DadLander
New Member
FoE: This game is brilliant!
First, FoE is more than one “ing” (fighting, trading or building). It is a blend of multiple “ings” (researching, building, trading, producing, friending, negotiating, fighting and the big one waiting). To be successful a player must develop a strategy that balances multiple “ings” while being flexible because one strategy may not be effective in subsequent ages.
Allowing each player to develop their own strategy is one facet of FoE’s diamond sparkle and there is some glitter for the player who is flexible and willing to learn and adapt as they progress through the ages.
In addition, the foundation of the game mechanics allow the game to expand to “virtually” unlimited future ages (in ignorance I speculate there could be faster than light travel to infinite alien solar systems). And the game has expanded horizontally into different cultures and historical perspectives.
As an uninformed expat of the stone age I cannot do justice to the various intriguing future / lateral / historical directions FoE has already developed or begin to speculate on what directions the game might be developed into the future / present / past.
Second, I think one of the most insightful aspects of FoE is how the game wizards have tightly coupled and structured the collaborative aspects of the game. As a stone age Neanderthal I kept looking for the stone tables that would answer all my questions. There are no silver platters in FoE. The friends, neighbors, continental map, guilds, PvP, GvG, GE, the forum and even the Wiki have all been integrated in ways that “guide / lead / herd / push” players to learn more through the player’s sweat equity.
I applaud this approach and as a player I say “Game On.”
Full Disclosure: After playing the game for 20 days I have 2,945 points and ranked in the top 49% of 75,706 players. The main reason is I have had the opportunity to spend more on-line time in the game. But top 49% after 20 days?
What about the bottom 50% of players?
How many drop out because they do not find answers to their questions?
Although I am ignorant of so much of the game, I am self-aware of my ignorance. As I sit in my cave and gaze at the event horizon of opportunities that lie ahead of me the following are some observations about my journey.
First, FoE is more than one “ing” (fighting, trading or building). It is a blend of multiple “ings” (researching, building, trading, producing, friending, negotiating, fighting and the big one waiting). To be successful a player must develop a strategy that balances multiple “ings” while being flexible because one strategy may not be effective in subsequent ages.
Allowing each player to develop their own strategy is one facet of FoE’s diamond sparkle and there is some glitter for the player who is flexible and willing to learn and adapt as they progress through the ages.
In addition, the foundation of the game mechanics allow the game to expand to “virtually” unlimited future ages (in ignorance I speculate there could be faster than light travel to infinite alien solar systems). And the game has expanded horizontally into different cultures and historical perspectives.
As an uninformed expat of the stone age I cannot do justice to the various intriguing future / lateral / historical directions FoE has already developed or begin to speculate on what directions the game might be developed into the future / present / past.
Second, I think one of the most insightful aspects of FoE is how the game wizards have tightly coupled and structured the collaborative aspects of the game. As a stone age Neanderthal I kept looking for the stone tables that would answer all my questions. There are no silver platters in FoE. The friends, neighbors, continental map, guilds, PvP, GvG, GE, the forum and even the Wiki have all been integrated in ways that “guide / lead / herd / push” players to learn more through the player’s sweat equity.
I applaud this approach and as a player I say “Game On.”
Full Disclosure: After playing the game for 20 days I have 2,945 points and ranked in the top 49% of 75,706 players. The main reason is I have had the opportunity to spend more on-line time in the game. But top 49% after 20 days?
What about the bottom 50% of players?
How many drop out because they do not find answers to their questions?
Although I am ignorant of so much of the game, I am self-aware of my ignorance. As I sit in my cave and gaze at the event horizon of opportunities that lie ahead of me the following are some observations about my journey.
- Just learning accomplishes nothing
Blissfully doing without learning from others or from your mistakes is often futile
Success is a product of informed doing (and sometimes luck) - There are more different ways / strategies of playing FoE than there are players.
- FoE is a game! You are playing FoE for your reasons. You can define what victory / success / fun means for you. Ultimately, you are competing against yourself. If you are not “winning,” then do something else, something you can “win” at.
- Do not complain about something in FoE you do not like. For all of my ignorance, the more I learn the more I find there is a reason for things I do not like. My approach is to find a way to live with it, or a way around it, or a way to avoid it, or a way to start over.
- Do not hoard or hide what you accomplish or learn. Pay it forward by playing the Forums. Post a picture of your city, a description of what you accomplished and the strategy you used. Remember: the forums are an integral part of the game.
- Join a guild – one that will support your personal playing style