You have got to be kidding me now after almost 4 years without limits you want to reinstate them I have call BS on that. You want to stop alts that is fine with me but to limit me on the amount of troops based on rum consumption is total BS. I do not have one alt and have built my fleet by trading, raiding, blocking, contest, prizes and of course buying packages when they are discounted. By putting limits on everyone the only people you are helping are the ones you seem to be trying to stop as they can purchase their unit right back. Here are couple of suggestions to make the game better:

1. Get rid of limits on attacking force

2. increase the number of players that can be part of a mass attack to 10

3. Let player select the make up of a discounted package

A rum limit would make the game fairer, it would level out game play so everyone has a chance. 

However that being said it would be unfair to people who have spent  thousands of pounds building big fleets up, especially on multiple accounts. They would lose their troops and probably (not all) quit as whats the point in investing in something for it to be taken away. 

 Like it or not credit card players are the ones that keep the game alive, although i do believe there should be something to level out game play for the newbies and smaller guys, what that is i have no idea.

I'm in two minds personally, 

As for limits on troops numbers on attacks, personally i think they should stay. I find them annoying when doing mass attacks, however it makes it fairer for the defender.

As for the increase on mass attack numbers, 10 is too many, 3 is annoying, make it an even 4 i think :).

But i agree on letting the player select the make up of a discount package, that would be cool.

Having more people with the ability to participate in  a singular massed attack, would allow even smaller players to not feel left out of points. The upgrades can get you very far, but when your fleet  is so large rum consumption is something you just have to deal with. I do not mind losing rum, but to lose units again or have the brotherhood constant send or constantly have to purchase the rum I need will be a tedious boring task. It wont help the smaller players , it will hurt them in growth. Not everyone spends money , if they did we would have new updates all the time. The ones who put money into it keep the game alive.  Now if you are a smaller player I don't think it wise to be engaging in war with people who have more experience and ships than you do. The ones who complain will always be the ones who lack the emotional intelligence to negotiate things on their terms without having to lose a single unit. The mindset of the Art of war. If you are kinder and more respectful in your words to pirates they will see you less as a threat and can lead to negotiations. Some things are beyond that, but there is always talks before battles. Don't throw a rock at a giant and then scream into the camera somebody help me please. Why did you throw it to begin with? In conclusion pick your battles wisely and know your enemy. You can purchase to survive , build an empire through negotiations, or be a farmer. For those so worried about big people then just practice shielding and dont hold presidios or bastion then what can they do but go off onto the next target. It is easy to complain. But numbers are not everything, even a big fleet can be destroyed in the blink of a second. https://prnt.sc/rww4nv    https://prnt.sc/rwtjs9    Fight smarter and dont pick battles with people that are not bothering you. The quite ones are always the most dangerous.

So a bunch of cry baby bullies who bit off a little more than they could chew are now choking and the only thing they can do about it is try and change the game play. If the shoe was other the other foot, no doubt you would be smiling. Thats called being a SORE LOSER. Personally, I think you should crawl back into your hidey hole and lick your wounds in silence instead of embarrassing yourselves further. Don't throw stones and then cry when a rock lands on you and don't point fingers when you have 10 pointing back at you.

Without trying to take sides here, I want to point out something that I always thought was obvious, but apparently it isn't to everyone.

Try to buy some rubies. Or just imagine doing so. What you will notice is the amount of units that you get, unless you're throwing money on anything outside of "special deals".

Here is one of that is currently on offer, just for example:

So, if you buy all 3 of this (which is a common scenario) you will have spent only $30 and your rum consumption will go up by

3 * (125 * 2 + 125 * 4 + 4 * 8 + 4 * 8 + 100 * 4 + 4 * 2) = 3666 units of rum per hour.

Of course, a big spender will likely have bonuses to reduce this, so let's say 2000 per hour is more realistic.

Now, buy a 100 times, which is still a few dollars shy of $3000 and you get to 200k/h jump in rum consumption. We are discussing big spenders, so this is a completely realistic scenario. I know that some spend or used to spend far more than that in a month.

Now, imagine your units - for which you're paying cold, hard cash - dying because of the rum limit. You would stop buying, wouldn't you? In other words, Plarium would suddenly start earning far less money.

And THAT, I believe, is why the rum limit was removed and why it will not be reinstated. Plarium would kill its own cash flow and if you think that this game or their interest in it is about anything else, you're - to put it as simply as possible - endlessly naive. This always was, is, and will be a pay-to-win game.

I know that some will claim that I took a side here or whatever. I challenge you to poke a hole in my argument. Ad hominem attacks are useless and they merely prove that I'm right, because - if I wasn't - you would've beaten me with arguments instead.

Crowbar said:

Without trying to take sides here, I want to point out something that I always thought was obvious, but apparently it isn't to everyone.

Try to buy some rubies. Or just imagine doing so. What you will notice is the amount of units that you get, unless you're throwing money on anything outside of "special deals".

Here is one of that is currently on offer, just for example:

So, if you buy all 3 of this (which is a common scenario) you will have spent only $30 and your rum consumption will go up by

3 * (125 * 2 + 125 * 4 + 4 * 8 + 4 * 8 + 100 * 4 + 4 * 2) = 3666 units of rum per hour.

Of course, a big spender will likely have bonuses to reduce this, so let's say 2000 per hour is more realistic.

Now, buy a 100 times, which is still a few dollars shy of $3000 and you get to 200k/h jump in rum consumption. We are discussing big spenders, so this is a completely realistic scenario. I know that some spend or used to spend far more than that in a month.

Now, imagine your units - for which you're paying cold, hard cash - dying because of the rum limit. You would stop buying, wouldn't you? In other words, Plarium would suddenly start earning far less money.

And THAT, I believe, is why the rum limit was removed and why it will not be reinstated. Plarium would kill its own cash flow and if you think that this game or their interest in it is about anything else, you're - to put it as simply as possible - endlessly naive. This always was, is, and will be a pay-to-win game.

I know that some will claim that I took a side here or whatever. I challenge you to poke a hole in my argument. Ad hominem attacks are useless and they merely prove that I'm right, because - if I wasn't - you would've beaten me with arguments instead.

Shadow *DA* said:

And to note on the discounts the more you buy in one shot the higher the prices and less bonuses you get. I wish this was changed but I cant complain about something that has always been and if i want to get the best bonuses I need to buy only the lower priced ones or wait and not buy until they reappear. Unfortunately my patience does not always allow that so my offers are nothing like that i am almost halved the bigger i buy. I wish it would be opposite have a choice and if it was a nice big pack like $1000 would be nice to have more bonuses instead of less. 

Most of the people I know to buy, do so at $10 and wouldn't go beyond no matter how much they needed rubies, and that's what I suggest to all who buy.

One drops to lower priced tiers if they don't buy anything for about a month and a half, so - if you're in a very high tier - it can be a long wait. Not sure if it's 1.5 months for each tier. Maybe you drop faster if you go at it all at once.

It might be a good idea to stock up on rubies, and then wait with buying for as long as you can. In long term, it is definitely worth it. Far more units and rubies per $.

Let me add my voice to what will likely be a chorus agreeing with Crowbar.

I personally am glad I don't lose troops to rum negative productions.  To reinstate the rum limits will only handicap the non alt players.  Alts will have more troops to attack and defend with because they play with multiple havens.  Kind of like the trade limits.  Alt players get the advantage there too as each alt can send the haven in need of res two free ships.  Those who don't alt are stuck with a limited number of trade offers they can accept.  Alts also have a disadvantage.  They can only watch so many havens at once.  Sometimes not even logging in for days.

Now on to the next subject of this thread.

I've been fighting Peonix on and off for years now.  Recently we started fighting allmini too.  Along side 6 other Bh's.  I don't understand what everyone is whining about.  Quit playing soldier and start playing PIRATE!

Confused by that statement?  These groups have LOTS OF BLOCKS!  Feed off the supply line.  QUIT ATTACKING YOUR ENEMY WHERE THEY ARE STRONG!  Play the game of attrition.  Did spartacus dive right into the main mass of troops or did he hit and run?  Harry the flanks don't dive on the pikes!  When I first started fighting Peonix I had 3 million in offense.  I had been a diplomat for years.  Happily working on the lighthouse riddle while chatting with a thriving group of farmers.  When farmville failed and we started having to fight for our existence I found that I grew much faster when raiding millions of res per week from enemy blocks.  Don't forget to leave them unblocked so they can fight someone else who might come along and think it unclaimed terror-tory.

Sure you might lose a fleet here and there on a spiked block.  If you don't load all your eggs in one basket you won't lose them all.  I never understood why people insist on throwing their hard earned troops away on reinforced P's, B's, and built up havens?  Do the math it's not a sustainable strategy.

Take it from someone who have been fighting the "elite" for half a decade.  Poach them eggs and get fat off the protein.  It's been working well for me.

I do spend.  That too makes a difference.  To me it is no different than a cable bill.  It's called an entertainment budget.  I spend hours playing this game.  Why should I not invest in my personal satisfaction?  How big of an investment  is related to my income.  I might work for poverty wages but I quit smoking so that gave me $100 per month right there since I was quite literally burning it up anyway.  Really though I spend about $150 per year on PTOF.  Don't hate the spenders.  Don't hate the players.  Don't even hate the game.  Drop the hate and try laughing.  You just might live longer.  Life is too short as it is.  Try having fun without the compulsive need to "win" or prove yourself "superior" to the other players.  This is a long game.  We all have indestructible bases.  The only time you "lose" is when your will to stand up against the enemy is no more.  Until then it will always be just another battle until the end of the war.  This game rewards you well for fighting.  Ye just got to learn how to hit your enemy without bustin' yer Knuckles!  Unless they are already so Busted ye don't feel the pain.  :)))

I'll give you a hint.  Build up your harbor! (devil grin)

Here be some of what I'm talking about!  (I edited out names and coords per forum rules)

sometimes it's fun to make the stub thier toes (giggle)

Here it was straight from the horses mouth (at least I think it was the right end I edited out the profane fer ye)

Crowbar said:

Without trying to take sides here, I want to point out something that I always thought was obvious, but apparently it isn't to everyone.

Try to buy some rubies. Or just imagine doing so. What you will notice is the amount of units that you get, unless you're throwing money on anything outside of "special deals".

Here is one of that is currently on offer, just for example:

So, if you buy all 3 of this (which is a common scenario) you will have spent only $30 and your rum consumption will go up by

3 * (125 * 2 + 125 * 4 + 4 * 8 + 4 * 8 + 100 * 4 + 4 * 2) = 3666 units of rum per hour.

Of course, a big spender will likely have bonuses to reduce this, so let's say 2000 per hour is more realistic.

Now, buy a 100 times, which is still a few dollars shy of $3000 and you get to 200k/h jump in rum consumption. We are discussing big spenders, so this is a completely realistic scenario. I know that some spend or used to spend far more than that in a month.

Now, imagine your units - for which you're paying cold, hard cash - dying because of the rum limit. You would stop buying, wouldn't you? In other words, Plarium would suddenly start earning far less money.

And THAT, I believe, is why the rum limit was removed and why it will not be reinstated. Plarium would kill its own cash flow and if you think that this game or their interest in it is about anything else, you're - to put it as simply as possible - endlessly naive. This always was, is, and will be a pay-to-win game.

I know that some will claim that I took a side here or whatever. I challenge you to poke a hole in my argument. Ad hominem attacks are useless and they merely prove that I'm right, because - if I wasn't - you would've beaten me with arguments instead.

Only argument I would give is that:  If they are willing to the spend money to get these units, then they would be willing spend the money to purchase the needed rum to keep these units. Another big win for Plarium.

awmllr said:

Only argument I would give is that: If they are willing to the spend money to get these units, then they would be willing spend the money to purchase the needed rum to keep these units. Another big win for Plarium.

Fair attempt, but I disagree. There are two reasons:

First, this would be a significant persistent expense, like a subscription that gives you nothing and you cannot really cancel it. Let's check the numbers: 30k is the cheapest pack of rum and it costs 40 rubies. My own negative is over 300k/h and I'm sure that many have a bigger negative. So, 400 rubies per hour, which amounts to almost 10k per day. This is your rubies dying instead of your units. Not really different from having a rum limit, is it?

Second, it would require you to constantly take care of your units. 300k/h amounts to 7.2M/day. The largest cellar is 3x1M, which means you'd need to "feed" your units every 10 hours (so, 3 times a day). Even if we allow more rum in cellars, this is still 7.2M per day. Or more, for those with bigger negative. And then if you lose internet for a day or go for a trip or, much worse, end up in a hospital for a month... bam! your units are dead. It's a very unattractive risk for anyone who piled up a big army.

I'm sure Plarium would love it. I just don't think it would work out for them, and I'm quite certain that they agree (or they would've made it happen already).