meh, I don't think you can just say to remove the hats, that's definitely taking a polarized side
people who don't tower will want them removed, people who do tower will want them to stay
the only compromise is that staff change up the system and force guilds to function more "naturally" or they don't get the rewards they want

it's really not the players' faults for towering the way that will get them what they want
for people who play other games, just consider the idea that players always gravitate towards "OP characters" or other exploitative in-game features that make the game easy or get them what they want

it's like when people rage at me in spar for strafing against them - it's not like I think I should be able to do it if an iDevice player can't also do it, but it's in the game and I'm going to do it because that's the game, staff should change it  

I tower frequently.

#NoMore1kHatsPls  

But the thing is, I dont see the guild system being changed anytime soon. We were last summer that that season's GST would be the last gst before a minimum membership time requirement would be added to join a guilds team, hinting that the guild system would be improved by last fall.  

I remember way back when earning 1k hours was a notable achievement, they announced after 30 guilds or so reached 1k they would quit giving out hats and stick to some generic achievement for reaching 1k. The sad part is, 1k hats pretty much are a generic achievement nowadays. There's nothing special about having one anymore. In my personal opinion, I don't even understand what's "fun" about having someone screaming at you, insulting you, degrading you, and for what? For their prize? That's insane! Is it the PKing? No, if you wanted to kill you would play for offense, not defense. Is it the bondage? Is it possible to form a real bond with someone who is so easily replaceable just as you are? Perhaps with a leader or co-leader, but chances are you aren't a part of their interests. Or is it the hat? The reward? The promise land or the end goal? I sincerely doubt it.

There was a group psychology done on a group of unemployed kids, where they wanted to test the impact money incentives had on desire to work. For starters, they paid them each 7 dollars. For the first 6 or so hours, they all dug an enormous hole. They had lunch, then afterwards their manager told them to fill it back in. Bewildered, they asked why they were doing this when they spent all this time digging it up. Manager said, don't ask questions, just fill it back up again. They spent the next 6 hours plugging the hole up again with dirt. Before they left, they told the kids the next day they would give them 14 dollars for working. 40% of the team quit, they didn't show up the next morning. The next day was just like the last. Dig the hole, eat lunch, fill it back up. They were promised 21 dollars the next time the next day. As you would expect, they all quit despite the promise of a higher pay raise. How does this tie in? Incentives don't motivate people in doing what they're doing. If nothing purposeful is being achieved, people just won't do it regardless of the "carrot and stick". If people actually wanted to tower, they'll do it. They don't need a hat, or anyone else to tell them otherwise. They'll just do it. Simple as that.  

Posted by Thallen

There are easy ways to fix the actual problems of towering (although 90% of what people cry about is just their personal preference, not an actual problem affecting the competition, activity, or the game itself), it's just that everyone will cry about it if those changes were put in place, so the easier solution is to just not do it.

I don't personally view the problem of giving the hat to undeserving players as a real problem. Why? You can join a guild with a good leader that is actually trustworthy. You know, make a conscious decision about joining a guild before you just do it?

In the grand scheme of things, towering is boring AF because there is no actual competition. There's always either too few number of guilds actively towering or too many available towers. I'm pretty sure my last guild was attacked two serious times at Sardon's, in total, on the way to 1000 hours. There are rarely more than 7 serious tower guilds at any time but there are 7 towers. It's a competition where you log on, stand in a particular spot that makes it difficult for any rare attack to be successful, and then just AFK to your goal. Fuuun stuff.

Then eventually, a guild hits 1000 hours and their members just join into the nearest guild that is 500+ hours, and we get a snowball of guilds reaching their goal. I mean, that's not a problem, but how is that fun or competitive in any way? 100% serious when I say the hardest and most challenging thing about towering is clearing roster space and recruiting people.

When admins seriously consider time-based restrictions on guild activities, it can actually be a fun experience.


As soon as the whole instant-recruiting-and-defending-a-tower BS is abolished, people will actually have to commit to a single tower guild. If they aren't active in the tower guild, they have to be kicked for space. Having to wait 24 hours before you can participate forces leaders to only recruit people who will actually be a consistent contributor to the guild, otherwise lose valuable roster space. That improves the quality of guilds overall and will force more guilds to be active to accommodate for the fact that a guild can no longer rotate through players all day.

Until something of that general nature is done, towering is a corny little social event with no risk, competition, anything. It's simply a time investment. How stupid is it to go into a tower guild with it predetermined that you will reach 1000 hours, regardless of your skill level or how hard you try, so long as you sit online for 12 hours per day? It can be more fun than that, trust me.

And BTW, I'm aware that no one would support an idea like this, because this community is filled with the most casual and anti-competitive creatures on the internet. I know, you don't have to tell me.

Give this man a big shinny trophy!  

I personally think from this point on you can't get more than one 1k hat. Will stop guilds from "recycling" over and over.  

Posted by Craftz1

I personally think from this point on you can't get more than one 1k hat. Will stop guilds from "recycling" over and over.

it would, but it'd also significantly kill the towering community since a good 95% are "hat chasers"  

Whenever I am recruiting for NAL 2 everyone that asks to join wonders if they have a chance to get the hat and when I say "if you work hard you MAY earn it" 80% of players join another guild while the 20% that do join then spam guild chat asking for hat :/  

Hat reward should just be made 2.5k. It would offer no incentive for a guild to recycle and earning the hat would actually be considered an achievement.

Personally, I always thought Rogue was a great example of a leader. He didn't seem to care much about the hat in general and was always very friendly and great to talk to. I would ask him for advice on starting my own guild and he would more than willingly try to help me out. You don't see that anymore.  

Posted by Fire Surge

Hat reward should just be made 2.5k. It would offer no incentive for a guild to recycle and earning the hat would actually be considered an achievement.

yeah, no. That means they will just have to do another 2.5k to get another hat which is good but stupid because they will abuse that  

Posted by Santa Claus

yeah, no. That means they will just have to do another 2.5k to get another hat which is good but stupid because they will abuse that

Why would they do that when they can just lead that guild to 5k hours?

Have two hats with two guilds at 2.5k or two hats with one guild at 5k?

5k.  

Posted by CM CM

Why would they do that when they can just lead that guild to 5k hours?

Have two hats with two guilds at 2.5k or two hats with one guild at 5k?

5k.

Yeah no. They keep 1k at 1k and 5k at 5k  

Posted by Santa Claus

stupid because they will abuse that

Yah tell me how they would abuse it.  

There's already 75+ 1k guilds. If hats were given out at 2.5k most of these guilds would just restart and get 1.5k more hours  

Posted by Cody

There's already 75+ 1k guilds. If hats were given out at 2.5k most of these guilds would just restart and get 1.5k more hours

Still more than 1k hours. Or you could just set these guilds to get a hat at 5k, eliminating that abuse option.