Why not just make our own events better?

[David Joker Potanus]

Greetings everyone. With the recent changes to Mayhem and summer migration and discussions about how we feel left out in this decision process. I got to thinking ... maybe if is time for some of us LA owners to try and come up with better things to try and keep players engaged in the meantime?

I don't think we can reinvent the wheel or even truly compare to the scope of a Mayhem but we could do something fun and different all the same. We are players ourselves generally and interactive in the forums as well so we have potential to listen and engage the audience in ways that Mindark may not.

I have heard two things recently about Mayhem and migration that I think we could help with.
1. The tax on mini mayhem left quite a few people with bad experiences because the tax is somewhat high and it seemed the loot wasn't exciting. Players didn't feel like the item loot had any real meaning or value, without the boxes or Mayhem armor they didn't have much to look forward to other than normal CP drops. There wasn't something they could sell later or some sort of ped coming back in, they basically came up there and walked away with whatever it was worth right when they left CP.

2. Summer Mayhem is canceled and there isn't talks on migration yet. Our high end hunters need something to chew on for a little bit during the summer months. People want to shoot some high level stuff but they need a reason, something to draw out a glimmer of excitement in their game play.

Let's discuss ways that as land owners we can try and do what we can to be different and help engage or grow the players ourselves. We are some of the biggest investors and believers in this game, we could do what we can to grow it better also! If we are hoping for MA to jump on here right now and listen, engage the players and change something I don't think they seem to operate that way. We can though!

Here is what I am trying to do with Khorum Coast so far:

I can't really not charge a tax because that is just the nature of the beast owning an LA. I am trying to find the sweet spot for what the land takes VS. gives back to the players. KC tax is below 4% and I have a shares system where the land pays back half the months profit back to the players. I don't truly know if that somehow makes the tax cut better and hopefully closer to 2% for some players in the end. I did think of going really low around 2% tax on the land in general and no share system but I wasn't sure where the incentive to come hunt would still be.
Khorum also pays bounty rewards on any items found during a hunt at KC that hasn't been claimed yet that month. If you are the first person to loot a Zadul plush or a Bullseye scope in June and post proof you get a reward. I realize most the drops are probably going to be TT food at this point still but hopefully this gives some sort of value to players and a reason to loot it.

I apologize for yet another long post of mine but I am interested to see where we can go with this and hopefully do what we can to listen to our players more ourselves!

 

[David Joker Potanus]

What kind of changes to how lands are generally run would you players want? Where is the level of tax that would generally be acceptable to most hunters?

The goal would be to create a little hunting reward or excitement within the boundaries of what we can do as land owners. To keep hunters coming back long term and leaving happy and making sure no one feels like a dairy cow waiting to be milked.

 

[halftoasted]

if is time for some of us LA owners to try and come up with better things to try and keep players engaged in the meantime?

The would be nice. Sometime I feel many land owners take their land, offer a gimmick type of prize to avoid the MA slapping of the past and just let it die as an automation. I dont judge how the prize is handled. Part of tax, points, whatever the prize. I often feel it's just a "Come pay 5% taxes, if you win. You get enough to have paid 3% to -2%. IF LUCKY" In concept it's not bad especially if you have MU or mission calling you there. I dont judge the setup and maybe it's a thing to stay! Still, for any users it get bland. Just as bland as those who have "fake swirls" from high end spending arnt even that happy when they get a decent one anymore because they start with bland expectations that it's probably another fake one and go "Oh.. That was kinda good" if it's nice. It's not a state even LA like when they play themselves regardless of location.

Spoiler: CLD and AUD prizes are bland and pointless

CLD prizes are nice... But why dont you guys have prizes that give some of the valuables resources in demand of the land?

Land owner now need to make sure they have stocks which favor MU which favor hunters that will favor your land.
You give it back in prize luring hunters and maybe even some crafters that part time hunt. This create MU increase by LA buying chunk of the resources and said resources often being either used or sold in stack leaving everyone else in demand because that 1-2 crafters wanted it all(be it that winner or a friend of his).

This in turn raise demand to hunt outside the main events for your resources, generate activity and generate more value to said prizes.
Any prize can be worth a CLD and it give the opportunity to decide if you wanna use the resource, sell it to quick or slow shop a CLD or even sit on it hoping MU go up. Isnt a CLD worth of pyrite more fun ? Or anything that can sell if wanted ?

Spoiler: Land Owners often know cycling but do not understand the business/industrial nature of their land(s)

If you have specific loot. Why not pay more for it instead? If LA owner who give tax return invested as many peds into buying their harvesters resources instead of giving tax return, those harvesters(hunt/mine) would play there more rewarding ALL rare mats from your land.

Even if you have a rare loot found another land owner has it doesnt matter because if all LA owners do it. Then MU, then hunters. Air miles and other points cards in real are all the same. They generate value and caused a MU increase into the IRL stores that even non card user have to pay. Sooner you get in, sooner it work... If other lands dont drop it anymore because LA bought it. They will farm where it is. I believe in that theory even if I could be wrong and others do. They will follow belief as everyone else. If loot is too dry? It's time to make prizes of the resources in fun events.

As land owners mass lot of resources that can be given as prizes in later events, the MU raise giving their prize more value with a MU going too high become a sign of lacking drop for consumption level. I feel many LA owner(not targeting anyone) would think to sell on auction and skip the opportunity to say "Hey! Instead of auction fees, I can pay event fees to generate hunting"
As it is, it's like a gold miner that pay taxes to work in a gold mine but get told to go to the flea market and pay for a stand (auction) in order to try sell his stuff at whatever seeing the owner doesnt like gold.

1. The tax on mini mayhem left quite a few people with bad experiences because the tax is somewhat high and it seemed the loot wasn't exciting.

if is time for some of us LA owners to try and come up with better things to try and keep players engaged in the meantime?

Those two things do look weird together but ok. I do agree people didn't like taxes for mini mayhem and wont go further to stay on topic. I just find it strange to bring it up as a LA topic because it is LA reality. What really should be the focus of LA is how they can flavor FOR the tax penalty. <--- Once that is solved.. 2%-5%. No one care.

LA owners need to do something.. That's for sure. I think more creativity in the prizes is something needed but Im sure a lot more work need to be done. Still.. The engine and capacity of LA owners has it's limit.

Most land owner who have quality loot don't even invest in their own diamond mine at their site.(That's how diamonds gain value) I never really seen anywhere in the world like it. Maybe that is a BIG issue.
Even the places IRL where you actually dig for diamond, gold or whatever for a day to keep what you find will have a location there to buy should you sell to the land owner.

 

[KimBoom]

I LOVE ENTROPIAGOLD

 

[Alainax]

I do often scroll past LA events, not that I mind the tax so much but they are usually overly complicated. I do appreciate the time and effort the owners put into the event, I can imagine it takes quite a bit of work.

I think the main issue, and kinda feel for LA owners working in loot 2.0, is the tax. So many people are trying to be efficient, get better gear, better looter levels etc, that all and any tax is a hinderance. The whole LA system could be re-worked so much better. If there was a way that you could truly control your mob spawns, things could be a lot different. Imagine an LA that has a desirable mob to hunt, in perfect density and maturity, if you can work it in such a way that will encourage the high cyclers to come, the tax could be a fraction of a percent and still make more than 5% with a crap spawn, poor mobs, and no maturities.

Just my thoughts, I may well be wrong, my island has no mobs, most of the time

 

[David Joker Potanus]

I got to admit I was hoping for a little more talking and discussion about what we can do on our own to make the game more engaging and worthwhile for players as land owners.
The last week or so on this forum has been nothing but how terrible of an idea the Mini mayhems have been and land tax is the devil. Yet no one wants to come up with ideas to make it better? Easier to just complain about things than take a minute to think of a solution I guess. *sigh*

Well I still want to grow Khorum Coast and turn it into a land area that players want to play at. I am always willing to listen to feedback and change when necessary. Y'all got a LA owner here with open ears and I am passionate about owning my land!

 

[Xanato Xan Kaso]

I do often scroll past LA events, not that I mind the tax so much but they are usually overly complicated. I do appreciate the time and effort the owners put into the event, I can imagine it takes quite a bit of work.

I think the main issue, and kinda feel for LA owners working in loot 2.0, is the tax. So many people are trying to be efficient, get better gear, better looter levels etc, that all and any tax is a hinderance. The whole LA system could be re-worked so much better. If there was a way that you could truly control your mob spawns, things could be a lot different. Imagine an LA that has a desirable mob to hunt, in perfect density and maturity, if you can work it in such a way that will encourage the high cyclers to come, the tax could be a fraction of a percent and still make more than 5% with a crap spawn, poor mobs, and no maturities.

Just my thoughts, I may well be wrong, my island has no mobs, most of the time

Something to add, is Mindark offers very little assistance to land area owners and can take forever to respond. I was running events on ayida last year and we added a dna with the expectation that the mob would spawn on the half of the island that had no mobs on it. But could not remove it afterwards, and the mob made it unfun for the hunters that were participating. It took MA 2 months to finally remove it which by that time killed any forward momentum we had.

And continuing iwth Ayida, there are only 2 DNA's on the island, one sumima and one scipulor. Mindark wont let the owner acquire any new dna's of those types, and there is no way currently to make new ones. So we were unable to make the spawn density high enough to sustain a higher level player.

There is so much potential in this game that is just being wasted, And it is sad.