If I organise an anniversary event for this, I'd hand out the following events (on top of the current ones):

* Jonin medal for everyone for the next 7 days. This would work for everyone, normal people will like it, and returning people will be happy to return for it (seriously, you offer coins and some small change for returning players? i'm not going to ask them to come back for small change.) And existing jonin people gets 7 days extra to their medal. And give people who successfully bringing some people back a trial medal. Also, returning players who bought jonin medal (i have a few of them in our group) should get a jonin extension.

* Anniversary clothing. Should do something little occasionally, for example 10% more coins for 7 days every month. Makes people using it once in a while, and showing off that they were there during this anniversary. Then again, only successful games do this.

* For 7 days, Shop items gets 40% discount for first 1000 coupons _and_ 1000 ingot spent every day. (We know you have been increasing shop prices so 20% disount wouldn't is not really a discount. Also a good reason to recharge.)

* Let many of those simple events return for a week: sakura, naruto name plates, fishing, balloons, great plates... (Let them have something to do in the week. Good for returning players.)

* Also, have the cat quiz, ninetails, jinch rescue 2 times a day for 7 days.

* Oh, and a rebate event for 50% or 100% for ingots instead of 20%.

* Also, a few more p2w/p2p events. (I hear a lot of people think it's okay for p2w/p2p, but I believe 'okay' is not enough for p2p/p2w in an anniversary week.)

* Double max stamina and double stamina regeneration for 7 days. Gives returning players a quick boost to level up, they need it (and more) if they left earlier.

There really is no need for anniversary events to be conservative. Namco/Bandai is always generous to their players, but somehow not for this game. Or perhaps they are getting conservative too.

ADDED: Also, rebates! Lots of rebates!
This post was last edited by 552***@uf16 at 2017-7-20 16:32

Oh, _I_ don't want those things. Most of the things I listed only apply to returning players, or p2w. I'm more like a p2p. I only wrote them down to show how other games do anniversaries.

Other Tencent games and other Namco/Bandai games do these things too, so I very much doubt it's reluctance on those sides.

I don't care much if they messed up this Anniversary event. I've played (and playing) many MMOs, and all of the MMOs do a lot of events for Anniversaries. Because it's _the_ excuse for everyone to keep on playing and not complaining about the low quality of events in the rest of the year.

Instead, I will wish them much, much good luck, as they will need it. :)