As stated in the newsletter, I think it would be in VMKF's best interest to remove all quest answers posted in the Secrets forum and refrain from allowing future posting of Quest Answers. Two days ago, in shock over another issue I decided to unsubscribe from the Ranter's forum and during of which I also unsubscribed from the Secrets forum. I strongly feel my point was clear in the poll posted earlier regarding, and find it very interesting how muling is the very next issue covered in the newsletter.

Thank you Yavn for clearly stating the facts and telling everyone why things have changed the way they have.


2. Posting Quest Answers

Sometimes it takes us weeks to research, build and test a Quest. There is nothing worse than watching all of this hard work go down the drain when the Quest answers are posted online just a few minutes after the Quest has gone live. It's fine to offer hints, but many players instead take the easy way out and just look them up before they even try to perform the Quest. You can thank all posters that reveal Quest answers for forcing us to add minimum score requirements to Quests. Sure, it would be easier for us to just sell the items but I believe many people enjoy the feeling and satisfaction that comes from completing a Quest.

3. Mules

I second this/

I loved knowing that if I get really stuck that I have an out, however I do also think that it keeps me from interacting with other members and making new friends and having more fun!

So I am for removing the spoilers, and changing to hints and help, if someone gets stuck, other members can provide help or hints. :)

Well I have a issue with that to a point. Look at what Yavn said
"Sometimes it takes us weeks to research, build and test a Quest."

But when the quests are posted on VMK they don't usually stay up for weeks. Yes, I know the tron room is. My point is the smaller quests! As players we don't have that much time or money( rent a movie) to research all the answers! Some of these quests are finished in hours and have alot of specific questions on topics which I would Guess that most of the players have no clue about.
My two kids for an example both under 12 would never ever finish a quest from vmk if not from the help of all the minds in these forums. My thanks to those who help!!

Yavn has to remember that VMK was designed for kids! Yes, us mature players (kids) know alot more that my 9 year old. :) So why make VMK out of reach to those he designed it for.

I'm not talking about abusing the system. I'm talking about helping out those who need help and that is why the quest answers should stay in VMKF's.

If all quests were multiple questions I would say remove them, but having to type in answers after having to collect some vast amount of ghost or some high score in fireworks. Please keep them for now.


Ty

Nemo

I don't think so Jeremy. Most of us simply don't have the time to be online all day trying to find answers to a quest for a VIRTUAL item. You have to draw the line between doing something for fun and when that something becomes more of a chore than for fun. The Secrets of VMK allows many of us to actually have lives beyond VMK (it's simply not healthy to be playing VMK or any game for that matter for hours on end). If it bothers you so much, you always have the option not to search for the answers here on the forums. If it bothers the staff so much, then stop making quests altogether and just sell the items in question.

Just my opinion...

I am one who enjoys earning honestly and learning during the process.

Cheat sheets are not honest and you do not learn properly, to me that is not fun. Cheat sheets have caused the Green Car Magic Fireworks requirement to jump up to 280k. I was just finishing the Yellow offroad when Green was upped. After finishing the first, the next 3 came easily until the playing Mansion and Fireworks. Finally making it to the Fireworks part, I have now been stuck. Yes, for over 3,000hrs that quest has been running for me, and why? My max is 270k and it's taken since before the change to elevate my score as such. All because someone decided to post the answers and let everyone else breeze through it who didn't want to take the time and effort to play through.

The last thing we need is that score upped to 290 or 300k. :|

If you noticed, I did mention I unsubscribed a couple days ago and I won't see anything that goes on there anyways. Obviously it bothers staff considering Yavn specifically pointed it out, and telling them to just stop making quests all together is uh... well, lets not get into that.

Cheats as such do not teach good moral value and do not set a good example at all.

Hypothetical situation: A doctor cheats his/her way through Med School = Instant lawsuit. Enough said.

What is confusing me about this issue is that we know Yavn is a member on these boards (he was here just yesterday). We know he knows about the hidden groups (he's a member of ranters, but not of spoilers). We know he talks to the moderators (he has sent them replies to questions posed).

Why is he not making this request to the board and moderators directly?

I can only speculate on some possible answers:

The devil you know is better than the devil you don't. VMKF at least puts some controls and restrictions on this activity. If we didn't, the activity would still go on in a less regulated manner.
He has asked. And the forum moderators have chosen to act otherwise (but why would he still talk to said moderators? perhaps see #1)
They don't object to the spoiling, they object to the abuse.
?... I don't know. None of these are very compelling.


The other aspect I find ironic is that while it is "not good" to help someone out on a board by posting an answer. If you help someone out in the game to get an answer you can get a gold star! :)

Very well said Priz, except I think the gold stars go beyond just giving hints to actually spending time helping people learn. :)


There is also another scenario, #5, and with a little thinking you might figure out what I mean.

I am not responding in an offical manner here but rather posing the question of:

Do you play video games (PS2, N64, etc.)? Have you ever used a guide book to help you through the game?

I am not huge on cheating myself. In fact, I am proud to say that I don't look at the info posted about the Hidden Mickey's at all. But that is not my call whether someone wishes to do so or not. It bothers me when folks on the game walk around and point every Mickey out to other players, but that is just me.

Just a thought.

For an official VMKf answer I will defer to Nick. I do know that he has stated in the past that we are not owned by Disney nor do the forums have to answer to Disney. While VMKf tries to follow some requests if they do not impede the free-speech of this group, the forums do not go out the way to yield to Disney. We have made the "Secrets" forum not viewable to the general public, only to members who wish to join that forum. In fact, you would be surprised to know that most VMKf members are NOT members of the Secrets group.

Again, not an official answer as that would be from Nick.

Thank you,
SpinMarty

If you don't want to see them, unjoin spoilers. :)

It's not a VMK Value right now, only Yavn's opinion.

So sayeth the administrators.

Removing the spoilers from this fan site will only make some other fan site more popular.

Over the past month I have looked around at some other VMK discussion boards, and, well, this one is by far the best.

I've mentioned in other threads that I use the spoilers, though I do so only in cases in which the quest tasks are ridiculous (and yes, I consider asking me to watch Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch to be a ridiculous request).

I think the spoilers should stay, and those who choose not to use them can just not join that group or not read those spoilers.

Do you play video games (PS2, N64, etc.)? Have you ever used a guide book to help you through the game?

I am not huge on cheating myself. In fact, I am proud to say that I don't look at the info posted about the Hidden Mickey's at all. But that is not my call whether someone wishes to do so or not. It bothers me when folks on the game walk around and point every Mickey out to other players, but that is just me.

Just a thought.


Yes, I have been into gaming since the days of Atari, Com64, etc and I suppose over time I've learned how those games work and find it a little easier to finish most of them fairly quickly without the need for a guidebook or walkthrough. I've always considered those to be an impulse buy and waste when you could buy another game with the money. If you're curious of my gaming abilities, check the Arcade ;)

Giving a hint to where one Mickey might be, ie someone asks "Is there a Mickey in this room?" and a response along the lines of "Hmm, I think there is on the far left tower somewhere" would be acceptable. I do agree though with what you're saying, walking someone through all 50 isn't cool at all, especially when you know exactly where they're at by checking under the Shirt Icon if you've completed it. One important thing is, if the person is new and has never seen one before, helping them get their first picture will do wonders when they see it show up on film.


If you don't want to see them, unjoin spoilers. :)

It's not a VMK Value right now, only Yavn's opinion.

So sayeth the administrators.

Oh, I did, prior to the newsletter. Along with the Rants section. I believe I've matured past the venting stage and I think its easier for me to take a walk or jog instead of running on about blah blah blah anymore. They're just not healthy for my mind to see mad posts coming up frequently and trying to not post a response. A rather shocking post tipped the scales for me. :)

Oh, I did, prior to the newsletter. Along with the Rants section. I believe I've matured past the venting stage and I think its easier for me to take a walk or jog instead of running on about blah blah blah anymore. They're just not healthy for my mind to see mad posts coming up frequently and trying to not post a response. :)
Aww, but the Rants are so much fun!

Still, congratulations on your maturity.

Aww, but the Rants are so much fun!

Still, congratulations on your maturity.

Lol. Once mature, now more mature. If you have a looky, you'll see why I no longer partake. There are many sayings that fit the bill and some arguments will spiral out of control with a difference in wisdom.

Removing the spoilers from this fan site will only make some other fan site more popular.

I don't think the popularity is so much the concern here. If we don't post spoilers, other sites will still continue to do so anyway and people will naturally flock there for their spoilers fix. So I don't think it's a resolution VMK will ever obtain as long as there are non-Disney owned fan sites out there.

I imagine a good percent of people that joined this site or any fan site for that matter, did so for codes and in-park quest help. I know that's how I joined this site a year ago - I wanted the multi-use codes for my new character. When I made that search originally, I found at least 4-5 sites offering the same codes and answers.

Jeremyv is right Quest's arent as fun bc you know where to go thats why they call then Quest i personally like accomplising something i worked hard for!!!

Yes, it is great to finish the quest on your own. I try to do that on every quest. But sometimes you just don't know the answer and there isn't a multiply choice. That is when it's nice to have the help. So, thank you to those who help with the quests.

I don't think so Jeremy. Most of us simply don't have the time to be online all day trying to find answers to a quest for a VIRTUAL item. You have to draw the line between doing something for fun and when that something becomes more of a chore than for fun. The Secrets of VMK allows many of us to actually have lives beyond VMK (it's simply not healthy to be playing VMK or any game for that matter for hours on end). If it bothers you so much, you always have the option not to search for the answers here on the forums. If it bothers the staff so much, then stop making quests altogether and just sell the items in question.

Just my opinion...I agree with you 100%. I really don't have time to do the quest without spoilers. Period. I just don't. If it ever comes to spoilers are against the VMK Values, I will stop using them. If people don't want spoilers, unsubscribe. I don't use spoilers for the Mickey Quest I or II and I haven't finished the Mickey Quest II. But this is something different. It takes an hour for me to finish with spoilers. So, I say keep it.

~Q/S

I am one who enjoys earning honestly and learning during the process.

Cheat sheets are not honest and you do not learn properly, to me that is not fun. Cheat sheets have caused the Green Car Magic Fireworks requirement to jump up to 280k. I was just finishing the Yellow offroad when Green was upped. After finishing the first, the next 3 came easily until the playing Mansion and Fireworks. Finally making it to the Fireworks part, I have now been stuck. Yes, for over 3,000hrs that quest has been running for me, and why? My max is 270k and it's taken since before the change to elevate my score as such. All because someone decided to post the answers and let everyone else breeze through it who didn't want to take the time and effort to play through.

The last thing we need is that score upped to 290 or 300k. :|

If you noticed, I did mention I unsubscribed a couple days ago and I won't see anything that goes on there anyways. Obviously it bothers staff considering Yavn specifically pointed it out, and telling them to just stop making quests all together is uh... well, lets not get into that.

Cheats as such do not teach good moral value and do not set a good example at all.

Hypothetical situation: A doctor cheats his/her way through Med School = Instant lawsuit. Enough said.


Jeremy, you made so many good points in that post! :)

I have a couple of thoughts on this topic:

If this site does not allow the quest answers to be posted, this will not solve the problem. Even if other fan sites follow suit, someone will probably post the quest answers on their personal web page or something, and word will get around. So basically there is no way that Yavn or anyone else can stop people from sharing the quest answers.

However, I do believe that vmk should only allow 1 quest prize per IP address. In my opinion, if you get one set of quest prizes for free by using a cheat sheet, it's not a big deal. It does become an issue though when greedy players use their 10 (if not more; sometimes 50!) other mules to collect prizes for themselves. Yes, I do understand that these people are taking the time out of their day to play the quests and I see how you would think that since they are putting in effort they should be rewarded, but you have to admit that the weekday quests are incredibly easy; I always complete mine in less than 15 minutes.

Anyway, that's just my 2 cents ;) :twocents:

J
However, I do believe that vmk should only allow 1 quest prize per IP address.


Hi,

That is a good idea but.. I think you forget about other family members that play. For me my wife, two kids and I each have an account all on one ip :)

:)
Nemo

Hi,

That is a good idea but.. I think you forget about other family members that play. For me my wife, two kids and I each have an account all on one ip :)

:)
Nemo
Same here.

We're not a weather station, and it's called a secrets forum for a reason. Yes, it makes the VMK team angry, but the general public cannot access the answers.

The problem is that there is no good way to identify mules vs other players in the same household. VMK has already banned IPs and thus punished the whole family for the sins of one. The truth is that there is no good way to stop them.

I agree with everyone somewhat. Although I like doing the quests for the fun of it, I dislike very much that they make the quests about specific facts about Disney movies. Especially after hard games, they almost always have trivia after them. Why can't they just say visit a room and find these items? I get disappointed when no one helps me out in the game, and when I try a quest and reach the point after a game, I dread it because almost 90% of the time I fail and have to go over and over again because of the trivia.

Sorry, but we're not VMK. We understand VMK isn't okey dokey with all of this, but not everyone can spend 10-15 minutes doing quests, and may not have fast enough computers to play the games. And again as SpinMarty said, people make MILLIONS of off guides/answers to games. It's an entire business. Do you think Nintendo wants cheats/walkthroughs for their games being posted on sites? Of course not, but some people need help.

Sometimes i NEED the spoilers. i do not have hi speed internet and usually i can't read the clue and get to that room without time running out! i try to refrain when i can but sometimes you are going away for the weekend and the quest will be over when you get back so you only have about 30 minutes to do it without high speed internet!

~Tink :figment:

I don't see a purpose for this thread anymore, unless Nick changes his mind, the secrets section will stay the same.

As stated in the newsletter, I think it would be in VMKF's best interest to remove all quest answers posted in the Secrets forum and refrain from allowing future posting of Quest Answers. Two days ago, in shock over another issue I decided to unsubscribe from the Ranter's forum and during of which I also unsubscribed from the Secrets forum. I strongly feel my point was clear in the poll posted earlier regarding, and find it very interesting how muling is the very next issue covered in the newsletter.

Thank you Yavn for clearly stating the facts and telling everyone why things have changed the way they have.

I like how you conveniently left out the quote where Yavn says "While it's OK to have a few different accounts/characters to play with...". He also defines "a lot" of mules as 50 or more, which I thought was interesting...