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[fantasymooma]

Live and direct from VMK Central, it's the man with the VMK plan – ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, here's Yavn!

What in the Disney World?

Hey there! Yavn here. Ok, so we're getting reports that odd things are happening in the Kingdom. Esmeralda has sensed a portal opening in VMK that leads to another world and Shrunken Ned tells me that some odd looking Toons have also been spotted in our Virtual Magic Kingdom. Now I've got PirateVinnie and the rest of the VMK Staff looking into this and as soon as we can figure out what's going on, we'll let you know.

Anyway, I'm sure you want to know the theme for this month? Well, we've got, I mean had, some great plans, but somebody (cough, Yeti) lost them!
(Just between you and me, we're partnering with our pals at Toontown for a Topsy Turvy Toon month!)

What does this mean? Well, don't expect a new ToonTown land to show up in VMK, but it does mean a whole bunch of cool items and events. Stay "tooned" for more details – sorry I couldn't resist!

A Pirate's Quest for Me

Now about that Quest, first off, on behalf of myself and rest of the VMK staff, our hats are off to those of you who completed it. Yes, it was a hard Quest, but then again, I've never known a treasure hunt that offered such amazing treasure to be easy.

We were especially pleased to see VMK'ers working together in the Pirates and other games to complete the Quest. What we didn't appreciate were those of you that asked for answers (not doing the work while other players worked for hours), players who posted spoilers and the players who were just downright rude to other players in the game lobbies. There were other issues too which I'll get to in just a second...

Why did Captain Blackheart make the challenges in the Quest so difficult? Well, pirates are a crafty bunch, Blackheart is no different. Like all pirates, he wanted to make his treasure really hard to find.

I know that frustrated alot of you. We were frustrated too – we worked very hard to put this Quest together for you and thought you wanted (and deserved) amazing rewards – several players however, didn't think they should have to work to get them.

We all face many challenges in life and they aren't always easy to figure out – take it from me, anything worth doing takes time and determination. The old saying really does apply, cheaters don't prosper – and in the end, they just make it harder for the rest of us.

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

Rest assured, we learned quite a few things from this Quest that will greatly affect future events.

Finally, yes, it was a challenge, but we sincerely hope you enjoyed Captain Blackheart's Quest and even if you didn't complete the big one you got to play the mini-Quest and get some cool treasure. It's just a shame that some players had to spoil it for others and that's all I'll say about that.

Topsy Turvy beats Scurvy!

On a lighter note, we've ransacked those plundering pirates and are now working with wacky Toons! So what can you look forward to this month in VMK? How about some never-before-released Magic? We've got it! How about a new room? You want a sneak peak? Sure:


Now this looks like a nice place for some cool refreshment.

All this, plus other amazing stuff I can only hint to because I'm still looking for our Event Plan! Yeti! Walk with me to the Churro Cart... do you have any idea where you put those plans? What do you mean a Toon took them? What? Ok, show me which way he went... Yes, of course I'll buy you a churro...

Stay here guys, I'll be right back.
-Yavn

[BooLani]

Yavn is soo off my christmas card list... that is if he would have ever cut the grade on it lol

What we didn't appreciate were those of you that asked for answers (not doing the work while other players worked for hours), players who posted spoilers and the players who were just downright rude to other players in the game lobbies. There were other issues too which I'll get to in just a second...

Im sure if Yavn went into game himself and did the quest he would have come unstuck on some of the questions, friends help friends and if that means helping or giving them an answer by any which way or how Yavn should look and see that the question wasn't as easy as the nincompoop he is thought.

Why did Captain Blackheart make the challenges in the Quest so difficult? Well, pirates are a crafty bunch, Blackheart is no different. Like all pirates, he wanted to make his treasure really hard to find.

Well he can naff off on this one, I demand Parley to tell Yavn what I really think on this, I doubt the target age for VMK could have done the quest. Really look at your target audience before releasing eliteist quests such as that one... the rest I'll let you see yavn someday

I know that frustrated alot of you. We were frustrated too – we worked very hard to put this Quest together for you and thought you wanted (and deserved) amazing rewards – several players however, didn't think they should have to work to get them.

That gives Yavn no right to punish fair players, we aren't all scheming pirates in VMK... POTCO maybe but he shouldn't cast everyone in the same shadow... and at least make a big notice at what time the quest ended as they decided to end it at noon not the end of play today like most of us were lead to believe!

We all face many challenges in life and they aren't always easy to figure out – take it from me, anything worth doing takes time and determination. The old saying really does apply, cheaters don't prosper – and in the end, they just make it harder for the rest of us.

And dont we know it..... Stop making eliteist quests, extortinately priced items and add more NCP's (Well I know I'm not the only one that crashes in every VMK game because of rubbishly slow internet). maybe fixing some of those issues would solve your problem of cheaters, it would most likely reduce the need for some annoying individuals to cheat. If you make things easier to obtain it would cut down on that big time, not all of us are after things just because they are rare, some of us want to have the newly released stuff because it looks nice, not because it cost an arm and a leg to buy, or drove us up the wall to even get halfway through your evil quest. You know some actually appreciate the new items for what they are not their value!

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

Blah blah blah cover your back why not and freeze some of us off with your cold un-inviting shoulder, make us hate VMK because you try our patience and put us at wits end just for something we would have had fun with not clamoured over it because it was rare.

Rest assured, we learned quite a few things from this Quest that will greatly affect future events.

And so did we... you dont listen to your players or look at their age or skill range, we have learnt that you have no consideration to the good majority of the people that play VMK!

Finally, yes, it was a challenge, but we sincerely hope you enjoyed Captain Blackheart's Quest and even if you didn't complete the big one you got to play the mini-Quest and get some cool treasure. It's just a shame that some players had to spoil it for others and that's all I'll say about that.

No I certainly did not enjoy seeing my friends slog and slave over a quest all weekend and be at the point where they wanted to pull their hair out, and not even be able to get past 16 myself because you insist on putting games in that one I cant play because I crash on entering the game and two because you didn't even think of just how many players would be rushing to play the pirate ship battle and not have the common sense to add more instances of the lobby or up the amount of games that could be started.. such a poorly set out quest, you really took the biscuit with this one Yavn, you really did!

*Steps off her soapbax and all regular posts will resume and Boo goes to find a nice cool galss of Pineapple and Lime juice to calm down and relax*

[Patchy]

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

ok you are probably going to hate me for saying with this and sticking up for the man, but there is logic in it... and probably if i never have gone to the school, i would never under stand this.

but anyways, Ok vmk is a free community that we can join and all the stuff, but we can't single out people or that would be discrimination. As in my hall, or my hall is pretty much a community and if something happens to some thing public that is used in our hall and it gets broken (not on accident, by joking around or being stupid) and nobody goes and say they did it, our entire hall gets fined... Even though we may have a sense who could have done it, but don't have proof, we can't call on them or that would be discriminating. Yes, vmk probably knows who exactly is doing it, but It's our responsibility as a community to make sure vmk is running smoothly without cheating and and such. It sucks they closed the quest early, i know. But still, we aren't paying for the game and we are letting people cheat.

I know I am a bad person for saying it but I get the point that they are making.

[Cloudymellowdisco]

Actually, we are paying for VMK indirectly.  Let's not forget VMK is in part marketing for the Disney Parks and movies.  It's all about promoting Disney products in the hopes that we will buy buy buy!  So, you would think Disney would have a little better customer service with a simple thing like letting us know the quest would be ending early today.  Surely they knew about the technical problems sometime this weekend!  Surely they saw almost 7,000 people logged onto the site the other day - most trying to play the notorious POTC game!

I don't want to offend, but I think some of the VMK programmers need to get out from behind their computers and take some classes in customer service and dealing with people with a little decency.

[Patchy]

Actually, we are paying for VMK indirectly.  Let's not forget VMK is in part marketing for the Disney Parks and movies.  It's all about promoting Disney products in the hopes that we will buy buy buy!  So, you would think Disney would have a little better customer service with a simple thing like letting us know the quest would be ending early today.  Surely they knew about the technical problems sometime this weekend!  Surely they saw almost 7,000 people logged onto the site the other day - most trying to play the notorious POTC game!

I don't want to offend, but I think some of the VMK programmers need to get out from behind their computers and take some classes in customer service and dealing with people with a little decency.

That could be true but really truly don't know where the get the money to run it.. and that is also saying we are paying for toontown indirectly and pirates and club penguin all indirectly. they are paying games but still profits from the walt disney company goes into them...

[aensming]

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

It sucks they closed the quest early, i know. But still, we aren't paying for the game and we are letting people cheat.

I know I am a bad person for saying it but I get the point that they are making.

I don't think anybody here was "letting people cheat".  If someone was using programs and hacks to cheat - how could we as players stop them?  I didn't let anybody cheat.  I did work with friends to cooperatively try and win the quest - that is not cheating.

[Mable]

What I don't understand is, if they say they know who the people are that do things that aren't supposed to, why don't they handle them individually instead of punishing the mayority that play VMK the correct way?
Sorry I don't mean to offend anyone, but I think they are so full of it.

[Kаsiks]

I sent VMK a message (probably wont be read again but well ..) because I really did not like the way they ended the quest and the newsletter that yavn posted even less, a game is made to have fun and not to be teach lessons like we punish you all because some people cheated, I had people I wanted to get pass the quest and I felt so bad for them when I saw on the vmk site that it was really going to end a noon >_<

[Patchy]

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

It sucks they closed the quest early, i know. But still, we aren't paying for the game and we are letting people cheat.

I know I am a bad person for saying it but I get the point that they are making.

I don't think anybody here was "letting people cheat".  If someone was using programs and hacks to cheat - how could we as players stop them?  I didn't let anybody cheat.  I did work with friends to cooperatively try and win the quest - that is not cheating.

Well, put it this way, What are you doing to stop people cheating in the game? Yes, your not do it is one way, but also what are you doing to stop others from cheating.

From having a free game for us, there is limitations, and yes spoilers to them are cheating. We don't have any part of making the rules because we aren't paying them, and not meaning indirectly. This game is giving to us by disney itself, so they have total control over the entire situation, because its their game not ours. They probably get a thousand complaints how they run things, but seriously it really a sense of "oh well, too bad.... if you don't like our game, its your choice to be here". Which is totally true we have a choice to be there, I am not going to complain and rant about something that is giving to us is free, but I am not saying that I agree with everything they do because there are some things that are just odd to me. I am just getting a little tired of people complaining for something that they don't own, and think they can run the game better because one thing in a game made up of little pixels went wrong. So does a game has to be perfect? It's run by people who made mistakes and probably limited on money, and I do agree there is a little too many, but still this is a whole learning experience for them and of course if something can go wrong, it will go wrong.

[TeaMonster]

I think that everyone has every right to be angry about how this was handled.  Yes it may well be a free game in that you don't pay to play - but if everyone stopped playing through lack of enjoyment - disney will have wasted a hell of a lot of money on advertising gone wrong.  Thats what VMK is - one big advergame.  If they mess up - it leaves people with a bad picture of Disney which they really don't want.

I also agree, if they can make the statement that they know who was cheating using hack programmes - why the heck didn't they just ban them and leave the quest for everyone else?

(Yes, I just missed out on getting to the end - it finished with me only having 3 taasks left so I am annoyed!  )

I don't want to offend, but I think some of the VMK programmers need to get out from behind their computers and take some classes in customer service and dealing with people with a little decency.

Why the programmers?  They probably don't have any contact at all with the public.  Its the customer service guys and managers who need some lessons.  All the programmers do is build what they are told.

[Mable]

After 3 years anyone might think they would have learned something by now. It seems the ending result is mostly the same in every event (the result being the mayority of their customers feeling angry and frustrated). Hope some of that learning really stick this time!  

[thealienstitch]

I think that everyone has every right to be angry about how this was handled.  Yes it may well be a free game in that you don't pay to play - but if everyone stopped playing through lack of enjoyment - disney will have wasted a hell of a lot of money on advertising gone wrong.  Thats what VMK is - one big advergame.  If they mess up - it leaves people with a bad picture of Disney which they really don't want.

I also agree, if they can make the statement that they know who was cheating using hack programmes - why the heck didn't they just ban them and leave the quest for everyone else?

Applause........................Tea I love your words on this matter, and completely agree with you..................................Fee

[Adventuredaz]

While we're on the topic of cheaters, one last comment about the Quest – I'll remind you again, using any program that modifies VMK or plays VMK for you is not only wrong, but against VMK Values and will get you banned. In short, if you didn't download it from VMK.com, don't use it with VMK! (And trust me, we know when you do...) Technical problems (as well as closing the Quest when we did) were a direct result of players that didn't follow these simple rules.

ok you are probably going to hate me for saying with this and sticking up for the man, but there is logic in it... and probably if i never have gone to the school, i would never under stand this.

but anyways, Ok vmk is a free community that we can join and all the stuff, but we can't single out people or that would be discrimination. As in my hall, or my hall is pretty much a community and if something happens to some thing public that is used in our hall and it gets broken (not on accident, by joking around or being stupid) and nobody goes and say they did it, our entire hall gets fined... Even though we may have a sense who could have done it, but don't have proof, we can't call on them or that would be discriminating. Yes, vmk probably knows who exactly is doing it, but It's our responsibility as a community to make sure vmk is running smoothly without cheating and and such. It sucks they closed the quest early, i know. But still, we aren't paying for the game and we are letting people cheat.

I know I am a bad person for saying it but I get the point that they are making.

LOL sorry Patchy.  If my company makes a toy they give away free as a marketing gimmic but it puts your kids eye out.  Is that a good thing? Is this my companies fault - it was free.  Do you get what you pay for?  How do you feel about my company?  I suppose my response to your complaint can't be "we make a better product we will sell you, but what do you want it was free."  Incidently it is not discriminating to punish the individuals that are causing the problems.  Living in a dorm is not real life anyway, trust me.  I operate a Hotel, I can barely get away with charging a registered guest for destroying property or stealing items.  In most cases I can only enforce it if I take them to court or press charges.

[Patchy]

I don't care anymore,  I am just going to enjoy it while it lasts, not going to care if i didn't finish a quest or whatever, be happy and carry on with my studies.