This is hard to watch

[Myne]

I have lost one of my fellows since the wonder nerf. I feel I may be losing a couple more.
They are totally stuck with their wonders. Without exception they are lower chapter players who don't have the capacity yet to stockpile RRs and CCs. Consequently, their wonders are stacking up with the need for upgrading.
I and the upper chapter players in the fellowship have no means to help them.
Elvenar does not have the option to gift items, which would go a long way to fixing this.
I do understand that the changes that were made were more than likely targeted towards the upper chapter players, but this is strangling the small players!
In a vibrant fellowship, all the players help one another.
The Wonder issue is killing the lower-level players that have worked hard on their wonders to get them to a level that will benefit their style of play. What has been done is the equivalent of being kicked in the shin and shoved down on the playground. That vibrant fellowship is now reduced to watching helplessly as the struggle for progress goes on.
I will be honest, I don't know how much longer I can watch this.

 

[TimeMachine]

For those who want to experience how it feels to be one of the "new lower level players", I would strongly recommend to open a new account and start with a new city!

I did this back in the days when the new tech-tree was released.
On the one hand I was pretty shocked in what direction this game had been changed and seemed to be moving onwards.

On the other hand it helped to understand them new fellows better and without being excited to "test" I guess I would have never found my way to US-Servers and US Community!

 

[Pheryll]

For those who want to experience how it feels to be one of the "new lower level players", I would strongly recommend to open a new account and start with a new city!

This is one of the reasons that I think the future of the game rests not on advanced players teaming together to get high scores, but in them dispersing amongst casual fellowships and pulling the less advanced through with the rewards of better tourney performance.

 

[JackofShadows]

Yanking the thread back on topic:

I wholeheartedly agree with @Myne about the changes hurting smaller cities. Cities that don't have the Spire, or don't have the resources to climb it to the top consistently are going to find themselves hurting for fragments. Cities in smaller fellowships that can't do 16+ chests a week in the tourney are going to find themselves running out of RRs.

Casual or solo players are completely SOL.

And with regards to carrying smaller cities through the Spire - the stumbling block is going to be coins and supplies, neither of which can be traded or gifted. Smaller, newer cities don't have tons of windfalls or rains lying around that they can use.

The ONLY good thing the AW change did, IMHO, was remove the relics requirement from the upgrade process. That means that smaller cities will reach the max production bonus more quickly. However, the switch to fragments, CCs, and RRs hurts all players, present and future.

 

[Darielle]

I read that Inno receives the most money from players who are newer, such as within 6 months of playing. Afterward, purchases drop off. I'm thinking that they thought this was a way to make those new players spend more. They just don't understand that frustrating new players is not the way to make them pay more, but rather, less. I suspect that they're going to be backtracking within the next few months, after they see how foolish they were. These corporate types who come up with these schemes really don't understand players.

I can understand why players are leaving.

(and in all this time, I still have never gotten a 200 percent or even a 100 percent offer. Not once.)

 

[TimeMachine]

They just don't understand that new players' frustration doesn't make them pay more, but rather less.

I'm not really sure about if this really applies to all humans and elves, but personally I agree with you.

 

[BrinDarby]

For those who want to experience how it feels to be one of the "new lower level players", I would strongly recommend to open a new account and start with a new city!

Warning, Danger..... Will Robinson.....

If you think the Coins' Badges got jack'd up awhile
back in FAs, we remember that firestorm.... It wasn't
untill --after-- the CH 6-10 chgs, not the res tree chg,
not the AWs debauchle, ohh no....... that further CH 1-5
tweaks occured....

Have fun with those coins nowadays.....

 

[Myne]

This is one of the reasons that I think the future of the game rests not on advanced players teaming together to get high scores, but in them dispersing amongst casual fellowships and pulling the less advanced through with the rewards of better tourney performance.

I am more of the school of it takes a tribe to raise a child. If ALL vibrant fellowships made it a habit of searching out and taking in newer players and coaching them, it would make the newer players game life much richer in quality and benefit the fellowship as well.

 

[crackie]

For those who want to experience how it feels to be one of the "new lower level players", I would strongly recommend to open a new account and start with a new city!

I did this back in the days when the new tech-tree was released.
On the one hand I was pretty shocked in what direction this game had been changed and seemed to be moving onwards.

On the other hand it helped to understand them new fellows better and without being excited to "test" I guess I would have never found my way to US-Servers and US Community!

I did this and even joined one of the suggested fellowships they recommend for the full newbie experience. Even did an FA. Um, yeah...1/5 stars. Does not recommend.

 

[BrinDarby]

In a vibrant fellowship, all the players help one another.

This is not an adversarial game, and has many ways
built-in to "help others" and help is a core function.
All the chgs have now crushed "help", the concept.

I sooooo agree with Myne, this is hard to watch.

I will conceed, some players were big winners. The
problem tho is most everyone else lost out, and
progression is now reduced to a crawl.

Casual or solo players are completely SOL.

the switch to fragments, CCs, and RRs hurts all players, present and future.

16 chests+, lolol , even solid 10 chest FSs aren't hitt'n
that many...... let alone growing FSs that are in the 7-8
range on the way up. They're lucky to get 2 RRs/week.

Now, there's over what 40 diff AWs ? Ppl open up like
2-4 per CH-ish. There's a whole UI just to exchange help.
Yet, its just too easy to lvl AWs and needs to be chg'd ?
40 AWs x 30+ lvls, so minimum 1200 lvl-ups, how will
this be possible without the exsisting framework......
Simple answer... it won't be.... now its a new pay wall.

Ok, if (we) conceede you're not supposed to have them
all, maybee 40-60%..... that means its up to players to
pick/choose which to have.... Per thier Playstyle....

( ohh nope, you can't pick your own playstyle now)
Inno just came along and negated certain playstyles
by how they chg'd AWs.... Players that have litterally
spent Years building thier city a certain way, by the
rules , and spending $$ in the process, got told...
---nnnnant--- try again.

@Myne , its hard to pick which is harder to Watch.
So many diff groups have been assaulted....

 

[Lelanya]

So great to check in and read this

 

[Lemon Wren]

I have one city in a top ten FS and several other cities elsewhere (different accounts because they are all on SA). Only the city in the top ten FS bothers climbing the spire every week. Likewise, the tourney every week is 16+ chests.

All of my other cities play with very casual players that don't even try to learn the spire and are content with 4 to 8 chests a week in the tourney. I long ago gave up trying to coach casual players on strategy. It's fine. But I currently have two casual cities with AWs that can't be upgraded due to the RR/SF fiasco so I'm already playing them less and less. One day I won't bother to log into them at all. I anticipate the same with all of my casual cities.

 

[Lemon Wren]

I read that Inno receives the most money from players who are newer, such as within 6 months of playing. Afterward, purchases drop off. I'm thinking that they thought this was a way to make those new players spend more. They just don't understand that frustrating new players is not the way to make them pay more, but rather, less. I suspect that they're going to be backtracking within the next few months, after they see how foolish they were. These corporate types who come up with these schemes really don't understand players.

I can understand why players are leaving.

(and in all this time, I still have never gotten a 200 percent or even a 100 percent offer. Not once.)

I get far more Diamond "sale" offers now, but have yet to get a 200 Diamond one since the nerf. Not that it matters. I anticipate quitting all but my one competitive Gold Spire/16+. And I'm not buying any Diamonds in the future since it's just throwing good money after bad.

 

[Darielle]

When I first became an archmage 2 years ago. there were three other people who wanted the job within the fellowship. Now, none of the mages want the job, and so I've started to look outside the fellowship. My standards are high ... I won't ask anyone that I don't think is excellent. But even so, the few that I've asked don't want it. I hate to lower my standards to the ones who "might" be good or might not, but I may have to. I have already announced to the mages that I'm stepping down at the beginning of April, and will either become a mage (if someone in-fellowship takes it) or I'll give up my spot to get someone in. (Since we have a full fellowship, I've got an arrangement with a friend who does NOT want the job that if I leave to make a spot for the new AM, she will temporarily take the job and then confer status on that person the minute they are in.) I'd really rather give it to someone in the fellowship, but I haven't announced it to the regular membership yet. Perhaps I should, so that one of them might consider it. I have all good people in my fellowship and most are very active. I just didn't want long goodbyes or anyone asking me to change my mind. I can't. I'm swamped with work since I took on a new position last month. I hate having to disappoint my team. They are absolutely terrific and I've loved being their AM.

Inno has made so many changes in the past 2 years that those who would have jumped at the thought of being archmage of a top 20 group are now shying away. It makes me so sad and stressed out. This game should be fun. It is anything but fun now since I'm in panic mode.

 

[Lemon Wren]

Yes, it's rather sad to see the state of a game I've spent so many happy hours in.

 

[Myne]

I am seriously considering a hiatus to think about this. They have just sucked all the joy out of the game for me.

 

[iamthouth]

Got this today, but unfortunately I'm not a buyer.

 

[Darielle]

Got this today, but unfortunately I'm not a buyer.
View attachment 16908

There was a time I would have jumped at that offer, although I've never gotten it. Now, I think I'd turn it down.

 

[JackofShadows]

On average, I think I get a diamond offer about once a week. I feel like I get them more often on mobile than on PC, but that's just a feeling- don't take it as gospel.

 

[Dhurrin]

For those who want to experience how it feels to be one of the "new lower level players", I would strongly recommend to open a new account and start with a new city!

I did this back in the days when the new tech-tree was released.
On the one hand I was pretty shocked in what direction this game had been changed and seemed to be moving onwards.

On the other hand it helped to understand them new fellows better and without being excited to "test" I guess I would have never found my way to US-Servers and US Community!

Same here. The new tech-tree was a shock. The fact you have to research tech to join a FS already is annoying.
Moving the tourney to chap 4 means that there are less ways of gaining much needed artifacts and other resources. And then adding 4 (!) AWs at in chap 4 means that one can't even get started before that. Not that it matters now, as several of my smaller cities can't upgrade any anymore anyway.