- Joined
- Dec 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,215
Time for some honesty that perhaps 60 (or more!?) players in the game don't want to hear and may choose to convince themselves couldn't possibly be true, but hear me out:
The important fact bit:
Powerblocks kill the game. And the business. Genuinely. There have been a number of rounds in the last 6 years where large powerblocks have dominated (be it 2 or 3 allies), and those rounds the playerbase dwindles more than any other round, people that stay playing don't want to buy game-cash/p-units as much (it's not "worth it" or they have to keep their scores low to stay out of range of the powerblock who are now just "bottomfeeding" off anyone that hops into range), and business itself takes a temporary but always dangerous plunge. Past powerblocks have damaged Bushtarion. The current powerblock is damaging Bushtarion. It's damaging not just the players and community, but it's damaging the actual very business itself. The current powerblock might be "enjoying" their dominance, but you're helping to directly throttle the game. No amount of self-denial will help - it's actual 100% fact, something I see and can physically measure every single time there is a powerblock.
I have in the past tried to implement automated systems to prevent powerblocks (for example CRA) - this doesn't work, and I will not ever attempt that again. I have come to realise that no game mechanic can ever "force" two groups of players to attack eachother/to not work together for a round. Because not attacking eachother, or working together, is something that is external of game mechanics, it's something that happens through social systems, and often in private (so mechanics cannot prevent it, and rules cannot prevent it).
So here's a new approach - being honest and trying to educate users who didn't already guess it. I am asking the players not to powerblock, and if able (and you are able) to stop the current powerblock - for the sake of Bushtarion itself. I can not and will not force you to remove your powerblock or change the way you are playing, that would be unfair to you - but I can try to educate you as to what your playstyle is doing to the whole of Bushtarion itself (the community and the business). And if you genuinely care, you will stop it.
I will continue working on things discussed in the past couple of months on IRC and the forums to help "resistance efforts" be an actually viable system, and to also make "bottomfeeding" unrewarding, which will all help out in situations where top allies form powerblocks and don't care what they do to the business/the game. I'm not simply going to make this announcement, hope for the best, and do nothing. I am working on new features and changes to existing features too (a number of changes will be in for next round).
If you want to discuss powerblocks, or ideas to help resistances that are realistic, fun, and fair to everybody involved, then both IRC (click "Live Chat" when in-game in the game menu) and the forums will always welcome constructive discussions, especially if it can generate solutions and new ideas for the future (I can often be found chatting in #bushtarion between 20:00 GMT and 00:00 GMT, if you want to try and catch me online to have some open discussions in the room about game ideas, features, the future etc.!). I don't want to see spammy/trolly/flamey arguments or personal attacks on individuals though.
And to the 60 players that may be reading this and thinking "sod it, we earned our rank/we broke no rules/we enjoy this/I don't believe anything Azzer says because he's just out to get us" - consider for a moment the cost of your enjoyment and the damage, and consider that I am being serious, and consider that if I was just out to get you I would just come and get you (
) - you are hurting in a bigger way than any badly coded feature could hurt, and I have witnessed this in a number of past rounds, this isn't the only round there's been a powerblock and I've witnessed exactly the same things happening in the same ways, so have many old veterans here.
Finally - yes there are other things and aspects that damage the game, the community, some that are my own fault. Features that are unwanted. Lack of features that are wanted. The way forums/IRC got moderated/opped or staffed (or not staffed). These things all get worked on over time, through players that give constructive feedback, that's also why we're on Age 5 not Age 1. Sometimes bad changes get made and have to be fixed, other times great changes get made. But don't try to deflect the issue of powerblocks with other issues, this thread and this announcement is not about these other things, it's about something that the players themselves can fix - powerblocks. I'll help with future game and community changes... but you the players... top players especially... can actually directly help if you care about the game, the community, the business, and the future - stop powerblocks. Prevent them. Discourage them. And most of all: Don't be selfish!
The important fact bit:
Powerblocks kill the game. And the business. Genuinely. There have been a number of rounds in the last 6 years where large powerblocks have dominated (be it 2 or 3 allies), and those rounds the playerbase dwindles more than any other round, people that stay playing don't want to buy game-cash/p-units as much (it's not "worth it" or they have to keep their scores low to stay out of range of the powerblock who are now just "bottomfeeding" off anyone that hops into range), and business itself takes a temporary but always dangerous plunge. Past powerblocks have damaged Bushtarion. The current powerblock is damaging Bushtarion. It's damaging not just the players and community, but it's damaging the actual very business itself. The current powerblock might be "enjoying" their dominance, but you're helping to directly throttle the game. No amount of self-denial will help - it's actual 100% fact, something I see and can physically measure every single time there is a powerblock.
I have in the past tried to implement automated systems to prevent powerblocks (for example CRA) - this doesn't work, and I will not ever attempt that again. I have come to realise that no game mechanic can ever "force" two groups of players to attack eachother/to not work together for a round. Because not attacking eachother, or working together, is something that is external of game mechanics, it's something that happens through social systems, and often in private (so mechanics cannot prevent it, and rules cannot prevent it).
So here's a new approach - being honest and trying to educate users who didn't already guess it. I am asking the players not to powerblock, and if able (and you are able) to stop the current powerblock - for the sake of Bushtarion itself. I can not and will not force you to remove your powerblock or change the way you are playing, that would be unfair to you - but I can try to educate you as to what your playstyle is doing to the whole of Bushtarion itself (the community and the business). And if you genuinely care, you will stop it.
I will continue working on things discussed in the past couple of months on IRC and the forums to help "resistance efforts" be an actually viable system, and to also make "bottomfeeding" unrewarding, which will all help out in situations where top allies form powerblocks and don't care what they do to the business/the game. I'm not simply going to make this announcement, hope for the best, and do nothing. I am working on new features and changes to existing features too (a number of changes will be in for next round).
If you want to discuss powerblocks, or ideas to help resistances that are realistic, fun, and fair to everybody involved, then both IRC (click "Live Chat" when in-game in the game menu) and the forums will always welcome constructive discussions, especially if it can generate solutions and new ideas for the future (I can often be found chatting in #bushtarion between 20:00 GMT and 00:00 GMT, if you want to try and catch me online to have some open discussions in the room about game ideas, features, the future etc.!). I don't want to see spammy/trolly/flamey arguments or personal attacks on individuals though.
And to the 60 players that may be reading this and thinking "sod it, we earned our rank/we broke no rules/we enjoy this/I don't believe anything Azzer says because he's just out to get us" - consider for a moment the cost of your enjoyment and the damage, and consider that I am being serious, and consider that if I was just out to get you I would just come and get you (
Finally - yes there are other things and aspects that damage the game, the community, some that are my own fault. Features that are unwanted. Lack of features that are wanted. The way forums/IRC got moderated/opped or staffed (or not staffed). These things all get worked on over time, through players that give constructive feedback, that's also why we're on Age 5 not Age 1. Sometimes bad changes get made and have to be fixed, other times great changes get made. But don't try to deflect the issue of powerblocks with other issues, this thread and this announcement is not about these other things, it's about something that the players themselves can fix - powerblocks. I'll help with future game and community changes... but you the players... top players especially... can actually directly help if you care about the game, the community, the business, and the future - stop powerblocks. Prevent them. Discourage them. And most of all: Don't be selfish!