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DeletedUser5840
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There is a lot to like about Elvenar; I happened to be looking for a web-based, turn-based kind of game that I could just kill some idle time with, and I was attracted by the elements of this game that call to mind Heroes of Might and Magic, mixed with Civilization. After spending a few days being quite active with the game, I hit a wall.
The Good
--------------
The graphics are amazing! For a web-based game that is free-to-play*, I was quite impressed with the attention to detail; the structures and units are rendered very nicely, sensible animations, the backgrounds are beautifully done - it was obvious that the team involved with the presentation, look and aesthetics were top-notch! I also appreciated the thought that went into the myriad of logistics; many levels of material goods, magical goods, good-will, an interesting semi-free-market system, system of currency and "supplies". The occasional freebie offer, and sometimes even the "quests", are nice little incentives.
The Bad
-----------
First, the game became quite a click-sink for me. The first time I noticed that I was doing way too much clicking was collecting the silly snowflakes that are appearing "at the edge of my city" for the "Winter is coming" theme - you click on each one individually, and then have to click OK on the resulting pop-up, FOR EACH ONE! But as my city expanded, I got really frustrated with being unable to select the building I wanted because it was obscured by it's neighbor (or sometimes by the little bouncing icon that the neighbor's product was ready). Also, there is way too much micro-management - having to collect products and reset schedules for all structures that produce stuff drained me. Yes, at least one can "swipe" to collect goods en masse, but one still has to click on every single building to tell it not only to start producing, but what time-frame to produce in.
Then the time-sink. The only purpose of Diamonds seems to make things go faster (completing builds, unit creations, research, buying builders, etc etc). Even if you go cheap and buy a $10 package of 1100 diamonds, that can still go quick. Unless you pony up some serious chunk of change, you will be waiting. And waiting. And waiting, and waiting.....
The PVE battles are outrageously hard. I Found a recent post which spells it out quite nicely:
https://us.forum.elvenar.com/index.php?threads/to-keep-playing-or-not-to-keep-playing.5277/
For all intents and purposes, battle is next to useless. Even if I have several hundred troops, the squad sizes are so teeny tiny that my units are ineffective, and in order to climb the technology tree with any sense of speed, I have to complete Encounters or wait for my knowledge points to fill up by sheer boredom.
The market system does not incentivize early players either. The wholesale market gouges prices like crazy, and the free market is burdened with a heavy tax by the Trader. An early quest to gather 1000 Steel is really difficult for the newbie to accomplish; you have to sell your heart and soul for a while, producing some product that you are boosted for (planks or marble), and selling your right arm and leg at wholesale prices.
Lastly, I was disappointed that the Elves had so little relative magic; in fact, the Elves differ so little from Humans, I don't understand the purpose of having two different races. The amazing graphics are different for the two, but that is the only major area they diverge. You still have the same basic, slow, pondering technology tree, with basically the same structures (different names, slightly different affects), with the same egregious prices and time spent on each.
What would it take for me to play again (and/or play more)?
The Good
--------------
The graphics are amazing! For a web-based game that is free-to-play*, I was quite impressed with the attention to detail; the structures and units are rendered very nicely, sensible animations, the backgrounds are beautifully done - it was obvious that the team involved with the presentation, look and aesthetics were top-notch! I also appreciated the thought that went into the myriad of logistics; many levels of material goods, magical goods, good-will, an interesting semi-free-market system, system of currency and "supplies". The occasional freebie offer, and sometimes even the "quests", are nice little incentives.
The Bad
-----------
First, the game became quite a click-sink for me. The first time I noticed that I was doing way too much clicking was collecting the silly snowflakes that are appearing "at the edge of my city" for the "Winter is coming" theme - you click on each one individually, and then have to click OK on the resulting pop-up, FOR EACH ONE! But as my city expanded, I got really frustrated with being unable to select the building I wanted because it was obscured by it's neighbor (or sometimes by the little bouncing icon that the neighbor's product was ready). Also, there is way too much micro-management - having to collect products and reset schedules for all structures that produce stuff drained me. Yes, at least one can "swipe" to collect goods en masse, but one still has to click on every single building to tell it not only to start producing, but what time-frame to produce in.
Then the time-sink. The only purpose of Diamonds seems to make things go faster (completing builds, unit creations, research, buying builders, etc etc). Even if you go cheap and buy a $10 package of 1100 diamonds, that can still go quick. Unless you pony up some serious chunk of change, you will be waiting. And waiting. And waiting, and waiting.....
The PVE battles are outrageously hard. I Found a recent post which spells it out quite nicely:
https://us.forum.elvenar.com/index.php?threads/to-keep-playing-or-not-to-keep-playing.5277/
For all intents and purposes, battle is next to useless. Even if I have several hundred troops, the squad sizes are so teeny tiny that my units are ineffective, and in order to climb the technology tree with any sense of speed, I have to complete Encounters or wait for my knowledge points to fill up by sheer boredom.
The market system does not incentivize early players either. The wholesale market gouges prices like crazy, and the free market is burdened with a heavy tax by the Trader. An early quest to gather 1000 Steel is really difficult for the newbie to accomplish; you have to sell your heart and soul for a while, producing some product that you are boosted for (planks or marble), and selling your right arm and leg at wholesale prices.
Lastly, I was disappointed that the Elves had so little relative magic; in fact, the Elves differ so little from Humans, I don't understand the purpose of having two different races. The amazing graphics are different for the two, but that is the only major area they diverge. You still have the same basic, slow, pondering technology tree, with basically the same structures (different names, slightly different affects), with the same egregious prices and time spent on each.
What would it take for me to play again (and/or play more)?
- Battle needs to be much more fun.
- The general time to do stuff must be MUCH MUCH shorter (you can still monetize diamonds, but don't call them rare if they are $10 for 1100).
- Reduce clicking! Have a way for buildings to keep producing automatically.
- Elves need to be redesigned to be totally different than humans.
- I don't get "supplies" - they are needed, but nobody cares if you have bread or tools. I could produce 10 million units of "beverages" and my town still functions the same as if I produced 10 million units of Advanced Tools - no difference whatsoever.
- Depending on neighbors for "Culture" boost is not working. I like the idea of rewarding good will, but too much depends on other people micromanaging not only their own towns, but also micromanaging their help of others. Too much clicking. Too much waiting.
- The market needs to be tweaked; wholesale prices need to be much more reasonable, and the Trader tax needs to be reduced.
- Make the early Eras significantly faster and more fun - make it super-easy to breeze through the first age in perhaps a day or less, slowly increasing the time needed for each age.
