Utopia will die

**f1av0r** · 24-03-2013, 00:11

Game won't die anytime soon, but I don't understand the reluctance to update the game engine from 2000. The tick should be replaced with a real time timer and the overall layout could be improved dramatically. I've always scratched my head that there is one title page for releasing wizards with nothing else of interest on the page. Why not put it in the same page that releases Soldiers,Specs,Elites and Thieves? It's these kind of layout decisions that remind me Utopia was born during the Geocities era. Kind of nice to step back in the time of scrolling frames and random pages. Just need the old midi file to auto load and my 20 hour bonus click.

**wolfie1010** · 24-03-2013, 00:29

If the game is to improve (and I think it has improved a great deal since I last played a few years ago) then the following should happen:

1) Stop keeping gameplay understanding a secret

This is a small game with only a 7k user base. Spend more time mid ages making the game easier to learn and play. The wiki is not up to snuff. You need to explain and "reveal" formulas and include how it all works in an improved wiki. There are dozens of questions re-asked each week in the forums that don't get added to the wiki. This is an easy fix. The explore formula is not a fun game to figure out guys, publish it.

2) <removed>

The team of one or two people over there who run that game got a lot of things right. There are a lot of no brainer changes that Uto should include. Most important would be to integrate intel into the game rather than forcing your users to have to get a upoopu / stinger / pimp / self script / IRC bot to do something that you should just simply... PUT IN THE GAME ITSELF. Integrate an IRC channel directly into the KD page somewhere instead of the reverbim chat. Let people who setup a bot in the channel get that shown right in game for those who don't feel like figuring out how to download mIRC and all the commands you have to learn just to get started. PUT IT IN THE GAME ITSELF.

3) Just partner up with utools

It's a vastly better way to play the game so PUT IT IN THE GAME ITSELF so people don't have to go and download it. The features in it frankly make me wonder why they were not just adopted by the devs immediately for all players. Holy smokes I can't believe I played for so long without this add on. Just the ambush calculator alone made it worthwhile.

4) Improve the recruiting tool.

It's a great tool, easily the best way to find players unless you're a well known KD who can recruit off the boards or through IRC. It's just missing a way for you to send messages back and forth between candidate and monarch. Also make the tool available to a nominated KD player. This game relies too much on a single player to do all the heavy lifting (adding the steward control over relations etc. was a huge step in the right direction). Most KDs assign someone otehr than monarch the job of recruiting so let the monarch nominate a recruiter too, or at least let steward recruit players also. Monarchs USUALLY want to have an interview with a prospective player. It's not enough to leave a tweet sized message and expect a monarch to pay $10 and risk an invite on you. The chat feature works if you can be online constantly to chat to a player, what I'm saying is it would be even better if you could leave messages as the chat is buggy and the monarch can't be online 24/7.

5) Stop hating on targetfinders

The .eu site we all know which one I'm talking about does a WAY better job of storing rankings by age, comparing KDs, charting a KDs growth, seeing when your players were last online... and of course helping you find a target. Regardless of the debate of a targetfinder being cheap or whatever... if you want more players this entire feature set should be built into the game.

6) Change the customer service attitude

This part of the experience could be better. I know the mods have a hard job here because I know what utopia players are like. However the gruff short sentence answers that are given to often intricate questions is offputting. Having to ask your question four times in different ways and to prod for a full answer is not exactly thrilling. I get far better answers from pro players in IRC than I do from the horses mouth and that's too bad. There is also a stubborn streak a mile long that shows up in the customer service side of things here.

7) Charge less for invites

It's too expensive an item and once spent you have no control over it. Let's just admit that no matter the intentions of the mods / owners etc. it is the kingdom that pays for invites (almost ALWAYS) and so the kingdom takes a risk each time. The kingdom owns the spot in the kingdom - not the player. But the KD has no control over an invite once given. That player disappears a day later you're down $10. I know the mods won't change this ownership dynamic (see #6) but at least acknowledge that for a free game its very expensive to run a competitive kingdom. You'd have more people willing to run 25 player KDs if invites were cheaper... and a more competitive utopia is a worthy goal. $2/invite.

8) Give monarchs a reason to spend all that time making the game happen

Give them bonuses back. Give them free credits, give them something to acknowledge that your utopia experience is largely driven by your monarch's investment of time into the game.

9) Kingdom and player rankings should show everyone

Top 100 by race etc. just creates an easy targetfinder if you're a certain size. Give this power over to all players. And give us all the pleasure of knowing how well or poorly we're doing vs. everyone else in the ladders.

10) Embrace mobile phones

Ignore tablets and mobile phones at your peril. This game can't be played on a phone. It should be easier.

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**Crazyguy** · 24-03-2013, 01:09

Originally Posted by Forensick

i remember in 2003, when people were saying if mehul didnt make xyz changes, the game would die...

does this thread prove its own falsehood?

I remember the mass deletions in 2003. It made the game better. I was really starting to get tired of a prov from one KD taking my intel and 10x ns, two others bouncing off of me (all from diff KD's, all with the same leader name, all within 5 mins of each other) before getting quad hit! Hasn't happened since I rejoined a couple of years ago. I started 2002. I think that it was age 11. I played until 2005 when I got a job that I had to travel for and didn't rejoin until 2011.

The major difference that I see now is that there used to be more young ppl playing Utopia. My younger brother used to play. He was 12 in 2003. There were many other younger players as well! Maybe the key is to try to again market the game to younger PPL. I think that Utopia is an excellent learning tool both for math, and political science!

**Surrakar** · 24-03-2013, 01:10

I agree for sure that a smartphone version of this game should be made. This would help A LOT.

**Crazyguy** · 24-03-2013, 01:18

Me too. I would have played for all of those years that I had to work away from home.

**DM_Benjamin** · 24-03-2013, 02:09

Originally Posted by wolfie1010

If the game is to improve (and I think it has improved a great deal since I last played a few years ago) then the following should happen:

1) Stop keeping gameplay understanding a secret

This is a small game with only a 7k user base. Spend more time mid ages making the game easier to learn and play. The wiki is not up to snuff. You need to explain and "reveal" formulas and include how it all works in an improved wiki. There are dozens of questions re-asked each week in the forums that don't get added to the wiki. This is an easy fix. The explore formula is not a fun game to figure out guys, publish it.

2) <removed>

The team of one or two people over there who run that game got a lot of things right. There are a lot of no brainer changes that Uto should include. Most important would be to integrate intel into the game rather than forcing your users to have to get a upoopu / stinger / pimp / self script / IRC bot to do something that you should just simply... PUT IN THE GAME ITSELF. Integrate an IRC channel directly into the KD page somewhere instead of the reverbim chat. Let people who setup a bot in the channel get that shown right in game for those who don't feel like figuring out how to download mIRC and all the commands you have to learn just to get started. PUT IT IN THE GAME ITSELF.

3) Just partner up with utools

It's a vastly better way to play the game so PUT IT IN THE GAME ITSELF so people don't have to go and download it. The features in it frankly make me wonder why they were not just adopted by the devs immediately for all players. Holy smokes I can't believe I played for so long without this add on. Just the ambush calculator alone made it worthwhile.

4) Improve the recruiting tool.

It's a great tool, easily the best way to find players unless you're a well known KD who can recruit off the boards or through IRC. It's just missing a way for you to send messages back and forth between candidate and monarch. Also make the tool available to a nominated KD player. This game relies too much on a single player to do all the heavy lifting (adding the steward control over relations etc. was a huge step in the right direction). Most KDs assign someone otehr than monarch the job of recruiting so let the monarch nominate a recruiter too, or at least let steward recruit players also. Monarchs USUALLY want to have an interview with a prospective player. It's not enough to leave a tweet sized message and expect a monarch to pay $10 and risk an invite on you. The chat feature works if you can be online constantly to chat to a player, what I'm saying is it would be even better if you could leave messages as the chat is buggy and the monarch can't be online 24/7.

5) Stop hating on targetfinders

The .eu site we all know which one I'm talking about does a WAY better job of storing rankings by age, comparing KDs, charting a KDs growth, seeing when your players were last online... and of course helping you find a target. Regardless of the debate of a targetfinder being cheap or whatever... if you want more players this entire feature set should be built into the game.

6) Change the customer service attitude

This part of the experience could be better. I know the mods have a hard job here because I know what utopia players are like. However the gruff short sentence answers that are given to often intricate questions is offputting. Having to ask your question four times in different ways and to prod for a full answer is not exactly thrilling. I get far better answers from pro players in IRC than I do from the horses mouth and that's too bad. There is also a stubborn streak a mile long that shows up in the customer service side of things here.

7) Charge less for invites

It's too expensive an item and once spent you have no control over it. Let's just admit that no matter the intentions of the mods / owners etc. it is the kingdom that pays for invites (almost ALWAYS) and so the kingdom takes a risk each time. The kingdom owns the spot in the kingdom - not the player. But the KD has no control over an invite once given. That player disappears a day later you're down $10. I know the mods won't change this ownership dynamic (see #6) but at least acknowledge that for a free game its very expensive to run a competitive kingdom. You'd have more people willing to run 25 player KDs if invites were cheaper... and a more competitive utopia is a worthy goal. $2/invite.

8) Give monarchs a reason to spend all that time making the game happen

Give them bonuses back. Give them free credits, give them something to acknowledge that your utopia experience is largely driven by your monarch's investment of time into the game.

9) Kingdom and player rankings should show everyone

Top 100 by race etc. just creates an easy targetfinder if you're a certain size. Give this power over to all players. And give us all the pleasure of knowing how well or poorly we're doing vs. everyone else in the ladders.

10) Embrace mobile phones

Ignore tablets and mobile phones at your peril. This game can't be played on a phone. It should be easier.

----------

1) I kind of agree here but not totally. Understanding some of the specific formulas is needed however I do enjoy learning on the cuff. This age for instance a lot of people are saying that you no longer need to send as much random factor multiplier etc

In the past it has been *1.04 and a lot of people are saying you can get away with *1.01 etc

2) I agree on this point. That said, I think the devs are working in the right direction. The only thing you need an external site/bot for is storing intel and quick up-to-date orders via IRC

Take the kingdom I am currently playing in, they use upoopu for intel storage crossed with a custom made IRC bot. Seems to work well for the leaders however as I am not a leader, I rarely even check the intel site. Even Angel is now out dated and no longer needed. 100% SOMs combined with the new war room information is all you need

3) 100% agree with this. I strongly suggest everyone download uTools and use it. It is a fantastic piece of work. It makes playing Utopia so much easier.

4) I have never used the recruiting tool however I will say this: Before the recruiting tool came to fruition, many old kingdoms were on the brink of disbanding. A prime example is FREE... I am very happy that such an old kingdom with such a great leader is able to rebuild and survive thanks to a simple recruiting tool. I think that perhaps it could be better, but the game is a lot better of with it, than with out.

5) This is an interesting one. the target finder site was very very useful and a great way to keep track of current wars. I would hope that one day the devs could maybe create something similar. I doubt this will happen though.

6) Utopia is the only game and forum I know where the customer support is very average. We never hear from the actual Devs and the customer support is one of the worst on the internet. Rarely are explanations given and more often than not, the moderators argue like little girls going through puberty. This area is disgraceful.

7) The bottom line is the game needs to make money to survive, selling cheaper invites is not the answer. The answer is for current monarchs to go through a proper interview process and make the right decisions.

8) If you do not want the **** that goes with leading a kd then dont lead. Leading can be very hard, especially in the top.

9) The only issue I see in this, is the smallest kds would get fed on even more. The first thing I would do OOP is look for the smallest kds and hit them

10) Agreed 100% - This would make the game so much better

**KuhaN** · 24-03-2013, 04:04

$10 invites is too expensive. Bring it down to $2.

**Elldallan** · 24-03-2013, 16:03