Preface to this critique: I am pretty much one of FOE's most loyal, Guild-founding, Diamond and Package-buying players.
I honestly think with this promotion your team either (1) Ran out of ideas in mid-stream or (2) Came to the honest conclusion that what the game lacked was GAMBLING. Because that is exactly what this is. You either earn chances or buy them, and wait for the software's random number generator to decide on each click whether you are a winner or loser. It is literally tantamount to sticking coins in a slot machine.
I appreciate FOE's quests, promotions and events. I play all of them regularly when I can. But honestly, this seems to be half-finished as if the development team simply ran out of ideas at some point and simply said "Meh - let's just make it a lottery". I will play it as I can, but folks this one is boring.
You can do better FOE. You Generally do.
Well, I would like to say, AMEN and I am glad someone else pointed this out, like I did a few months ago with the Easter Event.
I will say, welcome to FOE and to the lack of vision and creativity within the game.
About this event, this event was put out 2 years ago with some tweaks to it. This is a FUN EVENT, but like you said MORE GAMBLING. I am NOT knocking it, as I like this event and just happy they did NOT ruin this one like they did the Easter Event. What most fail to see is the BIG PICTURE here, "the game" has clearly shifted into maxing or enticing players to spend the most they can on "the game". While we can all and will all agree that NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE and as such, we should all pay to play any game. I pay money to play this game and I have purchased more diamonds than most, but if you want to talk about other issues how about this one, which I might not be allowed to talk about. The days of having a sale on the game and instead of them giving us useless blue prints and items we don't wont or need, how about giving us the TRUE NATURE of any sale. Either discount the prices or give us MORE DIAMONDS, per package. Now that is the sales that we use to have, which only proves "the game" wanting to entice more players to pay up for items they do not want or need. I believe we can all agree, that if you BUY/Purchase Diamonds, it is mutually agreed that you want to spend them on the game. As such, "the game" figured this very point out, finally and has since baited us into thinking with a Sale giving away (to most) useless Blue Prints as a bonus, that's NOT the definition of a SALE. That is an enticement to buy. Period and end of story.
Now, as predicted by myself. I said that new building they introduced to the game "the shrine of desperation", Oh, I meant "Shrine of Inspiration" talk about the lack of creativity, where it gives you 1 (one) random blue print EVERY 2 days. Who said what would happen next, Oh I did, the drop rates have gone down on drops of all blue prints when M/P. Maybe the game should explain to us, how they didn't change the drop rates of Blue Prints for players who M/P.? Don't believe me, well, I have 140 people on my FL, over 75 in my guild and over 80 players in my neighborhood. I do daily M/P and I use to get at the very least 4-5 BP's per day doing M/P. Now I find I am lucky to get 1 per day. Sometimes I get ZERO. The last time I would received ZERO Blue Prints is when I started the game and didn't know what M/P was. Sure I have one of those wasted Shrine's and the ONLY time you will see it on my map/city is when I quit the game, that with a Notre Dame (GB), if you see those two on my map/city then you know I quit and got tired of the game. A New Age will NOT keep me playing with a fraction of it coming out and more of a carrot and stick, just sit back and wait. Instead of fixing issues, bugs and the like (Massive Lag), let's put out more content that from what I understand the new buildings in the New or Latest Age are not much better then Future Age. It is sad the lack of creativity and the way in which this game has taken, it is sad.
There are so many great ideas out there to really inspire people to want to play and really spend money on a game for something worth playing. Now, sadly enough, it is very lacking. Here, I will give you one real fast. Allow a player to PURCHASE another map/town or a SUB ISLAND. Allow this player to expand that island with expansions, using medals, diamonds and the like there. Then allow that SUB ISLAND to be used for any use the player desires, like farming or fighting. Also allow that SUB ISLAND to be attacked and plundered as well and then allow a PLAYER to Purchase another SUB ISLAND. Notice I said, purchase and talk about a real true money maker. Imagine a very high level player with 5 SUB ISLANDS and some farming and some fighting. Now that would truly be something that people would spend money on having.
I almost forgot, the Drop Rates for Blue Prints is because "the game" figured out that people will pay 200 Diamonds for each print they need to get a GB or add a level. So, "the game" is getting smarter about how to "inspire" their players or "entice" them to spend money on things they don't want or need. Yes, there are many things we all need in the game, some we do not need and are a waste of space. Come on, get back to your creativity and give us stuff we truly want and/or need. Not stuff some will kiss up and say, this is great and that is great. The New Great Building in the new age, Arctic Future Age is a joke. Medals.? At least my ARC gives me a reason now to have it, in the New Age, people are upset that they put new Arctic Future Age Goods to the Guild Treasury with no use in site or even spoken about. Unreal.
Steve - LordStevie
