I don't mind not being able to trade in the first seal.

However, being able to have all sealbearers compete every year is just putting a huge dam in the process; every year there are 8 more people who will want to go for it, expands the headache exponentially each year... and would (to me) be even more frustrating than the system as it is now.

But as it is now, given that I want to be a TA, I'm going to be competing each year. Consolation prizes are nice, don't get me wrong. However, I'd much rather have TA than have to keep going for it each year!

No TA for Xenthos unless he converts to the traditional -in!

Rika, it seems like people keep winning the seals twice because this year, five out of the nine seals were won by people who already have a seal. Just saying.

I would not only maintain the traditional -in, I would also bring back the lapsed traditional y!

-forestcast namechange Fillin Fyllin- D:

I think it's less the same exact people winning the same exact seal and more the same people in general winning seals in general. It would be rather odd if that was not the case since the challenges are the same every year and people can see what tactics worked and which ones didn't. The more events you've seen (and won) the better your chances with most of the Seals.

I can't comment much beyond this since usually Ascension time is "good reason to not log in" time for me. Except this year, which has reminded me why I normally take that stance

Ascension is a very cool idea. Challenges for the Seals are very cool. It would be much cooler if the events got changed up and it became less about farming credits.

I have mixed feelings about this. While I'm not sure if it is a good idea to have all seal-bearers able to compete for TA each year, it must be frustrating to see the same people winning challenges. There's definitely a tier of players who are able to perform very well in multiple events, and pairing this number down by only 1 each year does sort of create a bubble where the same people are the ones succeeding again and again.

In one respect this is good because in order to be deemed the best, you must win against the best. For me, I was by no means convinced that I could pull out Harmony over Krellan, who is much more competitive than I am, or Inagin/Nydekion, and who knows how it would have gone if Veyrzhul and Rika were still in the mix at that point... In another respect, the bar is just raised higher and higher to the point where it's only this bubble of people that are the real contenders, and everyone else may as well not (and so does not) bother. Maybe we're getting to this point now.

I'd be fine if the seals had no artifact tradein value, though. Perhaps it is corny but I think the value of them is in winning them (also they are cool).

If any of my characters ever ascend, they shall be called 'Yin'.

That being said, nine sealbearers is pleanty-- I'd hate to have to deal with the forty-something.

Plus, EVENT STATUS/SCORE would be giant.

I can understand competing for TA each year. At the same time, it is maddening to see people rack up multiple seals. And especially with TA in the mix, with the seals you can support for, it's the choice between supporting someone who has a really good shot (because they might have won before) so we have a chance at a TA, or doing it yourself and actively working against your org's chances at getting one. Like, why would I ever try for Nature, until Rika is a TA? If by some chance I win, I cut our chances drastically, because she will do better in the Ascension event. Beauty is the only one I feel comfortable competing in for that fact alone, despite my burning desire to have a Seal.

If you can't trade in seals, will we start seeing people deliberately going for second best?

Yes. We already see people deliberately going for second best in earlier events so they can participate in later events.

Some of the events this year had few very few competitors, it was more like org vs org rather than player vs player. But they are all so different it's hard to say... that's why I think Knowledge and Beauty are the hardest!

Most of the seals are org vs. org, nothing new there. I don't think there's anything wrong with the best person winning the same seal time after time. I think it would be interesting if past winners could keep competing. TA's too >_ >

By interesting do you mean even more boring, repetitive, and elitist? If so I completely agree with you!

Is this really true? No one is really guaranteed to win events, I can't imagine someone would pass up a seal for 700 credits and a future uncertainty.

I'm not fond of past winners competing. There should only be Nine Sealbearers each year. And I have no problem with people trading in their medallions for credits.

I never thought that continually proving that you're the best at something was such a bad thing! I'd like each event changed and updated every year and less easily gamed though, to be more interesting and less easily gamed

It has never worked out for these people, but they have planned on doing it.

No way! *clings to Knowledge*

Easier said then done! I think we asked for suggestions before and no one could really improve greatly on the challenges (feel free to try again, though).