Discussion Release Notes version 1.0

[DeletedUser1345]

I see the chest thing as a positive step. I like that they are looking to encourage players to build an academy, rather than forcing players to build one through story-line quests. Being able to upgrade it reduces time, and I suppose opens up slots, but do the level-ups enhance the spells? Or enable new ones? The wiki is still silent on that matter. Anyway, requiring diamonds for upgrade does not seem any different than the builders' hut.
Blocking further research for lack of enough provinces cleared does seem unfair. After all, it would mean gaining KPs that can't be spent. Is anyone being blocked by this? The number of provinces is not high, any any case. It could be that only opening the chest has the requirement.
Also, when I get polished and my culture goes up, my supply order stays the same amount, unless I refresh, and then it goes up. Same for when the bonus expires. Supplies I order production of remain the same, unless I refresh. Do the spells work the same? It is a concern, when the game times us out, even if we are in the middle of an activity.
Maybe a mod could give us some clarity on these issues.

 

[Jixel]

Now that everything in Elvenar has a function since our last open end was tied up with the Spells feature, we are ready for version 1.0!

I believe it's too early to call this a 1.0 release, there are many features that I would expect to see and inconveniences to be resolved before declaring the game "feature complete" - just take a look through the ideas list here: https://beta.forum.elvenar.com/index.php?threads/new-ideas-database.867/
(and of course there are the US, EN and other language forums as well, each with their own idea lists)
There are a handful which have been forwarded, but how many have been implemented ?

Visiting neighbours/fellows is tedious, managing fellowships is tedious work with spreadsheets and manual tracking, managing Ancient Wonder donations is manual and tedious (more spreadsheets !), many areas of the game require the player to keep track of things for themselves. That's what I've got a computer for, to keep track of boring & tedious things for me !

(and what happened to the "tournaments" idea, is that a "feature" too ? And the next guest race ?)

 

[DeletedUser283]

in general, we can always consider a version X.0 as incomplete (remember Micro$oft ?)

 

[DeletedUser778]

Is it intended that the EE spell doesn't give a bonus at 100% ?

PS: I still want my relics back for building the academy pre 1.0

 

[Muf-Muf]

Is it intended that the EE spell doesn't give a bonus at 100% ?

It only affects the bonus levels, yes.

 

[DeletedUser]

Blocking further research for lack of enough provinces cleared does seem unfair. After all, it would mean gaining KPs that can't be spent. Is anyone being blocked by this? The number of provinces is not high, any any case. It could be that only opening the chest has the requirement.

@Muf-Muf can you please clarify that for us? Do we have now to conquer certain number of provinces to proceed in tech tree, or we need them only to unlock the chest with rewards? If its the latter one, then it's fine. But if it's the former... then it would be extremely unfair to force us to play according to only 1 doubtfully "proper" scheme without any free will and variety...
Also what about the question asked about many players before? Are you guys going to refund the relics used for building the Academy before this update? It's rather straightforward question and i think that players deserve the answer.

 

[Deleted User - 56274]

I am blocked by this and at my point I have 27 provinces to clear before I can make any progress. For me, it may be the reason I leave the game, especially if this is passed on to the 'live' servers where I play more intensively.

I admit to being rather appalled that .35 was released to the US servers with so many bugs. Granted many of the bugs are more 'cosmetic' but for those of us who are archmages or mages who use the notifications to help track player activity it is far more than a minor nuisance.

I am also dismayed by the 1.0 release in beta. As stated above, I am very, very much blocked. This release and much of what is in the game seems like the developers have 1 single vision of how this game should be played and how players progress through the game. I do not have the freedom to build my city and gather resources while exploring at a pace I am comfortable with while being able to unlock the research tree.

I do not know if they are trying to force people into purchasing diamonds or they are so very narrow in vision that they cannot conceive of all the different ways that the players interact with the game. Not all of us are about getting the highest score possible.

This game has a lack of choice. You cannot opt to focus solely on battles, you cannot opt not to open up the Barracks and have troops even if you never, ever use them to gain provinces. You are forced to research non-boosted goods, for what purpose? Basically to slow down research progress. Why should we be forced to research these things.
Barracks, armories, squad upgrades and troops could be their own subsection of the research tree that is not a requirement to the main unlocks for boosted goods.

Supposedly, and I use this as I have not seen any suggestions made on the US server or Beta server actually come into play in the time I have been playing, ideas and suggestions for game improvement are forwarded to the developers. Some of the things players have advocated for that would make the game less of a click fest and focus more of our time back on being able to acquire provinces or focus on how the city looks and feels rather than managing visits and other items are completely disregarded.

My overall impression is that Inno barely knows who to perform a release cycle of testing to production. You do not move every release into production especially if the end user is going to be negatively impacted by it.

I have to admit, when 1.0 goes into the US servers, I am very likely to stop playing if I have to open up the same massive number of provinces that I do on beta. It is not something I enjoy doing. I prefer to progress at my own rate and make decisions on how I play myself rather than having the developers lead me around by the nose. Guess what, I am an adult who is fully capable of making her own decisions. As I tell my fellows in the fellowship I lead, there are more efficient or effective ways to play the game but no true right or wrong way. I feel that Inno is trying to make a 'right' and 'wrong' way to play according to their vision.

 

[DeletedUser1345]

It does seem counterproductive. If a player is struggling to complete the provinces, wouldn't they be more likely to purchase expansions to grow their city?

 

[DeletedUser778]

It only affects the bonus levels, yes.

I think it should work for 100% too... a polished building is a polished building.
Otherwise the players mainly on 100% have a disadvantage/ no use for the spell.
If you need 5 buildings polished to reach 125% and all are under the spell you have nothing, if only 4 are polished
and when the 5th is polished you immediately jump to 150%.
That sounds kinda wrong.

 

[DeletedUser]

I think it should work for 100% too... a polished building is a polished building.
Otherwise the players mainly on 100% have a disadvantage/ no use for the spell.
If you need 5 buildings polished to reach 125% and all are under the spell you have nothing, if only 4 are polished
and when the 5th is polished you immediately jump to 150%.
That sounds kinda wrong.

I am also interested i knowing, what happens when the polish wears off?
Imagine you have enough buildings polished to get the bonus, so you place the spell... and the building's polish wears off... do you lose the spell? If so, do you get the spell back as soon as that building is polished again, or did you just waste a bunch of relics for nothing?

 

[DeletedUser]

I think it should work for 100% too... a polished building is a polished building.
Otherwise the players mainly on 100% have a disadvantage/ no use for the spell.
If you need 5 buildings polished to reach 125% and all are under the spell you have nothing, if only 4 are polished
and when the 5th is polished you immediately jump to 150%.
That sounds kinda wrong.

If this Spell is released as is, here's a scenario.

I need 20k culture to reach 125%, and I have premium Gatekeepers and two Dragons as my primary Culture buildings. The Spell would be virtually useless, because I can't ever coordinate enough help to get to the 125. I suppose I could sell my Gatekeepers and build Temples (and loudly advise other players not to buy premium small culture buildings)

Perhaps the devs didn't consider that many of us run at 100%?

 

[DeletedUser651]

In case anyone is keeping track, I too run at 100% only. Therefore, that spell wouldn't do a thing for me.

 

[Muf-Muf]

I think it should work for 100% too... a polished building is a polished building.

We have already forwarded this feedback for consideration too, yes.

 

[DeletedUser]

@Muf-Muf

We have already forwarded this feedback for consideration too, yes.

How amazing! Does it really matter that much and affect so many players that from so many other questions you choose to reply to the most convenient one for you?

How about now answering to few way more important questions? Is the answer so scary that cannot be said/written out loud?

Let me repeat:

can you please clarify that for us? Do we have now to conquer certain number of provinces to proceed in tech tree, or we need them only to unlock the chest with rewards? If its the latter one, then it's fine. But if it's the former... then it would be extremely unfair to force us to play according to only 1 doubtfully "proper" scheme without any free will and variety...
Also what about the question asked about many players before? Are you guys going to refund the relics used for building the Academy before this update? It's rather straightforward question and i think that players deserve the answer.

Be fair to your players and please answer these simple questions.

Looking at what was brought by the comment quoted below, I think we all have the answer that we have been forced to follow only one "truly right and proper way of playing". Wait.. is it still a game for players with free will and their own vision or do we have to obey some orders and follow someone's twisted vision?

I am blocked by this and at my point I have 27 provinces to clear before I can make any progress. For me, it may be the reason I leave the game, especially if this is passed on to the 'live' servers where I play more intensively.

Still, before making some final judgement, an official confirmation and statement would be more than welcome to answer what we want to hear.

Unless these answers are like..:
1. Yes. We want you money and that will make you buy more diamonds. We also want to slow down your progress to give us more time to develop more boring features with more bugs. So yes, you have to conquer provinces to progress in tech tree. Is it the right answer?
2. No. We won't give them back. We want to make you buy even more diamonds and we will not compensate our own mistakes. Is it also the right answer?

Thank you.

 

[Muf-Muf]

How amazing! Does it really matter that much and affect so many players that from so many other questions you choose to reply to the most convenient one for you?

No, but some of the questions were already answered by others and to some we did not (yet) have an answer earlier. Either way, if you would like us to sum up the situation:

1. The chests in the research tree are indeed locks: if you don't meet the requirements, you will not be able to start researching the technology they're on. If you have already passed this point in the research tree, you will be able to continue. This has been stated this way in the release notes for update 1.0 as well. If that wasn't clear (enough) then we apologize and we'll try to be more clear next time.

2. No, we cannot refund the Relics spent on the Magic Academy. We will add more ways to receive Relics in the future, though. While Relics are fairly scarce now, they won't remain that way forever.

In case we missed questions that you really want an answer to, feel free to let us know.

 

[DeletedUser283]

1. The chests in the research tree are indeed locks: if you don't meet the requirements, you will not be able to start researching the technology they're on. If you have already passed this point in the research tree, you will be able to continue.

the problem we are facing here is about the type of requirement;

first and foremost the idea to put a lock onto further research is an excellent way to have lots of people silently quit the game :
they will not open a ticket, they will not make themselves heard on the forum, they will not even bother reading these pages ;
they will think : 'oh, the research is locked, I cannot go further, too bad, let's look for another game.'

secondly, one can perfectly develop a relatively healthy city without fighting, and with minimum provinces acquired through negotiation;
hence this "completed provinces" requirement is clearly inadequate.

unless of course develolpers insist on having us play the game their way .... in which case I can provide them with my account details and let them manage this city of mine as they please ...

 

[DeletedUser317]

A bug? a spy? or what?

Edit: Reload and is gone lol.

 

[DeletedUser]

the problem we are facing here is about the type of requirement.....

unless of course develolpers insist on having us play the game their way .... in which case I can provide them with my account details and let them manage this city of mine as they please ...

What strikes me most about this post is the author. When Philplessis - whom I've observed to be consistently reasonable - becomes this emphatic , this is noteworthy. And more so, given that this moderate member is commenting about a perceived trend; in other words, Philpless isn't inclined to alarmist speculation. I hope his opinion is given the consideration is merits.

 

[DeletedUser629]

the problem we are facing here is about the type of requirement;

first and foremost the idea to put a lock onto further research is an excellent way to have lots of people silently quit the game :
they will not open a ticket, they will not make themselves heard on the forum, they will not even bother reading these pages ;
they will think : 'oh, the research is locked, I cannot go further, too bad, let's look for another game.'

secondly, one can perfectly develop a relatively healthy city without fighting, and with minimum provinces acquired through negotiation;
hence this "completed provinces" requirement is clearly inadequate.

unless of course develolpers insist on having us play the game their way .... in which case I can provide them with my account details and let them manage this city of mine as they please ...

We're not talking about an Everest sized mountain you have to overcome here. The requirement to advance to chapter II is 10 provinces, 30 to advance to chapter III, 50 to advance to chapter IV, 70 to advance to chapter V, and 100 to advance to chapter VI. Even if you don't like to fight, clearing 10 provinces really isn't all that hard. If you want a full sized city, and you don't want to buy premium expansions, you will have to conquer provinces, and lots of them. Most players will be able to match the requirements easily, and they get spells as a reward, which would normally cost them relics.

We will however monitor this feature to see if the balance is correct, as we have done before with other features.

 

[DeletedUser283]

I agree that the requirement is not that high
it may however come as a bad surprise for players who did not see it coming
this is more visible on chapter VI ; 100 provinces ? I am a consistent and obstinate fighter, and I only cleared 226 of them ...
so I can easily imagine that a player who is not inclined to the fighting side of the game might easily be under 100 when reaching the entry of the dwarves chapter ...
of course, a beginner can always check future chests and plan is advance, but this requirement is coming from nowhere onto players who had not been warned, and have happily completed chapter V with less than 100 completed provinces;
I do not say that the requirement is high, I just consider that blocking the research tree for players (whichever way you do it) in a city builder is quite close to shooting yourselves in the foot.

on another note, I still find the idea of stuffing the chests with spells as a smart marketing trick to promote the magic academy and what it produces