How do you feel about the new Plunderbeacon rewards?

I am pretty disgusted with the way the rewards are being handled. To the point I am cutting back on my UO play. I see ZERO need to keep playing for the types of rewards that are being "doled" out piecemeal I mean, come on! More cannons and more reward titles? With the "possibility" of it being more of the same NEXT MONTH. Why bother? I understand that this is MY opinion, but I am curious as whether I am alone in my thought that the rewards should have been available at the WORLD WIDE RELEASE on March 19th.

Let me know. Thanks!

@Kyronix @Bleak @Mesanna

I didn't take the poll but I will say I like the prizes a good bit! I really do! What I don't like is there are issues that should have easily been seen coming down the pike. So either the problems were seen and folks thought, eh, that's good enough. Or they weren't seen and people weren't paying enough attention. So that ain't great.

I also agree with Captain Lucky in the other thread. It's very frustrating that once issues are pointed out it's difficult to know if they'll ever be fixed. 

There isn't anything being offered with the Black Market prizes I don't like. 

I really like the parrot. But I hate, not to beat a dead parrot, that its head is hidden unless you undo your character's costume. It would have been nice to see it sitting on your character's shoulder, not just on the paper doll. You can see epaulettes on your character. So it seems they could make the parrot show up too. It feels like a shortcut was taken. I don't know. Perhaps they tried and it didn't look well. I'd rather skip it if it couldn't be made to look right.

The ship painting, with the chance to get the name of your own ship, is great! But because we always want more... I would have loved if it looked like a different ship than the one that gives the powder charges. Why would we want to have two of the same ship on the wall? In addition, it would have been nice if it gave a different resource, fuses maybe. Or if it had been made to offer a sound, like gale winds when you draw near, or some such. Something fun like that! Totally love that its hue brings to mind what you'd see on some antiquated paintings. 

Don't have a dragon cannon yet. The pics of it look pretty cool. Would be fun if it popped off.

Love the Blunder cannons. The play on the name is fun. I love the idea of outfitting an Orc ship with them.

Titles are always fun to mess with, switch out etc.

There's far more I enjoy about the prizes and the whole High Seas campaign so far than I take issue with. At the same time, where some of the prizes fall short, it feels like a significant miss. I think it would be a really nice thing for players if we could get these things fixed. I'm going to keep hoping. And I'm still excited to keep going and to see what else will come along.

At the risk of committing spam, I am gonna make the same comment here as the other thread.

A HUGE chunk of UO is dedicated to housing. From the very visible overland plots with houses built by selecting individual tiles and walls to almost every single item being allowed to drop on the ground and thus used as decorations. A significant number of folks do enjoy decorative items. To that end, I do wish every item had at least the 4 basic facings. It is relatively easy code to flip a sprite for mirror image.

The problem with adding useful items - especially VERY useful items - to a limited time event is that new or returning players later on are disadvantaged and discouraged. MMOs with high populations can afford that loss, but UO is better off avoiding it imo. It is one thing not to have access something decorative, but something else entirely to not be able to get something that actually puts others at an advantage over you. I strongly dislike it when MMOs do that. Useful items that do something new or outperform something existing need to be reserved for permanent gameplay changes such as a new expansion, etc.

Good points. 🙂 Thanks for the responses.

Makes sense to me, Tanager. 

I was kinda conflicted on this poll...
I do like how they are adding stuff but I also believe the pet should be there...
I also like the surprise items they are adding that we didn't know about...

I am one of the people that usually spends lot of time playing...
so I have been able to get some of the parrots...
need them for an aviary (need a wire screen door... crafted from wood & wire in carpentry)

As a governor, I have had benefactors that were keeping the city treasury with gold...
so I have not had to donate to it for awhile...
I love the fact that the Krampus event added to the treasuries and that this event can do the same... if the people do choose to donate their crates...

however, without knowing the amount the Triton will cost... it is really stressing me out...
I know I will only get one or two... but not knowing how much it will be is...………..

I can see if you don't enjoy fighting on the High Seas this could be frustrating not knowing what all the rewards are going to be and how many doubloons they will cost.

Maybe do not partake in content you don't enjoy doing? See no reason to have enjoyment time (playing UO) be filled with frustration.

Sort of like how I don't like to do champ spawns in Fel, so I have to buy the powerscrolls.

So maybe the people who don't like fighting on the High Seas can sell you any rewards that come down the pike you may want.

Myself, I am intrigued with the air of mystery, suspense, and antici..........pation at what
cleaning up the High seas of the Orc hordes, the heavy sea spawn they attract, and the
Dread Pirates will bring down the road. 

Happy with what is available so far, except the Parrot and Pirate Hat issue!

Tanager said:

The problem with adding useful items - especially VERY useful items - to a limited time event is that new or returning players later on are disadvantaged and discouraged. MMOs with high populations can afford that loss, but UO is better off avoiding it imo. It is one thing not to have access something decorative, but something else entirely to not be able to get something that actually puts others at an advantage over you. I strongly dislike it when MMOs do that. Useful items that do something new or outperform something existing need to be reserved for permanent gameplay changes such as a new expansion, etc.

If UO was concerned about new players being disadvantaged, they could start with the shard shields and other vet rewards.
The purpose of these limited time events is to keep the players engaged. When rewards are inconsequential - then the players are not interested and the event is a failure and a waste of Dev time. I understand that a large portion of UO population loves deco. Nothing wrong with that. There is also a large portion of the population that does not care about deco one bit. So it would be nice to have a balance. 
So far we had two updated with six different rewards, none of which add anything functional to the game. That's a bit lopsided, don't you think?
And coming back to being disadvantaged, the functional rewards could be the QoL kind, like the jaw or the crystal, or the first aid belt, or just simply something different than what we have now. Nobody is demanding an "I win UO button". But it would be nice to get something I could actually use.

I think the not knowing the point count on the Triton is frustrating... cause you don't know how many points to save up for it... and if its too high, I know there will be people who will automatically quit doing the content, cause they don't think they could get that many...

And I have to say... before this publish came out, I only ever did the pirate ships with the guild on our monthly pirate hunts... And since this has started... I am enjoying doing the content.. I can do it solo and I love that... but its also fun doing it with the group.. 

I wish they would leave some of plunderbeacons after this event ... maybe have Krampus kidnap the pirate at bucs den... then the remaining cargo could be turned into the minister of trades
or remove the plunderbeacons & let the pirates & merchants still give out the smaller chests

The cannon is useful, but also decorative in the sense that it is equal to the others. And there will also be a nice pet. If folks are not liking the rewards that are, for the most part decorative and just fun, then save up for the fancy pet that will almost certainly be a bit expensive in cost of doubloons. Save ALL your doubloons for those pets, cuz after the event they will be worth a bit, and just skip all the stuff you don't like. Not knowing their cost will encourage most players to just do the content as much as they can.

Vet rewards can be achieved eventually, by any player, or purchased from another player who reaches the right age on any given day. It is not the same as items from a global event years ago.

A slow dishing out of rewards has the benefit of keeping people playing. If all the rewards are available right away then people would play until they get the rewards they want then stop.  With the current way people will need to continue to play because they have no idea what is coming out and they might need those extra doubloons.

KHAN said:

I am pretty disgusted with the way the rewards are being handled. To the point I am cutting back on my UO play. I see ZERO need to keep playing for the types of rewards that are being "doled" out piecemeal I mean, come on! More cannons and more reward titles? With the "possibility" of it being more of the same NEXT MONTH. Why bother? I understand that this is MY opinion, but I am curious as whether I am alone in my thought that the rewards should have been available at the WORLD WIDE RELEASE on March 19th.

Let me know. Thanks!

@ Kyronix @ Bleak @ Mesanna

If you need me to hold your stuff while your gone let me know! 

I have some stable slots open that can hold a few Banes and Dreads.

KHAN said:

I am pretty disgusted with the way the rewards are being handled. To the point I am cutting back on my UO play. I see ZERO need to keep playing for the types of rewards that are being "doled" out piecemeal I mean, come on! More cannons and more reward titles? With the "possibility" of it being more of the same NEXT MONTH. Why bother? I understand that this is MY opinion, but I am curious as whether I am alone in my thought that the rewards should have been available at the WORLD WIDE RELEASE on March 19th.

Let me know. Thanks!

@ Kyronix @ Bleak @ Mesanna

I made this comment on another thread. 

I am totally enjoying the new content. It is different and I look forward to all the new things added every month. I am a bit disappointed in some of the negative comments. I think in my opinion the dev team is doing a great job. Why would anyone want all content to come out at the same time. I like that they are doing stages for content release. As far as the cannons that do nothing it is a deco item. It does not need to do anything but look pretty.Lol. Also the titles would be great for RPG'S. The pvp'ers and pvm'ers can't get everything there are other groups within UO that deserve love too. Basically my point is we should not be so self absorbed that we don't see that everyone deserves to have some content added for their play style, and I believe the dev's are trying to do just that. I know some will still find fault but you all know there are some that will never be happy.

Sorry @KHAN but the DEVs do not cater to the instant gratification crowd, they like people to enjoy the game longer than 5 min.

I think the question comes down to 'do you play to get stuff?' or 'do you play to have fun?'. I'm the latter, rewards are nice,but they're not why I play.

I don't know where that post went from yesterday about the Blunder Cannon being ill-fitting on their foundations. To me they don't look any more ill-fitting than other cannon and that's only where it gets a little funky with starboard to the west. On the orc ship it does look a little like you're going to blow your own bow off when sailing north. Sailing south looks fine. All in all I think they look great. I heart them.

the rewards arent for me.  its just deco which i could do without.  i have plenty of deco and rares already.

but alot of people enjoy it.  the parrot should not have taken up the robe slot.

i would have liked to see at least one or two rewards that had at least some function.  Like the parrot would be a much much more desireable reward if it even gave a slight damage bonus to cannon damage, or an overall damage bonus.  would make up for lack of robe slot.

for rewards, a small minority will do stuff for deco.  you need a functional reward to appeal to the masses.

Bilbo said:

Sorry @ KHAN but the DEVs do not cater to the instant gratification crowd, they like people to enjoy the game longer than 5 min.

I can see @KHAN rolling on the floor after reading this.

Bilbo said:

Sorry @ KHAN but the DEVs do not cater to the instant gratification crowd, they like people to enjoy the game longer than 5 min.

ME, part of the instant gratification crowd? @Pawain indeed I AM ROFL. @Bilbo , Sorry, but you are confusing my expectation of something, that I tested on TC, to actually BE AVAILABLE, when the publish goes LIVE, for "instant gratification". I liken it to "bait and switch" tactics. In MY opinion, it is setting a dangerous precedent. Let the players test the publish on TC, but then, piecemeal it out to them. AFTER it goes live. It would be like the town invasion last year. How would people have liked it if @Bleak and @Kyronix would have waited until the last week or so of the event to allow the AWESOME spellbooks to "drop". REMEMBER, this is LIMITED TIME content! Or how will people like it, when, after testing the "soon to come" treasure chest changes/upgrades on TC, when it DOES go live, they "save" the "good" items until a later time. Not to mention the players that are playing NOW, but for whatever reason, will be unable to collect the "other/better" rewards, at a later date.

It would be a gamble to trade with a pirate at buc's den, aye?

Would be safer I suppose to deliver the cargo to the intended city. 

But as far as we know filling the city coffers does not offer anything
in addition to the sense of goodwill accomplished.

Some people like the air of mystery in an event. I have missed some due
to not being able to play during the time of them.  No Bane Dragons in my
stables ever.  

In the meantime, we must not let the High Seas be over run with orcs!

I do not attack orc ships because the loot frankly sucks. The merchant ships are more worth it and I do not mind the karma loss in the slightest. I destroyed one plunderbeacon and it was not worth my time for the loot that I got. I also never turn in the trade orders to the cities as there isn't really much reward to doing so.

Now that I have one of each reward I've stopped playing high seas and went back to my normal play.

TimSt said:

Now that I have one of each reward I've stopped playing high seas and went back to my normal play.

You do know that there are more rewards to be released each month right? @TimSt

coldasice_209 said:

I do not attack orc ships because the loot frankly sucks. The merchant ships are more worth it and I do not mind the karma loss in the slightest. I destroyed one plunderbeacon and it was not worth my time for the loot that I got. I also never turn in the trade orders to the cities as there isn't really much reward to doing so.

@coldasice_209 There is a way to do merchant ships with out loss of karma.

coldasice_209 said:

I do not attack orc ships because the loot frankly sucks. The merchant ships are more worth it and I do not mind the karma loss in the slightest. I destroyed one plunderbeacon and it was not worth my time for the loot that I got. I also never turn in the trade orders to the cities as there isn't really much reward to doing so.

you don't have to kill the merchants on the merchant ships.
use the cannonballs on the ship to scuttle it and then take the cargo

There hasn't been decent content added since TOL came out!

Just an FYI, the Triton "test statuette" giver is gone from The Britain Commons on TC.