Where is the game going?

[DeletedUser107476]

Back when I started playing this game there were two features of the game. GvG and aiding, those were the most time consuming aspects. Events were rarer with just Valentines, Easter, Summer and Winter, with a rare other event or two thrown in during the year. People were on globals having a laugh and the game was vibrant as social game. The main complaints were the lag in GvG, hood system and points system.

Now we have events nearly constant, daily challenges, tavern visiting, incidents and I am beginning to feel that coming on Forge of Empires is becoming more of a full time job than a game. The funny bit is main complaints after all this time is still GvG lag and hood system.

I do wonder where InnoGames are taking this game? The only real chance we have of asking them is the Facebook Q&A and you can tell their replies on there are scripted by the way they ignore certain questions. Do they even know themselves? As at last Q&A when questioned on next era to be released they admitted they do not know and that they wanted ideas.

So I do wonder what other players think on this?

 

[Agent327]

Back when I started playing this game there was only one feature. It is rather obvious these days the game is developed mainly for the app, so that's where it is going.

 

[joesoap]

all the new features that have been added are great for giving new players everything they need & want quickly, for players that have been here for several years theres nothing new or appealing or useful to be gained by spending extra time clicking

 

[TheKingOfKool]

I, too, seem to find the game heading in a direction I know not - lol - however, the events when they were just a few times a year made them something to look forward too - Hey maybe I'll get some sok's or a rogue hideout or something else I really wanted. Now the events are like everything else - a bother to do - and a strategic wrench in the works. There's no planning for an upcoming event now, because they come every week.

Boring!

 

[dimondus]

With Daily challenges rewarding unique events buildings (Sakura/Maharaja sets) dev's just screw the "unique" factor of those buildings. Complete sets that was built back then shows dedication and accomplishments now everyone could have them but in higher eras.
If they implement smart strategy they should sell those buildings for diamonds and only couple times during a year.

 

[Agent327]

With Daily challenges rewarding unique events buildings (Sakura/Maharaja sets) dev's just screw the "unique" factor of those buildings. Complete sets that was built back then shows dedication and accomplishments now everyone could have them but in higher eras.
If they implement smart strategy they should sell those buildings for diamonds and only couple times during a year.

I don't think they offer complete sets. Last time I had a challenge like that it did not show the main building.

 

[dimondus]

Hmm, maybe you right but then again, only laziest person would not get main building for completing quite simple questline.
Edited, I copied this from Daily challenges forum thread:
View attachment 14003

 

[Agent327]

Hmm, maybe you right but then again, only laziest person would not get main building for completing quite simple questline.
Edited, I copied this from Daily challenges forum thread:
View attachment 14003

OK. I noticed that one missing in the last daily challenge I got

 

[DeletedUser106369]

When ever I have had a set offered on Beta for a daily challenge it has always offered all 5 pieces. The main building is 5% chance, the other 4 are 10% each and 10FP's is 55%. So not a lot of chance in winning them. As yet I have not had a challenge that has offered any buildings from the new Winter set.

 

[DeletedUser6065]

The toilet.
Admit it everybody, we do this 'cuz there is nothing else better at this moment.
Hardly a recommendation, I would say.
. . . mk

 

[DeletedUser110179]

The toilet.
Admit it everybody, we do this 'cuz there is nothing else better at this moment.
Hardly a recommendation, I would say.
. . . mk

Well, most players are opportunists ... playing or doing anything to kill time.

Five years isn't a very long time to build up brand loyalty ... unlike buying the same make of automobile
or toothpaste over many decades (even if we merely copy our parents).

FoE hasn't had the longevity of board, card and tile games ...
that may have grown and developed over, hundreds or thousands of years .

 

[TheKingOfKool]

Here's one place the game went - It's now 20% more for diamonds - was thinking about another $80 bucks worth of diamonds but another $100 bucks - well, that crosses the threshold of pain!

Guess my periodic buys are over - What a bummer - 4/5 th's of a loaf wasn't enough for you guys - You had to have the whole loaf - Now you get no loaf!

 

[DeletedUser110179]

Here's one place the game went - It's now 20% more for diamonds - was thinking about another $80 bucks worth of diamonds but another $100 bucks - well, that crosses the threshold of pain!

Guess my periodic buys are over - What a bummer - 4/5 th's of a loaf wasn't enough for you guys - You had to have the whole loaf - Now you get no loaf!

Inflation hits everyone.

Many people have had the habit of expecting to get software or movie downloads for free ... I guess it's an intangible thing of 1's and 0's.
When it comes to buying hardware, board-games or "going out to the movies" it's acceptable and people have no problem paying up.

I suppose it's taken time for people to see the true value of "digital stuff" ... and that real people have to work to make it happen.

 

[DeletedUser111866]

Many people have had the habit of expecting to get software or movie downloads for free ... I guess it's an intangible thing of 1's and 0's.
When it comes to buying hardware, board-games or "going out to the movies" is acceptable and people have no problem paying up.

When it comes to hardware, you get to invest quite a fortune in creating yet another piece of hardware, in form of materials, assembly line service, power, etc. When it comes to software, you don't pay anything serious to create *yet another* copy of software. You do pay a lot to create the first copy, that's for sure, but past a certain threshold every extra payment is pure profit. And they don't lower the price for outdated software!!!11 You can still get Win7 x32 for $80 while it's out for years already, and not less, and it will be out of extended support in a year or two (well, support is a thing to use those money, still supporting a piece of software is likely less expensive than developing it).

With cinema, you get experience of good acoustics, very big screen, 3D if available, someth7ng you cannot yet replicate at home in full power, and if you can, you have pretty much your own cinema, so the investment should get returned, and since big screen experience is normally worth it, it's worth to pay for a session. With movies, the price should be reduced by a mile, as you don't get to pay up for big screen and room where it's installed (these rooms are big, and rental price might be prtetty high), but while they don't release copies at a fraction of the cost, the desire to get them for free is explainable, and anyway the cost of each subsequent soft copy should be reduced over time as the movie fades in popularity. So, while there is great work behind the "digital stuff", it is only a fraction of the cost, and it's one-time in the case of movies, the ongoing costs exist in software, but the current pricing model does not reflect this situation properly, thus piracy prospers as a countereffect.

In the case of online games, they have to develop further or stagnate, turn into money squeezer and die out. Here is the first case, but freemium model requires a certain portion of whales among the playerbase to make devs continue to make new features and fix bugs, and once whales would get disappointed, the game will go second route down to the wall. This will eventually happen anyway, as people can never play a single game for eternity, not to speak pay for all eternity. So, all games go to hell, just some go faster and some slower. Nothing personal, just business.

 

[Ricky17890]

I like all the new additions albeit have have been playing the game since April 2016

I play according to my needs and leave the events if they dont suit my gaming style

 

[DeletedUser110131]

The main element in the game's direction is that it's clearly moving to the mobile market, and seemingly wanting to snag the most obsessive users on that market. You know, the ones who's busy with their smartphone while being wheeled into the ER, after having been in an accident caused by them being too busy with their smartphone to be safe in traffic.

I suspect that events are great moneymakers, especially among new players, who are impatient, and unable to make a factual assessment of the usability of various prizes. Getting the bulk of their income from tricking new players isn't a very sustainable business model, though. Players will leave, and word of mouth will eventually become negative.

What's definitely not a part of the direction of the game, is this:

Some effort has to be put into keeping long time players happy, as well as "creating" new long time players. For that, events are insufficient; eventually, the novelty wears off, the inventory gets stuffed with unique buildings that'll never be used, and the repetitions turn boring. I have to say, though, that the combination buildings did add something new.

To satisfy experienced players, more fundamental upgrades are needed.

Not least, some huge time-wasters need to be gotten rid of. The Friends Tavern added yet another repetitive and time consuming aspect. The events consume a lot of time, for many. The longer people play, the more likely they'll whip out a calculator, and do the math on exactly how much time they spend on the game. At the moment, I suspect a lot of players leave the game shortly after making that calculation.

If they replace time wasters with actual challenges, both problems will shrink some.

 

[DeletedUser110869]

I have been playing on here now for over a year and I'm in two worlds ! I'm glade that i'm "retired" , because it is a full time game in order to get ahead ! It's not as much fun as I though it would be ,but I feel like I have to get on here every day and do all the different tasks that need to be done in order to keep going . BUT I have NOT spent and real money on here yet & do not plan too so ....... keep on going !!

 

[Ricky17890]

"The main element in the game's direction is that it's clearly moving to the mobile market, and seemingly wanting to snag the most obsessive users on that market. You know, the ones who's busy with their smartphone while being wheeled into the ER, after having been in an accident caused by them being too busy with their smartphone to be safe in traffic.

I suspect that events are great moneymakers, especially among new players, who are impatient, and unable to make a factual assessment of the usability of various prizes. Getting the bulk of their income from tricking new players isn't a very sustainable business model, though. Players will leave, and word of mouth will eventually become negative.

What's definitely not a part of the direction of the game, is this:

Some effort has to be put into keeping long time players happy, as well as "creating" new long time players. For that, events are insufficient; eventually, the novelty wears off, the inventory gets stuffed with unique buildings that'll never be used, and the repetitions turn boring. I have to say, though, that the combination buildings did add something new.

To satisfy experienced players, more fundamental upgrades are needed.

Not least, some huge time-wasters need to be gotten rid of. The Friends Tavern added yet another repetitive and time consuming aspect. The events consume a lot of time, for many. The longer people play, the more likely they'll whip out a calculator, and do the math on exactly how much time they spend on the game. At the moment, I suspect a lot of players leave the game shortly after making that calculation.

If they replace time wasters with actual challenges, both problems will shrink some."

Great post above Einrikr .Having said that I still love the game

 

[DeletedUser97688]

The Friends Tavern is definitely unnecessary, I reckon. Incidents are cute. But if i could scrap one thing from the game, it would be the stupid, hateful, motivation kits. Worst thing Inno have ever, ever, done

 

[DeletedUser110179]

" The main element in the game's direction is that it's clearly moving to the mobile market, and seemingly wanting to snag the most obsessive users on that market. You know, the ones who's busy with their smartphone while being wheeled into the ER, after having been in an accident caused by them being too busy with their smartphone to be safe in traffic. " Einrikr

Probably doesn't take much to snag this lot since they already play every game on the planet ... 48 hours a day. That said, Inno is probably in the wrong gaming segment for true mobile penetration anyway ... only 6% of mobile gamers play strategy games (Most play the likes of Candy Crush). Strategy games have always been the domain of a select few ... eg chess ... most people are averse to long-term planning.



" Some effort has to be put into keeping long time players happy, as well as "creating" new long time players. " Einrikr
That is the trick ... how can you expand the player-base while holding onto hardcore veterans ... cut them loose. How much income have Inno gained from veterans ... they rode the gravy train when "playing for free" was the biggest goal in the game.