Holiday Events

For reference: https://ashesofcreation.wiki/Seasonal_events

So with many MMO's wrapping up their holiday events until Valentines day, it got me thinking about how I feel about holiday events in video games, more-so it got me wondering what other people thought about.

So we can safely assume there will be some tasteful form of holiday cosmetics, but how prevalent/obvious should they be that it's a "themed" cosmetic/armor?

But mainly I was thinking about events and how they would unfold. So we know there would be seasonal events, but this might not match up with anything IRL depending on how the world progresses. So should an exception be made to include some form of holiday event/quest that still maintains the world's lore/vibe?

I know this video was most likely used just as a nice little "Hi! Hope you have a nice holiday!" sort of thing, but would a Winter's Day or whatever be something people would be interested in? And if so to what extent would you want it to impact the world?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jfuTzaEiEWo

My personal take is I usually always look forward to holiday events that match up with the real world in some way. In recent years I haven't been able to make it home for most holidays so even if I might be isolated by myself, it's nice to still feel a little festive in the moment. I usually like if there is a questline that gives some sort of seasonal goodies or an event boss or just something "themed". I'm usually fine suspending my disbelief for a moment in order to enjoy the event, but I know many people are very heavily invested in keeping the world as RP-friendly as possible.

This is another thread to just pass the ball around in and get the brain turning, but I really am interested in how people like/dislike IRL themed holidays in video games.

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Comments

BigPapa1

I don't like events in-game that match real life events, personally. I mean, they can certainly coincide time-wise, but I want them to have a flavour that makes sense for the game's world. For example, if the game's universe is a gritty, dark world there shouldn't be happy ribbons and presents and Christmas trees, but there can be something else around Xmas time, like a pilgrimage of some sort in a snowy land. You get the point, I think.

Noaani

BigPapa wrote: »

I don't like events in-game that match real life events, personally. I mean, they can certainly coincide time-wise, but I want them to have a flavour that makes sense for the game's world. For example, if the game's universe is a gritty, dark world there shouldn't be happy ribbons and presents and Christmas trees, but there can be something else around Xmas time, like a pilgrimage of some sort in a snowy land. You get the point, I think.

I agree.

Something I really liked with EQ2 was the Nights of the Dead event, which just so happened to coincide with halloween. It was an actual in game event with actual in game lore as to what it was about, and it made it far more enjoyable than just some random halloween event that had no purpose. The game also had an event for Valentines day iirc, and that event heavily involved one of that games gods (Erollisi, from memory).

The only thing I didn't like about these events was that they didn't happen yearly in regards to the in game calander.

As far as Ashes goes, since the game is set to have four seasons that will each last a real week I don't really see much in the way of scope for yearly events - unless for some reason events in Verra/Sanctus are only celerbrated every 13 years. I also don't like seeing season based or themed events in an MMO designed to be a whole world (or at least span over the equator). If it is one season in the north of the world, it is the opposite season in the south of the world - these things should be taken in to account.

daveywavey

Verra must be travelling pretty darn fast to orbit in 4 weeks...

BigPapa1

daveywavey wrote: »

Verra must be travelling pretty darn fast to orbit in 4 weeks...

Either that, or it's quite close to its star and that star is also quite weak.

Khronus

I am also not a fan of holiday events that match RL events. Create an event to match in game lore. Something new that can commemorate the launch of the game.....or every six months. Anything but lame christmas skins during christmas or "spooky" things during halloween. There is so much potential in coming up with your own unique events for Ashes.

Vhaeyne

Bah humbug.

For real though, I never asked for real world holidays to make their way into any game. I never once in all of my years of playing MMOs got excited about a holiday event.

Not once.

daveywavey

Vhaeyne wrote: »

Bah humbug.

For real though, I never asked for real world holidays to make their way into any game. I never once in all of my years of playing MMOs got excited about a holiday event.

Not once.

T Elf

I like seasonal events that mimic real life events. It makes it fun for me and I feel like I get to celebrate in my virtual world. I'm sure like in EQ2 that there will be lore reasons and flavor to make it fit in the world of Verra.

Khronus

T Elf wrote: »

I like seasonal events that mimic real life events. It makes it fun for me and I feel like I get to celebrate in my virtual world. I'm sure like in EQ2 that there will be lore reasons and flavor to make it fit in the world of Verra.

Being forced to celebrate during RL holidays for timed content is making a player choose between family and virtual world (although I do agree that some players in game do become family-like). I don't like this. You could also argue that some people are alone in this world and enjoy their holidays online...which is a fantastic thing but isn't neccessary when it comes to a brand new IP creating their own events.

At the end of the day I will accept anything IS decides to do. I just think there is way more potential to create their own events (or piggy back off of current holidays but in their own way/times). I'm tired of having to log on to get themed skins or miss out.

Jamation

If they do do (haha) anything holiday related, according to 2018, it will only be a homage at most and will indeed be based more-so on in world lore.

So it might not necessarily be "Christmas" or "Halloween" but might just be a passing text line in a quest about a jolly man who brought toys to kids or the dawning of a mask or cloak to ward of corrupted ghosts or something.

But I'm loving the feedback! I'm usually so caught up in the magic that I don't really consider a lot of the things others have mentioned, so it's cool to see lots of different perspectives on this.

Lycancoffee

I really like seasonal and special events in game. Holidays are fun and it is fun to celebrate things in game.

maouw

I've really enjoyed real world holiday events that were adapted to fit the MMORPG's flavour, including exclusive event only items - but they were always purchasable from an event NPC for an entire month or so. So you didn't have to be logged in ON christmas day to benefit.

krozair

Noaani wrote: »

As far as Ashes goes, since the game is set to have four seasons that will each last a real week I don't really see much in the way of scope for yearly events - unless for some reason events in Verra/Sanctus are only celerbrated every 13 years. I also don't like seeing season based or themed events in an MMO designed to be a whole world (or at least span over the equator). If it is one season in the north of the world, it is the opposite season in the south of the world - these things should be taken in to account.

I don't think we have to take this Seasons into account, this could also just be an aftereffect from the calamity that drove most intelligent lifeforms of the world. Or maybe the world they ran to had a different scale of time, and because of this 13 years in the new/old world is one year for the characters too as they had evolved/adapted to the new timeframe.

But I also think the theming of the Holiday should be fitted to the kind of settlement it is held in and the area it is surrounded by. Why put a pine tree up in the city when the whole region has non?

Morek

Khronus wrote: »

T Elf wrote: »

I like seasonal events that mimic real life events. It makes it fun for me and I feel like I get to celebrate in my virtual world. I'm sure like in EQ2 that there will be lore reasons and flavor to make it fit in the world of Verra.

Being forced to celebrate during RL holidays for timed content is making a player choose between family and virtual world (although I do agree that some players in game do become family-like). I don't like this. You could also argue that some people are alone in this world and enjoy their holidays online...which is a fantastic thing but isn't neccessary when it comes to a brand new IP creating their own events.

At the end of the day I will accept anything IS decides to do. I just think there is way more potential to create their own events (or piggy back off of current holidays but in their own way/times). I'm tired of having to log on to get themed skins or miss out.

Ahhhh.... you are THAT kinda gamer. The "If I can't have it, nobody can" gamer. The "It's not fair because I can't login everyday" gamer. The "I don't like cosmetics because I can't afford them all" gamer. The "I am the main character in real life and that means I am an important person in an MMORPG world too" gamer.

Yeah... I will make sure to disregard EVERYTHING "constructive" you might suggest. Remember there are currently 2,999,999 other players than just you my little sweetheart. That's a lot of mouths to feed. And we are all fucking hungry👅👄🍽

BobzUrUncle

I like celebrating holidays in game. But not as much when they align with real world. As has been said, the Verra year is only 4 weeks, which doesn't give much time in game to celebrate. Also, having to choose between game and life is a bit painful.

Too bad they couldn't extend the Verra year to be 1 game season per real world month. That would allow more time to participate in game holidays.

Neurotoxin

All I say is forgo Xmas and do Hanukkah for the December season holiday. A celebration of military victory over an invading empire with historical use of guerrilla warfare makes far more sense than *checks notes* three old guys delivering gifts to a newborn baby. The fried foods are also more than symbolic, salted greasy food and wine was utilized by a locally conscripted cook who got a general to pass out before she cut his head off to further sow chaos. There's also a built-in zero-sum gambling minigame that can be displayed with a simple animation and a 1d4 result table. I really don't know why developers overlook Hanukkah, it is a damn good video game holiday.

Frostshot1

Honestly Holiday events are about the only things I miss from playing WoW. Well that and Alterac Valley.

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