written by Blinkibu (UN: iseejohn) 7-24-08

This banner & article is only pointing out the fact that there was a lack of proper, decent offering of PRIZES to those that DID work hard for the opportunity to make hopefully great prize selections.


After this great disappointment of no proper recognition for ROO ISLAND as the AC 2008 reigning Champions and for the lack of proper Prize Shop offerings, I have tried to do my own "ROO ISLAND WINS" Celebration.

For example, my young niece worked with great dedication to reach ALL STAR and was nearly brought to tears from her disappointment. Yes, she was disappointed by the lack of prize selection geared towards those that had earned points reflective of ALL STAR status, as so many were regardless of which team they supported.

The most upsetting to her and all ROO ISLAND supporters everywhere, was that the AC III 2008 tournament prizes did not even acknowledge our status as the reigning CHAMPIONS. Instead, items were designed to honor the past two years' reigning Champions.



WHAT? . . . as if their own Prize Shop selection wasn't enough of an honor to celebrate their status as reigning Champions for their OWN year?
Where's ROO ISLAND's recognition for their efforts?
For their honor as "reigning Champions"?

In effort to spread some cheer and to eleviate some of my own disappointment, I found other ways to CELEBRATE!

For example, I found a way to help my niece to honor and remember her achievement as an ALL STAR:


Actually this complete petpage,
is my effort to CELEBRATE and give dedication to:

. . . all ROOligans, especially those of you that were truly dedicated to ensure our VICTORY!

. . . to all those on EVERY TEAM that worked with dedication, well beyond knowledge of any chance to place 1st, 2nd or 3rd.

. . . for all the countless Neopians that achieved ALL STAR status!

This is an effort to recognize those that worked hard, putting forth such immense effort the full 33 days of the AC III 2008 tournament, under the clearly misleading expectation that their efforts would be rewarded at the end of the tournament with "Nifty PRIZES", as it had been referred to in the NEWS, even GREAT prizes as it had been offered in each of the previous TWO years.

This is also an effort to recognize the differences in emotion felt by those that earned higher levels (ALL STAR, especially) versus those that hadn't gone beyond first few levels. There are those that are greatly disappointed (high levels) or are REJOICING (lower levels) about their own personal time & effort spent on this year's tournament in reflection of the sad Prize selection that was offered.

Those two groups greatly differ, especially if they knew their team had "no chance" for a WINNERS (top three) Trophy but continued to do their own personal BEST for their team, armed with the knowledge that their personal efforts would be rewarded when the Prize Shop opened.

The expectation of worthwhile prizes was not only gained by experience from past two years Prize offerings, but also based upon the implication that "the more games played, the more points to be earned & spent in the Prize Shop" that was noted in the AC Rules.

It was even reported that earning points could continue beyond reaching the top level of "All Star" (level 20). There was even implication of worthwhile prizes in The Neopian Times Editorial:
Issue: 348 | 20th day of Relaxing, Y10

Hi TNT!!! *holds up plate of cookies until TNT answers question* I recently joined Team Maraqua for the Altador Cup, but now, a few days in, I realize that was a bad choice. So, I have a question regarding prizes. If my team performs terribly, but as an individual I play well, will I get prizes that are equal to those that are given to someone from a better-performing team who also plays well? ~brainykidd

For the Altador Cup, you get out of it what you put into it. Aside from the trophies awarded to the top teams, the prizes are mostly based on your personal performance. Editorial Issue 348

What?
~ "... you get out of it what you put into it." ~
~ "The prizes are mostly based on your personal performance." ~
Hmmm... what they must have really meant to say was:
~ "you'll earn points to be spent in the Prize Shop based upon your own personal effort. The more you play, the more points you will likely earn. The prizes to be offered will give you a means of spending those earned points." ~

For it became clearly evident that the "prizes were NOT based upon personal performance" for those exceeding 10,000 points, which was all that was needed for the "top" prize.
What about those that earned more than 25,670 pts? That would leave them with extra points to be spent even if they bought ONE of EVERYTHING offered, total of 40* items!

*NOTE: only 10 "different" items offered, but 16 "team logo" items for 2 different prizes.


Once again, no reward for the "over-achievers", and most definitely not for our dedicated All-Star players, either.

Also wish to give special recongition to those that worked with extra diligence because they recalled that the prize points jumped from needing just a hair over 23,000 pts in AC I, 2006 to a whopping increase of well over 78,000 pts, to be able to "buy one of each item". So many of us recall being disappointed that we hadn't earned enough points to buy desired item(s) last year, and were determined not to allow that to happen again this year.



Now so many sit with having "too many points" or simply chosing quantities of the "better prizes" in hopes of increased value "in due time". Sadly, I predict we'll see those items not holding the value of previous year's similar items due to "abundant availability" simply because there really wasn't too many items to choose from and so many having ample points to be spent.

This article is also in recongition that it apparently was intended to be the "Year for the Under-Achiever" since the new avatar, which turned out to be the only truly worthwhile offering beyond the possibility of a trophy, was so easily obtainable. Everyone had 33 days to play needed "50" games.
YES! even a 1-goal win per Yooyuball game counted.
Why wasn't offering the "Altador Cup" Avatar for those that simply participated with at least one registered game, not enough for "Under-Achievers"?
Why not offer the "Altador Cup Player" avatar as something special for those reaching a higher level? Or even better, not take away the encouragement to have everyone reach at least level 1, hopefully gaining the ability & joy to continue playing beyond earning the avatar in the process, but also offer an additional avatar for "All Star" status ~ giving added recognition for those that achieved such a high rank.

What about those that earned "All Star" status?
No, I was not one of them, it nearly did me in to reach level 15!
My heart does go out to those that dedicated their time & effort to meet and EXCEED requirements to reach "ALL STAR" status.

Can you just imagine how you would feel to have applied the time, effort & dedication to earn the 2,000* Yooyuball games that was needed to earn Level 20 "All Star" status and then having your first glimpse of the Prize selection?
What about those that well exceeded the 2,000 games with the desire to not only help their team but with great anticipation of spending their earned points within the Prize Shop?

Just imagine submitting 4,000 *or more* Yooyuball wins and be left so greatly disappointed about the lack of prizes offered in consideration for those dedicated efforts.

Where are the Over-Achievers' recognition?
Definitely not by having more Prize points than was needed to purchase the sad selection of prizes!



Even with the trophies, it gives the Under-Achievers' an appearance of great achievement, equivelant to those that put great effort towards their teams' win.

What about those that played only ONE game, not one game PER day mind you ~ but ONE GAME, during the complete 33 days? Those "players" had the same possibility to receive the BEST trophy as those that worked dilengently & relentlessly to earn that same trophy. Why? All because they had made a lucky selection of what team to join.

For example, if an "Under-Achiever" managed to pick one of the top THREE winning teams and played at least ONE game so as to be a "registered player", they would still receive a very nice trophy. Quite the reward for taking such a gambling guess without much effort, wouldn't you say?

What about those that were loyally dedicated to their team and yet did not win one of the top three positions? Even those dedicated to earning "All Star" only recieved the "Altador Cup III Participant" pendant, regardless of their efforts.

Granted, as it is in real life, even if you're a bench-warmer,
if you're team wins... YOU WIN!
If you're a great player on a losing team... YOU LOSE!
No "World Series Champion Trophy" for those that did great for a losing team, right?

My point is, it just doesn't seem right that a "great trophy" is awarded to those that their only true achievement was in the gamble of picking a WINNING team to join & had played as few as ONE game to be registered as a "player". Even in "real life" the LARGE trophy of a winning team is given to the teams "most valuable players" and other teammates may possibly get a pendant or plaque, right?

It's just a more common belief amongst players, that the trophies assigned to the WINNING TEAMS (#1, #2, #3) ought not be given based upon when a "player" signed up . . .

. . . but by the more important factor, "how well they participated".
Is it fair that the person that happened to sign-up in first few days of the games beginning would end up with same trophy/title as those holding out for tail-end of the Tournament, in the hopes of picking a WINNING team ~ just for the trophy, not the participation? *gasp*



I'd rather see trophies for the three winning teams be based upon three types of participation:
Under Level 2 = "benchwarmer" (pendant)
Level 3 - 10 ="Player" (plaque)
Level 11-20 = "MV Player" (trophy)

The same concept could be assigned to those participating in teams that did not walk away with one of the top three winning titles.
Even if using the current pendants and only changing the titles given under those trophies to reflect effort/participation would be a great improvement.

Well, at least we can take pride that there is the option to review not only what level was achieved, but the details about the effort put forth by clicking the trophy/pendant on everyone's User Lookup page. That is one GREAT thing they did give to us, in both 2007 & 2008.

Let's not forget to give Neopets proper appreciation for greatly improving the Yooyuball game in 2008! Some claimed it made it harder for them to score and there were so many more that stated these changes actually improved their gaming skills. Inspite of those differences in opinion, everyone agrees "the graphics are fun and impressive!

Hopefully after this year, Neopets will greatly improve their management of rewards and prizes for the Altador Cup IV 2009. If they do so, we just might forgive them for 2008. Since 2008 appears to be the "Year of Beta Testing", we will credit them with 2008 as a "Altador Cup Beta Testing" fiasco. That is, if next year is greatly improved, right?


Altador Cup Theme

Able to unlock this site theme by visiting the Altador Cup Prize Shop if you participated in one of the matches in Altador Cup I (2006) or Altador Cup II (2007) or Altador Cup III (2008). Having only chose a team isn't enough, you need to have actually played in the games.

Note:
I'm a "die-hard" true 100% Roo Island Supporter. Always have been and always will be ~ no matter the outcome.

Yes, it's true, there is no pendant/trophy on my UserLookup page for my "efforts" in the AC I (2006). No matter how much I struggled, I could not manage one goal in the Yooyuball game... well, scoring against own team doesn't count, right? Even with the knowledge that I wouldn't be registered as a "player", I opted not to submit a losing score. What kind of "die-hard" Roo Island Supporter would that be?

Plus in the first year (AC I, 2006) there wasn't any "support games" offered, those became available during AC II in 2007 and again for AC III in 2008.

Even with the support games in 2007, I struggled to reach level three. It was very frustrating to *finally* learn how to score winning goals, but I DID IT! Added with my demanding real life responsibilities that year, it was quite the feat that I managed to reach level 3 at all!

So believe you me, I do understand how it is to struggle to accomplish level 1 or beyond. All the more reason, I have empathy for those that worked much harder to accomplish a much higher level, especially All-Star!