I remember how, way before the Karma War, many people said that the Hegemony had "blocked" the game.
According to that theory CN had become boring and stagnating because of a severe lack of competition (or due to the Pacifican oppression, etc. - feel free to pick the reason you like the most).
There were people saying that we would have had more fun with the Hegemony "out of the way".

I now propose to you a couple of very simple questions, to see the what the average forum junkie's opinion on the subject is. I hope the polls are acceptably unbiased...

Note that I am asking you to try guess the "general" level of satisfaction, rather than just expressing just your own one (which you're welcome to discuss in your posts, anyway).

Game is getting less interesting by the day. People aren't doing anything beyond signing more treaties and making more crappy small alliances that don't go anywhere. Doesn't look like this trend will change either.

some rogue nation or alliance will start nuking nations and the fun should pick up...

I sort of disagree with that. Behind the scenes there is a good amount of interesting stuff going on. Alliances are trying to find their way in this new post-Karma world we live in. And that should set up some interesting times ahead.

I was lost for a month because I had nothing to 'fight' against. I just had to make some new enemies i guess.

Yes, exactly, people just keep making alliances like TDSM8.

Anyway, I voted that it was the same and will remain so.

I voted we are having less fun because even though we lacked a military opposition we had a political opposition. I think it will continue to go down for a bit than improve hopefully but only if the alliances in Karma are willing to pick up some of the slack and act as a catalyst for events, love us or hate us the NPO actually did stuff far more than any other alliance.

agreed; paradise is boring

I doubt I'll ever have as much fun in this game as I did in Vox Populi.

I think there's a lot of opportunity right now. We're experiencing a natural downtime due to the OOC time of year and the post-war cool-down period. We'll see if individuals and alliances start taking the initiative. I don't have high hopes frankly, but I've been surprised before.

The first poll seems kind of pointless due to the second one, but whatever.

Voted less fun now, but things will pick up.

We're now having more fun

We're now having more fun (+) and it will become even better (++)

I wouldn't say it's getting LESS interesting... This is the same thing people did throughout the Hegemonic period. So I voted "same". The landscape of CN has changed beyond recognition, but the attitudes and practices with regards to how foreign affairs are generally conducted haven't changed much. Obviously it's now more acceptable to sign treaties with some alliances and less acceptable to do so with others, but the basic approach is the same. As for the future? Let's face it: This is CN. An enormous hegemony couldn't prevent a world-shaking war from happening eventually. And so no matter how long the prevailing attitudes of foreign affairs continue, one will happen eventually. How long will it take? I have no idea. But unless Admin decides to close up shop, there will be another world war.

-Bama

As usual jerdge, you do not disappoint. Well, I can't speak much for the pre-Karma War period as I was virtually non-existant then, but if I had to take a gander at a guess, I'd say we're about the same then as now, maybe a little less. It will also remain more or less the same for the forseeable future as we set up for whatever the inevitable next conflict will be.

Oh god I wish they were making alliances like TDSM8, then I'd have a lot less to complain about. Instead they're making alliances like GDI.

The thing that is boring me most is people complaining that the game is boring

Feel free to make your own fun if any of you are really that bored, because there are plenty of ways that you can entertain yourself in CN. Of course, some of these ways require imagination and time, but some can be carried out immediately for insta-fun if that is what you need. The point being that you don't have to depend on other people creating fun for you, you just choose to because you're lazy and want to be spoon-fed entertainment.

I put more fun, but now that I think about it, it's mostly the same as before. I really don't know why I picked what I did.

Honestly, though, I've found Pink's shenanigans to be quite amusing in an otherwise dull time. Keep it up guys.

Certain elements need to be removed from power.

Furthermore the 4 power blocs of CN lead to stagnation; we need to have more of a polar world.

But i do see this changing in the future; the world is not NEARLY as concrete as it used to be.

It's been pretty much the same. Some of the posts seem to be made with more freedom, though. Could be me though.

Either way, I'm trying to keep myself entertained with the lolpink crowd. Just not in the way everyone else thinks. Of course, it'll really kick off once someone finds a real CB for war.


You've got a real knack for humor, making sarcastic posts about great alliances.

Personally, Post Karma, I've had lots more fun, and been able to do things I wasn't necessarily able to do pre-karma. In my eyes, things are getting more fun for me and Bel Air.

Its pretty dull right now but, I expect in no time people will look at Citadels stats and begin to declare them the new "hegemony" and the cycle will begin again.

There's absolutely no tension right now. No one is acting belligerent. No one is perceived as belligerent. That makes the game kind of boring, and I don't see that changing. Peace is fine if you have a little bit of tension to go with it. I think most alliances feel like they have too much to lose in the current world in order to risk making tension. Also maybe people are still on the downslide after such a crazy war.

I do think the current bloc situation creates stagnation.

That would make things fun.

How far before the Karma War? Because that impacts my answer. The handful of months immediately preceding the Karma War were obviously more interesting as that was the most politically interesting period since GWIII. Aside from 4-5 month build up period to the Karma War, this is the most interesting I've seen the game since end of UjW. NoCB was important and fun to watch just because something was happening, but it was obvious what was going to happen and how it would turn out.

My biggest problem from an entertainment is always knowing what's going to happen next. I enjoy trying to figure it out and I especially enjoy it when I'm right, but if I always know for sure what's going to happen, then it's not nearly as entertaining. It's like having the ending of a book or movie spoiled before you start. Sure, you can still appreciate the journey, but it takes away some of the kick. That's why I enjoyed the first few months of this year, and why I enjoy now. I don't know what is going to happen and that makes things interesting regardless of what is actually happening at the moment.

The world doesn't have predetermined endings right now. If you aren't entertained then you aren't trying hard enough to entertain yourself. This isn't a TV show where you can expect to be force fed drama. You get out of it what you put into it.

I agree. Down with the Citadel! I'm gunning for you, chaos_theory

The problem is that there are no two sides competing against each other as of this moment. What happened was that for a while, the hegemony controlled everything, and so the game was not fun. Then forces like Vox Populi and Karma came into being, and the game was fun again. Now, we are in a similar situation as before, however it's a bit different this time. Now we are in that same situation of the hegemony controlling everything, except with no hegemony. There are no two sides going at each other. What the game needs is conflict, and for players to start causing more.

You can't expect there to be constant conflict. In Cybernations we always have the same problem. The lead up to a major war is exciting and interesting for everyone. It's what we play the game for. Afterward, things are a little less interesting, simply because the tension that built up pre-war has been diffused. It's a continuous cycle, and I expect things to get more watchable (because that's really what people are looking for) as tension grows.

Indeed CN has dropped quite a bit since the Karma war, I've spoken with several people, just in general conversation about who they think the sides would be for the next war. Nobody is 100% certain, it could be anyone. Sure there's been a little bit of trolling, but thats about it for tension/aggression. If its left too long, everyone will be treatied to everyone, making one big treaty web like last time. People won't want to declare war in fear of being curbstomped by the mass of Mutual Defence treaties.

Just my opinion on things.

I'm having less fun, but I fully expect at least some interesting treaty cancellations in the next few months. I also think a war might break out possibly in early 2010 or even late 2009.

Came in here expecting angry D34th posts and was disappointed. The game's currently as fun as the months immediately preceding the Karma War, and it's going up from here.

I did hear something about Christmas, so the time of giving may be all about nukes, but who knows?

The OWF has been pretty quiet since school started, but before that there was some nice tension. Things are generally civil now but a lot of people seem to have deep-rooted and bitter grudges; I have the impression that it wouldn't take much to make some people snap, and that's when things get fun.



I count five major power clusters: SuperFriends, Citadel, C&G, Frostbite and CDT+Poseidon. Which aren't you counting?

We should just cut to the chase and make babyjesus supreme overlord

Duh. Can you imagine how much fun we'd have?


Poseidon isn't usually counted for whatever reason but they really should be, since they're roughly the same strength as C&G and Frostbite. I guess the reason might be that despite the power they hold on their own, they're basically willingly subordinate to NPO.

People forget CDT+Poseidon. With the addition of Wolfpack and NATO to CDT, they have immediatelly become a much stronger bloc and with Invicta and UPN in CDT, this creates a whole new sphere of influence.

I have to admit, I am missing \M/ and GOONz (the real GOONz not the pansy set we have now) at least they made this game fun, now I need to wash my mouth out, but the fact remains this game is dull.

nothing happens, the so called great karma war was dull, in fact this whole game has gotten dull, I miss the days when you would log on and you could see a war page that meant something.

how knows maybe I just go rouge and get it done with.

How was the Karma War not interesting? The whole world got turned upside down and we all got to blow stuff up. And how did it not "mean something"? Even if you don't go in for the war and political upheaval stuff, I don't see how you could possibly make a case for it not being a major turning point in CN history.

-Bama

The Corporation will form a bloc known as "The Investors" which will become the next hegemony. Oh, and they'll reach #1 in stats by the end of the month.

Ending ruined .

i wouldn't say the game is less interesting its just that outwardly nothing is happening and their isn't the threat of imminent major uncertain war in the air. I do think tensions will start to pick up either with NPO rising again a current big bloc attempting to gain control or possibly even former alliances that people considered tied to NPO will start making power plays of their own. Who knows i however expect that things will start getting interesting here rather soon though.

In my old alliance it was having a "Dark Evil Menace" to rally against. Now I find myself liking the people on the dark side I fought against. Planet Bob has changed.

boring------boring-----Direct lead up to Karma war (Fun)-----karma war (fun for the first couple weeks)---------post war adjustments (kinda fun)-------now(boringish) ------ boring -----boring---- the next fun thing.

If you're asking if now as compared to the previous boring period, I'd say now is slightly more fun because things are kind of up in the air, but not much more. I think there is this feeling that wars occur just so that Bob will be more fun after. I think wars happen because they are fun. They are the means and the end. At least one of the ends. There are obviously others, but the periods of war are themselves the most entertaining by far.

It's the same as before

It's the same as before, but I expect an improvement.

Behind the scenes I would say it is more interesting then before the karma war, but behind the scenes is slow and from a position such as mine you can't do much except sit back, hear about it and ponder future events.
Publicly, on the OWF or whatever it is called now, it is worse and much less fun. The largest alliance's have leaders that aren't massive public faces and don't really do anything, I have no idea who is in charge of TOP, I know the leader of Sparta but he rarely posts anything, the MHA triumvirate only seems to post o/'s for whatever treaty has been signed, the leader of NpO does post occasionally but with nothing interesting at all.
While the leaders of the largest alliances sit back, don't ruin their reputation by getting into the OWF trollfests and do all their political maneuvering on IRC, the game never be as interesting as it could be.

So you want us to conquer everyone?

well, in all honestly the times this game has been most fun for me is in actual wars, and im finding myself less and less interested in this game now post war. also im only a occasional OWF reader, so i dont really get to much into the political part of things anymore. probably why interest isnt high, nothing to kill.

The buildup to war is always the best part. Things are pretty dull for the average grunt right now.

id be a lot more excited if I had the faintest idea when the next big blue was going to start... everyone seams to be heads down peacefully building up at the moment with little focus on war.

Ive been playing for 6 months so Im not real sure about if the karma war was the type of event that happens once a year, once every couple months???... whats the general opinion of the veterans here about due date for the next World War? I figure we've got at least anouther couple months of peace hey?

yup

people will finish getting reps then promptly start another war


would be fun to see troll fests between AA leaders though

Things will get interesting. There are so many more players diplomacy-wise this time, and I expect this place to really start rolling once those powers start moving and shaking things up a little bit. We're still in that phase where everyone figures everything out again.

I expect that the "hegemony" will return as a force to be reckoned with, but that it will meet so many more opponents this time around. You've got Superfriends, Citadel, Frostbite, CnG, "Hegemony", and plenty of unity between the likes of NOIR, Blunity, Maroonity, ect. Once people start grabbing for power, CN will be considered "fun" again, as it always has been.

Much of the "Hegemony" is split up. I can't see the whole coalition being unified, but you could see some move toward the CDT-Poseidon side.

generally you see two major wars a year each around 4-9 months from each other this can of course lead to some years having only 1 major war and as far as i know of no year has had more than 2. Considering that the Karma war didn't end until 2 months ago i don't think tensions will arise for another 1-3 months and war will not come for some time after that.