Utopia Classic Blog - June 10th

[Lydias]

Please use this thread to comment on this week's Utopia classic Blog

[Fate1316]

First!

DO NOT DELETE! WILL EDIT IN SOMETHING USEFUL!

Edit:
I am again saddened to hear there is still 4 weeks or so left in this age. I am glad to hear, however, that the coding is just about done. Could you please elaborate more on the invite system? How exactly would that work? Also, knowing what each part of the code does as of now doesn't necessarily mean that you understand game mechanics just as well, which is what we are concerned about.

[Sweetiepie]

1)
And before you worry about the quality of the opinions we might receive, accept our assurances that we can also tell the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly in that department too :-)

I'm sorry, why do you expect us to take this at face value simply because you understand the mathematical formulas in the game? Perhaps you could give an example of what would be a good suggestion and why it is good, and a bad suggestion and why it is bad. ou could just pick 2 suggestions from the current suggestion board to analyse.

So far we have seen, as a community, nothing from OMAC which has reassured us about pretty much anything, so for me your stock is low and you need to evidence your statement. Consider it your Community Initiation Test!

2)
What exactly do these comments imply?

eventually need to revisit the broader topic of kingdom formation, getting into a good kingdom, balancing kingdom skill levels out, creating a nurturing environment for newbies, and keeping it all fun

[Lydias]

Hey let's give the benefit of the doubt here?

Please, please don't let your frustrations with other staff members and my team rub off on these guys?

[Fate1316]

Hey let's give the benefit of the doubt here?

Been there, and been burned before. This last set of answers was dubious.....

Please, please don't let your frustrations with other staff members and my team rub off on these guys?

Agreed, but at the same time, they should be aware of what is going on (which it seemed like they weren't).

[Ezzerland]

mod pls delete this post

[Lydias]

Well I think they have a point - yes of course we can work together to make the suggestions forum more effective, but as devs they are very politely going to ask me first before they start making radical changes here?

[ninjin]

Some poster should really take a chill pill or stop posting all together in these threads.

On to funnier things
Great news that alpha testing is on the horizon. That was the best news ever. Also good to know that the age will last perhaps a month. More wars for us then.
The invite systems sounds much more appealing than the current codes.

[SpoiledTechie]

You said you will keep Utopia up and running until it stops making money...

Have you done any estimates of how many users it will fall when it stops making money?

We are at 13,000 this age. Will the mark be 5k users? Im just wondering when you guys give up....

[DHaran]

We’re hoping to start inviting alpha testers in next week.

/me dances

Ezzer, it does seem like you are taking your frustrations out on Sean/Brian, they are the only ones other than Lydias who have kept an open line with us, so simmer down. It's not like your questions are that easy to understand anyway, I didn't even get what you meant.

[Magmalava]

First and foremost priority is to get a game running under the new code. Streamlining suggestions is a level 4, perhaps 3 priority.

Regarding that 'stop making money' bit. Why difference would it make to know that? If it ends it ends.

[ewlo]

And before you worry about the quality of the opinions we might receive, accept our assurances that we can also tell the difference between the good, the bad and the ugly in that department too :-)

I don't think you do! I might be shooting the messenger, but this do seem like the right place to shoot him.

An example of your lack of understanding of the game and lack of judgment:

This age Artisan was removed. Instead we got The Blessed Cleric.
While the artisan had a function as a specialized personality giving certain bonuses that was workable in a sensible way (as freak did earlier), the cleric do basicly nothing good.

I'll explain:
Artisan: The BE boost on certain buildings combined with extra population from homes made gnome/artisan one of (if not THE) strongest combination in the game played correctly (don't get me wrong: this is not the same as if I'd want a full KD of gnome/artisans). Others had other advantages, but all-over the Gnome/Artisan was very strong. This actually ment that what was the weakest race (overall) was possible to make the strongest. The same was true for Freak earlier, although it could be used successfully on other races too. The Artisan bonus was decent for most races, but for Gnomes, and also Dwarfs to some extent, it was fantastic.

The Cleric personality do nothing similar, and basically only make you have more stamina as an attacker in a warring situation. It do nothing for ppl like me who like to crunch numbers and sometimes make "the perfect" strategy, nor does it make a certain combination more playable, or even make disadvantages become advantages. It really doesn't do anything fruitful.

To me it seemed that you made the personality on a whim. And the whim was: "#1 We need something "religious" in the game. Like....? #2 The cleric! 1# Yeah, good idea! But what do he do? #2 What do clerics do? #1 Ummmm.....they have less causalities so that they kind of make up for the fact that gnomes can't use hospitals? #2. Yeah! Good idea. Let's make it so."

I will not even comment on your idea to let Gnomes have +100% food consumption...well....I will: Follow the string above: What does it do? Ow...wow. It makes Gnomes to economically good. So you figured: "We have to tweak gnomes so that they don't get too good"........

You get the idea!

I have no faith what-so-ever about your judgment of what is sound advice and what is not.

Even your ability to say one thing and do the other just tells me once more that you cannot be trusted when you say something. I.e. this "one month age". It sounded unrealistic, it was unrealistic, and again, it was decided on whim and on advice from what you deemed "the good". Self-insight would have told you they were "the bad or the ugly".

So...get realistic and stop telling us ****!

[DHaran]

^ This coming from someone who has never put any input whatsoever into the game (notice the 1 post). So your opinion is pretty much moot.

And by the way, Sean and Brian had nothing to do with those changes, that was Roisin, so try knowing something before you comment and look ridiculous.

[Bishop]

gnomes have +50% food consumption

[ewlo]

How does this being my first post in the forums make it invalid? The fact that you have made almost 1400 posts tell more about you, than 1 post do about me.

I did not say they have 100% food consumption...