Planetarion Forums

Scouse · 19 Mar 2003, 18:55

The following post is mostly a post I made in round 6 to encourage random galaxies for round 7. Spinner did read it at the time, as many other people, since it was linked on overview. I'll just copy/paste most of it, it all still applies.

------------------

For Private galaxies:

"I'm not playing, if I can't play with my friends" - This is often claimed from people and the majority actually go as far as to say they would quit if we had random galaxies. You can still play with your friends, you just can't galaxy with them. I've spent the majority of my PA life in galaxies not with friends, and have kept friends in alliances, and some times have even fought friends. My current galaxy this round contains friends, but I think spicing PA up with randoms is more important than having a galaxy with friends in. A lot of people like the security of knowing that they have thier GC and ministers decided upon and they all get along etc, also knowing that they will watch your planet and help protect you as best as they can. This is all well and good, but its hardly the be-all and end-all. I know that I only play this game because of friends, and to be honest I'd find it hard to believe that many people are still playing after 5 (EDIT: 8) rounds because they enjoy the game play, but this doesn't mean being in the same private galaxy. I could go on about this all day, but I won't. I see this as one of the strongest pro-private argument, but in my opinion it's hardly 'strong'.

"I'm not playing random because my galaxy will be all inactive" - Won't happen. People try and relate this back to rd 2 and 3, when things were completely different. Back then there was a huge base of new players, still learning the game and not playing 'seriously'. This round things are very different. People who want to play inactively won't pay to play, so as long as Spinner makes pay randoms different from free randoms, this won't occur. This problem could be solved by having 15 payed randoms and 10 free randoms in each galaxy. At least then you get 14 other paying playing, who you know should be fairly active. People claim that how you do that round is solely dependant on the galaxy you end up in. It's very much dependant on what cluster you end up in at the moment anyway. Luck is a big part of PA. Again this is a good pro-private galaxy, but again it's nothing compared to the benefits to fully random.

EDIT: This point doesn't really stand anymore because of the new players we should be getting in for round 10, so you might be in a galaxy full of inexperienced new players, but noone will have experience of a round 10 style game, and it's mechanics.

"The best galaxies will just account swap" - Again, this is hardly breaking news. It's happened in every round of PA since it began. People get bored, give thier login details to a gal mate or the GC and they bring in a friend to replace them, strengthening the galaxy. It is cheating and is against the rules, but it still happens. It happens with private galaxies as people quit, and would happen in random galaxies. People are more likely to account swap in private galaxies. If you were in a random gal and it was so bad that you wanted to quit, and you barely knew the people in there becuase they were "cnuts" or because they were inactive, would you bother passing on the login details so they could benefit? And to those people claiming people will "bully" login details out of galaxy mates, you can apply the same theory. Someone tells you to hand over login details or be killed, would you be so willing? No you would not, and I know for a fact no major alliance would let thier members act this way, and would probably punish them with removal from thier alliance.

"If you wanted to go random, you had the choice at sign-up" - This is a terrible argument. People wanting randoms don't want it, so they get to meet new friends. They want it so everyone is forced to random. Going random with the current set up is weakening yourself, and that would be foolish. Granted, some people go random and are doing very well this round.

For Fully Random galaxies:

End of powerblocks? - Hardly the end of powerblocks, but it would certainly do a lot to cut them down. Imagine fully randoms, a few big alliances decide to stay loyal to one another and keep themselves allied as a powerblock. 3 alliances all with roughly 200 members. That's 600 members. Spreading 600 members out over the entire universe would most likely result in at least 300 galaxies with members from this powerblock in. That is over half the game allied to this one powerblock. That's a massive number of targets unavailable to be hit. This would mean thier the alliances would have to break ties to open up more targets, or reduce a lot (all?) members to a planetary NAP. No alliance likes resulting thier members to planetarion NAP's, because when you weaken the galaxy, you weaken your members support. In a private galaxy universe alliances need allies to fill up their private galaxies, as you simply can't have a galaxy full of one alliance. In a random universe you don't need allies to fill up your galaxies.

End of farming? - Now this, I believe, would happen. People would undoubteldy try creating farm accounts or have friends be there farms for them, but most galaxies will defend any incoming to thier gal. Galaxy 'A' gets incoming on one planet, they defend it, this keeps happening, they keep defending it. Farmer Jack gets frustrated and send them a message explaining how it's his farm. Galaxy 'A' don't like this and exile it. It's happened this round and would happen next round. And everyone knows how much we all hate farmers?

Chance to meet new people? - This is a benefit of going random and can be acheived this round. Rounds 1 - 3 (for those that played) were very exciting finding out who was in your galaxy. Where do you think you made all your current friends? Meeting new people is good for the community and especially if these people are new players. To anyone who has ever 'took someone under thier wing' and helped them improve to become a decent player will know how worthwhile it is. Everyone would get a chance for this with fully randoms. Round 8 is now also another example for this.

New challenge? - Fully randoms would be a refreshing change and would give everyone a new challenge. Some people might have become lazy and got used to being with friends in a powerful galaxies without actually doing much. Everyone would have to look after themselves. Most people playing since rd 1 or 2 would love a new challenge.

Better Players being proven? - Again, everyone is looking after themselves and gets to become more selfish when it comes to your galaxy. In my opinion the better players would shine, and those that are only good because of thier galaxies would falter. It's hardly been the case in PA since rd 2 that the better a player you are, the better you do. Fully randoms would go some way to coming back to this.

Giving new players a chance? - With private galaxies new players sign up randomly (because they have no friends) and end up in a galaxy with other new players, they don't have the activity, knowledge or connections to do well and are seen as easy targets. They get attacked constantly as soon as they do even slightly well. None of them stay, and neither would any of you, if you had the same treatment in a new game you had just started playing.

The points about helping the new players are the most important here, we need new players to enjoy the game and spend their time, effort and money here.

Most of you played last round, which was fully random, so you'll probably all have your own opinions. Bare in mine in a round 10 universe there would be more newer players, but there will also be more features and a completely new game.

Having re-read the post, it is a bit dated, as next round proves to be different than the round following when I originally made the post, but I think the advantage of randoms till far outwiegh the advantages of privates.

MAdnRisKy · 19 Mar 2003, 19:03

it feels like reading one of my old bibles back to myself intending to use it for a later round.

I mean it kinda works............

to be more ontopic, it depends if you want an easily defendable round or a difficult to defend round.

And which one of those is better largely depends on the stacking of the teams.

In other words which ever way you do it, it goes wrong if the alliances are badly balanced, what it DOES do, is create the need to think up a new excuse to not start a new war after the first is one because the "mixed galaxies" one wouldn't wash.

whoop · 19 Mar 2003, 19:05

I like it but I would add something. (which btw, is based on an idea which wasn't my own, but I can't remember whose it was, or else I would give credit where credit was due).

I would also add the option to "associate" my planet with maybe 5 other planets.

Me and these 5 planets would have -2 ETA to defend each other with.

Provides at least some of the warm fuzzy of having a shared galaxy, but without providing the stagnation.

I would even go so far as to say that you should be able to see each other's incoming, else you'll just have account sharing where people ask others to keep an eye on their accounts while they sleep.

Additionally, I would totally

a) allow unlimited free planets
b) exclude free randoms from being in galaxies with paid randoms.

The cheaters will cheat and farm. That is unstoppable. Typical scenario is this:

Some farmer makes a farm planet. He farms it. In the process he notices that one of the planets in the galaxy his farm is in has nice rocks. He launches on it, because he will know if there's def.

Bingo. A farmer has just ruined someones game.

Now if you allow free planets, but exclude them from paid galaxies, then the cheater can still cheat/farm (which he will do anyway), but at least he can't ruin someone's game, which is one of the main arguments against randoms.

-whoop

MAdnRisKy · 19 Mar 2003, 19:09

I STILL think the gal of 10 which is mixed of 2 5s is the best way forward, but no-one would EVER like it because it means you'd have to be politically flexible and not have the round sown up pre ticks.

The problem people try to combat is the entrenching approach people take, instead of fixing their allies once universe positions are known they try to fix it so that no matter what positions they end up in, they'll have enough collective members for this not to matter.

Scouse · 19 Mar 2003, 19:09

Also, remember that last round had OB, which affected the game heavily.

Noone knows what the game will be like next round except the creators. None of this could apply.

whoop, that idea is great, but would still give the advantage to the experienced player who has the connections. A compromise of that idea could prove to help everyone, implemented correctly.

Dante Hicks · 19 Mar 2003, 20:24

Sorry, but there are still inactive players. Check Pilkara, there are still planets with less than 40 roids now. Unless you have had some real bad luck, or in a staggeringly hostile cluster, how is this possible?

(And some of the people with 3 roids aren't in protection either, so the "just started" argument doesn't hold)

I presume most of these are multi's, but they would still clog up some random gals.

Alastor · 19 Mar 2003, 20:31

I remember i read this post back in r6. I still agree with the points given here, its exactly how i see things too.

The good completely outweights the bad here.

Cicada · 19 Mar 2003, 20:33

Quote:

Originally posted by whoop

I would also add the option to "associate" my planet with maybe 5 other planets.

yes..

random galaxies, but unseen associations with an eta reduction also is the way to go....

random NEEDS to exist though for pa to continue

MAdnRisKy · 19 Mar 2003, 20:37

Quote:

Originally posted by Cicada
yes..

random galaxies, but unseen associations with an eta reduction also is the way to go....

random NEEDS to exist though for pa to continue

would make for a pretty fkin neat pryamid system for the nr 1 player that's for sure

Trend-y-Poo · 19 Mar 2003, 20:39

Randoms were always better then priv galaxies. I see the point of people who want to play with there friends but why not still talk to those and meet new ones? makes the game MUCH more fun.

-o|DarkJedi|o- · 19 Mar 2003, 20:40

had a bad start to the round then?

couldn't find a gal?

cheaper planets if random etc

DarkAngel · 19 Mar 2003, 20:55

i still believe random is more fun, last round worked imo. i met sum great new ppl - and sum new twats

at0mic.c0w · 19 Mar 2003, 21:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Scouse
"I'm not playing random because my galaxy will be all inactive" - Won't happen.

seems like u got lucky in r8, i didn't.

whoop · 19 Mar 2003, 21:23

Quote:

Originally posted by MAdnRisKy
would make for a pretty fkin neat pryamid system for the nr 1 player that's for sure

how so ?

-whoop

K-W · 19 Mar 2003, 21:25

If round 10 isnt random. PA will deserve to die. THis round should have been random.

isildurx · 19 Mar 2003, 21:30

Quote:

Originally posted by K-W
If round 10 isnt random. PA will deserve to die. THis round should have been random.

19 Mar 2003, 21:37

Quote:

Originally posted by at0mic.c0w
seems like u got lucky in r8, i didn't.

19 Mar 2003, 21:41

may I add though it's very likely if we had random galaxies of 20~ ppls then we could be more lucky, in that case I wouldn't be whining.

I perfectly agree PA need random or PA will die, but please, make 20 ppls galaxies if it's going to be random.

Knight Theamion · 19 Mar 2003, 21:45

through randomness i met a player who is currently in my gal.

K03N · 19 Mar 2003, 21:50

i met 2 people i now recruited for my alliance....

whoop · 19 Mar 2003, 23:19

Quote:

Originally posted by isildurx

Proud to end top #130 in r8.
Proud to be top 10 gal in r8.

No offence isildur, but wtf is top 130 ?

#1, top 10, top 50, top 100, top 250 are the norms.

Why not just say

"Proud to end #129" ?

-whoop (proud to be top 1537) :-P

whoop · 19 Mar 2003, 23:21

Quote:

Originally posted by -o|DarkJedi|o-

cheaper planets if random etc

That defeats the point.

We're not talking about priv + random.

We want no private galaxies.

-whoop

Morden · 19 Mar 2003, 23:58

if people are that worried about being in a galaxy where they dont know people then:

why not be able to select a m8 to go with you. so its groups of 2.

then for those who say ill end up in an inactive gal why not 10 groups of 2, and 5 free randoms.

so the total count will be 25 people per gal now at a worst cae scenario that'd be about 8 or 9 people active.

Kileman · 20 Mar 2003, 00:10

Quote:

Originally posted by whoop
No offence isildur, but wtf is top 130 ?

#1, top 10, top 50, top 100, top 250 are the norms.

Why not just say

"Proud to end #129" ?

-whoop (proud to be top 1537) :-P

He's Virus, try not to be so hard on him, his excuse is valid

*clutching at straws*
________
S Engine

whoop · 20 Mar 2003, 06:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Kileman
He's Virus, try not to be so hard on him, his excuse is valid

*clutching at straws*

I've got nothing against isildur or virus, Its an impressive achievement being #12x, I ended the round on 200 rocks or so, so clearly he is at least 2000 places more 1337 than me.

I just get flabbergasted when I see stuff like "I was top 183".

Doesn't make much sense.

-whoop

Kileman · 20 Mar 2003, 08:04

Proud to end top 1.34039124152 in R7
________
MAGIC FLIGHT

Zh|l · 20 Mar 2003, 08:14

Quote:

Originally posted by whoop
I've got nothing against isildur or virus, Its an impressive achievement being #12x, I ended the round on 200 rocks or so, so clearly he is at least 2000 places more 1337 than me.

I just get flabbergasted when I see stuff like "I was top 183".

Doesn't make much sense.

-whoop

Proud to be top 10,000 in r5 (and set a criteria within Wrath of anyone worse than me was crap)

glaci3r · 20 Mar 2003, 09:11

Quote:

Originally posted by Morden
why not be able to select a m8 to go with you. so its groups of 2.

I think this idea has alot of merit more so then just a pure random. People going in a galaxy usually know their responsibilities and won't just slack or quit playing one morning. If you go in with a friend, there are now two votes whether you quit or not. Not just your own, You made a committment in a private galaxy and your making a committment to a friend that you'll play as long as he/she will (assuming no acount sharing/cheating). You likely wouldn't have signed up with just any old bloke either so everyone who signed up in pairs has a better chance of continuing to play. People can still sign up in as a random single planet of course. Those of you (likely me too b/c i'll sign up after ticks start like this round) who don't have a friend to sign up with won't be left out.

We need to find a path that will make Planetarion both survivable and some what profitable. Making sure people have a reason to want to play and keep playing and making it still playable. A happy customer is a returning customer and that is a plus on the balance sheets.

(°> · 20 Mar 2003, 12:52

Quote:

Originally posted by at0mic.c0w
seems like u got lucky in r8, i didn't.

yes :-D

From the orther side of the coin to Atropos ;-) i can agree with his push for random planets.
In a random gal atm with new players and we are struggling against all the privates.(Makes the game interesting/challenging tho.)
Part private part random are no good as the privates sell out their randoms too alliance.
Multi's can easier hide a planet in a random galaxy away from the scrutiny of alliance intelligence.Either as a farm/scan/flak... planet.
Seen plenty of em in my time

Looking forward to round 10.

leknu · 20 Mar 2003, 13:15

Totally, or at least almost totally random universe is the way to go. Perhaps introduce a "buddy-code" system etc to get one good friend to be randomly inserted with you into a gal for those too scared of not knowing anyone of the galm8s...

- leknu
currently top 500 galaxy

Xeno · 20 Mar 2003, 13:53

It is indeed a problem that so many newcomers are being scared off. I'm playing in a random galaxy myself, and it's quite astonishing: I am currently under attack for the 21st time during the 120 or so ticks that have passed by since my planet became unprotected.

I can take this, as I knowingly dived into a role that most certainly would lead to my failure. But for a newbie to handle 21 attacks during his first 4 days of Planetarion? I don't think he would find any pleasure in that.

Xeno

hAl · 20 Mar 2003, 15:23

Quote:

Originally posted by [7]Gunn3r
may I add though it's very likely if we had random galaxies of 20~ ppls then we could be more lucky, in that case I wouldn't be whining.

I perfectly agree PA need random or PA will die, but please, make 20 ppls galaxies if it's going to be random.

20 to 25 if they think they can bring in a lot of new faces. Else the gal channel will be completly dead.

hAl

whoop · 20 Mar 2003, 16:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Dante Hicks
Sorry, but there are still inactive players. Check Pilkara, there are still planets with less than 40 roids now. Unless you have had some real bad luck, or in a staggeringly hostile cluster, how is this possible? .

Because its an online GAME.

Not everyone takes it as seriously as we do, and frankly its not necessary to have fun.

One of my favourite rounds was r3, and there were times I would go a week without logging in.

Just because your galmate doesn't have 5-10 new rocks at tick XX when scans first become ready, doesn't login every hour 5 minutes before the tick, and takes 2 days to answer your PA mails doesn't mean its the end of the world (or the round).

You don't have to win every game you play to have fun. Problem is that all the oldtimers, at some time or another have "0wned" and we have forgotten that the game can actually be enjoyable without being a huge planet.

-whoop

Dante Hicks · 20 Mar 2003, 17:02

Quote:

Originally posted by whoop
Not everyone takes it as seriously as we do, and frankly its not necessary to have fun.

Exactly. And ending up in a galaxy with 4 or 5 people who feel like that can pretty much destroy your chance of a fun round. (If fun for you is doing well).

Think of it like a football match. If you are really hyped upto play football, and want to play well then it's a bit of a downer if all your team-mates want to do is have a laugh.

I'm not actually against random btw, so long as it was possible to have the reduced eta squad (i.e. sort of quasi-gal members) whom you would have a seperate screen. That way your gal members (which would still be important of course) if necessary could be ignored while you still play hardcore. Play with friends plus meet and interact with new people.

Morden · 20 Mar 2003, 17:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Dante Hicks
I'm not actually against random btw, so long as it was possible to have the reduced eta squad (i.e. sort of quasi-gal members) whom you would have a seperate screen. That way your gal members (which would still be important of course) if necessary could be ignored while you still play hardcore. Play with friends plus meet and interact with new people.

it should be built into a feature for alliances.

the only way you'll get people to actually want to have there alliance in the DB is to make it useful and to give benefits.

i.e eta -1 on defence,
resource trading but not donating to anyone above the average score.
cheaper E costs in defence to alliance m8s.

perhaps an alliance defence fleet, similar to the r2 one except that it can noyl be sent to say 5 planets at one time. thus it cant be used to defend everyone but it will help the alliance overall.

whoop · 20 Mar 2003, 19:04

Quote:

Originally posted by Morden
it should be built into a feature for alliances.

I'm against that because then it becomes a size issue. PA is a weird game, in that it is a solo game and a team game at the same time.

A 'team' or alliance, can all combine to take down one planet, defend one planet, or a player can attack on his own.

This is different to every other sport, and makes it such that it is pretty much guaranteed that the largest 'team' wins. This hurts the new guys who are not members of any good 'team' and can't join any of the good ones (if they even knew which were the good ones in the first place).

By making it such that the eta defence association is limited to a few planets, say 5 at the most, then you get the warm and fuzzy of having your friends look out for you AND if you work well with your galaxy, you can get an additional 9 people to look after you.

Its a win win situation.

Just imagine r8, random as it was - no galaxy blocking, attacks flying left and right, counters like mad, you could pretty much attack/counter anyone you wanted, AND additionally (a few of) your old friends could watch your back. How much would that have rocked ?

-whoop

bear · 22 Mar 2003, 16:36

Full random involves a too big factor of luck. If you have good luck, you come into a galaxy with a lot of active people. If you have bad luck, you're the only active person in your gal.

My luck sucks with these things. I simply dont want to be 1 of the 2 active players in my r10 galaxy.... been there, done that.
If anything discourages new *and* old pa players, it's ending up in a gal where you have to check your own planet 24/7 for incomings, since hardly anyone else bothers to wake you up when you're under attack.

What a LOT of people fail to see, is that para and cluster alliances are a good way for new players to get in touch with the more experienced ones. At the start of any round, just about all ministers of communication get pa mails asking all gals in a cluster to join a certain irc channel.. the number of ppl showing up is quite low, on average

Maybe it's best to keep both camps happy.. Make r10 partially random. Give older players the chance to play with friends, but also let new players play along side more experienced ones.

kyrealean · 22 Mar 2003, 19:38

Planetarion players on the average are all experienced players, the alliances are 2 well set and organized.

Random galaxies just help people that get lucky and draw an active gal, where if u get unlucky and end up with a gal with maybe 2 or 3 others active, then your fked simple as that.

People may hate Private galaxies for their influence on stagnating the game etc. But its not how the gals are set up, its always been alliances etc that has killed PA.

if i were to continue to play this game beyond Rd9, i would have to play in Private gal, where i KNOW that someone has my back when im offline, and will sort me defense when i need it.

Not some random ****e where noone gives a fking fk about you or your planet and will let you die, or sell you out to their alliance etc.

Randoms only benefit players that have the time necessary to watch their planet 24/7 and frankly, this game isnt worth that to me.

dabult · 22 Mar 2003, 19:54

All random is the only way to go, with some modification ofc.

But with the current playerbase 10 planets is to small, 20 would likely mean to few clusters and such, but 15 could work well. The risk of getting a bunch of inactives in your gal feels a whole lot lesser with 15 planets.

But never private again, ever, PLEASE!

G.K Zhukov · 22 Mar 2003, 19:56

r8 were great, but you need to make the galaxies bigger, so there is more chance of having people online when you get incoming.

whoop: becouse of you, I will have to rethink my image of fury

zenopus · 22 Mar 2003, 19:58

A lot of new players go random; as they are not yet part of a network, they don't have any other options.

Quote:

Originally posted by kyrealean
Random galaxies just help people that get lucky and draw an active gal, where if u get unlucky and end up with a gal with maybe 2 or 3 others active, then your fked simple as that.

Whereas private galaxies just help people who have played PA for several rounds and have made all the right connections. Ensuring anyone new to the game is fked - simple as that...

bear · 22 Mar 2003, 20:30

Full random does NOT stop alliance domination. Full random also does NOT stop small(er) galaxies from getting bashed. Full random gals dont discourage cheating either. The only significant difference is that the way that these things are done, is different. I think previous rounds have proven that.

Scouse · 22 Mar 2003, 23:21

Quote:

Originally posted by bear
What a LOT of people fail to see, is that para and cluster alliances are a good way for new players to get in touch with the more experienced ones. At the start of any round, just about all ministers of communication get pa mails asking all gals in a cluster to join a certain irc channel.. the number of ppl showing up is quite low, on average

Are you kidding? The experienced players don't care at all about working with the new players, usually. They are often just seen as easy roids and quickly removed from the P or C alliance and attacked.

With full randoms you absolutely have to work with your galaxy mates. Last round I was in a galaxy with 8 good people, and over the course of the round I got to know them and trust them, and I've heard lots of people say the same.

I see you point, I just think full randoms has such a greater advantage.

Quote:

Originally posted by kyrealean
Planetarion players on the average are all experienced players

Correct, they are at the moment, but hopefully we'll get a lot of new players and they won't be experienced. Even current players won't know the ins and outs of the game completely as it's changing, and getting new features etc.

Quote:

Originally posted by dabult
All random is the only way to go, with some modification ofc.

I agree that fully randoms doesn't help the casual player at all and that needs to change, but not too much. It's a thin line, but we don't know what's being introduced next round to help that.

Bigger galaxies is a good solution to getting more decent players per gal. Hopefully with the new players coming we can afford to have bigger gals.

Quote:

Originally posted by bear
Full random does NOT stop alliance domination. Full random also does NOT stop small(er) galaxies from getting bashed. Full random gals dont discourage cheating either. The only significant difference is that the way that these things are done, is different. I think previous rounds have proven that.

It doesn't stop it but it's the best way of discouraging powerblocks at the moment. It stops elitist galaxies and spreads decent players throughout the universe, and the skill range is significantly reduced, between galaxies.

I'd like you to use previous rounds as an example if you're so sure.

bear · 23 Mar 2003, 05:58

People have different expectations and different levels of activity. I guess I am one of the more hardcore players, who doesnt mind waking up very early (or stay up late) to attack. But it's rather frustrating to end up in a gal where you're the only one who is willing to do that, as well as getting up to check for incomings. As the round goes along, Pa starts taking so much time, that it becomes almost impossible to play well, even for an active player - been there, done that.

Features like perhaps sms or emailalert when you get incomings could help here. Or, for example, a limited construction/research/production queu. Such features would also stimulate new players that are more limited in their online time, to play, as they wouldnt need to be online for every constr/res/production every time.

I sure wouldnt mind the suggestion Morden made, but with ie a gal of 5 priv accounts and 10 random.

But in the end, it's online activity that is one of the major factors in how well people play (or how much people learn)

Zzz · 23 Mar 2003, 10:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Dante Hicks
Sorry, but there are still inactive players. Check Pilkara, there are still planets with less than 40 roids now. Unless you have had some real bad luck, or in a staggeringly hostile cluster, how is this possible?

(And some of the people with 3 roids aren't in protection either, so the "just started" argument doesn't hold)

I presume most of these are multi's, but they would still clog up some random gals.

Or these people just don't take the game as seriously as most. I, for one, spent the second week snowboarding in the Alps, which was way more enjoyable than getting up at 4 in the morning to check on my planet.

BLACK_OPPS · 23 Mar 2003, 15:44

erm just a point with full Random it stagnates faster at least with private gals you get a full run thought until one side dies then ya tare the block apart and kill the others around you random aint as easy

my opinion Random = terrible

at least in the earlier rounds you could drag your galaxy along with you to follow your alliances rules etc but nower days every player in the gal will have some alliance of some sort
sad to distane from the removal of blocks but its the kinda thing that actualy is keeping the game going with a uni this size

dabult · 23 Mar 2003, 17:22

Quote:

Originally posted by BLACK_OPPS
erm just a point with full Random it stagnates faster at least with private gals you get a full run thought until one side dies then ya tare the block apart and kill the others around you random aint as easy

my opinion Random = terrible

at least in the earlier rounds you could drag your galaxy along with you to follow your alliances rules etc but nower days every player in the gal will have some alliance of some sort
sad to distane from the removal of blocks but its the kinda thing that actualy is keeping the game going with a uni this size

Did you play round 8?
Do you think that during the 2 months we got, there was even a tiny bit of coming close to stagnation?

I really hope you will answer that you didnt play r8...or i dont get what you mean at all..

Scouse · 23 Mar 2003, 19:30

Quote:

Originally posted by BLACK_OPPS
erm just a point with full Random it stagnates faster at least with private gals you get a full run thought until one side dies then ya tare the block apart and kill the others around you random aint as easy

I don't think so. I can see the theory* behind it, but in practice it shows not to be true. Hostiles in friendly galaxies were still attacked. One test isn't enough ofc, but because it is random the blocks are smaller, plus blocks can also tear themselves apart and new blocks can be formed easily. This leads to a much less chance of stagnation.

As dabult pointed out, last round didn't stagnate, it didn't come close to previous levels of stagnation that we've seen, and that we will probably see again this round.

*More spread of players, more protected galaxies

BLACK_OPPS · 23 Mar 2003, 21:38

yes i did play rnd 8 and that had to be the most boreing round of PA considering i been here since rnd 1 can talk with experiance

when i say stagnate it can be used to discribe both millitary and political stagnation last round was more Flame Titans than anything alltho last round dident realy totaly hault attacks as stagnation as you allways had something crap to hit it removed the political will to play you lacked a big evil block nemisis and gave people prity mutch nothing realy to fight for i can say from my own experiance that haveing a nemisis will drive an alliance forward

Rnd 8 was terribly boreing as the "EVIL" of the universe was constantly changeing most people just got bored of the constant flame the guy on top and either quit or just got sick of it and couldent be arsed to carry on roiding as they had a lack of Nemisis

so yes under my deffintion of stagnation Rnd 8 was heavly stagnated may not have been millitary stagnation as you could allways pick on a planet because of the lack of gal naps but certanly was political

yes Scouse you do make a good point of random breaking down block coheasion but realy blocks kept this game running this long yes everone gets pissed off with them if there loseing but if you chosse to make a block your self then your just as guilty as your opoinate and i dont belive that would change evan if you do make it all random you will allways have another alliance trying to out do you

Scouse · 24 Mar 2003, 00:13

Quote:

Originally posted by BLACK_OPPS
yes i did play rnd 8 and that had to be the most boreing round of PA considering i been here since rnd 1 can talk with experiance

So have I. I don't expect you to say you loved last round, as it's a matter of opinion, but you should realise the advantages, which were seen last round.

Quote:

Rnd 8 was terribly boreing as the "EVIL" of the universe was constantly changeing most people just got bored of the constant flame the guy on top and either quit or just got sick of it and couldent be arsed to carry on roiding as they had a lack of Nemisis

If anything that should drive people to suceed, and most alliances (the serious playing ones) has enough reason to really try to win.

Quote:

Rnd 8 was heavly stagnated may not have been millitary stagnation as you could allways pick on a planet because of the lack of gal naps but certanly was political

No. Not at all. There were at least 5 blocks, non allied to begin with. The politics changed a great deal last round and had potential to even more.

I think maybe you're suffering from the "It wasn't as good as when I was a lad" type syndrome here, where you're refusing to accept that last round was good (and different) simply because you were not involved.