Changes to All Events

This thread posted a while and the changes to Wintersday this year has caused me to think of how the main events can be changed.

First, the things I've noted that events have aside from decorations (not all have these):

-Quest Chains
-Masks
-Special NPCs
-Random Event Drops
-Summoning Stones
-Tonics
-Mini Games
-Miniature Pets

I think these should be spread to all of them. Those that don't have these, can get them. I also have individual suggestions for events:

Canthan New Year

What this event has:
-Quests
-Random Event Drops
-Miniature Pets (Celestial Pets, new every year) and Greased Lightning
-Hats
-Mini Games

What this event needs:
-Special Tonics (Become a <enter animal here>) - this can be done, as the finale turns us into said animal.
-Summoning Stones (Summon a Celestial <enter animal here>)
-Last longer (One weekend to One Week)

This event is nearly without need for improvements. It only is missing a Tonic, and is a little too short. Summoning Stones - only in the Wintersday event at this time *the only event after widespread Summoning Stones in GW*has these, so not sure if they will become a multi-event item like Tonics, Hats, and Minipets.

Birthday Celebration/Day of the Tengu

These two events, one discontinued, the other minute. The Birthday Celebration, what we currently have, only has:
-Special NPCs
-Special Event Drops
-Mini Games

The Day of the Tengu had quests and masks *therefore an actual finale*. These are things the Birthday Celebreation lacks.

What I suggest for this event is to bring back the Day of the Tengu, merging the Birthday Celebration into it.

This leaves the following missing:
-Tonics
-Summoning Stones
-Miniature Pets

All of those can be Tengu items. A Tengu Tonic, a Tengu Summoning Stone, and a Tengu Mini. The Angchu Tengu would probably be the best to use.

Merging the two events would also allow those who didn't get the Tengu Mask to get a new version of said mask. There is also very little need for merging them, since the info from the Day of the Tengu should still be in the .dat file.

There is only one change needed from the Day of the Tengu: Change the Naga Fangs to Victory Tokens.

Dragon Festival

This event, like the Canthan New Year, is a really fun event and needs little to improve it. But it does lack some things.

What is present:
-Special NPCs
-Special Event Drops
-Mini Games
-Hats

What is missing:
-Tonics
-Summoning Stones
-Miniature Pets

Aside from adding those three things, I suggest one thing:

Being able to choose between Demons winning and Demons losing. In other words, if the "demons" win, you get the new Demon/Grasp Mask. If the "demons" lose, you get the new Dragon Mask.

Mind you, not the old Dragon Mask. And it doesn't have to be a Dragon Mask, just more Canthan based, not demon based.

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Yes, I know this is not a "real" event, but since prior to my suggestions, Cantha gets 2 events, and Tyria/Elona gets 2 events, and after my suggestions, Cantha will have 3 events, I figured Tyria and Elona deserved a third event.

As such, I suggest adding NPCs, quests, a tonic and whatnot based on Corsairs. This is also lore supported - as there are in fact Corsairs in the southern parts of Tyria (around Orr). The finale could be a Corsair invasion.

Another thing, making this an holiday would make the perfect excuse to bring back the "Party Time!" affect from the Farewell to Gaile event.

Things in specification to add:
-2 Quest Chains (one in Tyria, one in Elona)

Tyrian: Idea - stop a Corsair threat
Elonian: Idea - help Margrid/Shahai out or stop a Corsair threat (if latter, go with the idea of a "full out war" brewing *aka a Third Great Corsair War*)

-Corsair Tonics: Turns you into a Corsair (just take the mechanic from the Blacktide Den mission)
-Corsair Summoning Stone: Summons a Corsair
-Mask: Corsair Garb

After the first year - if GW1 continues after GW2's release (or GW2 isn't out still) just give the same idea as the Dragon Festival, a reenactment.

Halloween

A truly wonderful event. But also a truly lacking event. Especially in comparison to Wintersday.

Halloween doesn't have a quest chain, all others that currently exist (taking Day of the Tengu instead of the Birthday Celebration) have quests. This is truly sad.

Linsey said that she would work on getting the Teller of Tales in for Halloween 2009. If so, we can get quests given by this Teller of Tales.

But Halloween is also missing:
-Miniature Pet (Mad King Thorn Guard mini pet anyone?)
-Summoning Stones (same as above for what)

Wintersday

There is only two changes needed:

Add a wintersday chest at the end of the other two Rift Warden quests (the ones that go into the Underworld) and
Increase the drop rate of the MPB - no need for super rare mini pets this late in the game.

/signed

I like this suggestion.

mini talon. win.

Azazel, yeah I agree with updating the events. Good suggestions in there. I think Anet is trying to bring some of the new gameplay mechanics into all the events as rewards to some extent. I wouldn't be surprised if canthan New Year already has such updates planned and things are moving in this direction.

A few little changes can make a huge difference.

/signed

Definitely /signed.

At this point I think the best part of GW are the festival events. I doubt that many would dislike the idea of them updating and adding to the content we have. I personally am very curious to know more about the teller of tales; it makes me think of an NPC that you invite to your party and it tells you ghostly, lore based stories around a campfire. And re-adding Day of the Tengu sounds like it would be a lot of fun.

And besides which, since this will probably be the last time before GW2 is released for many of these events. It seems like they should do something very special to make the festivals this year really outstanding and memorable. Dare I suggest they could also tie them in somehow, like the original Dragon Fest tied in with the then upcoming GW Nightfall, or even Mad King Thorns new joke this year regarding what happens 250 years from now.

Just one note though; shouldn't it be "International Talk Like A Corsair Day"?

I guess it'd be fair to say that Wintersday gets too much love compared to the other holidays. The only thing I'd have an idea in with regards to your idea is minipets for the Dragon Festival/Halloween. If they make a little improvement in how the tourneys work from Snowball and adjust it for the arena, I'd like to see minipets as prizes for an end-of-season tournament or something.

In general, /signed. I'm getting to the point in GW where holidays will be the only thing I come on for.

/Signed

But I think you are trying to change TOO much stuff.....so scale down a bit would be better imo.

/signed...
could do with some more fun things ^^

/Signed for some very good suggestions.

For me a festival is all about fun so any changes would have to do that.

Personal wishes
Move all the events that are centered on an actual holiday to a slightly earlier or later time 1 week would do it.
This is especially important for the Winter and New year fests, we do like to give up the computer for that time and party for real.
Many go to other towns and cities to be with family and as fictional festivals they really don't have to be on the exact date of real ones do they.

Haloween I am just sad enough to keep a list of collectables for all festivals and even the specific order of mad king thorns "Mad king says" game these have never changed.
Result people can farm all year for collectables they know will be needed just add a little random element if its not too difficult.

And just so the rest of us don't go mad please have the npcs add a few cries to their list, announcing when the various avatars and kings mad or otherwise are coming.
No matter how many web pages you put it on the cries of when king come how do I get hat etc still occur.

/signed

looks nice.

If they do add others minis, hopefully making them less rare/hard to get than polar bear would be nice.

The title of the section wasn't meant to be the actua event name

In my opinion, there should be two ways to get a seasonal mini pet. A PvE-based way, and a PvP-based way.

For Canthan New Year for instance, the Greased Lightning would be the PvP-based, the Celestial <animal here> would be the PvE way. Wintersday, add the mini pet as you said, a tournament prize, and as completing all Rift Warden quests (the two original by him should get end-chests imo), with an increased drop rate of course. No need for super rare mini pets.

Which reminds me... -updates OP-

Yes, that is a very big annoyance. But I don't think anything will change that. And the times thing, debatable.

That sounds fair to me. I think it's important though that there be different pets for the PvP and PvE modes. Otherwise, I feel that people trying to get the pet will simply choose to take the easier path.

I'm sure most of these changs will occur anyways. Never the less /sign.

well thought out and signed because these things would definately improve the festivals we already have amking them all on par with another. id also like for there to be a boardwalk added to those event without one

The boardwalk is something unique to Cantha, and I think it should stay with the three festivals in Cantha.

However, I do not see an issue with making the Lion's Gate explorable similar to that of the boardwalk area. Aside from size. The space is there in the real map, all that is needed is to add a second NPC to allow access into there without changing maps, and to add the additions.

There should definably be games of chance added to Tyria and Elona, maybe not Rings of Fortune and Nine Rings. Dragon nest can be replaced with a Skale Nest for Tyria/Elona.

That is, if there is room. Although there should be in Lion's Gate and Churrhir Fields. Both are also inaccessible while in the same map, but should still exist as a part of the map. Might not, but if so, those two spots might be able to be made into a Tyrian/Elonian boardwalks.

I disagree. If there were two minipets, than that would be cruel to those who can't and/or don't want to do one form. And it also makes them very rare.

For instance, let's say next year's Wintersday will have the MPB with an increased drop rate so you have a 1:200 chance instead of the insane chance of 1:100000+. But also, for the top five teams (for fairness) of Snowball ATS gets a new Mini Grentch. Five teams of 8 (right? not sure on this, high number for case though) means 40 people get the Miniature Grentch. This not only forces those who usually want to PvE to then PvP if they want the Miniature Grentch, but it also gives out a Miniature pet that is much more rare than the Mini Polar Bear.

As such, it gives the winning PvP'ers something many of PvP'ers don't need: high money. Along with that, it forces PvE'ers to join a PvP team (whether they want to or not) in order to try (and in all probablity fail) to get the PvP mini. And therefore will spawn many thousands of QQ threads.

However, if it is via both PvE and PvP, one miniature, than people who mainly PvP can do PvP, those who usually do PvE can do PvE, and those who are PvX can do whichever they prefer, even both. Some people might be more inclined to go the easier path, but both paths will still be taken.

Also, it reduces the value making a less rare minipet, and along with that, fewer minipets.

Okay then. I'll propose a different reward: cape trims. I personally would have liked a minipet, but I've heard a few of the players I've done the Snowball ATS with talking about wanting a White cape trim for getting high placements. Alternative colors can be chosen for Costume Brawl and Dragon Arena. I also feel it would be important to have the trims tied to individual capes rather than a guild.

Lol.
There's nothing 'missing' from other events.

Not all events have to have minipets, summoning stones, special quests and tonics. They are completely different and should stay that way.

I'm all for adding new stuff to events, that's great, but I'd much rather see more new and unique things than adding what you think is missing.
The reason for adding new stuff shouldn't be completion and making them just like others. Do we really need even more summoning stones or minipets on all events?

So, adding new stuff to events - /YES,
Doing it the OP's way - /NO.

And stop QQ'ing about mini Polar Bear being too rare. Uber rare items and elite content have a place in this game and always had.

In comparison to the other events, yes there is.

Then make suggestions. I personally think every quest should have at least a quest chain and some special items (aside from special ales, sweets, party items, and masks). I don't mind you disagreeing with me, but add your own suggestions next time please. I wouldn't mind not seeing summoning stones or minipets, but I think Tonics and Quests should be added. Along with the Day of the Tengu/Birthday Celebration combination.

I'm not QQ'ing about the MPB, I think the thing is ugly. To me it's only use is to sell, which is not worth the annoyance it is and I would love to see it less rare so that it doesn't become something 99% of gw players want to farm to get rich.

There's nothing missing. The events are just different. Just like Prophecies don't miss challenge missions and NF doesn't miss towns to be owned by alliances. They're different and variety is good.

Not everything has to follow the same design. Multiple long special quest chains are specific to Wintersday for example, Halloween doesn't miss them. I'm not opposing adding any quests to Halloween as opposing new content would be quite stupid. But adding them just for 'completion' when they're not really lacking? There are more important things to do, I should prepare my own list.

As for changes events really NEED there aren't many. A clear obvious example of a change Wintersday event needs is: balancing Avalanche vs Yellow Snow skills - this was a problem since 2005 event and still wasn't fixed.

As for changes many events don't need but would really benefit from, I'll make a nice list and post here later.

And if you don't like MPB you should just completely ignore it's existance. It wasn't meant for you.

My main point in this thread is not for the events to be exactly the same, but to have new things added. This is why I said for you to add suggestions, because I can't think of something completely new that doesn't exist anywhere, or I should say won't because I'll end up thinking up something that cannot be easily done with the current staff on GW1.

I simply want new things added each year, so that each year the event offers something new and different from the previous - because eventually, quests just become ways of farming, NPCs get ignored, and people end up only doing the PvP or farm for drops. Wintersday gets new things added every year, and besides Thorns' jokes, no other event gets new things.

That is the main point behind this thread, not for these exact ideas to be added (except the Day of the Tengu/Birthday Celebration merge and making a new event for Tyria/Elona *which I still think Talk Like a Pirate Day - renamed of course - would be best*). As for the MPB comment, I do ignore it, but it's hard to ignore the "have there been any MPB drops yet?!?!?!?" in towns that get spammed instead of "When/what is the hat!"

/signed - Agreed

I'm with you there.

We have 4 decorated festivals. One per seasons.
Wintersday in winter.
Canthan new year in spring.
Dragon Festival in summer.
Halloween in autumn.

At least those four should have all the stuff and long duration.


The rest would be nice, but I don't mind as much for them, although it's a shame to have made quests using them once and never using them again.