Skycooldude said:

We, the Dark Plains community, appreciate this forum thread and the step that Plarium is taking to communicate with its players. The following suggestions have been established in discussion with the marshals of the major leagues on the Dark Plains server who represent 10,000 players, the majority of the active player base.  

We have discussed various suggestions and have concluded the following 2 are the most critical to the game and would like to see them implemented into the game in the future.  

1. Beacon Force Limit:  

We recommend beacon force limits be introduced to our server (currently there are no limits). Beacon force limits exist in other version of Stormfall and other skins of the game (e.g. Soldiers, Pirates, Total Domination). We recommend introduction of force limits in line with the Total Domination mechanics, at a force limit of 100k.  

2. League Activity  

We recommend introduction of the “Clan Activity” feature to our server, in which leagues will be disbanded if they have below 60% activity for 14 days.  

Again, this feature exists in other versions of the game. It should be quick and easy to implement to our server.  

 

Recent changes and updates have encouraged us that Plarium culture is shifting with more desire to listen to player feedback and to implement changes that will improve the long-term future of the servers.  

If this set of recommendations is successful, we would like a deeper engagement with Plarium so that other great suggestions can be aired and considered. There are people willing to invest time and energy meeting with Plarium to help craft a better long-term future for the games. 

We appreciate this action by Plarium to get the devs involved with the suggestions of the players. We, the Dark Plains server, look forward to hearing back from the developers! 

  

Hello!

Thanks for posting these suggestions!

I know they will be supported by many players!

1. Beacons.

It's a very known suggestion that I forwarded to devs for a couple of times already.

I haven't received any confirmation they're going to implement this limitation.

They are aware of the issue with a poor activity on Beacons and they think how it can be changed. Still, I can't guarantee it will be a force limit.

2. League Activity features.

Devs plan to add this feature to plarium.com servers as well.

I don't have ETA, but this feature should be added in the future. 

i don't know how the limit works in other games or the other thing with league thing...(would need the right balance in any case)

as for suggestions maybe look at having more tiers in reward on the individual tournaments which shows your in-game ability and places you into a type of rank say,,,,,

i e

rookie cadet,

foot soldier,

skilled knight,

seasoned veteran,

hero warrior .. 

this would show what level your at and have a way of your lord/lady rising through the ranks picking up rewards as you go possibly,,,

Billybabu said:

i don't know how the limit works in other games or the other thing with league thing...(would need the right balance in any case)

as for suggestions maybe look at having more tiers in reward on the individual tournaments which shows your in-game ability and places you into a type of rank say,,,,,

i e

rookie cadet,

foot soldier,

skilled knight,

seasoned veteran,

hero warrior .. 

this would show what level your at and have a way of your lord/lady rising through the ranks picking up rewards as you go possibly,,,

Hello!

Taking part in the Tournament doesn't show your in-game abilities.

I don't visit the forums much anymore, otherwise I would have chimed in sooner.  While I don't agree with the whole initial post (60% inactive rate can be unduly punishing to leagues consisting of just 1-2 people; one extended internet outage and their league is gone), I do feel that its a move in the right direction.  

It really feels to me like Plarium is trying to turn this game into one giant casino.  So many new features that lock your progression behind RNG have kind of drained the fun out.  Sure, they keep you in the game longer, but is it fun hitting bgs for scrolls and sending the same champs to  hit the same monsters over and over again?  Making everything so luck based has made grinding into a chore since the progression is divorced from the effort and reduced to mere luck.

Skycooldude said:

1. Beacon Force Limit:  

We recommend beacon force limits be introduced to our server (currently there are no limits). Beacon force limits exist in other version of Stormfall and other skins of the game (e.g. Soldiers, Pirates, Total Domination). We recommend introduction of force limits in line with the Total Domination mechanics, at a force limit of 100k.  

2. League Activity  

We recommend introduction of the “Clan Activity” feature to our server, in which leagues will be disbanded if they have below 60% activity for 14 days.  

Again, this feature exists in other versions of the game. It should be quick and easy to implement to our server. 

  

Does this look familiar to anyone?

http://prntscr.com/lw9p73

It might surprise you to learn that this is the beacon map from facebook dark plains

Facebook has Beacon Force Limits, but the map is still filled with balur held beacons and level one beacons

Facebook has League Activity but the map is still filled with level zero, level 5 and level 8 Fortresses and hundreds of tiny weak leagues

Your suggestions will not help on plarium servers because they no longer work on facebook
It amazes me that anybody could think Activity will be helped by forcing league marshals to boot many of their members simply because they are 'casual' logins
There are many ways that plarium could remove inactive leagues ... but who cares how many dead leagues exist except during Flag tournaments?

Think again

Snow - the issue is with how new players enter the game and how to retain them more effectively.

If you start an alt and follow the initial quests you will be promoted to join a league. The direction the game pushes you is towards a list of leagues that are long inactive and dead (it's any league with neophytes open to be precise, which seems to be all leagues - literally hundreds).

So most new players start their SF game experience in a negative way. The game looks completely dead to them. No one engages with them. They don't hints and tips from existing players and they don't get help and gifts like res or scrolls to get them over the initially quite steep hurdles.

The suggestion could have been about refining the league selection screen. It could have been about dropping scroll requirements so people could make at least one type of each troop from the start. Could be about having faster speeds so raiding doesn't take so long. All sorts of hygiene factors, because I started an alt recently just to try it out and it amazing how much you can't do as a new player (which you just take for granted on your established account). The game doesn't get any fun for quite a while.

BUT the suggestions weren't crafted as "what would people really really like to see" they were crafted quite practically as "what might we actually get if we ask".

This is potentially the start of a dialogue between Plarium and players. Ask for some low hanging fruit (stuff that is already coded and applied in other versions). Maybe if Plarium start listening and interacting more complex or contentious issues can be addressed.

renegade said:

Snow - the issue is with how new players enter the game and how to retain them more effectively.

If you start an alt and follow the initial quests you will be promoted to join a league. The direction the game pushes you is towards a list of leagues that are long inactive and dead (it's any league with neophytes open to be precise, which seems to be all leagues - literally hundreds).

So most new players start their SF game experience in a negative way. The game looks completely dead to them. No one engages with them. They don't hints and tips from existing players and they don't get help and gifts like res or scrolls to get them over the initially quite steep hurdles.

Adding the League Activity feature will not help new players - This is just another Myth

New players get the quest to join a league for 50 sapphires and are immediately directed to the 'Join Random League' button
The game will send them to the league who has the largest number of vacant neophyte slots

How many of the top leagues have room for level 5 players?
How many leave their Neophyte Academy open?

https://prnt.sc/lwjn67

Clicking this sent me to Ninth Legion - https://prnt.sc/lwjzc8
Not the best league, not the highest ranking league and certainly not the most active league, so this interface needs lots of work ... before activity feature is added

After they add this destructive feature, all neophyte academies will be full of inactive and casual players, so new players will ONLY be able to join weak leagues.
Active leagues need this extra storage for casual players who only login once or twice a month
The situation will actually get worse - I have seen it on facebook and I have seen it on PToF on plarium servers

I would only support League Activity if the rules were drastically changed - 14 days inactive is INSANE

The only way to help new players is for top leagues to create Training Leagues, but these quickly become inactive too
Maybe Training Leagues need to be given special status and protection?

The real solution to protecting Newbies in the game depends on the player community not Plarium! 

As long as Players bully newbies and much lower active castles before they can get a foothold and start enjoying the game.

Maybe the answer is leagues demanding chivalry from their players.

That unless they are foolishly attacked  they must leave Active Castles under level 50 alone or players under level 50 must not attack those 10 levels under them unless provoked by an attack. A similar agreement can be reached in regards to leagues.

Sometimes to make things better we must demand more from ourselves than we ask from others.

Maybe what's needed is a Chivalry Pact between all the leagues 

Of course when leagues are at war with each other all bets are off as to who your hitting 

Wesley Pringle said:

The real solution to protecting Newbies in the game depends on the player community not Plarium! 

As long as Players bully newbies and much lower active castles before they can get a foothold and start enjoying the game.

Maybe the answer is leagues demanding chivalry from their players.

That unless they are foolishly attacked  they must leave Active Castles under level 50 alone or players under level 50 must not attack those 10 levels under them unless provoked by an attack. A similar agreement can be reached in regards to leagues.

Sometimes to make things better we must demand more from ourselves than we ask from others.

Maybe what's needed is a Chivalry Pact between all the leagues 

Of course when leagues are at war with each other all bets are off as to who your hitting 

  

Are new players being bullied, or are they just ending up in dead leagues and thinking that the game is dead due to that initial experience? Its been a couple years since I was new.  I know I had issues with only one "bully", but that was someone near my level who thought that buying a few packs gave him license to hit anyone.  He lost all his offense blindly hitting a stacked settlement and went inactive after that.

I feel one of the biggest barriers to newer players is just how long it takes to recover from a loss.  If you don't buy troops, it takes a long time to rebuild and bgs are designed to be a loss machine.

ThatGuy said:

I feel one of the biggest barriers to newer players is just how long it takes to recover from a loss.  If you don't buy troops, it takes a long time to rebuild and bgs are designed to be a loss machine.

New players must learn to not play beyond their means. and to Catty everything as there is no way known (Other winning Lotto ) to defend your castle when you have not had a lot of play time. ( I still don't ) it's not worth the losses to me personally.  But then again I do send D to other players that have much more Defenses than I do.  I just keep My stuff Catacombed and My resources Low before I log off and raid like crazy when I return the next Day .   

As for being in an inactive League the ability to change leagues has always been an option. this is a game that requires patience and wile with a bit of luck if your not able to use a Credit Card 2-3 times a week .

And it's a war strategy game. And in truth wars are won by the best financed armies with the smartest and strongest troops and weapons .

If you can't find cash find a way to be of Value to a large league that has players that do.  

Other than that the Chivalry pact I mentioned before  is the only other advice I can give.

Along with seek allies and make friends sometimes the difference can be not in the enemies you have.

But in the friendships you make. 

BGs yeah well they are a mystery to Me LOL sometimes I'm the windshield other times I'm the Bug . 

I've learned to not send out more than I can afford to lose. 

Snowgoon said:

renegade said:

Snow - the issue is with how new players enter the game and how to retain them more effectively.

If you start an alt and follow the initial quests you will be promoted to join a league. The direction the game pushes you is towards a list of leagues that are long inactive and dead (it's any league with neophytes open to be precise, which seems to be all leagues - literally hundreds).

So most new players start their SF game experience in a negative way. The game looks completely dead to them. No one engages with them. They don't hints and tips from existing players and they don't get help and gifts like res or scrolls to get them over the initially quite steep hurdles.

Adding the League Activity feature will not help new players - This is just another Myth

New players get the quest to join a league for 50 sapphires and are immediately directed to the 'Join Random League' button
The game will send them to the league who has the largest number of vacant neophyte slots

How many of the top leagues have room for level 5 players?
How many leave their Neophyte Academy open?

https://prnt.sc/lwjn67

Clicking this sent me to Ninth Legion - https://prnt.sc/lwjzc8
Not the best league, not the highest ranking league and certainly not the most active league, so this interface needs lots of work ... before activity feature is added

After they add this destructive feature, all neophyte academies will be full of inactive and casual players, so new players will ONLY be able to join weak leagues.
Active leagues need this extra storage for casual players who only login once or twice a month
The situation will actually get worse - I have seen it on facebook and I have seen it on PToF on plarium servers

I would only support League Activity if the rules were drastically changed - 14 days inactive is INSANE

The only way to help new players is for top leagues to create Training Leagues, but these quickly become inactive too
Maybe Training Leagues need to be given special status and protection?

The real solution to protecting Newbies in the game depends on the player community not Plarium! 

As long as Players bully newbies and much lower active castles before they can get a foothold and start enjoying the game.

Maybe the answer is leagues demanding chivalry from their players.

That unless they are foolishly attacked  they must leave Active Castles under level 50 alone or players under level 50 must not attack those 10 levels under them unless provoked by an attack. A similar agreement can be reached in regards to leagues.

Sometimes to make things better we must demand more from ourselves than we ask from others.

Maybe what's needed is a Chivalry Pact between all the leagues 

Of course when leagues are at war with each other all bets are off as to who your hitting