Can we do something about abandoned cities?

[DeletedUser7738]

New to Elvenar, I am on Arendyll as Mailenalani - I like most things about it, but just starting out. But one thing I have noticed are the abandoned cities, i.e., those cities no longer being worked on. I've got 2 right next to me in that condition where the same residence and/or main hall have been in a perpetual building state for the last two weeks (since I started playing). Apparently with these cities you can no longer help them either (as I can't with those 2). Is this an issue?

 

[DeletedUser1317]

With this issue, it is hard to delete cities because these people may have spent real money in the game. Some may come back and say hey where is my stuff.. kind of attitude. The only way to change this would be in their TOS. Hard to do that since like myself, I have cities in several worlds.. Only with the changes they have made I only play one, only because I am the Archmage and no one wants the job..lol

Plus their way of helping with this issue is they now move members around on the map to help bring together active members. Check your settings to see if you have it marked to move you. Give it time then.. They can't move you until a spot with your boosts in the correct spots are available.

 

[DeletedUser6335]

They move cities - there are numerous topics on this throughout the Forums. The thing is, most are of the belief (from what little information is out there) that a city with buildings over level 5 and/or that has spent Diamonds is not usually moved.
I've had dead/abandoned cities moved away from me only to have more of the same replace them. There is also the issue of some of those cities (as well as little played but active ones) being in "upgrade Lock down" - if someone sets buildings to upgrade they won't "finish" and come out of upgrade until that person logs in again... if that building is the Main Hall you can't access it to help. Builders Hut can only take 2 helps until 'full' and the varying other helpable culture buildings will stay unable to be helped til the last help wears off or a reset happens.
Keep watching those dead/abandoned cities - you'll likely see that some of them get moved.

 

[DeletedUser7738]

Excellent replies and results. After playing the game more, listening to my FS-mates and getting the drift of the game, I see it is not so much a problem but an annoyance. I suppose "moving" them is an option and I get spending "real money" keeps them in the game (they may be back someday ...) . The biggest problem are the ones in an "upgrade Lock down" (to quote Maradoranderwyn), I suggest putting a global timer on the build, say after a month or so, after which is it automatically completed with the results waiting for the player when and if they should log back in. Just my opinion.

 

[SoggyShorts]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208312274225116&set=oa.1652024521719596&type=3&theater
Check out the response @Jackluyt got from support

 

[DeletedUser6335]

Since I don't do Facebook I can't see anything

 

[SoggyShorts]

Since I don't do Facebook I can't see anything

Spoiler: just4you

 

[DeletedUser6335]

Thanks @SoggyShorts! Well there we have it - people do get moved, it just takes somewhere from 30+ days for them to get "noticed", placed in a queue (*if* they 'qualify') and then *voila* between 'sometime after that and the day the world ends' they get moved! It's like magic, I tell ya!

I'd still like to know why inactive folks around me are being replaced by more inactive folks...but I'm afraid to ask.

 

[SoggyShorts]

What I don't get is the "several months" to delete a player that has been flagged as a 30 day inactive. That is an obscene amount of time.

"the world map is very large and every inactive city cannot be deleted at once" Why not? Even if you have to shut down for 5 or 6 hours, get er done.

"inactive players who are past a certain point in the game cannot be removed from the world map, however these players will be moved to the edges of the map soon"- I can't imagine that moving cities is easier than deleting cities, so is this "soon" also several months?

 

[Arkadia]

@SoggyShorts - that "past a certain point in the game" might be "bought diamonds"

 

[DeletedUser6335]

@Arkadia it is buildings past level 4 and/or Diamond purchases if I read and recall correctly. Still, that certain point is okay - it is nice they don't delete at the drop of a hat like some other games; the amount of time to move those folks out of active areas is too nebulous and too long, therein lays the problem.

 

[DeletedUser7738]

@Arkadia it is buildings past level 4 and/or Diamond purchases if I read and recall correctly. Still, that certain point is okay - it is nice they don't delete at the drop of a hat like some other games; the amount of time to move those folks out of active areas is too nebulous and too long, therein lays the problem.

100% agree with this. I suspect there are more inactive players than actual players, so I think the answers from someone in support really can be boiled down to a simple, "we know it's an issue, we just don't have anything better at the moment that protects both us and the player."

 

[SoggyShorts]

@SoggyShorts - that "past a certain point in the game" might be "bought diamonds"

According to the quote it's 200+ purchased diamonds still on account, reaching chapter 4+, or having level 4+ buildings. Any of those makes a city protected and never deleted.

it is nice they don't delete at the drop of a hat like some other games

There is a lot of room between "drop of a hat" and "30 days+several months"

 

[DeletedUser6335]

I think the Devs need to understand the definition of an "active city" to players is one with a player who logs on, participates in trades (posting and accepting), and gives Neighborly help. The definition INNO/Devs use of an "active city" is a city on an Account which is logged into within 30 days. These two definitions, though each 'correct' on it's own do *not* jibe; the players need neighboring cities that offer help via NH and Trades - not just cities that were made on a world to "take a look around, find information, or be played once in a blue moon with "played" simply being 'logged in, maybe collected gold, maybe started an upgrade on a building, and logged out".

Also, @SoggyShorts I was saying *moving* dead/abandoned cities is different from deletion of them and/or accounts related to them. Some games I've played, if you didn't log in for 30 to 60 days or more you lost your character name or your character and all it's stuff. I'm glad INNO doesn't do that -*but* since they have such huge maps moving dead/abandoned cities *BY City activity *not* Account activity* should be a priority -and it should be addressed faster than it is -so as not to drive existing players away, prevent new players from continuing, or become much more of a hassle by growing in number. They have a HUGE Map to work with they could place dead/abandoned cities out of the way on...or they could have some sort of "suspension area" where those cities are held but not on the map to interfere with active cities/players.

 

[DeletedUser6698]

I totally agree. It's a drag on the game to visit numerous neighboring cities on the map which have looked exactly the same over a period of months. I usually visit every neighboring city on my map once a day, and there are a LOT of cities that simply never change. There is even one with "done playing" in the city title space, and when you visit the city, the player has deleted all but the Main Hall and four other buildings (Builder's Hut, Trader, Magic Academy, and Barracks). A nod of appreciation to the player who made it clear he was leaving the game for good.
I like the idea of moving abandoned cities to the outer edge of the map. That allows for the possibility of the player returning while eliminating the drag of inactivity among active players. Win-Win.

 

[DeletedUser7611]

At the very least the abandoned cities should still allow helping hands to work on them for other players, if their cap is at max change the code to read 0= helping hands

 

[muddyboots]

My suggestion - perhaps it has been put before - would be to be able to see the player's last log in date and time somewhere on the city when you visit it. I am currently trying to recruit fellowship members by scouting around and visiting those who are boosted in the right goods, and I cannot tell if the cities I am looking at are abandoned or active - a simple 'last log in' would solve this.

 

[Risen Malchiah]

I just look for people with buildings from the most recent event. If they have easter buildings, they're likely active. If their last event building was from halloween, probably not.

 

[muddyboots]

Yes, I do that as well, although it is not entirely accurate - but better than nothing!