Realm Gems Being "locked" due to population (concerns)

[DemonMonger]

Corrections and changes in AMUN - 05/23/2011

* Fixed: Several bugs in the collision of forts Avoid falling / jumping off some parts.

-Changed: The desire of the Golden Dragon gives everyone present 2500 Warmaster Coins.

* Fixed: Captain of the fort Menirah now appears in the right place.

-Fixed: The doors of forts change to improve it from the trunk.

-New: In the area of ​​"landing" every kingdom have 3 guards to help defend the alternative entrance. These guards are activated during periods of vulnerability and broken door.

-New: The resurrection time is now different if the player dies near a fortification.

-New: System that deactivates Gems kingdom in times of low population. This system can be configured per server and prevents capture the gems at fixed hours, which will be defined later. While the gems are locked, they will be affected by a visual effect.

Removed: The gem carrier will not receive Warmaster Coins to preserve the gameplay as a team.---------------------------------------------------------------------

I am worried about the gem locking feature...

Originally Posted by VandaMan

Somewhat in agreement. I haven't been playing as much on Horus lately (believe it or not I don't enjoy invading multiple times every night), but I think this change is just asking for trouble.

Assuming you've already planned to prevent things like logging on/off to control gem invulnerability, it still means that at night while the most Ignis players are online they will get no war whatsoever, because nobody will fight outnumbered when their gems aren't at risk. And that's an issue without even considering whether or not it's fair to disallow invasions when one realm is strongest, but not when another is.

On the other hand I'm glad to see they're trying something new.

Also consider what if people multi realm to control the gems as well as log on or off.

It's also not fair that so many people got to become warmaster by doing the "blow" quest daily, and now the future warmasters have to do it once per week.

Some of you may say, "yea, but now dragon will grant 2500 wm coins", now think again to how we can control the gems by being on or offline. Now the enemy has direct control over your WM points without even fighting you, when in the past the enemy could only control their own coin flow.

NGD please rethink this option.

[NotScias]

So if I follow your reasoning it's not fair that old warlocks had a wind wall with block chance, while now wind wall is near to uselessness...

Anyways I won't prounounce until it goes live, we can't know if this gem locking feature will be good or bad yet. Depends how NGD sets it up.

[DemonMonger]

Originally Posted by Shining-Scias

So if I follow your reasoning it's not fair that old warlocks had a wind wall with block chance, while now wind wall is near to uselessness...

Anyways I won't prounounce until it goes live, we can't know if this gem locking feature will be good or bad yet. Depends how NGD sets it up.

my reasoning is not based on a mere skill. I never complained about windwall with block chance, and that is not relative to the concerns of the enemy controlling our warmaster coins/ dragon wishes by not playing.

We should not have to quit our jobs/school/life to play at a time when you guys all play or be "punished."

This is the only point that matters. It is not right, no matter how it gets constructed into the fabric of the game.

You can vote here to keep the game as is in regards to the gems, or lose another freedom that makes the game enjoyable. Your choice. Silence = let it happen. We all know that once things happen they don't get reverted often, and if they do it is never to its original condition.

Think about it... long and hard.

[surak]

People massively logging off will NOT trigger the gem lock.

[DemonMonger]

Originally Posted by surak

People massively logging off will NOT trigger the gem lock.

But this still puts limits and strains more stress on us as players to try to play when populations are not low. We cannot just change our lives around, and to be limited because of how the cards have fallen is not right.

Please leave it as is. I am basically begging you.

Even if massive log offs will not trigger it. People can choose to manipulate our warmaster coins.
It defeats all of our efforts more so since the warmaster general quest will be once per week.

I know that the gem lock is to ensure that one realm does not get 2500 from multi raping all realms over and over all night. Notice though how fast the gates close and how hard is it to get a gem out of the realm with forts as they are currently. Now imagine new forts plus all of this. It will be chaotic

[NotScias]

Originally Posted by DemonMonger

my reasoning is not based on a mere skill. I never complained about windwall with block chance, and that is not relative to the concerns of the enemy controlling our warmaster coins/ dragon wishes by not playing.

That was an example showing that newcomers won't always benefit from all things old players got. Balance shouldn't be given up because of caring of the new players...
Do you realise how easy it was for the realms that could daily invade due to timezone imbalance to get a shitloads of WMs compared to other realms ? 10 days needed vs 2 months, this is way too unbalanced.

We should not have to quit our jobs/school/life to play at a time when you guys all play or be "punished."

This is the only point that matters. It is not right, no matter how it gets constructed into the fabric of the game.

As far as I know Syrtis isn't 100% European and Ignis isn't 100% US, also in the european afternoon/evening europeans play along with US players.
This is only a gem locking feature, you will still be able to kill players, capture forts, invade for nobles, it's not like the server gets closed. Just not be able to open the portal half a dozen times and spam -exp on all realms who were offline during that time.

You can vote here to keep the game as is in regards to the gems, or lose another freedom that makes the game enjoyable. Your choice. Silence = let it happen. We all know that once things happen they don't get reverted often, and if they do it is never to its original condition.

Think about it... long and hard.

For years players from all realms complain about the Zerg vs few invasions/portal openings. Now that finally a not harmful potential solution to it is done for it we should not try ? We should let a chance for it, see how it goes, and NGD proved they can revert bad decisions (latest example 3 days ago : new invasion mechanics).
The most stupid thing to do is to not do anything. Things only evolve by trial.

[VandaMan]

To me the problem isn't so much that it stops invasions, but that there will simply be no war at all during those hours. What are the players who can only log on during the times when gems are invulnerable supposed to do? It sucks being invaded by many times your number, but invasions are the only incentive to fight when you're outnumbered.

[DemonMonger]

Originally Posted by Shining-Scias

That was an example showing that newcomers won't always benefit from all things old players got. Balance shouldn't be given up because of caring of the new players...
Do you realise how easy it was for the realms that could daily invade due to timezone imbalance to get a shitloads of WMs compared to other realms ? 10 days needed vs 2 months, this is way too unbalanced.



As far as I know Syrtis isn't 100% European and Ignis isn't 100% US, also in the european afternoon/evening europeans play along with US players.
This is only a gem locking feature, you will still be able to kill players, capture forts, invade for nobles, it's not like the server gets closed. Just not be able to open the portal half a dozen times and spam -exp on all realms who were offline during that time.



For years players from all realms complain about the Zerg vs few invasions/portal openings. Now that finally a not harmful potential solution to it is done for it we should not try ? We should let a chance for it, see how it goes, and NGD proved they can revert bad decisions (latest example 3 days ago : new invasion mechanics).
The most stupid thing to do is to not do anything.

This is flawed for many reasons.

First I played many nights with the group and was not able to get my warmaster until now (played many hours).

Just because we are online does not mean we will get a chance to get to the general, or kill it before before being killed.

I agree the most stupid thing to do is not do anything. To let it happen without fully discussing and thinking about all the options as a community would be stupid.

The game balance will be messed up.

The general quest was not an event that was given to us for a limited time, so altering it to make it more difficult is not fair. (you recall how angry people were during the last major change that brought lvl 60 and xp block, this wil be worse)

The main problem with the world is the lack of care.

It's not a matter of who plays from EU and who plays from US. It's about losing freedoms that we enjoy.

The new forts alone will provide a better defence against zerging the inner realms. (If you did not notice, archer will have a difficult time keeping doors from being busted, and warriors will have a hard time on offensive vs archers attacking inside once door is busted)

Sure some things evolve by trial, but we can only try death once in this physical existence and form.

The locking feature will limit people that can only be on at that time. The feeling of injustice will be overwhelming.

Every realm but alsius has a chance to do mass invasion during a certain time. (alsius and syrtis join forces)

What will happen to gems when people stop playing period. More and more warmaster = less people online at any given time.

Originally Posted by VandaMan

To me the problem isn't so much that it stops invasions, but that there will simply be no war at all during those hours. What are the players who can only log on during the times when gems are invulnerable supposed to do? It sucks being invaded by many times your number, but invasions are the only incentive to fight when you're outnumbered.

100% I am glad you understand

[Yttrium]

Getting a dragon wish is a reward. It seems intended to be a reward for accomplishing a difficult task. Easily overwhelming a much smaller force does not deserve to be rewarded. For this reason, I think this will probably be a good change.

Originally Posted by VandaMan

To me the problem isn't so much that it stops invasions, but that there will simply be no war at all during those hours. What are the players who can only log on during the times when gems are invulnerable supposed to do? It sucks being invaded by many times your number, but invasions are the only incentive to fight when you're outnumbered.

I don't think it was ever a good idea to make incentives for a small realm to try fighting an overwhelming force. It would be better to give incentives to make the larger force split up. Ignis can still invade at night, they just can no longer easily walk out with gems multiple times per night.

[bois]

I want to give this a chance. Why? because there is quite a lot we just do not know.

For example, how severe a difference in populations will trigger the gem lock? I would like to think that the gem lock comes when the situation is so severe that even boosting AI to help the human base does absolutely nothing. For this let us pretend that the AI works as intended.

What is the polling interval to gather this information? I don't know . How long will be the gem lock? Unknown. Maybe they could lock one gem depending on the situation. Maybe they could make the gem heavier depending on the situation so it then becomes more difficult to ferry out. They could lock one of the gems (of losing sides) for an hour when a portal is opened.

I do think that it is worth a try . If it fails miserably then revert it.
I don't see this as a loss of freedom. For all we know, the population imbalance may not tip enough to trigger it.

On the flip side, NGD could use this same information they get on underpopulated realm time slots and shape incentives to boost populations there over time. Time slot incentives.

The changing of the quest to once per week is a good thing to my mind.

The forts are good, however, unless I am missing something, Forts less than level 4 will be even easier to capture by solo camo hunters. Reveal will probably not work well in the spiral staircase and there are more places to hide. The flag is unprotected and depends solely on human protection. Maybe NGD determined that this is a good gold sink and this is the way to go.
However, I still think that "capture the flag" concept should be taken even further. That is, you take the flag, run it down to a holder in the GC chamber and place it to complete capture. When you hold the flag you lose camo and powers and depend on your allies to cover you. If you run out of the fort with the flag, it simply returns to its holder at the top.

I am not ready to write this idea of NGD off yet. I think it can work but NGD needs to get the balance just right.

As for war, even if the gems are locked, you can still invade. The possibility exists that not everyone will need the general in the same day. The duty will be to try and stop the opponent getting warmaster coins at that point.