Mark has a point with the customisation, generically speaking a 'profile' is a great place for players to put information (such as friends, quotes, threats etc.)

I'm more inclined to go with tutorials though, interactive tutorials that:
1) aren't intrusive
2) are hideable (and retrievable)
3) provide some reward (the resources that allow the players to build the next thing)
4) has a story to tell (don't ask me where you get the story from) which is chunked up such that each sections takes 3/4 of the wait time of whatever they were told to do last (or just explain the resources page while mines are building etc.)

Looks like the voting is close.

i am tempted to make a new account here just to tip the scales! (jk, i won't)

but seriously though, a new server without heavy changes to gameplay/setting will have the same problems that the other servers do, just with fewer players (massacre o.0). I do not see why most of the votes have not gone to something involved in helping the newbies or even boosting general activity on the servers.

the biggest issue i can see is the same as many others - most newbies get bored, and fast, the ones who do stick around are slaughtered unless they are taken in by an alliance who will actually help them, materially.

I should know (and this might say who i am lol) - there was a large group that headed into a bunch of servers from moonbase. they were THE most active new guys i had seen in a long, long time. I tried to help them in standard server. I am hardly a newbie myself, my knowledge generally lacks in fleeting (ok, that is a lot, but still, i am not entirely clueless), and a little on protection stuff. they had everything they needed to succeed, except for STRONG active players who could help them materially.

they lasted the first few weeks, a month and a half i think. then they attracted the attention of one of the two big alliances in standard... and they didnt have a chance. now i only see 1-2 guys active in the remnants of a potentially powerful alliance, who are largely farms. all the advice in the world that they would need, could not save them.

this was one of the really organized groups (you would be surprised what they had going i think), who actually got advice from someone who knew what they needed.

the only ways i see to keep this kind of group around (nevermind the average player, thats been covered already) are:

1. make moons easier to get. i know big players dont have that much difficulty with a friend or two to help. but you guys are already established. i am certain zorg did not intend for the deathstar OR moon to become as important or numerous ingame as they are now. the fact remains that with the sensor phalanx and jumpgates around, moons are vital for EVERYONE who wants to do anything significant anywhere anytime. otherwise it is a matter of time before they are wiped out and struggle to rebuild. This is especially difficult for the guys in standard, as protection is set to 10k, it is the slowest server, and the resources generate the slowest. it is nigh impossible imo, and not a whole lot better on other servers. moon take organized effort from established players. without people to help you get moons, nobody would get far in the face of the massive fleets currently residing in the universes.

they struggled to get moons going, and... well... most of them got 0 moons. only a lucky few got attempts at moonshots. i'm sure that there should be a very good chance of getting a moon after 5 tries, but im sure we have all joked about the largest amount of attempts it took to get a moon (my highest would be 25 that i heard of). Now, for a strong player, this is but a minor inconvenience. Especially if someone else is there to help, and you already have a ton of moons up. What about the newbies? they are afraid to raid a lot if out of protection, since they dont want to get phlanxed, assuming they have heard of it. then it only takes an unlucky ms attempt or 10 before they are stuck having to rebuild again. and THAT is if they get the df, and someone else does not steal it.


2. make rebuilding easier. a huge proportion of resources are lost every time someone is hit. its not like the attacker gets it. something i think zorg has not thought about is that raiding has been greatly weakened. inactive deletion must only be done at the same time as something else to replace the resources. if we are to grow by hitting eachother almost exclusively as seems the intent... well, it wont work. lemme put it this way: give everyone a fleet and recyclers. if mines had 0 production, the resources available in the game would diminish incredibly quickly. even if we had our own mines, not many people benefit from them enough to be able to replace an entire fleet fast enough to do much, nevermind hitting the guy who crashed them.

in short: as long as fleet crashing wastes so many resources, there must be a counterbalance. raiding would have been fine except that zorg did not like it before. do the math. a game in which everyone is heavily encouraged to only hit other actives, with the game losing large amounts of resources each time... heck, in extreme, i am pretty sure the ONLY reason gozar and azguard are not the only actives, are precisely because others can raid. otherwise he could pop moons at his leisure, and prevent them from raiding much at all.

3. people have said it, including me, i will say it again. npcs (even simple ones) could make things a lot more interesting. especially if you have 1 or 2 used in a new tutorial. gives them more things to do, makes the ever-important moon more achievable.

I like it. Hopefully they still take the advice since the polls closed.
Well put together. I have played a very long time and even with my experience, it is hard to progress without great friends and a hope to hit inactives that others havent raided dry.

Very nice posts.

ach wrote:i am tempted to make a new account here just to tip the scales! (jk, i won't)

but seriously though, a new server without heavy changes to gameplay/setting will have the same problems that the other servers do, just with fewer players (massacre o.0). I do not see why most of the votes have not gone to something involved in helping the newbies or even boosting general activity on the servers.

the biggest issue i can see is the same as many others - most newbies get bored, and fast, the ones who do stick around are slaughtered unless they are taken in by an alliance who will actually help them, materially.

I should know (and this might say who i am lol) - there was a large group that headed into a bunch of servers from moonbase. they were THE most active new guys i had seen in a long, long time. I tried to help them in standard server. I am hardly a newbie myself, my knowledge generally lacks in fleeting (ok, that is a lot, but still, i am not entirely clueless), and a little on protection stuff. they had everything they needed to succeed, except for STRONG active players who could help them materially.

they lasted the first few weeks, a month and a half i think. then they attracted the attention of one of the two big alliances in standard... and they didnt have a chance. now i only see 1-2 guys active in the remnants of a potentially powerful alliance, who are largely farms. all the advice in the world that they would need, could not save them.

this was one of the really organized groups (you would be surprised what they had going i think), who actually got advice from someone who knew what they needed.

the only ways i see to keep this kind of group around (nevermind the average player, thats been covered already) are:

1. make moons easier to get. i know big players dont have that much difficulty with a friend or two to help. but you guys are already established. i am certain zorg did not intend for the deathstar OR moon to become as important or numerous ingame as they are now. the fact remains that with the sensor phalanx and jumpgates around, moons are vital for EVERYONE who wants to do anything significant anywhere anytime. otherwise it is a matter of time before they are wiped out and struggle to rebuild. This is especially difficult for the guys in standard, as protection is set to 10k, it is the slowest server, and the resources generate the slowest. it is nigh impossible imo, and not a whole lot better on other servers. moon take organized effort from established players. without people to help you get moons, nobody would get far in the face of the massive fleets currently residing in the universes.

they struggled to get moons going, and... well... most of them got 0 moons. only a lucky few got attempts at moonshots. i'm sure that there should be a very good chance of getting a moon after 5 tries, but im sure we have all joked about the largest amount of attempts it took to get a moon (my highest would be 25 that i heard of). Now, for a strong player, this is but a minor inconvenience. Especially if someone else is there to help, and you already have a ton of moons up. What about the newbies? they are afraid to raid a lot if out of protection, since they dont want to get phlanxed, assuming they have heard of it. then it only takes an unlucky ms attempt or 10 before they are stuck having to rebuild again. and THAT is if they get the df, and someone else does not steal it.


2. make rebuilding easier. a huge proportion of resources are lost every time someone is hit. its not like the attacker gets it. something i think zorg has not thought about is that raiding has been greatly weakened. inactive deletion must only be done at the same time as something else to replace the resources. if we are to grow by hitting eachother almost exclusively as seems the intent... well, it wont work. lemme put it this way: give everyone a fleet and recyclers. if mines had 0 production, the resources available in the game would diminish incredibly quickly. even if we had our own mines, not many people benefit from them enough to be able to replace an entire fleet fast enough to do much, nevermind hitting the guy who crashed them.

in short: as long as fleet crashing wastes so many resources, there must be a counterbalance. raiding would have been fine except that zorg did not like it before. do the math. a game in which everyone is heavily encouraged to only hit other actives, with the game losing large amounts of resources each time... heck, in extreme, i am pretty sure the ONLY reason gozar and azguard are not the only actives, are precisely because others can raid. otherwise he could pop moons at his leisure, and prevent them from raiding much at all.

3. people have said it, including me, i will say it again. npcs (even simple ones) could make things a lot more interesting. especially if you have 1 or 2 used in a new tutorial. gives them more things to do, makes the ever-important moon more achievable.

To respond to each of your points:

1. Life is more likely to evolve on planets with moons, as these can help to deflect interplanetary debris. Intelligent life is probably also more likely to pass the sensitive period between nuclear power and space colonization with a nearby moon to help escape their planetary gravity well. So, having homeworlds come standard with a moon is an idea I can support.


2. No, rebuilding shouldn't be easy. To the contrary, I think players should be terminable. As it is now, attaining the Death Star is anticlimactic, since one cannot use it as the original Death Star was used, to destroy planets. I would rather be decisively annihilated than kicked around and farmed into vacation mode.


3. Two npcs for every player would be a great idea. (Actually coding that into the game might be another issue, though. Remember, somebody has to put in long hours at Santa's workshop to give us boys and girls our Christmas wishes.)

SilverVixen wrote:Very nice posts.

You're quite a friendly person, aren't you? Come to think of it, you may be the most welcoming person I've encountered anywhere on the entire Internet.

Lol thanks Mark

Though I'm sure some peeps might disagree with your assessment

there are a lot of newbs getting crashed thats been building fleets.., while they are below 100K.., as game has fleeters under 100k with no mines or buildings.., but big fleets..,
the newbs dont stand any chance...
Ppl with fleets over say a million points.., or whatever limit.., should also not be allowed to hit players under 100K.., so as they could have protection at least till over 100K..
It just gives them a chance to get used to the game..,
Instead of crashing out at the start...
I have seen a few progress nicely.., only to go into vmode.., or inactive around 50/60k points..

I am hoping many of the player base will see the point of this reply... Where I agree with game improvements can we /ZE look at some logic..

I can not fault players voting for a new universe.. It is understandable for many to look to start afresh with a equal playing field.

Yet this post is for game improvement.. While starting a new universe the same situation will occur there as here in Xtreme, Speed, Massacre and Standard. We are all being given the chance to improve our current game.. vote to improve what we have rather than just give up and go somewhere else.. Once implemented here I am sure any future Universes will gain the same.

I would ask Zorg to remove the New universe option as this is clearly an easy fix.. May I be as bold as to say ..all the above could be implemented at once.. once a few improvements are made to existing Universes..

Ideally..a New Universe.. with

Better graphics - eye candies to the people!
Elite Recs ofc
Create real tutorials for real.. ermm newbs!
Also any good Ideas other players have.


I hope as a player base you can see that any improvement made to existing can only help you in the future. Who knows may be one day you will be a top fleeter and wished you had made a different choice now and made you game better for then.

Regards Gozar

I agree with the better graphics and some REAL tutorials for the game.. It would get more people actively trying to play and have a good time while playing. However, I definitely know that it isn't really easy to just put some better graphics into a game... You need to make sure they work with the code of the game.. Failure to do so results in bugs in the game.

Now, elite recs... that would definitely save a lot of deut when crashing others and taking the DF or just finding a decent sized DF(containing 5mil metal or crystal). Also, depending on the engine used(if Zorg puts an Elite Recycler into the game), it might save a lot of time usually wasted due to the current speed of recs.

Whatever anyone else may decide or think is their opinion, with enough maybe Zorg might input a new ship like ERec..



Hatake Kakashi