Winter 2010

So the Winter event is partway over. People are collecting candy canes, skiing, opening glowing presents...

But I've got to admit, it doesn't feel all that winter-y (or holidayish) to me. If you don't go through Pocket D, is the event really mentioned at all? Does it "feel" like a holiday season in Paragon or the Isles?

For me... no. Part of it is that so much is repeated, with only the "winter realm" bit new. I've skated through and just ... basically forgotten anything was going on. So, I have a proposal for next year.

A few things are part of this -

- Supergroup bases. This is someplace people should be able to "personalize" more than the city. For many groups, it's seen as a "home," after all, and I think it'd be nice to be able to decorate for the season.

- One year's work has gone pretty much unused since - the original winter "invasion," where Paragon was iced over in spots. Why hasn't this been brought back? Yes, work would need to be done to do something similar to the Isles, but it'd still be a nice touch.

- Aion envy. Yeah, I'll admit that. I think they've got *just* the right amount of "holiday look" going on - a vendor that sells holiday items, another with holiday costumes (though, being gear, they cost and are out of reach of lower characters - their main drawback) but most of all, the capitols of both sides are decorated for the season. Not gaudily, but enough to have a feeling of "something special going on." And yes, when you're out in the other zones (the active world,) you don't see it - but when you head back to the capitol (and you eventually have to for one thing or another,) there's still that seasonal background.

So, what would I overhaul for next year?

1. Move Snaptooth to Ouroboros. (And have it available just over the holidays.) Snaptooth... is just getting to be a bit "old hat." It's not something I particularly look forward to. Suggesting his mission tends to get more "oh, that creepy kid rescue again?" comments than anything. He'd still be in Ouro over the season for those who want to run him (or possibly through an Ouro-style portal tied to the Chalet somehow,) but something new and interesting would be nice.

2. Costume pieces and temp powers. We get them now (unless we already have them.) However, we get them "fully formed." Add a few new pieces, a new temp power or two - and have them drop as recipes. If you have them already, you can give them away (or sell them.) If you don't, have, say, 1-10 candy canes be the "needed salvage," perhaps. And again, a few new costume pieces would be nice.

3. Decorate the cities themselves. No, it doesn't have to be gaudy, or even "all over." Little touches - wreaths, ribbons, etc. in City Hall, in Galaxy, a decorated tree here and there, even (given our devs tendancy to put little "touches" in here and there,) say, miniature trees on the occasional random desk in a cubicle in, say, the police stations. It's a little harder to figure out where to put this sort of thing villainside - most likely in Cap. Mercy's supposed to be a winnowing-out process, after all, and it's hard to make gun turrets and fortified walls in Grandville look festive. Even little touches like, say, a wreath and bunting in Wentworths - even the BM trucks - would add a little "seasonal air." Doesn't need to be every zone.

4. Supergroup stuff. Easiest to have these tied to SG badges, so they're not stuck "only" on one or two people. If you finish the new Holiday mission from #1 in SG mode, the SG is awarded some minor holiday decoration - all you have to do is have the person in SG mode, nice and easy to do. Then, add a mission to the mission computer, so the SG itself can earn some bigger prize - say, a christmas tree - to decorate with. (As an item, not as in 'just one,' more like an unlock.) This wouldn't be limited to just your SG - know someone with a tiny one, and no mission computer? If they help complete it, in SG mode, even though it's in your computer... they get the award too.

What it basically boils down to is - I'd like to see more of a holiday spirit in the game than "we have a mission or two tucked away somewhere, and a place to ski."

See my Guides and Tutorials

Some NPCs wearing a santa hat, somehow with their original hair if long still under the hat, though horns can poke out of the hat.

In fact, somehow have helmet wearing NPCs wear santa hats on top of their helmets! Maybe some Arbeiters are in the festive mood and wearing santa hats over their helmets!

I can certainly imagine Synapse wearing one and poor bald Positron wearing one too for the winter season!

But in Recluse's meeting room... maybe not... or perhaps Recluse has forced all of his patrons to wear santa hats no matter how ridiculous they look (with Mako's Crab Spider guards, Ghost Widow's Night Widow guards, Scirocco's Mu Mystic guards, and Black Scorpion guards all attempting not to laugh, or... wearing hats too, much to their disbelief).

/Signed
Hopefully once the mass that is GR is safely unleashed, there wil lbe time to really crank up the dial in regards to special things like the events...
Hell, even putting a few potted christmas trees around City Hall and stuff would be good. Maybe a flew slightly scabby trees around Mercy Island, with some OTT spectacular ones outside Golden Giza, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

I'd like to see a return of the mission where villains steal presents.

As long as we have one thing:

Enforce Merriment: A power that affects other players by putting a Santa Hat on their head for 5 minutes.

Yes, this power will be 'griefed', but it's a Santa Hat. Offer a togglable menorah if need-be.

No there was a present stealing mission in the 2005 winter event, according to paragonwiki.

On a slightly different subject though? You know what I'd love? Not having to rely on getting buffs to be able to get good times for the ski badges. How? Simple, add a Skis temporary power, available from the ski instructors at the top of each run, that acts basically as super speed and super jump in one power. Give it a short timer, say maybe 5 minutes, so people wouldn't be able to exploit it and use it as an actual travel power. If the effort could be spared they could (and should, if it's possible) make animations for it too, so characters can actually ski rather than just sliding about.

Also on the subject of ski runs, can we please make them give all badges any given time is elegible for? IE: getting silver gets you bronze as well and getting gold will get you silver and bronze too. Having to make three runs going deliberately slower each time becomes really really irritating when you do it on as many alts as I do.

Remember when they froze all the lakes and ponds? I wish they would bring that back, it was fun and wintery.

yeah, i agree this would be great and would feel a lot more winery. Maybe it can be snowing?

/signed