New Player Tickets

[Trephination]

I recal there being New Player Tickets
Some of the gifts were:

A sextant
A pocket watch
A fireworks Wand

I almost want to say some sort of bless deed came from this. I don't remember what it was, but there was 1 item above all the others that you wanted to take.

[chainsoar]

Just to clear up a few things, young player tickets were indeed available during 1999. The original rewards list included the following:

• A sextant.
• A hair restyle deed.
• A random ranger armor piece.
• A fireworks wand.

In August of 2000, the ticket rewards were slightly revised, removing ranger armor and replacing it with a spellbook containing the first 4 circles.

Now, regarding this information and the mandate for accuracy, we have largely steered clear of the young player system due to the ease of abuse for the system. Specifically, if any new accounts are given young status as they were on OSI servers, this would do nothing but encourage the majority of players to find any and every avenue to abuse the ability to create free accounts on UOSA. This is not a healthy result, and squarely places most if not all of the function of the young player system in the exceptions to era accuracy, simply for the purpose of maintaining a functional server.

[Blaise]

How are any of those items more of a potential problem than the, proven accurate, LoS issue?

Impacting the value of existing pieces? Cutting into the Silver Reward Ranger Armor market?

Seems like something that should be legit so perhaps only dole out the new player tickets to people who fully register their accounts?

[Kaivan]

When I discussed this with Derrick a while back, our primary concern was the major account abuse that this enables. Handing out a reward to accounts simply for existing, even if we require the account to have an e-mail address associated with it, encourages severe account abuse for these items.

This has been handled in the same way that having an unlimited number of accounts and connections from a given IP has been handled, despite that functionality also being accurate: it has been removed as a matter of practicality regarding free servers.

[FishinPro]

How are any of those items more of a potential problem than the, proven accurate, LoS issue?

Impacting the value of existing pieces? Cutting into the Silver Reward Ranger Armor market?

Seems like something that should be legit so perhaps only dole out the new player tickets to people who fully register their accounts?

If this was possible I could travel all around the city creating 3 accounts at each mcdonalds, starbucks, ect...I would store all of these in one spot for my real account to collect. This would leave 1000's of fake accounts and hundreds of thousands of items for the item count left on players that will never be played again...

Use your brain Blaise...

[Blaise]

Every item in the world can be tracked and reported on. If one person or a group starts amassing these items, they are obviously abusing the system.


I was speaking clearly and avoiding trash talk but if you want to talk shit, please do so in the proper forum.


"Handing out a reward to accounts simply for existing, even if we require the account to have an e-mail address associated with it, encourages severe account abuse for these items."

See also: Holiday Trophies


Perhaps a system requiring actual gameplay time coupled with registration, development of character, etc. It wouldn't be exactly the same but it also would provide a semblance of accuracy to the era in which these items did exist. Furniture Dye tubs, which are accurate, are obtainable through an entirely inaccurate system, if I'm not mistaken. So why not something like this?

[Kaivan]

Every item in the world can be tracked and reported on. If one person or a group starts amassing these items, they are obviously abusing the system.

Tracking who owns a specific item is not an easy or rational task. Not only that, but tracking who owns what and punishing players for owning certain items, risks punishing those who own an item simply because they decided to purchase it. This is not a feasible, nor fair form of administration.

"Handing out a reward to accounts simply for existing, even if we require the account to have an e-mail address associated with it, encourages severe account abuse for these items."

See also: Holiday Trophies

This is not an adequate comparison. We have significant restrictions on acquiring holiday trophies, which are designed to minimize account abuse for the limited time that they are available (even then, it gets abused to some extent). Such restrictions are meaningless for a system that is never off, not to mention the fact that the restrictions are incompatible with the entire idea of the young system itself.

Perhaps a system requiring actual gameplay time coupled with registration, development of character, etc. It wouldn't be exactly the same but it also would provide a semblance of accuracy to the era in which these items did exist. Furniture Dye tubs, which are accurate, are obtainable through an entirely inaccurate system, if I'm not mistaken. So why not something like this?

Restrictions such as character development and game play time would be incompatible with the young system, which is where new player tickets are derived from. Beyond that, the acquisition of furniture dye tubs, or any other item that can be acquired through the trophy turn in system, is not done as a matter of mechanics, but as a matter of a non-automated system that we manage. Had the system been automated, then it would certainly be a mechanic and would merit some sort of discussion.

[Blaise]

It was just an idea to allow further aquisition of items that were available in era, through any means really, that can be closer to era accuracy than 'not at all'. The concept is a slightly modified 'young' system that incorporates evidence of an actual player playing the account. Perhaps a delay in time within which they can get young ticket, within a window of opportunity?

Just getting thoughts on the table as I see no real reason why or how the creation of these items would truly hurt the shard. The only real impact would be the player driven value of such items due to rarity. People getting 1.2m+ for a ranger suit might not get that anymore...so.......what?

[Kaivan]

I don't mean to quash any discussion on the topic, I'm just presenting the issues that we face regarding such a system. As it stands, we have no feasible way to put this system into place without inviting some sort of major account abuse, or denying those who should have access to such a system the full opportunity to do so.

[Blaise]

Understood. It's one of those things that, if made possible and relatively difficult to exploit, would be a boon for the shard and it's new players.

Thanks as always for all you do Kaivan.

[FishinPro]

Understood. It's one of those things that, if made possible and relatively difficult to exploit, would be a boon for the shard and it's new players.

Thanks as always for all you do Kaivan.

How would providing a new player with a piece of ranger armor or a firewoks wand or.......help the shard or the new player?

[Blaise]

Because it's nice (not something they're going to find going forward) and people love 'things'.

People having 'things' in games, makes them happy and possibly content to stay a bit longer in lieu of getting ripped off, treated like shit and generally griefed until they quit or turn into yet another raging PK. It's just a little something to say 'Hey, welcome aboard. Here's a nifty trinket to fawn over or sell off at your leisure'.

But hey, why would you give a shit about retaining, entertaining or providing anything interesting for some n00b. Shit, this is UO. Get good, get griefed or get the fuck out. amirite gais!?!?!?!?!

[FishinPro]

Thats right...get goooooood or go home!! If you cant handle the heat, stay outta the kitchen! If you're new and never played UO you probably aren't going to last long anyways regardless of whether you are griefed or not. This game is for old schoolers that know the ropes.

Get good or die trying!

[Blaise]

Keep up the great attitude and rest assured, it always will be.