State of Utopia

[Swagger]

I would rather see the game shut down than have it turned into some childish cartoon version of its former self.

Munkbot has made this game 100x easier and dumbed down than anything the devs have introduced directly into the game, and I'm pretty sure you use that tool. Adding a throttling mechanism designed to discourage bottom feeding is hardly the harbinger of childish cartoon doom. If you don't like the way the game is going, don't presume everyone else shares the same opinion. The game is in a better place than it has been in a decade because at least someone is AT the wheel now. You can disagree with the direction they're turning, but it's better than going towards a cliff with no driver.

[Elit]

I cant comment game mechanic but Palem new avatar look scary!

[Memster]

Munkbot has made this game 100x easier and dumbed down than anything the devs have introduced directly into the game, and I'm pretty sure you use that tool. Adding a throttling mechanism designed to discourage bottom feeding is hardly the harbinger of childish cartoon doom. If you don't like the way the game is going, don't presume everyone else shares the same opinion. The game is in a better place than it has been in a decade because at least someone is AT the wheel now. You can disagree with the direction they're turning, but it's better than going towards a cliff with no driver.

The problem isn't gains throttling for a big kd vs a small kd. The problem is gains throttling of IN-RANGE kds. It's clearly a mechanic that needs tweaking to fix some major issues with certain aspects of it.

[StratOcastle]

Munkbot has made this game 100x easier and dumbed down than anything the devs have introduced directly into the game, and I'm pretty sure you use that tool. Adding a throttling mechanism designed to discourage bottom feeding is hardly the harbinger of childish cartoon doom. If you don't like the way the game is going, don't presume everyone else shares the same opinion. The game is in a better place than it has been in a decade because at least someone is AT the wheel now. You can disagree with the direction they're turning, but it's better than going towards a cliff with no driver.

The direction of the game itself is fine. Throttling isn't something that matters to my kingdom because we get randoms from all CF shelf kingdoms. Rhetorically, one grabs intel from one kingdom and you get hit at your weakest point by another. So this is equivalent to the game as it has always been. That's not a complaint, I retal everyone.

We tend to enter agreed wave time wars so it's casual kingdom friendly. We all come in with injuries from being out of war so it's relative and we again don't experience throttling mechanics.

I'd like to find a non-bot, non-chat kingdoms so I can play without them. I'm glad the world has munkbot but my preference is the raw game. My practice is to put intel into munkbot and not really use it. The espionage page doesn't give sot defense at home so I'm at the mercy of munkbot vs high tpa opponents who hold elites. Still I'm not above taking three 10 thief sots and attacking the highest perceivable defense.

[Swagger]

The problem isn't gains throttling for a big kd vs a small kd. The problem is gains throttling of IN-RANGE kds. It's clearly a mechanic that needs tweaking to fix some major issues with certain aspects of it.

And I'm sure they will. And I'm also sure the community will find something else to complain about when they resolve that issue.

[Verminator]

The community has been extremely competitive all these years. That's what you're picking up on. I think if you guys made a fraction of the sacrifices others have in order to get and stay on top, you'd be pretty angry too. You get crutch after crutch handed to you and you still demand more and more to keep your ghettos afloat.

First of all, let's not assume those you are speaking to have not been there done that. Second of all, I don't think many in this community "demand" these crutches; they only seek a playing field that is receptive to the masses, not a playing field that only benefits the elite few. When these crutches as you call them are introduced, they look terrible to the elite because they serve the function of taking away weight from the elite and shifting it a little bit more towards the masses. I think the current admins understand that a game needs to cater to masses, so you are seeing a shift in mentality that is making the grizzled old vets upset because it's a sign that "the old days" are over; progress is finally moving on to their front lawn and they can't chase it off with a shotgun.

I honestly feel bad for you. You'll never get to experience the depth and sheer beauty of truly competitive play. ........octo talking about the old days like an old war vet sitting in front of a fire with a blanket over his lap, grumbling about kids these days have it so easy and he had to walk uphill barefoot both ways in the driving snow in the middle of spring to go to school... they had next to nothing and they were thankful for it!... and so forth...

dude, really, you'll always be one of the best to grace this game. I don't think anyone with half a sense could question that. But the game needs to evolve to something more mainstream to survive. The state of the game before the new administration took over was unsustainable. It was on life support and could only continue to remain the same 3000-player teensy corner of the internet if it was allowed to go on as it was. That's not only going to lead to the game fading away, but it isn't going to provide a return on investment for the admins, which we all need to understand is a necessary outcome as well. These guys invested their lives into this game, will continue to invest time and effort in the game, and need it to give back to them. Utopia of the past simply will never do that. So now it's an easier game, still with enough strategic depth to make it stable, but just not as much of the human-driven strategy (also called diplomacy) required anymore.

Don't think for a second that because we all talk **** about each other that there isn't a tremendous amount of respect behind it.

"We all" is probably more like "we few" in this case... let's be honest, there is just no way that a lot of the venom spit out here in the forums has any respect behind it, let alone a "tremendous" amount of the stuff. Maybe you personally, I can see that, you're that type of player to respect your most hated opponents for at least being on the same level as you. But many others? No, sorry, not buying it, you can't apply your stance to many of them. The interactions are just too personal, too repetitive and too viscerally angry to have a deeper core of respect behind them. There's a big difference between worthy opponents talking smack and childish epeen-wielding elitists fighting not only for supremacy, but to bury their opponents so deep in controversy and suspicion with lies and misdirection that they cannot possibly be a threat to that supremacy.

[Verminator]

Munkbot has made this game 100x easier and dumbed down than anything the devs have introduced directly into the game, and I'm pretty sure you use that tool.

Man I wish I'd thought of this point, crazy spot on reminder in this discussion.

Adding a throttling mechanism designed to discourage bottom feeding is hardly the harbinger of childish cartoon doom. If you don't like the way the game is going, don't presume everyone else shares the same opinion. The game is in a better place than it has been in a decade because at least someone is AT the wheel now. You can disagree with the direction they're turning, but it's better than going towards a cliff with no driver.

Excellently put in much fewer words than my verbose behind would ever be capable of.

[Palem]

You'll never see TheScript in action, wiping out entire islands of provinces. Never get butterflies in your stomach when you finally score an interview with the kingdom you've admired for years. Never be the one selected among those in your kingdom to take on the responsibility of the coveted bank/cow role. I would venture to wager that none of you will really ever stand out at all. How could you though? Strategy has been reduced to the point that kingdom setups are almost completely homogeneous. The canvas is one dimensional now; I can't imagine how you would go about painting on it.

Oddly beautiful.

[octobrev]

I have no beef with the throttling. I've already found a spectacularly giant hole in it. It's things like eowcf which was previously replicated by engaging in diplomacy with the community (ghettos are just too lazy to be bothered I guess) and province pools which eliminate the ability to allocate and differentiate spreads. And land bonuses for war.

From what I've heard all these years, warring kingdoms don't even care about the land/nw charts so I really don't see why we can't maintain our normal level of competition up there while the rest of you diddle around practicing below. You have war win and honor charts to compete for with warstance orientation. Separate but equal was just fine.

[octobrev]

Dem crutches ^^

[StratOcastle]

That's most players, most kingdoms. I'm highly Interested in acreage because keeping it is where the fun is.

Since war kingdoms tend to capitulate to whoring the acres have to come from somewhere. So most war kingdom attacks are situated around science, but sculpting is a thing to. I'm not sure what the top situation with the myriad of larger war kingdoms is, but I'd imagine someone has to be an acre feed.

I'm not seeing any tops dipping in around here, but we're small. What I'd really like to do is retal these pumped war kingdoms for land, but we have cultural gridlock.

You all understand this. What we aren't doing is joining forces, right? I'm just a retal whore in a warring world. I'm dressed all wrong for my real job. Ah, if I was in a micro-kingdom. I like my guys but they aren't in that temple yet.

[MrCurious]

If this old text based game makes you angry, bitter and frustrated why do you keep on playing it.
Is it simply because you are addicted and cannot stop?

For me personally i could not stop myself logging in 24/7 and work/family life suffered for it. Thats why i dont play anymore. It looks like i made the right choice when i look at changes and all these angry posts.

PS: People who use RL references/stories to make a point about Utopia should have their heads examined. Srsly, stop.

[Zombies are people too]

I cant comment game mechanic but Palem new avatar look scary!

Very badass yes, but as badass as a "Gunblade"????



Ugh, Squall #dreamy

-DM <3

[octobrev]

If this old text based game makes you angry, bitter and frustrated why do you keep on playing it.
Is it simply because you are addicted and cannot stop?

For me personally i could not stop myself logging in 24/7 and work/family life suffered for it. Thats why i dont play anymore. It looks like i made the right choice when i look at changes and all these angry posts.

PS: People who use RL references/stories to make a point about Utopia should have their heads examined. Srsly, stop.

Kinda! I get to do all the same basic stuff at work too though so that doesn't suffer. There is definitely no room for any sort of a family. They're expensive anyway so I don't advise breeding.

David's very own Yourfather is another example of a player that had to quit for work :(

[Palem]

I cant comment game mechanic but Palem new avatar look scary!

Very badass yes, but as badass as a "Gunblade"????



Ugh, Squall #dreamy

-DM <3

I'm mildly disappointed none of the OG forum goers haven't recognized it yet =/