Verified:

Z [Post Script]

Member
112

Aug 16th 2019, 2:44:46

Nothing will turn off new, returning, or even existing players faster than continued outages. I lost 30-40 turns from this latest one - if that had happened last reset in alliance, it would have cost me at least $50m net, possibly a lot more at certain points of the reset. A power outage or the ineptitude of Verizon should not determine the winner of a reset or swing the outcome of a war.

To the list of basics I’d also add stopping bot outages, eliminating mid-reset code changes, significantly reducing the impacts of griefers, and automating a post on a thread every 5-10 minutes from Marshal’s account (should save him a lot of time).

This post is not intended to be snarky (maybe only the part about Marshal). It’s not saying abandon UI changes. Just don’t forget to do the basic blocking and tackling while adding new things to your playbook.
-Z (Post Script)

LittleItaly Game profile

Game Moderator
Alliance & FFA
2172

Aug 16th 2019, 3:01:15

Will you donate to qz for him to acquire a commercial grade UPS that will last for over 10 hours to keep the server and internet up?

Or, will you donate yearly to pay for cloud based servers and cloud fare?

Will you submit pull requests to the bot repo so that they have better recovery methods when the server goes offline, or the bot program crashes? The code is on github after all.

If not to any, then dont complain. Everything here is free you begger/chooser.

Modifying restart bonuses would help curb suiciding which has been discussed many times.
LittleItaly
SOL Vet
-Discord: LittleItaly#2905
-IRC: irc.scourge.se #sol
-Apply today @ http://sol.ghqnet.com for Alliance

Z [Post Script]

Member
112

Aug 16th 2019, 3:07:48

I almost titled my post “ask for donations to keep servers running” but thought it was too narrow given some other items I listed. I know people have offered to pay to buy EE before. And I know many people are interested in seeing it do better. So, yes, what does it cost?

Also please don’t belittle people and call people names who make well-intentioned suggestions. Seems not a great way to get open feedback on things like UI development.

Edited By: Z [Post Script] on Aug 16th 2019, 3:11:02
See Original Post
-Z (Post Script)

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 3:09:26

Well good thing I can walk and chew gum at the same time!

We're starting to investigate moving our services to cloud providers so that they're more immune to outages and can provide improve scalability (if we ever need that) and access.

A big part of what we've done with the game being a non-lucrative hobby project is rely on home servers, donated services and a shoestring budget. A big outcome of this work -- especially the UI work -- is to create the conditions to expand our revenue and improve the service we provide. This includes both the features and experience in game but also the general stability, support, help, etc.

-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 3:14:51

Originally posted by Z [Post Script]:
I almost titled my post “ask for donations to keep servers running” but thought it was too narrow given some other items I listed. I know people have offered to pay to buy EE before. And I know many people are interested in seeing it do better. So, yes, what does it cost?


We've only ever received one serious person who wanted to buy EE and the offer was not in the ballpark of what we would have considered selling for.

I'll do some threads about it when we get closer to launching it, but I'm curious what sort of price folks would be willing to pay for a Premium EE experience -- stuff like being ad-free, getting your bonus points automatically, maybe a custom avatar or something.
-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

Z [Post Script]

Member
112

Aug 16th 2019, 3:23:52

Multi-tasking is apparently important! Wish I could do it!

It’s great to hear there is more to the plan besides UI (and apologies if I didn’t see it on another thread). I appreciate things have been side of life projects so to speak. But look for ways to make “bad” things like the outages yesterday into good things. For something with a clear plan on fixing a specific pain point for a specific price, I bet people will pitch in - just ask and tell us what you need. Maybe do a Wikipedia style ask in-game!

I really hope that doesn’t sound patronizing or anything...

Edited By: Z [Post Script] on Aug 16th 2019, 3:28:19
See Original Post
-Z (Post Script)

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 3:34:38

I've been mulling over rolling out the Patron/Premium experience stuff as part of the beta rather than once we have the beta in a good spot so folks, like yourself presumably, can start giving us some $$ :p

It wouldn't have a whole lot of bells and whistles (Premium would probably just be ad free + bonus points are automatically given to you ever 22hrs (instead of 24hrs for some of them!), Patron would probably just be the Patron board + status icon) for a while but there seems to be at least some appetite for it!

I've got the payment engine hooked up already so it's really just a matter of making it available and adding the mechanism to allow for credits to be spent and have the downstream benefits applied to the account

Edited By: Pang on Aug 16th 2019, 3:37:14
See Original Post
-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

Gerdler Game profile

Forum Moderator
5077

Aug 16th 2019, 3:45:22

While I also lost turns I think outages are rare and thus of little concern in general. ZPS mentioned that an outage can affect who wins and while that is theoretically true I am not sure it ever happened. Tho ZPS also hit the bullseye when he mentions reducing griefers impact, because griefers affect who wins 1a(and most other servers as well) 2/3 resets or more and the times they don't its only because they took a set off.
So give me 10 outages per reset if you want. And I don't care about a UI. Just fix griefing.

I think the devs realize this by now tho, they just have priorities on the ui because its arbitrage while changes to game functions and formulas can be positive but also have unintended consequences. I understand the choice but i disagree, as does ZPS it seems for similar but not identical reasons.

sinistril Game profile

Member
2184

Aug 16th 2019, 3:46:03

Originally posted by Pang:
I've been mulling over rolling out the Patron/Premium experience stuff as part of the beta rather than once we have the beta in a good spot so folks, like yourself presumably, can start giving us some $$ :p

It wouldn't have a whole lot of bells and whistles (Premium would probably just be ad free + bonus points are automatically given to you ever 22hrs (instead of 24hrs for some of them!), Patron would probably just be the Patron board + status icon) for a while but there seems to be at least some appetite for it!

I've got the payment engine hooked up already so it's really just a matter of making it available and adding the mechanism to allow for credits to be spent and have the downstream benefits applied to the account


Automatically allocated bonus points? Take my money $$$
If you give a man some fire, he'll be warm for awhile. If you set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 3:51:07

Not automatically allocated, but you don't need to do anything to get the points added to your countries. Just log in. That would be it off the bat. Automatic allocation could be something to think about down the line, though!

re: griefers -> it's just a much more challenging problem to solve and the code changes touch a lot of stuff that, if broken, realllllllly screws things up.
-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

Z [Post Script]

Member
112

Aug 16th 2019, 4:01:22

Free trial offer of statuses or in-game bonuses like 10 extra turns! I tell you I’m still paying for HBO after signing up to only watch a single movie like 12 months ago (and right now I’m sitting here posting on EE instead of saving myself $10 every month by going over there and canceling it).

I guarantee you that lots of people would be willing to put forward time, money, or resources they may have to address some basics. For example, I know many people said they had the technical expertise to get the bots up and running again several sets ago when they were down for a few days. And it’s great to see so many familiar names as developers. And maybe someone has a gently used UPS or for some reason an extra Tesla Powerwall. And finally, don’t over-index on me, but I’m somewhat less interested in any of my money going into a general pool as opposed to something specific such as cloud hosting - in the same way that the new developers are behind the very specific opportunity of a new UI because it is a pain point today for them and their EE friends.

-Z (Post Script)

Z [Post Script]

Member
112

Aug 16th 2019, 4:08:50

Agree with Gerdie on griefers. Also I’d take more outages because I would plan accordingly and not get to 120(100). But I did run nearly full on turns for probably three weeks last reset in alliance (pretty sure also lost turns all from my own fault), and an ill-timed outage like last night would have made a big dent in my final net. I also suspect that outages have impacted express outcomes - but griefers moreso (which is why I don’t play express anymore).
-Z (Post Script)

sinistril Game profile

Member
2184

Aug 16th 2019, 4:24:14

Originally posted by Pang:
Not automatically allocated, but you don't need to do anything to get the points added to your countries. Just log in. That would be it off the bat. Automatic allocation could be something to think about down the line, though!

re: griefers -> it's just a much more challenging problem to solve and the code changes touch a lot of stuff that, if broken, realllllllly screws things up.


Darn, still, you can take my money :P

The good thing about the griefer problem is there are a lot of very astute community suggestions. Hopefully a amicable solution is found before 10th anniversary so returning players are not put off by griefing. Like Z, I also don't play express anymore due to the higher than normal level of griefing there.
If you give a man some fire, he'll be warm for awhile. If you set a man on fire, he'll be warm for the rest of his life.

Brigg Game profile

Member
417

Aug 16th 2019, 4:28:00

One-time sign-up perks? Sure!
Maybe a One-time Bonus point boost at the start of each reset for paying members? Peachy! Sign me up!
Automatically allocating the 8-per-day bonus points that everyone gets? Love it!

But please, please, please, don't ever consider in-game purchases like Turns or boosts typically given by the bonus points. Or even worse, flat out purchasing bonus points. I'm not saying anyone did, but I felt the need to just put that out there.
Check out my Novel Before they ban it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086WXJVKR

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 4:35:54

We're not doing pay-to-win features. The focus is on quality-of-life improvements.
-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

Brigg Game profile

Member
417

Aug 16th 2019, 4:51:16

Originally posted by Pang:
We're not doing pay-to-win features. The focus is on quality-of-life improvements.


Woop woop!

And I like the name "Quality-of-Life Improvements".
Check out my Novel Before they ban it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086WXJVKR

Marshal Game profile

Member
32,589

Aug 16th 2019, 13:09:15

Mehul's platinum status aka Patron?
Patience: Yep, I'm with ELK and Marshal.

ELKronos: Patty is more hairy.

Gallery: K at least I am to my expectations now.

LadyGrizz boobies is fine

NOW3P: Morwen is a much harsher mistress than boredom....

Pang Game profile

Administrator
Game Development
5731

Aug 16th 2019, 14:19:00

not at this time -- with the timescale I'm talking about (weeks?) we wouldn't be able to code up all the things that the platinum stuff gave you even if we wanted to.

like I said, it's more about giving an opportunity for folks to get some minor bonuses/status stuff and let them help fund the development etc for the game
-=Pang=-
Earth Empires Staff
pangaea [at] earthempires [dot] com

Boxcar - Earth Empires Clan & Alliance Hosting
http://www.boxcarhosting.com

seangcxq Game profile

Member
90

Aug 24th 2019, 4:42:49

[quote poster=Pang; 47561; 909378]
Originally posted by Z [Post Script]:
I almost titled my post “ask for donations to keep servers running” but thought it was too narrow given some other items I listed. I know people have offered to pay to buy EE before. And I know many people are interested in seeing it do better. So, yes, what does it cost?


We've only ever received one serious person who wanted to buy EE and the offer was not in the ballpark of what we would have considered selling for.

I'll do some threads about it when we get closer to launching it, but I'm curious what sort of price folks would be willing to pay for a Premium EE experience -- stuff like being ad-free, getting your bonus points automatically, maybe a custom avatar or something. [/quote]

Send me a price via PM you'd consider selling for.