Special Occasions !! xmas, easter etc

[salamando]

I think it would be quite cool if christmas time came around and a santa claus came with raindeer etc.. i never got that as a kid because obviously it isnt real but you could do it in the game and he could give out presents and stuff... same with easter with a bunny. Also for new years we could have virtual fireworks and other things. It may seem like a stupid idea to some of you but i think it would be really exciting !!

Thanks for listening people

Salamando

[Kiern]

Great idea except Planeshift should have it\'s own holidays, since christmas makes no sense as there are different religous beliefs in-game (although may they might happen to take place during the same time )

Holidays could be made from major events that are made throughout the game, including regular religous holidays...that\'d be fun

[kyp14]

yeh i\'d like to see holidays to but not christmas and easter as these are celebrating jesus birth and death and ressurection what i\'d like to see is somthing that resembles these holidays eg celebrate talads birth(christmas) and maybe his death(easter)at the hands of some evil creature to protect the greator good and then maybe a day celebrating his coming back to life (One of the other days of easter) and defeating of the monster

this way in the planeshift world holidays can mimic our ones so when i\'m having my christmas and easter holidays i can play planeshift and theres a speacil event oon which i can join in because i\'m on holidays and not at work

[paxx]

Among the devs we have often spoken about celebrating some of the cool party holidays in the game.

Aprils fools, and Halloween come most easily to mind but St Patties and others could also be involved.  The main issue is for it to be fun for those who want to partake and not annoying for those who don?t. for the family/religious holidays?Easter, X-mas, Hanukkah, thanksgiving (for the US) and such will be avoided not cause we are trying not to offend, but because we are likely calibrating with our families and not really paying attention to the game.

Fat Tuesday or the ?Carnival? might be played on?though religious in nature as is Saint Patrick?s  it is really a  cool celebration and party affair, so for those things we might do something.

As for giving them a PS setting?we may, we may not?it might just be a giant GM event...lots of drinking and music, or it might be made into a PS thing, but since the calendar in the game and the one in RL are not synced?who knows what will happen, I don?t think we should do a ton of custom scripting for something that will be happening for only 4 hours every month or two and that only certain people will enjoy?we should target things we can celebrate for 48 hours and that as many people as possible can enjoy.

[Thynett]

paxxx, are you also planning to make GM animated campains (I don\'t know if I translated it right..), divided into several scenario, like in a pen and paper RPG ?

(those campaigns would last several months, and each scenario could be played in one day... I don\'t know if that\'s something common among MMORPGs...)

[Axioma]

I like the holidays thingie. I really do.

I agree with paxx, maybe it would just be a lot more fun do have those GM events than having the holidays. Holidays are fun, but i know i wouldn\'t be playing on christmas or any other real-life holidays...

[beza1e1]

Yes i like this great-party events

The most important thing is, that we get fireworks and decorations for a big party. Think of Gandalfs fireworks at  Bilbos birthday party! That would be gigantic

I know that i won\'t be online on Christmas, but perhaps some lost souls without a nice family would want to celebrate their geeky christmas in Planeshift ...

[Xalthar]

In-game festivals would rock! but they would also require player participation beyond the usual...

[paxx]

Thynett:
No, what I mean by GM events is really a lot shorter then that?call it an adventure. While in paper and pencil it might take weeks?cause things are happening in super slow motion, in these games something can happen quick.

But these are things out of the ordinary, they might further the story line of the game world?or just be a sub plot, or it might be that players just have not solved some hidden quest that needs solving for something else major to happen (upgrade or whatever) and the Devs are sick of waiting so we walk people though it in a fun way.


To all others
I agree that the online Christmas thing might be nice?but it might just be scripted or some such?and not allow guild wars or arena slaying but instead drunk races or massive scavenger hunts. Something fun something that brings people together in a nice way?or we can just have free drinks at a couple bars that last only a couple hours so you don?t have people hording them to sell back.

As for implementing cool graphics for special events?that is a tall order, getting graphics people to do things that will only be used once or once a year is hard.

[Fanomatic2000]

This subject has been brought up before. Can\'t you go on with an older thread rather than making a new one?
Anyway, I like the idea about holidays, but honestly, eastern, cristmas, Hanukkah? No way! X(
It would be pretty stupid to add RL-holidays to a imagined world (exept for your characters birth-day of course), thus people belive in different things. It would be unfair to add christian holidays, but not Buddhistic holidays.

Don\'t ruin the athmosphere by adding RL-holidays to the game.

[paxx]

I am not sure what to say fanomatic2000?having 20 holidays once every month or 2 months (whatever the game year becomes) is possible but lessens it to the point of ignoring it.

Why celebrate RL events? Nice point to have a sense of community, if you truly think a game will make people be 100% engrossed in the world?either you need a life or you put a really high bar for this game, I am sure some of the devs share your view point?but I feel it is unrealistic.

As for people marking holidays other then Halloween or ? Christian?  holidays?sure. But it will require someone to do it, I can guaranty Halloween?probably Aprils fools, the rest are debatable. Also Guilds will be empowered to hold events and even rent arenas (hopefully) so they can do what they wish.

There will probably many GMs and some will have the power to allow certain things to take place.

But as for really marking a date?depends who is there and willing to do it, as such X-mas has a better chance then flag day.      

As far as unfair to not be totally PC?you are way talking to the wrong crowd I think, at least for me?if someone does it and has no buggs add it in, but to say we must do every holiday that everyone has?LOL

We will probably limit server wide calibrations to Halloween?it is the best celebration of fantasy.  As for it?s reason for being or if people find it offensive?cool. People care enough to be pissed about a game celebrating a holiday.

[Fanomatic2000]

Well, that\'s a matter of taste, but personally I don\'t find it very tasteful to add christmas, eastern or halloween (!), into a culture that hasn\'t ever been in contact with earth or its inhabitants.
Perhaps I\'m just whiny, but when I\'m playing a fantasy-game I wanna play a \"fantasy\" game.

Why don\'t people name themselves \"Anders\", \"Julian\" or \"Sally\" too? *sulking*

[paxx]

I am not saying it will be ?Halloween? in the game per say with ?trick or treating? but there might be some goofy quests, a lot of fog everywhere?more undead then there is on any other day of the year, things like that.

Hell, the Devs might dress up as goblins and have the players try and kill them.

For x-mas free lizard egg nogg, some snow, more bards then usual?hell I don?t see having a fat Elf in a red coat flying around offering Gifts to newbies as out of the realm.

A game is meant to be fun. A MMORPG is as much about the game as about the community.

Extra tournaments on superbowl Sunday??? Who knows but I see nothing wrong with it.

To have ?Easter? in the game, I would see as a bit odd, but having a huge scavenger hunt all day Easter what is the harm?

[Fanomatic2000]

Dressed up goblins? a fat Elf in a red coat flying around??? *horror* 8o
Can\'t say that I support the RL-holidays idea (not that it matters)

[beza1e1]

I think these thing will fall into their places, if the days come. If the community wants to party, let them. If not, forget about it.

I think party stuff should be included anyways. If it is used for a christmas party or after the dark army was beaten ... it would  push the nice feeling to even higher levels.