Favourite Events!

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

The staff is working hard to bring you fun events! We'd like to know which events you enjoyed and which you didn't so that we can improve future events and decide which kind of events to run!

If you have a suggestion to improve an event or ideas for new events, feel free to share here as well! Help us make more fun things for you to do! :D

If there's an event I forgot, please do mention it :D

[Suicune's Fire]

I actually loved the Aqua/Magma takeover. xD I do love all the other events, though. Secret Santa is definitely a favourite of mine, and this Valentine's has been a blast.

[SassySnivy]

Oh jfc, why not multiple choice? xDD

For me it's a tie between Aqua vs. Magma and Easter Egg Hunt. I love the exploration aspect of the egg hunt but I LOVED the thought, time, and effort put into the event, as well as the intensity of it! Like I sent to you the other day, it would be super-cool to have something like that for sometime around the Pokemon 20th anniversary! Old-genners vs. New-genners! 8D

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

Oh jfc, why not multiple choice? xDD

For me it's a tie between Aqua vs. Magma and Easter Egg Hunt. I love the exploration aspect of the egg hunt but I LOVED the thought, time, and effort put into the event, as well as the intensity of it! Like I sent to you the other day, it would be super-cool to have something like that for sometime around the Pokemon 20th anniversary! Old-genners vs. New-genners! 8D

Because I wanna know what people like best of all. xD I could have made it multi choice I guess. It was a toss up. Oh well!

xD

I definitely wanna do something similar to Aqua/Magma again and I have a few ideas :D

[Neo Emolga]

WE CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE!?

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/es.pokemon/images/4/40/EP760_Emolga_debilitada.png/revision/latest?cb=20121013225554

Okay, honestly, I've found this Valentine's Day event to be the most fun with the least amount of stress and pressure (which unfortunately the WAR has too much of...). The Easter Egg event thing was cool and fun too, but it did feel like it was over quickly. I didn't take part in the ORAS event (I really should have), but I also liked the Secret Santa thing.

[Chakramaster]

To me, I'm limited to what I can choose. I was here for WAR, but limited because my laptop decided to die just DAYS after it started once I joined. So the Secret Santa event was nice AND gave me a chance to pull back out CS3 and get my creative spark going again....even if I haven't gone back since I made it...since it did barely run since it's on my old broken/slow laptop. Would like to see it or something like it again honestly!

I really wanted to choose the Valentines event since it's going so well and not only me, but everyone else seems to be really enjoying it as well (a clear sign this should have multiple votes =D lol). Jokes aside haha, I feel the Valentines event is good, but....errr...don't wanna sound judgemental or nitpicky..I hate doing that, but even though there's a day where multiple ones are gonna be sent out...I feel like there should be a way everyone gets one from someone who joined. Some people might feel leftout is all and I hate that (it's a weird feeling and I would too if I weren't easy going. Doesn't matter to me how many I get, but I just can't help but feel some people might feel left out if they don't get as many as *insert user here*). To me, it's an overwhelming success this event has been. The Secret Santa event just barely wins it for me though ;)


Actually as far as suggestions (really wish this came up earlier xD) I had something I thought of recently and I totally forgot about it lol. If I remember it I'll be sure to bring it back up (post it here or something).

[Kaoru]

Okay the Magma/Aqua Takeover was the best piece of anything that I experienced. Especially with Archie and Maxie joining in the fray. It was so unexpected but totally awesome at the same time.

[Vishnal]

I know I can't say much since I only really participated in the Secret Santa event (and even then, I have yet to receive/give my gift due to scheduling conflicts x_x), but I thought it was a nice idea. I participated in a similar one that was solely graphics/art-based, but I thought this one was better since people had a wider selection of gifts to send/receive.

The Valentine's Day event I absolutely despise. I did not participate in it, but that's because I know hardly anyone on this forum, even after being here for three months. That's the main beef I have with it: Since the event was all about sending messages to people, it is difficult for newer members or members who still haven't been immersed into the community to take part, and so people will feel left out. Community-wide events shouldn't make people feel that way; they should try and be as inclusive as possible so everyone has a chance to take part and enjoy themselves.

EDIT: I realized it's less helpful simply pointing out the issue rather than making an attempt to solve it/give suggestions, so I hope this doesn't get overlooked!

Here's a possible alternative I came up with for this Valentine's event: Instead of allowing people to send a Valentine's to whoever they wish, perhaps whoever participates is assigned a random participant to give a Valentine's to. Then, on the final day or final two days, they may send Valentine's to whomever (similar to this event's finale). That way, everyone has a chance to participate and have fun, and they may still give out Valentine's to others!

When coming up with community-wide events, I think it's important to ask yourselves if everyone—from staff to veteran members to people who joined less than a day ago—would be able to take part. Even if it's an event celebrating a new Pokémon game or the anniversary of a set of Pokémon games, the event should have guidelines/mini-events/what have you that give everyone the opportunity to participate.

[Chibi Altaria]

I really loved WAR. :D Unfortunately there aren't as many people here as there used to be on PE2K back in the day, and it was a lot more fun with a heap of teams. Of course, as Neo said, it can be really stressful too. xD

In fact I really love this Valentines event so far. C: It helps spread the love far and wide across the forum!

And the Magma/Aqua Takeover was really fun, too! I LIKE THEM ALL.

[Noblejanobii]

I wasn't here for the Team aqua magma takeover when it occurred which kind of saddens me because it sounded awesome. But secret Santa has probably been my favorite, with valentines at a very close second. They're both great reminders that there are people out there who care about me, which I seem to need constant reminding of nowadays.

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

Thanks for bringing up the point about not leaving members out! We do try really hard to make events accessible to everyone, and I'm happy to say that everyone who sent out a Valentine has received at least one (and usually way more!) in return. :) Those that have participated in the thread more and sent out more have generally received more, so it is still based on participation to an extent. I know a lot of us made it a point to target those who were newer or had less Valentines (but still signed up) so that everyone would feel included, but obviously with the way it's run, it's impossible to keep things fair. :(

Being assigned people would work, but I think it might take the fun out of it, knowing you were receiving a message because someone was told to send you one and not just because someone thought of you. But I can completely understand how some people may feel left out or sad if they didn't receive as many and it's something we'll keep in mind for next year. The other events are quite different, so hopefully there will be something to everyone's taste during the year! :D

Thanks for your feedback everyone! I'm glad lots of people seemed to like the Secret Santa. Maybe we can do something else similar during the year as well!

[SassySnivy]

Agreeing with Sarah about the vday thing, but I can understand the concern. I always saw Valentines as a time for getting anonymous admirers! And being one, of course.

We have done pretty good with keeping most people included. I mean its harder to give them to people who haven't been on in a while because, naturally, you forget

But what if next time we were to raise the minimum requirement for the generosity token? :O

[Suicune's Fire]

Vishnal - I get where you're coming from, but given the effort that's gone into it and how much other people have been enjoying it (and how happy that makes the organisers), saying you "despise" it is a little disheartening. That's an extremely strong word. This event is meant to be about friendship, love and kindness--not something to be despised. There is nothing wrong with participating even if you don't know anyone. I've given people a Valentines simple BECAUSE I knew they were participating. And you still got one, even though you weren't participating! That's pretty good for an event that's 'despicable.'

Just know that whether or not you participate is your choice. Yes, I get that this event is based on people you know, but that's not always true--I know for a FACT that I have gotten a Valentine or two from people I have never spoken to outside this event. You could easily have participated and then received some, as well as sending some--you know, just to pass around the love. I think that being forced to send a Valentine out is sort of pointless since EVERYONE who has participated in this event - and even people outside it - have gotten a Valentine. You've gotten a Valentine. So essentially, you're suggesting something that already happened, except that you're not assigned anyone for this. The point is the freedom.

I know I sound salty and yes, maybe I am a little, but I think that you could easily have joined. If you must know, I would 100% have sent you one by now if you had joined, because that was something Sarah and I discussed--that everyone who participates WILL end up getting one. So in a sense, you could create your own Valentine by sending some to others and even simply posting in the thread. We will keep your thoughts in mind for the future, though, because obviously it is a lot more fun if everyone feels like they can join.

If there had been a notice on the thread saying "Please join in even if you don't know anyone, because you will still receive some Valentines and be able to send some out," do you think that would have been more inviting/prompted you to join? It certainly wasn't meant to sound like an exclusive event. That's certainly not what we were aiming for! So I'm sorry if it didn't seem inviting. =/ But never be afraid to take part, because at PXR, we want everyone to join in! 8D

[Vishnal]

I get where you're coming from, but given the effort that's gone into it and how much other people have been enjoying it (and how happy that makes the organisers), saying you "despise" it is a little disheartening. That's an extremely strong word. This event is meant to be about friendship, love and kindness--not something to be despised. There is nothing wrong with participating even if you don't know anyone. I've given people a Valentines simple BECAUSE I knew they were participating. And you still got one, even though you weren't participating! That's pretty good for an event that's 'despicable.'

I have a tendency to be blunt when responding seriously. I dislike sugarcoating my feelings, as I think doing so hinders more than it helps. If you don't like it, then I should warn you that the rest of my response will likely be just as straightforward as my previous post. Also, I generally dislike anything where the more popular/well-known members of a community benefit more than the lesser-known, so I'm certain that plays a part in how I feel about the event.

And yes, the event is about love/camaraderie/what have you, but I don't get those feelings at all because, simply put, the event feels much more clique-ish (I'll get to this later) than it does inclusive.


Just know that whether or not you participate is your choice. Yes, I get that this event is based on people you know, but that's not always true--I know for a FACT that I have gotten a Valentine or two from people I have never spoken to outside this event. You could easily have participated and then received some, as well as sending some--you know, just to pass around the love. I think that being forced to send a Valentine out is sort of pointless since EVERYONE who has participated in this event - and even people outside it - have gotten a Valentine. You've gotten a Valentine. So essentially, you're suggesting something that already happened, except that you're not assigned anyone for this. The point is the freedom.

I'm well aware the alternative suggestion I provided is far from flawless. I was simply trying to come up with something that would allow more members to join regardless if they know others. Personally, I think freedom is better, but when people feel left out and don't think they can participate, then it becomes a problem.


I know I sound salty and yes, maybe I am a little, but I think that you could easily have joined. If you must know, I would 100% have sent you one by now if you had joined, because that was something Sarah and I discussed--that everyone who participates WILL end up getting one. So in a sense, you could create your own Valentine by sending some to others and even simply posting in the thread. We will keep your thoughts in mind for the future, though, because obviously it is a lot more fun if everyone feels like they can join.

How can I join an event where I am asked to send out messages to people I barely know? I know I could send a simple "Happy Valentine's Day!" message, but that feels so generic and insensitive to me. I want to be able to give messages from the heart, and I personally cannot do that when I don't know much about the other people participating. I know there are people who can do this without any problem, but I'm certain I'm far from the only one who cannot.

Also—and as far as I can tell, maybe I'm wrong—most the people participating know each other and have been around the forum for years. That's where the event feels more exclusive than inclusive. Compare the number of Valentines veteran members/staff to those newer/less active members received. The newer/less active members have far fewer Valentines. Now, can you really say that's very fair? Those who haven't been on the forum for long should have just as much a chance to receive as many Valentines as those who have been on longer. (On that note, the notion that people can send as many Valentines as they want for the event's finale makes it much more fair, in my opinion, so I'm glad you guys included that!)

I'm not saying the more active/veteran members and staff should stop participating in events, as that would go against my beliefs, but I do think everyone should have a more equal chance than they seem to have.


If there had been a notice on the thread saying "Please join in even if you don't know anyone, because you will still receive some Valentines and be able to send some out," do you think that would have been more inviting/prompted you to join? It certainly wasn't meant to sound like an exclusive event. That's certainly not what we were aiming for! So I'm sorry if it didn't seem inviting. =/ But never be afraid to take part, because at PXR, we want everyone to join in! 8D

Though I think including a note would help, I don't think it should be necessary. The events should be designed so that people would want to attend without needing a note that tells them to not be afraid to participate.

---

Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to what I had written. I really appreciate it!

[Pokemon Trainer Sarah]

I just wanna point out that PXR is pretty small so as far as having cliques and stuff, it's more like the forum is one big clique. I recognise every username that is logged in (that has posted at least once) and I've probably had at least a short exchange with all of our "active" members! It's one of the reasons I love PXR and is an advantage of small communities.

Of course for those of us used to it, it can be hard to remember what it is like to be new and not know anyone. Even though we know we are friendly, not everyone will know that and some people are more shy and take longer to feel at home. I tried to find a way to tag the whole forum to the valentines thread but that wasn't an option, so I hoped the notice at the top would suffice!

Echoing Xanthe, I promise that anyone joining, new or old, would have received some messages. And saying "happy valentines" or "You're a good artist" or "you seem friendly, I hope we can chat one day" are perfectly good messages that anyone can send. Even sending out funny ones is fine!

We want members to be active and try to encourage activity, so I don't think the fact that active members have an advantage is a really big issue. If you can even call it an advantage, since it's not like you win anything for getting heaps of Pokemon. The time and effort you put into the event or the forum in general should reflect the result somewhat. (If less active people were sending out lots and getting nothing, I would agree with you! But overall, it's been pretty fair!) Personally I get more joy out of sending messages to other people!

The main reason that it is one per day is because with only 2 of us handling it, it is already a lot to keep up with. And also if everyone sent out all their messages on day one, the event would kind of be over xD At least this way there is some mystery. And by the end of the free for all, hopefully everyone will be happy with their messages! :)

I appreciate you taking the time to discuss this, Vishnal! I'd you have ideas for how we can better engage with newer members, I'm totally open to them. :)

Edit: ALSO it's not too late to join in! :D :D :D

[Suicune's Fire]

I have a tendency to be blunt when responding seriously. I dislike sugarcoating my feelings, as I think doing so hinders more than it helps. If you don't like it, then I should warn you that the rest of my response will likely be just as straightforward as my previous post. Also, I generally dislike anything where the more popular/well-known members of a community benefit more than the lesser-known, so I'm certain that plays a part in how I feel about the event.

And yes, the event is about love/camaraderie/what have you, but I don't get those feelings at all because, simply put, the event feels much more clique-ish (I'll get to this later) than it does inclusive.

I completely respect that. Likewise, I will be doing the same. Personally I have no clique. I like to think that I am friends with everyone on the forum, because I want to be and because I make the effort. No, I do not know everyone, especially since I go through bouts of inactivity and I've recently come back to the forum from one. Like Sarah, I gain more joy out of sending Valentines than receiving them. If I got three, or none, that would be fine with me. Maybe a little disheartening, but being able to send them out - even to people I don't know - brings me and others joy. That's just it. The downfalls are uncontrollable. I'm sorry, but that's just how the event works. It's not like we're randomly inventing an event in the middle of the year which adheres to this criteria--it's Valentine's Day. Invented by people from decades ago. This is what Valentine's is. Sending out your appreciation for people who mean something to you. Not about being assigned people to send stuff to. It wasn't invented by us.


I'm well aware the alternative suggestion I provided is far from flawless. I was simply trying to come up with something that would allow more members to join regardless if they know others. Personally, I think freedom is better, but when people feel left out and don't think they can participate, then it becomes a problem.
But you're basically in the same place as half the other members who joined. They don't know many people/anyone here either, but it didn't prevent them from going, "Well, it wouldn't hurt to join." In my opinion, it's your choice that you didn't join. As I've already said, you'd have gotten Valentines if you had joined, and that's a fact--you've already got one and you didn't join!


How can I join an event where I am asked to send out messages to people I barely know? I know I could send a simple "Happy Valentine's Day!" message, but that feels so generic and insensitive to me. I want to be able to give messages from the heart, and I personally cannot do that when I don't know much about the other people participating. I know there are people who can do this without any problem, but I'm certain I'm far from the only one who cannot.

Also—and as far as I can tell, maybe I'm wrong—most the people participating know each other and have been around the forum for years. That's where the event feels more exclusive than inclusive. Compare the number of Valentines veteran members/staff to those newer/less active members received. The newer/less active members have far fewer Valentines. Now, can you really say that's very fair? Those who haven't been on the forum for long should have just as much a chance to receive as many Valentines as those who have been on longer. (On that note, the notion that people can send as many Valentines as they want for the event's finale makes it much more fair, in my opinion, so I'm glad you guys included that!)

I'm not saying the more active/veteran members and staff should stop participating in events, as that would go against my beliefs, but I do think everyone should have a more equal chance than they seem to have.
How? Well, by sending a pokemon to Sarah and then posting in the thread. It's easy. It's what others did as well. Literally, if you had written ONE post on the thread saying "Hey guys, I know I don't know anyone here, but I'm going to join anyway. I hope I can get a few as well as send out a few!" then I GUARANTEE that people would have given you some. You chose not to do that. You chose to see it as something that excluded you. It's up to us to create an event that can EASILY still be fun for members who don't know many others, and then it's up to you to meet us halfway and put in the effort to join. We can't make you have friends. That's up to you.

Some of us, but not all of us. You don't just "become" known on the forum. I've seen you around, but we've never talked. That's not either of our faults, but the only way to make friends is, generally, to talk. I only know most of these people because I made the effort to say hello, and then over days, months, years, etc, we've become good friends. We may have created an event based on friendships, but those friendships are not up to us to create--they're up to the members. What is joining a pokemon forum about? Being in an environment with other people who love pokemon, right? It's about the social aspect. So is this event. I'm sorry you felt left out, but a tradition like Valentine's Day is aimed at just that--relationships, bonds, etc. I'm sure that by next Valentine's event, you'll have plenty of people to send them to. In fact, if you had joined this time, you could already have made friends by this point.

Everyone DOES have an equal chance. You have the chance to talk to anyone on this forum whenever you like. Just like the rest of us. I've sent Valentines to people who I only met this month--that's not a veteran friendship. And those who I have been friends with for years only get one Valentine from me anyway.


Though I think including a note would help, I don't think it should be necessary. The events should be designed so that people would want to attend without needing a note that tells them to not be afraid to participate.

---

Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to what I had written. I really appreciate it!
Personally, I think it was designed that way. It seems like you never made the effort to join in, and sorry, but I don't see that as our fault. We offered the members of PXR something, gave them an opportunity, and it's up to them - you - to take it. We can't cater for everyone, unfortunately. Just like if someone couldn't join the WAR because they didn't have the time. Or just like if someone couldn't join the Secret Santa because they don't like that there's a deadline. We have multiple events to cater for multiple people. This was a chance to join and make some friends, not just interact with old ones.

No worries. I hope you don't think I'm being rude or insensitive, but I am being blunt. xD In fact, I'd love to be friends with you! Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, so, ya know...maybe you'll get one. ;3

[Noblejanobii]

I'd like to point out that last year I participated in the valentines event and I had only joined the December before. I only knew a few users so I just sent valentines to people who seemed relatively nice even though I didn't know them. And I received a fair amount of valentines back despite me being new to the forum at the time. I don't see how this year was more exclusive than last year other than you just didn't want to participate, and while that's fine because you think it's cliche, there's no need to pitch a fit about it.

[Corey]

I'd say the Valentine's Day Event is my favorite! I do understand that newer members might be a bit shy to the idea, though. But I think it's an opportunity to make friends! Everyone can have something nice to say, even if you don't really know anyone!

I liked the Team Aqua and Team Magma invasion, too! It was really fun to mess with everyone and play up Archie's character. Watching everyone try to guess who Archie and Maxie were was also super hilarious. It was a really good idea, and I hope we can work out something like that for the next games!

Secret Santa is also fun to do - it's nice to give and get some really cool gifts. I don't really remember the Easter Egg Hunt (I may have been on hiatus), and WAR is quite a bit messy. WAR just seems to cause a lot of problems...I know a couple of people told me they would prefer it if we didn't have WAR anymore, and I shared that sentiment. I don't mean to be a downer, though! If most people are having a good time, that's all that matters!

[Elbub]

So little love for the Easter Egg hunt ;_;

I really enjoyed that one, but Magma and Aqua takeover just pipped it for me.

[Noblejanobii]

I wasn't really a fan of the Easter egg hunt. It was extremely stressful for me because I really wanted an egg so I spent hours upon hours trying to find an egg, ending up crying because the one I found was already claimed it just hadn't been added to the front post yet, and had to wait for them to add another batch of eggs to the forum before I could get one.

[Elbub]

I wasn't really a fan of the Easter egg hunt. It was extremely stressful for me because I really wanted an egg so I spent hours upon hours trying to find an egg, ending up crying because the one I found was already claimed it just hadn't been added to the front post yet, and had to wait for them to add another batch of eggs to the forum before I could get one.

...Yeah, I can see why you may not have liked that event.

[Suicune's Fire]

Omg Noblejanobii. xD I had no idea that happened! I did a similar thing, though--I looked through every page of some threads and then ended up giving up when in reality they were on the next post...

[Noblejanobii]

Omg Noblejanobii. xD I had no idea that happened! I did a similar thing, though--I looked through every page of some threads and then ended up giving up when in reality they were on the next post...

Well, to be fair, we weren't really close buds back then so it makes sense. Sorry that happened to you though.


...Yeah, I can see why you may not have liked that event.

If it were better coordinated I might actually like it but it was just so stressful for me individually that I didn't like it much at all.

[Suicune's Fire]

Well, to be fair, we weren't really close buds back then so it makes sense. Sorry that happened to you though.

If it were better coordinated I might actually like it but it was just so stressful for me individually that I didn't like it much at all.
Ah, it's alright. I don't seem to be as scarred by it as you do. xD

Yeah, I see. xD That might be part of the reason why I didn't really get into it either. I helped set it up juuust a little, but I didn't know their locations. But I gave up looking anyway. XD

[Noblejanobii]

Ah, it's alright. I don't seem to be as scarred by it as you do. xD

Yeah, I see. xD That might be part of the reason why I didn't really get into it either. I helped set it up juuust a little, but I didn't know their locations. But I gave up looking anyway. XD

Yeah I was really upset because I really wanted to find an egg. I'm actually very good at easteregg hunts in real life so I was really upset when the same did not apply here.

[Chibi Altaria]

I missed the Easter egg hunt myself, but it sounds very stressful to quite a few people. XD

[SimplyPixelizing]

I haven't been here long, but the Valentine's event looked cute. :) <3