I agree with Zyler. But if you truly wish to give it away below is my suggestion: Rules: No one who already owns on any of their accounts or co-owns: A tower, Small Keep, Large Keep,Castle or Fortress can enter. ( I'm sure Telamon or Sam; if given ample time, will help you out with finding out if contestants do own) 1st part of contest: Have players write here in a thread why they feel they should have a Fortress. You pick 8 players or more or less ( up to you) 2nd part of contest: Hold a shard event inside the Fortress to determine winner. Invite everyone to come watch. The event can be via dice roll using the dice cup already in came. Two at a time roll, than the winners roll off, than the final two roll. In case of tie, roll dice again until tie is broken. Or hold a duel, Something like Friday Fight Nights. Same thing, two fight at a time, than the final two winners pair off. Good luck with this. Hope someone who truly needs it will get the fortress. thank you Marjo Governess of Wispfelt Westra on IRC
Even if someone didn't have the video editing skills, maybe they could come up with ideas, in game pics/video, or an essay on why this shard is the best of them all.
Some good ideas in here. The promotional video would eliminate many but definitely helps the shard. Might even get me to reinstall old software even though I would have no idea what to do with a fort. I suggest giving it away in whatever way promotes an aspect that you really like about the server. You should get some enjoyment out of it. Alternatively give it to someone whose name is a palindrome.
Place hundreds of bags around the server with a single key inside, winning bag contains a key that'll open the front door! Just wait it out and if no-one appears.....find a noob!
How about a scavenger hunt-style contest where a single bag w/ key will be waiting at the end of the rainbow?
Whoa! My idea would be to get everyone who wants it inside the fort at a specific time and make sure nobody is friended. Lock down two tables in front of the doors. The last person standing inside the fort gets it. No tamers allowed. No rules about looting. It is up to the new owner's disgression if he lets anyone back in to get their stuff and/or party in their new fort.
The promo video is dumb tbh. Not even in the top 5 best ideas so far in this thread. Videos don't mean shit unless you can get the right people to view them. I can make the most awesome promo video ever made... and it will not help this shard one iota if you cannot get it to the right audience. Maybe try to figure out who is the better marketer, not who has the most time and badass video editing software. Not sure how you would judge the logistics of that idea, but that's your problem now isn't it? hah
The real work is everything you mentioned BESIDES making the actual video. Give the fortress to those who succeed with THAT instead.
If the contest involved internet marketing I'd feel obligated to partake... and then we'd be right back where we started.
Only if you won! Personally though, I've always had most fun with in game events, when it comes to giveaways.
Hold the fortress for an undisclosed period of time. After interest has waned, leave the winning key in a mailbox on the steps with instructions on how to officially become the new owner.
Here is a winning idea if the act of giving something away, is what you personally enjoy: Step 1: Set up a vendor and sell boxes for 10k, or 20k, or whatever you want... Basically a raffle. One of the boxes has a golden ticket. That ticket gets the fortress Step 2: Take all that money and give it away also. Step 3: Enjoy having given 2 massive things away instead of just one! Step 4: Maybe take that gold you make from the raffle. And pay off random peoples bids on the trade forum.. like picking up some strangers tab in a restaurant ya know?
I disagree with this being a "dumb" idea. Having the right audience without anything to show them is pointless. Having a potentially great video made and THEN finding said audience would obviously be how that would go and if someone made a worthy video it would be allowed to spread to countless audiences potentially in the future....