Why Utopia Sucks

[PDun]

(No offense on the title)

So I used to play under a different name and quit in 2007.

While it was on a decline at the time, I did not expect it to die off this much. I know the game style is not that popular anymore but it never was an extremely popular game style. The majority of people simply do not like math. What happened was the majority of it's players grew up and could not put the time into it that most people who play put into it. Kingdoms started cheating galore, trading was an extremely common event. The kingdoms went from a group of random people, keeping the playing fields level, to a selected group of players.

This created a great divide in the kingdoms. It looks like these days that divide has been multiplied by more and more since the better kingdoms have lost players and merged together, taking more of the better players out of the lesser kingdoms etc etc.

What this has led to is an extremely huge gap for the new players in the game, they have nearly no leadership, no guidance, no assistance and are just food for the larger kingdoms until they quit the game. And if they are even half decent at the game and decide to continue to play, their only choice is to either be food or bail on their ghetto. Again, leaving new players with little to no guidance for them.



So, how to fix this ......

1. Create an 'elite' server. Something like BF was but even more exclusive. Maybe 40 kingdoms total and players can play on both servers. Possibly a pay to play server.
2. Shuffle the kingdoms. I know this won't be popular but at this point do you want to keep the new players or the players running off new players?
3. A kingdomless style server
4. Calculate KD NW into attack gains

Any of these would assist the players in the smaller KDs. This would assist in keeping the larger KDs from constantly attacking players simply because no one in their KD can bother them.


Flame away.

[Thunder TA]

1.pay for a new server and im sure they would. servers cost money and they dont have it with the player base here,Thats why there isnt 3 anymore but 1

2. That would kill the game completely

3. no, defeats the game purpose to begin with

4. So people can explore in small ghettos safe from provinces their own size, Naw.

[OrcPateNom]

ip ban him from forum and game for stupid post

[PDun]

1.pay for a new server and im sure they would. servers cost money and they dont have it with the player base here,Thats why there isnt 3 anymore but 1

Thus why I said possibly pay to play. If it's the elite server the majority of experienced players would pay to play on it. $10/round per province would more than cover all expenses and with services like AWS you only pay for what you use.

2. That would kill the game completely

The game is already almost dead. If it continues on this path, it will not last much longer. Time for a BUSINESS decision, do you run off the devoted veterans or do you let them chase off the new players. Each current experienced player in one of the top KDs probably runs off about 3 - 6 new players per age. The game needs to get new players not to appease the old players. Lose 1000 players to be able to keep 3000 seems like a smart business decision. Making player pay to get their kingdoms somewhat back together seems like an even better business decision too.

3. no, defeats the game purpose to begin with

I am not a huge fan of this one either, possibly a server with smaller kingdoms (10 or so provs) with shorter rounds would be better.

4. So people can explore in small ghettos safe from provinces their own size, Naw.

See the explanation for #2. Do you want to appease the players in top KDs who run off the new players by bottomfeeding or do you want to attract and protect newer players.


Just saying, it's time for this to be looked at like a business. That is the only way the game can survive.

[Palem]

As Thunder said, we don't have the money for another server

Reshuffling the kds would most likely cause a lot more people to quit than it would bring people in. The only reason a lot of people still play is because of who they're playing with.

If you want to play a kd-less utopia, Earth Empires is the Earth 2025 revival made by the Earth community.

Relative kd nw is a factor in attack gains.

[Avalanche]

1. Not enough money or people
2. The social element of the game is the only thing really keeping it alive, introducing invitations (legal trading) so people could take time off and thencome back to their 'families' was a great move by developers
3. There are similar games that are like that. Utopia is a team game. Again, social element.
4. This is already in place. Relative kdnw gains is already in place. Run 10% gs in a ghetto and even as a non orc you will significantly outgain orcs in a top kd trying to bottomfeed. I'm up on acres vs the current #1 , 2 , 3 kingdoms and will be working my down the list, from my rank 200 ghetto.

[Avalanche]

I am in favor of shorter rounds though. 8 weeks would be great. Not opposed to 20 player kds either

[PDun]

Avalanche,

20 player KDs wouldn't work without a shuffle. It would cause too much strife in the KDs that have been together for a long time.


As for not shuffling, it's kind of like not changing the engine in your car for fear of a new one destroying the transmission. It might happen but eventually, the engine itself will go out. By having these kingdoms that are together for so long you are going to lose a lot of your players if you shuffle but it will also lead to more experienced players to teach the newer players. If an elite, pay to play server was introduced where you select your kingdom at the same time, the players who want to stick together would just merge to the new server where the business makes more money. For the business end of the game, win win. For the more experienced players of the game, they can build their kingdoms exactly as they like. For the new players of the game, they get a fresh start to build up and then just repeat the shuffle every 4 - 6 rounds or so.

[Avalanche]

Most kds lose 3-5 players each age for a myriad of reasons. It won't cause strife, and players are asked to leave all the time, it won't be an issue to reduce kd numbers

And a kingdom core of people from all over the world who have become friends, met each other in real life, been to each other's homes and weddings, been there even if online during someone's life as they graduate, lose a loved one, find love, get married,have a kid, etc is a social element of this game that is intangible and really special and to simply take that away from people with a reshuffle because you equate it with a car part that needs a change is ridiculous. And a regular reshuffle will stop those kinds of social relationships from forming in the future

[Avalanche]

And trust me people would just use the freeze time to abandon their randomed provinces and be invited into kingdoms with their friends anyway

[Thunder TA]

looks like the game didnt fit his likes 6 years ago and still doesnt.

Maybe in 6 more he can come visit and try it again. Im sure we will still be here despite the game is dieing if they dont change to fit what he thinks it needs post.

So many of those over the years.sooner or later someone might actually be right ,Numbers havent changed alot in years so i dont see it anywhere soon.

Kinda getting the feeling someone explored big in a ghetto and got hit feeling by reading how his posts are going.

[PDun]

Avalanche,

As a business, you can't look at that. You have to do what will produce the maximum amount of revenue. By offering a server where players pay to play in the kingdom they want to and a free server to randomize in and randoms every 6 - 9 months or so, you create an atmosphere that makes those portions of Utopia profitable while making the game enjoyable for new players as well.

Again, it's about the business aspects of the game before the business kills all of the relationships that have been built in Utopia.

[PDun]

looks like the game didnt fit his likes 6 years ago and still doesnt.

Maybe in 6 more he can come visit and try it again. Im sure we will still be here despite the game is dieing if they dont change to fit what he thinks it needs post.

So many of those over the years.sooner or later someone might actually be right ,Numbers havent changed alot in years so i dont see it anywhere soon.

Kinda getting the feeling someone explored big in a ghetto and got hit feeling by reading how his posts are going.

Actually, I left the game after Katrina hit because I had to work 2 jobs to help my family get back on their feet.

As for getting hit, only twice so far. I am still doing well and not worried too much about it. I just have had every active player in my ghetto defect or leave for a better kingdom and when I ask why it's simple, it's a do or die type of situation for decent players in ghettos.

[Depravity]

Thus why I said possibly pay to play. If it's the elite server the majority of experienced players would pay to play on it. $10/round per province would more than cover all expenses and with services like AWS you only pay for what you use.

You're clueless. Generally speaking, nobody is going to pay to play a text-based game that requires little to no work.

[Avalanche]

Utopia is never going to be a money making machine, it's never gonna be like the early days with huge numbers. You need to be realistic about that, pretty sure the devs are.

The change to this ages protection was already a step forward in helping new players.