Post:Hollow Eve 2015 - Toy - 11/02/2015 - 23:44

Hollow Eve 2015 - Toy · on 11/02/2015 11:44 PM CST	4204
Greetings, fest-goers! I'm happy to announce that this year's upgrading toy for Hollow Eve is ready for release. It released to Platinum earlier this evening, and thus far nothing has exploded! I do want to stress that this year's toy is just that -- a very verby piece of fluff that eventually upgrades into atmospherics. It does NOT have any kind of mechanical feature like the APPRAISE FOCUS clockwork shark last year. Mechanics are more the domain of the yearly gift, not the toy. That's not to say we won't have future toys with buffs or other benefits to them, but it shouldn't be expected. So! What is this year's toy? Kittens! Firstly, huge thanks to GemStone for allowing us to port these over. They were originally used for the 2004 Dhu Gillywack event in GemStone, as I understand it, and Solomon pointed us at them during Simucon this year. They're very involved! The Basics: Sack Kittens come with a special sack. They will ONLY go inside this container. They'll refuse any other. Similarly, you can't put anything but the kittens into the sack. These sacks can be altered by any merchant willing to do so, but they must remain a soft container. They can't be hard containers like cases, chests, etc. Verbs The original, un-upgraded kittens offered this year come with 13 verbs. Next year, when upgraded, they gain 3 more. In 2017, the last year they're available, they gain just 1 verb, but it also adds some involved atmospherics that make them more engaged. Moods Every kitten has a mood, and the mood changes over time, just like real cats! They can be very affectionate, or they can want to rip your face off. Using various verbs on them can affect this to varying degrees. Which leads to... Verbs 2 The response you get when using a particular verb on them can change depending on their mood! Even within the same mood, there are MANY potential responses to most verbs. Do note that the room messaging is shushed in certain types of areas -- particularly those like fests/quests that move you somewhere else if you log out. Expect spotty responses while AT the fest; people may think you're crazy and talking to yourself! Ownership The kitten will recognize you as its owner when you acquire it. It is NOT a bond in the INVOKE sense, but it does alter the messaging. As such, you can GIVE these to other players (including those not at Hollow Eve). You should think very carefully before doing this, however. You only get ONE pick for a kitten; if you choose to give it away or sell it, you don't get to get another one next year. The person you give/sell it to can't upgrade it unless they attend Hollow Eve in 2016-2017. The mechanic is primarily intended to pass it along to your own alts, but isn't restricted to such. This info is repeated in the kitten's ANALYZE messaging. Alterations Any alterer willing to work on these is allowed to do so. Please understand that a master forger may not feel it appropriate dye a kitten's hair -- it's always up to the merchant to decide. Additionally, we're NOT allowing any alterations that come across as abusive. While some of the potential combinations involve fleas or one-eyed kittens, alteres will NOT be maiming kittens to have those features. Intrigued? Ready to claim yours? There's an elderly Human woman in the sternum of the baby spider. She requests a small act of kindness, and in return, she'll allow you to pick one. Once you return the item to her, you have 5 minutes to choose, so you may want to be sure she has one you want or bring extra items to turn in. Please note that she randomly rotates her box of kittens. 15 are generated at a time, and they can change as often as every 3 minutes (though likely much longer). If someone claims one, it's removed from her pool of current options (but could be back in a future swap). Be VERY sure of the kitten you pick, as you won't be able to choose another! It may be worth waiting a bit to see the potential combinations. There are 42 potential articles (a tubby, a speckled, a one-eyed, etc), and there are 50 potential adjectives (apricot tabby, blue point, grey and white, etc). Keep in mind that alterers will be willing to work with them, too, and they ARE alteration scroll friendly after the event. For those curious as to what these evolve into at the tier 3 level, we're setting up some of the greeters with fully unlocked versions to show off. It may take a bit for all of them to acquire one, but keep an eye out! Remember that EVERY character you take to Hollow Eve can get one, and outside of auctions or other very rare and special occasions, these will NOT be available elsewhere ever again! To get a fully unlocked one, you'll need to attend Hollow Eve this year, 2016 and 2017; or consider Simucoin upgrades (if we offer them) in 2016-2017. Also note that this is SEPARATE from last year's clockwork shark. If this is your first visit, you can get BOTH. If you got the shark last year, you can still upgrade it this year AND get the kitten. One does not affect the other in any way. These are now live in Prime and Platinum, TF's will be live when the fest opens. Happy hunting! Please post questions in the Hollow Eve Festival area of the Events and Happenings forums. Thanks! Zadraes
This message was originally posted in Events and Happenings in DragonRealms' Elanthia \ Hollow Eve Festival, by DR-ZADRAES on the play.net forums.