I can already see the fruits of my discussions with Wetpriestess. The text is full of specific details, and I’d just like to add a little more and expand on the topic further.
I know a few players who go out of their way to run Dire Maul North specifically to get an Ogre Suit. It’s a temporary effect, but it always makes a big impression on the crowd during the dance parties hosted by our DJs. This goes to show that the aspect of transformation—or dressing up—is very important to players, especially those who dance. I continue to be impressed by the players who dedicate their time to preparing for these parties.
As for developing rewards for these events, since the parties themselves are seasonal, the rewards shouldn’t be too easy to obtain. Perhaps a costume—or at least a shirt—could be awarded (or made available for purchase from a vendor) only to those who meet certain criteria and are active participants in the parties. This would be a great incentive to encourage new players to join in.
Wetpriestess suggested expanding the in-game shop’s selection, an idea I fully support. Fashion enthusiasts would surely be happy to pick up new, limited-edition outfits with a dance-related theme.
Another entertaining element mentioned by Wetpriestess —involving the use of specific emotes—is bound to pique the interest of the dance community. It’s reminiscent of a Guild Wars 2 activity called "Mad King Says". I won’t go into the full mechanics, but essentially, players are given a task: they have to guess which emote is being requested and decide whether or not to perform it at the right moment. It’s a fun, social-style game played with an NPC.
As for setting off fireworks in OctoWoW, that seems to be sorted out: players with the Engineering profession can set up launchers for cluster rockets and rocket fireworks. This mechanic makes engineers unique, as you essentially can’t throw a great party anywhere in Azeroth without them. The catch is that the schematics for these items can only be obtained during the Lunar Festival, using a specific currency called Coins of Ancestry. Collecting all the unique schematics requires a lot of time and dedication. It would be fantastic if the fireworks vendor in the Shimmering Flats
offered not just the fireworks charges, but the launchers themselves—even if only engineers were able to use them. That would certainly make organizing impromptu parties much easier. I had quite a hard time finding an engineer willing to join us for our DJ tour across Azeroth!
So far, I’ve only discovered four locations where you can launch fireworks from these rocket launchers (there may well be more, I’m not sure). These spots are: the dance floor in Booty Bay
, the picnic clearing at Hawk's Vigil, the raceway in the Shimmering Flats
,and near the bridge at the entrance to Stormwind (though the latter is a rather poor choice for a party).
Booty Bay has a clear advantage, thanks to its excellent geographical location. However, a closer look at the clearing at Hawk's Vigil reveals that it’s quite well-equipped: it features picnic tables (in various arrangements), an inn with a mailbox, a keg of drinks, and a tent housing rocket launchers for both types of fireworks. Plus, there are no guards! It’s a perfect spot for an open-air party. Here are a few snapshots of the area.
Following up point regarding a quest chain to obtain a dancing-related toy—perhaps something like a dancing pole or Brazier of Dancing Flames from the Mid Summer Fire Feestival the Burning Crusade expansion (where a player could use the /dance emote to interact with the object, transforming into a fiery Draenei and breaking into a dance; something similar could be implemented here)
—it would be fun if, for instance, the quest required visiting every tavern in Azeroth and dancing on the tables while completely inebriated.
My head starts spinning when I begin thinking about how much I’d love to take part in all of this and see it in the game.
I am so happy that the Booty Bay Pirate Radio team takes such an active interest in hosting in-game events and supporting initiatives from engaged players—it really helps create a festive atmosphere almost every single day. Thank you so much!
P.S. Tekeela’s Halloween party was absolutely epic. She created an incredible festive atmosphere. This just goes to show how valuable these kinds of events are for the server—and that they have the potential to grow into something even bigger.
N'Zoth Pristitute
