Need Help/Ideas: Quest prize distribution (EDIT: I decided. Details below.)

[Disney Dreams]

Hi,

I am planning on opening my quest officially tonight.

But --

I really am all confused on how to structure / award prizes.

A. In order of completion
If I do this, late comers get nothing? Or I have to have endless prizes? Or do I just skip around and give prizes to first, tenth, seventeenth, twenty second, etc..?

Problem with ths way: people just get out the (don't ask my opinion) mules and come through many tmes and collect all my prizes - wiping me out of my stock.

B. Fastest times
Same questions and concerns as above

Really would appreciate input. I have WAY over though this issue and am not opening my fun little quest until I figure it out. With the BSOD down time, any one want to think up a good solution and post it here? Thanks!

 

[SorcererDonald16]

I'm struggling with the same issues as I started trying to make a quest last night. I think what I'm going to do is use the order of completion method. I'll give some great prizes for the top 3 or so, and then randomly throw in a few good to great prizes lower down in the order (say 25th, 39th, and 58th). Makes it harder for mules to time it. Example-- if you have a bunch of buyables between good prizes, most people are not going to take their time on a lengthy quest and go back and do it with 10 mules so they'll have a "shot" at the good prize. I'm hoping that'll deter some of the mulers.

 

[LisaInNc]

I would mix up the prizes. There are several reasons.

1. if it is a timed quest people WILL cheat to get the better prizes and come back with Mules

2. sometimes someone that takes a long time to do a quest really did it al themselves without asking for help

3. if you do an untimed quest with the prizes for the people that finish first that means someone that wasn't in the room when your quest started isn't getting a fair shot.

There isn't any way to make everyone happy but I always want to look out for the kids and the people that are realling working on the quests not the people that zip through with mules or do it with friends sharing the answers.

 

[Disney Dreams]

I am leaning towards the method of awarding in the finishing order - giving all equal prizes - some to the first five, then sprinkle randomly throughout. Maybe 30 prizes amongst the top 100 finishers.

It is a relatively easy quest. Fun. Easy to fly through if you cheat, so I will just make it not worth the time to cheat.

Really want people to have fun and the little kids to have a chance to win.

So, this is my "lottery system."

Thoughts? Extra question: How many prizes do plan to give in one night?

Thanks for the brainstorming. keep the ideas coming!

 

[bopper]

I did my quest the first time with the timed quest...I gave better prizes to the first three times, but then put some other good prizes sprinkled through out the rest of the prizes. But all my prizes did not go.
So last night I started it again with the order of completion method.

 

[qruthie]

I've done a lot of the staff quests but only a couple of guest quests so this may not apply. I'm thinking along the lines of attracting players who are willing to do a fun quest for a token prize with the chance of getting a bigger prize. You seem to want to discourage "professional" quest players so my ideas are based on making the quest fun for the less aggressive players and not worth the effort for the "professionals".

I like to see good prizes in the first three to five slots. That doesn't mean they have to be really rare prizes like beta stuff but good enough to make people want to do the quest and do it fast. One of my characters runs a game where she gives out fireworks magic as the main prize and "sets" of furniture as the lower level prizes. The "sets" are buyable items grouped together by color or theme and are worth 600 to 1000 credits. For example, the pirate themed set is a cannon wall divider, 2 brown barrel chairs, 2 brown crates and an island torch; total value of 550 credits. I'd be happy to play a quest with this sort of prize. If you need help with prizes, I will gladly donate a few items.

I'd distribute the rest of the good prizes and maybe one or two great prizes randomly in the bottom 90 players. My obsessive side wants to know where I am in the rankings but my sane side enjoys not knowing. I feel this discourages muling a bit because you could end up winning a lesser prize because you happened to bump another of your characters down a place in the rankings. How many mules in staff games have bumped their owner from winning inferno to winning 50 credits instead? We'll never know but it's an entertaining thought!

Then, to discourage muling but to encourage everyone to play, I'd put small prizes in all of the other slots. Small prizes would be posters, pins, NPC pins, free items and items that cost 50 credits or less. The idea being to make the quest worth trying once because you know you have a good chance to get at least a token prize but to make it not worth playing a bunch of times. I'm aiming toward the idea of making it more valuable to go earn credits in the game rather than try to get multiple prizes from the quest.

Now, about mules cleaning out your prizes. You will have no way of knowing the person behind each winner. Yes, some people will try to win multiple prizes but in the end, you would be giving out the same amount of prizes whether or not people use mules. It seems like you are doing your best to make your quest unattractive to mules and that's really all you can do. In the end, what would matter to me is how much people enjoyed the quest.

qruthie (the 'q' is silent)

 

[Disney Dreams]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the ideas and thoughts ... if you want to - keep them coming!

I have decided how I am going to run my quest, which will take place for two hours tonight.

I am going to do what I am calling "lottery-style" prize distribution. The general concept is that by playing my quest your name is dropped into a virtual hat, stirred around, and if you are lucky, you are a winner!

How it is set up - in case you are curious:

• Timed quest
• Every single prize is the same item (character / color may vary)
• The prizes are buyable (staff can give away the "amazing" rewards, not my job, not in my budget)
• Prizes are scattered throughout the finishing order.

My goals with this structure:

• Equal chance for all who play
• Making time that someone finishes not a factor in quality of prize.
• Giving the "little ones" just as much a chance to win as the expert gamer.
• Giving "mules" no reason to run again and again unless they really love the prize for the day. If they would rather run my quest again than go play pirates one time to get credits to buy the item - go for it.
• Add to the fun of vmk by creating another activity for people without completely depleting my resources to do so.

Also, on my quest information there is a note requesting that people only play once (hey, at least I can openly ask). There is also a note of what people are playing for.

Bottom line: Play my quests because you enjoy them and you like the thought that you may get a token prize. Play somewhere else if you are looking for a free, automatic gift.

Life is about the journey and the experiences along the way - not what you get at the end!

Thoughts?

Thanks, again to everyone for ideas, prize donations, and support. I appreciate it!

-Disney Dreams (jegrezo)