Too many bullies

[DeletedUser116142]

One reason, so many complain is down to the way Into market the game. Currently in UK there are media/TV adverts which portray FoE as a city building game. I am sure this does bring in a good batch of new players, but I am also sure it contributes to many leaving when the realise that fighting is a big part of the game.
I get a few moaning mails each week, some quite abusive, but I work to a policy of only plundering those of a similar level that have a 2 spear defence and only when I need goods when trades are slow. I respond to these moaning mails explaining this and suggesting they beef up their defence with better/more defenders and look to increase their defence bonus.

 

[Galladhorn]

One reason, so many complain is down to the way Into market the game. Currently in UK there are media/TV adverts which portray FoE as a city building game. I am sure this does bring in a good batch of new players, but I am also sure it contributes to many leaving when the realise that fighting is a big part of the game.
I get a few moaning mails each week, some quite abusive, but I work to a policy of only plundering those of a similar level that have a 2 spear defence and only when I need goods when trades are slow. I respond to these moaning mails explaining this and suggesting they beef up their defence with better/more defenders and look to increase their defence bonus.

Yes!, not alwasy, but most of the the time FoE is marketed as a City Builder game. Its a lure – I have seen it countless times. New players arrive and start building happily, then suddenly they are reqeusted to do this and do that and now the real game starts and they are like "holy moly! – do I need to do all this" to make my city larger or just to build one more building etc. So some leave fast and others keep playing enterring the next Era or two and then they start to get plunderd by Campers and again they are like WT*! is this now. So some more leave and other turns to the Forums for answers and realize that this is how the game is and have been for long time – So they either bite the dust lick their new wounds and continue or they leave.

 

[Shad23]

lol

 

[DeletedUser117019]

I find some players from more advanced worlds like middles ages or more modern worlds pick on newcomers from bronze or iron age who can't get advanced armies to defend themselves but are limited to say spear throwers and get beaten by mercenaries or rogues or other more advanced armies and not only get plundered but have to replace their army which slows down their advance. It is a case of an army of the future going back in time to defeat a feeble army. Can't the software writers change the software to limit players only fighting within their own time zone and not go back to an earlier time zone to bully a weaker army? The "Revenge" is no help as if one uses that their army is again defeated and they have to build up their army again which impedes their progress as it takes supplies and coins. Renewing a wiped out weak army uses more coins and supplies then what was plundered. Personally if I was in charge of the game I would punish these bullies by deleting everything from their city and throwing them back to the era where they plnder. If enough bullies were so treated the bullying would cease and fair fights would take place. I find advice like "
And besides, if losing a single building's production is so disastrous that it halts your city's progress to a crawl, then guess what buttercup - YOUR city is awful and needs improvement!"
Not only distatefull but misses the point and aids the bullies in effect saying it's the fault of the victim that they were bullied just like happens in schools.

 

[Cursedveggie]

not only get plundered but have to replace their army which slows down their advance.

Your defending army is instantly healed and any units lost are resurrected so you loose no troops to defending

Can't the software writers change the software to limit players only fighting within their own time zone and not go back to an earlier time zone to bully a weaker army?

You can only attack players in your neighbourhood, everyone is usually in the same era or at worst there will be a few players from the next era up

The "Revenge" is no help as if one uses that their army is again defeated and they have to build up their army again which impedes their progress as it takes supplies and coins. Renewing a wiped out weak army uses more coins and supplies then what was plundered.

If you don't think you can win with a revenge attack then don't attack! The losses from plundering are minimal although at the beginning of the game they can seem big especially when you are waiting for goods to be able to progress. Troops are fairly cheap in terms of coins/supplies so the only thing that slows you down is the time taken to train. If this is such an issue try building another barracks or two so you can raise additional troops

 

[Emberguard]

pick on newcomers from bronze or iron age who can't get advanced armies to defend themselves

It's physically impossible for that to happen. Within the last year or two the neighbourhood system changed. No one can attack anyone unless both they and the person they're attacking have unlocked this almost at the end of Iron Age:

and not only get plundered but have to replace their army which slows down their advance.

You don't have to replace your DA. Guild Expedition gives everyone the opportunity to obtain unattached troops. Those will never disappear unless you take them to battle. Use attached troops for fighting and unattached first and foremost on your DA. Anything left over in unattached can then be used for battle - but don't touch your DA troops except if you're swapping them out to a different age and it'll never slow you down.

Can't the software writers change the software to limit players only fighting within their own time zone and not go back to an earlier time zone to bully a weaker army?

If by timeframe you mean Age/Era then ok, that wouldn't be entirely unreasonable to limit neighbourhood attack and defence troops to current age and below. Players that built up their cities will still get through though

Personally if I was in charge of the game I would punish these bullies by deleting everything from their city and throwing them back to the era where they plnder. If enough bullies were so treated the bullying would cease and fair fights would take place

Mate that's just outplaying your opponent. It's not bullying it's a act of war. It's no different then taking your opponents queen in Chess. Punishing them for being good at the game by deleting their city wouldn't achieve anything except perhaps shut down the entire game.

Each plunderer can only take a single thing per 24 hrs, they're limited in the kinds of items they can touch and you as the city owner have more options available to counter then the attacker has to plunder.

I find advice like "
And besides, if losing a single building's production is so disastrous that it halts your city's progress to a crawl, then guess what buttercup - YOUR city is awful and needs improvement!"
Not only distatefull but misses the point and aids the bullies in effect saying it's the fault of the victim that they were bullied just like happens in schools.

Ok it could always be worded nicer, doesn't change the situation. You might not like the advice that a city needs to be improved but it's the most meaningful way to help a player. If they can't afford to be plundered at all then that highlights a city that was already not able to progress. Fix one of those things and you fix the other. Perhaps my favourite quote from a tv show is this: "how can you judge something fairly when you don't even know what the rules are?"

As far as plundering goes the best defence is to understand what a plunderer is able to do and what you have available. Know the rules they're playing by so you know how to counter them. Even when I don't do anything to counter them, use exclusively rogues in my defence and leave stuff out for upto 48 hrs I find my cities are barely effected by plundering. It's just not possible for plunderers to take enough stuff for it to have a high impact unless you've got a lot of plunderers. Which usually is most frequent in brand new worlds before anything can be established

 

[DeletedUser]

Many Noobs feel the imbalance that crops up in the early days, especially from "Campers", I know I did. The Forum is a great source for Gen but a good Guild will advise, coach and assist new Members to overcome this obstacle. Providing advice is well and good, but having it accepted and acted upon is often resisted, quite unwisely, by Noobs who want to play in "their own way". Horses to water...but there we go. A totally unrealistic approach but still extant as we all like to do our own thing. I read, listened and learned from Players far more experienced in FoE and have benefitted from this. I pass on good Gen to new and existing Members of my Guild, some from my own experiences but mostly from here and the oldie hons who have been here for years. . We all must learn to play within the constraints and reality of the Game or fail, just like Real Life.

 

[DeletedUser108359]

if you get plundered, it is your fault.

i must disagree with this part of your comment, although i think i understand what you really mean is that it is the persons own fault because they can take steps to try avoid being plundered. However sometimes even these steps are not enough, many things can happen, the attacker could be stronger ( they normally are as most dont attack people bigger than themselves ) or due to real life issues you may miss a collection so its not your fault you get plundered.
Thats like your car being stolen and someone saying its your own fault because you should have done more to safeguard it. Even though it was locked and alarm was on.

 

[DeletedUser108359]

If you don't think you can win with a revenge attack then don't attack!

Its amazing though how many times a plunderer doesnt have any or at least a decent defense, its always worth trying to revenge, if you see its impossible for you to win, retreat and revenge another way. My personal favorite is levelling his GB's especially the fp producing ones.
In one world i had this type of player hitting me, leveled his high level CDM 1st ( i didnt worry about it giving him better attack, i couldnt beat him any way, but cost him a LOT of fp ) then next day i leveled his Traz, the following day he aided me instead of attacking, so i aided back. Hes never attacked me again.
Doesnt always work like that of course, what i really love is when the plunderer sends me hate mail for leveling his GB. Thats absolutely hilarious.
Many ways to attack and plunder or revenge in this game.

 

[DeletedUser108359]

One reason, so many complain is down to the way Into market the game. Currently in UK there are media/TV adverts which portray FoE as a city building game

I may be wrong, ( its been a few years now ) but im sure when i 1st started playing it was marketed as a city building And war game.
But that was before the social element of the game became as big a part of the game as it is now.
The game has these 2 parts. Social and War its up to each person to decide which they prefer and they cant get upset because someone else wants war and they want tea and scones. They need to accept all strategies of the game ( as long as its within the rules ) and learn how to deal with it.
But perhaps the marketing should be more accurate, although iv seen many games where the marketing and preview videos dont come close to depicting what the game is actually like.

 

[Agent327]

I may be wrong, ( its been a few years now ) but im sure when i 1st started playing it was marketed as a city building And war game.

You are wrong. It has never been marketed as a war game.

 

[DeletedUser99588]

I believe the word war is used in this advert. I don't think it has ever been advertised as purely a war game but definitely has been an element.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/7LVI/forge-of-empires-a-single-sword

 

[Goremise]

i must disagree with this part of your comment, although i think i understand what you really mean is that it is the persons own fault because they can take steps to try avoid being plundered. However sometimes even these steps are not enough, many things can happen, the attacker could be stronger ( they normally are as most dont attack people bigger than themselves ) or due to real life issues you may miss a collection so its not your fault you get plundered.
Thats like your car being stolen and someone saying its your own fault because you should have done more to safeguard it. Even though it was locked and alarm was on.

Well yeah I mean, if you are in Iron age, research pvp fights, then come to the forums and complain about being attacked and plundered almost immediately, then what I said is perfect. But otherwise, even with due diligence you might still be plundered. Of course you have to get this tech to progress the game, but its easy to prepare with time, you can wait it out, save up FP, get to the next age at the same time as you unlock the tech and actually do all the plundering of your Neighbours yourself while putting only Mounted Archers on defence. No one wants to attack someone with Mounted archers.

 

[Emberguard]

You are wrong. It has never been marketed as a war game.

I also came to the game expecting some war aspect. Was thinking along the lines of age of empires, stronghold, Cossacks Etc

Not sure why it gave me that kind of expectation though, but at least the game is what I was expecting to find. There were other mobile games also being advertised around the same time that were pure war. Maybe that effected things?

 

[Thomas Covenent]

I find some players from more advanced worlds like middles ages or more modern worlds pick on newcomers from bronze or iron age who can't get advanced armies to defend themselves but are limited to say spear throwers and get beaten by mercenaries or rogues or other more advanced armies and not only get plundered but have to replace their army which slows down their advance. It is a case of an army of the future going back in time to defeat a feeble army. Can't the software writers change the software to limit players only fighting within their own time zone and not go back to an earlier time zone to bully a weaker army? The "Revenge" is no help as if one uses that their army is again defeated and they have to build up their army again which impedes their progress as it takes supplies and coins. Renewing a wiped out weak army uses more coins and supplies then what was plundered. Personally if I was in charge of the game I would punish these bullies by deleting everything from their city and throwing them back to the era where they plnder. If enough bullies were so treated the bullying would cease and fair fights would take place. I find advice like "
And besides, if losing a single building's production is so disastrous that it halts your city's progress to a crawl, then guess what buttercup - YOUR city is awful and needs improvement!"
Not only distatefull but misses the point and aids the bullies in effect saying it's the fault of the victim that they were bullied just like happens in schools.

TLR synopsis;
"Dear Games Developer,
Paper is over-powered, plz nerf. Scissors are fine.
- Sincerely, Rock"


Not understanding the game isn't the fault of the more veteran players.
The plundering mechanic is barely an annoyance, especially compared to most other games with similar mechanics where getting beaten typically means the near to outright destruction of your entire city.

I got plundered when I first started, just like pretty much everyone did. Hell, when I started playing, it was still under the old 'hood system where you would have bloody Colonial Age players with Iron/Bronze Age players!lol.
And there wasn't the Military Tactics research protection either.
So did I do? Well, instead of whining and playing the poor little victim while name-calling the other guys, I asked my guild mates for help, read the forums... hell, I even messaged some of the players who where plundering me to ask them how I could help better protect myself & my city!
But the biggest thing I learned from being plundered was, I was advancing far too quickly and my city was weak & ill prepared for the new challenges ahead! (like, I didn't have any GB's until I was nearly into EMA!lol >.< )

Those who refuse to adapt yet demand the game change to punish those of us who are simply playing the game as intended remind me of a favoured quote:
"And what are the achievements of your fragile Imperium? It is a corpse rotting slowly from within while maggots writhe in its belly. It was built with the toil of heroes and giants, and now is inhabited by frightened weaklings to whom the glories of those times are half-forgotten legends.
I have forgotten nothing, and my wisdom has expanded far beyond mere mortal frailties."
- Ahzek Ahriman

 

[DeletedUser116941]

Plunderers also didn't get any special help against other plunderers when we started the game either. Every time we move into a new neighborhood, we know there are players at the top who could decimate us without blinking, and hope they won't, so we nicely buff them and try to keep a strong defense against the rest of the neighborhood. It's not about immunity to plundering; it's about minimizing losses. As people have been saying, the main way to do this is to collect your goods often. I collect goods every four hours and supplies every hour, and if I am working, I collect everything every four hours. If someone else collects five of my goods, I am not all that upset about it because I plunder the ten guys with two spear fighters and about five people with moderate defense and come back later that day to repeat process several times. If I have extra troops to spare, I will take on a couple guys with more difficult defense for the challenge and to imagine the look their faces when their defenses are breached. It's not always about collecting booty. But, I more than make up for the occasional losses. Since I started playing in August, more than 3,000 plunders is a lot of loot.

And some days you get too greedy and bite off more than you can chew, taking on a mark that is too strong and sacrificing too many of your troops and even tap into some of your defensive troops. And while your defenses are down, you also get plundered. You grit your teeth and accept it. Inno designed this game to allow many styles of play. My focus is on advancing quickly and plundering for sport and for aiding that advancement. And I am quite content with my level 7 guild of one, and putting some of those stolen goods into completing GE, since I am much better at negotiating than fighting. Others like GvG and lots of cooperation with other players. If you can guess by my name, this is not my style. So Inno is not going to change the plundering option, beloved by many but despised by others. Not to mention that there is a GB that specifically aids plundering. I think plundering would be even more satisfying if people complained more, but only two complaints in more than three thousand, so either my world is super friendly or people get that it is just a part of strategy and game play. Survival of the fittest. That makes the game more akin to real life, doesn't it?

 

[Emberguard]

Not to mention that there is a GB that specifically aids plundering.

Yeah there's at least two. Atlantis Museum and Voyager V1. To some extent you could put Himeji in there as well because once you run out of GE encounters you still need access to fights and neighbours are the easiest way to get fights. Continent map would require not being too far in and GvG would both require the guild being interested and you having desktop

So there's about the same amount of pro-plunder GBs as there are pro-aiding GBs (seed vault/dynamic tower/rain forest)

 

[DeletedUser116572]

Yeah there's at least two. Atlantis Museum and Voyager V1. To some extent you could put Himeji in there as well because once you run out of GE encounters you still need access to fights and neighbours are the easiest way to get fights. Continent map would require not being too far in and GvG would both require the guild being interested and you having desktop

So there's about the same amount of pro-plunder GBs as there are pro-aiding GBs (seed vault/dynamic tower/rain forest)

while himeji castle provides rewards for battles it has nothing to do with plunder
one can attack neighbors without plundering them

 

[Emberguard]

True. But there are players that if they've attacked they'll plunder simply because once attacked you can't aid. So by taking something they're maximising on the possible output

 

[DeletedUser114342]

How funny is this, one of my guildies is a long time camper and she attacks hoodies but doesn’t plunder. Yesterday, one of them sent her a ‘love letter’ just for attacking. So now to show him how much she appreciates him, she makes sure he gets plundered everyday! Lol