Well, the two main problems are :
- None were asked by players ;
- Some aren't appreciated by everybody.
In somes cases, they're also strongly misunderstood.
Let's talk about the troops desertion removal, for instance.
This "feature" actually concerned only the ones guarding your walls, which wasn't clearly stated anywhere in the game, but was a fact.
Troops in your acropolis or anywhere outside were safe from this effect, so in the end, it touched only two categories of troops :
- Your own city defense ;
- Your freshly produced troops that were actually evaporating as they came, which was extremely disturbing for new players.
In boh cases, either it would strongly disadvantage new players who were generally too weak to afford raiding, or more experienced players with lots of troops, but who would have to stay online 24/24 to raid and bring food to feed them.
Of course, the main arguments opposed by detractors was it served as a natural barrier to stop players growing too powerful.
Well, yes and no, as it would mostly affect players defending their cities, and they could chose not to. And of course, they have what it takes to raid and fill up their granaries before going to bed when they were producing troops.
So this feature was mostly an annoyance for beginners, and was very badly understood as well.
So thinking about it, maybe it was actually one of the best changes...
I know people will now oppose the grain trade problem at the port.
Well, back then, I wrote the grain price drop was totally artificial and only motivated by some kind of market rout fear, as beginners still needed lots of grain, and yes indeed, I stand by my words.
In addition, players with large armies are now more in need for grain than ever, so seriously, if you still want to dump you grain, then suits yourself... But you really don't have to, and most importantly, don't blame the game, and instead, blame yourself and other players acting the same way.
Well, at least, I can find cheap grain easily when I need some. Go on dumping, it's good for me and anybody else needing grain. Maybe some day you'll realize it's not necessary ?
I know it's hard to raise prices when your neighbor keeps them low. OK. But you're kinda just following like sheep. If you wouldn't, once the cheap grain would have been traded, people would have to take yours anyway. Especially if distance and travel time are important.
Anyway, you're free to trade your way. Just please don't blame others for your own decisions.
Now let's talk about Persians.
The first change included a nasty feature that would not engage 30% of your troops, so the combat were resolved as if you had sent only 70% of them, making winning positions and measuring up the correct amount of troops very difficult.
This useless feature has fortunately been removed to players demand.
What's now staying is only the fact that partial payouts, that once existed but were very rare, are now systematic.
I still think that with the old system, when you got a partial pyaout, it was working the exact same way as now, except you didn't get them as often as now.
This has still to be proven or confirmed, but I'm not sure anything has changed ohterwise.
And as a matter of fact, the new system is much better for at least the lower half levels.
Players hitting high end levels say it's harder to get a payout. Well, maybe. First of all, they do have to take all the partials in account in their calculation, as they're part of the total payout, if they want to compare what they earned to what they lost.
Then I can read lots of people complaining they get less than they invest. Well, duh. These are obviously partials, and aren't meant to be beneficial. It only means you're stopping before the end and stay there, sitting on your bottom complaining instead of going ahead. I'm not saying it's an easy walk, but at least, now you get somehting back instead of nothing before you get the actual payout.
It only means you didn't get the full payout yet, so just go ahead, get it and please stop whinning ! At levels 65 or so, the full payout is 10 times bigger than a partial at the same level. Not only you can't mistake it for a partial, but it will amply pay your investment back.
From what I could notice, the number of times the full payout is larger than a partial goes on growing with the level, so high level full payouts are gigantic are obviously noticeable.
On the other hand, partials tend to be smaller than the required investment for a given level as it goes higher, so it just makes sense. Of course, it's more difficult until you get the actual payout, but would it be different with the old system, when you got nothing at all iin the way ?
Maybe it has to be compared.
In the meantime, it became absolutely easier for the lower half, so it should be a praised change hand downs for beginners and more experienced players who stayed under the, say, levels 70 to 80 limit.
So this one should receive mixed appreciations, but I'm definitely appreciating it.
Before the change, the levels 50 to 60 area was notoriously a pain, giving nothing even after 20 hits (I remember how hard it was to get anything for entire months), while now, for a reason I can't explain, it became a gold mine, with partials systematically equal or greatly superior to individual investments. They're inferior before and after, so this area has somehting special, probably the required investments a payouts curves cutting there... Anyway, the change made them a troops earning paradise.
