Neither you or Lionsmane have been answering the point.
Neither one of you has comprehended the complaint as it was written, answered the question or provided anything resembling a cogent reason as to why this was done ... other than to make money.
Why am I fighting forces that are not available to anyone? They are not on the research tree. I paid my money to scout provinces. I won those provinces by battle or by negotiating. Never once, until recently have I been up against forces that aren't even listed on the research tree, more or less, on the new power pyramid and research tree.
OF COURSE ranking counts. OF COURSE manufactories, culture, armories, barracks, workshops and residences/population count. That is the result of how I have played the game so far. That is how I got here. That is why I made this thread in the first place. I didn't do it because Support answered this question sufficiently, strangely enough Lioinsmane's comments all over every forum thread he can possibly type his opinion, it is the same as support's is. You see his name on a thread and he is taking the side of INNO games every time.
A comment ... from Lionsmane ... as follows "
The Devs have to look at the whole of the game and what is best for that and not what a certain element within that group wants no matter the time that they have been with it. The devs likely looked at a few options before ultimately deciding on the route they did. Whichever route they chose was going to upset that element because, in the devs opinion and looking at the long term viability of the game, it was that element that the problem originated with."
The response was quick, succinct and to the point - something Lionsmane skirted around - like (another quote from another poster's comment, that is still up, referring to Lionsmane's heavy pro developers stance). ... kissing up they would say in the business world.
""That element?( Edited by the monitors on this post although it was a quote from another player whose post has been up for two weeks now and involved a word which basically means childish in a grown up). Heck, it isn't even accurate. They have stopped EVERY player at every level of the game from fighting as much as they could before because they are trying to extract more money in expansion sales. End of story.
"it was that element that the problem originated with." So, it was customers that ******* the game because they played it? You sure have your blame in the wrong place. Any problems with the game are on the devs. The devs wrote the game. If they couldn't anticipate how people will play it and what types of incentives get you what kinds of actions, they were be in the wrong business. That is part of writing a game. But the devs aren't as stupid as you keep implying they were. They knew what they were doing. All this is about is money. You know this because they sell ways for people to be "that element". After the game had been out being tested for a while, they looked at player behavior and found where people spend money, so they tightened that choke point. I think they are pushing too hard and choking too tight. That is what this all about. How much to choke. If you want to discuss that, then go right ahead. Consistently blaming players for being active is to miss the point completely.
Btw....the devs do not look at the game and decide what is best for the game, they decide what is the best way to extract money from individuals. They can provide a really terrible game and still extract money. Careful what you are supporting. They most certainly do NOT have the same goals as players. We want fun. They want money. The two CAN overlap in a Venn diagram, but they often do not.""
OR another example ...
this time from Dhurrin.
"Can somone PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE introduce an ignorebutton here for trolls like Lionsmane (another comment from a quoted post that has been up for a week that involves a slang term for fecal matter). defending an issue which is driving away a lot of players?
Lionsmane, if you work for Inno, please keep out of it. If you do not, then you should apply there (anther comment here from a "QUOTED POST I USED TO MAKE A POINT" that involves kissing up to the designers at the expense of players) who never seem to be wrong and everything is the players fault.
(Edited here - an expression that Charlie Brown from Peanuts uses. All. The. Time. "good grief I am getting sick" .... really? good grief and the sick part of sick and tired was edited out, I got in trouble for quoting this ???? another persons post that is still up ????) and getting closer and closer to just leave the game."
End quote.
I think "someone" complains to the monitor, and way too quickly when he is called out for not answering the question and posting pro developer irrelevant off-topic answers.