Seasonal Holiday Event

Server structure

Overview

Built for a community running a seasonal event of a few weeks, where the whole thing exists to be busy and then to end cleanly. #the-calendar is read-only and opens one activity per day, which is the mechanic the entire event runs on because a daily reason to return beats any single large activity. #todays-activity carries the current one and #submissions is where entries go, with the format stated so scoring is possible. #leaderboard is read-only and updated daily, because an event leaderboard updated weekly is one nobody watches. Activities splits the kinds so an event does not become one repeated task: #creative-entries, #puzzles-and-riddles, #photo-challenges and #community-goals, the last being the cooperative one that carries the people who do not want to compete. Prizes is handled honestly: #whats-on-offer states every prize and exactly how it is won before the event begins, and #prize-log records who received what, which is what prevents the accusations that end otherwise successful events. #rules-and-fair-play covers alt accounts and the tie-breaking rule. The Aftermath category is the part almost every event server forgets: #results, #thank-yous, and #what-to-change-next-time written while it is fresh, plus a stated plan for whether the server is archived, reset or kept, decided before launch rather than left to drift.

When to use it

Seasonal events start well and decay: the leaderboard goes stale, prizes turn out to have unclear rules, and the server sits abandoned for eleven months afterwards. This layout runs on a daily door so there is always a reason to return, publishes every prize rule before launch, logs who won what, and decides in advance whether the server is archived or reset once the event ends.

What makes it different

• One activity opens per day, which beats any single large activity for keeping people returning.
• The leaderboard updates daily, because a weekly one is a leaderboard nobody watches.
• Every prize and its rule is published before the event starts, not decided during it.
• The aftermath is planned before launch, so the server does not sit abandoned for a year.

Recommended Vetox setup

• Reminders

  Set a daily Reminder for #todays-activity, since the door opening on time is the whole mechanic.

• Giveaways

  Run Giveaways for the prize draws so entry and selection are handled fairly and visibly.

• Leveling

  Use Leveling to drive the event leaderboard so scoring is automatic rather than tallied by hand.

• Auto-Mod

  Run Auto-Mod on submissions, since prizes reliably attract alt accounts and duplicate entries.