[Is it possible for a game developer to say, “It’s finished” anymore?]

CC wasn't designed to incorporate wars in the way that CN does. That is the one dynamic that makes CN much more than just a political simulator and keeps people playing for so long. I think what people fail to look at with CC is that there are two facets to the game. First, there is what you are able to accomplish and second, there is the method of doing these things. The first is lacking and hurts the game. In CC, all you can really do is run for Mayor, manage a company, and build stats. Those things get boring after a short period of time. All of the other features are only a means to that end. Working, traveling, purchasing stats to keep your health up...these are all requirements to be productive while working, earn money to buy stats, etc. The fighting system feels like more of a side gimmick to add a little entertainment value. Click, fight, results. One person can attack one person in a 6 hr period. A person recently attacked cannot be attacked again within the same time frame. CN is much more expansive in this area and that has a ripple effect, from individual wars to alliance scale wars, to world wars which generate forum activity and increase the need to utilize the other functions of the game in order to stay ahead of the competition.

So, who knows what the future holds for CC but it's clear that it has two paths to possible success. Enhance the fighting aspect of the game, or enhance the rewards/objectives of the game...or both. It's got a solid base with unlimited potential and I have faith that good things will come.

[Is it possible for a game developer to say, “It’s finished” anymore?]

True, you can't please everyone. People will always have their own ideas that they believe will make a better game. I understand your thought process on the burden of meeting the player's expectations, but at the same time try looking at it from a different perspective.

When you created CC, you reached a point where you decided it was ready. Depending on your goals for it, maybe it was. Anytime anything is created, you have to ask yourself what you expect to achieve with it. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll meet your own expectations, let alone everyone else's.

CCv2 may not have been designed to only be played for a month or two, but for the majority of players, that's what it is. The mechanics of the game are different from that of CN, although one is relatively no more complex that the other. Because of this, though, CCv2 needs more actual game to sustain it. It can't rely so much on community as CN, despite being designed to have strong community interaction.

I'm not saying to implement every idea thrown your way, or to try and please us all. Compare it to any other industry though. An auto maker improves its cars every year. They take ideas, suggestions, and feedback from those who drive their cars and they work in what they think will have the greatest impact on maintaining their product's appeal while keeping costs as low as possible. They're not worried about satisfying everyone, but they understand the need to continually develop their product.

I work in retail, and even in my store where we have pretty much the same year round customer base and sell the same products, we are constantly changing things around, improving displays and doing things to ensure our store isn't stagnant. We want our shoppers to keep coming back.

The point of all this is that I hope you will not be content to put the product out there and then walk away from it. Don't take all suggestions and don't worry about pleasing every person, but do keep the game fresh and inviting. Make changes, additions along the way to keep the vested players stimulated and engaged while still attracting newcomers.

Good luck, Admin, and thanks for your games.