*logs in* *checks dungeons for elf signatures* *finds 3 elves on tracker - 11 days later than the xmas event was officially scheduled to stop* *realizes that Staff isn't working or at least maintaining this Shard anymore* *logs off* Honestly, if the Staff of UO:R isn't caring anymore about such major things like the xmas event, why should I keep playing here? To me, the Shard and it's excellent community has been left on their own.
Shots fired *Grabs a popcorn* Edit: On a serious note though. You are here way longer than me and my guess is that you know the situation better. I honestly did not spend too much time in dungeons so I can't relate to what you are saying. I kept seeing random stranglers spawning in the forest around my house 1 day after the event has been disabled. I don't see them anymore, so my guess was that elves do not spawn anymore. About the staff's dedication to the shard. How does one measure that ? Are leftover elves in the dungeons a real indications of staff's lack of interest and engagement ?
The event was still running several days ago (thus several days after the scheduled stop time which was the 5th january). When you right now go to one of the main dungeons, do a track and see 3 elves, which is like the maximum amount you could see during the xmas event, then you can usually be pretty sure that it is still running and not only leftovers... Leftovers should be somewhere in T2A, but not in a main dungeon (it was Shame I think). And yeah, the lack of forum posts, announcements, homepage updates, and finally the way event time schedules are treated here show me a lack of interest and engagement. Honestly, I would love to be proven wrong. It would be great, if Staff still cared. But I have been checking the forums and logging in from time to time, and I couldn't see any indication for that.
Mostly this. I think flooding the server with scrolls and masks might not be great for the economy right now, but it's also given me an opportunity to get started on this server, so I'm not really complaining. Anyone who has ever played UO knows how easy it is to treat it like an extension of our lives, but let's keep in mind that it's a game. This is free to play and the closest thing to the 'real' UO experience I'm sure any of us have taken part in. If staff are busy IRL or have periods of waning interest, just like the players, we can cut them a little bit of slack. The quality is high here. Generally, UOR is in great shape and it's on us to manage our own expectations. There is a lot of fun stuff to do in game and if you're not having any fun, maybe step away for a week or two. Admittedly, I've been here for a couple months, but I'm sure I'll experience the same feelings toward the game down the road at some point. This isn't meant to sound patronising, apologies if it does. I think we all experience this at different times because we care about the game so much, and that's not a bad thing.
First and foremost, I need to make a disclaimer that I've certainly felt the same frustrations you're experiencing, and even expressed them in much much worse ways. But maybe you should cut Chris some slack? Taking a break from UO is practically a necessity in my eyes (even for Telamon) - or else you become a pixel crazed maniac! I get why you think the Christmas event is a "major thing" that deserves such careful attention. But if the elves are spawning still, they're available to everyone, so that doesn't even cause any imbalance. (Unless you factor in previous events, and the effect it may have on the price of holiday coin. But I'd argue people who have been here longer, had it easier in the past anyways.) People get mad when the events start late, and now when they end late too? Sometimes you just need to learn to pick your battles. Edit: The excellent community you mention should be the reason you play here. Any more questions?
Wow, really. So glad the real world doesn't have illness, ice storms, flooding, craziness at work, families, etc. Oh yeah, and tons of hours working on things, that is basically for fun for other people, without pay. Our staff here is fantastic, Yeah, there are going be times when a few things don't get done, or appears that way. Perhaps because of all the stuff going on in the "back ground" which the players know nothing about until the update posts are made. Or that maybe the staff is working on the most important things first.
yer so on-the-money with this. aaaaaahhhhhh HAHAHA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! my own personal input is I hate dealing with the elves. because I might be on some mission of my own and then I see one on my way somewhere. then I feel compelled to kill it, so I switch toons. THEN I am all hot and bothered and wanna kill a few more. now I am distracted and the original mission is in jeopardy! I will celebrate when their reign of terror comes to an end...
On careful consideration I come to this polite conclusion: Fuck you all. Foremost El Horno and Gideon, naturally. I hope you all drown in these fucking xmas scrolls, and go put them where they anyway belong, in IDERPs asses when all your fucking houses soon drop, because you are too bored to live with the actual and real UO. This shitty event is making only very few people really rich, but sure everybody is happy about that little piece of cake that they try to earn while the whole bullshit economy collapses. You guys don't realize that a shard with staff that isn't handing out any updates on the homepage or in the forums, and is giving a fuck about their own schedules is bound to die. Fucking Thanksgiving wasn't even once officially announced. Call me whatever you want, ungrateful, whiner whatever, the fact in the end is, that schedules are shit upon and the information policy is the worst. Now go fuck some more stupid elves, you fuckers, until fucking easter eggs and the fucking rabbits show up. Oh wait, fucking Valentines with fucking pink fuckers will first show up. Yeah, have fun in your anti-Renaissance era fantasy event shard. I am out. Fuckers. PS: Rigged fantasy client numbers don't proof anything. PPS: Fuckers.
I really don't think it is due to lack of caring. Chris has created a mostly great environment for us to play here, and the simple fact is there really aren't that many UO player run shards in existence anymore. We're all getting older, and the older we get (at least me speaking from personal experience) is that it is hard to find time to dedicate to games like this - whether playing or maintaining a server. It's often hard for me to find time to dedicate to playing like I once did, and that's from the perspective of a player. I could never imaging dedicating the kind of time Chris does to run this place. It takes a toll on you over time. If this was a paid service, and he was doing this as a job to make income, I'd expect more, but that simply isn't the case. He is running this place for us, for free. I'm just greatful he still keeps the server and gives us all somewhere to play UO.