Fixing the Trial System; Part Deux
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Welcome to the Fixing the Trial System, part two!

We had a lot of interesting discussion in the first thread and got to know a lot of your opinions and frustrations. We know what whatever is ultimately chosen is going to upset some people and make others happy. I do want to reassure everyone that changes are reversable. If we discover that whatever is changed isn't working the way it should or having a negative effect, we can always change it back and try something else.

As you can see by the new poll, we've narrowed down the options to three choices. These were the most supported options, but with a bit of a twist.

Option 1: Limit the number of dogs each person can enter into a trial to 2.
This will put a stop to "trial teams" which is the main way players create for themselves 3 sure wins in trials that run quickly, and therefore a massive influx of cash. Running trial teams is not realistic in the slightest and isn't very sporting. By forcing players to compete with each other, the game dynamic of trialing becomes more competitive and realigns Alacrity with its original vision.

Option 2: Increase the Energy Cost by trial tier.
This option will more effectively limit the number of times a dog can compete each day. The original suggestion put a hard cap on the number of trials dogs could run each day, but a player gave us this much more fair option. This will not render energy companions useless in terms of trialing, but will ultimately slow down how many trials run as dogs progress into higher trial tiers. Below is the suggested energy cost per tier:

Dogbert: 20 Energy
Scooby: 25 Energy
Odie: 30 Energy
Toto: 35 Energy
Marley: 40 Energy
Otis: 50 Energy
Gommit: 55 Energy
Snoopy: 60 Energy

Keep in mind that as you go up trial levels, prize payouts also increase.

Option 3: Both Option 1 and Option 2.
This option will both put a limit on the number of dogs a play can enter into individual trials, as well as increase energy costs per trial tier.


This will be the final round of voting before changes are implemented. We truly do value your opinions, so please don't be shy about posting them here :) Just remember to keep opinions and responses kind and courteous -- not everyone will agree with you!

02-24-2012 at 12:17 PM
OH hahaah okay nevermind then. I'm surprised I even know where I am.

02-24-2012 at 10:51 AM
The hidden feature was implemented on the 5th of February and the second poll was placed up on the 10th with hidden results until after voting?<br /> <br /> Was there an additional reason why there needs to be a third poll?

02-24-2012 at 8:34 AM
I think this one was hidden. It didn't show me how many votes there were until after I voted.<br /> <br /> However, there is a really easy way you can still see the numbers without voting. (Not going to say how because of what Clay mentioned. :/ )

02-24-2012 at 12:21 AM
Hmm a littl late on this but.. shouldn't we re-poll now that the amounts are hidden to each users? I assume many people voted on the one that had the most points in the beginning. :S

02-20-2012 at 3:13 PM
Why would anyone use extremely expensive brownies to get much less money in a trial? Makes no sense.

02-19-2012 at 9:47 PM
My newest Ala gole is to colect ala cash! I would love to be able to say i have a mil in the bank!<br /> <br /> I rember when people where upset because of my Demi, he was considered a "monster dog" oh how the times have changed...now hes "normal"kind of sad really.<br /> <br />

02-19-2012 at 1:40 PM
I think option one sounds the best...

02-18-2012 at 7:45 AM
I think we should go with option one because with option two, people can still enter all of their dogs in a trial and then they can use Caffeinated Brownies to replenish energy and keep doing it. Option one is more fair, and it helps to create better quality dogs.

02-16-2012 at 9:29 AM
$20,000,000 in upgrade interest is $400,000.<br /> I don't even know why this is being brought up, some of us like myself are good at saving money and/or don't see anything that we would like to spend our money on. People who dump all of their money into the bank aren't putting that money into circulation and aren't hurting the economy.

02-15-2012 at 2:53 PM
I have to say I like option 1. I like what Cassie did, <br /> :At first, I thought lowering the trial limit to two dogs was a bad idea, my lower tp dogs would never win, but then I decided I would test it to see if my theory was right. "<br /> <br /> Honestly I've found that I only place 2-3 dogs of mine in a trial because I feel like my dogs do better. I may not make as much money and I may not always place, but my dogs are where I think they should be. I've been around when 800 was a large TP number and have slowed down playing since the TP cap was found. I don't find as much enjoyment because of people over breeding just for TP numbers. <br /> <br /> I believe option 1 will help decrease the number of "team" dogs and create better quality dogs. :P <br /> My personal opinion so you do not have to agree with me.

02-14-2012 at 8:37 AM
Shroom: ಠ_ಠ As you've said it is a playing style. Why do we have to change ours? Perhaps there is nothing we feel like buying at the moment? I know for me personally, there aren't many items that I need or want in the game, only a few. This builds up a lot of cash but I like knowing I have it. As someone said, I earned it. You could easily do it too if you chose not to spend quickly like you do but will you? No, because its not your thing just like spending all the time isn't my thing. <br /> <br /> Ev did have a point about how trialing actually earns more than interest and I very well agree with that. I get maybe maybe.. 10k from one of my dogs. Say I trialed it 4 times to get 40k a day. This in a week is 280k. To get 280k interest in one week you need 14 million cash. Keep in mind this is trialing only 1 dog 4 times a day.<br /> <br /> I feel this is derailing from the current topic if either A or B is better. I'm noticing those with high dogs like the 2 dog trial option and those with lower tp like the energy option. Either way someone is not going to be too happy ^^;. <br /> <br /> I have both low and high dogs that I trial and I'd rather see the 2 dog option so that I can still trial in bulk at the beginning of the day and then again at night when energy is regained as opposed to barely trialing at all with the energy option. Either way, it will be a hard choice to make and I'm curious to the poll results =)

02-14-2012 at 7:43 AM
i never said anything about decreasing trials, i said decrease the amount of money players will generally be making.<br /> <br /> Also, just because some users choose to save there money as apposed to spending all/most of it (like i do) doesn't mean anything.<br /> <br /> Some players have around 100-200+ dogs that they can trial and earn quite a bit, mostly contributing to the inflation (when ever they choose to trial them). But if the energy were to increase per trial tier then both they and everyone will be earning a bit less than they usually do, with the 1st option there's have to be alot more trials if everyone could only enter 2 dogs per trial. Both would be a good option also, but i personally prefer option 2.<br /> <br /> Again, i dont really see too much of a problem if users start making less money, the mods have already pointed out multiple times that when users start making less money, the monthly/other shops will drop to match, and with users making less money, usershops would probably drop prices because with users making less money, the less likely they'll be to buy something really expencive.
edit history
2012-02-14 07:45:47 by #18607

02-14-2012 at 1:03 AM
<i>There are people with 20 mil cash on here. That's about 2 mil in interest each week. More than most people manage to make in one week by trialing. </i><br /> <br /> Actually, it takes 50mil to earn 1mil a week in interest. <br /> <br /> Personally I earn 7 times as much money trialing [when I remember] as apposed to interest from the bank.

02-13-2012 at 11:07 PM
So? We worked as well, we just don't hoard and kill the economy by causing inflation. Again, why punish us for other people's hoarding habits? Why not leave us be with the way we enter trials? <br /> <br /> There are people with 20 mil cash on here. That's about 2 mil in interest each week. More than most people manage to make in one week by trialing.

02-13-2012 at 9:28 PM
So what put a cap on the amout of money a person can ern on the site? <br /> <br /> They earned it, its theirs. Leave them be,

02-13-2012 at 5:31 PM
No sorry, decreasing the trials is NOT the point. I was told a lot of times that this is a trialing site, not a breeding site, so wanting to decrease trialing now is off the mark by far. <br /> <br /> I've recently talked with some people who have a similar play style like me, and it comes down to it that we use our money while others hoard, just because they can. What is going to be done about the hoarders? Their money, while not hurting anyone as it is not in circulation, racks up masses and masses of interest each week, adding to the so-called inflation problem. <br /> <br /> As long as people are allowed to hoard money limitless, money will probably go up slower but it will keep going up. What about before changing the trial system yet again we first limit the amount of money you can have in the bank or, at least, get interest for?

02-13-2012 at 10:57 AM
eather one winning works for me, A or B so naturaly i chose C XD<br /> <br /> I am glad the TP sectioning thing isnt put into place. I think its wrong to do tp groups. i thought the whole point to breeding was to get better and better dogs, not say at 500 TP or so. And if it went into play then what would be the point of training a dog to breed? just train a dog closest to the tp top line in a section and constently run that one. there wouldnt be much of a point to the game anymore. <br /> it would then be "well the 599.99 dogs are winning all the 600 and below TP competitions so we should sectin based on the point of the TP till at last its sectioned based on TP as a whole 599.99 tp dogs running agest echother 44.99 tp dogs running agest echother and all out of the idea of "fairness" <br /> "... it seems more and more like any opinion offered that does not conform to what has already been decided upon is being either ignored or actively shot down without appropriate justification."<br /> <br /> You meen the TP sectioning opinion that has been menchioned several times, that you started a debate on, that you had the mods and the admins go to the debate and explain there reasoning behind saying no to the TP sectioning. It wasnt ignored. It wasnt actively shot down without appropriate justification eather. Basicly at this point it seems as if your stomping your feet and throwing a fit because you arnt getting your way.
edit history
2012-02-13 11:55:16 by #8362
2012-02-13 11:02:22 by #8362

02-12-2012 at 9:11 PM
i agree with what crev and kaitie are saying, as of right now weight, hight drive, speed all just look good on a dog and dont really count for anything.<br /> <br /> It would be great if these started counting in trials, i remember a user pointing out that they had a 40lbs. pappion in their kennel, but it still places in a trial.<br /> <br /> I personally like option 2, as i have said before, as the payouts in the higher tiers get higher it makes sense that the energy it costs to enter them also goes up.<br /> <br /> I dont expect to win every trial i enter, i find it's fun to trial against other users and a great way of finding breeding partners.<br /> <br /> No-one will be making as much money with any option that gets put in place but as many people have pointed out that is the general idea. I dont really see too much of a problem with this as -again- many people have said; When users start making less money, the prices in the shops will decrease.

02-12-2012 at 3:33 PM
I apologize that you are feeling frustrated. Unfortunately, changes like these are going to really upset some people and make others extremely happy. A sad factor of operating a large-ish game site like this is that you are never going to please everyone. <br /> <br /> Your opinions are important to us. That does not mean that mob rule or the group of people who scream the loudest is always going to get exactly what they want. The objective is to create game balance, not to cater to those who are the most vocal. <br /> <br /> There are some extremely big issues with TP sectioning, many of which were addressed in your so called "push off thread". Frankly, to accuse the staff of conspiring against you is insulting. This thread has a purpose and to address matters not being voted on is not part of that purpose. I'm sorry if you don't feel that I was well within my right to ask that that potentially heated and extremely controversial subject matter be moved elsewhere as to not derail the purpose of this one. <br /> <br /> <i>"It's probably not intended this way, but having to ask us 'average users' how to fix this problem makes it look like you all have no idea what you're doing."</i><br /> <br /> Comments like this are beyond rude to your fellow players. If you do not want to participate in the discussion, then don't. Don't assume that your peers don't appreciate having a say in big decisions. I can guarantee you that if we were to put up a poll today asking whether or not players like to have a say in what happens on Alacrity (e.g., dog breeds, rule changes, game play restrictions, restructuring, etc.), you would be in a serious minority to say no. The fact that we try to include the community is rare among sims. You can color me annoyed that you're belittling your peers by implying that we shouldn't be asking for their opinions. <br /> <br /> <i>"... it seems more and more like any opinion offered that does not conform to what has already been decided upon is being either ignored or actively shot down without appropriate justification."</i><br /> <br /> If you want the truth, the option currently winning the poll was NOT the one that the staff all agreed was the best choice. We are modifying the ultimate course of action because of the vote. Believe what you want about the situation, but it's simply not true. Also, I have yet to see any solid, irrefutable justification for trial tiers in the debate thread. If you have qualms with why it is not being included as an option here, being active in that discussion is a far better option than complaining about perceived injustices here. <br /> <br /> <i>"Trial participation is going to decrease with either option."</i><br /> <br /> Isn't that kind of the point? We had two options: decrease the number of trials running or decrease the overall payout. You guys voted and indicated that the former was the direction you wanted to head.

02-12-2012 at 12:43 PM
I am feeling as frustrated as Jive. We're told that our opinions matter, but when we again bring up a valid solution that many users support, the conversation is strategically pushed off to a side thread where it's going to die. Why not at least add it to the vote? If it truly is a bad option, then it isn't going to generate enough support.<br /> <br /> There is nothing wrong with TP-sectioning. The only reason it's not up there with the other two options is because there is strong bias against it from a select group of people. Yes, it's a more complex solution than the other ones we've been presented with. However, trialing is the backbone of this economy, and a system needs to be set in place that will encourage participation on all levels. <br /> <br /> From a business point of view, the goal is to encourage as much participation as possible. By limiting participation, site growth is also being limited. Things may be okay for a while, but decline is inevitable. There is a business saying that goes "If you're not growing, you're dying". New and innovative plans to increase (and keep) your client-base must always be in the works or your business is going to suffer.<br /> <br /> I know that many of us are just 'average users', but in no way does that mean that we're stupid or can't fully understand how a dog sim is supposed to work. Folks who play here come from all different walks and have many different life experiences that we use when we voice our opinions. Obviously, if the folks making the big decisions had everything under control, the economy would not be in the state its in. It's probably not intended this way, but having to ask us 'average users' how to fix this problem makes it look like you all have no idea what you're doing.<br /> <br /> I am saying this because it was said that our opinions our wanted, and I know that I'm not the only person with similar feelings. There is truth in what I'm saying. Please don't ignore it simply because you disagree with me. Don't let bias keep this site from being more than it currently is.<br /> <br />

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