SomePlayer5000
Active Member
Update: New update announcement forum post saying those with Forge Plus don't get Video Ads, thank god even if that dosen't help much with the big picture of the problem
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Next steps with Mobile Video Ads (Feedback thread)
- Thread starter mellofax
- Start date
The Lady Redneck
Well-Known Member
T
That is not new. And you have to buy a new Forge Plus package every 28 days to keep getting no Ads.
Oswyn the noble
Well-Known Member
Thought it was a one time deal..wow this game getting costly now.
Mistress Skullcrusher
New Member
Good morning/evening/day,
You want good feedback. Here is some. Since the "testing" of ads my guild has lost two people. They deleted their city's in full. Only roads left. And quit the game. Rest assured more will do so if this "test" continues and is rolled out in full. Which I'm pretty sure is the plan for you all. By deleting post from players that are giving you feedback. All you show is that you don't actually want feedback. That you don't care about the player who play your game.
Inno, come on man, you all can do better. This game is die, and yes it will, if you roll this out in full. I for one would leave too even though I have come to really enjoy the people I have met thru this game, the game play itself. Good time waster when you have nothing else to do. However if ads where ever part of the game like you all are "testing". I would have never bothered with it. Listen to those that have bothered to make comments on this thread. As they are the vocal parts of your player base that have bothered to take the time to do so. As I can tell you. Out of the top 30 guilds on my primary world. No one wants ads in the game.
Do better inno. Don't make this game into a completely joke. Do not go thru with a full roll out of ads and remove the "test" of them.
BossJZ
Member
I fail to understand the validity of the A/B testing? A/B testing would imply that some aren't getting the advertisements? But, from the comments, it appears that ALL on mobile are getting the advertisements?
A/B testing is intended to determine which of two choices is best. A/B testing is best done silently, with out loudly proclaiming the test. It would seem the test is not the presence or absence of advertisements, but rather an evaluation of the comments.
Was this invalid A/B test launched on all global servers? or only the US servers? Why was this test not confined to the Beta server?
I have started the delete process of all my diamond mine cities on the US servers, now restricting my game play to one US server, and the beta server. I know of no other way to indicate my displeasure of this money grab other than to reduce the count of active playing on multiple servers.
A/B testing is intended to determine which of two choices is best. A/B testing is best done silently, with out loudly proclaiming the test. It would seem the test is not the presence or absence of advertisements, but rather an evaluation of the comments.
Was this invalid A/B test launched on all global servers? or only the US servers? Why was this test not confined to the Beta server?
I have started the delete process of all my diamond mine cities on the US servers, now restricting my game play to one US server, and the beta server. I know of no other way to indicate my displeasure of this money grab other than to reduce the count of active playing on multiple servers.
BossJZ
Member
Should I commit to paying for this premium tier of service monthly, what Service Level Agreements (SLAs) is Inno willing to commit to? Guaranteed response time during GBG? Subsecond response time with no lag? If I am going to pay money for a game, I expect top level, premium access and response.
Cyrus the Adequate
Active Member
Indeed it is. $360/year seems excessive for a single game. A few observations:
1) With the ads as implemented in this version, the game is not playable.
2) The $360 buys nothing else of value; it is purely an unlock fee.
3) There is no credit for other in-game purchases towards unlocking the game.
Simple math says that a player who previously spent $150/year would now need to spend $510/year. That's a 240% price increase with minimal increase in gameplay value.
If Inno is having so much trouble maintaining an existing game with a solid player base that they think that they need to execute a price increase this massive, it's time to short MTG's stock.
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Mit the explorer of dos
Member
Exchange rate, different countries.
Day5 of not playing. Found another game, it's sufficient. After day 3, I haven't had the urge to play.
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Maverick Unbounded
New Member
I'm done. I dropped out of my guild and mothballed my city. Delete this post if you want but I think that feedback indicating the adds are so obtrusive as to push a long time player to leave the game is valid. To ignore this kind of feedback is to ignore reality.
I will add some additional feedback. My issue with the adds is 1) they are so in-you-face, and 2) the bonus unlocked by the adds just aren't that attractive. I do actually watch video adds from time-to-time in a couple of other games, but they are adds offered unobtrusively, I know what I'm getting, I'm getting something of real value. I could tolerate the video adds if they are offered in ways that are not in your face (no treasure chests littering my city, no dancing video signs, no red exclamation points that don't go away), tell me exactly what I'll get (no 50% chance I'll get 50 FP but only 5% chance for a renovation kit), and make the bonus worth my time. 50 FP or a self-aid kit is not worthwhile. An event building upgrade kit or 20% military boost is.
That's my parting thoughts. Maybe I'll check back in a few months to see what's become of this, or maybe by that time FOE will be a distant memory. Good luck to all players that are choosing to stay.
I will add some additional feedback. My issue with the adds is 1) they are so in-you-face, and 2) the bonus unlocked by the adds just aren't that attractive. I do actually watch video adds from time-to-time in a couple of other games, but they are adds offered unobtrusively, I know what I'm getting, I'm getting something of real value. I could tolerate the video adds if they are offered in ways that are not in your face (no treasure chests littering my city, no dancing video signs, no red exclamation points that don't go away), tell me exactly what I'll get (no 50% chance I'll get 50 FP but only 5% chance for a renovation kit), and make the bonus worth my time. 50 FP or a self-aid kit is not worthwhile. An event building upgrade kit or 20% military boost is.
That's my parting thoughts. Maybe I'll check back in a few months to see what's become of this, or maybe by that time FOE will be a distant memory. Good luck to all players that are choosing to stay.
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TopCatUSMC
New Member
Thanks, I was wondering how long its been for myself as well. I'm pretty sure most of us quit playing the day they rolled the videos out. Anyway, I myself have started playing Apple+ Arcade Mahjong Titan...guess what...no videos to watch in order to play. Do me a favor and post a message if you hear that the video ads have ceased and i will do the same.
Xenosaur
Well-Known Member
It's great to have some very erudite posts here. Thanks to a very passionate community to take time to maturely detail their opinions.
@RazorbackPirate's post back to me (a few pages ago... https://forum.us.forgeofempires.com...e-video-ads-feedback-thread.44394/post-383995) resonates deeply. The brutal clarity of that strategy was something I've suspected for a long time. Thank's RBP for articulating it so eloquently. Well done.
Essentially (and succinctly...) - when you STOP buying diamonds, you remove your value. Clear cut corporate equation.
Costs to run servers, have engineers, graphics artists, management and support people on staff to design new ways to keep you from being bored - ALL cost real money. If you play for years and don't help pay for this, you are (and stay) a cost (liability) vs a revenue center (asset). It's clear that new players pay $$ (or currency of your choice) to ACCELERATE their NEWBISH game and unknown game experience. Many players did, and still do.
However, I've railed against players (whether vocal to the point or not...) that bragged they've played this game for 7 years, and never spent a dime. That has bothered me from day 1 as I helped support MY FAMILY as a software architect/engineer and it's fair to get compensated for work.
Within the context of that, the corporate jekyll/hyde strategy to allow players to start a new city in multiple worlds and let them design it to ONLY mine the game currency (diamonds) over time is now looking like a massive game strategy flaw. NO wonder people stop buying diamonds - they can learn the game, do their probability math homework, and build new cities that indefinitely over time, luxuriously drive that portion of their game.
Easy - way too easy.
For example: I play in H world as my "first world", but NOW use N world as a exquisitely crafted hybrid city blend of diamond mining and war/economics. I play AND earn what I need for BOTH worlds from EACH world's assets (H & N), and since there is a single, centralized diamond storage facility as an umbrella over all worlds in this game, each can use what it needs.
I guess I'm branded a liability. That's intellectually distasteful, but through Inno's corporate optics - their truth.
I never figured out how me EARNING diamonds this way helps INNO since I stopped buying diamonds. Since they allow it - I have done it. So do thousands of other players, or dare I say - 10's of thousands or gasp...100's of thousands. If someone knows why this strategy is a benefit to keeping Inno's bottom line healthy, please explain. Historically, in the anabolic stages of the FoE game/culture, it probably had more value, but seems to be "probability sheared" lately. WW's and FoY's and their shrink kits don't seem to be event hot offerings as much, possibly.
Sorry for the circuitous path, so back to the point.
@RazorbackPirate 's post was (will be...) illuminating to many (I'm sure...) and may be the big picture set of tracks to where Inno is going with their foray into Video ads inside their game, as currently being explored. This is their opening serve to change game "tracks". How "the FoE player organism", returns their serve (in word and deed) might help steer it a bit back to somewhat of a more palatable place for both, but it does seem on an inexorable path right now, regardless of our feedback.
@RazorbackPirate's post back to me (a few pages ago... https://forum.us.forgeofempires.com...e-video-ads-feedback-thread.44394/post-383995) resonates deeply. The brutal clarity of that strategy was something I've suspected for a long time. Thank's RBP for articulating it so eloquently. Well done.
Essentially (and succinctly...) - when you STOP buying diamonds, you remove your value. Clear cut corporate equation.
Costs to run servers, have engineers, graphics artists, management and support people on staff to design new ways to keep you from being bored - ALL cost real money. If you play for years and don't help pay for this, you are (and stay) a cost (liability) vs a revenue center (asset). It's clear that new players pay $$ (or currency of your choice) to ACCELERATE their NEWBISH game and unknown game experience. Many players did, and still do.
However, I've railed against players (whether vocal to the point or not...) that bragged they've played this game for 7 years, and never spent a dime. That has bothered me from day 1 as I helped support MY FAMILY as a software architect/engineer and it's fair to get compensated for work.
Within the context of that, the corporate jekyll/hyde strategy to allow players to start a new city in multiple worlds and let them design it to ONLY mine the game currency (diamonds) over time is now looking like a massive game strategy flaw. NO wonder people stop buying diamonds - they can learn the game, do their probability math homework, and build new cities that indefinitely over time, luxuriously drive that portion of their game.
Easy - way too easy.
For example: I play in H world as my "first world", but NOW use N world as a exquisitely crafted hybrid city blend of diamond mining and war/economics. I play AND earn what I need for BOTH worlds from EACH world's assets (H & N), and since there is a single, centralized diamond storage facility as an umbrella over all worlds in this game, each can use what it needs.
I guess I'm branded a liability. That's intellectually distasteful, but through Inno's corporate optics - their truth.
I never figured out how me EARNING diamonds this way helps INNO since I stopped buying diamonds. Since they allow it - I have done it. So do thousands of other players, or dare I say - 10's of thousands or gasp...100's of thousands. If someone knows why this strategy is a benefit to keeping Inno's bottom line healthy, please explain. Historically, in the anabolic stages of the FoE game/culture, it probably had more value, but seems to be "probability sheared" lately. WW's and FoY's and their shrink kits don't seem to be event hot offerings as much, possibly.
Sorry for the circuitous path, so back to the point.
@RazorbackPirate 's post was (will be...) illuminating to many (I'm sure...) and may be the big picture set of tracks to where Inno is going with their foray into Video ads inside their game, as currently being explored. This is their opening serve to change game "tracks". How "the FoE player organism", returns their serve (in word and deed) might help steer it a bit back to somewhat of a more palatable place for both, but it does seem on an inexorable path right now, regardless of our feedback.
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Devon of Gloucestershire
New Member
I tried out Forge Plus, and I want to say that it was only 19 buxx on a sale promo… but maybe I paid 29… i forget. It was a total waste of money for what they gave, and I would never pay for it again. If that keeps me ad free, I may stay around but as others leave in droves, that decreases my guilds strength, reduces chances to get spots taken on my buildings, fewer places to launder my point bar. Eventually, the hassle of even trying to get anything done will outweigh the fun of playing. Thats how games run their course and then they die with a couple weirdos still lurking around waxing on about the old days. I played one browser game to its oblivion, so yeah, I was one of those weirdos once, but this one or any others wont get that from me again.
I am reminded of a series of city builder games that I still play…. And since the first was released way way back in the early 90’s I have bought each several times; first on floppy! disk and CDs, and finally DRM free and updated to run on Windows 10 by a good old game website. I dont think I have spent $360 total! and those games are still replayable today and my grandkids will be the third generation in my house to enjoy playing them. How Inno thinks that all of these disgusting intrusions will force me to spend even more money to avoid ads so I can play this devolving mess is beyond comprehension.
I can still go back to teaching my granddaughter how to build a housing block and it wont even cost another cent when she teaches her kids on the same game. LOL… when they have to port it again to run on Windows 30, I will buy that version too… because it gives back Value, which is something FoE has ceased to do.
OmgWhat
New Member
Alright, this is a bunch of firsts for me. First post, first time signing up to a forum only to make one post, first time being so annoyed by a mobile game that I've wanted to post anything, you get the idea.
I like playing Forge, it's a fun, simple game, and a great way to pass the time on occasion. Game mechanics aren't mind blowing, the storyline isn't engaging, it's just a fun way to waste some time. My first issue with the game was with how absolutely greedy the developers must be. $5 gets you, what? A blueprint? The occasional extra turn in a negotiation? You have options up to $99. For diamonds! And that still barely gets you anything in the game. You can buy far more advanced games for less than that, and play them without any further transactions. Good lord.
But you know, I can deal with that. We're all out here hustling, everybody is making money. If someone wants to spend $100 on... I don't know what really, all the power to them! I was enjoying playing the game without this, though I have spent upwards of $50 on it in both an effort to support free games and also to gain myself a tiny edge here and there.
Then y'all got even more greedy. "Optional" ads are splattered everywhere. Daily mission, there's an ad. Ads in exchange for items. Ads in the tavern. The latest update wants me to watch an add for an additional 5 castle points per day and you've made the button so large for it that it's easy enough to accidentally click instead of the alternate option (which I'm sure was no accident).
I'm not brave enough to go look up what your company makes. You might be a private company, maybe that information isn't available. Regardless, I doubt anyone over there is a starving artist or struggling in any way...unless you set your pay scale for employees with the same greed that you display in game.
I'm not a long time, multiple year player. I've only been playing for maybe six months now. I will not be playing any longer. If you're going to be so desperate, give people something reasonable in return. $5 should net an exchange of at least a thousand diamonds, honestly maybe even ten thousand. 200 is an insult. Your infrequent promotions aren't much better. Watching an ad for 5 castle points? What a joke.
Good luck. I'm sure enough people will continue playing, but I'm not one of them.
I like playing Forge, it's a fun, simple game, and a great way to pass the time on occasion. Game mechanics aren't mind blowing, the storyline isn't engaging, it's just a fun way to waste some time. My first issue with the game was with how absolutely greedy the developers must be. $5 gets you, what? A blueprint? The occasional extra turn in a negotiation? You have options up to $99. For diamonds! And that still barely gets you anything in the game. You can buy far more advanced games for less than that, and play them without any further transactions. Good lord.
But you know, I can deal with that. We're all out here hustling, everybody is making money. If someone wants to spend $100 on... I don't know what really, all the power to them! I was enjoying playing the game without this, though I have spent upwards of $50 on it in both an effort to support free games and also to gain myself a tiny edge here and there.
Then y'all got even more greedy. "Optional" ads are splattered everywhere. Daily mission, there's an ad. Ads in exchange for items. Ads in the tavern. The latest update wants me to watch an add for an additional 5 castle points per day and you've made the button so large for it that it's easy enough to accidentally click instead of the alternate option (which I'm sure was no accident).
I'm not brave enough to go look up what your company makes. You might be a private company, maybe that information isn't available. Regardless, I doubt anyone over there is a starving artist or struggling in any way...unless you set your pay scale for employees with the same greed that you display in game.
I'm not a long time, multiple year player. I've only been playing for maybe six months now. I will not be playing any longer. If you're going to be so desperate, give people something reasonable in return. $5 should net an exchange of at least a thousand diamonds, honestly maybe even ten thousand. 200 is an insult. Your infrequent promotions aren't much better. Watching an ad for 5 castle points? What a joke.
Good luck. I'm sure enough people will continue playing, but I'm not one of them.
Johnny B. Goode
Well-Known Member
I am not getting them when I play on mobile. This thread probably makes it seem like everyone on mobile is getting them because those who aren't have no reason to post here.
Devon of Gloucestershire
New Member
I couldnt stand it when the bouncy punctuation mark on the castle lit up every time I did a nego in GE. I can only imagine the horror of those chests blinking all day long, along with all the other places Inno has inserted their greed into the playing field. I am in the B group, I suppose, and not seeing ads. But this is a thread for feedback, and mine is that I promise, when I see them, I will leave.
Cyrus the Adequate
Active Member
100% true - and I've wondered about this for some time....but:
1) The easy solution here would be to slowly roll back the diamond "hit" probability for WW, FoY, and Crow's Nest.
2) The value to Inno is having enough high level players to give new players a target to aim for. If nobody is playing at a high level, why would someone new enter the game? Guilds would have little value without the "big fish", and a newbie would likely wonder why nobody sticks around long enough to become a high roller.
3) Another easy solution is to slowly inflate the event costs, so that a player has to use diamonds if they want to get the event building fully levelled. For a 10-level building, make 8 levels the basic achievement, 9 with the previous event surprise box, and require some spending to get to 10.
Just some pseudo-random thoughts....
TopCatUSMC
New Member
If you're not getting the ads, lets trade places.
Mistress Skullcrusher
New Member
That is just wrong. I have nit gotten a single ad yet, likely do to me not being in the test group for them. However, I am a player of the feel that I should voice my concerns and opinions on Inno doing a full roll out on their ad plays for the game. So saying "well if you're not getting them, then you have no reason to voice anything" comes off a little off handled.
We all play the game, we all know their plan is to roll this out in full. We all, as players have a right to voice our concerns and opinions. I see putting ads into the game as a death nail to the game as a whole.
Nina IV
New Member
OK, so you want constructive comments on how Inno can make money with the ads you’ve forced onto the players unlucky enough to be part of your A/B test.
There is only 1 way, stop your test, remove them, and apologize for your behavior.
Why do I think that’s the only way for Inno to make money on those ads?
We’ll, let me tell you what I have done since you littered my beautiful cities with intrusive & obnoxious ads and the only way to get rid of them is to pay for your overpriced subscription scheme.
I refuse to watch your ads, I will not open them. Inno will not make any money from me on these ads. Where you put the ads too close, and I can accidentally click on one, I will no longer play that part of the game ( Castle points). Since my enjoyment of the game has decreased, I will not be buying as many diamonds. The longer I see the ads, the less diamonds I will buy. Why would I spend as many discretionary dollars on something that is not as valuable to me anymore?
As for your subscription scheme, I would only pay up to $25 US, per YEAR to stop the ads, but then I would STOP buying diamonds. Why? Because it makes me angry to be taken advantage of by an incompetent & greedy company. Since feeling this way distracts from my enjoyment of the game., why would I pay more for playing?
Keeping ads in the game will only decrease, not increase the amount of money I am willing to give to Inno, even if I don’t have to watch them. Obviously, by the comments on this board, I am not the only one who is unhappy.
The ads, therefore, are a liability to Inno’s bottom line.
As for the idea brought up in this forum on getting rid of older players and bringing in new players who will wildly spend, I would not count on that actually happening. The longer this test goes on, the angrier players become. Social media is a two edged sword, as it can give companies positive publicity , it can also give companies negative publicity. I believe Inno will get a significant amount of negative publicity if you continue on your current path. Why would new players want to join & spend money when a company can’t keep the current players happy?
So, getting rid of the ads, if you move quickly enough, should hopefully bring you back to where you where before this poorly thought out scheme was started.
How can Inno actually increase revenues? That can be done, but it’s going to be a lot harder. You actually have to offer an improved product! There are MANY issues that need to be addressed, from not implementing the current GBG “fix” in Beta, fixing & adding new settlements, reducing & stop reusing the same old events, & developing advanced ages that aren’t just a reskin of older ages, to name a few. I would also recommend a complete review of the competency & pay structure (too focused on short term results?) of the entire senior management of your company.
I wish Inno the best, but you really appear to be struggling.
There is only 1 way, stop your test, remove them, and apologize for your behavior.
Why do I think that’s the only way for Inno to make money on those ads?
We’ll, let me tell you what I have done since you littered my beautiful cities with intrusive & obnoxious ads and the only way to get rid of them is to pay for your overpriced subscription scheme.
I refuse to watch your ads, I will not open them. Inno will not make any money from me on these ads. Where you put the ads too close, and I can accidentally click on one, I will no longer play that part of the game ( Castle points). Since my enjoyment of the game has decreased, I will not be buying as many diamonds. The longer I see the ads, the less diamonds I will buy. Why would I spend as many discretionary dollars on something that is not as valuable to me anymore?
As for your subscription scheme, I would only pay up to $25 US, per YEAR to stop the ads, but then I would STOP buying diamonds. Why? Because it makes me angry to be taken advantage of by an incompetent & greedy company. Since feeling this way distracts from my enjoyment of the game., why would I pay more for playing?
Keeping ads in the game will only decrease, not increase the amount of money I am willing to give to Inno, even if I don’t have to watch them. Obviously, by the comments on this board, I am not the only one who is unhappy.
The ads, therefore, are a liability to Inno’s bottom line.
As for the idea brought up in this forum on getting rid of older players and bringing in new players who will wildly spend, I would not count on that actually happening. The longer this test goes on, the angrier players become. Social media is a two edged sword, as it can give companies positive publicity , it can also give companies negative publicity. I believe Inno will get a significant amount of negative publicity if you continue on your current path. Why would new players want to join & spend money when a company can’t keep the current players happy?
So, getting rid of the ads, if you move quickly enough, should hopefully bring you back to where you where before this poorly thought out scheme was started.
How can Inno actually increase revenues? That can be done, but it’s going to be a lot harder. You actually have to offer an improved product! There are MANY issues that need to be addressed, from not implementing the current GBG “fix” in Beta, fixing & adding new settlements, reducing & stop reusing the same old events, & developing advanced ages that aren’t just a reskin of older ages, to name a few. I would also recommend a complete review of the competency & pay structure (too focused on short term results?) of the entire senior management of your company.
I wish Inno the best, but you really appear to be struggling.