Mystery Photo Tiki Quest, Worth Playing!

[qruthie]

Well im not going to get into a debate about it, as it has been beaten to death here on the boards of whether or not it is wrong, but the staff is pretty clear about how they feel about it. Also, it is hard to explain to kids why they cant even get in the que for quest because people are playing mule after mule. Hmm I guess that explains though how people keep winning the good prizes over and over again. When you mule like that you are ruining the "curve" so that it is impossible for those of us that have never had a tiki, or inferno for that matter, dont stand a chance.

Hi Carrieberry,

I'm not willing to debate either, I just stated my opinion, wrong or right. I do want to make it clear I was NOT muling when I got my time. I forgot to write the time down but I know it was greater than 12 minutes and I'm pretty sure it was less than 14 minutes. I don't know if that puts me on the winner list or not and really, I don't care. I just like solving puzzles. My point is, I don't have to use a mule to achieve a winning time in certain quests.

Here are some things that may help you explain the unfairness of quests or any other games to children. I am one of those people who always ruined the curve in school. There's nothing like getting a 100 when everyone else gets a 70 to make you unpopular. Yes, I'm a nerd and I'm brilliant when it comes to solving puzzles. I took a bunch of psychological tests to help determine how I process information. The psychologist administering the tests was floored by how fast I solved a particular puzzle. I was the fastest he had ever seen, in years of testing. Most people simply give up on that puzzle. They just don't see the solution. I used to be able to mentally "fold cubes" faster than anyone I knew. I do puzzles in my spare time. My entire career was built around solving puzzles, I used to fix bugs in software. Clearly I have an advantage when it comes to solving certain types of puzzles so most likely, any quest I play is going to have an unfair result. That's why I feel it's okay for people to do a quest tmore than once if they don't believe they have made the winners list. I want to make it more fair for people who don't have this gift. Is it against the rules to play more than once? Yes but my opinion is that isn't fair to people who are slower at solving puzzles and just want a chance to win a prize. It's even more unfair that the times include disconnections from the game. I'm not about to order anyone to break the rules but I do want people to understand I don't mind if they play multiple times and possibly why I feel that way.

We all have different talents and gifts. Mine happen to include the ability to solve these host quests faster than most people. I know it's not fair but I'm still going to play host quests. I hope it helps you to know that I have found all of the mini-games within VMK to be challenging. I'm good at some of them now after a lot of playing time but I don't think I'll ever be good at some of them.

For anyone who is frustrated with the quests, I recommend you keep trying. I do believe you will get better with practice. You may never beat the people who are using mule after mule but at least you will have tried your best.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Uh... not necessarily. I made 1 run through this quest and if not for my laptop loading slowly I probably would have finished around the 12 min mark easily. Even with the loading time, I finished in 13:30 or so.

See. I can't figure out how you people can get these done so fast. I did use a mule and tried going back thru the quest. Even with knowing where to go next before the picture loaded, I still ended up finishing at 14:26 mins.
I think my computer and net connection are just too slow for me.

*edit* For the record, even at 14:26, I came in at 145 and got nothing.

 

[qruthie]

See. I can't figure out how you people can get these done so fast. I did use a mule and tried going back thru the quest. Even with knowing where to go next before the picture loaded, I still ended up finishing at 14:26 mins.
I think my computer and net connection are just too slow for me.

*edit* For the record, even at 14:26, I came in at 145 and got nothing.

Wow, I would have thought that would have been a winning time.

It does sound like your computer and/or connection might be slow. How well do you do in fireworks?

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[AlienNation]

See. I can't figure out how you people can get these done so fast. I did use a mule and tried going back thru the quest. Even with knowing where to go next before the picture loaded, I still ended up finishing at 14:26 mins.
I think my computer and net connection are just too slow for me.

*edit* For the record, even at 14:26, I came in at 145 and got nothing.

Well my biggest thing is I look at details in every room I go to for some reason. Then when the pic popped up, it was a split second to select the room for me. The loading on my laptop really blows, so if not for me taking in the details (don't ask me why I have always done that, I don't have an answer), I would not even come close to the times to get anything. Just dumb luck I guess that they made a quest like this 1.

 

[qruthie]

Well my biggest thing is I look at details in every room I go to for some reason. Then when the pic popped up, it was a split second to select the room for me. The loading on my laptop really blows, so if not for me taking in the details (don't ask me why I have always done that, I don't have an answer), I would not even come close to the times to get anything. Just dumb luck I guess that they made a quest like this 1.

Yes, I agree 100%. I'm not even aware that I'm taking in the details either. I bet you can remember you saw something in a book and be able to find it again just by the shape of the text. Right? It totally scares some people when I do that.

My best friend is a teacher and is always amazed at the amount of detail I remember about things even when it seems like I didn't even look at them or listen to them.

One thing that slows me down a bit in the quests is I know which room to go to but I don't automatically know which land map to pull up! I'm getting better from all the practice though. If the rooms were all on one page my times would be at least a minute shorter.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Wow, I would have thought that would have been a winning time.

It does sound like your computer and/or connection might be slow. How well do you do in fireworks?

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

Well, the best I've ever done on fireworks is 242,971. And I've only reached 240k three times. I do think that it's something with the connection or the graphics on my pc. And I'm on dsl. So it's probably my outdated graphics card and/or my pc (5 yrs old).

Well my biggest thing is I look at details in every room I go to for some reason. Then when the pic popped up, it was a split second to select the room for me. The loading on my laptop really blows, so if not for me taking in the details (don't ask me why I have always done that, I don't have an answer), I would not even come close to the times to get anything. Just dumb luck I guess that they made a quest like this 1.

But that's just it. This is what I'm getting after knowing exactly where everything is. So those that go thru and do these only once and with a slow connection and/or pc don't have a chance. And I have a chance only if there aren't many people using mules or just have really fast pc/connections.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Well, for anyone who is wondering - I was 482. I know - you are all afraid of me questing with you - I just might get your prize!

Edit to clarify: my only time - no mule

No tikis for me...
Disney Dreams / jegrezo

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Well, for anyone who is wondering - I was 482. I know - you are all afraid of me questing with you - I just might get your prize!

No tikis for me...
Disney Dreams / jegrezo

Yeah. I've had that lots of times doing these staff quests.

I think I'll just give up on them. I really don't have a chance of getting anything even with using mules.
My stupid

 

[peasy]

my girls and I tried to get in right when it opened and got the message about there being too many people in the queue and to try back later. We tried 3 or 4 other times and were not even able to get in line. My girls don't understand why they put something on the home page that you never even have a chance to see, kwim? I wish they would make two or three available if they are going to do a 3 hour quest in a guest room, to make it fair for everyone.

 

[SorcererDonald16]

None for me or my mom either. She got a rank of 360-something (still fairly new to the game) and mine was 150-something... I too had a time in the 14 minute range, and still missed all the prizes (by a lot, apparently). And I knew where the rooms were because I've had to look at them all so much for other quests. Only had one problem where a girl in the Skull Rock area was blocking the path. That only took about 15 extra seconds though.

Cteddiesgirl, I guess you and I are just victims of slow connections. Odd though because even when my computer's not cooperating, I can get 240,000 in fireworks. When it's doing well with no glitches, I can get up to 265,000. So why this quest was such a problem, I don't know. And I REALLY don't know how some people finished in 8 or 9 minutes, mule or no mule.

 

[hdmonkeybug]

Well, the best I've ever done on fireworks is 242,971. And I've only reached 240k three times. I do think that it's something with the connection or the graphics on my pc. And I'm on dsl. So it's probably my outdated graphics card and/or my pc (5 yrs old).

You sound like you are having the same problems I am, except I can't even play fireworks most of the time anymore! I get on and wait to play and when game starts it kicks me back to lobby.

 

[Lauralee]

peasy - Before vmk started restricting how many people a queue would hold, there was no limit and at times during various events there were queues of up to 500/600 people long! I don't know if you were around then, but most people ended up disconnecting while just waiting to get into a staff event! Talk about frustrating!

I see you said you tried 3 or 4 other times to get into the queue. Here is my method to enter a queue: A couple of minutes before event start time, I log off then log back on to vmk. This restarts the disconnect "timer." On the popular room list, I start a search for the title of the staff room. When I find the staff room, click enter right away. If I get "queue is full" message, I close the message and try again immediately over and over and over! Repeat until I get into the queue, fingers get tired, eyes cross, or for a maximum of about 5-7 minutes. If no luck, I log off, log on, and start all over again.

Sometimes the queues are shorter after the staff event has been open for a little while. Hope this info helps!

 

[SorcererDonald16]

I had to do the same thing Lauralee is talking about: click guest rooms, click "Enter room," get "This queue is full" message, close out guest room window, and then repeat. Took me about 8 tries before I got in the queue this evening. It's all about who happens to click "Enter room" when the last player in the queue moves up a spot, so you have to keep trying. Kind of like voting for American Idol with all the busy signals you get, LOL.

 

[Pirate Speedy]

Well, for anyone who is wondering - I was 482. I know - you are all afraid of me questing with you - I just might get your prize!

Edit to clarify: my only time - no mule

No tikis for me...
Disney Dreams / jegrezo

Wow I did beat someone no really not to make fun at all I got 304th and that was my best. I knew where they were but since I only have one shot at it there really is no chance is there?.. and since I'm new to this board I'm more then willing to get into this NO MULE debate I have 2 kids ages 7 and 8 that play and I'm also trying to teach them to do the right thing like not to cheat. so I do not understand ANY WAY to justify this kind of CHEATING.

thank you I'll step down now.

 

[PirateDaisy]

343rd Thank you mules! lol All in jest.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Wow I did beat someone ...

Happy to be here to provide a victory for you.

 

[AwesomeAg]

I for one, thought this was a pretty fun quest! I managed to do it in about 14 minutes and 30-ish seconds. I was ranked 160. So no prize. But the only room I had a little trouble figuring out was the gallery, I went to the banquet hall first and walked around each little pole like 3 times. Slightly frustrating cause I was doing so well! Oh an I too did not use a mule... (and somehow managed not to dc. lol.)

 

[qruthie]

Well, the best I've ever done on fireworks is 242,971. And I've only reached 240k three times. I do think that it's something with the connection or the graphics on my pc. And I'm on dsl. So it's probably my outdated graphics card and/or my pc (5 yrs old).


But that's just it. This is what I'm getting after knowing exactly where everything is. So those that go thru and do these only once and with a slow connection and/or pc don't have a chance. And I have a chance only if there aren't many people using mules or just have really fast pc/connections.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your pc is ancient and the problem is most likely the speed of the processor. I'm not trying to be mean, I discovered the hard way that my "new" Mac was really a crappy old computer. Processor speed? 800MHz. The broadband connection wasn't much help. My top fireworks score was around 120,000 and that was a total fluke. Typically I didn't make it past the first level. I didn't understand how people were getting credits from fireworks since I didn't get any credits for playing.

We got my son a new computer with a 3.4GHz processor. My first VMK discovery was everything moved so fast, especially things like scrolling text. No wonder I wasn't able to play staff race games before. By the time I saw, "go," everyone was already finished with the race. Then I tried fireworks. I found I could easily get over 200,000. It wasn't long before I won my first fireworks magic pin.

Now I play VMK from a laptop with a 3.0GHz processor. It's slower than my son's computer but I still manage to do well with VMK.

Do yourself a favor. Start saving for a new computer.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[peasy]

peasy - Before vmk started restricting how many people a queue would hold, there was no limit and at times during various events there were queues of up to 500/600 people long! I don't know if you were around then, but most people ended up disconnecting while just waiting to get into a staff event! Talk about frustrating!

I see you said you tried 3 or 4 other times to get into the queue. Here is my method to enter a queue: A couple of minutes before event start time, I log off then log back on to vmk. This restarts the disconnect "timer." On the popular room list, I start a search for the title of the staff room. When I find the staff room, click enter right away. If I get "queue is full" message, I close the message and try again immediately over and over and over! Repeat until I get into the queue, fingers get tired, eyes cross, or for a maximum of about 5-7 minutes. If no luck, I log off, log on, and start all over again.

Sometimes the queues are shorter after the staff event has been open for a little while. Hope this info helps!

I wasn't, my girls and I are pretty new to all of this. Thank you so much for the tips - I'll definitely try this next time!