For instance, what if this past weekend the VMK prize machine wasn't a number generator in a room that our avatar had to walk over and spin - but instead was a giant virtual "slot machine" that we would hit the button on, the wheels spin, and it spits out a code that we would then return to the game and type in to find out what we won?) It's the same results and with lots more happy people.

Just my two cents.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

I like this idea Simba, staff could be present in the room to keep the line moving and boot any players who dont leave immediately after their "turn".

Works for me!

 

[JeanJoe]

I don't believe the VMK is necessarily interested in improving things.

The "Prize Machine" concept is one that _could_ have been hard-coded in without much effort, using pre-existing code. Imagine this:

- the NPC's (e.g. Ned, Maleficent, Yeti, Blackheart, Esmeralda) get thousands of visits a day, basically EVERY single person who plays VMK each day goes there, and yet there are not lines of 600 or time-out problems

- take the NPC code, copy it, make a "Prize Room" with it, and instead of giving either pin+40 credits vs. 20 credits, have it randomly give something like with the prize game (credits, inferno, cauldron, etc); extend the # of visits per day to once in 24 hours instead of 12h, and then only have the room exist for 24 hours

- allow this prize room to spawn multiple instances, just like with the NPC rooms

- if they did this, they would have had a ZERO staff requirement, an automatic each character can visit once and only once during the 1-day event, automatic awarding of prizes, multiple room instances, and no complaints from players

Why didn't they do this?

Likely because:
1) people would create mules and play again and again to get unlimited infernos

2) the VMK wishes to intentionally create a situation with rooms with queues 600 long, for server testing, or load-distribution, or just plain sadism


People keep on complaining about the problems with boots. I disagree. The event COULD NOT have worked even as smoothly as it could have without the boots.

Imagine that at any given time, 600 people actually wanted to play the Prize Machine. Imagine that they have only ONE room instance being staffed (the way they did). BEST case scenario is that one person could spin the machine every, say, 15 seconds or so. 600 people x 15 seconds = 150 minutes = 2 and half hours.

So, if there were NO boots (i.e., all 600 people stayed in line the entire time and made it to the prize spin), and they were able to move the line along at 1 person every 15 seconds, the wait would have been 2.5 hours, instead of the 30-40 minutes people were reporting. And this is a best-case scenario, I think.

There is no way the VMK was not aware of how this would turn out. They've already had the experience of the THREE instance maze set-up, which even had multiple rooms each to spread the load through.

So, I suspect the VMK is NOT interested in improving the situation, given that they always had an easy solution which they did not implement, AND they must have known what problems would result in having a single staffed room for the prize machine event.

This is not a rant; just my thoughts and reasoning on the subject. The VMK can and does do whatever they wish. Question not the VMK.

 

[NJ Mike]

This is not a rant; just my thoughts and reasoning on the subject.

works for me.

i had to laugh this morning, 10yo DS comes in the room and says
"Hey dad, the people running that stupid vmk thing yesterday dont actually get PAID do they? If they do they should get fired this morning. And if they dont get paid, they should get other people to do it for free that know what they are doing."



ok, so now i started the day with a smile. Much better than yesterday.

 

[RicksCafe]

Be,
Have I mentioned lately that I think you're brilliant? Well, actually I may have never said that, but let me assert it now and defend it forever. This is the most insightful and well-reasoned post I've seen in a long time.

#Ricks (aka Tricks, aka Cafe)

 

[JeanJoe]

Oh, while I'm posting random thoughts, here's another question that I've wondered about: Why would they practically ENCOURAGE mule generation for credits, to purchase expensive items?

I think we are all aware that more than 10% of all characters created since VMK started months ago, have been created since this most recent event?

Now why might the VMK want to drive so many of us to creating mules? My thought was that having a huge # of characters created and registered would allow VMK staff to point out to Disney management a grossly inflated "# of players."

With the ability to point out "1.1 million players since we started Beta!", perhaps the VMK hopes to be able to protect its continued existence (there has, to my knowledge, never been much news as to how long this "free" game would continue to exist). Perhaps they hope to access more servers, more funding, more staff, or just protect their own jobs.

It would be SO easy for them to reduce (but not eliminate) muling: require a functioning email address, the way people currently do with many other web registrations -- no activation of the account until you reply to an email sent to your registration email address. Sure, you could create lots of gmail accounts or whatever, but it would still cut down a bit on massive mule creation.

Please be aware I am not attacking the practice of generating mules -- in fact, with the recent price structure of new items, I am proposing that the VMK itself may be promoting mule creation.

Just more thoughts, as I avoid my return to work.

 

[VirtuallyMe]

I like both your ideas... very good- they could combine the two to make it even better too. Have the room you go to open in another pop up window like the tomorrowland arcade and then have the thing randomly give you a prize. Sure mules will come and go- but do you not think that wasn't happening anyway? It isn't like they actually have a limited supply of the virtual prizes.

And if run like slot machine- but with a winner everytime- most would get say a code for 100 credits but every 200th person may get inferno while every 50th person gets a candy cauldron and every 100th person would get 500 credits or some other prize...

I think then if the staff wanted to be a presence then they could do something like the costume contest but do it in all the rooms on main street with different staff getting different areas to go through all the instances of... then even that is more spread out and waits would decrease a bit- an of course- standardize the prizes a little more- but with a subjectively judged contest there will always be some with hurt feelings...

 

[tigressjewel]

I like the idea of creating a prize room similar to visiting an NPC character. I tried a handful of times to get in line for a prize room, but decided it wasn't worth my time at all, so gave up before frustration set in. Unless they get serious about changing the way they set up these events I don't see myself even trying to participate. Its a shame too. One of the reasons I applied for CL was on the chance I might be able to assist with these things in some way.
I was just wondering about the prize machine room though, so someone who entered the holy sanctum can tell me maybe.. Was there just one generator in there? I'm guessing yes, from the posts I've seen.
That in itself shows that they really don't care about trying to improve on events. Not only should there have been at least 3 generators in there, but multiple rooms to spin in. Think how nice it would have been to have 4 rooms, with 3 generators each? Much different event, and a simple set up that CL's could have easily assisted with. I would have taken a shift, I'm very sure many other CL's would have too.

 

[PurpleDuck]

Jewel, I myself made it into the random generator prize room many times, and even more times got down into the last 10 in queue, only to crash. In the room, most of the time, I was right on the crate at the turnstile, ie the next to spin when the crash occurred.

The room was set up with only one random number generator, however I believe I saw the reason. The times I did spend a liittle time in the room, I was led to believe that they 'gathered' the players code, as you had to stand on this crate prior to your spin. At which point they gave the prize instantly. Just as so many of us crashed, staff also crashed (good enough for them, lol) however it did significantly slow the game as new staff had to be found. There simply was not enough staff 'assigned' to the game to have allowed for more generators, and player code gathering, IMHO.

I will no longer say how many hours I spent, addicted to the thought of actually making to the generator, but I will share that at least the time was made bearable by im chatting with two other Dis peeps also engaged in the 'hell'. I too, will no longer bother to attempt these events, as I do realize just how much time I spent and for basically only frustration.

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I like the idea of creating a prize room similar to visiting an NPC character. I tried a handful of times to get in line for a prize room, but decided it wasn't worth my time at all, so gave up before frustration set in. Unless they get serious about changing the way they set up these events I don't see myself even trying to participate. Its a shame too. One of the reasons I applied for CL was on the chance I might be able to assist with these things in some way.
I was just wondering about the prize machine room though, so someone who entered the holy sanctum can tell me maybe.. Was there just one generator in there? I'm guessing yes, from the posts I've seen.
That in itself shows that they really don't care about trying to improve on events. Not only should there have been at least 3 generators in there, but multiple rooms to spin in. Think how nice it would have been to have 4 rooms, with 3 generators each? Much different event, and a simple set up that CL's could have easily assisted with. I would have taken a shift, I'm very sure many other CL's would have too.

Yes there was only one generator in the room and 2 staff members. I don't understand why they needed two staff members to look over a room that only had a maximum of 5 players in at any given time.

I agree, I don't know if I will particitate in anymore events after the last two. They are extremely unfair. I agree with JeanJoe that VMK does not necessarily want to improve things. There could have easily been more than one prize generator room and a staff member to each. I don't understand why it took forever for a staff member to come into each castle forecourt and judge the costumes. I saw one once and they only stayed for a minute. It just seems like VMK doesn't think before they act or look at past problems and attempt to fix them.

 

[TrixieMaguee]

i keep reminding myself that this game is free... we pay nothing to play, which (as undesireable of a deal it is...) They owe us nothing. Even if the events were worse then Pauly Shore movies... we didn't pay for them...

these thoughts aside... I'm still pretty cheesed off.

 

[Mable]

So, if there were NO boots (i.e., all 600 people stayed in line the entire time and made it to the prize spin), and they were able to move the line along at 1 person every 15 seconds, the wait would have been 2.5 hours, instead of the 30-40 minutes people were reporting. And this is a best-case scenario, I think.

Honestly the way I spent my day yesterday, I would definitely prefer to wait 2.5 hours and win at least a pumpkin than to wait 40 minutes and lose connection every single time I tried to get in this room and get noting. I would say in the total with this 40 minute wait, I wasted about 8 hours.
Well not totally wasted… I had fun complaining about this with Purple Duck

 

[SimbaCub63]

Even if the events were worse then Pauly Shore movies... we didn't pay for them...

 

[wdeversole]

Even if the events were worse then Pauly Shore movies...

 

[PurpleDuck]

I wasted about 8 hours.
Well not totally wasted… I had fun complaining about this with Purple Duck

Girl friend, did you not read my post? I didn't want to admiit how many hours we actually spent - it was so truly embarrassing to reveal how deeply addicted we are to VMK! (But it was fun, to play 'cut and paste' back and forth as we teased with another friend!)

 

[wdeversole]

How about putting the items on sale (for a limited time) that they gave out as prizes a day or two after the event ?

That way, people who crashed repeatedly would at least be able to PURCHASE inferno (or candy cauldron, etc) after the event was over.

It might alleviate some of the frustration to know that we could at least BUY the item if we never made it into the room.

Just a thought.

 

[tigressjewel]

Girl friend, did you not read my post? I didn't want to admiit how many hours we actually spent - it was so truly embarrassing to reveal how deeply addicted we are to VMK! (But it was fun, to play 'cut and paste' back and forth as we teased with another friend!)

Too late, secret is outnow!
Did you say 8 hours??

Just messing with you

 

[PurpleDuck]

Too late, secret is outnow!
Did you say 8 hours??

Just messing with you

Me? I didn't say it! Who said that? What - can't hear ya girl?!! Just cause Mable said it doesn't mean I did it! (okay, I give up... I am in denial)

 

[cat_herder]

works for me.

i had to laugh this morning, 10yo DS comes in the room and says
"Hey dad, the people running that stupid vmk thing yesterday dont actually get PAID do they? If they do they should get fired this morning. And if they dont get paid, they should get other people to do it for free that know what they are doing."



ok, so now i started the day with a smile. Much better than yesterday.

It would be interesting to see their faces if the staff were to see how the Real Kids actually feel about their events, huh? I mean the game was designed for the kids and not us adults.


While I will complain about the events along with the rest of you, it doesn't really to much good other then to let off steam and lower our blood pressures some; but the only way the VMK powers-that-be will know how we feel- is if you tell them. Send them an email - use the link on the front page of VMK.

 

[cat_herder]

Honestly the way I spent my day yesterday, I would definitely prefer to wait 2.5 hours and win at least a pumpkin than to wait 40 minutes and lose connection every single time I tried to get in this room and get noting. I would say in the total with this 40 minute wait, I wasted about 8 hours.
Well not totally wasted… I had fun complaining about this with Purple Duck

Hey, most of us did wait 2.5 hours or more.
Personally I waited 10 hours and NEVER got in the room. I told myself time and time again -"Don't go back- Don't go back - I'm going to quit any time now". But I couldn't help it; I'm addicted.

Hello, my name is Dianne
and I'm addicted to VMK.