War

Larry wrote: EDIT: And look, in response to the idea that certain individuals find it unsettling that a player can lose essentially everything, all that can really be said is that concept is one of the core ideas behind this game. Just like eve (for those who play that). There are plenty of other games that are far more gentle to the players, just because you happen to not enjoy that doesn't mean the rest of us dont. I don't intend to sound irritable but you're asking for a fundamental change in this game's entire premise.

I don't think the majority of posters on this topic are bagging on Illyriad as a whole. I think for the most part we are trying to find solutions to a potentially game-ending problem in it's mechanics.

I am all for war, and crippling your enemy. But I also think something should be done about how much they should be crippled. It has the potential to drive people away, I don' think there is any doubt in that. What we, as a Illyriad player whole need to do, is help give ideas (as Beengalas did) to the devs on ways to keep this from happening. I for one, would like to see Illyriad stick around.

Ideas:

1. Give us, the players, something that we can hold onto.
    a. Original, or main town cannot be sieged and taken.
    b. Alliance ownership, or faction, of claimed territories are the main targets of warfare. Losing these would be far more acceptable than losing months worth of work on a town.

I was going to try and go a little more in depth, but time caught up to me. I'm sure with every ones help we can give the devs plenty of food for thought.

HonoredMule wrote: I will say it seemed very much the case that most of them simply came for the wrong reasons and didn't find what they were seeking.

I find this argument of what players are searching for quite dull. Players are searching for fun. If you're not searching for fun I have no idea what you're doing here. White obviously found what they were looking for because if they hadn't why on earth would they have invested so much time (and potentially money) into a game they weren't interested in? If you didn't like this game, would you have played it for as long as you have? You'd be lying if you said yes.

White played the game for as long as they did because they must have enjoyed something about it. Which means they quit because of something that happened in game not because they didn't get what they were looking for in it. Like I said, it's not some update or family matter that drove them away(Unless everyone in White was all part of the same family), it was the war with Harmless.

HonoredMule wrote: Without getting into the details of White itself, note how many in Black--a group of players not cut from the same cloth--have continued and rebuilt themselves under a new name despite being misused and discarded by White as well as overpowered by Harmless.

You're not seriously suggesting that everyone from White quit are you? And while some players from Black have rebuilt you can't deny that the Good Company is much smaller than Black was.

I left because of RL and burnout (in part cause I'm not that into browser games in the first place), and I can say that that's the same for many in WHITE.

I think war is the essential gameoption in a game based on barracks, producing weapons etc, that all would be senseless without war.

Second, this thread is quite paradox, as it wants ways to win the game, and at the same time prevent other players from loosing (which doesn't work IMO).

Third, we shouldn't think of white as the poor victim forced to quit the game, as I think White caused more players to stop playing than any other alliance.

Finally, I'm proud of Illyriad trying to be a realistic game, where you can loose, but aren't reduced to fulfill quest, or achive some goals like reaching some Pop, or so.
With the new elements added in next months, I think it will get even more real, with each player having different goals, style and tactics, so people will have to work together to get it all (another point quite different to other games).
I'm in a big alliance myself, and everyone I talked to has fun building citys, chatting, and sometimes even going to war and risk loosing the game , That's how life goes.

I myself don't use prestige, exept that one granted by the GM's - THX  - and don't play 24/7 but in a fine ally I'm able to compete with those who do, and that's just another reason to play Illyriad.

So, most of those points of criticism above are for other players the main reasons to play!
Just to stop the series of negative statements above

Thanks to GM's and programmers and background staff.... for creating such a fine game, and even improving it every day

HonoredMule wrote: The war between White and Harmless is a good example of this. Many members of White, some very high ranked players, up and quit the game. It wasn't because building was boring or because they were tired of waiting for ships to be added or because they were mad because Caravans were going to have a gold upkeep cost. They quit because of war. I find this conclusion highly questionable.  I know a fair bit about the White players and while I--a Harmless member--would not be the best source of impartial criticism, I will say it seemed very much the case that most of them simply came for the wrong reasons and didn't find what they were seeking.  Without getting into the details of White itself, note how many in Black--a group of players not cut from the same cloth--have continued and rebuilt themselves under a new name despite being misused and discarded by White as well as overpowered by Harmless. Without any other more compelling (and believable) example, I'm not convinced there's any problem.  Rather, I'd point to the multiple other browser-based games that thrive even though some of them are considerably more brutal and ruthless to paying players (like Tribal Wars)...or worse, blatantly handing victory to the highest bidder (like Travian).  By comparison, Illyriad already provides far better value on expense and is far more forgiving of failure by such means as relocation with research retained and game mechanics that quite effectively minimize incentive to batter smaller players who haven't first made themselves enemies.

Are you kidding me... HM, you guys must be bored to death now that White is gone. Also, the Good Company(Black) has retained some of the most active players against H? and you very well know that.

Just because there are worse games out there doesn't mean there is no space for improvement. I will never start rebuilding a lost city. It is way boring to do it even now...

Did the game benefit from White leaving (even if Diablito is a complete freak of nature)? No. GMs lost lots of paying players. H? is also not using prestige the same way you guys did before.