I think it would be a great idea for VMK to sell the Dreams Ears, pins and room at the end of the month. The items should remain untradeable until the time that they are sold. This solution would work well for everyone. First, the players who have been lucky enough to win Dreams items would benefit in two ways - they would have had an entire month of having an exclusive items and they would not have to spend any credits to get the items while the players who have not won would have to. If the Dreams items are priced similarly to past special items, the ears would be at least 1000 credits, the pins would be at least 500 credits, and the room would be between 2000 - 5000 credits. Therefore, a player who has won several Dreams items would save close to 10,000 credits by not having to buy the items like everyone else. Second, because the items have not been tradeable, there is no chance that someone could have traded either lots of items or some very rare items to get the Dreams items before they were sold. Nobody could complain about having traded for an item right before it was "re-released."

This way, everyone who is interested in the Dreams items would have the opportunity to get them without relying on an incomprensible staff delivery system.

I understand that many people will complain about these items losing their rarity, but in this case, that argument seems rather hollow since they aren't tradeable. No one has invested anything to get the items by way of trade, so that is not a concern. The only complaint would be based on wanting to have an item that other players do not have. I have never understood this argument and have always felt it is a very selfish attitude. My enjoyment of an item is not affected by whether 1 other person has it or 1 million other people have it.

Very nice idea Gray. Send this to contact us, and they might actually do it :)

I cant believe this i have been saying this everyday of dreams moon.

That is My dream to let all get the prizes. :wave2:

Winnie

I have to say I disagree - and this is coming from someone who has not won any of the special Dreams stuff yet (although I did get a lightcycle yesterday!) This is the VMK version of the Year of a Million Dreams, right? Somehow I can't see the surplus dreams ears winding up in the Mad Hatter's hat shop after the promotion ends, and I don't think these should be old, either. But that isn't about the items being 'rare'; it's about them being special, in a way that an item you bought in one of the stores really can't be.

I do think, though, that VMK needs to step up their prize distribution, especially of the ears and pins; but they do have time for that, since the items aren't tradeable (which is brilliant, by the way; can you imagine the trading chaos that would be going on right now, and the prices that those lucky enough to have won multiple sets will be getting?)

Not everyone who goes to the Disney parks gets a dreams prize, and it's likely that not everyone who plays vmk this month will, either, but that's only the end of the world if you decide to spend the whole month staring at the screen waiting for a host to show up. I'd certainly be in favor of the ears being more common, but not of them going on sale. That would really defeat the whole point of the 'dreams' theme.

I also diagree with this. At the real parks where The Year of a Million Dreams is going on now- Do you think they'll sell all of the exclusive "Dreams" that they give out to select people? NO.

The point is that VMK's YOAMD is to be congruent to the same promotion going on at the Disney parks right now. The point is that everyone may or may not receive a Dream- and not everyone will have the same "Dreams" given to them by the end of this month.

I understand your point, but I can't say that I agree with it. How does the ability to buy an item affect the "special-ness" of how someone else got it? I won a candy cauldron for my costume on the first VMK Halloween. While I have had many other cauldrons, I will always remember how I got the first cauldron and I would never trade it. The fact that I was able to win and trade for others had no effect on how I remember the first cauldron or how I won it. In the same way, the players who won Dreams items would still have that special feeling from knowing they won the items, regardless of whether they or other players were later able to buy the same items.

I think they Will
release the items to everyone that is on for a certain time.

Yes, this is one of those rare situations in which everyone will be happy. Everyone except for the selfish people who want it all to themselves, which I think there will not be many. Great idea, you should send it in!

I have to say I disagree - and this is coming from someone who has not won any of the special Dreams stuff yet (although I did get a lightcycle yesterday!) This is the VMK version of the Year of a Million Dreams, right? Somehow I can't see the surplus dreams ears winding up in the Mad Hatter's hat shop after the promotion ends, and I don't think these should be old, either. But that isn't about the items being 'rare'; it's about them being special, in a way that an item you bought in one of the stores really can't be.

Well, if VMK makes it very expensive it would be special to people who have to work to get all those credits. After you work really hard on something and you have your prize it is special to that person.

Technically, they should keep it limited to give away since it's basically granting your dreams. If they just stick the items in the Emporium, it's not as special. Although, I'd really like those items too, so they should go on sale =D

XxChrisssy

Technically, they should keep it limited to give away since it's basically granting your dreams. If they just stick the items in the Emporium, it's not as special. Although, I'd really like those items too, so they should go on sale =D

XxChrisssy

But they're would be people who's dreams would not have come true.

I think it being expensive would be a good idea, but it would feel special because they worked hard to get it.

Yeah, but it really defeats the purpose of having staff running around and giving them away, I dont think they'll do it. Maybe putting the things up for trade but not for sale. Especially not the room! I think they should be exculsive items maybe HOST only prizes but not for sale

F.Y.I. I dont have any prizes (yet)

I agree with everything you've stated in the first post, except for you saying that it won't give a reason for people to complain. In fact, this will most likely give them every right to complain about the releasing of the items. Many people that have wished that they had the dreams items will end up saying that VMK shouldn't have given them out to everybody.

It always seems to end up like this. People will complain, not according to what is given, but according to how it is given. For instance, you saw how many people were anticipating the release of the surfboard table, correct? And when VMK released it, the mood changed from "I can't wait to get this table," into "WHAT!?!? TWO THOUSAND CREDITS FOR A STUPID TABLE?!?!"

Quite frankly, they either did or didn't buy the table, but the fact of the matter is that people will complain about anything, given an incentive. Yes I believe that the items should be released, as everyone would benefit from it. Also I realize that people will complain either way (about not getting the item, or about its release) so releasing the item would be the only way to have benefits. The only thing that I don't believe is that people will stop complaining because of it.

EDIT: Oops. Misread your post, but it seems you anticipated the complaining. I 100% agree with your thoughts about the releasing of the items.

I think for girls we should have a dream dress and for boys drean ears dont you ???

Not everyone who goes to the Disney parks gets a dreams prize, and it's likely that not everyone who plays vmk this month will, either, but that's only the end of the world if you decide to spend the whole month staring at the screen waiting for a host to show up.I also diagree with this. At the real parks where The Year of a Million Dreams is going on now- Do you think they'll sell all of the exclusive "Dreams" that they give out to select people? NO.

The point is that VMK's YOAMD is to be congruent to the same promotion going on at the Disney parks right now. The point is that everyone may or may not receive a Dream- and not everyone will have the same "Dreams" given to them by the end of this month.VMK is vastly different from the parks, and that's the glaring fault with this month's theme. Young players are affected much more personally by being overlooked in a game than they are by not getting a prize when visiting the park with their families. All the messages from staff trying to get them to "go about VMK as usual" are pretty much like telling them not to think about pink elephants.
Technically, they should keep it limited to give away since it's basically granting your dreams.But they're would be people who's dreams would not have come true.'Nuff said.....

And I can't resist asking; whose dream is it anyway? The room, ears and pins may be cool but they are prearranged prizes, pure and simple, just like everything offered in the park promotion. Nobody is being asked what they would wish for. Which is not to say that prizes aren't nice, but sometimes Disney throws a little too much pixie dust in our eyes. ;)

I think you have some great ideas here gray.

I'd love to have the opportunity to be able to obtain the items as well, and this very well could be my ticket to get them.

I think the main difference some people that have posted already missed, is that this is a game and not the real parks...therefore, in a game situation, all players should be given the same opportunity. This of course, strays off-topic as it goes into the debate of item "rarity" and whether items should be released again or not. I personally am with you on releasing items gray. I love the pink tikis, basely solely on the fact that they are pink. Who cares if they are beta?

I agree with you gray, I think you have a great idea here.

I did get my ears this weekend, but I know that if I haden't gotten them by the end of the month that I would want them to become tradeable or put in the store so that I can obtain them.

My ears will still be special to me because they were given to me by the host, and relseasing them in the store would not change how I got them. But it will give others a chance to also own them.

So, Great idea. :)

From what I've seen, most of the young players aren't the ones getting worked up about this month. We are 10 days into September, and last night, there were kids running around and getting excited, just as on the first day. I was surprised! It's upsetting to see people complaining about this theme in-game, specifically the high-profile players. They're not just saying "gee, I wish I could win a prize!," they keep going on and on about how they think it's lame. At the same time, they're getting more dreams granted than most.

I really hope the ears aren't sold and I, too, am in the No Ears Club! This month isn't just about having 40 of each of the new items so you can trade for that Sparrow suit you've always wanted. It's about recreating the magic of having a dream granted, like they do in the parks. I'm sure that its fun to wear the ears, but the real prize is actually winning them: seeing the host in the doorway and waiting to see what prize she gives out. Although I can't agree with the methods chosen to do this, it seems like they're going around (slowly but surely!) and making sure most, if not all, active players get dreams ears.

I think that is a terrific idea, Gray. Only if you don't mind not getting any credit for it.

Hmm, interesting topic you bring up. I see where you and Vary are coming from. It would be nice for everyone to have at least one of all the Dreams items. However, I also think it takes away from the "special-ness" of the items. It effects the "special-ness" because everyone else has it. It may sound a little selfish and I'm not trying to make it sound like that but that's how I see it. A great example is the flip hat that was recently re-released. It's still cool but not as special.

I'd go either way. I won't complain if they put them in the shops and I won't complain if they don't.

Basically it comes down to this. Do you want them to keep the "special-ness", or do you want to get all the Dreams items?

~Q/S

Although I can't agree with the methods chosen to do this, it seems like they're going around (slowly but surely!) and making sure most, if not all, active players get dreams ears.And here's the problem: In the process of making it "random" from a player perspective, the results cannot help favoring certain factors over others. The amount of time you spend in the game and how that time is spent, among other things, really can change your chances. I don't hear of hosts visiting players who are working alone in a room, and obviously, you can't get a visit while playing minigames. And I can't imagine how they could come up with a fair way for clothing choice to determine awards, unless it's based on color alone. But wait, even that isn't really fair, because some players prefer a certain color.....

There's really no such thing as an impartial selection factor. The most they can do is reshuffle the set of factors that we feel normally gives players an edge.

But if the ultimate goal is make sure most players get a prize, what is the point? Give them an active goal instead; release a special quest or make the prizes something to earn credits for.

VMK is a virtual experience of Disney magic, and a big part of that is making the impossible possible. The more that players lose the power to participate in that, the more it becomes like real life; rather luck-of-the-draw. In this respect, VMK needs to be more magical than the parks. In real life, (and in real Disney parks), an unexpected gift can be magical because it is one of many factors influencing a person's well-being. But in VMK, enjoyment depends heavily on a player's efforts to achieve something; they have the power to create a world for themselves in the game. To make a "dream" depend upon chance doesn't really fit with the fantasy, and I think a lot of players feel that instinctively.

And here's the problem: In the process of making it "random" from a player perspective, the results cannot help favoring certain factors over others. The amount of time you spend in the game and how that time is spent, among other things, really can change your chances. I don't hear of hosts visiting players who are working alone in a room, and obviously, you can't get a visit while playing minigames. And I can't imagine how they could come up with a fair way for clothing choice to determine awards, unless it's based on color alone. But wait, even that isn't really fair, because some players prefer a certain color.....

There's really no such thing as an impartial selection factor. The most they can do is reshuffle the set of factors that we feel normally gives players an edge.

But if the ultimate goal is make sure most players get a prize, what is the point? Give them an active goal instead; release a special quest or make the prizes something to earn credits for.

VMK is a virtual experience of Disney magic, and a big part of that is making the impossible possible. The more that players lose the power to participate in that, the more it becomes like real life; rather luck-of-the-draw. In this respect, VMK needs to be more magical than the parks. In real life, (and in real Disney parks), an unexpected gift can be magical because it is one of many factors influencing a person's well-being. But in VMK, enjoyment depends heavily on a player's efforts to achieve something; they have the power to create a world for themselves in the game. To make a "dream" depend upon chance doesn't really fit with the fantasy, and I think a lot of players feel that instinctively.

So... you think they should sell the Dreams items?

So... you think they should sell the Dreams items?Bottom line; yes, I think it's a great idea to sell the items or release them through a quest. (Although personally, I don't see the need for them to have been exclusive in the first place, other than being available for this month only.)

Basically it comes down to this. Do you want them to keep the "special-ness", or do you want to get all the Dreams items?

Buying them wouldn't make the loose their "special-ness"...I only buy or trade for items that I think are cool in the first place. Why would letting the items be available for purchase make them any less "special" to people? It wouldn't change the fact that a person was still gifted their ears from a host...

And here's the problem: In the process of making it "random" from a player perspective, the results cannot help favoring certain factors over others. The amount of time you spend in the game and how that time is spent, among other things, really can change your chances. I don't hear of hosts visiting players who are working alone in a room, and obviously, you can't get a visit while playing minigames. And I can't imagine how they could come up with a fair way for clothing choice to determine awards, unless it's based on color alone. But wait, even that isn't really fair, because some players prefer a certain color.....The point, I think, is not that any given randomly selected criteria is going to give each individual player an equal chance, but that any player is equally likely for a criteria that favors them to come up. Let's look at gender for a simple example; if the host's instruction was to give a prize to the first boy she saw coming out of the peter pan ride, that wouldn't be fair to the girls, of course; but it would be equally unfair when the next night a host was instructed to give a prize to a girl.

Yes, obviously, you're less likely to win if you spend a lot of time playing minigames during the dream squad hours, but I don't think there are any players who are under the impression that a host is going to enter their pirates game and give them a prize. If you want a better chance of seeing a dolphin, you go to Miami, not Duluth. If you want to win a dreams prize, you spend time in normal public or guest rooms.

But if the ultimate goal is make sure most players get a prize, what is the point? Give them an active goal instead; release a special quest or make the prizes something to earn credits for. And they do that. They do it all the time. But the point of this particular month's theme is to tie in with the similar promotion that's being run in the park. No, it's not completely 'fair,' if your definition of fair is 'everyone gets exactly what they want.' But it's just like any other themed month; some people will love it, some won't, but if you don't, just wait 30 days. Why does every item need to be available in the stores, or in a quest, or whatever? What's wrong with trying something different? And this is not the first time that an item has only been available in such a way that not everyone will get it. Candy Cauldrons, red holiday chairs, all those in-park-only items... This is just another special item that's really fun and desirable, but also not easy to get.

If someone never manages to get a set of dream ears, they might be disappointed, but I think they'll get over it. And there's nothing to say that these prizes won't be awarded again somewhere down the line - anyone remember the staff giving out treasure detector magic pins at new years last year?

VMK is a virtual experience of Disney magic, and a big part of that is making the impossible possible. The more that players lose the power to participate in that, the more it becomes like real life; rather luck-of-the-draw. In this respect, VMK needs to be more magical than the parks. In real life, (and in real Disney parks), an unexpected gift can be magical because it is one of many factors influencing a person's well-being. But in VMK, enjoyment depends heavily on a player's efforts to achieve something; they have the power to create a world for themselves in the game. To make a "dream" depend upon chance doesn't really fit with the fantasy, and I think a lot of players feel that instinctively.A lot of fun aspects of vmk are about 'working' (well, playing a lot) to earn credits to buy items to build rooms you like. And that's awesome! But that goes on every month. This month, they're trying something new that, admittedly, not everyone likes. But a lot of people are taking it in the spirit that it was intended and just having fun. I said it before: if people just sit and watch the entrances to the room to wait for a host to show up, they're going to be disappointed even if they do get a prize. That's clearly not what the event is about. But I don't think it's fair to say that the best thing about vmk is, well, anything. There are plenty of players who don't play minigames or build rooms; some of them hang out with friends, some of them play the host games, some of them just enjoy the atmosphere. You can't expect everyone to enjoy the game in the same way, so what's wrong with having a month that rewards just hanging out in the game? Anyone who mostly enjoys the satisfaction of earning items to build something they enjoy has Halloween to look forward to, don't they? :DI understand your point, but I can't say that I agree with it. How does the ability to buy an item affect the "special-ness" of how someone else got it? I won a candy cauldron for my costume on the first VMK Halloween. While I have had many other cauldrons, I will always remember how I got the first cauldron and I would never trade it. The fact that I was able to win and trade for others had no effect on how I remember the first cauldron or how I won it. In the same way, the players who won Dreams items would still have that special feeling from knowing they won the items, regardless of whether they or other players were later able to buy the same items.But don't you think that the players, lucky and unlucky, who spent time in public rooms and traded messages about where the hosts were, who enjoyed the 'treasure hunt' aspect of the game or just kept one eye on the door while they were hanging out with their friends, will feel just a little like they've had one pulled over on them if all these items are suddenly in the stores at the end of the month? Randomly awarding them to everyone who's in-game at a given time a la the 8/9 pin is one thing. But allowing everyone to get as many as they want at the end of the month, after they've been treated as a special gift all month? You mentioned your candy cauldron; if I asked you if you would have minded if it had been in the emporium the next day I have no doubt you'd tell me 'no,' but I really think you'd be in the distinct minority there.

But, to answer your question quite simply: the hosts are handing out special, limited edition gifts to players. That's part of the experience. It's not just about 'meeting' the host, or even about getting a prize from them; if it were, we'd just be doing teleporter games like practically every other month up until this summer, and photo sessions like many of the more recent games. If those special items promptly go on sale as the month ends so that everyone who didn't even bother to spend any time hanging out where the hosts might find them can buy a few dozen, that will absolutely affect that experience for many players.

If we'd been told from the start "At the end of the month there will be special items on sale, but you can get them before everyone else by..." that would be entirely different. Personally, I'd be distinctly unimpressed with that tactic, (I think the dreams promotion is so in keeping with the Disney parks' spirit, and I'm glad it's being duplicated in-game) but I would at least understand it. But doing it now, after holding these items up as special, exclusive prizes would be a betrayal. I mean, can you imagine the newsletter update announcing it? "Heh, heh, I bet you guys all feel pretty silly for waiting around for the hosts all month. Don't worry, next month we're back to teleporter games." This event is, at least, something new, and there are plenty of people who are enjoying it. I wouldn't want to see it all the time, because not everyone is into it, but you can't please everyone at once no matter what you do.

Buying them wouldn't make the loose their "special-ness"...I only buy or trade for items that I think are cool in the first place. Why would letting the items be available for purchase make them any less "special" to people? It wouldn't change the fact that a person was still gifted their ears from a host...True. But there is a certain kind of special which is having something that not everyone has. If you put them in the shops, they're still "cool" but they lose that.

~Q/S

Yes, obviously, you're less likely to win if you spend a lot of time playing minigames during the dream squad hours, but I don't think there are any players who are under the impression that a host is going to enter their pirates game and give them a prize. If you want a better chance of seeing a dolphin, you go to Miami, not Duluth. If you want to win a dreams prize, you spend time in normal public or guest rooms.Really one of my points; and the info on the home page is rather misleading: What's the best way to win a Dreams prize? Just be yourself! Play your favorite VMK games, hang out in your favorite public areas, and create fun and fantastic rooms. Just be you and maybe your VMK dreams will come true!Although I can't agree with the methods chosen to do this, it seems like they're going around (slowly but surely!) and making sure most, if not all, active players get dreams ears.But if the ultimate goal is make sure most players get a prize, what is the point? Give them an active goal instead; release a special quest or make the prizes something to earn credits for.And they do that. They do it all the time. But the point of this particular month's theme is to tie in with the similar promotion that's being run in the park. No, it's not completely 'fair,' if your definition of fair is 'everyone gets exactly what they want.' But it's just like any other themed month; some people will love it, some won't, but if you don't, just wait 30 days. Why does every item need to be available in the stores, or in a quest, or whatever? What's wrong with trying something different?My comment above was addressed to MissyMiss, in response to her idea that VMK wants most players to receive the Dreams ears. It's about how VMK could best achieve that goal if they indeed are trying to, and is not meant to be an argument for or against the promotion in general.If someone never manages to get a set of dream ears, they might be disappointed, but I think they'll get over it.Well, of course they will. But I still maintain that "chance" promotions in an online Disney game designed for kids doesn't seem very magical.You can't expect everyone to enjoy the game in the same way, so what's wrong with having a month that rewards just hanging out in the game?Nothing wrong with that at all, but it would be nice if VMK were not denying that's what it takes.True. But there is a certain kind of special which is having something that not everyone has. If you put them in the shops, they're still "cool" but they lose that.

~Q/SSorry, but I wish everyone in the game had Inferno, Sparrow, Dreams ears, Castle Suites, you name it. This "envy of the kingdom" stuff is my least favorite aspect of VMK.

Sorry, but I wish everyone in the game had Inferno, Sparrow, Dreams ears, Castle Suites, you name it. This "envy of the kingdom" stuff is my least favorite aspect of VMK.

I don't.

What I wish is that people wouldn't be so distraught over not having a certain collection of pixels in their inventory. You have to keep in mind that the main reason most items are in demand is because of their "rare" status. If you made everything cheaply and readily available, it would destroy the element of the game that offers a challenge and something to work towards. Having a trade option would essentially be useless. People often argue that people shouldn't take pleasure in having something just because others don't, but I think the real reason people like having those things is because of the effort and planning and work that went into obtaining them. And there's nothing wrong with that.

When looking at VMK as a game (as opposed to just a big chat room) trading and collecting are really the only objectives of the game. Nobody wants to see kids cry because they didn't get a certain pair of Ears, but I think it's the responsibility of the parents/guardians to discuss this with the children and debunk the idea that status equals worth. It's definitely possible to still have fun without being caught up in the greed, but if a person (regardless of their age) isn't able to take a step back and successfully do that, they shouldn't be playing.

I do agree that the whole "envy of the kingdom" thing is a little shameful. VMK very obviously encourages the idea that possessions equal worth and that one should be driven by his/her desire to feel elevated over others. Thanks to Kevin Spacey, I know that Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I wonder if VMK remembers that too? Because if so, you've gotta question their integrity and their hypocritical behavior when they reprimand people for taking that principle too far. When that's the atmosphere you've tried to create in a KID'S game, what else did you expect to happen?

I don't.

What I wish is that people wouldn't be so distraught over not having a certain collection of pixels in their inventory.Well, I think we both can agree that VMK is to blame for that.You have to keep in mind that the main reason most items are in demand is because of their "rare" status. If you made everything cheaply and readily available, it would destroy the element of the game that offers a challenge and something to work towards. Having a trade option would essentially be useless. People often argue that people shouldn't take pleasure in having something just because others don't, but I think the real reason people like having those things is because of the effort and planning and work that went into obtaining them. And there's nothing wrong with that.Sure, many people enjoy the challenge involved. I have no problem with that, as long as they don't lord it over other players or begrudge them getting the same items.When looking at VMK as a game (as opposed to just a big chat room) trading and collecting are really the only objectives of the game.I'd beg to differ with you here. While VMK can't help but be concerned with virtual objects, I know many people who are more interested in building and creating than trading.Nobody wants to see kids cry because they didn't get a certain pair of Ears, but I think it's the responsibility of the parents/guardians to discuss this with the children and debunk the idea that status equals worth. It's definitely possible to still have fun without being caught up in the greed, but if a person (regardless of their age) isn't able to take a step back and successfully do that, they shouldn't be playing.I agree. But if VMK claims to be geared for an 8-12 year old audience, I feel they have a responsibility to be careful about which values they promote.I do agree that the whole "envy of the kingdom" thing is a little shameful. VMK very obviously encourages the idea that possessions equal worth and that one should be driven by his/her desire to feel elevated over others. Thanks to Kevin Spacey, I know that Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I wonder if VMK remembers that too? Because if so, you've gotta question their integrity and their hypocritical behavior when they reprimand people for taking that principle too far. When that's the atmosphere you've tried to create in a KID'S game, what else did you expect to happen?Couldn't have said it better myself. ;)

you know the dreams chairs have clouds a the bottom cant they sell those cloud carpets seperatly? that would be awesome to fill a room with clouds like fantasyland in the sky.

Sorry, but I wish everyone in the game had Inferno, Sparrow, Dreams ears, Castle Suites, you name it. This "envy of the kingdom" stuff is my least favorite aspect of VMK.Trading and collecting items is a major part of VMK. Same with chatting and hanging out with friends. However, friends are more important to me in VMK then items. I also agree with "the envy of the kingdom". I'm not after every single item and I don't want to keep everything for myself. But, you have to admit, when something gets re-released in shops, it loses something.

~Q/S

Trading and collecting items is a major part of VMK. Same with chatting and hanging out with friends. However, friends are more important to me in VMK then items. I also agree with "the envy of the kingdom". I'm not after every single item and I don't want to keep everything for myself. But, you have to admit, when something gets re-released in shops, it loses something.

~Q/S

You are right, it does lose something: the exclusivity that allows some players to lord items over other players and try to make them feel like they are less important because they do not have a "rare" hat or pin. I agree that trading is a big part of VMK, but have you tried to actually trade for something lately? People insist on ridiculous offers for any item that isn't currently available, regardless of the original source of the item. Things that were buyable for over a year but are retired now command absurd prices in trades. I would agree with the people that cite the fun in trading as a reason to keep items rare, except that trading hasn't been fun for at least a year. People refuse to be reasonable or even rational when they have an item you want to trade for. If nobody will ever actually trade the stupid green backwards hat (and by that I mean, accept an offer that is "only" 5 times its orignal value instead of 100 times its original value) then how are players ever supposed to get it? And that is for a hat that was buyable! Don't even get me started on things like Stitch hats or Inferno. Don't tell me that anyone actually enjoys trying to make trades when people belittle you for making offers they don't think are worthy of their items. The trading market is (probably irrevocably) broken.

The point is, trading is only fun for people that already have all the rare items because they can always try to squeeze just a little bit more out of some poor kid who is desperate for an item. Wow, that sounds just like the kind of magic Walt always intended.

So don't give me the "letting more people have an item ruins trading" line anymore.

People want items to be rare so they have something other people don't -pure and simple. An attitude I find incredibly selfish and immature. For everyone that say a wide release for Dreams items will make them less special, I have a question: If you won a brand new Ferrari in a contest, but then 2 weeks later your neighbor went out and bought the same Ferrari for $100,000, would that make your Ferrari less "special"? Would you immediately forget how you got your Ferrari for free, while your neighbor had to pay for his? Would you lose all interest in the Ferrari? If you answered yes, can I have your "worthless" Ferrari?

And please don't say that I am comparing apples and oranges - the people defending the exclusivity of the Dreams items are the people who started comparing it to real life, not me.

You are right, it does lose something: the exclusivity that allows some players to lord items over other players and try to make them feel like they are less important because they do not have a "rare" hat or pin. I agree that trading is a big part of VMK, but have you tried to actually trade for something lately? People insist on ridiculous offers for any item that isn't currently available, regardless of the original source of the item. Things that were buyable for over a year but are retired now command absurd prices in trades. I would agree with the people that cite the fun in trading as a reason to keep items rare, except that trading hasn't been fun for at least a year. People refuse to be reasonable or even rational when they have an item you want to trade for. If nobody will ever actually trade the stupid green backwards hat (and by that I mean, accept an offer that is "only" 5 times its orignal value instead of 100 times its original value) then how are players ever supposed to get it? And that is for a hat that was buyable! Don't even get me started on things like Stitch hats or Inferno. Don't tell me that anyone actually enjoys trying to make trades when people belittle you for making offers they don't think are worthy of their items. The trading market is (probably irrevocably) broken.

The point is, trading is only fun for people that already have all the rare items because they can always try to squeeze just a little bit more out of some poor kid who is desperate for an item. Wow, that sounds just like the kind of magic Walt always intended.

So don't give me the "letting more people have an item ruins trading" line anymore.

People want items to be rare so they have something other people don't -pure and simple. An attitude I find incredibly selfish and immature. For everyone that say a wide release for Dreams items will make them less special, I have a question: If you won a brand new Ferrari in a contest, but then 2 weeks later your neighbor went out and bought the same Ferrari for $100,000, would that make your Ferrari less "special"? Would you immediately forget how you got your Ferrari for free, while your neighbor had to pay for his? Would you lose all interest in the Ferrari? If you answered yes, can I have your "worthless" Ferrari?

And please don't say that I am comparing apples and oranges - the people defending the exclusivity of the Dreams items are the people who started comparing it to real life, not me.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Whether someone else "started" the argument is irrelevant, it only matters if it is a worthy analogy and if you agree with it. If you don't, don't use it, and let me tell you why it's not. A $100,000 Ferrari, has real world value in a way that VMK could never dream of. Let's start with the price-tag right in the title. Someone has appraised this car and given it an acceptable and agreed upon price based on the parts and labor it took to build, the performance of the vehicle, and the demand for it. That's something that could never be done with VMK because all items are essentially created equal (out of pixels) and all perform the same (they sit in your room/inventory). Also, a Ferrari has practical uses such as being a tool with which to pick up your dry cleaning and/or girls with, and so on. No practical real world use for items in VMK. You might say this is all obvious, but again if you think a particular brand of logic is silly, don't further it by using it in your own argument.

In response to all your talk about how "people refuse" to do this and "people insist" on doing that, you're making very broad generalizations based on your own experiences. I'm sorry if you've had a bad history with trading, but it certainly doesn't mean everyone trades that way. You should remember that the items on this game only have emotional worth, and therefore the value is determined by the person trading the item. If he thinks it's worth a certain amount that you're not willing to pay, that's his right. On the one hand you say that trade is broken, but then you chastise people for not knowing the fair values of virtual items on a game. I don't think it's fair to expect people to know the value of items (which basically just means that they agree with your assessment of it) when many people aren't familiar with the history of the item, how long ago it was released, or when it might be released again. You also imply that it's foolish to be caught up in the worth and rarity of items, but at the same time you're upset that your virtual items aren't worth to some people what you think they should be. And frankly, you sound rather bitter about it. I just don't think you can have it both ways.

I like trading, I like collecting, and I am able to find people to do fair and honest trades with. I'm sorry that you can't do the same. I don't like owning items simply because other people don't have them, I like owning them because it's a mark of the planning and work that went into obtaining them. In that sense it's like any other video game where you can earn trophies or unlock bonuses based on what you've accomplished in the game. I think that's how a lot of people feel and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I can also tell you if they made all items cheaply and readily available, VMK as a game would become a lot more boring. It doesn't mean I wouldn't come on and chat with friends still, but it would lose a big part of what it was meant to be, and I see no reason for that to happen.

I do agree that the trade system needs to be improved; things could be done to improve the actual method of trading (GPDOT has some great ideas) as it's extremely frustrating to freeze up almost every time I attempt a trade. VMK should also be more conscious of allowing more items to become rare, and go back to doing 1 day or 1 weekend sales, instead of releasing them for months at a time. This way, newer players would be able to take advantage of these shorter sales and have something that is more likely to grow in worth and will therefore allow them to trade up. There are things that need to be looked at when it comes to trading, but eliminating it altogether should not be an option as far as I'm concerned. And I don't think I'm alone.

Really one of my points; and the info on the home page is rather misleading:
What's the best way to win a Dreams prize? Just be yourself! Play your favorite VMK games, hang out in your favorite public areas, and create fun and fantastic rooms. Just be you and maybe your VMK dreams will come true!
Nothing wrong with that at all, but it would be nice if VMK were not denying that's what it takes.Um, are they? I mean, we've been told again and again that staff will be visiting rooms on the map and guest rooms. If you're spending most of your time in a game, you're not going to have as good of a chance, but you will still have a chance. I think the last line sums it up nicely: "just be you and maybe your vmk dreams will come true." In other words, don't do anything different. If you spend all your time on vmk staring at the screen bored out of your mind, you lose even if you win. Hence the instruction to 'go about your buisness.'My comment above was addressed to MissyMiss, in response to her idea that VMK wants most players to receive the Dreams ears. It's about how VMK could best achieve that goal if they indeed are trying to, and is not meant to be an argument for or against the promotion in general.Yes, I did understand what you were saying, and who you were saying it to. I explained why I disagreed. I think the distribution method is integral to the promotion as a whole; if they were going to distribute them the way they do most other items, what's the point of having a Dreams-themed month? Like I said, there is nothing wrong with trying something different.Well, of course they will. But I still maintain that "chance" promotions in an online Disney game designed for kids doesn't seem very magical.Why on earth not? Yes, the dreams event is based on chance. So are most of the host games. The difference here is that you don't need to wait patiently in line for two hours or in order to get a chance at winning. For some of the games with the bigger prizes, like the pin trading events or yard sales, you have to get in line within seconds after the room opens to even get get into the room. A week and a half in to this promotion, though, we seem to be well on the way to most players getting something; a happy medium between the "only those with the fastest computers and connections will even get in" trading events and the "everyone can easily wind up with several rows of pins" teleporter games.

Your complaint here seems to be largely about semantics; dreams don't just 'come true,' you have to work for them? Well, obviously, but but the "Where Dreams Come True" slogan is not about the "I want to be a doctor when I grow up" kind of dream, is it? It's about wish fulfillment, the kind of living fantasy, 'every little detail' experience that Disney provides.
Sorry, but I wish everyone in the game had Inferno, Sparrow, Dreams ears, Castle Suites, you name it. This "envy of the kingdom" stuff is my least favorite aspect of VMK.But it's something many other players enjoy, and that's the point. Disney has created a game that has lots of possibilities for play. It's not 'about' any one thing; not earning credits and building rooms, not collecting, not socializing. Having rare items to work towards keeps trading interesting for the players who think that it's fun. What you seem to be saying is that everyone should have a shot at any item, but only if they enjoy earning credits in mini-games. Not everyone plays the game in the same way. Earning credits is much easier and more fun for some people than others; there are many players who have below average hand-eye coordination (eg yours truely ;)) or slower computers, or who just don't find the games enjoyable. In order for this game to be fun for as many people as possible, and for the trading element to even make sense, there have to be different ways to have fun and to get prizes/credits. Different items in vmk have always been available in different ways. Selling everything in the stores would only benefit one group - the mini-game champs. A disproportionate number of whom, I have to say, appear to be grownups.
I do agree that the whole "envy of the kingdom" thing is a little shameful. VMK very obviously encourages the idea that possessions equal worth and that one should be driven by his/her desire to feel elevated over others. Thanks to Kevin Spacey, I know that Envy is one of the seven deadly sins. I wonder if VMK remembers that too? Because if so, you've gotta question their integrity and their hypocritical behavior when they reprimand people for taking that principle too far. When that's the atmosphere you've tried to create in a KID'S game, what else did you expect to happen?You said yourself earlier in your post that curbing those attitudes is the responsibility of the parents. There are plenty of players, of all ages, who enjoy working towards hard-to-obtain items (whether they're 'rare' or just expensive) without feeling that having them makes them better than their peers, and not having them makes them worse. You can really, really want something without getting having it all tied up in your self-image. It is possible to play this game in an emotionally healthy way; reprimanding players for bad behavior isn't hypocritical, it's an attempt to let people know that that sort of thing isn't on.




I really think both of you are giving some of our younger players too little credit. Sure, there are kids (and plenty of adults, too) who take the 'amassing wealth' aspects of the game too far. But it's possible to get addicted to or develop unhealthy habits towards most forms of entertainment. Unhealthy play is a symptom of unhealthy attitudes, not their cause. The adults have only themselves to blame; the kids need their parents to teach them balance. You can't expect every media product that's aimed at kids to be a babysitter, and you really can't blame vmk (or cartoons, or most videogames) for the unhealthy attitudes that some kids who enjoy them display. Including or allowing content that is just not appropriate for any kid is one thing, and media that's aimed at kids should avoid that, if only because responsible parents will not allow their children to be exposed to things that are bad for them. But you shouldn't expect any game to limit the fun that well adjusted kids can have so that kids who are less well adjusted will have to do their bragging and wealth-obsessing somewhere else.

If a parent thinks that their child is displaying unhealthy attitudes towards a game, they should take steps to correct that, by limiting the time the kid spends in a game and showing them by example that stuff (or being taken, or looking pretty) isn't everything. Because if a kid is learning those things in real life, it's going to carry over to their play. If they're not, nothing that vmk can do is going to fix that.

And anyway, do you really think that making everything available for purchase will fix the whole 'rich vs poor' problem? All it will do is put the entire emphasis of the game on earning credits, making the game far more frustrating for players who don't happen to be very good at that, and giving those wealth-obsessed players who are good at games that much more to brag about.

People want items to be rare so they have something other people don't -pure and simple. An attitude I find incredibly selfish and immature. For everyone that say a wide release for Dreams items will make them less special, I have a question: If you won a brand new Ferrari in a contest, but then 2 weeks later your neighbor went out and bought the same Ferrari for $100,000, would that make your Ferrari less "special"? Would you immediately forget how you got your Ferrari for free, while your neighbor had to pay for his? Would you lose all interest in the Ferrari? If you answered yes, can I have your "worthless" Ferrari?

And please don't say that I am comparing apples and oranges - the people defending the exclusivity of the Dreams items are the people who started comparing it to real life, not me.Do you mean by comparing it to the real dreams promotion? Because if so, I do think that's a lot more germane to the discussion than your example. Ferraris are always available for sale. You would have entered the contest knowing that. The prize was not being able to get the car at all, but getting it for free. Putting on sale items that have all along been presented as exclusive, and were created to mirror similar never-to-be-sold items in the parks, would be a slap in the face to the players who have been participating in and enjoying the dreams event all along. Saying in advance that they'd be on sale at the end of the month, but that players would be able to get them early from the hosts would be another thing entirely, although it would make this month's theme much less interesting and fun, in my opinion. But what is the point of creating dreams items if you're going to sell them like most of the themed items from every other month?

I have to agree with SweetAdelline; your attitude does seem surprisingly cynical. Yes, I'm sure there are some players who 'lord' over other players with their dreams prizes, but there are far more who use and display them because they're new and fun and uncommon, and it's exciting to have gotten them. And yes, some people want everything they have to stay rare and everything they don't to become common. That's unfortunate, but it doesn't mean that we should completely do away with an aspect of the game that many players enjoy without turning into greedy fiends. I am not against re-releasing items, by any means. Regular re-releases of old items is a great way to keep the borderline extortionists in check without making trade completely boring. And I would not in any way be opposed to the dreams items coming back again and again as host prizes, of course. But they're special. They, like the red holiday chair, the ice cube chair and the pre-teleporter game host pins, are items that are hard, but not impossible, to get. I am not by any means saying that everything that is rare now should stay rare forever, but I am saying that there is a place in the vmk 'economy' for special park, host and quest exclusive prizes. I do not want to see the dreams ears fetching huge prices in trade (if they are even made tradeable), but I don't want to see them in stores, either.

Which reminds me; I've got to try to trade off my candy cauldron before its value plummets once Halloween rolls around again. :rolleyes:

You said yourself earlier in your post that curbing those attitudes is the responsibility of the parents. There are plenty of players who enjoy working towards hard-to-obtain items (whether they're 'rare' or just expensive) without feeling that having them makes them better than their peers, and not having them makes them worse. You can really, really want something without getting having it all tied up in your self-image. It is possible to play this game in an emotionally healthy way; reprimanding players for bad behavior isn't hypocritical, it's an attempt to let people know that that sort of thing isn't on.

I do believe it is the responsibility of the parents to offer supervision and gain a better understanding of the game and how their child is responding to it. However, that doesn't mean it shouldn't also be the responsibility of a company, especially one famously known for family entertainment, to send positive messages to the kids that this game is geared towards. I will repeat that a certain amount of status-climbing is going to happen regardless of what VMK does; I just don't see any reason for them to further encourage it by talking about envy and jealousy, which I have seen them do on multiple occasions. Disney isn't an official "babysitter", but they do know who they're targeting, and for a company that has established a history of sending positive and responsible messages, it's misleading for this product to do otherwise. Perhaps that's why some parents don't even give consideration to there being a seamy underbelly to VMK, simply because it comes from a company they've grown to trust. I think that's what upsets me most about it. It isn't just any media product or cartoon or video game -- it's coming from a company that should be held to a higher standard, and was founded on an invitation to do so.

In regards to your other points when it comes to the release of items, I think you'll find I agree with you. I detailed that in my last post, but I have no problem with establishing "rare" items, and I happen to enjoy the trading and collecting aspect of VMK quite a bit. I just wish that people of all ages could do these things with a bit more perspective, and realize that they're not nearly as important as some people's attitudes and behaviors would have you believe. Unfortunately, that's not always easy for a kid to do on their own. Of course it ultimately comes down to the parent; I'm just expressing some of the poor messages that are sometimes subtle, but undeniably present in a game that targets children.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

Whether someone else "started" the argument is irrelevant, it only matters if it is a worthy analogy and if you agree with it. If you don't, don't use it, and let me tell you why it's not. A $100,000 Ferrari, has real world value in a way that VMK could never dream of. Let's start with the price-tag right in the title. Someone has appraised this car and given it an acceptable and agreed upon price based on the parts and labor it took to build, the performance of the vehicle, and the demand for it. That's something that could never be done with VMK because all items are essentially created equal (out of pixels) and all perform the same (they sit in your room/inventory). Also, a Ferrari has practical uses such as being a tool with which to pick up your dry cleaning and/or girls with, and so on. No practical real world use for items in VMK. You might say this is all obvious, but again if you think a particular brand of logic is silly, don't further it by using it in your own argument.

In response to all your talk about how "people refuse" to do this and "people insist" on doing that, you're making very broad generalizations based on your own experiences. I'm sorry if you've had a bad history with trading, but it certainly doesn't mean everyone trades that way. You should remember that the items on this game only have emotional worth, and therefore the value is determined by the person trading the item. If he thinks it's worth a certain amount that you're not willing to pay, that's his right. On the one hand you say that trade is broken, but then you chastise people for not knowing the fair values of virtual items on a game. I don't think it's fair to expect people to know the value of items (which basically just means that they agree with your assessment of it) when many people aren't familiar with the history of the item, how long ago it was released, or when it might be released again. You also imply that it's foolish to be caught up in the worth and rarity of items, but at the same time you're upset that your virtual items aren't worth to some people what you think they should be. And frankly, you sound rather bitter about it. I just don't think you can have it both ways.

I like trading, I like collecting, and I am able to find people to do fair and honest trades with. I'm sorry that you can't do the same. I don't like owning items simply because other people don't have them, I like owning them because it's a mark of the planning and work that went into obtaining them. In that sense it's like any other video game where you can earn trophies or unlock bonuses based on what you've accomplished in the game. I think that's how a lot of people feel and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I can also tell you if they made all items cheaply and readily available, VMK as a game would become a lot more boring. It doesn't mean I wouldn't come on and chat with friends still, but it would lose a big part of what it was meant to be, and I see no reason for that to happen.

I do agree that the trade system needs to be improved; things could be do to improve the actual method of trading (GPDOT has some great ideas) as it's extremely frustrating to freeze up almost every time I attempt a trade. VMK should also be more conscious of allowing more items to become rare, and go back to doing 1 day or 1 weekend sales, instead of releasing them for months at a time. This way, newer players would be able to take advantage of these shorter sales and have something that is more likely to grow in worth and will therefore allow them to trade up. There are things that need to be looked at when it comes to trading, but eliminating it altogether should not be an option as far as I'm concerned. And I don't think I'm alone.

I didn't say someone else started the argument, I said that someone else started comparing apples and oranges - in this case, virtual items and real items. People started this comparison by analogizing the VMK Dreams promotion with the DLR Dreams promotion, which is relevant because it has been the most frequently cited argument in this thread for not selling or otherwise making the VMK items available.

I also purposely used an expensive sports car that has few real "practical" purposes to make my point. You may say that it can be used to pick up your dry cleaning, but I think most people would agree that it is absurd. Can you honestly say that the primary purpose of a Ferrari is anything other than to show off or look cool? There are few places in the world that you can even legally drive as fast as a Ferrari can go, and it is highly impractical for transportation of either people or things.

You say that a Ferrari has an objective price tag while VMK items do not. I disagree. Almost every item has a value in credits, both when purchased and when sold. This is an objective measurement of its worth.

The value you seem to recognize is the rarity or demand of the items on VMK, while ignoring the objective cost/value VMK sets for it. At the same time, you missed the point of my analogy about the Ferrari. My point was that the "value" someone places on the Ferrari for showing off or looking cool purposes is separate and distinct than the actual value of the car. If the neighbor has the exact same Ferrari, the value of it does not drop below $100,000 automatically. Further, how cool the Ferrari looks is not affected by the neighbor having one. Your Ferrari looks the same even if everyone on the block has one. The only "value" that has been decreased is the "Hey, Look at me, I have a Ferrari" value. In this regard, my analogy is entirely valid. If the Green Backwards Hat is re-released, neither the cost/resale value nor how cool it looks it affected. The only "value" that is affected is the "Hey, Look at me, I have a green flip hat" value. This analogy extends to the Dreams items in much the same way. Do you like how the items look right now? Does 2 people having them change how they look? 10? 1,000,000? If you liked the look of them before other people had them, why don't you after other people have them? Either you like the look of the item or you don't, it is that simple.

Now, since the Dreams items can't even be traded, the trading argument is actually completely invalid in this case. There is no trade value for any of the new Dreams items, so that value cannot be affected if they are released. In fact, following my suggestion would actually create a trade value for these items where one previously did not exist, because some people would be able to afford to buy extras to trade to those who cannot afford any.

But, I still stand by my comments about the state of trading on VMK. You say I over-generalize, I say that I trade a lot. How many trades do I have to make, or trade rooms do I have to visit, or VMK fan sites with trading boards do I have to read before I can make general statements about the trading market on VMK? I have played VMK for almost 2 years now and traded quite heavily for the duration of that time. My comments are based on my own personal observations from a variety of factors, including discussions with other players. I think that I have spent enough time trading to make reasonable observations on what trading is like in VMK. My problem is not that I have had a bad history of trading, or that people don't value the items I am trading. You say that items only have an emotional value in VMK. Again, I disagree. The vast majority of items have a reasonably objective value that most players seem content to disregard.
My complaint was not that people don't recognize the values I have placed on items - my complaint is that the manner in which people trade does not encourage trading, which is what many people insist is a good way for new players to get rare items. I am not "getting caught up in the rarity and worth of items." I am saying that when a player has a hat that he bought for 500 credits, and a new player wants it, and the trader refuses to trade it for less than 2 pieces of pirate quest, then the result is that the new player has no chance of getting the hat. My goal is for players to be able to get the items they want, plain and simple. I really don't care how they get the items, but I would prefer that these means are actually possible. That is my complaint - traders get caught up in the values and new players are left without items unless VMK re-releases them.

And maybe I am a little bitter. I'm bitter that in a game with a target audience of 8-14 that far too many of the players are more concerned with whether or not the items they ALREADY HAVE are considered "special" enough, than whether their fellow players have a fair and reasonable opportunity to get the same items. Note, I don't mean instead of the player who already has it, I mean in addition to. The first player doesn't lose his or her item, another player just also has the same item. Personally, I am more worried about the person who looks at such an attitude an isn't upset or bitter about it.

Insight on topic.Well maybe you're right, maybe the trade is "broken" but right now, we can't do anything about. And not everyone "lords items over other players", not everyone "insists on ridiculous offers for any item that isn't currently available". Many do, I agree with that. But you're making that a generalization over everyone. "Many" is not "everyone".

The Dreams month is a overall good one, I think. They tried something new and I think it worked out nice. As stated before, they can't make everyone happy. But, has anything?

~Q/S

I do believe it is the responsibility of the parents to offer supervision and gain a better understanding of the game and how their child is responding to it. However, that doesn't mean it shouldn't also be the responsibility of a company, especially one famously known for family entertainment, to send positive messages to the kids that this game is geared towards. I will repeat that a certain amount of status-climbing is going to happen regardless of what VMK does; I just don't see any reason for them to further encourage it by talking about envy and jealousy, which I have seen them do on multiple occasions. Disney isn't an official "babysitter", but they do know who they're targeting, and for a company that has established a history of sending positive and responsible messages, it's misleading for this product to do otherwise. Perhaps that's why some parents don't even give consideration to there being a seamy underbelly to VMK, simply because it comes from a company they've grown to trust. I think that's what upsets me most about it. It isn't just any media product or cartoon or video game -- it's coming from a company that should be held to a higher standard, and was founded on an invitation to do so.

In regards to your other points when it comes to the release of items, I think you'll find I agree with you. I detailed that in my last post, but I have no problem with establishing "rare" items, and I happen to enjoy the trading and collecting aspect of VMK quite a bit. I just wish that people of all ages could do these things with a bit more perspective, and realize that they're not nearly as important as some people's attitudes and behaviors would have you believe. Unfortunately, that's not always easy for a kid to do on their own. Of course it ultimately comes down to the parent; I'm just expressing some of the poor messages that are sometimes subtle, but undeniably present in a game that targets children.Well, yeah. Jealousy and envy are going to be a part of any multiplayer game that involves earning items or improving your status in any way. Well-grounded kids (and adults) are going to be able to handle that easily, and even learn from it.

It sounds, though, like your issue is specifically with phrases like 'the envy of the kingdom,' I think it's significant that the same template is used whatever code you enter; 50 credits or 500, Sparrow suit or creepy skeleton monkey. It's a cute phrase that, through endless repetition, very quickly becomes nothing but a joke.

I think it is a terrific idea but I don't see it happening. I really want the dream ears. I have walked through the park everyday up and down to try for them. I thought I hit pay dirt, I think it was Sunday, but I got the Main Street Set instead. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful I won anything at all, but disappointed it wasn't Dream Ears. Send in the idea anyway, you never know, maybe they will do it. Seems fair to me. Angel Fancy :wave2:

This Is A Good Idea I No I Wont get anything lol

Well, yeah. Jealousy and envy are going to be a part of any multiplayer game that involves earning items or improving your status in any way. Well-grounded kids (and adults) are going to be able to handle that easily, and even learn from it.

It sounds, though, like your issue is specifically with phrases like 'the envy of the kingdom,' I think it's significant that the same template is used whatever code you enter; 50 credits or 500, Sparrow suit or creepy skeleton monkey. It's a cute phrase that, through endless repetition, very quickly becomes nothing but a joke.

There have been other comments made in newsletters, which unfortunately I can't quote, that talked about making your friends jealous or envious. There has also been a problem with favoritism shown to certain people, based on their tenure and status, which has come from Hosts and other staff members. The message "envy of the kingdom" may seem subtle or humorous to some, and I can fully understand that, but I think it was put there for a purpose, not just a random phrase someone blurted at a staff meeting that was met with tepid acceptance. There is a drive to make people see the items as more than what they are, to assign them an importance, and to suggest that you're not a very good player without them. It's a double-edged sword because without establishing that atmosphere, a lot of people would care less about the extra items offered in park or through other promotions, which is how they make their revenue, but it also helps to turn many people into pixel-grubbing status-seekers. I guess there is no easy solution, so I'll just throw up my hands and go back to my game of Pirates.

I could keep responding to comments, but I think I've kind of said what I felt needed saying.

Let me just add one more thing from my personal perspective, and then I promise I'll get of my soapbox.

VMK is a visiual game. The designers have created many incredibly beautiful rooms and objects. I know that for me the major enjoyment of the game is in being able to use those objects; to put them together in a new way that can in turn be shared with other players. It is all about imagining and imagineering.

When certain colors of items were retired at the start of VMK, it took me quite a while to "get" why there was such a demand for them. And I just couldn't understand why a gold show designer set should be rarer than other colors simply because it was from the park. (Different colored pixels, for heaven's sakes!) But even if it was harder to trade for "color rare" items, it really didn't effect me much, since other colors were available for most objects.

When the Narnia game came out, things were quite different. I couldn't understand why VMK would create something as beautiful as the Narnia teleporters, just to hold them out of reach for the majority of the players. It didn't make sense then, and it still doesn't, along with VMK's decision to do the same thing with the ultra-cool Sparrow costume.

I feel the same way about the Dreams ears and the room. I just see no excuse for creating, in particular, a breathtaking room like the Castle Suite, and making it so rare. VMK is about bringing Disney dreams to life; come on, if ever there was one, this is a dream that was meant to be shared! I'm not expecting them to release everything all the time. Just don't take the best thing that has ever been produced, from a visual standpoint, and make it the rarest random prize.

I support the rerelease of the Dreams items in some way down the pike (and I am someone who had many of the Dreams items (like shirt and chairs) from the Ebay event, I don't mind that they are re-released and others can enjoy, doesn't bother me a bit.)

BUT, I do agree with those that say that it feels more special to have that *surprise* moment from being gifted from a host in-game. I would love to feel that moment.

(also in reading through the thread, I'm finding that a lot of truth is being said, without me going into it)

Maybe they could release one thing. Say, the room, or the Ears. That way everyone could get at least one Dream item. Yes, I understand that the people who only got the room might be mad. But, there would be more happy then angry.

~Q/S

Maybe they could release one thing. Say, the room, or the Ears. That way everyone could get at least one Dream item. Yes, I understand that the people who only got the room might be mad. But, there would be more happy then angry.

~Q/S

Yes that would be better than nothing, and would stop much complaining, but also at the same time, the people that got the item that was released would most likely be more angry than if all were released, as they wouldn't want it to be the odds of their single item.

A new suggestion might be that everyone at the end of the month would get one additional dreams item added to their inventory. It could be completely random, and would reduce the amount of complaining as it isn't a player being able to get all the items, while they won theirs. Then after they are given out, all dreams items will become tradeable, to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to get the items, even if they didn't win them. Most likely they will be high in demand when they are first available, but still everyone has atleast a chance to get them, without it being that everyone has all of them at once.

Ok, wow where do I start lol. I know many people who have won more than one of each of the dream items (room not being one of them), what is the point? really are players going to grow four heads to wear all the nontradable hats? pins fine I guess but if they are not tradeable whats the point, one should be enough dont you think? I think the idea of selling dreams items or even making them tradeable at the end of this month would at least allow those who did not win anything a chance to obtain these items. Yes there are people out there who have not won while others have won multiple times. I have won 2 dream ears. I would like my friends who dont have them to have them, and no way for me to get them to them. Dreams Month hmmm I agree whos dreams are they? LOL Ok onto next thing, VMK tells you to continue normal activity in vmk well my opinion on that is you cant hit a moving target as easily as you can a non moving target. And That would be easier to do if dreams was all day long not just certain times. So I choose to hang in rooms with my friends be it public or players rooms. I dont view this as a waste of time, It has reminded me of all the great friends I have in VMK and all the communication we have lost along the way. I forgot how much fun it was to just hang out with my friends rather than get credits and trade trade trade. My friends are the most valuable things to me in VMK and honeslty this month has reminded me of that. I see people in vmk are offering up their ears for others when hosts allow them to, and rooms being made in hopes of helping friends recieve ears. That to me is the Magic of VMK. People still care. Not everyone is greedy. They want their friends to have what they have, this does not make theirs less valuable (since you cant trade them they really have no trade value) it actually gives them enjoyment in being able to share in the Happiness of others. You know the feeling when you give someone a gift you know they always wanted, and the happiness they get? That feeling!! Can you imagine if more people were like that? Wouldnt you be happy if someone thought enough of you to give you that set of ears? Do you think of enough of others to give up that second set of ears? (even if you can trade them later?) That is the Magic Of Disney at work. Be Happy for those who win, and If it is for sale Be happy you got yours for free, just think how happy some people will be. Not everyone is able to be on for every dreams session. Some may not be on for any dreams session, so the only way for them to recieve them would be through trades or buying them if that happens. I also think since Dreams has been extended another year in the parks that maybe VMK will do this event a couple more times before the end of next year, so dont give up. SO GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE I HOPE ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE. GOOFY:)

VMK is vastly different from the parks, and that's the glaring fault with this month's theme. Young players are affected much more personally by being overlooked in a game than they are by not getting a prize when visiting the park with their families. All the messages from staff trying to get them to "go about VMK as usual" are pretty much like telling them not to think about pink elephants.

Exactly! The game is geared to kids, yet only a select few are winning, some multiple times. I've yet to see a guest, and rarely people with only common clothes and pins with ears or Dreams pins. I'm sure there's exceptions out there, I just haven't seen it.

If VMK releases these items at a later date, at least other people will have a chance at getting them. I'd love to see a week where everyone logging in would get at least the pin, and let them buy other things in the shops. It would eliminate a lot of the hard feelings I've witnessed around the virtual kingdom lately.

to bad im banned if they do :(

I heart pink elephants! ;) lol. I agree with a lot of Jenn and Silly said. :)

Ok, I have said it before and I'll say it again. If they really want people to go about their normal activities then they should make the promotion ALL year long just like in the parks. Also, it should not be announced when, it should be just whenever. Yes, I have enjoyed spending time with friends and have even made a few new ones but I am also tired of camping.

I do not agree that they should be buyable though. That takes away the "spirit" of the promotion. The idea was to emulate the real park promotion.

i like this idea because ppl that dont have prizes have been waiting for a long time and they get nothing but idk about the dream room going on sell. everything else would be okay to sell. its just not right ppl that want these are trying everyday and they get nothing it would be a good idea for vmk to sell these things