New Content Guild Battlegrounds

[Manuel Laboria]

No one is making me play this game and I have zero concerns about the leader of my guild, I have a high-level Traz, and our treasury is full so we can technically build these stupid GbG buildings whenever we want. I just don't enjoy the nastiness and greed that come out with GbG, it is boring and stressful to meet the same guilds over and over, and yes, the stress is mainly because of the directing that is 24/7 for as long as GbG runs. Removing GbG or removing the buildings, plus a longer break would be nice, but true, boycotting GbG would be another way to go about this. I saw entire boards boycotted by all but one guild, and that might be the way to go. GbG brings out the worst in people, it can be and is being abused as farming-grounds due to the buildings, and it is boring and stressful at the same time. I cannot remember the game being like this before GbG started.

 

[TheKingOfKool]

No one is making me play this game and I have zero concerns about the leader of my guild, I have a high-level Traz, and our treasury is full so we can technically build these stupid GbG buildings whenever we want. I just don't enjoy the nastiness and greed that come out with GbG, it is boring and stressful to meet the same guilds over and over, and yes, the stress is mainly because of the directing that is 24/7 for as long as GbG runs. Removing GbG or removing the buildings, plus a longer break would be nice, but true, boycotting GbG would be another way to go about this. I saw entire boards boycotted by all but one guild, and that might be the way to go. GbG brings out the worst in people, it can be and is being abused as farming-grounds due to the buildings, and it is boring and stressful at the same time. I cannot remember the game being like this before GbG started.

Then stop making this game or any part of it someone else's problem. Play it with fun or don't who cares -- just don't demand we change it to suit you!!!!!!!

 

[Manuel Laboria]

I am simply stating that GbG was a mistake, its mechanics are broken, and people are exploiting it. Your reaction to this opinion reflects how nasty people are behaving in this game generally.

 

[cyllan]

And if you are in the best guild, who do GE+GvG+GbG+Settlements+everything, what to do then?

Its like you buy smart TV, and you just not use Smart functions, because you not have time..in this case i would buy cheaper TV. So we "buyed"/started to play FOE, invested years of gameplay, and now because it is to much of everyting Inno force us to quit? Makes this sense? Some of us are not using just half functions...if you can use something use it.

the whole concept is insulting...there is no strategy...there was more depth in masters of Orion 2 ....back in the 90s... there are plenty of cheaper better games in-out of mobile....this is just a constant grind....and to grind less pay!!!!!!........where is "FORGE OF EMPIRES?" on this game? it is just a city....and they are all the same and there is no interaction.....

and now another 20 days event....another boring grind NOBODY CARES!!!!......NOBODY....

 

[Ariana Erosaire]

Advantages of giving us a longer break between GBGs: Less stress, more time to recruit, easier to do normal daily activities and log off, Get outside more. Be more active in real life. I'd love a bit more of a break myself but for almost none of the reasons following really.
<snip>
a break of like a week would be fine but really, it is possible to de-stress a lot of those problems by just simply not doing it anymore

The reasons following are just more problems with how BG is setup, and many of us reached a breaking point with the updates pushed out in the past week (which had to be revoked.) I think it has been a catalyst for complaining about something else with poor design (BG) over the long term playing, and BG has been getting worse for months now.

Simply not doing it anymore = quit the game. or login and hear people saying what do we do now?? all the time because it's always on, or then destroy some guilds even more because what active players remain will all move to the one guild with the person who lives online 24/7 and still running BG. OR don't try to play it together at all, and treat it all like a solo game, which loses the whole point of having guilds and we're back to: just quit.

If many guilds have to opt out of BG en masse, what was the point of putting BG in the game in the first place? It badly needs to change frequency and be rebalanced.

 

[Ariana Erosaire]

the whole concept is insulting... there is no strategy... <SNIP> and there is no interaction.....

Yeah the team aspect and strategy for how to fight and win, is what keeps most players around long term. if it was my city only and no competition, no team with other players I like to play with, I would not have stuck around. So that's why they added GE right, was released with much fanfare about the first team aspect for mobile players because none of them can do the GvG, which is only on the browser. It was supposed to provide the team-feeling they were missing.

And Battlegrounds was supposed to be our mobile-capable cross-platform GvG that everyone can do, again so that we can all get that team feeling since GvG will never be ported outside the browser and apparently people who own actual PC's are relics. But there are major problems with GBG.

1) there is no strategy except who can farm the most with siege camps
2) the siege camp greed is tearing apart individuals WITHIN guilds and BETWEEN guilds over which little piggy gets more turn at the trough.
3) The attrition cheat also kills strategy, nothing matters but who gets the most siege camps so they can fight solo and don't even need a team.
4) Needs more than 3 days break. The constant repetition is a grind now that newness is gone, this happened actually about 6 months in after all the guilds had ranked up to the top 2 leagues. On our server over 30 guilds are all diamond now, and the rest are platinum who play at all.
5) We meet the same guilds over and over; just the biotching and farming remains. oh and the goods and diamond drain, that's also left.

And the solution being suggested in some replies is just don't play it then okie dokie. Very constructive, keep telling us to quit the game instead of pointing out what needs to change. Maybe innogames can rebalance it so battleground is playable AND enjoyable, give us some more time off between seasons, or go back to the drawing board and come up with another team competition so that there is some interaction and strategy. As it is now, it's boring and annoying, I don't think that was their aim with releasing Battlegrounds but that's what they achieved.

 

[gusofnl]

I'm only realatively new to the Game almost 2 yr's, But agree with what's been written.. GbG started a little while after i did, and it has defineitley chnged.. no real incentive except to "Farm" as was said.. regardless, i'll follow the more experienced player's in my guild... what have i got to lose !

 

[KronikPillow]

Yeah the main point was that you can't be casual or non casual with something that is always on 24/7 and always requiring a grind like Battlegrounds, if you want to be able to play it at all. That's why there needs to be more than 3 days off between GBG sessions, and it has all kinds of re-balancing issues with the leagues and the 0 attrition exploits. We have some guilds in diamond who barely leave their HQ area (how did they even get promoted... ask the MMR formula, or maybe all the barely active maps in platinum league) and we have 3-4 guilds who can take over the whole board, and very little in between.

For months now, many top guilds on our server don't really compete, they split up the board into where each guild can have 3-4 camps and farm all around it. Good rewards I guess, but boring. The "winning" place at the end is meaningless - similar rewards for each, and it was farming anyway. The attrition rate was adjusted a couple of times already, but with the right siege camp combo, one player can solo adjacent sectors with 0 attrition... and that's nearly the totality of what GBG is about at this point: Siege camps and farming. I'm beating my swords into plowshares, literally.

Part of the reason it got like that is people don't want to watch the board 24/7 every week (or spend their treasuries dry with buildings over and over) and maintain high alert for real competition. If we just farm, then it's a bit of a break, but still requires a lot of management and communication to make it run smoothly within the guilds. Two weeks on and two weeks off would be a much better rotation schedule. Inno is burning out the very people who keep the game running - the leaders! This started with a post from a top guild leader on G world who is (from the sound of it) on the edge of being burned out and watching people leave the game. I've lead a top 10 guild on C world for 6 years now, and I'm fed up with the ever-increasing demands on my time, and watching people opt out of the game because of all the time demands too.

Active or inactive guilds seems to be the way it's going, we meet the same issue in GE, either the other guilds don't participate at all and barely get out of the starting gate, or they score somewhere in the max between 100% and 133%. and that's because there's TOO MUCH to be done now and people in an active guilds are asked to do:

- GE every week, most guilds want level 2 and 3 done, at least. Use your attempts, ticking timer!
- Battlegrounds at the same time every week, except for a 3 day break. Use your attrition, ticking timer!
- GvG every day, for those who own a computer and know how to login to one; get those shields at reset, ticking timer!
- Settlements (ticking timer!), antiques auctions (ticking timer!), space colonies and mine ore (ticking timer!) in Mars and SAAB
- Manage and Collect your city (this alone can take 30 minutes stopping every 100 fps to spend because that's the collection limit)
- Daily quests (ticking timer!) and story quests (I don't know how anyone finds time to play the "regular" game map who isn't finished/SAAB)
- oh and if you're not too busy with all that remember to mot/pol your mates and collect/sit in taverns. Maybe read some messages.
- PvP in the hood? who has time... PvP Arena with another (ticking timer!) - even if it worked correctly, it's not adding anything new to the game
- God forbid if there is also an Event active. Ticking timer!

The only things above that existed when I started the game was Manage your city, Hood PvP, and Guild GvG. Events were 4 times a year and actually special when they rolled around, people looked forward to them instead of dreading them. When GE was added, it was a tough adjustment for a lot of people who just liked to city build and play the regular campaign map, but it remained manageable. Battlegrounds is a bridge too far. You can't just keep adding things onto the game like a patchwork quilt - and people don't find it fun to have to spend hours a day to remain competitive. If they can't compete, they quit.

AMEN to every word written here!

 

[DeletedUser]

Before GBG commenced I manipulated the MMR by the simple expedient of reducing Battle Points accrued for the 2-3 weeks prior. No great exploit at all, I wanted us to start in Copper so we could have a "look-see" at the feature in operation and take some easy wins whilst doing so. I lead a small [by intention} Guild which gives us easy wins in IGE by avoiding passing the 7+ Member point break. Minor exploits such as these exist throughout the Game, as they do in all OGs so, no big deal.
We've done as well in GBG as we wished, yo-yoing between Gold and Plat is good for a laugh, earns plenty of "Freebies" and still gets Guild Power rising which, to me at least is what it exists for. Stressing over it is most certainly not worthwhile; I simply don't give a damn what Buildings anyone can afford to build and "Rush", I'll simply take them if I can be bothered or leave them if I can't. Equally, I build if I wish and don't if I don't.
Non of this is worth one Jot, Tittle or Iota of concern over what other Guilds do...not ever. Chillax Dudes and Dudettes, it's all cool and personally, I feel more affronted by the fact that Mod Era Paras have bloody purple berets and not the correct Maroon ones but , that's what happens when dull-witted Civvies get let loose on a Battlefield.
Anyway Peeps; keep fighting-not negotiating, keep the Rum, Syrah and Smokes flowing [as I do] and it will all be right on the night-or not; who really cares!?

 

[KronikPillow]

now this might sound like to egoistic, but I don't think removing SC's or any buildings will change the fact that 3-4 big guilds can't take on LoW I mean, a guilds strength doesn't come from the # of SCs that guild can use, it comes from it's organization and coordination, if a guild has active leaders who map watch and coordinate its guild that guild will deliver results, if a guild doesn't have that then it wont, for example we have 10 people that are GBG leaders (we call them War Marshals) and these Marshals work around the clock to ensure LoW's victory, but they also burn out eventually and lose interest in the game because of to small wait periods between seasons, also there is a matter of how many people in your guild actually play GBG, in my guild the entire guild does, yes 60 players who do a minimum of 400 fights per season, while the majority does above 1k, and about 10-15 players manage to score from 1-3k, so even without SC's I would still have 60 players who are attrition capable compared to other guilds where only a % of the guild actually plays GBG daily and spends its attrition daily...

I'v seen LoW enemies claim "most of our players are US based, you will see when 8h GvG resets comes" then 8h GvG reset came, and we were still dominant because of how our guild is organized, then I'v seen enemy guilds claim when GBG comes you will see! then GBG came and we practically haven't lost 1 season since GBG started, they were using as a excuse the fact that we are allied with Mordor and that basically LoW and Mordor were securing each other at 150/160 advancements to gain map control and VP advantage, and then exchanging sectors later, but then multiple seasons came where we were separated from Mordor facing 3-4 big enemy guilds working together + 3-4 neutrals against us, and they still couldn't do anything, as a matter of fact we actually have to sabotage our own guild daily in order to be able to generate more fights for our guild, yes, we actually let the enemy win some sectors and expand, so that we could retake those sectors later, otherwise we simply wouldn't have anything to do, its sad and boring, whats even more sad and boring is that LoW enemies eventually gave up on the idea of beating LoW and are now just playing casual in protest, not trying to compete, they do it to "deny LoW rewards" but we manage to generate all those fights for our players regardless, because of the fact that we actually sabotage ourselves if we need to to get more fights, so all that the protesting enemy guilds are achieving is LoW's growth and their stagnation, increasing the gap of strenght in our favor as seasons progress

using # of SC's as a excuse for small guilds failures to compete is just that, a excuse, it comes down to how many fighters you have and how well you are organized...

the MMR system is definitely broken, guilds who aren't able to break trough from more then 2-3 sectors during the entire season regardless of who their opponent is do not belong in Diamond, or if those guilds belong in Diamond, then we are lacking a league for the heavy hitting guilds where they can actually see some competition and fun, a cross server Challenger League! and if anyone is gonna come and claim that writing a cross server challenger league is complicated, then Im really gonna start to question the ability of the devs to actually maintain this game, writing a cross server feature is actually pretty simple and easy to do, its been seen in many many games, and it's not like Inno would have to spend 8 months to develop a feature that wont be played, as it would be played by the top GBG guilds of each server.

in an ideal world leagues entire GBG would be cross server, leagues would be merged across all servers, and then the word Diamond League, Platinum League, Gold League, Silver League and so on would make sense and would serve its purpose, at current settings a 1 man guild can reach diamond if he's lucky enough to have several easy seasons where he would increase his MMR and then he loses it, drops, and re climbs back up, just pointless going up and down, and the leagues have no real meaning as the gap of power is not felt between the leagues, but if Inno is to cheap to fund a development of such a GBG, then at least what we need is a challenger league

Inno should stop thinking of new features, instead they should focus on improving what we have, as what we have is simply flawed and as a result of it many players are losing interest .... but thats a topic for a different thread

 

[TheKingOfKool]

Yeah the team aspect and strategy for how to fight and win, is what keeps most players around long term. if it was my city only and no competition, no team with other players I like to play with, I would not have stuck around. So that's why they added GE right, was released with much fanfare about the first team aspect for mobile players because none of them can do the GvG, which is only on the browser. It was supposed to provide the team-feeling they were missing.

And Battlegrounds was supposed to be our mobile-capable cross-platform GvG that everyone can do, again so that we can all get that team feeling since GvG will never be ported outside the browser and apparently people who own actual PC's are relics. But there are major problems with GBG.

1) there is no strategy except who can farm the most with siege camps
2) the siege camp greed is tearing apart individuals WITHIN guilds and BETWEEN guilds over which little piggy gets more turn at the trough.
3) The attrition cheat also kills strategy, nothing matters but who gets the most siege camps so they can fight solo and don't even need a team.
4) Needs more than 3 days break. The constant repetition is a grind now that newness is gone, this happened actually about 6 months in after all the guilds had ranked up to the top 2 leagues. On our server over 30 guilds are all diamond now, and the rest are platinum who play at all.
5) We meet the same guilds over and over; just the biotching and farming remains. oh and the goods and diamond drain, that's also left.

And the solution being suggested in some replies is just don't play it then okie dokie. Very constructive, keep telling us to quit the game instead of pointing out what needs to change. Maybe innogames can rebalance it so battleground is playable AND enjoyable, give us some more time off between seasons, or go back to the drawing board and come up with another team competition so that there is some interaction and strategy. As it is now, it's boring and annoying, I don't think that was their aim with releasing Battlegrounds but that's what they achieved.

The fact of the matter is this: The strong are strong & the weak are weak.

What type of feature do you think they can come up with where the strong will be weak & the weak will be strong?

We are all ears; lay it on us!!!!!

Instead of telling us that GbG should be abolished; Tell us & inno how to make a feature where the strong won't succeed!

You say no one is making you play this - that's great -- then why is it so stressful? You say Your leaders are too demanding, but then you say they are not making you play the game - which is it?

You say it's boring -- o k -- why is it boring -- because it's stressful or because you can't win? Which is it?

So I re-iterate:

What type of feature do you think they can come up with where the strong will be weak & the weak will be strong?

We are all ears; lay it on us!!!!! We would all love to hear your suggestion!

 

[DeletedUser]

Heh, heh, heh; allied with Mordor, I like that but then; I would claim the Ring for myself, lol.

 

[Powe]

Heh, heh, heh; allied with Mordor, I like that but then; I would claim the Ring for myself, lol.

But Saruman will get you.

 

[cyllan]

The fact of the matter is this: The strong are strong & the weak are weak.

What type of feature do you think they can come up with where the strong will be weak & the weak will be strong?

We are all ears; lay it on us!!!!!

Instead of telling us that GbG should be abolished; Tell us & inno how to make a feature where the strong won't succeed!

You say no one is making you play this - that's great -- then why is it so stressful? You say Your leaders are too demanding, but then you say they are not making you play the game - which is it?

You say it's boring -- o k -- why is it boring -- because it's stressful or because you can't win? Which is it?

So I re-iterate:

What type of feature do you think they can come up with where the strong will be weak & the weak will be strong?

We are all ears; lay it on us!!!!! We would all love to hear your suggestion!

"
- GE every week, most guilds want level 2 and 3 done, at least. Use your attempts, ticking timer!
- Battlegrounds at the same time every week, except for a 3 day break. Use your attrition, ticking timer!
- GvG every day, for those who own a computer and know how to login to one; get those shields at reset, ticking timer!
- Settlements (ticking timer!), antiques auctions (ticking timer!), space colonies and mine ore (ticking timer!) in Mars and SAAB
- Manage and Collect your city (this alone can take 30 minutes stopping every 100 fps to spend because that's the collection limit)
- Daily quests (ticking timer!) and story quests (I don't know how anyone finds time to play the "regular" game map who isn't finished/SAAB)
- oh and if you're not too busy with all that remember to mot/pol your mates and collect/sit in taverns. Maybe read some messages.
- PvP in the hood? who has time... PvP Arena with another (ticking timer!) - even if it worked correctly, it's not adding anything new to the game
- God forbid if there is also an Event active. Ticking timer! "


isnt this enough to begin with????....and now a 20 day grind of stupid event in the middle of GBG too... and i repeat FORGE OF EMPIRES??......WHAT EMPIRES......????? it is a silly city...... and noone can touch it.......FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

 

[TheKingOfKool]

"
- GE every week, most guilds want level 2 and 3 done, at least. Use your attempts, ticking timer!
- Battlegrounds at the same time every week, except for a 3 day break. Use your attrition, ticking timer!
- GvG every day, for those who own a computer and know how to login to one; get those shields at reset, ticking timer!
- Settlements (ticking timer!), antiques auctions (ticking timer!), space colonies and mine ore (ticking timer!) in Mars and SAAB
- Manage and Collect your city (this alone can take 30 minutes stopping every 100 fps to spend because that's the collection limit)
- Daily quests (ticking timer!) and story quests (I don't know how anyone finds time to play the "regular" game map who isn't finished/SAAB)
- oh and if you're not too busy with all that remember to mot/pol your mates and collect/sit in taverns. Maybe read some messages.
- PvP in the hood? who has time... PvP Arena with another (ticking timer!) - even if it worked correctly, it's not adding anything new to the game
- God forbid if there is also an Event active. Ticking timer! "


isnt this enough to begin with????....and now a 20 day grind of stupid event in the middle of GBG too... and i repeat FORGE OF EMPIRES??......WHAT EMPIRES......????? it is a silly city...... and noone can touch it.......FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

Again - No One Is forcing you to do these things (Or are they?) Some Guilds even require their members to spend diamonds if needed to accomplish GE Level 4 -- If you don't like your Over-Bearing Warlords -- why do you stay in that guild.

Let me take a guess -- for the items you get -- why would anyone subject themselves to this -- if there is another reason to stay in such a guild

Please let us all know it --- we would all love to hear your reasoning for staying in such a guild if not for the stated reason!!!!!!!

 

[r21r]

"
- GE every week, most guilds want level 2 and 3 done, at least. Use your attempts, ticking timer!
- Battlegrounds at the same time every week, except for a 3 day break. Use your attrition, ticking timer!
- GvG every day, for those who own a computer and know how to login to one; get those shields at reset, ticking timer!
- Settlements (ticking timer!), antiques auctions (ticking timer!), space colonies and mine ore (ticking timer!) in Mars and SAAB
- Manage and Collect your city (this alone can take 30 minutes stopping every 100 fps to spend because that's the collection limit)
- Daily quests (ticking timer!) and story quests (I don't know how anyone finds time to play the "regular" game map who isn't finished/SAAB)
- oh and if you're not too busy with all that remember to mot/pol your mates and collect/sit in taverns. Maybe read some messages.
- PvP in the hood? who has time... PvP Arena with another (ticking timer!) - even if it worked correctly, it's not adding anything new to the game
- God forbid if there is also an Event active. Ticking timer! "


isnt this enough to begin with????....and now a 20 day grind of stupid event in the middle of GBG too... and i repeat FORGE OF EMPIRES??......WHAT EMPIRES......????? it is a silly city...... and noone can touch it.......FALSE ADVERTISING!!!

you forgot that there are some people doing all the above on 2 or more worlds hahaha and some that also own 1000+ ww's over all worlds

 

[TheKingOfKool]

More power to those that can do this:

you forgot that there are some people doing all the above on 2 or more worlds hahaha and some that also own 1000+ ww's over all worlds

One our club members even hauls in a large supply of daily diamonds -- he puts in the effort and reaps the rewards -- I say good for him.
Do I have to try and compete with him or that - NO - That's how he enjoys the game - I enjoy the game another way.

It should not be stressful to "Enjoy" the game -- if it is -- then that person is Not enjoying the game -- hence - the desired to twist it to suit them.

 

[r21r]

One our club members even hauls in a large supply of daily diamonds -- he puts in the effort and reaps the rewards -- I say good for him.
Do I have to try and compete with him or that - NO - That's how he enjoys the game - I enjoy the game another way.

It should not be stressful to "Enjoy" the game -- if it is -- then that person is Not enjoying the game -- hence - the desired to twist it to suit them.

i totaly agree with you, but i have seen kids get hooked by the gbg rewards and then quitting/stepping back due to parental restriction.
what i mean is, ok some are grown up, but not everyone.. if someone falls in the trip to do everything on 100% - not inno's fault as long as it is legal to hook like this - he will either end up frustrated or investing huge amount of time/money to the game.
for some could be a challenge idk, people are supposed to be wise enough to take such decisions but are they ?

 

[TheKingOfKool]

i totaly agree with you, but i have seen kids get hooked by the gbg rewards and then quitting/stepping back due to parental restriction.
what i mean is, ok some are grown up, but not everyone.. if someone falls in the trip to do everything on 100% - not inno's fault as long as it is legal to hook like this - he will either end up frustrated or investing huge amount of time/money to the game.
for some could be a challenge idk, people are supposed to be wise enough to take such decisions but are they ?

At this point: We get into the philosophical.

Addiction has Many forms: Some eat too much, some drink too much, some do drugs, some do alcohol in excess, some want more money than they could ever spend -- some even run this game and the list goes on & on.

Are we to be concerned - of course - We are All Our Brother's Keeper -- But.

Note: Being hooked on something is abuse of it:

Do we stop producing food because many abuse it?
Do we stop producing or offering anything else because of the abuse of it?

Some things I would say yes - depends on what it is -- But -- people do "Love" the things they abuse or are addicted to.

Once there though - it's a trap that is very difficult to get out of - especially the "Money Trap" - it would seem that eventually someone would have enough -- but -- money doesn't work that way -- hence -- the statement -- The Deceitfulness of Riches -- The more you have; they more you seem to need.

 

[r21r]

@TheKingOfKool won't dissagree, i take my GBG breaks for 1-2-3 rounds and then i go hard for 1 or 2.. that tempos i can handle without extra efforts as it is a game after all..
neither i will stress more about my ranking, as i am not prepared to invest my 100% to the game.
all i want to say, is that i believe that the majority of people do not think like me or you, and maybe for those people a little less gbg by option or rules, could lead to a healthier gbg, that's what i really believe.
Battlegrounds is the faster way for anyone to grow, nobody will stop playing it, but little less pressure on mondays tuesdays wednesdays could lead to more competetive weekends and to lot more fun... just my thoughts