How far would you go for an alteration?

[SpunGirl]

I know the topic of people who've never had an alteration in X years of playing has come into a lot of threads.

The question is, what, in your mind, is "too far" to go for an alteration?

Merchant hunting? Some people do it obsessively, and I've heard my share of complaints about people you see kissing GM ass at EVERY merchant. Personally, I think these people can spend their time chasing merchants if it pleases them.

Paying RL money for them? I see premie scrolls for sale a lot. I wouldn't buy one with RL money, but I bought one for silvers from a friend. Tigermist's take on this is that it's your premium gift and you can do what you like with it.

Paying for a GM wedding for alterations? (or custom items, rather, since they're not really alterations). The wedding rules state that they must be wedding-appropriate. The cost of the wedding isn't TOO henious if you divide it in half, though I personally would have to have a better reason for marrying my girl off than new items.

The ultimate, I think, in alteration desperation is paying for a GM wedding between two of your own accounts... marrying yourself for alterations, in effect. I've heard of several instances of this happening. Bottom of the barrel of RPers, I'd say, but what do the rest of you think?

How far is too far, or is there such a thing?

-K

[Edited on 11-13-2003 by SpunGirl]

[DCSL]

I definitely think marrying your own account for alterations is too far. I mean... I guess it's their money, and they can do what they want with it, but I reserve the right to disapprove.

It's not like alters are hard to get any more. There's really very little excuse for that sort of greediness, in my eyes. And this is coming from a genuinely accused merchant-hunter! But I wouldn't go that far.

[Kestrel]

The marrying-two-accounts thing strikes me as more hilarious than anything else. It brings to mind thoughts like.. "Who will be the bridesmaid? A third account? And what happens if the usher says, 'I do' instead of the blushing bride?"

(Incidentally, although I have only been to a few weddings, I did attend one where a character who was not the bride reacted to something as the bride should have, heh. I think momentary possession was the blamed malady.)

Unlike purchasing alteration scrolls off of ebay, the cathedral weddings DO have another perk for the two participating accounts -- a 4x experience modifier during the 5 day "Honeymoon" period. (Unless I am mistaken, although I am fairly certain that this is still in effect.)

A friend of mine and I have actually talked about the possibility of splitting the cost for a cathedral wedding package for the experience modifier, when we both were avidly powerhunting our characters to avoid being bound by capped clerics. Although the circumstances are more than unlikely, I'm fairly certain that if we had kept up with it we would have developed a plausible and suitible ceremony, as well as justification for it.

While paying .. what is it? $100? .. for a cathedral wedding for the sole purpose of customized items seems a bit extravagant and unnecessary, I can understand why some individuals would go through it with the additional experience modifier during the honeymoon period. In that sense, you are paying for a bit more than just RP props -- as only two items can be pocketed (with a small pocket), and cloaks/capes/etc must have no larger than a medium-sized pocket.

Would I do it?

Only if someone gave me the gift of adventure to do so.

[Edited on 11-13-2003 by Kestrel]

[Drew2]

GM weddings are $200. $180 if you're premie.

[Moist Happenings]

I once waited 62 hours for an alteration. Camped a merchant's tent for 61 hours with 7 other people hoping for room order. The merchant came in, she spun three times, I didn't get picked, and neither did any of those who I was waiting with. I walked out and into another tent, and BAM, merchant appears within 30 seconds, does room order and I was the first one. But that was back when alters were a rarity.

That, in my opinion, is going too far. It was my first alter, but it was definately not worth the wait. I was a stupid, stupid kid.

[Hips]

Hearing that people would actually pay $200 (or $180) just to get the alters from a wedding is rather shocking...

I can't believe people would actually go to those lengths... :o

[StrayRogue]

Alters are easy to get. EASY, as Dex said. If people want to merchant hound, buy alter scrolls via in or out of games means, please do so. How far would I go? Hmmm, I'd join the mentors for my free alters.

[Kitsun]

While the wedding for alters route sounds pretty funny, in some cases it probably makes more sense if you consider...Any one alteration can take up valuable time. You've heard the horror stories of people waiting 10+ hours for a merchant in hopes of getting 1 item done. On a good day, you probably still have to wait about 2 hours, even if you are near near the beginning of the line and if people are prepared.

For the wedding you get 18 items or so? If you break down the cost its ~10 dollars per item. For someone that works full time and gets paid a decent salary, its chump change when compared to the hours necessary to get the same amount of items done. (18 items * Average of 4 hours per item = 72 hours)

[SpunGirl]

The most time I've waited for an alteration is 90 minutes, I think. Then again, I don't wait if the merchant isn't clear on how they're picking. If they say, "I'll spin for 10 and spin again, and repeat 10 times," I'll wait. If they say, "I'm doing room order and you'd better be ready," I'll wait. If they're vague about it, I get up and leave.

I'm glad everyone else finds the marrying-yourself-for-alterations as hilarious as I did. People still amaze me!

-K

[SpunGirl]

And just as a sidenote, I've had a GM wedding. Myself, the groom, and a few other people got RPAs because of what happened during the wedding. Not everyone did, and it wasn't even close to approaching a 4x modifier or anything like that:)

-K

[JustMe]

GM wedding RPA's are great. The wedding alters actually suck. They are heavy, no pockets, ect. I'd never have a GM wedding just for the alters.

[SpunGirl]

They don't suck, really, they're just not uber-items. The pockets aren't huge, and like you said, they're heavy. The dress my girl wore to her GM wedding has been stuffed in a locker ever since, I can't see a reason for her to wear it unless she goes to another wedding.

I agree. I wouldn't pay the fee just for the custom items, either with someone else (which I think is less laughable than doing it with yourself! ROFL!)

-K

[Tendarian]

I wouldnt pay $180 for some alters but i would push my grandpa down and step on my sister to get them! Maybe trip a little kid even if i really wanted it bad enough and had my idea ready.

[SpunGirl]

Thank you, Daina. That's what weddings are supposed to be, is an event! I wish more people I appreciated them that way. But I wish a lot of things....

I think part of the reason the wedding is so expensive is simply the time and effort the wedding team puts into creating the items and and the ceremony "effects" (which are the coolest part, IMO). And the unlimited customized candy, of course. Flame-shaped cherry candy, anyone?

-K

[Vesi]

It's never even occurred to me that people get married just for alters, much less marrying their other account. I guess I wouldn't go very far to get them. I've been known to turn them down. <gasp> That usually happens when I get picked and don't have anything prepared. I don't like wasting people's time.

Vesi

[SpunGirl]

Originally posted by Vesi
It's never even occurred to me that people get married just for alters, much less marrying their other account. I guess I wouldn't go very far to get them. I've been known to turn them down. <gasp> That usually happens when I get picked and don't have anything prepared. I don't like wasting people's time.

Vesi

Thank the heavens for people who do this. You're in the far, far minority.

-K

[Hips]

Originally posted by SpunGirl
I think part of the reason the wedding is so expensive is simply the time and effort the wedding team puts into creating the items and and the ceremony "effects" (which are the coolest part, IMO). And the unlimited customized candy, of course. Flame-shaped cherry candy, anyone?

-K

Completely in agreement with you there... I can't even fathom how much prepartion weddings take on the GM side of things. I mean... there's a reason they want you to register a few months in advance... it's so they can actually make the wedding go well, and have it be everything the PC's wanted. :)

I know mine was, anyway. Big, big, big thanks to Valyxia and Andraste.

[Betheny]

My thought would be: If you do something that interferes with your mundane life to get an alteration. You miss work. You spend money and can't pay bills. Or, whatever. You get my idea.