TOPIC: New Token Ideas

<br />There is always a possibility, this year Jeff had each director come up with a special item for the artisan tokens, so I would not be surprised to see "legendary" veteran's names appear from time to time in other ways.<br /><br />I am still keeping Henwy's Greyhawk Orphans fund on the list as an open possibility.<br /><br />Dave<br />

<br /><br />I think I see a great idea for next year for Platinum Tickets - for $500 you get 2 Golden Tickets, 60 bags of tokens, and a token named after you  <br /><br />(and that is cool enough I'd do it!)

<br /><br />I think I see a great idea for next year for Platinum Tickets - for $500 you get 2 Golden Tickets, 60 bags of tokens, and a token named after you  <br /><br />(and that is cool enough I'd do it!)<br />

<br /><br />I'd do it, too. So would a lot of people, I think. An awful lot of people.<br /><br />But beware of letting the directors name a token after you. They could have some serious fun with it. (Imagining Smakdown's Cart of Token Toting, or Doug's Mathematical Mirror, or Ravens' Cursed Ring of Curiosity)

Too many people would go for that. Maybe just instead 500 dollars get you a token named after you and that's it. That would certainly thin out the crowd .

[quote author=Mike Steele link=topic=393.msg22141#msg22141 date=1146783191<br />I think I see a great idea for next year for Platinum Tickets - for $500 you get 2 Golden Tickets, 60 bags of tokens, and a token named after you  <br />[/quote]<br />Personally, I really don't like this idea. TD was able to sell all of its GTR tickets, and this idea is revenue neutral. Making individual tokens for people seems too self-referential to be encouraged, even if is would be helpful to TD monetarily.

<br />[quote author=Mike Steele link=topic=393.msg22141#msg22141 date=1146783191<br />I think I see a great idea for next year for Platinum Tickets - for $500 you get 2 Golden Tickets, 60 bags of tokens, and a token named after you  <br />

<br />Personally, I really don't like this idea. TD was able to sell all of its GTR tickets, and this idea is revenue neutral. Making individual tokens for people seems too self-referential to be encouraged, even if is would be helpful to TD monetarily. <br />[/quote]<br /><br />I think it would make the game more fun, actually.  I think tokens have more "personality" if they are named.  Gearon's +2 Heavy Mace is MUCH cooler than a plain +2 Heavy Mace would be.  And, they wouldn't name it directly after you, it wouldn't (for example) be Mike Steele's Vorpal Blade, it would be Misteel's Blade of Doom or something.  After all, you wouldn't even realize that Gearon is derived from Gary Aswon if you didn't already know it, so to most people it wouldn't seem self-referential, it just sounds cool.  <br /><br />Actually, I think that the tokens should be spiced up even if they aren't named after real people, it's just that you could kill two birds with one stone if you did name it after derivations of the names of the top token buyers/volunteers/whatever as a nice reward or homage.  And, hopefully Jeff will swap out a bunch of tokens next year to encourage repeat token buys, and one way to do that is to replace a token with a functionally equivalent token with a different name, and possibly a minor twist.  For example, you could replace the +1 longsword with a named +1 longsword (or scimitar, or something similar) that did extra damage to goblins, or something such thing.  <br /><br />And, the idea wouldn't have to be revenue neutral.  Jeff could use it as an incentive to buy tokens - maybe in the "offseason", when some extra money could come in handy for dungeon development - buy $500 in tokens and get one named after you.  I'm guessing part of the incentive deal would be the person would get one of the token named after them also (maybe the only one?).  It could be a +2 weapon, or magic armor, or something similar.  <br /><br />Just something to think about  =D

Pixie's 2 GP,<br /><br />I personally don't care for the thought of players being able to buy their way into the game.<br />That was a really cool way of recognizing a persons contributions. And letting people buy it, cheapens it in my opinion.<br />I don't think we want to turn TD into some kind of vanity press. <br />Thats just how I feel.<br /><br />Psst, Mike, Its Aswegan, not Aswon.

Okay, having taken the time to think about it, I agree that although it is a cool idea, it probably isn't the best one to put into practice. As Gary said, the "secret combination" for his token is very, very involved. I think it's way cool that he got it. I don't think that anyone should expect that sort of thing, though. And letting people buy it with money, or level, or even # of volunteer hours, well... it makes it feel like people's contributions can be quantified and compared. A lot of people put a lot of themselves into supporting TD, with time, finances, labours of love, and that's not the sort of thing you want to make into a competition.<br /><br />Besides. You'd all lose. Everyone know's I'm Jeff's favorite.<br /><br />(ducks!)<br /><br />

Frankly, I'm indifferent about the ego aspect and it's TD's financial well-being that I think is more important. I dunno what the books look like, obviously, but we've gotten some posts that seem to suggest that things are always sort of precarious. One twist of events like WotC having to reduce its cash sponsership or something along those lines could rock the event and threaten its existance just like how true heroes died. I prefer a stability to the financial side so if that means that allowing well-heeled people to buy themselves a little something as a token of their patronage, bully for them. It's like in playbills where you see that massive list of people who donated to the theatre or guests of honor at charity events who raised the most cash.

<br />Pixie's 2 GP,<br /><br />I personally don't care for the thought of players being able to buy their way into the game.<br />That was a really cool way of recognizing a persons contributions. And letting people buy it, cheapens it in my opinion.<br />I don't think we want to turn TD into some kind of vanity press. <br />Thats just how I feel.<br /><br />Psst, Mike, Its Aswegan, not Aswon. <br />

<br /><br />Wow, my apologies - I knew it was Aswegan.  Perhaps I can blame the keyboard - yeah, that's it, the "e" and "g" buttons weren't working      Well, OK, they were working in the rest of the message, but malfunctioned at JUST THAT MOMENT.    Oh, Okay, I just messed up - Gary has the right to mistype my name any way he chooses (but keep in mind it's a family friendly forum)<br /><br />Regarding the naming of tokens after people as an incentive for buying tokens, it was just a fun idea I had that might help sell more tokens and finance True Dungeon (particularly in the off season when Golden Tickets aren't for sale), while at the same time giving a perk to fans/volunteers.  I thought of it because I know of similar promotions, such as David Gerrold offering to write people into his latest Chtorr book (the series, starting with A Matter For Men, has my highest recommendation) for a monetary donation ($500 I think) to a specific charity.  Of course, he planned on writing you in as a pretty unsavory character that would meet a particularly gruesome end  =)<br /><br />Even if that isn't done, personally I'd love to see more tokens with a "flavor" name, rather than a generic name.  That's one of the things that draws me to Magic The Gathering - it's a wonderful strategic game, but it's wrapped in a package that includes great art, imaginative names, and flavor text that draws you into the game and makes it more of an immersive experience.  Perhaps some of the tokens in a given year could have names (for that year only) that somehow tie to the dungeon that year?

<br />Even if that isn't done, personally I'd love to see more tokens with a "flavor" name, rather than a generic name.  That's one of the things that draws me to Magic The Gathering - it's a wonderful strategic game, but it's wrapped in a package that includes great art, imaginative names, and flavor text that draws you into the game and makes it more of an immersive experience.  Perhaps some of the tokens in a given year could have names (for that year only) that somehow tie to the dungeon that year?<br />

<br />That's a cool idea.

<br />Wow, my apologies - I knew it was Aswegan.  Perhaps I can blame the keyboard - yeah, that's it, the "e" and "g" buttons weren't working      Well, OK, they were working in the rest of the message, but malfunctioned at JUST THAT MOMENT.    Oh, Okay, I just messed up - Gary has the right to mistype my name any way he chooses (but keep in mind it's a family friendly forum)<br />

<br /><br />ehhehehe, Don't worry bro won't say anything bad while I'm around. And that's probably not the first time his name has gotten misspelled. Goodness knows mine has. hehehehhe.<br />For typing errors just blame the cats, the casual, oh I'm sorry the cat just walked across the keyboard,  or the cat sat right down in front of the monitor, I was trying to type and  get them to move. <br />Just don't let the cats hear you blame them, otherwise later you might find a mouse toy in your shoe.

It is fair to say the name has been pooched more than once...I used to be in sports in high school and college...so any results that made it to the news paper were usually totally messed up - OSKWEGEN was the worst spelling ever.  So no worries.<br /><br />One thing to note about the special naming thing...I think this is something that needs to be moderated in small amounts.  Or else pretty soon you have a designer label warrior heading into the dungeon.  Lots of the stuff that exists today is perfectly named, elven X, gloves of Y...an occasional weapon from time to time is cool - but should it go past eventually having one named item per weapon?  I dunno.<br /><br />As for what Raven so perfectly and eloquently said above...100% agreement here!  I was sooo not expecting the mace.  That in and of itself made it a something I will treasure (more than getting my name in the newsletter in 2005!!! - Yes, Jeff, I still relish that - but the mace is cooler!!!  THANKS!)  <br /><br />I enjoy doing what I do for TD...and take it from me, the best rewards come when you aren't counting your hours. <br /><br />If you don't know what I am talking about or don't have hours to count...talk to Heidi - sign up today...volunteering - it's a great place to start.<br /><br />*gets off soap box*