Hey all! The internet went out yesterday, so I couldn't upate the blog. Very big snow storm. Let's get to the updates!
VMK.com Updates
Yavn Speaks!
Ahoy, lads and lassies – hoist an anchor and get ready to set sail! Tis another edition of Yavn Speaks, this time with extra arrgh!
Aye, ye scallywags, it's me again. So you've come looking adventure and salty old pirates, eh? Well you have definitely come to the right place. We've got adventure and seadogs a plenty this month.
Let's a take a look at what's going on:
The Pirates Have Landed!
In case you hadn't guessed our theme this month is Pirates and what better way to celebrate being a pirate than introduce you to a game that truly lets you live the life of a pirate!
Live the Legend! Check out Pirates of the Caribbean Online!
I'm not talking about VMK, I'm talking about Pirates of the Caribbean Online! We're partnering with our pals at POTCO for a whole month of Pirates fun!
Just one part of the many treasures VMK will be giving away this month, you'll get a chance to win a special 14-day Unlimited Access Membership to Pirates of the Caribbean Online! But don't wait to win because you can check out part of the game for free now!
We're really excited to offer you this opportunity because Pirates of the Caribbean Online is such a cool game. Maybe you've gotten a chance to already check it out? If not (and even if have) head on over to Pirates of the Caribbean Online and Live the Legend!
Pirates Plunder & Other Surprises
In addition to those 14-day Unlimited Access Memberships to Pirates of the Caribbean Online we'll also be plunderin' VMK's stockroom's for other pirate treasure. Like Turn Into Shark Magic which we just released (you may think this magic is a better in a Nemo month, but ask any pirate what he hates most – beside the East Indian Trading Company – and I'll bet he'll tell you sharks) and Ariel's Treasure Chest. These treasures from the sea are all just part of our celebration of Pirates!
Arrgh! Somebody scratch the barnacles off me port side!
Did somebody ask for another chance at Coral Magic? Well it's back, and hidden somewhere in the Kingdom. Now if you ride a dark ride or two you'll be a step closer to finding it – but you'll have to do your homework to find out exactly how you can claim that treasure.
Speaking of claiming treasure, we've got a bounty of treasure that you'll have a chance to get your hands on this month – including a magic carpet you've been asking about forever. We'll have more details on just how you can lay your hook on it later in the month though.
What pirate wouldn't mind a few extra VMK credits? Well, Captain Blackheart might know something about where to find some 'em, and those treasure chest might be hiding something interesting too.
But we've got lots of other treasures hidden in the Kingdom (like double rewards for those Pirates mini-games), you just got to get in the game, talk to our NPC's for hints and like any good pirate, do some treasure hunting.
Jolly Roger Flag's, Ride-A-Thon's And Gallery Getaways
About that Jolly Roger Flag, so the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride-A-Thon threw a slight wrench in the works that kept us from properly getting those Jolly Roger Flag Posters to all the players that logged in on 3-1-08. No worries though, we're fixing the problem and are planning a day to make it up to you. We'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, keep watching the Event Info section for news about that.
Arrgh! How about that Pirates of the Caribbean Ride-A-Thon to kick off our Pirates of the Caribbean Online month? We've got another POTC Ride-A-Thon coming up, so be sure to check out the Event Info section for details.
More cool events that are on the way are the Pirate & Princess Parties! (That's right, I said Parties!) This event will correspond with the actual in-Park events so if you can't get to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, be sure to join us in VMK for this very awesome celebration.
Speaking of cool events many of you had a chance to take part in the recent VMK Gallery event "Making the Magic" and meet some of the guys behind VMK. If you didn't get a chance to meet the makers and see the stuff that was previewed, we're sorry but don't worry – we'll have another chance for you to do so.
We had considered previewing the stuff in the Newsletter page but we thought it would be much cooler to show you the stuff in-game as well as give you a chance to interact with VMK staff directly. Again, we're working on making future Gallery events larger so more people can be a part of the fun.
Setting Sail!
Arrgh! That about wraps it up for now. Like I said, be sure to keep checking the Newsletter for event date and times. I also hear my second mate, the Yeti, will be back with new info, while our pal Shrunken Ned will keep you up on new item releases and that Event Info section will keep you up on what's happening in the Kingdom.
Finally, don't forget to get suited up in your best pirate attire when you enter the Kingdom – you wouldn't want to have to walk the plank, would ya?
Arrgh! See you in the game!
Yavn
Go Shopping with Shrunken Ned
Ahoy matey! We're swashbuckling into spring and devoting an entire month to our pillaging pals! Let's take a look at the pirate treasure I've dug up from our virtual stock rooms!
NEW ITEMS!
Check out these new items in Shrunken Ned's Shop
Peter Pan Ride Small Island 2
Peter Pan Ride Tiny Skull Rock
Mr. Smee Hat
Mr. Smee Shirt
Pirate Jacket
Pirate Throne Black
Buried in Treasure Magic (single use)
Sold in the Main Street Magic Shop
Skull Rock Room
Sold in the Rooms tab
Yeti's Tips & TricksYou've got questions, Yeti has answers.
Have you been banned? Warned about your behavior? Yeti's here to tell you why.
Mr. Yeti, I used 'Call for Help' to ask about when some new items where releasing and I got banned? Why did VMK do that?
'Call For Help' is like VMK's 911. It's only to be used for serious player emergencies - such as harassment, threats, real-life safety issues, or violence. DO NOT USE IT FOR COMMENTS OR GENERAL GAME QUESTIONS – you will get banned.
If you want to ask general questions or have a general comment like "great event VMK thank you!" use 'Contact Us.'
"he beat me in checkers," or "they cut in line" is NOT a serious emergency - use the REPORT player button for those issues.
If you have questions about items or events - read the Newsletter! Any information about upcoming items or events will always appear there first!
Reporting false information will get you banned from the game. When you use 'Call for Help' make sure you have as much information as possible about the incident so we can research it properly.
Hey Mr. Yeti, why can't I tell my VMK friends how old I am?
Don't your friends know it's not good manners to ask someone their age? Seriously, it's not only bad manners but it's against VMK Values. Why? Because giving out any personal information could compromise your account and even your personal safety!
You should never give anyone any personal information, online or otherwise, it's just not safe. Plus, giving out ANY KIND of personal information – your real name, your phone number, where you live, your contact information, grade level or age – is against VMK Values and will get you banned.
Look at this way – do superheroes go around telling everyone their secret identity? No! And neither should you.
Mr. Yeti, I've heard that my friends got banned for a room they opened, does VMK ban players for room names?
If you or your friend open a room that is against the VMK Values, yes, you will be banned. Depending on the nature of the and level of the offense, you could be banned permanently!
ANY type of 'relationship' room (rooms that include words like 'taken,' 'meet,' 'pick,' 'get,' 'find,' 'have,' etc.) are NEVER ALLOWED in VMK and opening or participating in ANY type of room that promotes this kind of activity will get you removed from VMK.
Remember : ANY adult themes or subject matters are NEVER appropriate in VMK.
Any types of rooms that are mean-spirited or offensive to other players are also against VMK Values.
Mr. Yeti, my friends were talking about some stuff that made me feel uncomfortable, what should I do?
Again, adult themes or subject matters are NEVER appropriate in VMK. If another player has made you feel uncomfortable, REPORT the player immediately. We'll be able to go back and look at the chat logs and see what was said or done and take action to moderate the offending player.
In general, you should play VMK like a parent or teacher is looking over your shoulder. If you do or say something that they would think is wrong, you probably shouldn't do it in the game. Treat our virtual Park and Guest like you would real world Park and Guest. Disruptive behavior, harassing other players/Guest is NEVER acceptable in VMK and will get you banned.
Give Us a Room, You Get FREE Stuff!
Our HOST makeover a player's room and donate items to the player they get to keep.
See the results here, including BEFORE and AFTER pics and tips you can use to make better rooms.
This week:
ClearCosmicKnight's
Captain Cosmic Pirate Fortress
I first met ClearCosmicKnight, or Captain Cosmic as he likes to be called, as he sat in his room thinking about how to build a better mousetrap. In this case that mousetrap was a pirate fort that needed a few improvements. I asked him if he needed any help and of course he jumped at the chance for a VMK Room Makeover!
BEFORE: This fort will never hold off the likes of Captain Barbossa!
As regular readers of this section know, we normally begin a makeover by clearing the room of all furniture and adding rugs to get a basis for our theme. The good thing about the Caribbean Town Square room is that the floor is already quite detailed and ready for the type of room we're about to create today.
The only prep work that was really needed was to remove the table and chairs so we'd have room to reshape the fort. Pushing the walls of the fort towards the edge of the beach we used the wall of the room as the left side of the fortress.
After the first wall was built (along with some outer wall guidelines), we filled in the center of our fort with Pirate Maze Walls, then topped them off with Pirate Treasure Rugs so defending pirates could stand up and man the cannons. We left one space open in the back as the entrance and flanked it with Skeleton at the Helm guards.
TIP: Add rugs to stackable items so you can walk on them.
To finish up the fort, we added brown Barrel Chairs and rotated them so they look like barrels full of powder for the cannons. Brown Coffee Table Crates hold explosives to throw at any intruding scallywags. A Skeleton at the Helm guards the walls.
Now that the fortress was solid, we added a Well Chair for keeping captured trespassers tied up and a mountain of pirate loot. We created that out of Ariel Treasure Chests, Treasure Chairs, Pirate Treasure Chairs, Pirate Treasure Rugs and small hidden Space Mountain Poles.
Finally, a Pirate Council meeting table was created by surrounding three Pirate Map Tables with Pirate Thrones in red and black. We even found a place for Captain Cosmic's ship to dock near the edge of the fort, (the ship was made from Galleon Pieces and a Galleon Mast.)
AFTER: Barbossa will never get his hands on Captain Cosmic's loot!
Arrgh! At last matey, Captain Cosmic's treasure be safe from plunderin' pirates! Now time to celebrate another VMK Makeover – so drink up me hearties! Yo ho ho! It's a pirate's life, indeed!
HOST_Bella
Each week VMK's HOST_Bella selects a lucky player from the Kingdom (at random) for a Room Makeover! HOST_Bella then remakes the room – for free – using items that are donated to the players and they get to keep!
Submit your room for a Makeover using Contact Us.
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Sorry about the wait, guys! We will be right on top of news on VMK!
Main Street VMK
