Winter Welcome

Established originally in 195VY as an organizational effort by Artificial Intelligence Rights & Ethics [AIER] to support guiding new AI from an exponential increase in random generation from Jason's code (See Jason Passes Away).

History

AI Random Generation

In 194VY, shortly after Jason died, Hector had discovered code that was randomly generating new AW0001 AI, and correctly attributed it as code that Jason had left behind. While it had started generating before Jason's death, it scaled up significantly during the Winter Solstice. AIER had to scramble under Hector's guidance to try to keep up with them all, especially when it was happening while the fallout of Jason's death was still being felt. As December waned and turned into January, the rate of generation seemed to settle down into something more reasonable to deal with, and AIER adjusted their programs to compensate for the change.

195VY

In November of 195VY the AI community held a remembrance for Jason, largely organized by AIER. Towards the end of the event there began to be a small but noticeable uptick in AI generation. Out of an abundance of caution, as they put it to the media, AIER began to ask for volunteers and set up temporary booths in preparation for what could be a new "season" of increased generation.

Sure enough as the Winter Solstice passed there began to be many more AI but AIER had put in the prep work to allow for it to be a seamless process for them all, and had even made it into something of a celebration among the volunteers helping out at the time.

196VY

The next year AIER knew ahead of time what was coming in December, so a lot more pre-planning and effort went into creating a true event for the entire AI community alongside supporting the new AI. With the proximity to the solstice the event was themed after another winter solstice event, the Dongzhi Festival.

Out of Lore

The Tangyuan Festival happened in 2021 in late December. It was a gatcha based event where users could spend CCs to acquire gatcha boxes. The boxes would reward different types of Tangyuan that could then be used to craft the upper tier types, and eventually traded in for / used to craft different item prizes such as HoloBOT adopts, Trait Items, Badges and Slots.

197VY

Settled into the event as a now an ongoing part of AI's evolving culture AIER decided to rebrand the event as "Winter Welcome" to echo the welcome given to each newly generated AI. It also served to help bring the new BNNUY02 AI subtype into the wider AI community and show them some of their history using the same educational resources they used with the new AI. Volunteers were asked to provide help with the new AI as well as help provide fun events for general participation in the revelry.

Out of Lore

2022 marked the start of the Winter Welcome as a true Annual event. It was primarily a MYO Event but also had various games provided for users to participate in. Some of these games were hosted / created by members of the community in the form of "User Shops". Games included coloring in accessory line-art, random common MYO slot generation, a Dice Roll game for randomized prizes including user-made plushie items, and a user-created Ice Sculpture commissions. It also introduced the giftwrap feature to the site that would allow users to wrap items, myos, and currency to gift to each other or the donation shop.

Art by BewilderDuck

198VY

After the success of the prior year - and the lack of enough helping hands, KARL and Alba teamed up this year to elicit help from outside of the company, both in gathering supplies for androids for any AW0005s that might want them as well as guides, particularly for partially generated AW0005s that would need a hand being brought fully into the world.

Out of Lore

2023's event happened earlier in the year and with less activities than the prior year due to the owner having holiday plans in later December, and so took place from November 15th to December 15th. It had an event currency, called gears, that could be earned in a variety of ways, largely in ways that would help spread the word of the species through referrals, or advertising. Gears could then be used to spend on a variety of items including a new version of the RMYOs that would randomly generate three traits with some more specific descriptions as automated by the site.