Guides

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/raffleheader.png[/img] Hello, and welcome to my guide! I run bi-monthly, larger scale raffles and I tend to get a number of people asking me how I run them. I thought that having a put together guide would be most helpful to link people to instead of ranting forever back to their inbox. What I will be going over in this guide are all the little details of [i]preparing[/i], [i]designing[/i], and [i]running[/i] a raffle or giveaway. I will be breaking it all down into [b]why[/b], [b]who[/b], [b]how[/b], [b]what[/b], [b]when[/b], and [b]where[/b]. I’ll include links to other guides that can help you with essentials outside of the raffle making process, and pictures where I deem they might be helpful. If you find that you have questions which were not answered in this guide, after reading, please do let me know so I can keep this as up to date as possible![/center] [size=4][u]Our first step is the [b]WHY[/b][/u].[/size] The first question you should ask yourself before even attempting a raffle or giveaway is [i]why[/i] you want to hold one. There are generally two major reasons, so deciding which your desire fits under is important to the how process that I will walk you through later. [LIST=1] [*]I want to run my raffle for [b]profit[/b]. [*]I want to run my raffle for little to [b]no profit[/b]. [/LIST] If you have decided that you wish to hold a raffle [b]for profit[/b], there is one [u]very important thing to realize[/u]. The cold, hard truth is that a raffle is [i]unlikely to make you more than what you would make by simply auctioning[/i] the items on the marketplace. Unless you choose to hold a for profit raffle on a very high priced item with minimal other items in your raffle. [i]I will go over this more in the how section[/i]. If you have decided that you want to run a raffle for little to [b]no profit[/b] this means that you’re looking to run a [i]freebie giveaway[/i], or a low priced raffle for new members. The how part of these sorts of raffles will be much easier than for profit raffles and these raffles are generally put on out of the generosity of others - most of the time for new members. There is a lot of flexibility with raffles like these. Have you figured out your why? Great! [size=4][u]Our second step is [b]WHO[/b].[/u][/size] Figuring out your [u]target audience[/u] is very important to a raffle, and will greatly help you in the how process. The first question to ask yourself here is what sorts of buyers you are looking for if this is a [b]for profit raffle[/b]. Are you looking for [b]veteran users[/b] who generally have more funds to spend? Veteran members are going to be drawn in by [u]rarer items or brand new items[/u]. Brand new genes are a great attention draw along with festival gear. The older the festival, the more interest there will be. You can also [i]charge higher treasure amounts[/i] for tickets when putting in high valued items. Tier systems work great for these kinds of raffles. [i]I will go into the tier system more in the how section.[/i] Maybe you’re more interested in catering to the [b]average player[/b], who has some treasure to spend on nice item sets or bundles. The average players are those who spend some time on Flight Rising, but not enough to have everything they want. Or didn’t have enough time to nibble up those items from last festival. This is where I generally cater my raffles to and price them accordingly. Average players will be [u]interested in mostly items, familiars, festival gear, and things of that nature.[/u] Tier systems can be a hit or miss with these players, and I will explain more on that in the how section. For those of you running [b]freebie/giveaway[/b] or low profit raffles your target audience is going to be the [b]new members[/b]. The absolute best time to run these raffles is [u]during a registration period[/u], or directly after. You’ll want to remember, if attempting to make a profit, that the new members have very minimal funds - so setting your buy in bar low is important to these kinds of raffles, otherwise new members won’t enter because they won’t be able to afford it. Many people holding raffles allow a certain number of free entries for new members.

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/raffleheader2.png[/img][/center] Do you have your target audience figured out? Yes? [size=4][u]Then we’re on to the [b]HOW.[/b][/u][/size] I’ve bolded and bracketed the sections that pertain to your previously answered questions above. [b][ [u]Running a for profit raffle[/u] ][/b] The number one rule of for profit raffles - you gotta spend money to make money. First matter of business on a for profit raffle is deciding [i]how much profit[/i] you want to rake in. The first option I consider the [b]“high payoff”[/b]. This is the sort of raffle that you make which involves [u]minimal prizes of high quality[/u]. Your items should be things like new genes, retired items, rare skins/accents, or [u]anything valued generally above 150kt[/u]. You can feasibly make a rather profitable raffle by having anywhere between five-ten of these high priced items, while slating your buy in price for tickets anywhere between 1,000kt - 2,000kt. High payoff raffles are, however, a gamble. As all raffles are, really. Implementing a tier system for these kinds of raffles can help you avoid losses. [i](For more information on tier systems, scroll down to that section)[/i] The second type of profit raffle I consider a [b]“standard payoff”[/b]. It is reasonable to [u]expect to lose money[/u] on a standard payoff, even when implementing a tier system. You can have all manners of things in these kinds of raffles ranging from rare to common items, familiar bundles, artwork, ect. There’s no limit really to what you can add to these raffles, and making ‘bundles’ is a great way to bring in interest. [u]Peppering higher priced items[/u] into bundles, along with having them in the higher tier sections if you implement them will gain more interest. Dragons can also be great prizes to go along with bundles (or leveled dragons), but [u]limiting the number of dragons[/u] to about a third, or at most half of the prizes is a smart idea. Dragons, unfortunately, are [i]not usually as popular as other prizes[/i]. Pricing for a standard raffle is anywhere between 500kt-1,000kt buy in. [size=4][u]Tier Systems[/u][/size] A “tier system” is when a raffle implements unlockable sections, generally through ticket sales. This is basically a way of [u]safeguarding[/u] from the raffle runner so that they don’t make less than they spent to gain the items. [i]Tier systems, however, are a big gamble.[/i] Sometimes they can deflect from the raffle, if users decide that the items within the tiers are not worth the funds. [u]Setting your items into proper ticket sales amounts is important.[/u] Having a bunch of 30kt value prizes in a 3,000 tickets sold section isn’t going to spark much interest. Sometimes, as well, the tiers are simply not hit, and it is then your choice to decide how to go about the prizes within it. As I run raffles bi-monthly, most of the time I hold onto the items and use them in the next raffle, maybe putting them a tier lower. Or, I will sell those items to acquire new things that are more popular. Some users will also extend raffles past their original end date for a chance at those tiers being unlocked. [i]It’s really up to you how you want to handle your tier system.[/i] [size=4][u]Valuing your items[/u][/size] A lot of what I’ve talked about so far involves price values, especially when using a tier system. The easiest way to check the value on an item is to hop over to the [u]auction house and search for the item[/u] there. I generally value my items at the second lowest price point and keep the information logged in a spreadsheet. I will tell you now, [b]spreadsheets are a serious must for raffle running[/b], and I’ll get into that more later. [i]Maybe you have items that aren’t on the AH?[/i] Such as special user created skins, or artwork. This is tricky, and you’ll have to make an educated guess as to where you feel these items should go. User created skins are definitely highest tier, because they generally require real money to make, and things like artwork can require a lot of personal time and skill. It is safe to say these items will be valued higher than other Flight Rising prizes. Another great prize that is hard to value are leveling services or leveled dragons. [u]Here are some links to other helpful guides for valuing your prizes. [/u] [LIST] [*]Amaterasu's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1304794]Apparel Price Guide[/url] [*]RandyPandy's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1048571]Specialty Items Reference[/url] [*][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/baz/1093318]Leveled Dragon Market & Exchange[/url] [/LIST] [b][ [u]Running a giveaway[/u] ][/b] Sharing is caring - that’s your motto, yea? These types of raffles are rather [u]easy to set up and manage[/u]. What you can put in them is rather endless, in a sense. Dragons, items, food stacks, ect. [i]Bundles work great for these raffles[/i], giving new members chances to win booster packs to help them along. Some people will even put in high priced items. The first thing you should decide is if you want your ‘giveaway’ to be [u]non-profit, or low-profit[/u]. You shouldn’t ever go above 500kt buy in for these kinds of raffles, the main purpose of them should be to [i]give to the community.[/i] Deciding who you want your [u]target audience[/u] to be is very important for these. Do you want the raffle to be free for all members, or only new members? Deciding if you want a ticket cap is also important. Can users gain extra tickets from other means or is this a one ticket per user raffle? Regardless, you can’t really do much wrong with a giveaway. [i]Everyone likes free stuff![/i]

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/RAFFLEHEADER3.png[/img][/center] With all the nitty gritty of the raffle types out of the way - [size=4][u]We’re onto the [b]WHAT[/b]. [/u][/size] What all should you put into a raffle? I’ll go over the work required in this section. Firstly, your [b]most important step is gaining those prizes[/b]! Let’s go over some essentials of hoarding. Now, what type of raffle you are running will determine how hard you’ll need to work. [u]Freebie raffles use anything from your hoard[/u], including your dragons. This type still takes effort, but it is minimal in comparison. [i]Grinding on and off for about a week[/i] can gain you enough to fill in a small freebie raffle with goodies. If you’re going for the [b]profit option[/b], you’re going to need to [u]put in some hours in the coliseum[/u]. You’re going to need treasure, and the coliseum is the best place to gain it. I’ve included several links to guides at the end of this section that will help you with leveling and gaining loot. I generally grind on and off for a month to gain myself funds for nicer items. I will [u]auto-sell anything that is not a swipp item[/u], and most of the time I [u]sit on those funds so that I can purchase holiday gear [/u]at the end of the month. [b]Holiday gear is immensely popular[/b], and tends to grow in value the longer it sits in your hoard. I suggest obtaining as many of the festive favors as you can ( grinding during the holiday will help you gain currency ) and buying at least one of every skin. [i]I provided several links in the how section[/i] that price items, browsing them and obtaining some of the higher priced ones will help bring buyers to your raffle. [u]Helpful guides for gaining prizes[/u] [LIST] [*]Pepperdragon's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1418996]Chest Locations/Contents Guide[/url] [*]Ithika's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1097009]Auto-sell Guide[/url] [*]Throatspiders' [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1216309]Coli Profit Guide[/url] [*]JinxMagic's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1049043]Coli Drop Guide[/url] [*]Azophel's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/136122]Gathering Guide[/url] [/LIST] [size=4][u]Tips & tricks to gaining prizes for any raffle type[/u][/size] [LIST] [*][b]Coliseum Level Grinding :[/b][/list] Spend time in each venue, from Training Grounds to the Golem Workshop. [u]Grind until you gain a familiar or piece of apparel[/u]. This can take anywhere between a few minutes to half an hour. Once you gain what you’re working on in that area, go to the next, and so on. [i]No need to try for them all in one day[/i], just pick up where you left off the next time you get on the coli. In order to coli grind effectively you are going to need a team of level 25 dragons. I've included a few links to leveling guides below. [LIST=1] [*]Kiena's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/937136]Leveling Guide[/url] [*]Culex's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1040710]Leveling Guide[/url] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][b]Collecting Swipp’s Loot :[/b][/list] Use your gathering turns to [u]gather only in areas that gain you swipp items[/u], coli in areas that have swipp drops, or purchase bundles of the cheaper items off the auction house when you need to. Catching the right items for trade on Swipp can sometimes be tricky, but I tend to hoard as much of the swipp favors as possible. These prizes, depending on their rarity or experience to retrieve can be highly valued items. As well, [i]gathering turns in certain areas have to rare chance to yield other high valued items. [/i] I've included a few links to helpful guides for gaining Swipp's Materials. [LIST=1] [*]Piney's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1091175]Swipp Gathering Guide[/url] [*]heavenlyEarth's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1182145]Swipp Spreadsheet[/url] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][b]Bond with your familiars :[/b][/list] Daily you can bond with familiars, in case you weren’t aware, and while it can be a daunting task for those with many - this is a great way to score loot. The more your familiar loves you, the nicer the chest, and thus the nicer the loot inside. [u]Chests are a great way to gain familiars, apparel, and gems. [/u] [LIST] [*][b]Spend some money :[/b][/list] Now, by this I mean in both real life and fake money internet land. If you want to run a high-profit raffle or just want a really nice item for your raffle to draw attention [u]you’re going to need to spend gems[/u]. Now, while we do get an amount of gems daily, and from chests, you’re not really going to gain much quickly. The best way to get gems is to spend some money now and again. ( [i]This also supports the game and we get cooler stuff that way![/i] ) [u]Purchase items that cycle out of the marketplace[/u]. The best time to do this, usually, is when FR announces that they will be retiring an item from the marketplace. That item usually will spike in price some time after the item is taken out. You can also [u]buy rare items for treasure from the marketplace[/u] as well, and I recommend spending a little treasure to complete sets of items (like silk sets). Many items you find in the marketplace [i]can also be found in the auction house[/i], but those prices will always fluctuate, so make sure you check the marketplace price first before buying. [LIST] [*][b]Baldwin's Brew :[/b][/list] We now have a new addition to our trading post, Baldwin’s Bubbling Brew. Items you can create from here are [b]quite popular[/b], but you’re going to need to [u]put in some time deconstructing items and raising your level[/u] to get to the really nice stuff. Many of these items, including the materials you need to make things, can be purchased on the marketplace. However, [u]keep in mind that purchasing these items will not gain you the experience[/u] to make them later. Below is a guide to help you in your bubbling creations. [LIST=1] [*]mes3's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1461458]Brewing Visual Guide[/url] [/LIST] [LIST] [*][b]Breeding Exalt Fodder :[/b][/list] Many users do this to gain funds, and [b]exalting can be very profitable[/b]. You can either breed dragons constantly, or buy cheap hatchlings and wait for them to grow up to exalt. You can generally find hatchlings for anywhere from 4kt-6kt, and this is the best range to purchase in. [u]You can also breed to sell fodder[/u] off at around the same above prices, but it is [i]more lucrative to raise and exalt yourself[/i]. You can then use the funds to purchase more items. [LIST] [*][b]Entering Raffles :[/b][/list] Yep, that’s right. You can enter other raffles for a chance to win the prizes and re-purpose them. Of course, you’re still taking a chance, but it can be worth it if you end up being the lucky winner of a sprite, or a gene, or things of that variety. I don’t often use this method, unless I see items I personally want, but it’s definitely one you could try if you’re the lucky type. [LIST] [*][b]Donation Threads :[/b][/list] Another option is running a donation thread. This typically only works [u]if you frequently run raffles[/u], or if you’re gathering items for a dominance raffle. Many users on Flight Rising have very generous hearts, and will sometimes donate prizes in return for funds or tickets to the raffle you will be running. My donaters always get tickets to my next upcoming raffle and I always value their items a little above general marketplace value. Most of the time I accept everything and sell the items that I won’t use to buy nicer items. This gives the donaters something completely different to win that isn’t something they’ve given.

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/RAFFLEHEADER4NEW.png[/img][/center] Now that you’ve hoarded all your awesome prizes, you’ll want to start thinking up and creating a design for your raffle. [b]Aesthetic is important[/b], and you should try to make something that is pleasing to the eyes. [b]Avoid bright colors[/b] and try to separate important parts. Icyfuzz’s guide on [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/968221 ]creating a hatchery[/url] has some useful tips for general forum layout. Checking out aisumoka's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1047514]thread on bbc coding[/url] will also help you form a pleasing look for your raffle. If you want to go beyond the basics and create your own splash images and signatures, but [u]you don’t have an imaging program[/u] like photoshop, here is a list with links of free-online image programs. Most of these programs have FAQ on how to use the program, so you should check those out. [LIST=1] [*][url=http://www.photoshop.com/tools]Adobe Photoshop Express [/url] [*][url=http://www.gimp.org/]GIMP[/url] [*][url=https://pixlr.com/]Pixlr[/url] [*][url=http://www.getpaint.net/index.html]paint.net[/url] [*][url=http://www.picmonkey.com/]picmonkey[/url] [/LIST] Have you figured out your layout and design? The next step is [b]set up[/b]. [u]You’ll want to make sure you have all of the following somewhere in your thread. [/u] [LIST] [*]A header with your raffle name on it. [*]Your rules section. [*]Your treasure or gem amount for tickets. (Having your treasure to gem conversion here will be helpful.) [*]A short amount of info about your tier system, if you’ve implemented one. [*]Your system on drawing winners. [i](I’ll go into your options with this a little later)[/i] [*]Your raffle end date. [*]A signature for others to use, including the coding info. [*]Your prizes, listed in any manner you wish. [*]Your entry list [/LIST] [i]Optional [/i]- Bump prizes, exalt payout sheet, bump counter, trade in list, cross promotion material. Make sure to save yourself spaces in your thread in case you decide to add anything in the future. [size=4][u]Methods of payment[/u][/size] This is a very important step in your setup. [u]Will you be accepting only treasure? Only gems?[/u] Will you allow a treasure to gem conversion and vice versa? Most users will want to pay treasure, but sometimes you will have some users who wish to pay with gems. You can check out [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/frd/973300]this thread[/url] for information on gem/treasure ratios. Along with those two options, [u]you can also choose to accept trade-ins[/u]. These can be anything at all you personally wish to obtain. Some people will have ratios for swipp items, familiars, festival currency, ect. General marketplace values can be used here. [u]Another option is exalt fodder.[/u] Exalting dragons gains you funds, and helps your flight climb the ranks in dominance. Many raffles, especially dom pushes, allow you to purchase tickets by sending in dragons for exalting. Having a conversion chart, if you choose this option, is necessary. Really, tickets can be purchased with anything you personally would like. I’ve seen some people accept artwork for tickets. [size=4][u]Promotion[/u][/size] This section is on promotion, and it is the [b]most important part of making your raffle successful.[/b] There are many ways to promote, but the [u]number one is Bumping[/u]. Bumping a thread, or simply posting on the thread, pushes your thread all the way up to the top of the forum section. Most users will only scroll a few pages in, not wanting to fuss with all the pages of back log. This is why it is important to stay near the top of the first few pages. If you aren’t able to put in the amount of time to keep it up, you should [u]think about implementing bump prizes[/u]. These are prizes that are rather nice and give incentive to users to bump your thread for a chance to win them. Others offer tickets to those who bump their thread. [i]Incentive is key, here, and the better your incentive, the more bumps you’ll receive. [/i] [u]Another way to promote is through a banner [/u]that can be placed in one’s signature bar, or on other forums. Something small that pops is recommended, generally within 100pixels in width or less. This allows other users to have multiple icons in their signatures. Cross-forum promotion is also an option, if you personally have a hatchery, or an art blog, ect. Sometimes other raffles will help promote each other as well. [center]Banner Example : [img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/backrafflebump2.jpg[/img][/center] [size=4][u]Gimmicks[/u][/size] These are little ways of [u]promoting activity on your thread[/u]. Bump prizes are one example which I mentioned previously. Another are mini games. Usually I will hold little activities for people to participate in that earn them tickets. Like photo contests, or pun contests, or simply naming their favorite whatever. Just things that get people replying in your thread to bump it up. Another gimmick that I use often is what I call the “[b]flash raffle[/b]”. This is a two day set of prizes that I post up just before the raffle is about to close. Usually the prizes in this mini-raffle are all high valued items and the point of it all is to encourage a huge climb in sales on the last few days. You can only win these prizes if you buy tickets on the days the flash raffle is running, so it’s a gimmick, see? What kind of gimmick can you think of to help promote your raffle? [size=4][u]Raffle Upkeep[/u][/size] There will be many things you’ll need to do when running a raffle, and one such important thing is the upkeep. [b]Raffles can take a lot of time[/b] between making prize packs, to gathering funds, to recording tickets. Make sure you are ready, because a raffle is it’s own little commitment. This is where that spreadsheet comment I made comes in handy. Being of Light Flight, I spreadsheet everything. I’ve created a [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSqR9rQiy_-6EzuvJPnA96FDZKTxxKLPse43TS7CMl8/edit?usp=sharing]mock spreadsheet[/url], so that you can see my general layout for a raffle. As you can see, I categorize everything - and you don’t need to be this detail oriented, but making sure you have a [u]list of prizes and a list of raffle entries[/u] is most important. It will greatly help you in keeping track of everything, trust me. If you have other things, like bumps and mini game tickets, make sure you are keeping track of those too. [size=4][u]Drawing Winners[/u][/size] Your raffle is going great, you've hit your chosen end date, and now it's time to draw the winners. There are many ways people do this, depending on the type of raffle you've chosen to make. Regardless of the way you set up drawing winners, the essentials will be the same. [b]You'll be randomly choosing winners[/b], and the most fair way to do so is to use a random generator such as [url=https://www.random.org/integers/]random.org[/url] or [url=http://www.mathgoodies.com/calculators/random_no_custom.html]mathgoodies.com[/url]. [u]During set up[/u] you'll want to add into your rules how you will be drawing winners. There are a number of ways people go about this. Some do the [b]standard ticket pull[/b] in quantities of 5 or 10 depending on the number of prizes. Users with a pulled ticket are [u]ranked from first drawn to last drawn[/u] and given a time limit (usually 24hrs) to respond with their choice in prizes based off their number in the draw. [u]An example of this would be[/u] : Tickets number #20, #3, #18, #1, and #22 are dawn using a random generator for the first five prizes. You'd then list them in order from ticket drawn with the username that corresponds to the ticket. 1. Ticket #20 - Joebob 2. Ticket #3 - MariaHill 3. Ticket #18 - Starsky 4. Ticket #1 - bluedragon 5. Ticket #22 - dystopianblob Joebob would pick one prize, because they are the first winner, and recieves their requested prize. MariaHill would choose two prizes and would receive the first available prize on her list, and so on. Some users choose to [u]cap the number of winners[/u] for fairness sake. This will generally bring in less money, but will make a far more even playing field for entrants. [u]You can use the same draw method as above[/u] for this kind of system, just remember to strike out all tickets from the users drawn so that you don't accidentally draw them a second time. [b]Pot Raffles[/b] are another type that requires a special winner draw. Pot raffles work in that you [u]purchase tickets for each individual set of prizes.[/u] When draw date hits, the winners are drawn for each pot - meaning there will be one winner chosen for each prize. The only way users can win those prizes is by entering tickets into the appropriate prize pool. These types of raffles are most common during FR Holiday Festivals. You can also implement tier systems into these sorts of raffles.

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/RAFFLEHEADER5.png[/img][/center] [size=4][u]Our next topic is [b]WHEN[/b][/u][/size] Deciding when to have your raffle is just as important as all the other stuff. An important note to follow : [b]Don’t start a raffle on Festival Weeks.[/b] I usually start mine either the week after a festival, or the week following that. Mine tend to last through a festival, but I never expect to gain much in the way of funds during that week. Many users, including myself, are busy buying up festival gear. [u]When can also be important for theme[/u]. My raffles tend to be themed, generally around a holiday or season. This can help a lot in deciding what prizes you want to incorporate, or a color scheme you’d like to set your raffle to, ect. [u]You don’t have to have a theme to have a good raffle[/u], it can just be helpful in starting one. Also, understand that [u]running a raffle can be very time consuming[/u], so try [i]not to hold one during a time when your life away from the computer is hectic[/i]. Another thing to keep an eye out for are [u]Dominance raffles[/u]. These are Flight run raffles that tend to rely heavily on exalt fodder. Most of the time these raffles shouldn’t pose any harm to yours, but if you have exalt fodder as a currency resource in your raffle you won’t be seeing much of it. I’ll have a section near the end about Dominance raffles and how to be part of them, for those interested. Deciding[b] how long to hold your raffle[/b] is next. I recommend anywhere from [u]two weeks to a month[/u]. Anything less than two weeks will end in a loss of potential money made, because there just isn’t enough time for as many people to gain and spend funds. Longer than a month and the raffle sort of becomes “old news” and people tend to forget about it. You are likely to make your most profit within your first two weeks of a raffle, unless you throw in a gimmick at the end like a flash raffle. [size=4][u]Dominance Raffles[/u][/size] As promised, I'll tell you a little bit about Dominance raffles. These are [u]large scale raffles put on by many users[/u]. These raffles are generally put on by a single flight, [i]most of the time before their upcoming festival[/i]. Prizes are always pooled together by other members, generally donated, and most of the time there will be an in-flight raffle and an out-of-flight raffle. The purpose of these raffles is fairly simple - [u]exalt fodder[/u]. [b]Dominance is all about exalting[/b], and flights will ask for help from other flights by offering them a boon for their exalt fodder. There's no need to start one of these, as your veteran members generally have this figured out, but if you'd like to help most flights can find threads within their own Flight forums with all the nitty gritty details. [size=4][u]And finally [b]WHERE[/b][/u][/size] It's important to know [b]where to build your raffle[/b]. I never build my raffle from scratch in a brand new forum. Most of the time, I will use the old forum from a previous raffle I have held to work on all the details of the next one. For those of you just starting out, you can reasonably [u]begin a forum topic in [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/raf]Raffles[/url][/u] and reserve all the slots you will need. Make sure that you [i]label the topic as "closed" or "in progress"[/i] so that you don't get anyone posting randomly on your thread. Another option, which I did for my very first raffle, was I wrote everything, including the coding, in a [u]google document[/u]. I then transferred it over to the forums and tweaked anything that didn't look quite right. Regardless, you will be putting your raffle in the Raffle forum. Posting anywhere else will simply be moved by the mods. This is where you will do giveaways as well, all of that goes into this section - even Dom pushes. - - - - - - - Do you have any questions, additions, or links to add? I would love to improve on this with everyone's input, so please leave feedback! Even if it's just telling me you found this useful ;)

[center][img]http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o171/jackalsscalpel/RAFFLEHEADER6.png[/img][/center] [u]Quick List of Links[/u] : [LIST] [*]Amaterasu's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1304794]Apparel Price Guide[/url] [*]RandyPandy's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1048571]Specialty Items Reference[/url] [*][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/baz/1093318]Leveled Dragon Market & Exchange[/url] [*]Pepperdragon's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1418996]Chest Locations/Contents Guide[/url] [*]Ithika's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1097009]Auto-sell Guide[/url] [*]Throatspiders' [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1216309]Coli Profit Guide[/url] [*]JinxMagic's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1049043]Coli Drop Guide[/url] [*]Azophel's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/136122]Gathering Guide[/url] [*]Kiena's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/937136]Leveling Guide[/url] [*]Culex's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1040710]Leveling Guide[/url] [*]Piney's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1091175]Swipp Gathering Guide[/url] [*]heavenlyEarth's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1182145]Swipp Spreadsheet[/url] [*]mes3's [url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/gde/1461458]Brewing Visual Guide[/url] [*][url=http://www.photoshop.com/tools]Adobe Photoshop Express [/url] [*][url=http://www.gimp.org/]GIMP[/url] [*][url=https://pixlr.com/]Pixlr[/url] [*][url=http://www.getpaint.net/index.html]paint.net[/url] [*][url=http://www.picmonkey.com/]picmonkey[/url] [*][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/frd/973300]Gem Conversion Thread[/url] [*][url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dSqR9rQiy_-6EzuvJPnA96FDZKTxxKLPse43TS7CMl8/edit?usp=sharing]My Mock Spreadsheet[/url] [*][url=https://www.random.org/integers/]random.org[/url] [*][url=http://www.mathgoodies.com/calculators/random_no_custom.html]mathgoodies.com[/url] [*][url=http://www1.flightrising.com/forums/raf]Raffle Forum[/url] [center] Prize Set-up Example : [quote=PRIZE1][url=http://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=9622212] [img]http://flightrising.com/rendern/350/96223/9622212_350.png[/img] [/url] + [item=ebony filigree helmet][item=ebony filigree gauntlets][item=ebony filigree breastplate][item=ebony filigree tail guard][/quote] [quote=PRIZE2][item=light sprite][item=unhatched light egg][item=solar blades][/quote] Trade-In Examples : [size=2]Worth 5 tickets each[/size] [item=emerald striker][item=tundra cactus][item=glowing pocketmouse] [size=2]Worth 10 tickets each[/size] [item=scarlet flycatcher][item=gold steampunk goggles][item=furry icewarden puppet] Gimmick Example : [quote=DAILY*TRIVIA][img]http://i.imgur.com/I3t1Dxh.png[/img] [size=2]You may answer the daily question only once for a free ticket. Edited posts will not be counted.[/size] [s]DAY 1 : What is the world's largest living lizard?[/s] Answer : Komodo Dragon [s]DAY 2 : A cockatrice is a two-legged dragon with the head of a what?[/s] Answer : Rooster DAY 3 : According to Japanese mythology, what is the 'Dragon's Triangle'?

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@citrussiren - Absolutely! And if you need any pointers or tips that you don't see above in the tutorial just let me know! I'm happy to help!