Silver Anniversary Quest

Questnews

(  1)  Zistrosk     08/02/19     Realms of Despair Silver Anniversary Month-Long Scavenger Hunt

As part of the ongoing observation of the Realms of Despair's 25th anniversary,
a month-long scavenger hunt has begun. As 25 is the Silver Anniversary, so is
this quest. Spread around the realms are empty silver coffers. Get one to use,
and it will have your name on it when you pick it up.

Now the scavenger hunt part:  Find as many different silver items that you
can and put them in the silver anniversary coffer. The items must have silver
in their name somewhere (short or long - see help rename), or respond to the
"get silver" command. At the end of August, turn in the coffer along with all
of its items for a reward.

Rules - Questors may be level 2 or higher, but remember that management is not
responsible for higher level items in the coffer that disappear when you
logout. Just one coffer per questor, one quest character per person. If your
coffer breaks in battle, then you may grab another to fill. Duplicate items and
player-created items (i.e. notes, potions, etc) are not counted towards your
total number of items found for the scavenger hunt. Items turned in at the end
of the quest are forfeit, so don't put in your most prized posessions, you
won't get them back. An early turn in of items before the end of the month is
allowable, but it signals the end of your participation in the quest. After all
turnins at the end of the month, the immense silver coffers WILL disappear.
Big thanks to Stoneheft for designing and sponsoring this quest!

Mechanics

Throughout the month of August players scoured the Realms of Despair hunting for items that fit the criteria of responding to the keyword silver, or containing silver in the long or short descriptions. For many this was challenging as few people log long descriptions as they don't typically affect game play.

Results

Point Leaders

The official totals posted by Zistrosk were:

---        Realms Of Despair 25th Silver Anniversary Scavenger Hunt        ---
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
From the 1st to the 31st of August 2019, in celebration of the 25th "Silver"
anniversary of the Realms of Despair, a silver scavenger hunt was held. The
questors had to find as many unique silver items as they could. Here are the
results of the quest, along with some fun facts.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
               FOUR questors "broke the bank" with 200+ items:
 Nightmyrr - 233 items at 1619 weight  Felemsel - 230 items at 1056 weight
 Velya     - 219 items at 1588 weight  Xyrenia  - 200 items at 1602 weight
        SIXTEEN questors "weighed down the vault" with 100+ items:
 Gaonllyx-196 Tharius-193 Golsin-191 Incendi-190 Spaducci-187 Orkadi-185
 Klaatu-175 Mephie-173 Indious-171 Belwar-167 Dastoran-141 Liljim-121
 Talin-121 Emrakuja-110 Perdita-101 Steppenwulf-100
             In order, here are the remaining silver questors:
 Melchior Favinire Jutsanna Aerlion Petrograd Piergeion Vorgrym Moe Daemonia
 Xedryd Brecht Balnor Anada Aimy Thom Krasy Octavian Arca Abro Varros
 Selvetarm Rayen Korax Zafirbel Taokor Frandlash Fayt Slanen Morsil Cerlath
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
 Most common item found: "a small silver coin". Least common: "Scutum Argentum"
 Average weight per silver item turned in: 5.96, Total weight turned in: 28928
 The percent of items turned in that responded to "get silver" was 70.25%
 Big thanks to Stoneheft for writing the quest that Zistrosk administered.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\

Aggregate List of Items Submitted

A list of 281 differently vnum'd items was provided by Zistrosk for this posting.

A mallorn twig tipped with golden ink A small winged token Kaern's silver potion of renewal Lightning Helm of Thunder Nasr, Claymore of Sovereignty Nightstalker Passage to Teracchei Playername's engraved silver helm Playername's spiraled armbands Scutum Argentum Silver boots of Camelot The Ritual Dagger of the High Magus War's blood-covered breastplate a Calabarius-marked helm a Gnome smelted bar of silver a Nation Olympic Silver Medal a Seal of Shadows a band of silver a banded ring a bar of silver a barbed, moonsilver spear a beaten silver comb a black key a black quill dripping with silver ink a blood-encrusted ring a blue potion with swirls of silver a blue-silver iron gorget a bolt of lightning a bright silver bracer a broken silver chain a carved silver armband a carved silver band a charm wristlet a copper key on a chain a cross shaped key a cross-hilted dagger a cupcake with silver beads in the icing a delicate bracelet of antiqued silver studded with lapis lazuli a delicate carafe filled with cool water a delicate silver bracelet a delicate silver mirror a diamond sliver a dirty, silver key a few leaves of occadaal a flail of shimmering silver a fluffy silver sleeping bag a forged silver band a giant, silver hammer a githyanki silver sword a glinting leaf of silver a glinting ring of silver a glinting silver bracelet a glinting silver chain a gold chain bracelet a gold potion with grey swirls a green hood lined with silver stitching a griffon lantern a headdress of white pearls a large rock filled with silver ore a large silver star sapphire a leather bound silver tome a light silver dagger a lionfish feather quill a lock of Playername's silver hair a long silver dagger a long, silver sabre a lute a magenta potion with flecks of silver a metallic silver potion a mirrored disk a moonsilver mantle and hauberk

a mystery box of arcane wonder a pair of silver shears a pair of silvery boots a pair of silvery gloves a parchment enscribed with silver a pendant with a silver heart a pendant with a silver skull a polished girth of platinum a polished girth of silver a polished platinum helmet a polished silver cane a polished silver helm a polished silver shield a potion of restoration a pouch of purple cloth a quicksilver potion a ring of sparkling silver a rock containing silver ore a runed silver ring a rusty band of silver a scale from a school of silvery minnows a scale from a young silver dragon a sharp scale from a silver sea urchin a shrunken, decapitated head of a young silver dragon a shrunken, decapitated head of the old, silver stag a signet of silver flame a silver and garnet hairpin a silver and turquoise bracelet a silver angel on a chain a silver anklet a silver arcane token a silver belt buckle a silver bow a silver braid a silver button a silver candelabra a silver chain necklace a silver chain with white jade dolphins a silver chained diamond amulet a silver chalice a silver coffer owned by Playername a silver comb studded with jade a silver crucifix on a chain a silver cufflink a silver dagger a silver dagger with an ornate cross handle a silver dragon's claw a silver earring a silver embossed, leather bound journal a silver flute a silver fountain pen embossed with a pentagram a silver framed mirror a silver goblet of clear fruit wine a silver hilted sword called "Dragonslasher" a silver ingot a silver key a silver key ring a silver knife a silver ladle a silver locket encrusted with amethysts a silver necklace a silver orb of remembrance a silver pearl a silver pendant a silver ring of Camelot a silver signet bearing the Ravenell seal a silver staff a silver stirring spoon a silver sword (Barrik) a silver sword (not Barrik) a silver sword with an intricate handle

a silver token a silver torque a silver tunic a silver-bladed scimitar a silver-buckled belt a silver-ringed sketchpad a silvery blue wand a silvery breast plate a silvery cloak a silvery dagger a silvery flower a silvery helmet a silvery key a silvery knife a silvery longsword with black runes a silvery sword a silvery-colored potion a silvery-white flower a simple silver necklace a slightly corroded silver pendant a small mining pick a small mirror a small pewter vase a small silver coin a small silver key a small silver key on a leather thong a small silver locket a small silver mirror a small, jeweled necklace a small, silver cross a small, silver key a sorcerer's walking stick a sparkling blue sapphire on a silver ring a square of moonfish skin a starred silver ring a studded, silver earring a swirling silver potion a thorned silver rose a tiny key a tiny pixie magic wand a tiny silver key a triskele pendant on a silver chain a twinkling coin a unicorn horn medallion a white gold bracelet amulet of the moon an alloy claw an amber potion with wisps of silver an ancient silver coin an antique silver helm an emerald charm an emerald green surcoat embroidered with silver thread an intricately carved key an intricately designed silver-grey cloak an obsidian grimoire with silver trim bracer of the Elder Gods decapitated head of a young silver dragon decapitated head of the old, silver stag faculty of reason faculty of thought large silver bracer part of a silver dragon's hide pincers of the queen polished brass boots polished brass leggings polished platinum boots polished platinum gauntlets polished platinum leggings polished platinum plate

polished platinum sleeves polished silver boots polished silver gauntlets polished silver leggings polished silver plate polished silver sleeves pouch of clarity sash of the destitute silver boots silver dragonhide armguards silver leg guards silver longsword silver nightshade silver tipped cane silvered strands of entwined drow hair some fresh alecost herb some silvery arm plates some silvery leg plates swirling silver mist the Art Gallery key the Blade of Justice the Cat's Eye the Holy Avenger the Livery of the Sea King the Olog'hai Sunrise the Silver Crescent the ancient sword of the kami the arcane band of countermagick the arcane band of prowess the blessed silver cross of Ravenell the cloven hoof of the old, silver stag the corpse of A restless, silver tree spirit the corpse of A school of silvery minnows the corpse of A silver sea urchin the corpse of An impressive silver maple tree the corpse of Ondomir-Celeb the silver dragon the corpse of a young silver dragon the corpse of the old, silver stag the dismembered leg of the old, silver stag the gouged-out eye of Ondomir-Celeb the silver dragon the gouged-out eye of a young silver dragon the gouged-out eye of the old, silver stag the haunch of the old, silver stag the key of the storm the long tongue of a young silver dragon the mantle of ill portents the maul of the hunter the mutilated fin of a school of silvery minnows the prophet's benediction the remnants of a sapphire key on a silver chain the remnants of a small silver key on a leather thong the remnants of polished silver plate the severed claw of a young silver dragon the severed foreleg of the old, silver stag the signet of Innocence the silver tipped staff of guarding the splattered brains of Ondomir-Celeb the silver dragon the splattered brains of a young silver dragon the splattered brains of the old, silver stag the stripped hide of the corpse of a young silver dragon the sword of faith the sword of the hunter the thorned crown of the mountain king the torn ear of Ondomir-Celeb the silver dragon the torn ear of a young silver dragon the torn ear of the old, silver stag the torn-out heart of Ondomir-Celeb the silver dragon the torn-out heart of a young silver dragon the torn-out heart of the old, silver stag the twisted foot of a young silver dragon

Prizes

The final prizes this year included glory and a large silver coffer owned by playername. This container is magic and metal, which is generally desirable for weight reduction and durability yet only the top tier received an immense container. The next tier was not even giant, down to large. Since these containers are quest items most people will not use them on regular characters for fear of scrapping them, so they become storage containers primarily. Given the proliferation of storage bins in time past, it still boggles the mind that people on Realms can't find a big box to put things in.

Feedback and Analysis

Overall this type of quest is welcome because it encourages exploration. Lots of groups were observed challenging mobs often viewed as unworthy of attention as they don't provide loot that contributes to overall character equipment gains in one way or the other. People revisited and explored hometowns and deities, and in general there was a fair bit of communication between groups.

Though not revealed until the reward phase it was a welcome sign to see tiers rather than absolute head to head competition. Though some challenges lend themselves to direct competition tiered competition does not encourage the sort of intense, perhaps unwelcome, kinds of competition that were noted during Oktoberquest 2018.

Many commented that the 1 month open quest timeline is too long and leads to fatigue of the quest, but people feel compelled to continue to participate to ensure rewards. Further as has been noted in the past, the reward to effort ratio of these quests is far lower than the sundry quests that run throughout the month. The awarding of the cupcake with silver bead frosting that was given after one quest was welcome to encourage people to participate in more than 1 event, but would have been more welcome had it been offered at a number of the quest events through the month.

The general feeling was that the prizes were disappointing for the effort and equipment invested but that the quest was fun.