Halloween Mad King Gift Concern. Anet Please Respond. - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 15:52 - 1

As everyone knows the Mad King will be appearing on the 31st in both LA and Kamadan every three (3) hours to give out the Mysterious Gifts to people in attendance (probably in the green circle as done last year).

If the Mad King grants these instantly and then dissapears like the Emperor did for Tengu/Dragon masks then how will the casual player or the alt-aholoic get the special items on all their characters?

Gaile and Froggy mentioned in the last chat that there will be a different item for LA and Kamadan. This compounds the difficulty. At once every three hours there will only be 8 visits, 9 if you count showing up instantly and then once again just as the event ends.

9 visits with needing to be in 2 places at once per character means you'll only be able to get a set of these items on 4 characters max if you play for 24 hours straight! (Log in character A, go to LA, get item, go to kamadan wait 3 hours get item, total time 6 hours, rinse repeat 3 more times).

Anet Please make the Mad King stay around for 10 or 15 minutes per visit and "Bestow" the gifts every few minutes (gift give every 3 minutes or so).

At 3 minute pulses of gift giving over 15 min would be 5 pulses. This would allow someone to get there a bit late, still get a gift then hit kamadan and get one too and log in another character to do the same thing. This should give everyone enough time to get these on all their characters, even for the alt-aholic.

Example Scenario without this change:

Joe Average owns all 3 campagins and thus has 9 character slots. He's left 1 open for PvP and has one Mule he doesn't play. That's 7 characters that he wants to get items for. Joe Average works for a living as most of us do and can only log on to play for 2-3 hours a night. Joe will only be able to get 1 gift for any of his characters at all! Joe is now an angry person which is not good for his forming ulcer

Anet please help Joe's ulcer and make the Mad King stick around as outlined above.

Thank you

Mysterial

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2005

Servants of Fortuna

E/Me

30 Oct 2006 at 16:27 - 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imaginos

Joe Average owns all 3 campagins and thus has 9 character slots. He's left 1 open for PvP and has one Mule he doesn't play. That's 7 characters that he wants to get items for. Joe Average works for a living as most of us do and can only log on to play for 2-3 hours a night. Joe will only be able to get 1 gift for any of his characters at all! Joe is now an angry person which is not good for his forming ulcer

I can guarantee you that Joe Average doesn't have 7 characters and even if he did it's highly unlikely he really cares to have the items on all of them. Even hardcore gamers like me don't care to get them on more than one character; unless they give headgear/weapons/whatever standard PvP values they'll spend more time burning inventory slots then they will on my character.

Prospero

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2005

Between keyboard and chair

KoTR

30 Oct 2006 at 16:27 - 3

If the player is 'casual' then they probably don't care so much about hats for ALL thier characters. I agree with you though that anyone out of town or who has an ISP issue is out of luck on the gifts.

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 16:33 - 4

You'd be suprised at how many casual players care about their looks in game and enjoy collecting things like this. Either way the fact remains that Joe is going to get one item only. This is not a good thing.

Funk ee Monk ee

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2005

Legendary Adventurers Guild [LAG]

30 Oct 2006 at 16:39 - 5

Pretty well have to be there, no real way around that. But if you do have several characters that want the item there is a way to get more than 1 per visit (at least there was with the Dragon Mask, also worked with the Yule Cap and Horns of Grenth last year.). It appears that the event starts in one district at a time starting with D1. Here's how it worked with the Dragon Fest:
1) Get into a low district, the lower the better.
2) When the item is given out in your district, switch toons and log back into a higher district. The event may still be going on and the item yet to be handed out.
3) Lather, Rinse, Repeat. I was able to get 3 dragon masks in 1 emperor visit by camping dist 1, 50-something, and 100-something.
Good Luck

JAGeAkurei

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2005

The Dark Side of The Moon

DEUS

30 Oct 2006 at 16:42 - 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by Imaginos

You'd be suprised at how many casual players care about their looks in game and enjoy collecting things like this. Either way the fact remains that Joe is going to get one item only. This is not a good thing.

If everyone had everything special in the game....what purpose would there be to having the special items at all.....

Clone

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

30 Oct 2006 at 16:43 - 7

Factions did it right with the dragon mask collector around for a week after the event for the people who had other plans.

Eugaet

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2005

US

Righteous Apathy [RA]

30 Oct 2006 at 16:45 - 8

I read in another post that, per Gaile/Froggie, the difference was in the ITEMS (Transmogrifier Tonic) and not the headgear, but I have yet to find any Gaile/Froggie chat screenshots to back this up.

If there is different headgear per continent, you can try to map to the other location and find a district that hasn't had them handed out yet. This is how I was able to get both the antlers and santa hat for my characters last Wintersday during one scheduled visit. At least this time, you won't have to keep switching until you find a district supporting the other god. Also, if you're quick, you can log out and back in with a different character to get them both taken care of without waiting 3 hours between.

I take way too long to edit my posts, Funk ee Monk ee...

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 16:46 - 9

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAGeAkurei

If everyone had everything special in the game....what purpose would there be to having the special items at all.....

You STILL have to be there, Just like people who didn't have orbs and didn't get the Dragon Masks. I was not able to be here last year for Halloween and didn't get the pumpkin head mask as an example. So not everyone is going to have everything special. Really.

Sir Skullcrasher

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

California

15 over 50 [Rare]

W/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 16:47 - 10

Here what A-Net should do, put in a collector after the event for those who missed out to get the special gift. I totally agree with you, there isn't enough time to get a special gift from Mad King if you have more than one character or account. I just hope i can get at 2 or 3 gift on my characters before the event end.

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

30 Oct 2006 at 16:52 - 11

/agreed 100%

Mr_eX

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Dec 2005

Ice Tooth Cave

Opt and Niho Private Chat [lulz]

N/Me

30 Oct 2006 at 16:52 - 12

They got the Dragon Festival just right. I hope that something similar will be going on with the Halloween special item.

Sir Skullcrasher

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

California

15 over 50 [Rare]

W/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 17:00 - 13

Any news on if there will be a collector for that special gift from Mad King?

Clone

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

30 Oct 2006 at 17:15 - 14

One thing that might help, in the past events like this have been slightly staggered between districts, with higher districts running a few minutes behind lower ones. That way, one could get a gift with one character in a low district, quickly log off, log back on with another character and go to a high district. I'm not sure if it will work this time around, but it has in the past. Good luck

Kelsey Cain

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2006

30 Oct 2006 at 17:17 - 15

I 100% agree also - gifts like this started out in Ultima Online many years ago and although events are fun to participate in, tying someone down to log in at a specific time and place for multiple characters is a real bind.

The UO solution was every character had an item placed in their backpack on a specific day (or days). An alternative solution for guild wars would be, for any character who logs in during the day, to get a gift(s).

The other added bonus of this approach is that the people who want to log in and have fun can do so without the hundreds of impatient idiots shouting obscenities to get their gift.

Cygnus_Zero

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2005

N/Me

30 Oct 2006 at 17:26 - 16

I really can't stand how they handle giving out the items. It should happen every hour. And here's why I think that. I need to work all day tomorrow, and will not be home until 7pm ET. That means I only have 2 opportunities to get the item. Add in the fact that there is 2 items, and that means this situation just stinks.

Every 3 hours? I just don't get that. They are purposely making things very frustrating for some people.

lyra_song

Hell's Protector

Join Date: Oct 2005

R/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 17:40 - 17

Well heres the thing.

Halloween/Wintersday Style - Just show up.

Dragon's Festival/Day of Tengu - Gather Quest Items.

I think both have pros and cons.

The "show up" style requires WAY less work. Just sit your character in LA. Voila, you'll get one. The problem is...i have 10 characters. 10! He only shows up 9 times. Now..for me....im trying to have at least 1 fun hat per character, and my mesmer will have all (except Grenth's Horns...didnt like that).

The "quest item" ones require you to...well....do the quest and farm to get enough of the quest item. I think its more highly possible for me to gather the quest item 10 times and just go to the collector, but this requires a LOT of time spent, but a higher chance of getting one per character.

Which one is better for the casual gamer? How many hats would a casual gamer want?

Im working all day too. Ill probably leave my mesmer idle in LA to get a hat.

I think Mesmers are the only ones who should be wearing masks like these anyway

They are dressed for balls.....

Hand of Shiva

Academy Page

Join Date: May 2005

Phoenix, AZ of the USA

Exalted of the Unconquered Sun

W/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 17:47 - 18

Hmm even hardcore gamers don't care about having special items on every character? I guess that must mean I'm in a class above hardcore because I have 12 characters and 11 of them have the dragon mask. Funny because I try to have a social life and cut the chain from the computer to my leg every so often.

Anyway I agree that ANet should find some way for people who can't be there every three hours to get a holiday gift. Perhaps it isn't this way for the rest of the world but for alot of Americans Halloween is spent with the kids or with friends. I can't exactly be with my little cousin and making sure he's safe tricker treating while I'm getting my character roasted at the Mad King Party. Not to mention its a weekday, so people will have to head to work come home get their kids ready and then take them out or prepare for other special events. I know that not all the Devs at ANet are single or without family or some child in their life, why don't they ever think about the gamer who has a family they have to be a part of?

Come on ANet give the big brothers and sisters out here a hand would you and let us enjoy the holiday too.

bebe

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jun 2005

http://tinyurl.com/4g5ueb8

Put the peanut in the peanut hole!

30 Oct 2006 at 17:47 - 19

Or just have it like the emperor visit where you have to collect such-and-so items and sit there when hes blabbing and he'll exchange. and after the event dragon masks were still available thru a collecter in shing jea.

Sounds the most reasonable.

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 18:20 - 20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cygnus_Zero

I really can't stand how they handle giving out the items. It should happen every hour. And here's why I think that. I need to work all day tomorrow, and will not be home until 7pm ET. That means I only have 2 opportunities to get the item. Add in the fact that there is 2 items, and that means this situation just stinks.

Every 3 hours? I just don't get that. They are purposely making things very frustrating for some people.

You illustrate my point completely. I hope you are able to get more then 1 set on a character.

Unkillable Cat

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Sep 2005

New Dragons

Mo/R

30 Oct 2006 at 18:29 - 21

When Gaile said a new hat/mask for Tyria and Elona Im fairly certain she ment different from last years, not one new one for each location.

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 18:30 - 22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miss Temptress

Or just have it like the emperor visit where you have to collect such-and-so items and sit there when hes blabbing and he'll exchange. and after the event dragon masks were still available thru a collecter in shing jea.

Sounds the most reasonable.

I agree with you. That being said my suggestion for the Mad King staying around and passing stuff out for 15 min every 3, was for Anet as this should be an easy modification to an event that will happen in less then 24 hours.

All they would need to do is change the time the king is in the city and how often the game updates people with items during that time. it would be like he made 5 appearances in 15 min. At least that would give people a better shot.

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

30 Oct 2006 at 18:31 - 23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unkillable Cat

When Gaile said a new hat/mask for Tyria and Elona Im fairly certain she ment different from last years, not one new one for each location.

That would be better for people but still doesn't give many enough time :/

Lord Zado

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

Dusk

Mo/Me

30 Oct 2006 at 18:38 - 24

There's another issue no one has mentioned yet. Busy districts have been getting HUGE lag lately. The game is vitually unplayable for dial up users because they get a 10-20 minute lag spike whenever they enter a busy district.

I had been leaving my characters in the Guild Hall when I log out and then mapping directly to the international districts to somewhat avoid the issue, but it seems more and more folks are figuring this out and those are getting a little laggy too.

So, how are we supposed to get hats if the Mad King shows up for a few minutes (about 10 from what I recall from last Halloween), makes you do emotes, and then leaves? I have a bunch of chars, but realistically, I only want the hat for one or two characters. As it stands now, even if I try my hardest to get there every 3 hours, I won't be able to get my hat because of the lag. I haven't even seen ANet address the lag issue on the forums or in a Gaile chat, so I don't even know if it's being looked into.

saphir

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2005

doa

Mo/

30 Oct 2006 at 19:35 - 25

about the switching districts trick, it's been getting tougher and tougher as more and more people are doing the same thing. the lag seems to get much worse as large amounts of people disconnect and reconnect to the servers for different districts.

And often while I may have been in dist 1-10 when the first event begins, I've noticed each district event have been quite closely timed together, especially during the dragon festival. So while I tried to zone as quickly as possible, many of the latter districts would be full already, and ones that were free I would have just missed the event or may miss it due to having to run close enough to be in the area to receive a gift. Very frustrating to say the least.

At least w/ the dragon festival there were collectors though. I remember for the winterday festival the timing could sometimes be way off w/ some smaller number districts taking place way after larger number districts had started. And with 9 characters and counting, I'm afraid some of them are going to be getting empty stockings this wintersday.

Eviance

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

Eh I forget... o_O

Biscuit of Dewm [MEEP]

R/

30 Oct 2006 at 19:51 - 26

I understand how this might be a big deal for a lot of people. And yet whenever people complain about inventory there are those that go "Why not throw away the helms, you dont need them!" and then you have people like in this thread that would love to have the collection all the way across the board on all characters and so forth.

I personally am content with having each collectable helm on my ranger (my primary account) and something stylish on each char on my second account.
HOWEVER for those who are whining and complaining about this you need to stop and think about something. Nightfall was just released and with it the Halloween stuff, plus there are a MILLION and one bugs to fix - Give it a rest guys, I know you don't like the way this works but right now there are far more important things for them to deal with. They are overloaded right now and if nothing else I would rather see some of the broken stuff fixed than get a new hat.

They couldn't even guarantee the halloween event because it was just to close to the NF deadline but when the crowds gathered up the pitchforks and started lighting torches Anet agreed to a MODEST Halloween and yet we even have new items as well as Kamadan getting a reskin. While I agree it isn't as awesome as last year was, they have gone out of their way to make October a month to remember at the cost of so many other important things. Usually I am all for picking a fight with them when something isn't right or I think they didn't do all they could, but this time they have and are busting their tails. They are only human, give them a break and be greatful!

>_> BTW Anet if you do venture into here be sure to check out the bug thread before I go nuts, please? XD

Sir Skullcrasher

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

California

15 over 50 [Rare]

W/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 20:01 - 27

Screw the helm.. i'm going to start a wammo strike!

Griff Mon

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Nov 2005

In the Elfen Forests of Washington State

Damage Radius

N/

30 Oct 2006 at 20:48 - 28

Last year, the Mad King's game include lots of "deaths". If you didn't do the right thing, you died and were ressurected during his visit. This happened several times during the course of the visit. Now, has anyone figured out if these deaths count? I have a new character who is on a survivor track and don't need the hat that bad if it is gonna cost me the title I am working on.

Sir Skullcrasher

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2005

California

15 over 50 [Rare]

W/Mo

30 Oct 2006 at 22:32 - 29

I don't remember if it count against your death counts.

Thallandor

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Singapore

Seers of Serpents [SoS]

R/

30 Oct 2006 at 23:13 - 30

I agree, unfortunately Anet is too stuck up to admit that there are actually players who have jobs or commitments else where than to be sitting infront of a computer for 3 hours intervals to get a hat for their characters. I didnt want to start another thread regarding this since any village idiot would know by now how to run these events properly after hosting events for 1.5 years. But hey they have been "wrong" before on many things and been hard assed about it, perhaps this is another one of those times.

lg5000

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Australia

30 Oct 2006 at 23:26 - 31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mysterial

I can guarantee you that Joe Average doesn't have 7 characters and even if he did it's highly unlikely he really cares to have the items on all of them. Even hardcore gamers like me don't care to get them on more than one character; unless they give headgear/weapons/whatever standard PvP values they'll spend more time burning inventory slots then they will on my character.

Uhm, that would be me.. the casual gamer who's got 1 comp and 2 family members using the same comp with 2 accounts, one which has 8 characters the other 3 or 4, I can't remember. JUST because one of the characters is lvl2 shouldn't mean that I can't get the special gift for her.

I'm hoping my work is going to forgive me for showing up sleep-deprived the following day, as I'm going to have to be up some of the night to get the stuff.. stupid time zones..

Anyway, does anyone know how many hours from now it'll start?

gamecube187

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jun 2006

31 Oct 2006 at 00:35 - 32

Arena Net, please make it so we can get the event items with all our characters. I have one character for every profession. That's 10 characters, and the mad king only comes 9 times? Plus it's a week day so there is school for me and work for others. I have been trying to get 1 special event item for every single one of my characters, and I really don't want to stop now. For me, the special masks are literally the best part of these events, so please make it so I can get the best part of the event for all of my characters! And please don't make it so I have to stay up all night to get the items either!

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

31 Oct 2006 at 00:45 - 33

Quote:

Originally Posted by lg5000

Uhm, that would be me.. the casual gamer who's got 1 comp and 2 family members using the same comp with 2 accounts, one which has 8 characters the other 3 or 4, I can't remember. JUST because one of the characters is lvl2 shouldn't mean that I can't get the special gift for her.

I'm hoping my work is going to forgive me for showing up sleep-deprived the following day, as I'm going to have to be up some of the night to get the stuff.. stupid time zones..

Anyway, does anyone know how many hours from now it'll start?

12:01 am Pacific Time on the 31st till 12:01 am on november first, every 3 hours according to the website.

Imaginos

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

31 Oct 2006 at 00:47 - 34

I am disheartened in our plea as Anet has said NOTHING on this issue and the workday is pretty much over

Neo Nugget

Site Contributor

Join Date: Jan 2006

R/

31 Oct 2006 at 00:47 - 35

Yeah same i gotta leave GW running while sleeping to get some headgear for my dervish when i gotta sleep.

aaronsgh

Academy Page

Join Date: Jul 2005

Warrior's Isle

Negative Zero [nO]

W/Mo

31 Oct 2006 at 00:48 - 36

< 10 pves, all masks till date for all them...

spent an hour+ grinding 8 chars from LA to Kamadan...

Grinding 500 sunspear points for both my elonians... just to get to LA

damn.....................

akablademaster

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Aug 2006

Uber Pancakes

A/Mo

31 Oct 2006 at 00:53 - 37

guys be thankful we can have this event. I mean I'm happy that I can just get one.

lg5000

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jul 2005

Australia

31 Oct 2006 at 01:27 - 38

ty for that

6 1/2 hours to go unless my calculations are wayy wrong.

Malice Black

Site Legend

Join Date: Oct 2005

31 Oct 2006 at 01:54 - 39

Wow...they offer free gifts to anyone who chooses to show and yet people moan like bitches...you people amaze and shock me.

akablademaster

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Aug 2006

Uber Pancakes

A/Mo

31 Oct 2006 at 02:17 - 40

so me i can just let my computer be afk while i sleep and can get 1?