After trying to read the last 12 pages of comments, I am struggling to figure out how to feel about this whole topic. So some disjointed context:
1) Much of the discussion seems to be driven by the different ways folks play this game. One of the strong points to FOE is that millions play this game so many different ways. It took me a few months to decide what the prime directive would be for my game (hint:rank score), but I have never looked down on the other ways of playing. I never understood paying $1000’s or, playing FarmVille or, being 100% guild oriented, etc. All valid ways to play, just not my own.
2) I have played this game a lot in my roughly 27 months, and probably have averaged over 10 hours daily. As a result, I have scored over 600M points using the best techniques that I could learn (fun part of the game). I have only spent about $40 to date (sorry Inno), and have never used any non-core elements on my iPad ( i.e. bots, Foehelper, etc). I think this makes me a ideal legit player for Inno other than I am sure they would like some more cash.
3) I do not play the beta server. I play a game expecting it to be well thought out, professional product, so that I can enjoy and overcome the challenges. Many can defend a game developer’s right to control their game, but I think it suffers whenever it needs to be adjusted after the fact. For many of us who have invested themselves for years, a “minor” change can be very disturbing, as it goes to the credibility of the developers.
4) I have been a SAAB player for around 6 months now. I do a lot of GbG, but also more than my share of RQ loops. I set up the 150FP, 200FP and the coins/supplies RQs and loop thru back to them when they are triggered. During each loop, I do both the fighting RQs (using a friend to get the 500 goods trades reward). I do NOT usually loop RQs just to do the fights. Instead they are triggered by my city collections and/or my donations in my 1.xx chats. I believe this was all the developer’s intentions when SAAB was published. So I am gaining lots of rank score (sometimes 100M monthly), but doing it in a legit fashion without any machine help.
5). I wonder what the unintended affects will be on say 1.90 chats when a a player has an ARC 80, makes no FP profit and now hits a wall on RQs?
6) I support the idea that if bots are the problem, then bots should be exterminated. Not a easy programming change that affects a wider group.
7). I also wonder if all this looping by legit players does not produce any additional revenue for Inno, and so this is expected to being a back door revenue generator, but can give them the benefit of the doubt on this score.
So the bottom line for me on this programming change is this: I would like to know what game I am being asked to play. I am less comfortable or excited about a more nebulous concept that can change at any moment, especially with little discussion or input. Whether it is money or personal time, many have invested a lot in your game. If we are given the feeling that those investments can be deflated arbitrarily (e.g. who paid real money to buy a high level CF), then the trust is broken to some degree for future investment. Have seen many multi-player games make this same mistake. Hoping you do the right thing here!
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