24 Feb 2007 at 20:28 - 47
I want to apologize for not posting recently, but in fact I really have nothing new to offer just now. I will give you the latest, and hope some information--even if incomplete--is helpful:
I took the concern about prize distribution to the designers. I took it to the designers again. They do not have a concrete answer yet, as the matter is more complex than I had thought. My belief was that if someone was 101 on the ladder, and there were disqualifications above him due to multiple characters from a single account, he or she would get a prize. It was my belief that it would simply involve a visit to the NPC. But alas it's not set up like that.
The designers know of the concerns about prize distribution and multiples on the ladder. The took measures to assure that multiple prizes were not given to any one person. In fact, that's why the Top 50 changes to the Top 100 -- to assure that more people got prizes. By that I mean, if the top 100 had two duplicates each, at least 50 prizes would be distributed, which was the initial goal: To give 50 prizes. However, I believe that this was not how you read it, or how you understood it. In fact it was not how I read or understood it, either. (The issue here was that I didn't know I didn't understand it -- I thought the top 100 unique accounts would be given a prize. I suspect that's what you believed as well. And I'm sorry that we didn't have clearer info on that earlier.)
Nobody on the dev team wants to "cheat" someone out of a prize. We wouldn't take the time to make such an event to then snatch away rewards! The challenge, though, is figuring out if or how this can be brought to a reasonable conclusion. The ladder reflects multiples; I don't know what records there are for anyone not on that ladder page. If the programmers could cull standings at a certain minute -- the close of the Canthan New Year's Festival -- perhaps there is a way distribute more prizes. (The event leading to a prize is not extended, nor will the leaderboard for this weekend influence prize distribution, to the best of my knowledge.)
Pulling data from last week would require all sort of other mechanics, too, as well as what I believe would be a large amount of time. In all honesty, perhaps that cannot be done and perhaps those records don't exist. I don't know. It may be that those prizes distributed (or to be distributed through this weekend) at one per account on the Top 100 ladder are the only prizes that will be given. I am saying this not to be negative, not at all to dismiss your frustration with the situation or that outcome--if that ends up being the outcome--but only to be frank with you.
So in the end, this may change or may not change, depending on what we can do. I believe that the designers will be investigating next week and I have confidence that if they can work out a means to include a few more who placed in a high position during the Canthan New Year's Festival in the prize distribution, they will do so. I have offered to help in any way that I can. If and when I have more information, I will share it.