Boring Games, Expensive Items and CLAMS!

[Whispered]

By the way, I went clamming yesterday to see just how hard it is. I was making ~100 (maybe a tad less, depending on placement, etc.) credits per minute. 100 minutes, 1 magic. Arguably faster than fireworks.

I was having some nice conversations with the other active person in the room. I thoroughly enjoyed it. At 10 credits. So there's no reason to say it can't be enjoyable while at 10 credits.

 

[Diznywiz]

Whispered........

I have simply made some observations about why people feel clams should be worth more temporarily until the other minigames are done, which may be a while. As you can see those who responded apparently don't agree with you, would you have players leave since they don't like it? Is a game with less players appealing to you? This is just not logical to me, sorry. I'm sure the staff is aware and hopefully appreciate feedback, whether or not it influences any decision to change or not.... I know that staff has read this thread.

Your "fact" seems to be: "I like it just the way it is so I want it left alone" and "If you don't like it then just stop playing the game" There are many reasons to play the game, earning credits, buying things, reconnecting with friends, building cool rooms, etc...
Some people's enjoyment for example is building rooms, for which you need credits..... some people like to collect the outfits, or magic pins for which they need credits...... some people wanna sit in a room and chat with friends, thats free.

You say you got 100 credits per minute doing clams, I can tell you this is almost impossible. I just sat in a room and watched ppl clamming. There were 7 people plus me, 4-5 clams every 20 seconds (thats the respawn rate I timed it to be sure) that's 15 clams maximum per minute total for everyone in the room not per person, so i just have to wonder how much exaggeration in your statement that clams at 10 pays better than fireworks, unless you stood in a room with friends and they let you have almost all of them for yourself, even then, unless they all drop at your feet you cannot traverse the room fast enough to get all that spawn when they are spread out..... So please elaborate for all of us curious gamers how you were in a room chatting with your friends AND getting 10 clams per minute continuously while other collected too. You are clearly a master of clamming and we all "clamor" to know your secrets to getting rich clamming! ( ok I couldn't resist the pun)

 

[Whispered]

Yes, I would have players who cannot just be happy that the game that we (some of us at least) just want to relive is there to relive. Yes, it's not exactly like VMK, yes it's a bit more difficult, but it's definitely doable. (note, i'm not saying leave, i'm more saying please stop complaining. I was never good at pirates in VMK at first, but it was the only way to get the chest keys without trading people. So I sucked it up and played :P)

And ~100 credits. Could be less. I can't tell you that I checked every minute on the minute - because I didn't. I do know that I had made 1k in around around 15 minutes, and that was *with* me switching between windows doing other things. I was getting ~3 per respawn, fyi, so at the rate of 3 respawns per minute it'd be 90 credits/min, or if you happen to get three/four in a line (happens a lot when i'm in there lol. I find it funny) you could easily get 100 per minute.

btw, nice pun. For more information - there were ~10 people in the room, 7 or so were inactive at any given time. Of me and the other girl actively trying to get them, we pretty much each got 3 each time they spawned.

Also, I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that when all clams in the room are gone they instantly respawn - giving more per minute.

I was typing between the click on the first spawning clam to the time I got there and had to click on the next one, fyi.

 

[Diznywiz]

I have never actually complained, but pointed out reasons why I think the change is appropriate for now, I'm really not clear why this is so offensive to you? I am indeed entitled to my own opinion, so are you.

As to the clamming again I was watching for a while so I could be accurate, with 8 people in the room, 4-5 spawned at 20 second intervals, often spread through the room, so that means you got almost all of them if you made about 1,000 credits in 10 minutes. I dare say youre not often going to find rooms with 8 inactive and 2 active, and if 2 or 3 of you were actively trying for them I can't see how you could get more than 1-2 per cycle.... ijs Once a room gets going inevitably more players enter and your 2 per cycle becomes 1 at best, and even those that drop at your feet will get clicked by someone else, that's been my experience, and that's why clams should actually be worth more imo. Your experience of clamming was an anomaly I'm afraid, and some ppl have a supernatural ability to click those little clams and you will find with active players you will definitely go cycles with 0.

In fireworks with a score of 1200-1500 at the end of first round (thats 2 minutes) you have 200-300 credits, which will take you much longer to get on clams in a normal room.
( eh I'm not sure if that's possible actually as I get nowhere near that amount....LOL )

 

[Whispered]

I apologize if I seem offended, it just amazes me how some (not you) complain and say "I want" without giving any reason.

I usually go to (insert my secret instance here) where there's usually either nobody there, or a bunch of inactive people. Maybe it's just this secret instance (that isn't really secret, just nobody is there it seems today) that's the anomaly.

 

[Alexia]

People are giving reasons, have you read them?
Even so, DiznyWiz says balance will help the game out immensely and you seem to be saying screw balance. I just don't understand. Balance= happy players= population spark. But you say to heck with it. If the game is doing poorly, I highly doubt it can last or that staff will continue with something no one wants to play. That's just how things turn out sometimes. Not everything works according to how you want it to. Lol. What are the "RIGHT" reasons? Can't people just play because they want to and for WHATEVER reason? They don't have to be "right" by your standards. What the heck? Everyone likes credits, don't try to downplay the fact that credits can influence game-play experience. Just like money in the real world. Not everyone plays to sit around and talk to friends. Stop trying to generalize players and what they should think or be like.

Since when is balance wrong?
When I think of balance, I think of a variety of games for people who have different likes and/or skill. And since we don't have that at the moment, why not boost shell worth. So I've read things like this throughout the forum: "No, there shouldn't be any more games because the game isn't supposed to be easy". Not exactly those words but that's what it seems like people are saying. Mini-games are what keep interest so I really don't understand the argument there.
On one hand there's Fireworks which not everyone likes or can play well or at all. Fireworks can give players extreme amounts of credits if played well. And for those that don't have the ability to play as well, there's clamming. And I'll just say that without shells I wouldn't even bother so I like this temporary addition.
Clamming doesn't give the same amounts and it also requires more time. If credits are boosted to even just 15 credits it'd help. I'd be grateful for those 5 extra credits.

You have to think about the affects in the long-run. And it seems like a majority of the people want to stay in this comfy zone. And it's not even safe. Remember that just because something is working for you, doesn't mean it's working for everyone. You (and not just you) argue that we're being selfish for wanting a change, but then what are the rest of you? You're (and not specifically you) reluctant to change and don't consider other ideas without bringing it back to, "It works just fine for me. Anyone can do it then." Stop.

Why did I even come back to this.

 

[imbedderdanu]

Can we have something changed based on this thread?

There is a game suggestion forum for a reason.

 

[Macario]

The MyVMK Team doesn't care. Changing it now would mess up the whole game. Might as well do a reset. Which is why I suggested what I suggested long ago in the first place, but no, no one listens, but it's kay because I don't play.

 

[Whispered]

There is absolutely no reason to reset - it would cause those who actually try for what they have to leave and it would give those who don't have anything things they don't deserve.

An online video game is not an "entitlement" like Social Security. You are not entitled to items. You do not get to demand items as a "right". You must work for them.

 

[Diznywiz]

If this game was called MyVMK Fireworks, then your point is well taken, Whispered. Right now ONLY good fireworks players are able to succeed in gaining credits, everyone else is clicking NPCs and clamming. Essentially this online video game is only partially running with 1 minigame and 1 more on the horizon soon ( Jungle Cruise ) as far as credit earnings, but running fully in terms of item pricing release and retirement of items making "rares". On a level playing field, I'm all for work hard to get what you want, games are not designed to be easy and let you have everything you want right away. Once all the minigames are out, I join the "Whispered Camp", get rid of shells completely, and everyone earns their way in the game through which ever mini game they enjoy. Look around at who has what items in this game, the really great fireworks players, and the pretty good fireworks players who can put in lots of hours of continuous playing. There are many walking around with full lanyards of 5 star magic pins, now that's a lotta credits! ( being earned at 2x what VMK paid for fireworks, yet full price items for sale each week) Most people don't have that opportunity because Fireworks just isn't their game and there are no choices but clams. That why I use the term of balance, slow down the release of items, or make them 50 percent less expensive and return Fireworks to 1x credits, increase shells to 15, 20, 25..., while all minigames are not yet out.
Balance and stability are long terms methods of future success for any game.... this is simply "Online Video Games 101" basic theory, look at any successful online game, there is always balance, difficulty, reward, opportunity, etc these elements are always balanced in a game which must earn and hold it's players. This is not just a few players saying "hey I want some too!", it's really just a reasonable way of balancing for now, where there is significant imbalance in ability to earn credits in game designed to have several minigames from the get go not 1 .
If they reset when all the minigames are done, I'll be fine with that too, because guess what, myVMK is in Beta, and many many games have a wipe when the game goes to Open status, and nobody complains, Guild Wars 2, for example did this last summer. I bet the only ones who would complain about a reset are those who are the big "Haves" of MyVMK right now, and those like Whispered who play for the "right" reasons won't care because after all it's reliving the good ole days, seeing old friends, and social gaming........ so why object? I have lots of things and I'd accept a wipe with no argument when everything works correctly and all games are open, and the history of the unannounced less than a day release of item, or 2 day release ( that makes just a handfull "rich") is gone.

Thanks Alexia for seeing my point, I thought maybe I was the only one understanding balance....believe me many who agree just don't post on the forums.