TOPIC: Distrubtion Method for Combo Items Discussion

Thought I would put the numbers in perspective.<br /><br />In 2006 we printed 144 - 1C, 72 - 2C, and 36 - 3C (about 10% were left over).<br /><br />In 2007 we printed 200 – 1C, 100 – 2C, and 100 – 3C (about 5% were left over).<br /><br />This year Jeff says we will print 300 – 1C, 200 – 2C, 200 – 3C, and 200 – 4C.  <br /><br />Dave<br />

If we do go to 1/3 each day, that means that if the lines are over 66 people in any one day, some could go a way with no tokens for that day and have to show up the next.  Would it be worse to plan on being there each night, or have to change you plans on Friday because you were number 67 in line on Thursday, with an even less likely chance that Saturday there would be less than 66 in line?<br /><br />

<br />In 2006 we printed 144 - 1C, 72 - 2C, and 36 - 3C.<br /><br />Dave<br /><br />

<br />Dave,<br /><br />  If I remember correctly, both the dagger and the spear were 1C; the ring and the phial were 2C. So, was it 144 of each 1 C or 144 total of 1C's so 72 of each?

144 of each.

<br />I understand, that is why I went to the 1/3 each day last year.  I am not opposed to the idea, but it was harder for me to shift gears for each recipe.  In 2006, I only had to fully focus on one recipe a night and I got pretty good at scanning stacks of tokens for the correct ingredients which made the transactions faster.<br /><br />Dave<br />

<br /><br />Welp, since I'm going to be there anyway, I'd be happy to volunteer to sort through the combo stuff with/for you. We can just have someone be my placeholder in line for when my 'turn' comes up to swap. <br /><br />As for the numbers, a lotta people ended up going away disapointed last year from what I heard. Demand was simply much greater than the previous year. In 06, it was practicaly a graveyard after an initial small crowd. I still remember sitting around shooting the breeze with you and some other people who were trying to find an acceptable substitute for the purify food and drink scroll. There were no lines after the first 5 minutes and it was just a bunch of us sitting around sorting through tokens.<br /><br />As for time, I will second apty's suggestion of as late as possible if an arbitrary time has to be picked. I will have one conflict, but at least at that hour it's something I can hopefully shift.

Just a reminder that event closes early on saturday so if you go that late you won't be able to do it at the same time all three nights.

Thanks again for your feedback.  <br /><br />We are going to hold the Token Comboing activity OUTSIDE the Tavern in the same space that we used last year for the TD Auction.  There will be signs to direct people.  This should keep things less crazy with plenty of room for lines.  Noise will be less of a problem too.<br /><br />Please be understanding with us as we try to come up with a system that works the best for EVERYONE -- not just the Combo Token collectors who want multiple copies of each.  We are never going to make everyone happy with the things we do, so we try to make the most amount of people happy as we can (and POing off Henwy is just a happy coincidence!).  =D<br /><br />We will have exact times posted this week so you can plan your Gen Con around the combo token distribution.  <br /><br />We will offer each token at one specific time -- and no time else -- and you may only claim one token per turn through the line.  The Combo tokens from a previous time will NOT BE AVAILABE later on at the Con.  Get 'em while they are hot!  We are doing this to keep the transaction times very fast and to keep the line moving.<br /><br />Players need to have their stack of ingredients ready to throw down when they reach Dave to make sure the line flows fast.  I am hoping for about 10-second transaction times, and it is possible if everyone cooperates.  If you want more than one you can get in the back of the line multiple times.  <br /><br />It appears that the real problem here is that we made these Combo tokens too cool.  It looks like demand is going to cause a lot of headaches for both the players and TD staff.  My bad Dave!  Next year...+2 backscratchers and Stenchbane!  ;/<br /><br />I understand that everyone wants their combo tokens --- and they want them now.  Problems arise because people want MORE than one of each and they fail to understand how that affects everyone else.  Wanting more is perfectly fine and cool, but please understand that we won't design a system to make your life easier at the expense of everyone else.  If you want one of the offered tokens that time, your wait should be no more than 10 minutes.  If you want more than one token...you will have to get back in line and wait again...and again...until the loop closes itself out with just you and Dave staring at each other.<br /><br />If you do want all 4 combo tokens, then you will have to arrive at all 4 plan distribution time starts.  Again, we are doing this to make it doable for those people who just want one token.  I don't want to make them wait while you conduct multiple trades with Dave.  <br /><br />If you don't want to show up all 4 times, then I would suggest making a deal with another trader to split the times and token comboing duties.<br /><br />Is this "4-times" design a pain in the butt?  Yep...it is.  But is the least amount of pain for the least amount of people.  I am sorry if your dream of easily getting handfuls of combo tokens is shattered, but it was just a dream anyway.  We could never make it happen with the resources we have now -- and this design will actually take up less of your time than the "let me make all the trades I want at once" model.  Can you imagine the wait for the 20th person in line in the "all now" circumstance?  Two hours of wait, maybe?  With this model...the wait is about 5 minutes to get your token.<br /><br />If you are volunteering during the time that we have set aside for combo'ing, please give your tokens to a friend for comboing.  If you can't find anyone to trade for you, please let Dave know and we can work something out.<br /><br />What are the four times you would like to see posted?  Do you want them all grouped together at once -- like Saturday afternoon at noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm?  Or Thursday and Friday at noon and 6pm?  What will be the best times?  We need four seperate times.  Keep in mind that the TD 101 seminar and the True Arena events will be going on at certain times and we should try to schedule around them.  At 6 tokens combo'ed in a minute, we should not need more than a hour for each.<br /><br />Thursday<br />True Dungeon 101                      8/14/08    1:00 PM 8/14/08 2:00 PM <br />True Dungeon 101                      8/14/08    6:00 PM 8/14/08 7:00 PM  <br />True Dungeon's True Arena          8/14/08    12:00 PM 8/14/08 1:00 PM <br />True Dungeon's True Arena          8/14/08      4:00 PM 8/14/08 5:00 PM <br /><br />Friday<br />True Dungeon's True Arena          8/15/08      4:00 PM 8/15/08 5:00 PM <br />True Dungeon's True Arena          8/15/08    12:00 PM 8/15/08 1:00 PM <br /><br />We will take your feedback on the times, see what Dave is willing and able to do, and then we will post the times by Friday.  We will probably offer a time also to do trade items and gold sinks -- 30 minutes after the 4C time.  I don't think the 4C will take all that long.  Hopefully, Dave can do all the trade and gold sink trades via mail leading up to Gen Con.<br /><br />Thanks again for your help.  Sorry if you are not happy.  <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Ok its time to make some purposed times:<br /><br />1C Thursday 3pm-5pm <br />3C Friday 10am-11am or 11am-12<br />2C Friday right after the 3C turn in<br />4C Saturday 12-1pm<br /><br />Here is my reasoning<br />Doing the 1C on Thursday between events means the biggest "bulk demand" item can be dealt with as early as possible.<br />Doing the 3C before the 2C is because the item that most people seem excited about is the Bracelet.  I would purpose even early than 10am, but I would fear being stoned to death for thinking there is time before 9am.  This gives many people a chance to run with it on the two busiest day of the convention.<br />Doing the 2C after just makes logistical sense and avoids conflicting with the seminars.<br />Doing the 4C on Saturday midday- it means the majority of the token-aholics and the trade-fiends will have gotten their 2008 token needed for this item and will increase the number of happy customers.<br /><br />Thats my 2 anti-toxins worth.<br />Greyseer

8-10 am Thurs-Sat<br /><br />Conflicts with other GC events would be minimal, and there would be no conflicts with volunteer schedules.<br /><br />People would be able to use their combo tokens on the day they get them.<br /><br />I'd be happy with this, b/c I'm always up by 8 anyway.<br /><br />If you do a late time, I recommend starting Weds night (of course, that's not fair for people arriving Thursday, but doing it one combo at a time isn't fair for people who only attend GC one day, for example).<br />

<br />If we do go to 1/3 each day, that means that if the lines are over 66 people in any one day, some could go a way with no tokens for that day and have to show up the next.  Would it be worse to plan on being there each night, or have to change you plans on Friday because you were number 67 in line on Thursday, with an even less likely chance that Saturday there would be less than 66 in line?<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br />For your own sake I'd recommend sticking with doing all of a token on a given day, because you absolutely do not want to have a fan/customer wait in line at #70, for an hour or two, and then be told that the tokens are all out.  If you give out all 200-300 in a day, then I can't imagine anyone not getting at least one. 

Feh. Well, if we're going to do it this way then my preference is also early morning, the hour or two before the tavern opens, or late evening, 10-12am thursday and friday night.

<br />Feh. Well, if we're going to do it this way then my preference is also early morning, the hour or two before the tavern opens, or late evening, 10-12am thursday and friday night.<br />

<br /><br />I vote first thing in the morning! 6AM =D