[Q/S] Breeding Format 2 slot vs 5 slot feedback

[one over three]

Quote:

Someone can only win 1 breeding per month
- this could balance the whole "if you have more couples you have more chance of winning" argument - because yes while its true you could have a better chance at winning, if you could only get one breeding a month people may avoid pairing with people who just have TONS and TONS of couples, because the chance of THAT couple winning may drop.

And it could potentially punish people for having long standing pairs with that person. Really though, I think folks should already be thinking this way with the 2 basket limit. If someone manages to get 10+ pairs in a breeding raffle then your chances of winning a breeding with that pair goes down as the chances that they will win 2 baskets elsewhere goes up. Idealy you want any given partner you have to have 2 pairs entered no matter what the circumstance as this can't possibly disqualify your pair if they win twice. Plus, while I haven't seen any other colourists indicate either way on the matter, I would personally be less inclined to CC an individual who's name I see showing up on the list excessively even if they are well within the rules to have that many pairs.

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I agree with what Phail said on the LL portion too. While there would be some benefits to changing it to per person it has so much potential for drama.

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I have suggested to staff before that allowing anyone to enter any 2 couples they want but allowing no person more than 5 couples might be possible as a half way point. It should let each person enter the couples that they deem more important without allowing someone with more couples to just spam the contest to increase their chances.

Some people might make a point to fill all five slots through other people but the extent to which this is possible would be limited at least, and the 2 basket rule would still be in effect making it ideal (at least ideal as far as EVERYONE'S chances go) for each person to be entered in no more than 2 pairs.

This wasn't really discussed much among staff so it hasn't been bounced around a ton.  

[Laroawan]

"I have suggested to staff before that allowing anyone to enter any 2 couples they want but allowing no person more than 5 couples might be possible as a half way point. It should let each person enter the couples that they deem more important without allowing someone with more couples to just spam the contest to increase their chances." 1/3

Really interesting idea. I like that it is a middle ground between the two. Still the opportunity to pull out some couples further down your list but limiting enough that someone with many couples doesn't have too much of an advantage.

I could see potential issues with staff having to make sure no one has gone over the limit. I know that can already be a problem but with 5 instead of 2 it is less obvious who is already maxed.  

[xo maho]

I actually really like the idea that one over three suggested, being able to post two couples yourself and have five in the raffle total. As for the issue of the staff having to make sure no one has gone over the limit - wouldn't the list still be made by pairs? All you should have to do then would be to control-F a suspected username and make sure it doesn't show up more than five times. Or make a tally as you're making the list. This is probably an "easier said than done" thing, though. =/

I picked the two pairs with changes option, so I figured I'd post. XD /two cents  

[Uta]

Not an official "this is how it is going to end" but my vote is keep the 2 slots and aim to have more individual monthly raffles held. . . the 5 couple thing could be a once in a blue moon thing. Maybe.

If you want my long reasoning/ramble, feel free to click the spoiler, lawl.

show spoilerhide spoiler

I'm just checking in with my thoughts. This isn't a "final ruling" or anything, just me stating that I don't care for the changes that have been implemented. We need more breedings period, and I personally would prefer if breeding raffles went back to the way we originally ran them. We have Mixers and the rogue special event that can maybe allow for multiple pairs -- we also allow multiple pairs in the MCCL which I would love to see utilized again. . . once we get more colorists.

Personally, I just feel like if we start changing and overhauling the system now -- one in which I think addressed fairness for everyone in which folks with big herds and small herds are left on relatively even ground -- that it's going to force us to start messing with something that wasn't quite broken. We had the low-luck thing down -- it only started getting weird when we stopped having breedings, and stopped doing individual raffles. We had the how many couples a person could enter, and while it might not have been ideal, given the size of the shop, it worked. People with large herds could enter two, and people with smaller herds could enter two, and everybody at the end of the day -- unless you only had a single couple or chose to post a single couple -- had their ponies.

By mixing this up, we have to start pulling energy away from other shop changes or possible pain points to work out all the nitty-gritty. The root of the problem really is that we need more breedings to happen monthly. Even though we have a long list of colorists, given that quota requirements have changed, we're still hurting. Mind and I definitely plan on opening colorist hiring again in the next couple of months, if not sooner than later.

If we change to 5 regularly, we then have to change how Low Luck is handed out. Additionally, we have to muddle through how that favors those with larger herds and more breeding couples, versus someone with only one or two ponies. I don't mind letting these 5 couple breedings happen once in a blue moon, but I really do feel just keeping things like we had worked out best for everyone for regular, individual, slots.

Additionally: I feel like the 1 ticket, 5 slots, could get messy. Because at least in regular raffles, everyone knew who got rolled and what couple won. When you have a list of 5 pones, suddenly getting your named rolled, all your pair partners hold their breath to try to decide if they should rejoice or not. IS the colorist going to pick your pair which MIGHT not be as physically appealing as a couple that was paired for aesthetics? Would your breeding partner pick your couple out of the 4 others they have to decide? What if your breeding partner continues to pick other pairs to win?

I don't know, I just feel like resentment could crop up easier than the way we used to run raffles.

My vote, personally, is to keep the 2 slot. I think it worked out well enough, and while it might not have been perfect, it seemed the most fair. It also was something everybody understood and was easy to comprehend. We really just need more colorists to take on monthly breedings, and more individual raffles. For awhile there, things were going pretty smoothly when we were doing monthly raffles. . . So I think we just have to get back to that.

I'm not knocking anybody's idea, as I can also see the benefits of letting folks have more pairs in a raffle. I just. . . would be most comfortable keeping things as they are and keeping "multiple pony raffles" super rare if they must happen at all.

This is something we'll definitely have to talk to staff about, and see how folks feel. I'm not trying to kill the ticket system, and I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, I just . . . am uncomfortable with how the 5 Pony Limit thing has gone over these past few months and really just would like breeding raffles to go back to how they had been run. :3

 

[.Tortured. .Pumpkin.]

I definitely prefer the 2 pair system.
Although I did, indeed, reap benefits from the multi-pair system this past month (which I'm still hella stoked about), it was not a pair that was dear to me and well plotted and that I've been waiting on. I've got a pair that's LL, but the coloring is a bit tricky. So had I gotten rolled (the owner of the other Soq was rolled), I feel like they would not have been picked. Yes, I could have easily only entered that pair, but if a colorist just isn't comfortable with that particular texture/coloring, I don't want them to dread taking that couple and not want to work on it.
Whereas when you can only post two couples, and that single couple is only entered once, you *know* that they've won. Also, both couples can be entered for LL, and you don't have to keep up with those other pairs that are entered sporadically by other owners.
Plus all the random single flinging. *cringes* I've done it, but it can get kind of frustrating to see a couple stuck together just for babies two minutes before a raffle get a breeding over that couple you've been trying with for years. Of course, this still happens, but at least they've only got two of these couples as opposed to 8.

And some people say it relieves the stress of having to ask to post a couple. Honestly, having to dig through that thread to see which couples of mine were entered was a bit more of a pain than someone politely asking me if it was okay, and me apologizing because I already had two couples. Yes, I feel bad when this happens, but my two regular couples are important to me and I want them to get a breeding. If they beat out that shiny new couple that was just paired up a week ago? So be it. I warn people before they get into a pairing with me that I have an extensive list of couples who need breedings.

I just think the two couple limit is less messy. Every person gets two couples. Period.
I wouldn't mind the couple limit being bumped up to as much as three, but this five couple, each person gets a ticket thing just isn't jiving with me. It's just too much of an advantage to those with massive herds and loads of couples. I, personally, have 17 couples/flings. I want someone who has fewer couples to have just as much of a chance as me.  

[ProphetOfProfit]

I like how eveyone is suddenly jumping on the "Anti random fling pairings that happened when the 5 slots opened up" band wagon. Some of the best pairs I have came of that. I made new friend out of people that might of not otherwise talked to me.
Whats more than that most everyone was doing it who didnt have more than two pairs waiting in the wings. most people dont make more than two pairs at a time. It gave a lot of people confidence to ask about singles that they might not have otherwise.

You were doing it too in most cases. Just sayin.

Also people in RL have random crazy sex all the time. I just imagine each breeding raffle as sexual encounter. Random long term or otherwise the RNG just decides if they have a happy accident or not.

I feel like its wrong to judge people for wanting baskets. New things to RP and be excited it about! This is supposed to be an escape and small pleasure.
Not a place to be judged and looked down on for being excited and trying new things.

*cough*
Okay end rant yes I like the 5 couples in a breeding thing I'm not saying make it the standard but it is refreshing.