AySz88 wrote:
Officer 1BDI wrote:
...if TNT pulls another "Altador"...
Hm, what is this referring to? Making the prize for the mini-plot a new daily instead of normal? Or something about the Cup?
No, not the Cup. The Cup was well done, for the most part. There was another "mini-plot" that ran alongside it, commonly called the Altador plot. "Mini" is kind of a misnomer: many parts of this plot were every bit as hard and time-consuming as puzzles in others, such as the LDP. (Caring for that Valeous or trying to figure out that water plant plumbing, for example.) Not to mention it was stretched out over several months.
Many people, myself included, had spent a lot of time and effort on this particular plot - figuring out steps, finding constellations, etc - and when they finished (which in this case meant they completed every step of the plot, the plot itself never closed - you can still do it all now, if you want), they had to wait months for the "results" - prizes and/or a bit in the news saying, "Hey, congrats on finishing the plot, it's over now, thanks for playing," or whatever. Most of us figured, okay, they're taking their time in order to make the prizes worthwhile, or things just got really hectic, or something. So we patiently waited.
When the prizes finally did get here, most people got upset for two reasons: one, everyone got exactly the same things, no matter when they finished. In other plots, if you completed all the steps and/or were able to battle more opponents or solve some of the puzzles quicker, generally your prizes would be better. Or, in some of the more recent plots, you earned more points in order to choose and 'purchase' the prizes you wanted. In the Altador plot, the participants didn't even get to choose. Not only that, but since the plot never closed, anyone who still wants to complete it now can just look at a guide, finish it in a day, and as far as I know get the exact same things as those who worked hard to figure out each step as it came.
Now, before anyone lashes out at me at this point and says, "But I was out of town/couldn't get on the internet/had exams that month/whatever, I'm glad I can still do this plot and get the prizes!" I never said you shouldn't be rewarded for
your efforts. I'm just saying, it would have been nice if the ones who had completed it first, or before the prizes were awarded, got a little something extra for doing so. OR, the ones who are finishing now just get the sidebar and trophy, and let the other items be retired. The way it actually was done, felt very rushed and poorly planned. And the prizes themselves felt like afterthoughts.
Which brings me to the second reason many people got upset: the prizes we got weren't really worth the time and effort involved in completing the plot. Compare to the Shenkuu mini-plot that followed. It ran about a month or so, and those who figured out everything (or made lucky guesses) got a 10-icon BD weapon that sold for over 2 million NP at its peak, and is still about 1 mil now. Even the map book, the next prize down, is still fairly valuable. At any rate, none of the Altador Prizes even come close in value. Most you can buy in shops, even. And they won't get more valuable over time either, because unlike most plot prizes, they're not retired. People can keep getting them, so more can keep coming into the economy.
So in a nutshell, everyone got the same things, which weren't really worth the trouble to begin with, and what they did get quickly became so cheap it's hardly special at all. Therefore - not too happy with the Altador plot. <_< It wasn't all bad though. There was a nice shiny trophy (though again, it was the same one for everyone) and a much-needed lovely sidebar awarded. And yes, there is the new daily - but again, so many people have access to that, most the stuff given out is practically free now anyway. For the most part though... I personally don't want a plot like that again.
But, all that's off-topic, sorry. To answer the original question, would I still do a plot if there were no prizes - it depends. If it was just like a little logic puzzle or something that could tickle my brain for a few hours a day, for like a couple weeks or so, sure, I'd do it whether there were prizes or not. But if it were longer and more complicated, like this one, and I
knew ahead of time there wouldn't be any prizes, then probably not. I work full time, and play Neopets mostly for fun and stress relief. Doing plots like this usually IS a lot of fun by itself, and I do really like being able to help out and cooperate with other players. But other times, these plots actually
create stress for me, usually in the form of frustration, and sometimes I have to force myself to log off and calm down. Still, I try to finish in the hopes of getting something neat for the effort. Take that away, and I'm literally stressing out for nothing. So why bother?
...wow. Long post.
Sorry!