Random Trophies in Webkinz World - EXPLAINED!!

[williamson_39]

Probability vs. Superstition In Random Trophies
Williamson_39

Because you are lucky enough to be a Webkinz Insider, you know a lot more than the average Webkinz Gamez player already. Not all games in Webkinz World offer trophies, but those that do come in two types. Some are guaranteed if you can finish the game (Bounce 'n Burst - level 20, Candy Bash 1 - level 30, Zacky's Quest - level 20, and Zingoz Pop - level 30). These are obvious and reliable, though not necessarily easy.

Other trophies are awarded randomly during the game. You do a certain thing, often a fairly simple thing, and you have a random chance. But these random trophies cause endless trouble here in WI!! It's sometimes hard to tell what you REALLY have to do, and since some of them are quite rare, that mystery leads to all kinds of hopeful guesses, misguided hints, and downright odd superstitions. It is also not clear which games actually offer trophies. The instructions in the games themselves are vague, and the Webkinz World official FAQ about games with trophies was written by someone who obviously didn't have a clue (and who hasn't done any work since 2006). It is garbage, and I've told them so, repeatedly.

But get ready to chalk up another one to WI. Let's be clear: In spite of the fact that this has taken a huge amount of time to compile and verify, and is as accurate and complete as I can make it, the information below will NOT help you (or me) win a trophy whenever you want one. The ONLY way to win more random trophies is to play more and earn more random chances! There are NO shortcuts. But, playing smarter will save you from wasting time and KC on wild theories and silliness. Keep in mind that Ganz can change games in the future (odds, or requirements), but for now, here is THE insider scoop on EVERY random trophy you can win in the Arcade or Tournament Arena. I hope you enjoy it!

Bamboo Break: Coming soon

All these trophies are currently winnable in both the Arcade and the Tournament Arena, and are very obvious when won. You may miss the brief message most games display at the moment you win (except for Candy Bash II - you can't miss that one!), but you'll find the trophy in your dock after the game ends.

Bamboo Break trophy - EXPLAINED
Finish the game (all 12 levels) and you get a random chance at the trophy. The basic chance is 1 in 100, but you can improve this by earning "bonus chips" during the game. Each bonus chip adds to your chances, so that if you have four bonus chips at the end of the game for example, your trophy odds are 5 in 100. Overall, very slim odds for so much effort.

Playing tips, pictures, and other WI member contributions are being collected by twinmom1998 here: http://www.webkinzinsider.com/forum/bamboo-break-instructions-t452263.html

Booger Gets an 'A' trophy - EXPLAINED
Everyone's favourite re-run! Mystery abounds, or does it? We know that the trophy is awarded randomly at the instant you earn your sixth checkmark (you get those by collecting at least one of each special block sticker during a single level). When you fill your report card with checkmarks, you have a 1 in 50 chance at the trophy. Great odds compared to the other random trophies, but much harder to do too!

No other factors have any impact on your chances, so your best bet is to be sure to get your checkmarks on each of the first six levels. Using even more special blocks helps your score so it makes sense to get all you can, but this doesn't change your trophy chances. You can win more than one trophy in a game, so by all means continue if you can, even after you win one.

On your way to filling the report card, you may want to learn more about Booger's Brain. It can make a HUGE difference in your score, and will help you earn checkmarks more often.

Cash Cow trophy - EXPLAINED
The trophy is awarded randomly when you click a group of the same colour that meets or exceeds a certain minimum size. There is no maximum, and there is NEVER a magic number that guarantees a win, or improves your chances in any way. The number of bottles in the minimum group depends only on the number of colours in play (which means it depends on a range of levels).
Level 1-3 (3 colours in play): 20 bottles or more
Level 4-7 (4 colours in play): 16 bottles or more
Level 8- (5 colours in play): 12 bottles or more
and so on, although your chances of reaching double-digit levels are so low that it hardly matters! Note that the trophy is awarded whether you play "easy" or "hard", but the above table is for the easy mode (hard is like starting on level 4, which is not a great trophy strategy).

Clicking a group equal to or larger than the minimum size for that level gets you a 1 in 100 chance at the trophy. Colour, timing, position, points, etc., make no difference. Since you can do it a few times on each of the first three levels, you have quite a few chances, which is why it is one of the more common trophies. It is also a good idea to click a group close to the minimum, because you can get more chances per game. Many players focus on the first three levels, although I have won a trophy as high as level 7. Your odds do not improve with larger groups or on higher levels, BUT you can win multiple trophies in one game.

For playing tips that can help maximize your chances, check out Cashing In on Cash Cow (shameless plug).

There is no trophy for Cash Cow 2.

Candy Bash II trophy - EXPLAINED
This one is very cool in a number of ways. The trophy is randomly carried by the cat who swings by on a rope once or twice per level. You must hit the cat with a bean and catch the trophy (like any of the other powerups) to win it. It's extremely exciting - my heart pounds every time.

BUT, the trophy is NOT normally winnable!! When the game starts, it is blocked. In order to enable the random chance, you MUST complete at least one 4-of-a-kind combo (catch four of the same candy in a row). When you complete one such combo, the trophy is possible. The next time the cat appears, there is a random chance that he will be carrying the trophy. But (and this is important) even if the the cat is NOT carrying it, the trophy limitation is reset, so you have to collect another four-of-a-kind before he comes again in order to enable another trophy chance. Your odds do improve slightly at higher levels (from 1 in 100 at level 1, to 2 in 100 at level 8, to 3 in 100 at level 16), but this hardly matters because the combos are harder to complete. Any drop in chances defeats the improvement in odds. I have caught a trophy on the very first cat of the game, and I have played the game as high as level 15 and not seen one. The candy you choose for the combo is irrelevant.

Other combos, or more combos, misses, catches, etc., have no impact on your trophy chances, but will affect your score. Note that unlike other random games, the step required to enable the trophy has a COST to you! You usually have to intentionally miss candy to create the necessary 4-of-a-kind combo (you still have to shoot everything, but only catch what you need), which will hurt your score compared to just catching everything. However, since only one such combo releases the trophy block, you can go back to catching everything after each one. Told you it was cool!

If you do catch the trophy, you cannot win another in the same game. Based on this discovery, there's a simple playing strategy to maximize your chances in Playing the Odds with Gato Loco.

Goober's Lab trophy - EXPLAINED
The trophy is awarded randomly when you USE a five-atom bonus "sparkly atom" in ANY other group (simple threes are the easiest and work just fine). You can make the bonus atom yourself by creating a line of five, or just use one that drops from the top. They are identical. Every time you use one, you have only a 1 in 400 chance at receiving the trophy. More often, you will get either a KinzCash bonus or a "clear all of that colour" effect - the latter being weighted slightly higher. When you see one of those two things happen, you will know you are doing the right thing, and will get a trophy the same way, eventually.

No other factors matter (for the trophy). Forget the rumours about having to use the bonus atom in a four or five-atom group. ANY GROUP gives you the same odds. Goober's generosity is among the worst (as miserly as Go Go Googles in fact), but fortunately you can usually get multiple chances during a game. The number of "free" bonus atoms falling from the top increases as you progress to higher levels, so it is possible to get a dozen chances or more during a game. It is possible to win more than one trophy in a game, and although unlikely, it has been reported by at least one WI member, so play on!

Go Go Googles trophy - EXPLAINED
The trophy is awarded randomly for spelling "GOOGLES", at the instant you get the last missing letter, whatever it happens to be. You have a 1 in 400 chance every time you spell it. And by the way, each letter is always equally likely, so duplicates abound.

No other factors come into play. Order of spelling, levels, duplicate letters collected or not, previous spellings, which google is used, your astrological sign - none of these makes any difference to your trophy chances. I used to hope that keeping both googles well-fed would help. Nope. When the word is filled, the game evaluates the chance mathematically without regard to anything that has happened in the game. Go Go Googles is the rarest trophy, because of the combination of very meagre odds AND the fact that each game allows only a few opportunities, at best. There is nothing stopping you from winning more than one in a game, however unlikely that would be.

For a guide to making the best of it, read Going Going Googles (another shameless plug).

Operation Gumball trophy - EXPLAINED
Finish a level by figuring out the hidden number, and you get a random chance at the trophy (but only if you are playing on "normal" difficulty). The trophy can be (and has been) won on level 1, all the way up to level 30. Even on level 30 it is not guaranteed, although your odds improve as you progress to higher levels, from about 1 in 900 for finishing level 1, to 1 in 5 for finishing level 30. That's sounds cheap for level 30 (and it is in isolation), but remember that you have a chance after every level in the game. So for the entire game (if you can complete it), your chances of winning a trophy at some point during that game are almost 1 in 2. For those of us without that much luck and skill, even if you can routinely complete level 19, your overall trophy return will be about 1 every 20 games, in the long run.

The cleverness, luckiness, progress to, or timing of your solution is irrelevant when it comes to the trophy, although it does impact your score (and therefore your KC winnings). You cannot win more than one trophy in a game.

When it comes to giving yourself chances at the trophy, you can't beat Hamlet's tutorials on this one. His Basic version is the place to start, but don't be afraid to follow his links to the more advanced strategy - that's where the real KinzCash is.

Polar Plunge trophy - EXPLAINED
Finish a course (you can't miss it - get to the bottom of the hill) and you earn a very good chance for the trophy. Odds appear to vary by course - 1 in 3 for the medium courses and 1 in 4 for the easy one - but are not affected by snowflakes collected. Unfortunately, a programming error by Ganz is blocking the trophy for the Black Diamond course.

More details, including tutorials for each run, can be found in the Polar Plunge sub-forum.

Wacky Zingoz trophy - EXPLAINED **Gone again
You could have won this trophy (July 17-23, 2008 only) if you whacked the zingoz to or past the 600 mark. Be aware that the graphics are not perfect - your marker can appear to be past the 600 post, but you need the number 600 or more on your flag, not the pixels. This game has had programming block in it that prevents the trophy award ever since it was retired in 2007. But during the special week above, the restriction was temporarily removed, so the trophy was once again awarded immediately after a successful whack.

Unlike other random games, this one actually implements some physics! Your distance is based on the whacking angle (which is very precisely measured based on the timing of your clicks), and a random power factor. If you get the "superman" move, that means you hit him between 40 and 50 degrees. If you get close enough to 45 degrees, AND are lucky enough to get a maximum power swing, you'll bounce past the 600 mark. The only way to improve your chances is to hit him in the "superman" range as often as possible.

With luck, the trophy will be enabled again from time to time. If it ever does, remember you can only win one trophy in a game, and the kinzcash is low, so quit and start again if you win one.

Dunk the Zingoz trophy - EXPLAINED
It's a big stretch to call this a "game" trophy. It is really just a random prize, since there is almost nothing a "player" can do. However, it's also another superstition generator, so here are the cold hard facts: If you successfully dunk the zingoz, no matter how close to the center of the target or on which throw you succeed, you have one random chance. What that chance is depends on the whim of the day instead of a specific odds range, but it is suspiciously similar to a "Quick Draw" scratch card. It is likely not a coincidence that these activities appeared at the same time. Meaning? The trophy might be a 1 in a MILLION chance - a scratch card with a different user interface and the trophy as a persistent prize. But hey, maybe it's only 1 in a hundred thousand. Told you the facts were cold and hard.

Sorry, I don't like it either.

Zingoz Bounce trophy - EXPLAINED
Although it is not officially retired, this trophy is NOT currently winnable, in spite of the misleading instructions in the game (which Ganz is aware of but has ignored for many months). When it used to be available, the trophy became possible after 700 points (100 bounces) with one ball, and your chances improved the longer you could last on that ball. If it ever comes back, we'll be able to learn more about the details.

Other Activities - EXPLAINED
Gem Hunt for the Crown of Wonder
Though not a game trophy, the quest for the Crown of Wonder is another activity shrouded in superstition. If you're interested in some serious spelunking in the mines below Arte's curio shop, I've been doing some math in that forum too: http://www.webkinzinsider.com/forum/...t-t198771.html.

Wheel of Wow
You'll find info about the workings of the wheels in WW here: http://www.webkinzinsider.com/forum/...s-t200463.html


So now, since you can read and have taken the time to do so (sorry to be so long-winded), you can count yourself among the well-informed. Not everyone can or does, so the theories will persist, but you and I ("WI") know better! As I said, there are NO sure-fire secrets, but believe what you will. The next question is, "so how long will it take me?" That one I've tried to answer in PART II - my guide to being patient.

IMO, these facts, a little practice, and enough patience will earn you any of the random trophies that are currently being awarded (except Dunk) even if you are not a gaming hero. Now go! Win! Brag! Uncross your fingers, put away your magic wands and tarot cards, wash those awful lucky socks, and play like only a Webkinz Insider can! Play fair, and play smart.

[Amneris]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, especially for the Candy Bash 2 information!

[williamson_39]

Originally Posted by Amneris

Thank you, thank you, thank you, especially for the Candy Bash 2 information!

You're welcome. I was pretty happy about that discovery myself! It's what we suspected for quite while, but couldn't quite nail down.

[clarkers]

Thanks for the help. I've won a couple Cash Cow trophies. I've always tried to play the first level of the game the same as when I won my first trophy; now I understand why it rarely worked for me again.

[kabutofan]

wow! thanks. I've been trying to fing out how to really get the candy bash 2 one for a long time. I already have the cash cow one.

[WesleyKinz]

Very nice.....and very impressive. This info should be stickied at the top of the page with the other important info.

It drives me nutty to see people post threads and say "I found the secret to winning the trophy at_____".............Because usually their "secret" is waaaay off!!

Thanks for all of your info!!!

[littlex3red]

Once again I bow to you

I love the info on the candy bash 2.
One of the games I have never been able to get fast enough.
Googles (my favorite) Is taking up so much of my time -- I think I might try some of
others to make myself feel better. :goo:

Happy New Year.

:gr:

[jms]

Wow!! Great tips!!

[noozle4me]

Thanks you are the greatest!

[chaotic]

Originally Posted by williamson_39

The instructions in the games themselves are not clear, and the Webkinz World official FAQ about games with trophies was written by someone who obviously didn't have a clue (and who hasn't done any work since 2006). It is garbage, and I've told them so, repeatedly.


Polar Plunge trophy - EXPLAINED
Polar Plunge is broken. When you cross the finish line at the bottom of the hill (which comes immediately after a group of three skinny trees in a row), the game hangs your browser window with a white screen. There is no reason for this problem to persist, other than the low priority management has obviously placed on this bug, in spite of its emotional impact.

However, the trophy used to be awarded for finishing the course, but only 1 time in 3. No other factors affect your hypothetical chances, although your score is improved by speed and a clean run.

I just wanted to highlight may favorite part
thanks for a very enjoyable read!