Weekend Events: Feedback and Ideas [official]

Citan said he was going to start a thread asking for ideas for weekend events, but I am impatient so I going to post now. Add your own, or just supply feedback about Rabbit Invasion and Summer Experience Events.

Help spirits move on Weekend.
Evil spirits are dragging spirits back from the brink of crossing over, creating twisted Spirit stones and trapping the spirits here. Your job is to get 5 twisted Spirit Stones, heal them, collect the corrected spirit stone and report your success to the NPC that assigned the task.
This task is complicated by Visages of Demise actively trying to stop you from healing the twisted stones.
So you pick up 5 twisted stones from probably Hogan and then you have to deploy them one at a time, you wait while they power up, then sprinkle them with uncross oil which needs to be available from say Jumjab ( or just say fetish bags if making the oil readily available difficult). You wait some more time then the spirit stone is a regular spirit stone when collected. Once the stone is deployed that triggers 1 or a few Visage of Demise which home in on the spirit stone, which they will destroy if they reach it, but will turn their attention to who ever attacks them.
So basically like rabbit invasion, only spirit stones get a temporary plant like 3 stage object/life cycle, and the rabbits are replaced with Visages of Demise.
Reward
Spirit stones that you created
Compassion XP

Derelict Ships at the Docks.
In Serbule and Rahu, NPCs tell of Derelict ships that have washed up near the docks. No crew is found on board, but thousand of Plague ridden Rats inhabit the ships. They are trying to make there way inland, and you have been asked to help stop them. Your Job stop 12 Plague rats from escaping and report your success to the NPC that assigned the task.
New temporary Object: Burrow, object for the rats to target and destroy, a burrow destroyed also removes the rat that destroyed it from the game as well.
Burrow spawn around the edge of the dock in Serbule and near the wall and stairs from the docks into Rahu. The Burrow then trigger the spawn of rats that target those burrows. If the ratio of destroyed burrows got too large to the ratio of killed rats then the quest is failed. Ideally there is a sense of tension and the player can see how close to winning or losing the quest they are with the usual quest log and messages.

So basically like rabbit invasion, only burrows get temporarily added, and the rabbits are replaced with Sewer Rats.
Reward (Because of your efforts not some much medical supplies were needed)
First Aid kits
Healing Potions

It would be interesting if a way could be found to have it be a game wide total. So maybe there is a goal, if 1000 rats are killed better Potion and First Aid Kits are given. Maybe use some of the tech from Guild Quests, treat everyone as part of one big guild for the event totals.


Medical Emergencies
Fever has broken out
Deliver basic skinning knives and course cotton yarn to Amutasa in Rahu
Deliver basic potion ingredients to Mycena Mushroom Flakes, Heart, Sugar to Yetta
Deliver cures to the unknown ill NPCs in various towns.
Like the Summer Experience event

Rat Appreciation Weekend
Complete a list of tasks to make rats happy
Cheese, nesting materials, delivered to Gisli or Rita on behalf of the rats.

Slug Invasion Weekend
Slugs are invading the gardens, use beer to lure them away from the garden and take them out.
So basically like rabbit invasion

Toys for Ursula
Find the calm Ursula NPC and she will give you a wish list of toys she wants. Fill the list and she gives you some treasure. Items might include yarn dolls, figurines, things like yo-yo or teddy bear things which might be on temporary offer/Barter from other NPC during the weekend.

Hate Wave
Two NPC have come under attack by unknown assailents. Gretchen Salas and the Skeleton Minion of Daniel Murderdark. Bring a list of items to each to patch them up. First Aid stuff to Gretchen. Rib bones, femurs, skull (for a new jaw) for the skeleton, maybe arm bone. Both won't move around during the weekend but will be laying down in or near their shop or home. Expect both to be grumbly and not completely grateful for the assistance.

Sentient Flame in trouble
Someone has dosed the Sentient Flame in Serbule and Velkort needs you to round up some stuff to help it out. (Fire Dust, Salt Peter, Sulfer, wood, paper)

Search and Rescue
New NPC passing through Serbule have got lost and need to be found and rescued. Take a fire work and find one of the roaming NPCs, and set off the firework to let the search parties know were to pick them up. NPCs roam along the edges of the map.

The Impossible has happened.
The elves have had a bad orgy. It was a total disaster, something that is completely unheard of. The Elves won't be able to live with themselves if they have to remember the event or know that anyone there remembers. So help them out by deliving Memory Inhibitor to each party goer and if you track them all down, you get a reward.

Novel November Weekend
Submit a book to Petra or Hogan and get a reward. Maybe the topic can be assigned at the start of the weekend. Reward a Poetry Book or Calligraphy scroll. Maybe split it up between people writing and people reading and judging the books afterward.

Fireworks Display
Go To set locations on the map and launch a firework at midnight game time. Maybe players are given a quest map, which is like a mining map but nothing collected at the given location it shows, it just leads the player to where to set off the firework. And each person has a random chance of getting a different location on the map.

Random Vendor Dropped Box Weekend.
Some Traveling trader was unknowingly dropping vending boxes from his cart and they are scattered all over the map, find them and purchase their wares at bargain prices.

Lana Songtree's All Out Love Offensive
Lana has decided that this is the weekend that she is going to capture Durstin Tallow heart. She needs you to gather supplies for the operation. Flowers, Silk, Ingredients for Durstin's favourite meal, perfume, candle (stumps).
Reward
Pink Knitwear (mitts, hat, sweater) All with bonus bodyheat.



I think Events should be setup so that a basic part of the event is fairly easy to accomplish, but more advanced tasks are available for better rewards and longer play time for higher level players.

Hey ShieldBreaker, thanks for your initiative !

Citan's comment also got me thinking. Here are some of my ideas regarding weekend events

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Search for specific items:
* (provided this is possible of course) : re-use the spawn locations of fruit and/or wood and/or mushrooms and have items spawn in there as well.
* have the people search and collect these 'special event' items
* uses for the special items
--- make them Work Order tradeable
--- consider to make them automatically disappear after 2 weeks
--- have special event NPC with a Bartering option to use them items
--- a special event NPC can offer 3 different Quests (for say 3 or 10 or 25 of the items)

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Make a boss spawn:
* after doing some specific action (collect an easy mushroom ; collect a crab; collect a 'special event item' = see above)
* have a chance to make some EASY boss spawn (the event should be solo doable for a newish player; say level 30 combat skills)
(I was thinking of the Big Head boss from the 'Tutorial island dungeon'
* get cursed by the boss
* slay the boss

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sight seeing / exploration
* interact with all 8 of the Eltibule Moon-statues
* spawn 8 NPC's on specific location in the 3 starter zones (serbule, South serbule and Eltibule) and visit each of the NPC's.
--- nature appreciation : possible locations : the waterfall in Eltibule; druid circle in Sun Vale;
--- climb to the top : place the NPC's on accessible but high locations. (on top of hills / stones)
--- visit the dungeons : (place the NPC's in an easy accessible place (at the start) of 5 dungeons; Do not make it a Must to kill bosses

* kill 12 rats (at least 1 in the sewers ; at least 1 in serbule ; at least 1 on starter island; at least 1 in Eltibule; the other 8 dont matter where)
* alternatively : instead of killing the rats: charm a rat (once in each Zone)

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social interaction:
* /tip a fellow player ; do this 3 times
* do a trade with someone
* say something in chat
* group up
* play some music

##

get players gently out of their comfort zone:
* do some easy Carpentry
* do some easy Gardening
* do some easy Cooking
* do some fishing

##

Give players a choice in what activity they want to contribute:
* a special event NPC will offer 20 bartering options
--- 2 for fish turn in
--- 2 for gardening
--- 2 for mushroom
--- 2 for alchemy
...
--- 2 for cheesemaking

each of the turn ins would result in a certain number of ' special event tokens'
(Note: I am not saying each of the Bartering would result in the same number of tokens; certain tasks / items are easier to complete than others)

* after collecting 10 tokens; the overarching event is complete.

Great ideas above! I'll just post my feedback from the last two weekend events. Being a lower level melee character the one time I tried to do the rabbit event someone else was there killing the rabbits before I could get to them, so I just left frustrated after a few minutes. Granted, I could have come back or waited for them to finish, but perhaps some kind of credit share for being in the area or spawning the rabbits could work.

Really liked the Summer Event, it got me doing a variety of things and gave me some unique rewards I hadn't seen before.

1. ShieldBreaker’s Fireworks idea got me thinking.
While I remember the incident that was Halloween 2014, I feel that similar event quests could exist based on Druid event tech. Every so often, goblins could “advance” into Eltibule, or increase in density in South Serbule. Perhaps Nelson Ballard is worried about the Goblin advance, and requests that you work with Velkort to assemble small explosives that must be activated near goblin “camps” which spawn. I’d imagine the camps to be just a fire, crate, and a tent or two, with 3 or 4 goblins. 10-12 preset spots could be set for them to spawn at random in South Serbule, and players could be asked to defeat the goblins and set fire/burn the tents.
The main issue I see is high-level players traveling to lower level zones and overwhelming others trying to complete the events. Perhaps different quests could be given depending on a player’s endurance or notoriety?

If Notoriety <= 30, Player is sent to South Serbule to destroy a camp.
If Notoriety >30 and Notoriety <=60, Player is sent to gather Saltpeter, Fire Dust, and possibly sent to Eltibule to find a spawned named goblin boss.
If Notoriety >60, Player is sent by Nelson as an envoy to ask for help from an event NPC/Council employee/Nelson’s old friend currently planning something in Gazluk. This NPC asks for something related to killing off some of the Snowblood Orcs in secret.

2. For an unrelated scavenger hunt event, Eleme could hear rumors about Sumer Court fairies hiding in Kur/Gazluk/Eltibule, and send players to find these NPCs and give them maps back to Sun Vale.

3. Events similar to Summer Experience that match up with Lore-based holidays. It’s been mentioned that many of the deities have days or festivities named after them… so let’s see a few. Dale Renthian is just begging for an event. “The Gods, vol XIV” says “And even now, Dale Renthian is the most common god to be found among human civilizations. If you come across and older human, covered in spilled paint, arguing with himself, it may be Dale Renthian. Buy him a beer and see what he has to say. he is generally friendly and is welcome in any Council City, but be warned that he has formidable powers. One of his most dangerous powers is that of persuasion, for he has many radical and foolish ideas.”

I could see Dale being used as an excuse to send players on ridiculous combinations of tasks designed to introduce different skills or mechanics.

Great ideas in here so far, so let's just make this the official thread: if you have more ideas for weekend events, and/or feedback on the past two events, please post it here!

Feedback on Rabbit Invasion and Summer Experience Events

Rabbit Invasion was really fun, the only drawback was it was unclear if you where kill stealing or helping most of the time.

Summer Experience was cool, but seemed short, only took a little time to complete and then the event was pretty much over for you. Got people dancing though :) If it was coupled with a buff that was rewarded when you complete that would have really added. I think firewood Season, so you can continue to gather wood for your camp fires, and/or a buff that lets you swim faster or longer (so you can go enjoy the lakes).

Also if you set the weekend event buffs up so they get added to your character on login on the specific days of the event and add a buff for so many hours. One you don't have to manual turn them off anymore, because the adding is tied to the date you only need to clean that bit of code when you are getting ready for the next event. Two, players would know exactly how long till their bonus inventory spaces or gathering buff last which just makes it easier from them.

Weekend Event Idea
We really need a weekend event where you get Buffs to underwater speed and breathing. Just a regular old weekend buff like that would be good :D

The summer event was really more detailed for those of us who had to beg for enough wool to finish the quest to get dancing ^-^

I only skimmed the first post in this thread (Sorry, ShieldBreaker!) and then I didn't have a chance to read more for a while. So I initially missed some of these gems ...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShieldBreaker

The Impossible has happened.
The elves have had a bad orgy. It was a total disaster, something that is completely unheard of. The Elves won't be able to live with themselves if they have to remember the event or know that anyone there remembers. So help them out by deliving Memory Inhibitor to each party goer and if you track them all down, you get a reward.

---

... and now I can't stop laughing.

Bad orgies aside, I am loving these ideas!

Currently the weekend buffs / weekend event all work toward 1 specific reward.

Have you considered / would it be possible to give the players the choice on which activities they would complete (or possibly easier, which items they turn in) and then give them the choice of the buff they would like to receive for the next 3 hours.

as an example :
first:
turn in 20 fish -> get 2 tokens
turn in 20 wood -> get 2 tokens
kill 3 Manticores -> get 2 tokens

and secondary:
option A. spend 10 tokens -> get a 3 hour buff to run speed
option B. spend 10 tokens -> get a 3 hour buff to gardening (10% chance to yield 1 extra)

I'd like to see events that promote doing certain dungeons and more events that let you try new things, like that spider event a while back

Blood Moon Rising
While every full moon has a frenzying effect on those infected with lycanthropy, the infamous Blood Moon is far worse than than your ordinary full moon.
The werewolves gathered in Kur have been driven to bloodthirst and ferocity that is exceptional even for them. Even Norala herself cannot resist the Blood Moon's madness.
- Kur's wolf cave becomes much more dangerous for the event. In exchange, the bosses drop Seething Wolf Blood which can given to Norala's altar for cool rewards
- The Blood Moon's madness causes Norala to accept even those without lycanthropy as her champions, and she is even willing to transform them into wolves temporarily(I.E. You get to try out wolf form for the weekend, but do not become a lycanthrope and can leave wolf form at any time by speaking with Norala's altar)
- Rewards for Seething Wolf Blood could include things like enchanted wolf armor, additional tokens for werewolves, and various weapons for nonwolves



Khyrulek's Call
Feeling a bit bored of her solitary confinement, Khyrulek has decided to invite some visitors to her crypt. She has given her various guardians tokens for adventurers to collect, which she will trade for secrets and wisdom from the greatest necromancer in the world.
- Khyrulek's crystal moves to the entrance of the crypt during the event
- Crypt bosses will drop Necromantic Tokens to collect
- Presenting these tokens to Khyrulek will allow you to earn various rewards such as experience in necromancy or fire magic, stronger versions of her signature wand, or maybe even the chance to hear her recite some of her poetry(which are basically just gory horror stories that rhyme, but they're entertaining nonetheless)



Dreva's Purge
Dreva has ordered a preemptive strike against the growing orc forces, inviting all who would take up arms against them to join the crusade
- Players gain a buff that increases damage dealt to orcs for the event
- The event counts as a druid event(without the penalties) and druids will receive Dreva blessings for taking part in the crusade against the orcs. Normal druid events will not occur during this event
- Dreva will provide transportation to a temporary druid assault camp outside gazluk keep



Crazed Cattle Carnage
Clarisse the Cow Conquerer has rallied an army of furious cattle to her cause and has declared moo on the two legged races of the world. Her terrifying battle herd has come to serbule for its latest campaign
- Clarisse's war camp arrives in serbule's southern hills, guarded by elite cattle warriors who will attack any two leggers on sight. Cow players will be welcomed in their midst, and other herbivore animals will be tolerated, but will have to prove their worth. Carnivores will be viewed as threats and attacked
- Nelson Ballard will begin recruiting a militia to defend against the cattle attacks. Harry the Wolf will also assist from the shadows, recruiting carnivores to join in the defense
- Periodically, platoons of cattle conquerers will attack serbule keep, which the defenders must defeat lest serbule fall into Clarisse's hooves
- Defenders will be rewarded with plenty of beef, which Nelson and Harry will be willing to teach you some fun new ways to cook
- Meanwhile, Clarisse will task her new recruits with gathering supplies to support the war effort. Grass, first aid bombs and cow barding are all essential to keep the battle herd in fighting shape
- Clarisse will reward support with recipes for the various cheeses she has invented, and is willing to part with cheesemaking supplies such as milk, whey and rennet



Wooly Menace
Something sinister is stirring is South Serbule. The sheep appear to be amassing in terrifying numbers. For what foul purpose, we cannot know. Whatever evils these fluffy balls of malice are planning, they must be stopped.
- Roving bands of sinister sheep overtake South Serbule
- Aside from dropping huge amounts of wool, they also make for a decent source of experience, provided you don't get overwhelmed
- Could possibly also have a similar sheep invasion in Kur and Gazluk



Super Snails
Gigantic snails have been spotted in Eltibule, even larger than usual. Sie Antry is offering rewards to adventurers who kill them.
- Elite snails show up around Eltibule, designed for groups to kill
- Drops lots of snail shells and sinews, as well as mysterious green crystals, the source of the magic which has grown the snails to their great size
- Sie Antry offers a quest to collect a bunch of these green crystals and rewards a nice sum of money for doing so

If it's just for a weekend, you could get crazy. Like...

Curse of Moo-re Cow
It's just the right moon, or perhaps the weather! Maronessa's curse went contagious, infecting humanoids. You have to find the right elements to help keep the contagion under control. (Excuse to meet weather-witch characters, each level group could need a different cure, meaning a different creature or zone to seek out the cure in. And of course, lots of whining from the elves in Serbule!)

Yeah, it's like the bat curse, but if it's just for a weekend, well... If the mechanics are set up, this could be a re-occuring thing in different flavors (deer, pig, spider, etc) and solutions (Fae, alchemy, crystal augury, etc)

Lots of great ideas in here, thanks guys! I'm actually planning to implement a few of these... although I won't say which ones yet because I'm not sure which will be easily do-able.

Right now, I'm sticking to "personal quests", where each player gets their own copy of the quest and can complete it at their own pace. I really like the idea of "group events", and it's in the plans to support them, but right now the tech isn't ready yet. The existing "group quests" (guild quests and druid-event quests) each have some specialized code hacked in just for them, and they aren't very reusable for other activities yet. That will change as we progress with other content... and actually, I could "fake it" by using an NPC to tally completions, such as "NPC Bob needs 500 people to complete this solo quest" -- that would be a sort of hybrid solo-group activity. But for the next few events, I'm just going to stick to fairly straightforward solo-able quests.

Please keep the ideas coming!

Tourist Trap
Ivyn and Jara want to lure more travelers to their farm for overnight visits. Supply them with interesting items and they will reward with produce and maybe a gardening potion.

Marital Troubles
Kalaba has gone and forgot to skin one too many Fey Panthers, and Kleave has finally snapped. They are having a fight and Kalaba needs to make amends. Get a list of things to sooth things over between the two the main one being a Trophy Panther Skin and you will be rewarded with some blacksmithing tools or goods (like maybe a silver statue).

Stay of Public Execution
Okay have a bit of a problem describing this one because I tune out Blanche and Rita, so I don't know which is in trouble and which is worried. Basically the idea is that the one that doesn't know not to call Rakshasa fluffy kitty cats meets a high ranking Onkara Officer out in the wilds while foraging. One thing leads to another and the Officer and Elf are spied on by a Onkara subordinate that witnesses the Officer letting himself be called a fluffy kitty cat. The subordinate reports to General Pask and the Officer and Elf are arrested. The are charged with whatever offense that falls under and are due to be executed at the start of the next week.
This leads to Two Task
Simple task,
Help the remaining gossip get a grip.
Bring a list of items, the main being a pick-me-up juice to the remaining inn porch elf. She'll be there but the other won't be. She will carry on with her side of conversations but no one will answer, this is due to shock and a psychotic break that makes her ignore that her friend is gone. Bring her items to keep her going and busy until the other elf can be rescued.
Complex task
Head to Rahu to slip items to friends (NPCs) to get the execution overturned. Some elaborate plan is in the works and by bringing the right food ingredients and alchemy potions, and maybe a enchanted nail to mess up the execution device, you will disappoint the crowd but save a beloved NPC.
Not sure about rewards for this.

One more idea, but it might break the no new tech requirement.

My thought is along the lines of having to deliver Word of Power Scrolls to NPC to cure them of some problem. In the most simplified version it could be something like
Jaime Fatholm needs a Underwater Breath word of power. She got some maps but they lead to the bottom of the lake, so she needs a word to help use the maps. You gift or show up with a word of power scroll and then some check takes place, if the RNG indicates that the scroll given is the one needed, it is taken and the quest is complete. If the scroll isn't right maybe it just disappears and you are told by the NPC it is wrong and bring another one. Or maybe you are shown the usual this is you word of power pop-up and the NPC says see not the right one, which would allow you to write down the word for later use yourself. Another idea is maybe an NPC is cursed into animal form and they need a word to reverse it. Or some NPC is tired of giving directions to people to get to such and such a place just wants a teleport word to give out to people.

Now to completely ignore the no new tech rule. >:-)
Pretty much the same as above but you are asked to bring a bunch of word of power scrolls, say 10. The NPC is then going to use a lore skill to get a non-destructive hint about which word is on each scroll. So handing the scrolls and getting your reward is just a basic quest and the lore skill is just game description stuff. But what I am imagining is that the new Lore Skill is the reward for handing in the scrolls. This new lore skill, tells you what a word of power will be if you accept it when you use the skill, which then uses up the scroll and you are given the pop-up with the word that will do what you were told it would do. If you decline, the scroll becomes unreadable for a day and needs to be repaired the next day before you can try again. Repair requires phlogiston of different levels depending on the power of the word.