June SKOTM and The Future

Shane · **Posted:** May 24th, 2010, 11:39 pm

Hello everyone,

I am taking Fred's place this month. He did however provide me with the June SKOTM before he went in for retrofitting. The June skill is Runecrafting. You can sign up here.

Now to the future. A part of Fred's retrofit includes the new SKOTM page which you've probably all seen. There's also the side of how skills are chosen. This is something that would ultimately be decided by the community. Right now skills are chosen randomly. The change would go something like this:
- A skill can not be chosen that has been chosen in the past three months.
- Skill selection would rotate between random, winner's choice, and public choice.
- In winner's choice the winner chooses the skill, plain and simple. In the event of a tie, both winners must agree to a skill. If there's no agreement the public's choice will be used.
- In public choice the skill that receives the most votes will be chosen. In the event of a tie, Fred will choose the skill out of those that tied for top vote.

The poll will run until the 1st of June. If the new plan is chosen the July skill will be chosen by the winner of May.

Adbot · **Posted:** May 24th, 2010, 11:39 pm

dinofungus · **Posted:** May 24th, 2010, 11:44 pm

keep it random, shane

Rodsay · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 1:32 am

I think keep it random also.

Thinking on previous SKOTM I can see the situation where choosing the skill would end up being inthe hands of just a few players (hardworking though they might be)

A lot of us never get anywhere but we plug away at the skill each month.

I don't know if the random weighting could be adjusted to make sure a f2p option comes up every 3-4 mths?

Duke Juker · RSBandB Donor since 07/01/2010

I'd agree with the other guys, esp. Rodsay. f2p is part of the game and should taken into account for skotm. Granted, there's a better chance an f2p skill gets picked, but in case it doesn't for a while, I'd have something in place to make sure it does. Anyways, I'd agree with random. If it was alternating, it still would be a powerful pick. Winner's could choose something they could possibly win. The public option is much better along with the random. I'm feeling the randomness should continue, for skotm and the forums. xD

Chief Snake · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 3:19 am

Duke Juker wrote:

I'd agree with the other guys, esp. Rodsay. f2p is part of the game and should taken into account for skotm. Granted, there's a better chance an f2p skill gets picked, but in case it doesn't for a while, I'd have something in place to make sure it does.

Good point to both of you.

I dunno though, I quite like the sound of the proposed system. As it alternates it means that it's unlikely to be monopolised. Are you afraid of being given more power? This is like SOTW all over again! #-o

Pennstate315 · Runite Member 5-25-10

I agree with the others, keep it random

Adbot · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 3:58 am

CreepyPirate · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 6:32 am

I think the current system works and you just want to fire Fred to save yourself some money in these tough economic times.

Xbladez · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 7:09 am

^

@ creepy

even if it's randomized between those 3 options certain people would still plan to win when the winner's choice comes up. and there wouldn't be any ties those months as every tied month so far has been planned between the 2 winners. which simply wouldn't happen if they know that they'll get to pick whichever skill they want for the next month to rack up more xp for the skoty totals.

group choice would also be a bit unfair as most people would post things like "i dont feel like training these skills so lets all pick this one plz" and it'd turn into a popularity contest for the most part.

tho on the plus side it might make some of the less often used skills appear at times to make up for where Fredbot lacks.
then again making him keep track of more than just the past 3 months (with the total block still on the last 3 months choices) to limit the ones picked in the last 6-9+ months' odds of being picked again might help it be a bit more evenly dispersed. however if u limit them to far back u'd risk losing the randomness all together.

at present it's a nice leisurely competition that some people take seriously when certain skills they prefer get picked, and they get their hopes worked up in anticipation for the next month's pick as the current month draws to a close, which is the nice thing about it.

Pfkninenines · Global Moderator 12/4/08

I'd vote for keeping it random. If winners get to choose, they'll likely chose something that would get them another win for the next month. Random has worked so far, though having a public choice every once and a while wouldn't be so bad.

Flash · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 1:05 pm

I'm surprised davo hasn't replied yet. I mean he's been waiting for runecrafting since the beginning of time.

Anyway, cool I guess even though it is not a skill I particularly enjoy.

If there were limitations to the chosen by player one then it wouldn't be too bad.

Otherwise keep it random.

Magicking610 · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 1:19 pm

I think that for the new system to work, the public/winner could choose the skill type (such as gathering, combat, or producing) instead of a single skill, and then have Fred select a skill from that category. It is sort of compromise, as it keeps the randomness of Fred but allows the public to choose what kind of training they want to do.

Duke Juker · RSBandB Donor since 07/01/2010

Xbladez wrote:

^

@ creepy

even if it's randomized between those 3 options certain people would still plan to win when the winner's choice comes up. and there wouldn't be any ties those months as every tied month so far has been planned between the 2 winners. which simply wouldn't happen if they know that they'll get to pick whichever skill they want for the next month to rack up more xp for the skoty totals.

group choice would also be a bit unfair as most people would post things like "i dont feel like training these skills so lets all pick this one plz" and it'd turn into a popularity contest for the most part.

tho on the plus side it might make some of the less often used skills appear at times to make up for where Fredbot lacks.
then again making him keep track of more than just the past 3 months (with the total block still on the last 3 months choices) to limit the ones picked in the last 6-9+ months' odds of being picked again might help it be a bit more evenly dispersed. however if u limit them to far back u'd risk losing the randomness all together.

at present it's a nice leisurely competition that some people take seriously when certain skills they prefer get picked, and they get their hopes worked up in anticipation for the next month's pick as the current month draws to a close, which is the nice thing about it.

That's what I considered in my decision and why I think just straight up random would be fine.

All the other ideas that have been thrown in do make the 2nd option seem more fair, but I'd still have to say random is fine with me. I don't have any qualms about it...except when a member skill is picked.

Ice · Runite: 9/30/2010

Being f2p, I'm with Duke on this one. If the proposed system is put into place, I think the appearance of f2p skills would be less and less. And no matter what any mod does, it will turn into a popularity contest like Xbladez says.

Shwa · **Posted:** May 25th, 2010, 10:16 pm

I believe that keeping it random makes it the most fair. I like that it is random and cannot be predicted until you open the topic. That's the best part! Like getting a gift.

Aquw VettelS 776 · **Posted:** May 26th, 2010, 9:07 am

Definitely 100% should be random.