Difference between revisions of "Release Events FAQ"

Revision as of 19:55, 24 February 2007

So you've heard about the Dragons, perhaps seen them in Second Life and maybe visited them in the Cathedral or elsewhere about the Dragon Isles. You might know enough about the dragons now to know that in order to be the proud owner of a full-size Dragon Avatar you need to participate in a Release Event, but you're not really sure what one of those is exactly, or how it all works. If that's the case then read on and all will hopefully become clear:

The Registration and Hatching Event Procedures FAQ

Presented here are the questions with appropriate answers:

What Are the Release Events?

They are the mechanism by which the limited number of adult size dragon eggs is fairly distributed among their prospective new owners.

Do I Need to Register For a Release Event to Get a Dragon Avatar?

The answer to this question is both yes and no. The dragons come in three sizes within each species, representing the dragon at different stages of development. You can become a Hatchling (Baby dragon) or Wyrmling (Adolescent dragon) at any time. It is only the full-size Dragon (Wyrm) avatar that is limited in its availability. See the guide to Purchasing a Dragon Avatar for more information.

Why Are the Dragons Limited At All?

Daryth Kennedy made this is choice as the artist creating the avatars. In her words: A Dragon is a mysterious mythical creature, and should be respected as such. So I limited the number of dragons sold.

For more information, see the Limited Edition FAQ.

Where Do I Go to Register For the Event?

In order to register, you need to be in world in Second Life on the appropriate day and time and at the appropriate in world location.

• The Hatching Events themselves are usually held around the time of each solstice and equinox, so a general-purpose calendar for the Dates and Times of Equinoxes and Solstices should therefore give a guideline as to the approximate event window and serve as a reminder for when to check for more detailed information.

• The registration period itself is open from three days before the Hatching Event. Registration is performed at the Cathedral in the Limbo sim (Slurl) but may be moved to another sim if any problems occur.

• In all cases exact dates, times and locations are entirely at the discretion of Daryth and the High Council and should be verified either in world or on the Council of Wyrms Forums.

How Does the Registration Process Work?

In order to register, you should do the following:

• When you visit the Cathedral you will see the dragon egg vendors at the front of the Great Hall. You should take a moment to browse through the large number of dragon species available to decide which species of dragon you would like to have a chance of winning.

• When you are sure of this choice, you pay L$3500 to the egg vendor for that species. This money will be immediately returned to you along with a token.

• You will then need to take that token to an area where build is enabled, such as the Sandbox and rez it: drag it from your inventory and drop it on the ground. This action will register you for the Hatching Event.

How Soon Should I Register?

In order to be as fair as possible, the drawing does not take into consideration how soon you registered your interest, so you may come along to the Dragon Isles at any time during the registration period to express your interest. Please note the following:

• Registration ends at midnight on the "day before" the Hatching, or in another words approximately 12 hours before.

• There will be a "last chance" registration period 30 minutes before the Hatching Event begins.

• Half of the eggs will be on sale to the people who register in the first registration period. Half of the eggs will be on sale to the people who register in the second registration period.

What Happens at the Actual Hatching?

The Hatching Day event will proceed as follows:

• During the Hatching Events, 70 names are drawn from those who signed up during the registration period described above.

• Anyone whose name is drawn receives an IM and instructions.

• Anyone not drawn receives an IM, after the script chews through the first batch of names, with a "Better luck next time" notecard.

• Those not getting an egg during the release are recorded & their odds double for any future releases.

• Those whose name is drawn cannot transfer their egg, but can purchase after the event for up to 48 hours

What Are the "New Species" Hatching Events?

When Daryth creates a new species of dragon she may release it to the general public via its own special release event. These events follow a similar format to the solstice and equinox events, with the following differences:

• It is only the particular dragon egg vendor relevant to the species being released that is stocked with eggs, usually with a clutch of 35
• The dates/times of release are announced as work on the new species nears completion, rather than being scheduled for any particular points on the calendar

As with all release events, once the event is over all existing Council of Wyrms members - all owners of at least one full-size dragon avatar - will be able to purchase the avatar regardless of general availability and as such are asked to not purchase one of the initial batch of 35 eggs.

How Do I Find Out About Upcoming Events?

There are several ways to keep track of dragon egg releases:

• Visit the Cathedral in world and talk to any of the official Isle of Wyrms representatives there
• Visit the Council of Wyrms Forums in particular the News & Events Forum

Perhaps the best way to keep track of dragon-related events is to purchase a hatchling or Wyrmling avatar: As well as all the fun of being a smaller size dragon, a purchase automatically confers membership in the relevant Council group within Second Life where you will receive occasional in world group messages from Council officials about dragon-themed events and other related announcements.

Hatching Event: General FAQ

The first part of this FAQ is written in a way that flows smoothly through the registration and hatching process. Presented here are relevant questions and answers, which did not fit into the editorial "flow" of the first part:

Why Am I Hearing Two Different Dates For an Event?

The short answer is that the event can be thought of as having two parts. Or more specifically:

• The first date is the beginning of the three-day signup period, during which anyone interested needs to come to the Cathedral to enter his or her name for an egg.

• The second date is actual hatching event when the new eggs will become available.

Will Any Dragon Eggs Be Available to Purchase During the Hatching Event?

If your name is called, then you will be able to purchase a dragon egg for up to 48 hours after. We will send you periodic reminders via IM to come and purchase your dragon egg. If your name is not called, however, you will have to wait until the next release.

If I Register For One Hatching, am I Automatically Entered for Future Hatchings?

You will need to sign up again for future hatchings, however, if you don't get an egg at your first one, your name will be recorded and your odds double for any future releases, if you try for the same dragon species.

What Happens if Someone Does Not Claim Their Egg?

In the event that someone does not claim their egg after 48 hours with repeated IM reminders during that time, a new name will be redrawn from the list of people who didn't get one.

I Purchased a Token, But My Money Hasn't Been Returned?

In most cases you will find that the egg has paid you back for the registration, however, during times of high load, Second Life doesn't always notify you immediately that an object has paid you. One way to see it is simply to sign out of Second Life and sign back on again. Your L$ balance should then display correctly.

The History of the Event FAQ

As some may be aware, the hatching event format changed in 2007, beginning with the release of the Wyvern avatars in March. It is briefly documented here, along with reasons why it needed to change.

How Did the Old Format Work?

In simple terms, everyone who wanted a shot at an adult dragon avatar teleported into the Dragon Isles on the day of the release and waited for a signal from Daryth, which would be sent at a certain time of day. When that signal was received, everyone would try to buy the avatar they wanted as fast as possible.

What's Wrong With the Old Format?

Since the Dragon Isles first came into being, the number of residents in Second Life as a whole has grown dramatically, and also the interest in the avatars has grown too. These events together conspire to make the old format prone to failed payment transfers and sim crashes, which is something that nobody wants to see. As Daryth herself said:

The catastrophic database failures during the Winter Solstice marked the death of the old hatching system. When a completely empty sim wasn't able to handle the strain of the event it became obvious things had to change for the next release. The new hatching system outlined here is the most logical, fair and stable method we've come up with.

How and Why Was the New Format Chosen?

As outlined above, it became necessary to change the format. Rather than speculate, I will once again quote:

Although the previous hatching system has generally worked well this past year, we've always been aware it wasn't going to last forever. During several High Council meetings, many of the guardians have presented and discussed various options and alternatives for the releases.

It's important to note that although the method of hatching has changed, the number of eggs hatched and rate of releases hasn't increased.

Bibliography

• Limited Edition FAQ
• Equinox Survival Guide
• Council of Wyrms Forum
• The Wyvern Hatching Release notecard, circa late February 2007.