Timon & Rike Q&A October 2017 (edited)

[Jackluyt]

Here are answers to some questions about the recent game changes that may have been puzzling and frustrating you!

This is something that you MUST share with friends, fellowships and neighbors - any one who wants to understand the inner workings of the game!!

In this edited video of the October Q&A session, the design team discusses:

1. Changes to the Crystal Lighthouse / Bell Spire 0:49
2. New Guest Race (not a high priority for Timon) 3:24
3. Increased value of military Event buildings (five day expiry) 4:29
4. The Mobile App (coming soon) 5:14
5. Using Blueprints to upgrade Event Buildings 5:40
6. City Expansions 6:38
7. When is the next Fellowship Adventures? 8:11
8. Diamond Rewards 8:41
9. A Museum building – to display your deleted Event buildings 9:25
10. Ask Timon and Rike! 10:22
11. Crystal Lighthouse / Bell Spire Comments: 12:11​

 

[DeletedUser663]

Timon - you attempted to answer my question but please check the forum about the Lighthouse and Bell Tower - the feeling of active players is that this is a very backward step. There are several threads on the forum and the vast majority of players are finding this a serious issue.

Because the goods now come from chests there is no longer an incentive for players in a fellowship to visit neighbours - they get the goods from just visiting fellows and have no reason to visit neighbours as well. I am sure that you will find that since this change the the number of neighbourhood visits has reduced dramatically which is the opposite effect to what you say the developers were looking for. This actually is a downward spiral - active players are visiting less, less active players (often unable to repay the visit) do not get the benefits which will slow their progress and make the game less interesting.

As well as reducing visits the reduction of goods available to active players reduces their ability to take part in tournaments and in province negotiations, trading is also reduced. All making the game less interesting.

Many of us are taking a stance by not purchasing or using diamonds until developers address this issue.

Please, PLEASE take this seriously.

 

[qaccy]

There are several threads on the forum and the vast majority of players are finding this a serious issue.

Hardly a 'vast majority'. I took the time to watch the above video myself so I could know the exact response, and it was stated that 'maybe 5% of players' were in a position to be negatively impacted by the change. I doubt this figure accounts for inactive players unless they actually filtered the numbers to only count players who perform NH at all, but in any case (filtering out inactives would make the % larger if they didn't do so here) it's still not a 'vast majority' of players - only a majority among players actually discussing it, which in itself is only a fraction of players as well.

Unless you're trying to claim Inno's lying about its data, this change doesn't negatively affect most people. It does have a negative impact on some, sure, but it has a positive effect on a lot more and the developers are concerned with game balance as a whole, which means making changes that benefit the most people possible in a lot of cases.

 

[Ashrem]

Unless you're trying to claim Inno's lying about its data

We know they've lied. Why should we assume they are telling the truth now?

And anyway, you're missing the point. They don't need to lie. If 95% of their accounts either aren't playing or don't have a lighthouse/bellspire, they can say it doesn't affect 95% and be telling the truth. It's not a lie, it's just a misrepresentation by omission.

If they ever came out and said that it only affects 5% of people who are playing and have a Bellspire/Lighthouse, I will be among the first to apologize. But they won't say that, because it isn't true.

 

[DeletedUser663]

For qaccy's benefit here's what I posted elsewhere -

Over 80% of players on Arendyll server have less than 24,000 points which took me 58 days to achieve when I started playing Elvenar.

To get to a position where you can acquire a Lighthouse or Bell Tower you need to have completed chapter 4 in the research tree. My guess is that around 24,000 points would be needed for this. Thus, probably less than 20% of players have the AWs concerned and many of these will be at a very low level.

Where players with the AWs are inactive or do very little within the game I understand that the change will help those players, providing they now take the trouble to visit a few fellows or neighbours and also search for the chests to get the rewards. These players gain an advantage for continuing to do very little.

However for active players with the AWs, maybe 5% of the total users, they will be disadvantaged by the changes. Are the changes really targeting the right players, I think not. These players are the ones who have proved that they enjoy Elvenar and should be encouraged rather than discouraged. They are the ones who are most likely to buy diamonds to support the game development in the future.

The active players will probably have a fellowship and by visiting their fellows will gain no further advantage by also visiting neighbours.- in one step you have significantly reduced the incentive for these players to visit neighbours. This starts a downward spiral in visiting rates and hurts less developed players - the reduced visits mean less benefits and slows their progress and game enjoyment.

You have indicated that you want players to visit neighbours more, but this has the opposite effect.

Please, PLEASE reconsider these changes

 

[SoggyShorts]

And anyway, you're missing the point. They don't need to lie. If 95% of their accounts either aren't playing or don't have a lighthouse/bellspire, they can say it doesn't affect 95% and be telling the truth. It's not a lie, it's just a misrepresentation by omission.

On the other hand, regardless of whether a player has the CL/BS now the idea might be right.
For a player that only visits their FS the CL/BS now gives at least 25% more goods (more in a smaller FS)
Does this increase in a wonder they were thinking about building count as a benefit? Depends on your perspective.

Personally I loathe doing world visits, but always visit my FS. Even though I don't have the CL/BS, these changes have made an available wonder better for me if I choose to build it, so where do I fit in the statistics?

 

[mucksterme]

On the other hand, regardless of whether a player has the CL/BS now the idea might be right.
For a player that only visits their FS the CL/BS now gives at least 25% more goods (more in a smaller FS)
Does this increase in a wonder they were thinking about building count as a benefit? Depends on your perspective.

Personally I loathe doing world visits, but always visit my FS. Even though I don't have the CL/BS, these changes have made an available wonder better for me if I choose to build it, so where do I fit in the statistics?

So it benefits newbies and people who don't visit outside the FS?
Yet one ridiculous assertion was that it would encourage visiting.

 

[SoggyShorts]

So it benefits newbies and people who don't visit outside the FS?

Yes.

Yet one ridiculous assertion was that it would encourage visiting.

Also yes. The best I can come up with is that in theory those that had days where they used to do zero visits may now do visits to get chests on those off days if somehow the spells, relics, coins, and KP from chests wasn't enough, but a couple thousands goods is.
Crap theory I'll admit, but I can't come up with anything better. Even if the theory holds true for some players, just one player dropping from 200 visits to 30 wipes out the net world visits gained by them.

 

[mucksterme]

Yes.

Also yes. The best I can come up with is that in theory those that had days where they used to do zero visits may now do visits to get chests on those off days if somehow the spells, relics, coins, and KP from chests wasn't enough, but a couple thousands goods is.
Crap theory I'll admit, but I can't come up with anything better. Even if the theory holds true for some players, just one player dropping from 200 visits to 30 wipes out the net world visits gained by them.

Even worse than that. If a person is just visiting for the goods, they won't even do 30. It usually just takes around 5 visits to get 3 chests.

 

[DeletedUser6219]

I immediately question statements that claim things such as "active players" "majority" or other generalized terms to imply large numbers without anything but anecdotal "proof." I play every day in 5 worlds multiple times a day and have absolutely no issue with the changes made to CL/BS and I have it on 4/5 of my cities. I have the CL/BS for the time extension on NH and the small amount of goods it produces; which has increased for me since I only visit FS members and a few neighbors that visit me. I will continue to spend the same amount ($50-$80) on diamonds that I have for the past 10 months. My tournament activity still remains as active as it was (I generally end up in the top 75-100 if it is a boosted week for me), and I will continue to visit the same amount of people. I have seen no reduction in the number of visits I receive from neighbors the past few weeks. I just don't see the doom and gloom that some forum posters are stating; in any of my FS or cities. Not saying your experience isn't true or that of some of the forum posters, but I just am not a fan of some people speaking for the majority of others; especially when I fall into that category of "others" and I have not seen the stated effects.

 

[Arkadia]

I'm currently getting about 1800 goods x3 from the NH <<< I do NOT call that a benefit. it may pay for 1 catering in first round first province in the tourney

That's more like a joke, but won't even tickle me enough to laugh :/