Re: Ask Administration

#121
I know its off topic sorry.. Just need to know. How active is standard how many player like 10's oor 100 or more ?
Trust is hard to come by.That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.
Eminem

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eminem.html#Y0BD0hjkMo301KEH.99
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Re: Ask Administration

#122
It's not off topic. It's ask admin, you asked! lol.

I am not admin, but as it's a forum, I thought I'd add to it as it's an interesting post that you made.

In terms of me quoting numbers, difficult. All I would say is that there are the same old players, doing the same old thing. A distinct lack of resources. For most, fleet speeds are too slow. BUT, new players joining as always. A lot greater amount of those joining are staying, also, staying active. There was an alliance, created strictly for new players, this has now ceased. However, we have taken in the majority of those players. Others have gone to other alliances, some have gone independent. Nearly all have stayed active.

My alliance alone has more than doubled in size. The new members seem very keen, very competent. Looking at the last joined list, it seems that the same amount of players that were ever joining is remaining the same. It's the ones that are staying in the game that has increased.

Re: Ask Administration

#123
Maybe i will join standard also never played there before
Trust is hard to come by.That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.
Eminem

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eminem.html#Y0BD0hjkMo301KEH.99
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Re: Ask Administration

#125
Ill see how it is.. Ill start tomorrow its late now so no point in starting now and go sleeping in few mins lol
Trust is hard to come by.That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.
Eminem

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/eminem.html#Y0BD0hjkMo301KEH.99
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Re: Ask Administration

#126
I can verify increased Standard activity. X-TREME is still the most populated universe but it is very large in comparison to SPEED for example. Sο even if SPEED has less players than X-TREME, SPEED should feel more active.

Numbers in all universes have dropped and they are nowhere near to what they used to be. Still, this is a global issue and not a game-specific issue. This type of games do not anymore appeal to the majority of younger players who are mostly looking for instant impact in the game.

Re: Ask Administration

#127
I am of a "certain age". Not what you would consider to be young. Many players in my server are the around my age, if not older. However, there are many that are a lot younger than I. I think that what you are saying may have a little relevance, but not much.

We have Speed, Xtreme, Standard and Massacre. Now, there is a new server in the pipeline, although we never hear much new regarding this, if any. On top of this, occasionally there is a Tournament Server. Not often, but it happens.
Effectively this is diluting the player base. We have players who do not like Standard, it's too slow. Others, don't like Speed, it's too fast. We have Xtreme, we have Massacre. Now, I know after dipping my toe in these many waters that the server most unlike the others is Standard. Primarily because of the speed of fleets, lack of resources etc.

How different are Speed, Massacre and Xtreme? Yes, I know there are differences, a little tweak here, a little different there.

The question is about this new server. How will it really differ from all of these other servers?
Of course, it will give certain players the chance to start afresh and on a level playing field with players that play the other servers, all newbs together. This will work for a finite time. Once you have certain players stretching their points, vanishing over the horizon on a wave of points, how long do you think it will be before we get "New server is dying, it's inactive, what can we do to address this?" OR, " I cannot compete with the big players". It's happened before, it will happen again.

Not so much a flash in the pan, but it will only be two or three years before this happens.

Many players have made suggestions as to what we can do to promote, improve, retain players, all for the games benefit. Very rarely do we get, if any, feedback on these ideas.

I myself have posted ideas, one in fact was actually replied to. This response stated that, yes, a good idea, it shouldn't be too difficult to implement. That was AT LEAST three years ago. Forgotten now.

Other things that we have been told will be happening, all gone, all in the past, never happened.

Now, we all know how difficult this must be, people suggesting things, ideas to be implemented. But the real crux of this is that we hardly ever, if at all get told much.
Only in the last week or so has Zorg suddenly sprung in to life, posting, suggesting, starting debates, GREAT! About time. However, once more, is this that flash in the pan, again?

Re: Ask Administration

#128
As young people above, I was mostly referring to real young people, like those of 15 years.

University diversification is needed. You cannot blame the universes number for the numbers drop. It is not like we have 10 or 20 universes. We have 4 universes in the span of 7 years and the most active one, is the oldest one. The least active one, is the newest one. These are important variables that we like to take into account. You cannot overlook them.

New universes are good for total newbs. They are good though only in their mind as in reality, an advanced universe is better for a total newb. I will save everyone's time from explaining why yet another time; feel free to search the forums for my respective post.

We are changing policies regarding the game in several aspects. The main policies change are relative to communication with the players, administration style, development and most importantly advertising policies. We will continue high spending in advertising but in less traditional ways. We can guarantee a playerbase increase in the NEAR future.

We need your help though in this. You can really help with two ways; By calling your old friends back (or your new, np) and by purchasing rubies, knowing that the bulk of it goes in promoting the game. You can use all the excuses of the world if you do no want to do this but if you don't the real truth is that you do not really care for the game and your motivations are more selfish.

To explain the above notion, I will tell you the example of a community which I also manage, which is now 20 years old (this one is 7). I happen to be there a tool administrator, which means that we have no real relevance with the actual game. The game is completely different to ZE. To give you the whole picture, our forums are more active than the game forums. All these veterans of said game are very troubled by the playerbase drop. Some of them, blame administration (sic) and most generally avoid to do anything to really help the game. They are more interested to point what is wrong (which is usually some other player and some admin incident) and they really refuse to see other more transparent reasons. From my experience, if the playerbase was united at 1 purpose; in bringing more people to the game rather than driving them away, they would definitely succeed. Still they do not do it and they will not do it. Because they do not care for their own game anymore for one reason or another. They are still together though and if their community eventually falls off, the real loss will be their as their 20 years internet home will not exist anymore. Can you even imagine this?

Back to us, the good thing in our community, is that we still have people that care. There are still many people helping newcomers for example, which is very important. These people keep quiet though and do not really get something back for their care. This creates a false image. What I have to add here is to keep my example in mind and try to be united at least in the objective of keeping people here. No need to drive them away by spreading the **** you are carrying in your nightmares.

We have been here for 7 years with many hostile players among our base throughout these years. Mainly because some people forget that there is no "virgin birth" as we say in my country. Every idea derives from another idea. In this sense, we have similarities with other games but we are far different in the deep end and in fact, we are better, a better game. If X-TREME still survives it is because of its reputation that has been earned in the hard way. A reputation earned and spread among players.

So to close up, administration will always act like what it is; the father of the game. We will always do what we believe it is best for the game. We have a hostile environment now where our child needs help. The more help it gets from every direction, the better.

Re: Ask Administration

#129
I am glad to hear this, "We are changing policies regarding the game in several aspects. The main policies change are relative to communication with the players" .

This is extremely important. If a player base feels it is being ignored, it will dwindle.

We have hostile players, agreed. Nothing you can do about that.

From my Servers point of view. Many have tried and still strive to retain/attract players. However, it appears at least, you put forward some ideas for other players to try, they accept these ideas are good. But, as long as somebody else takes it upon themselves to try and implement these ideas. That is understandable. It doesn't help the game though.

You also stated, "New universes are good for total newbs. They are good though only in their mind as in reality, an advanced universe is better for a total newb. I will save everyone's time from explaining why yet another time"

There is absolutely no reason to announce your reasons again, or indeed for me to search them out to read, yet again. It's not that these things have been forgotten. Just disagreed with.

If you create a new server that is, in essence so far removed from what exists already, fair enough. But will it be? Or will it be another copy of the same thing with slight differences? Four servers already, let's go for a fifth, lol!!!!

There is only one real reason for this, everybody starts again. Once you have stronger players, it will be the same as the four current servers. UNLESS it resets. Initially you will have a great rush to start up. Then it will taper off and be back to reality. It will then be struggling for new players.

Re: Ask Administration

#130
The new universe will be much different than the current ones. In many aspects. Till now we have changed things like speed, costs, features and universe size. We got the idea on what is best from all this elements in order to sustain a mass playerbase. So now we will look to add new elements into the mix. Some of them have already been mentioned in the forums.

What we basically want to do, is to keep all players to their current universes. The new universe should mostly be used to attract old players that no longer play and new players and also provide a new challenge for existing players that need it.

In this way, our playerbase will grow instead of dividing in more universes. Some of the existing players will desert some of the current universes as one might already be playing 2 universes and may want to try the new one. But in the same time, the returning/new players will also try existing universes. History has told us that existing universes will be strengthened when the new universe launches. In long term, it is up to each universe setup on how well it will do.
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