$$$ Raffle Questions

Hello all.
I was told today after my raffle event people were confused on how it works. I don’t really know how to explain it any better than on the note card everyone receives once they click the box. I’m not doing this to make money for myself. I thought a simple pot based raffle would be fun for people to play. I’m starting to feel like people are judging my credibility on the raffle. I’m not sure I will continue this after this week. I tried to make it as easy as possible. Would anyone like to address this issue? I would appreciate any input anyone may have.

Thanks Everyone.
Skrull

What does the notecard say?

Dunno if this is just another example of trans-atlantic language barriers, but the paragraph above to me sounds more like a lottery than a raffle.

I suppose in any activity like this, where you pay money for the chance of winning more, there has to be a great deal of trust involved. For example, I will enter Candie's lottery because I know her and trust her not to scam people. I'll play Ama's arcade games because I've seen enough of his posts here to build up a positive impression, even though I've only seen him inworld once or twice. BTW, this isn't meant to imply you are untrustworthy, I don't remember ever meeting you inworld so I have no idea what type of person you are. Just throwing some ideas out why people are wary.

I don't know the basis of problems that people might have for your raffle, but I have designed and run lotto style games online in the past (not in SL, though I'm starting to lean that direction).

One huge factor I had with players was simple ignorance and wistful thinking.

They think they'll win. That for some reason winning is easier because it's a game within another game. Win win win. Problem is, if coded correctly the game/raffle/lotto can be quite difficult to win (although certainly not impossile and typically much easier than a real lotto).

They are ignorant of how it works. Ignorant, not stupid. For one "pot" style game I had written a long web page of instruction/guide/explaination. Explaining not only how to play but how winning worked in the code. How numbers were picked, the (basic) formulas for determining random winning numbers (lotto type game), the formulas that determined payouts. I even posted lengthy payout results, percentages, pot roll-overs, etc.

And still I had upset players. It's just something you have to live with. Hopefully the *happy* players outnumber the unhappy. And the unhappy are only upset because of their ignorance, not because of your code, design, or intentions.

Anywho, just my thoughts on the general matter of coding things that others use in a game environment.

Bos

p.s. this absolutely applies to me, I grumble endlessly about this and that in SL. "Setpos is broken...", "permissions...", "I'm too tall.." etc. But I love this game, and totally respect what the designers have done, and are doing. I'm not ignorant (but I'm a whiner!). heh

Heh I have gambling games.

I first had a wishing well. The wishing well has set odds, pics a random number, if its below the odds for a prize they win that prize. I have no control over the numbers. I frequently got complaints: "Your well is broken! Yesterday I won 5 times in a row and today I only won once!" and many variations of it.

Most recently I own a blackjack table I helped Alek Wu make. It works like real black jack - I create a list that is two decks of cards, I shuffle the cards with a few list randomizations. Then I start at the top and deal out cards as they would be dealt in a casino. I get complaints : "You table is cheating! The dealer got X too much!" or "I busted 6 times in a row your table cheats!". I have no control over the numbers.

So I talk with them and tell them what is happening, apologize that they didn't win as much as they would have liked and suggest they try another game. I have been making games and hosting arcades/casinos for long enough now that I don't get that many complaints about fairness. I also have enough games that people are winning money, which helps lessen the criticism on me I think.

Like I said in another thread, if you would like a review of your game let me know.