[Feedback] Colonies and PvP - Dev Diary

[TotoMok]

My Two Pints:

I'm okey with most of the changes. The PvP system seems a fair 'compromise' (it doesn't affect anyone not interested in PvP, and gives something that is a bit Player vs. Player (strategy and being affected by another player)).

However.... if you're not interested in PvP (as is the case with me) this next release seems to be a reduction in content:

Many of the adventures that I would normally buy with map fragments can not be bought with map fragments anymore. This will give me less to do. I do not know how the drop rates from adventure searches will be affected (enough to negate the absence from the shop?). If that is the case, great, if not.. I fear I'll be more bored

On a side note:
Given the change in balance with regard to Adventure drops/rates, will any consideration be given to those who have upgraded their Explorers with a mind towards Adventure/Treasure-Maps ?

[Urgh123]

Everytime there is something new, there is always this talk of quitting, normally by the same people too. Funny thing is I bet 90% of you will still be here moaning at the next event. At least the game constantly evolves, if you don't like it perhaps this time you will leave so we don't have to suffer the same diatribe again and again.

am terribly sorry other people's opinions/decisions are disturbing to you mate, but i think it referred to the game as it is now, somewhat stabile with only a few issues that are bothering us all, but we can live with it, and still enjoying the game. I also think it will take months and months for them to make that new content at least a bit clean of bugs (as we seen and felt earlier), and the community asked for more place on their islands, so if you might remember they promised us demo squads, we even tested them, then it seems the whole idea was lost somewhere just to come with a new idea of colonies, loot changes that are terrible to all those that will have to change their whole islands and economies (buildings l5 and l6 - ouch!), why they havent said that a little earlier ? Another freakin thing is the time of deployment, just before the xmas event, means event will be stucked most of the time and we will have more than just 3 sudden maintainances compared to what we had with the overall very stabile pumpkin event.
Does the moanings seem more valid now ?

[Mortallicus]

The opinions mainly good or mainly bad made on this server may not reflect the other servers. I have just checked Zeus and it is far more sedate and positive so far.

Just a reminder we are not the only ones BB have to listen to and if all the other servers say its all cool then why should WE be given what we demand.

[Larili]

Like you Mortallicus, I was biding my time before ranting about this rubbish, BUT you have hit a nerve

I support all the constructive comments on here. I too play the test server but it is purely that TEST. I am reserving judgement until it appears and i play it here. There maybe things i will not like but it will likely be balanced with things I do.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but surely the whole point of the Test server is to test the proposed implementation before going live. If they are going to change things that are not currently being tested, what is the point of TSO testing and forum? If what has been tested is the same as they are planning to implement on the 25th, and form the basis of the Dev diary on which we are `Asked to give our feedback', Then I would rather people pointed out the obvious flaws in their `Balancing debacle' NOW so at least we can say we tried and gave them the opportunity to make further adjustments to make it worth continuing to play.
When they first put forward the idea of rebalancing the game to make more of the iron and expert buildings, I like many others saw the point and were happy to except it. I however was sceptical, based on what I have seen whilst here on TSO, that they had the ability to do it. What came across was their simplistic, nay naive attitude that changing a few numbers on a few production buildings would be all that was required. When they realised how interactive all parts of the game are, and if you adjust one thing you end up messing with another, or two or three! They then resorted to randomly changing things with no further discussion or explanation, and panicked into the mess we are now presented with.
My fears were truly realised when they started messing with the adventures in merchant and changing the loot drops of resources beyond that of weapons...this shows a fundamental lack of understanding about a core feature of the game mechanics and features ( Levelling up, upgrading buildings and guild quests ) which require participation in adventures at some point. If this is made more difficult for growing players, or guild members than it currently is, they are simply going to quit.
As has already been asked in this thread already how are guild leaders going to convince guild members to do an IOTP which may yield a little over 100 guild coins, when to buy the adventure costs in excess of 600 guild coins? And before you say that they will have adjusted that, I should remind you that they are the same people who can not fix the sticking guild quest and have to reset it every two or three maintenance, and can't fix the flashing whisper tab, and think that their new battle system is PVP!!! Do you really think they have even looked at guild quests? Do you think they even play as a guild on their development easy build islands?
Ignoring the PVE joke ( and they say Germans lack a sense of humour ) If the rebalancing was done with a lot more thought and allowed to be tested more thoroughly, it could have been an interesting update to the game, however what is on test and what has been put in this diary only points to a quieter chat server, lots of expensive goodies for fishes on TO, and a few stubborn lvl 50's trying to sell 500,000 saltpetre to each other on the trade channel
( Even MODs are leaving, the analogy of leaky aquatic transportation and furry rodents spring to mind, but I don't want to offend....the furry rodents )
My feedback, Introduce the PVE on the 25th along side the changes to the FT adventures, implement changes to iron and expert building chains but with a promise to look again at any anomalies that the player base finds, say in February 2015. Remove weapons from loot and replace with raw resources. BUT DO NOT change current adventures in merchant or expert resources drop rates in loot until you can show how it `balances' with the rest of the `live' game .

[Thejollyone]

The opinions mainly good or mainly bad made on this server may not reflect the other servers. I have just checked Zeus and it is far more sedate and positive so far.

Just a reminder we are not the only ones BB have to listen to and if all the other servers say its all cool then why should WE be given what we demand.

with all due respect, they play a totally different game to the EU servers... They are sedate as they hardly do adventures. They do not have the same implications we have.

[Bluesavanah]

The opinions mainly good or mainly bad made on this server may not reflect the other servers. I have just checked Zeus and it is far more sedate and positive so far.

Just a reminder we are not the only ones BB have to listen to and if all the other servers say its all cool then why should WE be given what we demand.

I just checked the German server forum and there's a 20 page feedback thread mostly negative and a 14 page petition asking to stop the changes in their present form. Ultimately it will probably be implemented as planned and maybe adjusted in the future as economies stabilise. The vocal minority have to remember these changes will not affect the silent majority that much, they will log in and potter about planting fields and chatting as usual then log off, maybe doing an adventure less often than they used to. They certainly won't hit 50 as fast as was possible but it won't bother them much.

[CrazyBat]

The opinions mainly good or mainly bad made on this server may not reflect the other servers. I have just checked Zeus and it is far more sedate and positive so far.

Just a reminder we are not the only ones BB have to listen to and if all the other servers say its all cool then why should WE be given what we demand.

Hi Mort
I just qouted your last comment because I want to answer you and won't qoute everything you said.
I of course understand your point and I understand how players that play much longer than me are actually welcoming these changes. What I don't get is why no one can put him self into position of us who yet have to come to that level of bordnes with game.
What I mean is, have you all forgot how hard actually is (as it is) to get all those gold towers? I mention gold towers becase they are the ones that have made a market such a crazy place with inflated prices (fe. 10k bronze swords 1k coins)?

So now what will happen, I was heappy to believe that in the next month I will be able to buy my first gold tower to find out I will need even more time and work to actually do it. All 3? I don't even dare to think about it. With no weapons from loots and changes with camps in FT adventures I don't think it will be any time soon.
But while all of that is going on market will still be inflated because many, many players already have these gold towers and money to buy stuff. Again those are the same players that welcome changes....

So what has the game bring better to me and those in similar position to me?

[lordloocan]

So, 11 pages of feedback here and the only input from BB is to hassle one person for one word. Sad to see this level of 'customer service' but those of us who have played for a while have come to expect it.

I still leave my challenge to BB to create an island on the test server using just 155 licences which can progress through the levels at any sort of rate. Come on, let's see you manage it..........

[Andy_P_Wolf]

Quote Originally Posted by jollyfog2012 View Post
I honestly don't know why I'm giving feedback here, it's not like anyone from BB ever listens anyway. Test server feedback was pretty negative all round, yet still BB decide to go live with this farce. PvP is a joke - you do not gain anything from it according to the test server results.

Taking the weapons away from loot, fine, I just hope the resources are actually linked to the losses of weapons suffered per adventure, and not what BB assumes they are. We shall see... I'm, also not happy with the apparent reduction of granite and exo logs from test server results.. I'm pretty sure though that the amount of saltpetre will increase, as we all need more of that, right? (sarcasm - just in case BB think I'm serious)

As for the extra splash damage on enemies - WHY DO THIS??? Isn't it enough you've nerfed the loot? Why now tamper with it all and make thousands of hours of work on guides and sims redundant? This is not a good example on how to satisfy the player base..

Finally, as has been mentioned - why mess about with the adventure searches? I truly hope the Guild Quests have also been altered now to accomodate this. In fact, let's go one step further and remove adventures from all guild quests.

I truly hope BB take notice of how unhappy people feel over all this, but I'm not confident they will

I did not play on test for a very long time (since feedback there never seemed to have any effect).
I agree with jollyfog2012 in all points.
Moreover I think that quite a few long time players will quit (since this will no longer be the game they used to play) and that the number of low level players that quit will even increase.
I understand that BB wants to sell gems but tihs is definitely the wrong way.
I like the challenge of mastering the game without spending money.
But I would spend money if something worthy would be offered. The first box is a very fine example for that, containing a then unique general, a silo, gems.
To make it clear, I am not against changes in the game. But I have a problem with all changes that are introduced against the will of the players.
One could do that if he hadn't asked, but if someone asks for my opinion I expect him to listen.
I've been playing this game since December 2011 in spite of severe difficulties, bugs, log in failures, lags, and so on. But should this game develop in a direction I don't like, well, there are a lot of other games. After all, I play for pleasure and for recreation from work.
My suggestions:
- Replace weapons from adventure loot with resources. Otherwise let adventures and loot be as they are.
- Make colonies available by some other means than adventure search which is highly random. Make them available in a form that they are not easy to get but can be got with some effort - like the guild house
- Let colonies produce some resources even if they are not open
- Let players visit their colonies and let them rearrange the defenses (You can rearrange your island as well, after all)

Well, now this post has become very much longer than I intended but this issue excited me so much that I at least wanted to tell my opinion.
Last, I want to cite jollyfog2012:

I truly hope BB take notice of how unhappy people feel over all this, but I'm not confident they will

[Mortallicus]

Hi Mort
I just qouted your last comment because I want to answer you and won't qoute everything you said.
I of course understand your point and I understand how players that play much longer than me are actually welcoming these changes. What I don't get is why no one can put him self into position of us who yet have to come to that level of bordnes with game.
What I mean is, have you all forgot how hard actually is (as it is) to get all those gold towers? I mention gold towers becase they are the ones that have made a market such a crazy place with inflated prices (fe. 10k bronze swords 1k coins)?

So now what will happen, I was heappy to believe that in the next month I will be able to buy my first gold tower to find out I will need even more time and work to actually do it. All 3? I don't even dare to think about it. With no weapons from loots and changes with camps in FT adventures I don't think it will be any time soon.
But while all of that is going on market will still be inflated because many, many players already have these gold towers and money to buy stuff. Again those are the same players that welcome changes....

So what has the game bring better to me and those in similar position to me?

Hi CB

PvP or a form of has been promised since before I joined the game. There was evidence that a full PvP element was imminent. So for some this was and has always been a disappointment. Now I believe that many of us have mellowed and now any form of PvP being introduced is welcomed and not a surprise.

The game on the whole is a lot easier now and I know many level 50's if not most bend over backwards to help new players . Most of us oldies could not level up in 3 months or 6 months to level 50. There were not many level 50's when i joined and certainly none to help me level up. One benefit we did have, however, were the starter packs. The first ones were generous and included a BHG but we only had tavern generals at that time and a BHG to be bought with gems in the shop. No Vet no grim reaper . No premium. We have invested a lot of time in this game but i think many are not bored at all. There are a lot of assumptions by a few that we are bored, that we have had it easy and we are smug because we have achieved 50 Many new players want to level far more quickly, they cannot wait to get the things you get at 50 and I do not blame them and its not all new players.

I am not at all bored with the game as it is but yes i believe some are. Also I have seen many low level players leave the game before really getting a feel for it and therefore something has to be done and if that means changes then they have to happen. I think we should all be able to have a say in a calm rational manner without insulting each other. I am at fault with that earlier in this thread.

Many of my friends got a Fairy Castle as soon as they turned 50 I decided to aim for the gold towers first. I think they are vastly over-rated so i dont actually agree with you that they have made the market place crazy. I have only recently got my FC. By some standards I am now a rich player but i am also poor in comparison to some others. I visited another level 50's island and felt like a mouse that had just popped out of my home in her skirting board. But i do like my island too. So basically, if I am rich then anyone can do it , it takes commitment, time and continuity. I have been here with hardly a break since Feb 2012. I have not compared myself to others or envied what they have worked for and achieved. Just head down and get on with it. Knowing I had lots to achieve actually inspired me to keep playing. The real enjoyment of the game is the working through the levels and gaining bit by bit. The enjoyment does not start or end at 50 but when you have personally decided you are no longer interested and would rather do something else.

Why get angry in advance of these changes. We started the game not knowing how it would enfold and thats how I personally want to continue playing it. If when we get the new loot and its a pittance not worth doing the adventure I will stand up and shout with the rest of you. But i would rather argue from a position of strength. A word from a concerned player is fine, a shout and rave at others that dont share your view point is totally unnecessary.

The numbers that post on this forum are only a small number of the players on this server and we all have to remember that and this server is just one of many. Overall BB have to take everyone into account and yes I trust them do do that. Yes they have made mistakes and there are bugs that should have been fixed but also many of the problems can be resolved by us the players.

Finally, its not what the game has to do for you but how you play the game. Forget following others. Concentrate on your own isle, your own economy , find the way you want to play and get the enjoyment you seek. At least give the changes a chance. Dont compare yourself with others and what they have and when. This game has masses to offer but does need tweaking to keep mainly newcomers interested and to stop some level 50's leaving.