PA round 20

[Sebos]

So we are now starting later. But why should we start?

The game has moved on yes, the game has got better prehaps. I find myself thinking why should i sign up and pay 3.33 or 5 quid for a planet.

Basic over view of the round to come.

Init roids, stop save res, build ships, log in at all hours of the day to launch and check and so it will go on and on for the duration of the round. there might be a war but then the side that wins will be trolled for cheating in some way. Or their win will be discredited because they blocked or because they tagged late.

In all liklyhood someone will find a loop hole in the rules exploit it and win. Then we'll all moan and potentially a ligitimate tactic will be removed/ banned from the game favouring imo the way that PA Team Expect the game to be played.

I guess what i am saying is this. With PA Team shutting doors on ways to gain an advantage the game will eventually become something we can predict to the second. It will become a game that takes little skill to play but more a game that people log onto with 2mins before a tick hit a button log out and not care.

This post is not directed at PA team and not meant to flame as i know you dnt get paid for the efforts you put in but pls start focussing on the game and not external things like how flashy the portal looks or how your going to organise urselves so you can do something.

[Kargool]

Well, with the new system for free planets you dont really have to pay for playing PA anymore. You only lose your engineering option and the possibility to exile.

[aNgRyDuCk]

Originally Posted by Dryph

So we are now starting later. But why should we start?

The game has moved on yes, the game has got better prehaps. I find myself thinking why should i sign up and pay 3.33 or 5 quid for a planet.

Basic over view of the round to come.

Init roids, stop save res, build ships, log in at all hours of the day to launch and check and so it will go on and on for the duration of the round. there might be a war but then the side that wins will be trolled for cheating in some way. Or their win will be discredited because they blocked or because they tagged late.

In all liklyhood someone will find a loop hole in the rules exploit it and win. Then we'll all moan and potentially a ligitimate tactic will be removed/ banned from the game favouring imo the way that PA Team Expect the game to be played.

I guess what i am saying is this. With PA Team shutting doors on ways to gain an advantage the game will eventually become something we can predict to the second. It will become a game that takes little skill to play but more a game that people log onto with 2mins before a tick hit a button log out and not care.

This post is not directed at PA team and not meant to flame as i know you dnt get paid for the efforts you put in but pls start focussing on the game and not external things like how flashy the portal looks or how your going to organise urselves so you can do something.

I'm personally trying to understand exactly what your asking here. We are "starting" because there are 2500-3000 ppl (hopefully more) who enjoy the game, regardless of it's percieved administrative shortcomings, and enjoy the communities they have become a part of. Do we need any other reason?

No one can accuse the PA crew, past or present, of not doing what they are doing with the interest of making PA a better game. No matter what that vision is, or was, they are trying, and as you mentioned, doing so on a volunteer basis for no compensation. Good or bad, no matter which opinion we as the gaming community hold...we atleast have a group of people who are making an effort. So we as players should at th very least support that.

[Makhil]

It is true that the game tends to become a routine after a few weeks, the only solution I have found to fight the boredom is to try to improve my rankings and fight for the top spots. OFC if I don't succeed and i'm in the 300 or so ranks towards the end, I just go back to real life and not bother finishing the round. But I always enjoy the first weeks, I wonder if not having all the scans has something to do with it...

[aNgRyDuCk]

Originally Posted by Makhil

It is true that the game tends to become a routine after a few weeks, the only solution I have found to fight the boredom is to try to improve my rankings and fight for the top spots. OFC if I don't succeed and i'm in the 300 or so ranks towards the end, I just go back to real life and not bother finishing the round. But I always enjoy the first weeks, I wonder if not having all the scans has something to do with it...

"it's your dime" ofcourse, but paying for a planet, and not seeing it through, win or lose seems a bit pointless to me. This is ultimately a game, and isn't the point of playing a game to do the best you can? Competition, on the planet level, on the galaxy level, and on the alliance level is ultimately what fuels this game. Like any other game isn't a players ultimate goal to try and win, and if not win, try to improve and be the best player you can possibly be?

I suppose your attitude is what seperates winners and losers, and please forgive my opinion as it may come off as an insult, however, I can only suppose one thing from the idea of "playing until things go wrong then pissing off" frame of mind. Even when you don't win, or finish where you would like to, why not hit it hard until the end. Anything can happen....1 or 2 landings on the right target can turn a persons round around. I haven't always had great planets. Mostly they've been average with the exception of 2 or 3 rounds out of the 19 we've played. It certainly doesn't mean I "give up". In alliance command ones planets tends to suffer, and I'm sure there are exceptions, but generally when your attention is directed primarily toward alliance responsability as opposed to your planet, it happens. As a person who has generally been involved in alliance command structure, the "play until it goes to shit" atttitude is exactly the player I don't want in my alliance. It is in my opinion the biggest problem with the player base, and it's why the game tends not to grow playerbase wise. I also agree that they need to provide a product that people want, so game improvements can always stimulate that. But the current playerbase is what PA needs to build from, so we need to be supportive and hold our ground.

Again, these comments were not meant to be insulting, so please don't read more into it than actually exists. As I said, it is in fact "your dime" and your choice.

The game, like any other game can be considered "routine" but thats how games work, you play by a certain set of rules until a winner is determined.

[Mistwraith]

What your *missing* Makhil is camaradrie and team work, this isnt a game you can play alone and get above 300.

Wether that comes from your galaxy or an allaince or the cluster, is your choice, but that has to be worked at as hard as you try to get up every tick and make no mistakes in your initial start.

[Makhil]

I understand your points, but at some stage you're under waves after waves of attack if you get more than 150 roids, at some point you lose your fleet in a FC or a bad landing. Your spent time waking up early, you're tired, RL is taking its tole and your friends are a bit pissed with your excuses at dodging their party.
What I'm saying is that the game itself is not interesting enough for people in the low rankings. I'm surely missing the camaraderie of the earlier rounds when it was coming from the galaxies. Alliances, I'm not a big fan, the biggest ones tend to play for you, you end up just pushing buttons to follow orders you can't even argue with, not my idea of a fun game.
Smaller allies may be funnier, but if it is just to have a cool chat on IRC there's no need to play PA.
So yep i'm more like a mercenary since the alliance I was happy with dismanteled a few rounds back.

[Chika]

Originally Posted by aNgRyDuCk

We are "starting" because there are 2500-3000 ppl (hopefully more) who enjoy the game.

The last 2 rounds have been 1500ish in Rd 18 at tick 1, and 1400ish RD 19 at tick 1. I have been watching closely. Very close may I add. It may be weird. Last round there was an average of 17 people with 0 roids at tick 1, which comes out to about 340. There was an average of 11 people per gal that had 9 or under roids but not 0, which comes out to about 220. Which ultimately adds up to 560. Roughly under 1000 people at least had 10 roids or more at tick start. What I could not track is how many of those free planets actually upgraded and played competively. We can assume not many, as the exile cluster was huge.