Feedback Requested: Sho Nuff's Giveaways

kenpojujitsu3

Greetings heroes.

I need a bit of help and advice from the CO community. If you played the game in the evening hours last week and were paying attention to MC Zone Chat you might have seen one of the daily giveaways I was doing with my main, Sho Nuff. I was giving away stuff for free to the first person who responded "me" when I asked "Who wants [insert item name here]". Shameless plug, I was in a giving mood because it was wedding anniversary week for me.

Stuff I gave out.

1. Over 4 dozen costume pieces including around 15 or more Sharkfin pieces, 10 or so Nephilim pieces, and about 5 pieces from the Trey Kings and Dogz.
2. Over 400 R5 mods in stacks of 50.
3. 4 or 5 Grav Bike Fire Ants (3 with weapon mods intact)
4. 2 Hover Tank Desert Foxes (one with weapon mods intact)
5. Grav Bike Widow w/ weapon mods intact

All in all I had fun giving stuff out, most people on chat had fun with it (minus the ones PMing me trying to buy things rather than me give it to the winner...then putting me on ignore when I refused) and I don't think I was handing out junk.

Anyway, after the second day of this, on a hunch, I decided to log in on one of my other accounts to watch the AH as I did the giveaway. A good portion of the stuff I was giving away was going right up on the AH.

So I have a question. For future giveaways, in your opinion, would it be preferred if I just gave out prizes in Globals? I'm of two minds on the subject but I've been leaning towards thinking it's a bit of a waste of time acquiring these items to giveaway to the community if all people really want are the globals anyway.

ramthananax

Well, that's a shame, kenpo. That's why I don't tend to give out stuff- because I know it'll likely just end up on the AH. If I wanted it in the AH, I would've put it there myself. So, yeah, money's probably the best thing from now on- the AHers don't need to be able to drive up the prices more than they already do.

BTW, I would've totally hit you up for some of the sharkfin pieces ('cause I'm a total costume sucker) and one of the Fire Ant grav bikes (for one of my alts, Fire Ant). I don't really play enough to grind for things like those anymore- I'm in serious crunch at work right now.

joybuzzerx

Do you think all of it went on the AH? Sad if that was the case, as I know plenty of people who would've loved some of those giveaways.

kharma23

I've seen you doing this in zone and thought it was a great, and fun thing to do.

It's a shame that profiteers keep the pieces from people who would have actually used and enjoyed them.

Perhaps try to learn from chat or from friends who might appreciate some of these things and give them away Secret Santa style. No one knows but you and the recipient. But then again that may make it a lot more work and a lot less fun.

sterga

You could try using one of the custom channels to give stuff away. Something like Contest-Central or Off-Topic. No guarantee that stuff won't end up on the AH anyway. Otherwise, I'd say go globals for zone.

shadowzero66

I suppose the next question would be, "What do people want with all those globals?". Is it the prettier higher-end gear such as Legion/Heroic/Vigilante and some R7 mods to go with it? Perhaps getting one of those devices everyone sees all the time like Dark Speed and Teleiosaurus Pheremones [sic]?

Either way, I was happy enough to get a Vibora costume piece from you since I still don't have all of them yet. And the new pieces not telling you if you already got the unlock from the old pieces isn't helping things much, but that's another thing...

warcanch

Hold frequent, brief costume contests. Pick a theme for a different half hour (or for whenever you wish to do it).

And, if you don't wish to hold the contests yourself, there are plenty of well-known players that hold CCs often and can be trusted to add your goodies to the prize stash. THIS is how I've given a bunch of stuff away. I never monitored it but hoped they went to the public at large and not into the hosts' stash.

jonsills

I don't know what their problem was (problems were?). I'd love to get the Sharkfin costume pieces - then I'd give in, buy the Squall AT, and finally make Sharknado.

Oh, BTW, happy anniversary, Kenpo!

gavinruneblade

Happy anniversary!

Also, the core problem is you were using zone chat in millenium city. That is primarily used as a trade channel. Very few people use that channel for actual useful activities. I know it's where I buy all my keys

While you definitely will have many fewer people responding, Canada, Desert, and Monster Island will get you many more players who will use the items instead of selling them.

It's really just an issue of what group of players monitor the chat channel you're using.

The idea of costume contest giveaways is ok too, but in my experience, I still see lots of those going on the AH.

secksegai

First, Happy Anniversary!

I generally don't get "free" stuff often, and when I do I appreciate it enough not to resell it unless I just happen to get a duplicate shortly right after.

If someone was trying to help revitalize the community by offering giveaways, I'm personally not gonna compete for said free stuff just to throw it on ah.

Granted, the silver cap tends to keep me from making heavy use of ah regardless.

The next time you give away a socrates shoulder+chest, and a sharkfin shouldpads, a gladiator imperator and security process you let me know - would keep them guaranteed =P


But really, depends on who is participating in the giveaways. I'm sure people did actually keep stuff you gave away. Some people are in it for the stuff, some just want the globals.

Either way, if you think about it, they were "enjoying" it even if they bothered to sell it.

But yeah, I would focus your giveaways so that people who really desired something had to participate in some way, like a trivia question or something.

lafury001200

gavinruneblade wrote: »

Happy anniversary!

Also, the core problem is you were using zone chat in millenium city. That is primarily used as a trade channel. Very few people use that channel for actual useful activities. I know it's where I buy all my keys

While you definitely will have many fewer people responding, Canada, Desert, and Monster Island will get you many more players who will use the items instead of selling them.

It's really just an issue of what group of players monitor the chat channel you're using.

The idea of costume contest giveaways is ok too, but in my experience, I still see lots of those going on the AH.

What he said about zone chat. Also a few more ideas/thoughts:

1. While zone chat isn't the greatest, it is of some use. If I were going to give things away, I would watch all the channels. Instead of offering something outright, keep an eye out for someone who really seems to want something for theme. Find a way to team with them. If after 5 or so minutes they seem like they are sincere and decent people, give them the item.

2. Use the forums (items/trading, random comments, bug section,etc). I find this to be safer than 1, in terms of having a built in filter that ensures a higher chance of the person actually using the item, and not selling it.

3. For your own personal well being, I'd suggest that after giving them the item you insist that they not mention it to other players. Be very firm on this. At a certain point, it's inevitable that word will spread as people do talk and you will likely receive numerous requests for items. This gets tiresome, trust me. Just soldier through it and keep helping.

kenpojujitsu3

Thanks for all the advice folks.

Regards,

James a.k.a. Kenpo

iamrune

Aw man, I totally missed this since I worked a double shift today.

Happy Anniversary, Kenpo. and to the wife as well, of course.

I tend to make my giveaways more of a secret Santa thing to people I know that are looking for certain items. I'm not the wealthiest player by any stretch, but I have been in the game a long time and have many, many unlocks, so when extras of things I have unlocked come around, I fish around in my guild and see who may have need of it for a theme alt, or something along those lines.

Sometimes it's easy, like when someone mentions needing one of the new glowy bikes for a Tron inspired alt. But I digress, I find it's easier to make sure items I give people are used, and not just sold or bartered, but knowing who I'm giving it too and knowing they really want it.

I'm aware that isn't much help, since you want to give things out to the general community, but it's the best advice I have.

I'd echo that giving things to CC holders ain't a bad idea either. I have a spare Lemurian Tank I'm thinking of making a prize in a costume contest soonish.

chalupaoffury

A few points:

1: Jon, I won some sharkfin boots I was planning to give away at a later date. Wtf, you said you wanted em first. Hit me up in game, if you don't already have them. I won em off KJJ, I'll totally give em to you.

2: Know what I did with my fire ant, KJJ? I hung on to it for a week, then gave it out in an SG specific CC. Know what the dude who won it did? Got right the hell on it, and flew around for a while. You saw my cc the week before, with a z-store vehicle of their choice. I'm confident that is still in use, too. You might see em hit the AH, but there will always be those of us like myself who legitimately give them away again, even if we want them, to people we care about. I'd rather see you keep giving away swag if you can, because G is easy to blow on gum and candy. That bike, I had to stop and think what I wanted to do with it. "share the luck" was my end result, but even with like 13 vehicles I still considered equipping it. This "just give it away, make someone else happy" mindset is spreading. I have another SG member giving away the new z-store vtol in an sg cc the day before I give away yet another vehicle or nifty device/costume unlock (I haven't decided yet). I'm working on spreading this to the populace after we start getting more bodies at our CCs, because you know what? Even if they sell em, they had to think. And if they didn't? A lot of us would really wanna equip that thing. One of us might even win it. A rare number might want to equip it, and regift it to see it equipped and loved.

That makes it worth everything, imo.

3: Happy Anniversary!

chaoswolf820

I only try to sell stuff like costume parts on AH if I get a drop of a piece I've already unlocked.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

kenpojujitsu3

Many thanks again.

psytce0002

I'm sorry, but as a person who was looking at each item you were giving out and only trying for the items I wanted I think it sucks that people were lining their pockets with your gifts to the community ..... I see these giveaways alot, I have even done some one my own, and I have seeing items I gave out ending up on the AH .... I'm giving these away for people who need them, not to pad someone else pockets ..... <Rant Over>

You did a great thing and even though I didn't get anything I think it was very nice of you to give these items away ....Thanks!

fantasycharacter

psytce0002 wrote: »

I'm sorry, but as a person who was looking at each item you were giving out and only trying for the items I wanted I think it sucks that people were lining their pockets with your gifts to the community ..... I see these giveaways alot, I have even done some one my own, and I have seeing items I gave out ending up on the AH .... I'm giving these away for people who need them, not to pad someone else pockets ..... <Rant Over>

You did a great thing and even though I didn't get anything I think it was very nice of you to give these items away ....Thanks!

Much like giving money to a friend, with these giveaways you have to let the item go. Don't have expectations of what the person should do with their prize. It is not yours anymore. You gave it away. Go into it prepared that people can and will sell their item.

To the OP, well I would give the items away still and let the winners decide what they want to do, sell it or keep it, it is their new item after all. If you are upset people are selling the items, give out globals so you can keep the good feelings you get from giving.

thatcursedwolf

fantasycharacter wrote: »

Much like giving money to a friend, with these giveaways you have to let the item go. Don't have expectations of what the person should do with their prize. It is not yours anymore. You gave it away. Go into it prepared that people can and will sell their item.

<Kuma>There are two types of motorcycle owners.</Kuma>

One views the motorcycle as nothing more than temporary bling and treats it as such, discarding it at the slightest whim, caring neither for it or its fate.

The other views them as their own essential being and treats them as such.

The former will never comprehend the latter.

When the time comes, I would rather give mine to someone who would appreciate it but couldn't afford to buy it than sell it to someone who could afford it but wouldn't properly appreciate it.

kenpojujitsu3

fantasycharacter wrote: »

Much like giving money to a friend, with these giveaways you have to let the item go. Don't have expectations of what the person should do with their prize. It is not yours anymore. You gave it away. Go into it prepared that people can and will sell their item.

To the OP, well I would give the items away still and let the winners decide what they want to do, sell it or keep it, it is their new item after all. If you are upset people are selling the items, give out globals so you can keep the good feelings you get from giving.

The issue had less to do with what people did with the items and more to do with the time involved.

Simply put, it would have required significantly less time on my part to just farm globals and give those away than it did to get the items I was giving away. Some of them I got from lockboxes, some I bought or traded for...or even traded for with items I bought specifically to trade to someone who had what I was looking for. All of that amounted to time spent that could have been better spent. That's the basis for the question, not some notion of giving stuff away but still wanting a say in what happens to it.

warcanch

... time better spent ....


Not trying to derail your thread but, I just have to WONDER at the people in Millennium City that just seem to keep spamming their "WTS ____".

I'm usually passing through doing various dailies, nem missions, etc and always seem to see the same people with the same items up for WTS. And can't help but think that all of the time spent hawking their wares could be TIME BETTER SPENT.

Of course, they could be doing Alerts and just repost their WTS items as they wait for the next Alert to pop. Which, to me, is another reason I tend to avoid Alerts. I like to EXPLORE, roam around, you know ... LOOK for trouble my hero can address.

agentnx5

warcanch wrote: »

... time better spent ....


Not trying to derail your thread but, I just have to WONDER at the people in Millennium City that just seem to keep spamming their "WTS ____".

I'm usually passing through doing various dailies, nem missions, etc and always seem to see the same people with the same items up for WTS. And can't help but think that all of the time spent hawking their wares could be TIME BETTER SPENT.

Of course, they could be doing Alerts and just repost their WTS items as they wait for the next Alert to pop. Which, to me, is another reason I tend to avoid Alerts. I like to EXPLORE, roam around, you know ... LOOK for trouble my hero can address.

I don't spam WTS on zone, but I do broadcast on zone and trade at the same time typically. This is normally while I'm doing something else, like waiting on an Alert, a team, fusing mods, putting something in my bank, or posting thing on the Auction House.

Why not just use the action house? Because:

1. Silvers have a 250g cap. Often times they can trade in keys worth that g's amount, but that's only if you make your offer known by broadcasting.
   
   
2. The auction house GUI is so terrible that I've found that many newbie buyers DO NOT know how to find certain goods.
   
   
3. The auction house GUI is so terrinle that most players won't bother taking the time to browse through page after page of useless junk to find something interesting. Examples? Search "rare/blue", devices, and clear the level field. See how much crap from the Warlord alert and Bloodmoon Halloween bags fill up the 400 max items displayed. Do the same thing with "unique/purple, costume unlocks, and clear the level field and see how you can't even see the valuable costume unlocks on the high price end, it's all buried under a mountain of cheap crap.
   
   
4. The auction house GUI is so terrible that most people don't even understand that they have to clear the level range fields to actually get certain items to show up.

If they'd remove the gold cap on Silver players (or at least give them a way to purchase incremental increases like they can on Star Trek Online) AND just fix up the Auction House GUI; then I'd have zero use of broadcasting in Zone or trade chat, I could do it all in the Auction House.