Excelsior

There are always so many events I'm running in October (and this year I'm also trying to get a September monthly quest up and running) that my creativity sometimes feels a bit drained. I've not come up with any theme ideas for the halloween deco contest that I think are cool, so I figured I'd pick y'alls brains

Reply here to post any theme ideas you have for the deco contest. If I pick your theme, you'll get a little reward.

Theme requirements:
- must be generalized (IE: "spring retreat", "forgotten ruins", "winter wonderland"). Themes that give someone a basic idea what the deco contest is about, but that allows for each entrant to easily select their own, more specific theme within that overall theme.
- must be October/halloween appropriate/friendly
- must be short & to the point - if it doesn't make sense in less than 6 words or so, it's too complicated.
- must be a new theme (can't repeat or too closely resemble the previous halloween contest theme: Frightening Fairytales + Tales of the Supernatural)
- theme suggestions should not be self-serving. This means, if you already have your house(s) decorated, you shouldn't suggest a theme that would allow you to enter without actually building fresh/redecorating.

- +N

My first thought is Oktoberfest (EXtoberfest!), but that may be too specific and I suppose not necessarily shard appropriate.
A Funhouse of Horrors theme could be fun, but that's not really October/Halloween related and more 'spooky / horror' related.

Apologies if those are way off the mark on the requirements.

Oktoberfest would be fun, but probably better as a quest idea so it can't get too outta hand

The funhouse of horrors idea is a good one! Things don't have to be specifically halloween related, but along the veins of creepy/horror/halloween/etc.

How about scary movie scenes? Pick your favorite halloween show and decorate a scene from it.

"Haunted Prison"

How about Haunted House theme.

Or It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

Or Monster Mash

Or Autumn Harvest

Or Mad Scientist

Or Freak Show

Or Carnival

Or Graveyard

Or Edgar Allen Poe

Or Zombies

or Gothic

I hope these help.

Onari

My idea is trick-or-treat. Design a house façade with a front yard decorated for Halloween and have players trick-or-treat and either hand out treats or leave a bowl of goodies available for players to take, like candy, fruit or coins! Maybe on Halloween, have gates to each players deco house available and actually trick-or-treat in your costumes.


Another idea, base the theme on literature, Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Brothers Grim Fairy Tales, Washington Irving, to name a few.

What about a town invasion event? The undead of Felucca have opened a necromantic portal to Moonglow and have inhabited the island! Free the scared shopkeeps of Moonglow from their demise and make it snappy! The zombies are breaking through their blockades every 10 minutes! Each shopkeeper rewards the players with a share of their private goods or valuables relative to each shopkeeper. Think you have saved the town? Think you can pack up your loot and store it away for a trinket? WRONG! After a well calculated time period the dread lord Dietras will appear to reap his new kingdom island at the Moonglow graveyard. What's so special about Dietras? He's not only Neira's husband, he's a +! Think the town folk are alright? WRONG! The farmers need saving as well! And who knows what terrors await players at the Moonglow Zoo?!

Make it so players will have no recalling ability. Strategize the battlefield, first on the menu would be the healer building, so they can res quicker and get back to the action! Not having the right ranged weapon to defeat the evil mages? Free the blacksmith and acquire some upgraded armor and weapons. Hephestus the warlord too difficult to beat with his evil minions at the blacksmith? Take over the mage shop and pick up a powerful spellbook! Need a companion? Free the innkeeper at SW Moonglow city with his stablemaster right outside to gain a pet to help tank! Want some special ointed bandaids? Free the herbalist! Want a powerful potion? Free the alchemists! Running out of time? Free the carpenters to gain a bonus to other town folks blockades! I hear the tailor has a mystical cloak and robe available that will grant superior hiding and stealth to sneak past the random patrols and sentries located throughout the island. Lock the hedgemaze off so players will have to decide what sections of glow are most important to free and in what order.

The final boss Dietras will have slow run speed, but a powerful punch. Use your knowledge of Moonglow to kite him through obstacles set up by the Moonglow governor (also a +) to set up blockades. The more npc's you save, the more the governor and his players can manage blockade set up, mage bombardments, resource supplies, and gold distractions. We all know what the undead crave... and that is flesh. What better way to distract the dread lord Dietras than to have the banker lure powerful dragons in to the fight with stockpiles of gold accumulated every five minutes?

After an allocated amount of time, the town will hold a celebration in honor of its heroes and each saved NPC will reward the player with a momento.

Have the event start at the building north of the Empath Abbey so players are encouraged to work through the town to reach the powerful arch mages of the Papua portal mage shop, and the renowned alchemists of eastern Moonglow. Perhaps the telescope can be infused with magical energy to charge a lense-focused heat cannon every few minutes! Don't forget the farmers, they have been known to see extroardinary animals breed in their stables due to the magical nature of Moonglow island. The crops are important as well, for how will one be able to control these super powers without first feeding them their special magic infused food? This will promote team leader development, guild cooperation and alliances, and task distribution to determine just how to damage this colossal Dietras. Is the cannon too slow to charge an attack to beat him in time? Sure! Is it made of machinery and easy to dismantle? Of course! That's why you need to find these special animals in time to tank the monster and defeat him before he retreats (at the +'s discreption). Are the dragons the banker lured to distract the boss catching on it's a trap or just running low on population? I hear the pirates that ravage the seas around Moonglow are known to be quite versatile archer mercenaries when paid enough tribute, however, it's not always gold they seek. They want spices, potions, and bread to feed their fleet and be equiped with magical infused arrows.

It will take everything we have to stop this invasion and end the dread lord Dietras' reign of terror once and for all. With the slaying of Dietras, there is always the dispute as to who claims to glory? Dietras may dismantle every super powered attack launched, however, he may be too weak to finish the task of conquering Moonglow with his force dismantled. This will prompt a foreboding message of vengeance for the following Halloween next year. Manage to defeat him? Let the renowned nightmare known as the Headless Horseman come for his prized head, dragging the dread lord to his final rest in hades. Beware... Niera is not one to take the slaying of her husband lightly. She may be back next year to see just how powerful the peaceful hamlet of Skara Brae is...

Any questions message or PM me.

Sick P, that's not at all what this thread is about. I'm not looking for event ideas, this is specifically for deco contest theme ideas.

Please stay to the actual topic.

My bad. Saw everyone posting topics and thought they were event topic ideas, so I threw in my two cents. I'll make another thread.

It's generally a smart idea to read the post before replying

Probably not this contest, but I've been watching this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05vr55n and there's some interesting ideas in it.
Mostly styles, not themes, but still.

Possible themes -

Gore Fest

Torture Chamber of Terror

Haunted Mortuary

Horrific Fairy Tales

torture chamber sounds awesome

How about the theme of just Halloween? There's tons of good ideas in this thread, why restrict players to one idea?

I like the idea of no theme :p