Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeus
/me picks himself of floor after reading the first post 
Just deicded this morning to checkout the old baby and pissed myself at reading this first post that spinner was warned for multing... you couldnt make that up
Hi Christian, hope your well and managerleague growing as it was.
I havent played since it was sold....So, whats your view on the game overall now? Hopefully its improved?? |
Well well, what do you know
Two grumpy old farts like us, once again on the PA forums, what is the world coming to?
How does the saying go?
"Frankly my damn, I no longer give a dear"?
My return to PA, as a non-alliance, non-hardcore player, with no insight in the changes of late, has gotten me "the standard warning for cheaters", 2 exiles for my inability to be active enough in the gal-channel, and of course I have been anihilated back to the stoneage on 3 occasions. All for just five-punds-fifty.
My "personal" view on the game is probably best not served honest here on the forums, as it could easily violate more rules than I have been suspected of violating so far.
I do have an interesting list of outright "wrong turns" I feel the game has taken, and a long list of the "missed turns" it never took.
In all honesty, there was a fairly important reason why I returned when I did, but it is no secret that I have been trying, on several occasions, to buy Planetarion back. Unfortunately, I have now learned that such a thing shall not come to pass.
I must say, I am not sure I see this as a big loss anymore, given the state of the game and even the once so great community. Of all issues that illustrates this point best, I will pick the most important example:
What is it like being a new player in Planetarion today?
The answer is not "hard", "impossible", "I will never win" or "difficult".
The answer is simply: Not entertaining.
When my most entertaining experience came from being accused of cheating, that proves a point or two.
Surely, as it has not matured graphically, it has entertaining gameplay?
No, for a new player, the game and the community has hardened, and unfortunately lost any charm it once had. Am I to be entertained by being overwhelmed every 12 ticks? Am I to be entertained by being exiled around the universe? Am I to be entertained by misinformation or lack of explanations? Am I to be entertained by the lack of tactics and strategy? Short rounds for £5.54?
Startup-bonuses? I get hit by big ships right off the bat?
Scan someone? Unless you're playing as a scanner, forget it.
Cov-op someone ot make an impact? When not 110% specialized?
My race affects my stealth and alertness? Why didn't it say so when I picked the race? Oh, thats right, I'm supposed to read the manual before I sign up? Oh all right then, lets consult the manual, as a new player:
Max Stealth: 65, Stealth Growth/Tick: 6, Base Construction Units: 145, Base Research Points: 105, Production bonus: 10%, Salvage bonus: 25%, Universe Trade Tax: 25%. Well that's great. Is that good? Bad? 145 Base Construction Units, wow, that's a lot...Surely..It's a good thing the manual-page about Constructions has 21 links to itself though :-)
A new player stumbling onto the right url, finds out a new round is about to start, and he can even read some details about it! Lets see what he can look forward to, shall we?
"- Notifications now paid only"
Wtf? What's a notification? Paid? What? Complete sentences?
"- Buddy pack limit now 3"
Wtf is a buddy pack?
"- Single target ship statistics"
This could imply former multiple target ship statistics?
"- Allianceless planets get a reduced tax rate on the universal exchange (now up to 10% rather than up to 25%)."
Exchange? Exchange what? Tax?
"- 1 Selfexile every 3 ticks"
A selfexile? Why would I want to move anywhere? Ticks? I don't have ticks?
"- 1 Late join for gals with 3 BP members, 2 for gals with 2 BP members (exiling 1 out of a gal with 3 BP members does NOT give 2 late joins)"
BP? British Petroleum? Joins? Gals, as in ladies?
"- Upgrade bonuses increased, base rates doubled, smaller increase of the per tick gain""
Upgrade bonuses? What upgrade? And what does "Smaller increase of the per tick gain" mean??
I'll stop ranting now, but my point is this:
Planetarion is not a game that can increase it's userbase. It has not been such a game for a long time. It is dying, some would say it is already dead.
Dead because it has no hope.
The game, the manual, and the community all "require" you to be an experienced player, someone who can understand the cool language of the public announcements, someone who has IRC as part of his daily routine, and someone who certainly doesn't mind the lack of a good design as long as it is combined with a lack of entertainment.
I am truly sorry my judgement is so hard, and of course most of you would probably not agree with me (you are perhaps already an experienced player?) or my arguments. I have no problem with that, of course.
I also do not throw blame here or there, because I know how hard it must have been with no dedicated full-time paid developers. From what I know, it is now the 5th coder who is messing about in my already messed up code, and I'm glad I don't have his job (-: There are lots of people who have given much and received little since I left. I truly admire your loyalty, your steadfastness (?) and your ongoing work to keep this game alive.
I hope you continue to succeed this year, next year, and forever.
I hope my harsh judgement can hold some small clues to what could help the game improve to ensure it's survival for a few more years, even one or two that might actually be picked up on. If not, oh well.
Whenever I release a new game though, it will have more spaceships than footballs. It will have an environment where new players can learn and grow, and where alliances can prosper and fight. It will have room for different tactics and different strategies, and it will have room for the unknown and the mysteries. It will certainly be nice to look at, and of course, it will be easily played from your mobile phone. It will have no need for a manual, as it will have information in the places you need it. Nor will it require players to visit #something to explain that they actually work for a company with more than 1 person per IP.
A tall order?
We shall see...