Halloween 2k9: Demonbusters


 * The Halloween 2k9 event took place on October 22, 2009, while the full event kicked off on October 28, 2009. The title for the event was "Demonbusters". There were two sides to choose from The "Light Side" and The "Dark Side".

Overview
Long ago, a bitter fight between two Gaian demigods left them powerless and imprisoned for centuries, biding their time until they could rise again. Now, a dark deal with the King of Halloween has restored their power... one is hell-bent on flooding Gaia with demons, and the other is building an army to stop her.


 * THE BATTLE BEGINS SOON... WHICH SIDE WILL YOU JOIN?

First Day
Without seeing an official announcement, many Gaians found they they could Trick or Treat in Gold Shops and in Gaia Towns.
 * Oct 28

Two subforums opened up in the forum Halloween 2009: Demonbusters:
 * The Benevolent Order HQ - Defend Gaia from the forces of darkness!
 * Sentinel's Infernal Nation HQ - Overrun Gaia with an army of demons!

The Rest of the event
In zOMG's Barton Town, there were mini events to gather Halloween related recipes and ingredients by fighting Werewolves and Vampires.
 * Oct

SKITTLES® was the main candy collecting source for Gold Shops and in Gaia Towns, in Gaia Towns, 1 Skittles would count for one piece of candy, while a bag of skittles would count for 11 pieces of candy.

Cindy Donovinh: Reports
This is Cindy Donovinh reporting for Gaia 9 Action News. Strange things are afoot as Halloween approaches-- as most Gaians know, the end of October always seems to bring plenty of pandemonium.
 * Oct 22

Many Gaians have reported receiving cryptic messages from two strange organizations: B.O.O. and S.I.N.; while these organizations still haven't opened up their membership to the public, they seem to be making one thing clear: soon, Gaians will have to choose a side.

Along with this, Gaian archivists have discovered the first few pages of a long-lost tome about Gaia's ancient history-- pages which may shed light on what these two organizations are all about. We expect that new storybook pages will be revealed in the following days.

All signs point to October 28th as the date of this year's Halloween chaos. To begin reading the story and learn more about B.O.O. and S.I.N., visit Gaia's Demonbusters homepage.

Prepare for Halloween

This is Cindy Donovinh for Gaia 9 Action News. Gaians have been abuzz with speculation over tomorrow's Halloween chaos, and today we're one step closer to understanding the strange events leading up to it.
 * Oct 27

The Demonbusters Storybook is now complete. It tells the tale of two demigods getting into an argument a thousand years ago... an argument that seems to be flaring up again in the form of two competing cults: B.O.O. and S.I.N.

To read the storybook, just visit Gaia's Manga Archive:

Read the Demonbusters Storybook

For more information on B.O.O. and S.I.N., check out the Demonbusters homepage:

Prepare for Halloween

Jack: Reports
Aha, look what FUN I've created! Just in time for my favorite holiday, I've released quite a scourge on the world! I've uncaged The Sentinel-- who's been trapped in a box for a thousand years, boiling with rage and sssslowly going mad-- and now she aims to build a dark army and create a new world of unholy demonic inssssanity... but her old nemesis, The Overseer, is building an army of his own to stop her.
 * Oct 29

Fight for your future, Gaians... fight for your very livesssss! I'll just sit back and enjoy the fireworkssss...

"The time has come to fight for the fate of your world, Gaians: will you join the Sentinel's Infernal Nation, or the Benevolent Order of the Overseer? For a little background, check out the Demonbusters Storybook and our new Demonbusters manga!

Visit the Demonbusters event page to choose a side, check out the game tutorial and start waging war.

Be careful which side you choose to join, because you can't switch teams. Each side gets a special event skin which can't be sold or traded... but only the winning side will get to keep their skin when the event ends, so fight hard!

Choose Your Team"

The event will run until November 6th. Let the battle begin!


 * Nov 4

Hello, my pretties! The battle between my little playthings The Overseer and The Sentinel is still going strong, but it won't last forever. If you haven't yet chosen your side or claimed all the precious items, you'd better hurry! November 6th is your lasssst chance to play. After that, who knows what'll happen? Demons everywhere? A new clamocracy? Or something else entirely? Mwahah!

Event Conclusion
TO BE EDITED

Event Items
As always, Gaians were able to trick-or-treat in shops or in Gaia Towns to earn candy to give to Jack in return for Jack themed clothing.

Jack items:
 * Jack's 2k9 Vest - A vest in orange and black stripes.
 * Jack's 2k9 Pants - A pair of black and orange pants.
 * Jack's 2k9 Boots - Black and orange boots with dark copper points.
 * Jack's 2k9 Creepy Claws - You know that jerk who would scratch the chalk board in school for fits and giggles? Yeah, that's me.
 * Jack's 2k9 Ominous Mask - A creepy orange mask that will send chills down your spine.
 * Jack's 2k9 Giant Lollipop - Mmmm! Taste like pumpkin!
 * Jack's 2k9 Coat - ???
 * Jack's 2k9 Pumpkin Lantern - A crooked creepy staff with a lit up jack-o-lantern.
 * 2009 Skittles Trick-or-Treat Pail - A bright and cheery pail for all of your candy-collecting needs.

Event Items: zOMG

 * Jackies - How many of these can you wear at once? "A LOT" is the correct answer!
 * Recipe: Jackies - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, the Jackies.
 * Recipe Ingredients - 4 x Vampire Blood / 2 x Candy Corn / 3 x Pumpkin Seed / 1 x Toothbrush


 * Night Fright Eyes - Eerie, captivating, soul-swallowing and dark. Perfect for any first date opportunity!
 * Recipe: Night Fright Eyes - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, Night Fright Eyes.
 * Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Vampire Blood / 14 x Candy Corn / 14 x Pumpkin Seed / 3 x Toothbrush


 * Night Fright Skin - ???
 * Recipe: Night Fright Skin - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween item, the Night Fright Skin.
 * Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Werewolf Pelt / 20 x Vampire Blood / 8 x Pumpkin Lid / 14 x Candy Corn / 3 x Dental Floss


 * Werewolf Pup - What says "fearsome, ravening destroyer of anything that moves" better than a cute fluffy plush toy?
 * Recipe: Werewolf Pup - This recipe lets you create the special 2009 Halloween plushie, the Werewolf Pup.
 * Recipe Ingredients: 20 x Werewolf Pelt / 8 x Pumpkin Lid / 14 x Pumpkin Seed / 3 x Dental Floss / 3 x Toothbrush

zOMG: Ingredients

 * Candy Corn - Loved by few, ignored by most. What does it taste like? Not corn. Sugar? Maaaaybe. But they are definitely the taste of Halloween!
 * Dental Floss - Don't forget to floss every time you brush. Don't forget to brush everytime you eat. Don't forget to read things that tell you what you already know. Don't forget to go insane from people telling you what not to forget.
 * Pumpkin Lid - Y'know when you leave your pumpkin outside too long, and then you pull the lid up and you can hear the pumpkin rot suck away as you pull?
 * Pumpkin Seed - Suitable for oven roasting, planting to attract the Great Pumpkin, or making a collage in grade school that your mother can pretend to cherish but then 'lose' in a few weeks.
 * Toothbrush - The scourge of treat-or-treaters everywhere. Second only to getting a rock.
 * Vampire Blood - Well, technically, this blood is purloined from other things, but the vampire had it inside it, so we'll call it ' 'vampire' ' blood, okay?
 * Werewolf Pelt - Here's a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya!

Event items and rewards: B.O.O. & S.I.N.

 * Overseer's Gift
 * Sentinel's Gift
 * (Complete training)
 * Sour Patch Kids Angel and Devil Buddie
 * (Get 1 Follower)
 * 3000 Gaia Gold.
 * (Get 10 Followers)


 * B.O.O. Robes - The threads of this sacred garment have been personally blessed by the Overseer, as he oversees all aspects of his operation, including textile factory conditions.
 * S.I.N. Robes - No self-respecting demonic cult is complete without a proper hooded robe.
 * (Complete 50 missions)


 * B.O.O. Medallion - The Sacred Seal of the Overseer. Place it upon your body to receive his blessing.
 * S.I.N. Medallion - The marking of a loyal Infernal Nation devotee.
 * (Gather your first worm)


 * Spear of the Overseer - An honorable weapon that is bestowed upon the mightiest of warriors, graced by the Overseer himself.
 * Sentinel's Death Portal - The passageway to the Sentinel's native habitat.
 * (Get 50 Followers)


 * B.O.O. Shield - A hardened shell perfect for absorbing evil the harshest of supernatural blows.
 * S.I.N. Mace - The Sentinel's bludgeoning weapon of choice. Apply directly to forehead.
 * (Complete 500 missions)

B.O.O. & S.I.N.: Ingredients
Overseer's
 * Sea Plankton - A delicious sampling of Plankton, the Overseer's favorite bedtime snack.
 * Cup of Salt Water - If you're gonna have a holy war, you gotta have lots of salt water.
 * Overseer's Trident Shard - A very small chunk that seems to have fallen off the Overseer's Majestic Trident. Hopefully nobody notices that it's gone.
 * Overseer's Worm - A lowly worm transformed by the Overseer's magic into something cute and crawly.

Sentinel's
 * Sacrificial Clam - A poor unfortunate clam plucked from its briny home for purposes of sacrificing to Sentinel and her demon legions.
 * Baby Pumpkin - The ordinary pumpkin, when placed in the wrong hands, channels all sorts of dark powers. Just ask Jack. His head is made out of one.
 * Portal Shard - A strange and powerful artifact that fell from the portal.
 * Sentinel's Worm - A lowly worm transformed by Sentinel's magic into something mean and nasty.

Criticism & Comparison to 2005
During the tutorial of the event, it was stated that only ONE side would get to keep the official event skin, and that skin would be soulbound to the winner(s). Due to soulbinding being unpopular with the population, their were a lot of negative threads about it. Though there were a few positives threads, stating that having a soulbound skin would bring the feeling of accomplishment.

Some used the Grombie skin as an example for their posting, stating that exclusive skins from events leads to elitism. There were various feedback threads saying what should and should not happening if one side didn't win. One purposed that both skins should be removed after the event is over.

On miscellaneous note, some didn't like either skin and compared them to other skins already on the site: "Twilight Sparkling Skin" and "Superior Form's Fire Skin". One User pointed out that the B.O.O. skin looked eerily similar to a harlequin baby.

Dev response
Fleep is quoted as saying: We are planning on removing the skins of the losing team, and we are fully aware of the consequences of such an action. We don't do it with bad-intent, quite the opposite. We all feel strongly that having real consequences for losing and real benefits to winning creates a level of competition that we think enriches events. We've done enough of them to know certain things that work and certain things that don't.

Users will be upset, but everyone's upset when they lose. They will still walk away from the event with a buttload of free items and a bunch more gold. We also think it makes sense in terms of the story and world. We hope that it will make this event a more memorable one (though some users will no doubt say "Yeah, I'll remember it as the one where Gaia screwed its users over!")

In the end we feel it's a net positive for users. I don't need to point out to anybody that we don't stand to gain by taking away your skin except in the sense that we think it'll make it a more intense event, and the more you guys like it and spend time playing it, the more successful we'll consider the project.
 * Serious feedback on the whole "Removing the Skin" deal

Glitches & Problems
As no event on Gaia has ever gone on without glitches, the 2k9 Halloween event was no exception.

Site & Forum Glitches

 * Due to the massive influx of users within a small amount of time, the severs were overloaded, causing Missions being completed, not to register. The Admins thought they could lessen the impact by only letting in a few Gaians at a time.

But one fact was, the event was not meant to be started early. So the solution was to put it on hold and open up the Demonbusters page on the 29th. While the event was put off till the next day the Demonbusters Mainpage was blocked from Users. Though for some reason there was an error, and Users who had a UserID ending with 0, were able to still see and play Missions. Many did not realize the page was suppose to be cut off, they thought the page was still open to everyone. With the event page and missions back up, the Score on both sides was reset.


 * When it came to Trick or treating in Gaia Towns, around 6:30 PM (EST).


 * On Oct 28, around 6:30 PM (EST) Toting was disabled in shops till the 29th.


 * On Oct 30th, around 9:30 PM (EST) the site experienced 403 and 404 issues. Reloading the page would cause it to display correctly, but this lasted to about midnight for some.


 * When Gaians first entered the Demonbusters page, there was a green arrow that would direct them on how to get started. So when clicking on the screen a popup would read" "Click the button indicated by the green arrow!". Even though being clicked and the arrow disappearing from the screen, sometimes the popup would still show up. Some found workarounds by clearing cache, logging out, or using a "Follower" link to get back to the Demonbuster's page.

admin: Reports
We released our Halloween event to a portion of the Gaian population this morning, but due to some unexpected server freak-outs we've had to put it on pause for the time being. If you already got a chance to play, don't worry-- you won't lose any of your items or progress. We'll make another attempt to re-launch it tomorrow, and hopefully things will go a little more smoothly.
 * Oct 28

There's still some fun to be had, though. We've released the Demonbusters manga, so you can catch up on the strange events leading to Halloween.

Sorry for the false start, and thanks so much for your patience.

-The Gaia Team

Glitches in towns

 * Jack in towns was not functioning properly, and when a user had collected 100 candies, Jack would take the candy but not give the user a trick or treat bag. (This was later fixed, though more than 24 hours later).


 * Flash errors would occur and send up multiple "Quit" or "Continue" popups.

Trivia

 * With the arrival of B.O.O. and S.I.N., there were early speculations on their involvement of this event.
 * A worm and its humble existence was the start of the demigods fighting. They argued over how the worm would be better suited based on their own personal preferences.

Gaian Reaction & External Links
As soon as B.O.O. and S.I.N. arrived, two guilds were created, both User-run. These Guilds invited people who B.O.O. and S.I.N. accepted as Friends. A mere few days after, another guild was created, calling itself N.U.B. and establishing itself as Neutral. This Guild invited people from both fractions.
 * Demonbusters
 * NPC B.O.O. & NPC S.I.N. - Speculations Gone Wild!