Gnomekindle Present Contents

[meepsa]

This hit me earlier today whilst cleaning my inventory.

I realised that, whilst I enjoyed collecting the ornaments for the gnomekindle presents/shoulder treants, I never really cared to actually buy any presents of any tier. My reason? The contents are not worth it after the first 3/4 times.

Currently, all we can get from them are:
-Coin bags, which result in tiny amounts of coin
-Stockings which are only usefull to bipeds
-Winter's Roses, which, while neat, serve no purpose.

I would suggest adding some more drops like the coin bags, but with different results:

-A potion bag, which contains potions relevant to the tier of present that you're buying. (both reaping and the more combat oriented ones like Vestia's Soothing Remedy)
-A formula bag, which contains formula(s) or techs that are drop-only. again, colour decides which tier.
-Snowball formula, make it a rare drop from the presents, plenty of people want this innocent fluff formula, and I'm pretty sure that it was taken out some time ago.

Differences in tier of present (small, medium or large) could be what kind of bag you get in the case of the potion and formula bag, for example:

A small present would have a 70% chance of giving a small potion/formula bag (gives 1), 20% of a medium (gives 2), and 10% of a large (gives 3).
Medium presents and Large present would increase the chances of getting medium and large bags. though I can't really figure out a nice rhythm for it.

In case of the Snowball formula, perhaps the present tier would dictate the chances of getting it.

This is all guessing that percentage based drops from containers can be done like this ofcourse.


anyhow, feedback is very much appreciated to this idea.

[Arzel Rashemi]

I support that, however becareful not to take things away from crafters in a way that makes alchemists, scribes, etc. redundant. Not that I think a small set of potions for the ornaments would.

I certainly back the reintroduction of the snowball formula. It was a pretty harmless thing like the reed whistles that were recently added back in and a fun little formula.

You could also possibly think of adding in maybe a random comp that is the same tier as the present?

[Machaeon]

Agreed here, the presents aren't really worth getting as they are. Would definitely support a random potion, form, tech, or comp in addition to the coin bags... and of course the snowball form would be nice to have even if it's a very rare drop from presents.

As one of the few on Order who has a snowball form scribed, I can safely say that a snowball fight is very hard to come by unless you provide all participants with snowballs yourself.

[Guaran]

I would agree that the current loot tables of the presents is sorely lacking.

I wouldn't bother putting forms or techs in... the old presents dropped forms, techs, crystals and it's just stuff we already get off mobs. And what used to be considered a valuable tech, like say Strength V (stats) you can just buy off a vendor now anyway. No point really. Kinda say the same thing for potions. Crafters make these, no need to compete against them.

Some interesting, event only potions or food would be cool though. No ideas' what those would be other than the current craftable event foods, or foods that were purchasable off vendors. Perhaps some holiday-ish foods, that give some buffs. This seems to me to be something fitting as a "present".

The presents also used to drop shoulder pets, those haven't been on the present loot tables in ages. 2 cows: Moobasa, Moothusela, 2 spiders (green and red striped), and 2 gummy maggots (green and red). This is the sort of thing that a present should have a chance to contain. iirc the pets were pretty rare chance, that would keep people playing in the holiday event longer.

As far as the stockings go, which work like sacks and simply provide storage, bump up their capacity to be a few hundred bulk past what the tier of sock/sack would normally hold. They can't be teched, so other than looking "christmas-y" they have no real draw or benefit. So give them extra capacity in exchange for the fact that they cannot be teched.

Alternatively, make them work like the Tarbash bags do, but not rechargeable. A certain number of "uses" which drops more present-like items, even perhaps another present (yay, more stuff to open). If you go this route, make the chance to get a stocking pretty rare. And once the charges are used up, it can still function as a sack. This seems completely in line with what a stocking is usually used for, get some small presents out of it

A chance to get a snowball formula seems fine as well. It's a gnome-kindle themed item. At the very least, a chance to get a stack of snowballs or packed snowballs would be fine.

[awdz]

i would adore getting the spun sugar formula through presents. :-)
other old fluff for rp would be fun too... bottles of wine, gnomish pipe & pipe weed, dwarven brandy... possibly even a gnomish clock, in a really large present?

[Cegaiel]

Good ideas, keep them coming.

[meepsa]

at the people who think this will invalidate crafters because of the potion drops.

Don't forget you only get these from golems (and treants if I'm not mistaken), and that the ornaments have a chance to drop.
This combined with the fact that you would get randomised potions from the bags would make it propably the most backwards way of getting the potions that you'd want and you'd be better off asking a crafter. I just wanted this in as a neat way of getting something from the bags that isn't a one-time grab. (like the stockings, you get one, and you won't need another one.)

I completely agree with adding holiday themed food though, like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, it would make it actually useful to hand ornaments in then.

Shoulder pets, big yes, I remember franticly gathering ornaments to hand in to see whether the shoulder pets were still in when they re-activated gnomekindle in...I think 2012? was really sad to see nothing there. (*cough* though it also was to see whether DCoM was in them *cough*)
Maybe also normal pets? Perhaps a present textured mimic? digging into the files I see that there's a run animation for mimics (and it looks absolutely adorable!), the only thing needed would be a present texture, which I myself would be willing to make if the art-team says no. ^^
Or perhaps a tiny Kwellen as a christmas imp?
Either way, those would have to be rare drops, and preferably only from medium and large prezzies.

Fully supportive of Gauran's idea of increasing the stocking bulk because they can't be teched, I currently only hold on to them because they're "unique", would be nice to switch to them when I need to remake gear but can already use the stocking.

[Cegaiel]

The anniversary is coming up in December. Some of suggestions might still be implemented to go with that and be appropriately timed with the traditional Winter Festival timing. Devs have something really neat lined up for the Anniversary.

Devs did add Red and White wine bottles on Delta 279. They produce glowing effects. I know this sounds boring. It was made to be similar to the glowing effect of the Draconic Celebration cake, which bipeds can't enjoy (but dragons can use the wine bottles, too). The effects don't turn off after a log out. You must manually turn them off, just like the cake. You can use the red wine for red effects or white wine for green effects. Or use both to mix the effects.

[Machaeon]

Oh my that's incredibly festive! Looking forward to getting some of those from presents!