What?

I feel at least, a universal minimum newb protection across all servers. Currently 10k in standard, 100k in Xtreme etc. How about 250k in ALL servers? Giving them a basic amount of research to begin with, ie. the ability to produce light fighters and small cargo ships from the time they first log in? A starter pack of 1 million of each resource type? Even an in built ready made fleet. 10 small cargo ships, 50 light fighters and 1 colony ship?

My plan

1: Instant ability to build light fighters, small cargo ships and colony ships.

2: 1 million metal, 1 million crystal and 1 million deut.

3: 250k newb protection across all servers.

4: Ready made fleet. 10 Small cargo ships, 50 light fighters and 1 colony ship.


These figures could be changed if need be. But instead of immediately waiting for things to research, build, they could be up and running right away. Instant rewards for your actions, keeps the interest there.

If you read weresloths thread it indeed has instant rewards for meting different goals, over the last couple years this has been discussed at length and i agree we either need a guided tutorial, or even better yet a kind of missions or quest system where they get incentiess to keep building getting rewarded in different ways.

Ex. Oh you got your MM and CM to lvl 5 here have 5 Rcoket launchers, oh you built your first small cargo here have 4 more, Etc and have it follow you all the way up in a progression like system!

Okay...like the idea!

now it seems to me that it is not too hard to implement an effort rewarding system into an already existing server, just like your example stated with the ships...build 1 get 4 more...for the first time you build that type...
has no impact on the already existing players there now...

the other part is harder to implement in an existing server, cause you already have established players with tech and ships in high levels...but...
the quest thingy I like;
- send to outer space and investigate
- you find an alien planet
- you get tech that can be studied further from that
(if your lab is high enough, so you need both a suited lablvl and the first "book"of alien physics)
- studied tech can give you weapons or ships...or whatever...
- for that you need rare materials...so again, of you go exploring to find those rare alien metals
(which you won't find in that same outer space slot, you just found the alien race...nooo...for that you need to go a couple systems over)
- higher exploration tech gives finding more advanced races, you make contact again with higher advanced race ...etc etc...

- this has risk, you can loose ships to a black hole
- other player has higher tech or other tech you haven't unlocked yet
- reward is growth in new tech or ship
- this you can then use as production increase, better planet defense or other ship or increase existing ship capability

all the wile you still keep the wargame or strategy game idea alive, because you still have rival player with ships and tech , who can attack and raid and rob and destroy...
but i do believe this would require a new server, cause it makes getting the highest techlvls quite a bit harder...which isn't necessarily a bad thing...but as i see it not the direction we want if we looking to increase playerbase on the already existing servers...tis an option nonetheless...

The problem with all these things is that there is not anything instant to keep them interested. The game is simple, as we like it. But, the plodding along to begin with is the problem. You need a carrot at the end of the stick. There is nothing like that here. All the tutorials in the world will not make a blind bit of difference. Even if they did read them, they will deviate off course BECAUSE there is no instant reward for there actions.

If you have 100 new players start I would be surprised to see even 10% still playing after a month, let alone a year. There needs to be instant rewards. If they can raid, in safety from day one, they might just continue. Once they start bringing home resources, their building capacity will increase. In turn so will fleets. IF there was a 250k point newb player protection in place, they would get to that score a lot sooner than they would now. The best way to learn the game is to play it. They won't if they cannot play with some reward straight off.

But, if the insistence is that you bore them with having to read tutorials, then hey, they will leave even sooner. Just like school kids, give them a game, let them play it, they will. Give them a book, naaah, which of those two would you rather do?

Okay...
I think we have to agree to disagree here

I do see your point, but it won't solve the issue of a new , small player loosing fleet and resources to a bigger player.
Once the fleet is lost, they quit..."no fair"...
Handing over instant satisfaction, because otherwise people won't stay also is no long term solution if the underlining gameplay doesn't challenge one to actually continue.
There are plenty of games out, that are hugely successful and have some sort of questform or have difficulty graduations in it.

if you stick to keeping it simple, but give everyone an equal chance to grow, and have a goal to grow towards to, here's another thought:
- beginners start in galaxy 1...you cannot leave that galaxy unless you're over 100k...you will only find and fight others in G1
- Galaxy 2 and 3 hold players from 101k to 499k
- G4 to 8 for 500k to 2 million
- G9 to G18 is the 9 galaxies the way they are now

1. the graduation and planet location from G1 to 8 happens automatically
2. when you're ready to go to G9 and beyond, you get 48 hrs to select your locations and from there it's permanent , or you have to decide to delete a planet and recolonize yourself
3. G1 to 8 give insta benefit for every achieved goal in your growth-path
4. from G9 and beyond, you're on your own

how's this sound?

The fastest way to help this game is to listen to experienced trolls like me to understand why we are frustrated and pissed.

SPY wrote:The fastest way to help this game is to listen to experienced trolls like me to understand why we are frustrated and pissed.

Explain

Simple. The ideas we give are the most vital ones that can actually change the game play for better but as they are a bit of a challenge for the dev team those gets ignored.

what are the dev team interested in?

Tweak the existing code in a way that they do not have to change any mechanism of the game.

In last few years what the dev team gave us?

New ships?

New universes?

Some restrictions....

How does any of those changes the game play? When did they ever placed anything that actually changes the game experience for better.

I always said this game needs a different dimension.

Zorg have changed a few things to be fair.....battle engine....moon destroy ratios ( boo....unbalanced imo)....elite recs......