Guildwars Whalopalooza!!!!!!

[Ben]

Between now and the new year, we are holding a contest of helpfulness between the different guilds of Valorn.

As you know, helping hapless n00bs is an important part of Valornian society... the more help n00bs get, the more likely they are to stay in the game and give me money improve the community. *AHEM*

Therefor, to inspire people during this busy holiday season, the admins will be randomly, on our own considerable whims, creating n00b characters and acting up in a n00bish manner. (Basically signing up for the game and mucking about like complete fools who have no idea what they are doing.) During this time we will give a point to guilds who have members who help us out. After the new year, the points will be tallied and the three guilds with the highest point tallies will be given a WONDEROUS prize from the following list:

1. Your very own NPC bartender/innkeeper for your guild hall with a line of normal food/beverage.
2. Your very own life monument for your guild hall.
3. Your very own NPC cleric for your guild hall.

Whichever guild comes in first place will get to choose one. The second place guild will then choose from the two options that are left. The third place guild will get whatever the last available prize is. And yes, you do get to name your NPC and tell us what you want to have him permanently "say", WITHIN REASON and within the rules of the game. =)

KEEP IN MIND that helping does not necessarily mean heaping weapons and money onto n00bs... sometimes giving advice or being there to guide a young idiot n00b on his or her journey can be far more beneficial than handing over ph8t l3w7... that whole thing about teaching people to fish makes them eat forever and get fat while giving them one fish will make them lazy and skinny. Or whatever.

Admins will have very few guidelines, and each admin has his or her own ideas about what is helpful and what is not. They are free to add or not add points as they see fit if they think they are being helped or not helped. If a member of your guild is rude to the wrong n00b, your guild might even LOSE points! We will be keeping track of the points in secret, but will reveal ALL scores at the end of the contest.

This starts immediately. Any questions about the contest can be posted underneath here, but I think its pretty straightforward, don't you?

Good luck!

[Wyf_Broadskull]

Just wanted to say what a great idea I think this is.. I do what I already do as a mentor and get a chance to help my guild

[Skils Gannon]

Think a good idea if this type of comp happens again is for the Gods to keep the period it is happen secret. This way there will be no false helpfulness just because we are all aware that it is a contest and we could be rewarded.

[superduck]

I agree with Skils. While the contest in it's current form actively stimulates helping new adventurers, it might just end the moment the contest ends.

[Korrith]

I too agree with Thorin and Skils. If there is another one of these contests, that is.

[Blythe]

I think you guys are too pessimistic. Any "rush" to help will be over in a few short days.. those that arent dedicated (at least, somewhat) to helping people will fall back into old, familiar ways soon enough. Announcing the contest will only reinforce the idea of a reward (beyond the already rewarding endeavors of mentoring) for their efforts to connect with new adventurers.

I will use myself as an example: I tried to be helpful the first couple of days, but you know.. its just too much effort to go against the grain of my generally unhelpful attitude (I was even called "snooty" once...).

Besides, if usually unhelpful folks start helping people that arent the admins.. then the actualy new adventurers will start asking them more and more questions regularly. Before you know it, they will be too busy helping to remember they werent going to be helpful! Oh! Wait! Maybe they will develop the habit of helping due to the contest.. Hmm... maybe not.

[superduck]

Yes, I might be a bit pessimistic. While I applaud that more people are helping new adventurers, I do not agree with their motivation, which is to win a contest. Helping for personal gain is not helping others, but using others to help yourself. (Or guild, in this case)

[Blythe]

I suppose there is an ethical conundrum at the heart of any contest - but in this case, the effort is not completely self rewarding as most contests are... if good comes from an initially sefish act.. or act motivated by selfish intent - then it ceases to be completely selfish and by reception becomes helpful.

So, live long and prosper... I doubt there is anything to be worried about, as anyone who actually helps for selfless and pure reasons of just feeling good about helping - wouldnt really care if someone else motivated by the prize won this contest anyway.

[superduck]

edited:

I missed something important while writing my earlier posts:

Therefor, to inspire people during this busy holiday season

If the goal is to inspire people to help, then the chosen approach is the best option. Feel free to ignore my earlier posts. =)

[carlo aggaruzzi]

Superduck hit it. It can inspire people to help. You can't change attitudes of all people, but you might motivate them to change behaviors. And a few of those people might then modify their own attitudes, or at least their habits.

What's the worst that could happen? New players are more likely to get help. Cool. New players might get a false impression that DG teems with helpful people. Not a terrible thing since it's not completely inaccurate. And it might prime the pump. That is, some of the new players who feel so welcome and get helped might then become diligent mentors in a few weeks.

Players who are typically good mentors might be irked by all the temporary competition to help. I felt a twinge of that, but I realized two seconds later that it's not about me; it's about new players getting help. People who were already good mentors might earn some points for their guild in the contest. They might not. People like me who aren't in guilds can enjoy the reduced burden to send mentor greetings. I'm just pleased that new players are more likely to get interaction.

I think it's a great idea for a contest because it has a lot of upside and little downside. Great idea, Ben.

[Ben]

WTH in my post did I ask ANYBODY if this was a good idea? You guys are weird... you'd think from the reaction I announced some contest where I would pull your teeth out and whoever could keep themselves from screaming in pain would get a prize.


Anyway, back to the subject at hand, I didn't put forth any rules regarding tie scores. If there is a tie for any of the prizes, the tiebreaker will be the number of members who have been active since December 1st. As you know, I like active guilds. *shrug* Okay... go ahead and whine about that new thing if you like. =)

[Hojo Musachi]

I like active guilds.

A small relief...

[Ben]

Only a week or so left, and only 8 guilds have any points yet. =) Still plenty of time to jump in and win this one if you are nice and active.

Remember... helping a n00b can make you LOSE points, too. Getting out of character, giving a n00b the solution to a quest instead of helping him to solve it himself, cursing at a n00b, yelling at a n00b, can all make you actually go negative in points. The guild that was in first place yesterday actually is down to like 3rd or 4th due to a bad session with one of the admin secret n00bs. =) (Please note that all the examples of things "not to do" above are things that have actually happened to admin-controlled n00bs already in this contest.) So make sure that when you help a n00b, you do it as your character and you encourage them to PLAY the game!

[Hojo Musachi]

What do you mean by being out of character?

[Ben]

I mean like when you are helping a n00b you should not start talking, out in area chat, about the Bears vs Packers game.

[Ben]

Also watch out for giving away unsolicited freebies. Bombarding new players with hundreds of potions or 50 plat is not actually "helping" them. Remember to teach n00bs how to fish so they can eat for a lifetime, instead of giving them a fish so they can eat just today. =) I personally don't count off points for handing out ridiculous amounts of ph8t l3wt, but I know at least one other person helping to run this contest who takes off points if you give out too much free stuff. =)

Note that this does NOT mean that giving a n00b 10 health potions or something, or giving them a few gold to buy a new shield, before helping them off to the dungeon, will hurt you... in fact, I'd probably reward that sort of subtle, non-overpowering help.

[Hojo Musachi]

I don't know where I would start in a discussion about the Bears vs Packers game but thankyou, I understand what you mean.

[Ben]

Only a few days left, but still plenty of time to be nice to n00bs to get points! The scoring has been widespread and small, (on purpose), so there is still a chance that even a guild that has zero points right now could help several n00bs and shoot into first... especially since sometimes negative points are given. Right now two guilds are tied for first with only 6 points. 15 guilds are tied for last with 0 points. =) (Note that this includes inactive guilds probably.)

One guild has 5 points, two guilds have 4 points, one guild has 3 points, three guilds have 2 points, and three guilds have 1 point.

In our records, recently points were given to certain guilds for members doing the following things (these things were actually done and actually earned points):
-PMing n00bs that are OOC with advise about what is IC and what is not.
-Inviting OOC n00bs that PMs don't work on to the north room to straighten them out in a calm, nice, helpful way.
-Coming in person to help a n00b find something she was looking for.
-Staying in contact via PM with a n00b and answering questions in-character.
-Staying in-character whenever possible while dealing with n00bs.
-Helping n00bs find armor, weapons and quests without giving out spoilers, and by doing so in-character.
-PMing a n00b that mentor was logging off, but forwarding the inventory link of another mentor who would be good help if the n00b needed more help.
-Open offers of future help.
-Giving of small gifts to help n00b: a cloak or a shield or some reasonable amounts of money or potions.
-Telling a n00b, "The blacksmith apprentice located west and then north of the town square was asking for the help of new adventurers earlier." as a way of IC suggesting n00b start the first quest.
-Explaining how to use clerics, lemonade, chat, etc in clear language and, whenever possible, in-character.

In our records, recently points were TAKEN AWAY from guilds for doing the following things (these things were actually done and actually lost points for the guild):
-After initiating contact with a n00b, ignoring the n00b's questions.
-After initiating contact with a n00b, ignored that the n00bs was blatantly OOC or acting against the rules (didn't advise n00b to read the rules or explain what is OOC or take to north room).
-Giving a n00b an acid jelly carcass and telling him to go immediately to the blacksmith apprentice to get a better sword. (OOC advise and spoilers, didn't let n00b do quest on own.)
-Setting a poor example for n00b after initiating contact by using foul language in game or PM chat, or using OOC language in game chat, while explaining things.
-Giving overabundant amount of money, potions, or dumping other large gifts on n00bs, the net effect being that they don't have to work at all to get items they need and then spend the next week begging for items from people instead of playing the game, and eventually quit in frustration because people tell them to stop begging because it is annoying.

[Ben]

IMPORTANT UPDATE!:

For these last couple of days of the contest, not only will we be creating n00bs to test your skills, but we will also be watching your interactions with normal, non-admin n00bs, and through those interactions you will have the chance to earn even MORE points if we see you going above and beyond! Be helpful to all n00bs to maximize your guild's chances to win!

[Alfin]

Thank you Ben for the "kick in the pants" Some of us mentors needed.