Live Q&A Dec 09 2022

[SoggyShorts]

Non-event related Highlights
(paraphrased quotes)

They'll look into adding a checkmark for when you've reached the top of the spire (great for those with multiple accounts to see at a glance)
"Doesn't seem hard at all, we'll take it to the developers" -Tiago

Filtering cross-trades seems to be on the table.
"We've been discussing filters, and it could be a good idea, but that's still in discussion"-Tiago

Teleporting ancient wonders is under consideration
"It is undecided, the point is valid, I will take it up with the game designers and discuss it with them"-Tiago

https://fb.watch/hhR2EttS8u/

1:00:00 Spire icon for browser
1:02:25 Filter for cross trades
1:03:19 Teleport AW

 

[Pheryll]

Teleporting ancient wonders is under consideration
"It is undecided, the point is valid, I will take it up with the game designers and discuss it with them"-Tiago

Unexpected. People may use this feature to influence the tournament/spire calculation, which may mean that the calculation would need to be adjusted so that changes to AW levels are not a significant factor.

 

[SoggyShorts]

Unexpected. People may use this feature to influence the tournament/spire calculation, which may mean that the calculation would need to be adjusted so that changes to AW levels are not a significant factor.

Nah, as stated the simple prevention of abuse is to make it expensive. E.G. using the 1 blueprint per week you get to teleport an AW isn't worth it fo for how it affects your CAL
The only objection* has always been fear of abuse, but we've discussed it so much that all those loopholes are easily closed.

*Only objection not already solved.

 

[Pheryll]

Nah, as stated the simple prevention of abuse is to make it expensive. E.G. using the 1 blueprint per week you get to teleport an AW isn't worth it fo for how it effects your CAL

I am thinking once every so many weeks to teleport a large number of AWs, for a heavy push through your entire tournament provinces. Given the exponential nature of the calculation, skimping most weeks, and having one large push week may become a dominant strategy.

 

[SoggyShorts]

I am thinking once every so many weeks to teleport a large number of AWs, for a heavy push through your entire tournament provinces. Given the exponential nature of the calculation, skimping most weeks, and having one large push week may become a dominant strategy.

It's a great feature that thousands of players will really enjoy, and if once every few months the # 2 tournament player beats the #1 tournament player... well ok. That's already done with dropping a few extra 5-day buildings. People have a push week and clear to the maximum provinces they have all 6 rounds.

 

[Pheryll]

I watched through, and I can't tell if the team was dismissive of your idea in teleporting AWs or not. They said they would forward it, and that currently they are keeping things the way they are, so I am not sure if a policy change has actually occurred.

 

[crackie]

They put the last piece of the set in the Royal Prize. MEAN! (but actually smart biz move for once?)

 

[SoggyShorts]

so I am not sure if a policy change has actually occurred.

The policy before was a straight-up "no.", but since it was based on unjustified fears of abuse that can easily be prevented (cost and/or a cooldown) the devs "considering it", and agreeing that it's a valid request is a step in the right direction.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

If they really wanted to make Wonders safe to teleport, the simplest solution is to make them always effect the tournament and Spire cost, whether they are in your city or in your inventory.

 

[Count Rupert]

The simplest solution never seems to be the simplest solution when you're programming.

 

[Pheryll]

The policy before was a straight-up "no.", but since it was based on unjustified fears of abuse that can easily be prevented (cost and/or a cooldown) the devs "considering it", and agreeing that it's a valid request is a step in the right direction.

It was also based on programming issues of being able to store two different numerical parameters with the building. I have no idea if that obstacle was overcome.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

It was also based on programming issues of being able to store two different numerical parameters with the building. I have no idea if that obstacle was overcome.

Which being a browser game, has always made it harder. If this were a purely mobile game, it would have been done years ago, since other mobile games can do similar.

 

[SoggyShorts]

It was also based on programming issues of being able to store two different numerical parameters with the building. I have no idea if that obstacle was overcome.

I believe that concern was raised back before they figured it out, just like the Evolving buildings' Stage & Chapter parameters.
Also, the other options of only allowing teleport at rune phases or discarding KP in partially filled wonders simplify this "issue" as well.

Basically, there were some minor concerns that got blown way out of proportion with knee-jerk reactions of how it would destroy the balance of the game, and be an insurmountable programming task. After some calm discussion though, each concern has been addressed with multiple possible solutions.

 

[SoggyShorts]

If they really wanted to make Wonders safe to teleport, the simplest solution is to make them always effect the tournament and Spire cost, whether they are in your city or in your inventory.

Sorry, but that makes the teleport almost useless. The whole point of teleporting wonders is to try out different strategies, not just free up an expansion.
Making wonders always count in the tournament/spire makes testing new strategies impossible.

E.G. I'd like to try out a pure catering strategy without losing my military wonders, but if they still count in my CAL the experiment fails before it even begins.

 

[Pheryll]

E.G. I'd like to try out a pure catering strategy without losing my military wonders, but if they still count in my CAL the experiment fails before it even begins.

If your main argument is to influence the CAL then it may be better to address the CAL rather than implement a backdoor method that could confuse CAL data. CAL does have an issue of imposing long term problems if it is not checked as the new chapters are released.

 

[SoggyShorts]

If your main argument is to influence the CAL

I'm not making an "argument", but it's a very significant side effect of any strategy and/or feature implementation that needs to be considered.

Losing the benefits of a building when you teleport it out makes sense.
Regaining the space it occupied also makes sense.

That's the main idea of teleport spells.

AW are a special case because you also incur a penalty for having them in your city.
This is (to a greater or lesser degree) offset by their powerful benefits.

Maintaining the penalty while losing the benefits makes no sense -
Just as maintaining the benefits while removing the penalty makes no sense (abuse)

Balance is the key, and the path to that is teleportation at a cost.

 

[Pheryll]

AW are a special case because you also incur a penalty for having them in your city.

Which is what many people want addressed. For catering, for example, there are a variety of resources needed yet diversifying by having wonders for each resource gives a combined exponential affect to tournament difficulty, while the resources gained by the wonders (directly or indirectly) do not in general have a combo effect.

 

[SoggyShorts]

Which is what many people want addressed. For catering, for example, there are a variety of resources needed yet diversifying by having wonders for each resource gives a combined exponential affect to tournament difficulty, while the resources gained by the wonders (directly or indirectly) do not in general have a combo effect.

Indeed, but asking for AW to no longer effect CAL at all is a much harder sell to the developers, and frankly not a battle I'm willing to fight.

 

[Mykan]

My take on the trade filters was a general review/discussion, not specifically limited to cross-tier. While it will be in the mix it does mean the final result might not include that specific one. Will all come down to space and what they see as priority filters.

The only objection has always been fear of abuse, but we've discussed it so much that all those loopholes are easily closed.

Actually that is not the only objection, not even the first objection, but is a major one since they changed the formulas. The first objection was around the need to record donation data, of course the simplest solution players suggested was just allow it on the rune stage. This is of course not counting the fact they need to adjust the teleport feature to record relevant wonder data.

 

[Pheryll]

Indeed, but asking for AW to no longer effect CAL at all is a much harder sell to the developers, and frankly not a battle I'm willing to fight.

Having the tournament difficulty mirror the production wonders would be linear rather than not at all.