xoindotnler Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Really this is as good as it gets for a really niche game with the look and feel of the internet back when I needed to use dial up. Takes a long while to figure out the fun stuff and has enough stuff going on at the start to justify leaving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurdanak Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Sure, I can help out where needed. I'll also make a thread on the GPA's forums to gather interest. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeniusInc Posted September 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Sure, I can help out where needed. I'll also make a thread on the GPA's forums to gather interest. :) Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joseph Black Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 I'd be happy to distribute anything for a campaign. I'm not much of a graphics artist, but I'd be happy to help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigshow8891 Posted September 30, 2014 Report Share Posted September 30, 2014 Im trying to remember what really got me to stay here. When I first signed up 4 years ago, I was pretty much ready to quit after the first 3 minutes. All the text, all the waiting around, it seemed like a pretty pointless endeavour. It wasnt until I started to realize what the actual point of the game was (alliances, politics, etc.) that I actually gave it a shot. A big part of what made me stay was my interest in nation/society building games in general (like Civ, citiesxl, etc).  That being said, I was fortunate enough to NOT have direct orders to make my government a certain type, become a tech farm, have to pay reps just for getting raided, etc. I see a lot of that nowadays and I honestly would not have stayed if that was the case when I was new. I think newer nations should be given more freedom and sovereignity to make decisions on their own. Government type, the answers to the government positions, improvement build order, etc are things that new players should experiement with on their own for a while. Micro-managing new nations and telling them exactly how to do things, IMO, is a big factor in the lack of retention. It just makes everything seem really lame that way, expecially when the whole point of this game is that you are the "ruler" of your own nation. This would be an effort coming from the alliance level, it would require a big shift in the cultures of many alliances out there, and as such it likely will not happen.  I'll admit I'm kind of hyprocitical here. Just the other week I was telling a new player which gov positions to set, order them not to buy anything, change to communist government, etc. The guy deleted, and it hit me later that if that was my experience when I first started, I would have quit too. So I learned a lesson: give them time to figure things out and I bet they will stay longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterChief Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 Hell, this game I can never seem to give up. I went mia few different times already, I just restarted a new nation and rejoined my old alliance with open arms. This game is still, fun just needs more action and activity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterChief Posted October 1, 2014 Report Share Posted October 1, 2014 Been here since 07, a lot of good times had in CN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jericthegreat Posted October 2, 2014 Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 Having been around for a short time now the one thing i can say that is killing this game is lack of content. if you cant keep your older nations interested with new stuff or revamping old stuff you lose out. Now, when i first started (a LONG time ago) i played for a year and just quit because i got bored. Now, being where I am at and doing what im doing, it keeps me interested. the ONLY thing saving this game is YOU, the community, all the alliances, the many faces to chat with and interact. its what makes this game worth sticking with. (and kinda makes me want to get back into foreign affairs... BUT i love my office) enough out of me, none of this really makes sense.. Â JtG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dragonshy Posted October 2, 2014 Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) I don't mean to be critical of this game but the issue is that this game is not meant to last this long, mechanically speaking. Consequentially, newer nations simply don't have interest as they don't find it fair having to engage with heavy wondered nations in their range and get slammed. We are talking about multiple years just to have a decent and substantial nation. Anyhow, I do think that suggesting a reset would certainly freshen up political aspects and possibly bring people back with keen interest.  I agree. But a reset alone wouldn't guarantee growth and retention. The entire genre of internet text browser games is outdated. Look at CN's known rivals in the same genre. They aren't doing as well as CN did in its heyday. CN has to be rewritten as an app that people can play on their phones and pads.  There is a longer and potentially incendiary post that I made on GPA forums, but here I'll just say this: It is nearly 2015. CN must either move with the times; or cater to its cult following - accept a smaller player base and focus on player retention/return Edited October 2, 2014 by Dragonshy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredDerf Posted October 2, 2014 Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 The server should update twice per day (the current midnight central time plus a noon central time update). Â It would give new players more things to do and more of a reason to check their nation during the day. It is just too easy to stop checking your nation because there isn't anything to do. Â Since we'll need an in-game nerd-approved reason to justify this, I suggest a meteor impact that adjusts the speed of Planet Bob's rotation causing each day to only take 12 hours instead of 24. Â Besides, it will interrupt the sleep from people who live on the other side of our planet (for a change). At least people could choose to quad at noon central or midnight central. Maybe less people would show up for work looking like the cat dragged them in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Red Posted October 2, 2014 Report Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) This is a niche game. Its player base is restricted to a very specific brand of crazy, and of that niche market you have to deduct dwindling attention spans and player burn out. You can plot and plan as much as you like, but you're not going to change the nature of this game. It is, at its core, unattractive to potential new players. That yields an inescapable downward trend.  A much better plan would be to formulate a way to retain active players and reengage old players who still carry around nostalgia for little MS Excel game with optional Forum/IRC Drama. Easiest way to do that is to give them something to do and/or care about. Good luck with that given the current political climate. Edited October 2, 2014 by Lady Red Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeniusInc Posted October 3, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) This is a niche game. Its player base is restricted to a very specific brand of crazy, and of that niche market you have to deduct dwindling attention spans and player burn out. You can plot and plan as much as you like, but you're not going to change the nature of this game. It is, at its core, unattractive to potential new players. That yields an inescapable downward trend.  A much better plan would be to formulate a way to retain active players and reengage old players who still carry around nostalgia for little MS Excel game with optional Forum/IRC Drama. Easiest way to do that is to give them something to do and/or care about. Good luck with that given the current political climate. Thanks for your opinion, but save it for the "I told you so" when the rest of us give up as well. Until then, let us try without raining on our parade no matter how futile you think it is. Edited October 3, 2014 by GeniusInc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Red Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 This is the "I told you so." I've seen this route played out many times before, all while player retention is ignored in favor of trying to artificially inflate the likability of this game. There's a battle you can win, and a battle you can't. For some reason, these topics always end up going down the battle you can't route. Maybe that's the only way to absolutely insure that no one posting inside it has to do anything other than talk about the possibilities and complain when no follow up is done for lack of realistic expectations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D34th Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Daily reminder that the game is dead, I killed it before sit in my comfy armchair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexio15 Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Daily reminder that the game is dead, I killed it before sit in my comfy armchair. You can say the game is dead but how about sitting in your armchair do something about it. You obviously care about this game to still be playing it, GeniusInc count me in for the people that want to save this game, or at least those that go put saying I gave it my best shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canik Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Go spam every forum you can find, just don't be surprised when most of them ban you. College, Gaming & Political, TV Show forums is probably where you'd find the most success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexio15 Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Well its not a bad idea it might progress into some people joining the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malik Shabazz Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 CN is too stable, it needs more chaos. The problem is people are trying to make it like the real world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexio15 Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 CN is too stable, it needs more chaos. The problem is people are trying to make it like the real world. Yes by all means come back and introduce some chaos because we all remember how your last attempt went Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D34th Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 You can say the game is dead but how about sitting in your armchair do something about it. You obviously care about this game to still be playing it, GeniusInc count me in for the people that want to save this game, or at least those that go put saying I gave it my best shot. Â Do something about it is so 2008 man, let the past in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexio15 Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 Â Do something about it is so 2008 man, let the past in the past. Well you never know the game could always be saved I like to look at the glass half full and with thinks with hope, if others dont do the same than cool but dont try and put the guys that do down support us instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neo Uruk Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) CN is too stable, it needs more chaos. The problem is people are trying to make it like the real world.Y'know, the world does have several events a year that are just out of nowhere. We're not all conformist dorklords just because you can't have your own !@#$%* little cult Edited October 3, 2014 by Neo Uruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krzyzewskiville Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) I don't mean to be critical of this game but the issue is that this game is not meant to last this long, mechanically speaking. Consequentially, newer nations simply don't have interest as they don't find it fair having to engage with heavy wondered nations in their range and get slammed. We are talking about multiple years just to have a decent and substantial nation. Anyhow, I do think that suggesting a reset would certainly freshen up political aspects and possibly bring people back with keen interest.A reset wouldn't be enough. The game mechanic that makes the game most problematic, and deters new members from sticking around and slows their growth most, is tech aid. I know a lot of people don't like to talk about this, but tech aid and tech dealing created a class system and really do more to slow new nations than help. Without tech aid, new nations are getting closer to full slots of aid, without losing upwards of 2/3 of the cash they do receive to pay for tech. Further, if you have to buy your own tech like you do infra and land, suddenly you make it much, much harder to have so wide of a gap. A reset has to come with game mechanics changes, and I don't see how anyone could justify tech aid as a truly fair mechanic. It is one that favors old nations so disproportionately and has been used to really hinder nation growth by the game. It's fundamentally broken, yet it cannot be changed without a reset because that would somehow be less fair. In hindsight, there is no fair justification for tech aid. It just wasn't corrected when WRCs were added. I doubt many remember, but there was a day, before the WRC, where excessive tech was viewed as a huge detriment because it would cripple your ability to fight a conventional war - less soldiers than someone at your NS whose NS was based on infra meant you'd lose most GAs. Edited October 3, 2014 by Krzyzewskiville Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevolutionaryRebel Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 The true problem of CN is that it's not that much fun to play. For the majority of gameplay, it's logging on once a day and clicking a few buttons. Community is great, but all of you suck most of the time (except for Mi6). The truth. Â It hurts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caladin Posted October 3, 2014 Report Share Posted October 3, 2014 I don't mean to be critical of this game but the issue is that this game is not meant to last this long, mechanically speaking. Consequentially, newer nations simply don't have interest as they don't find it fair having to engage with heavy wondered nations in their range and get slammed. We are talking about multiple years just to have a decent and substantial nation. Anyhow, I do think that suggesting a reset would certainly freshen up political aspects and possibly bring people back with keen interest.  That being said, there would have to be modifications that'd mitigate effects of being a long and ancient nation that clearly has advantages. What I believe needs to be done is increase the abilities of younger nations to compete, without destroying the advantage that ancient nations have worked for (though severely reducing it)I can see this done through four game changes.Implement a logarithmic tech return; the more you have, the smaller the boost each individual unit gives youImplement a logarithmic land return; the more you have, the smaller the boost each individual unit gives youReduce the wonder clock for the first dozen wondersAdd some improvements that function only for nations under one year old and are significantly more useful than a standard improvement.Implement these and younger nations will be able to grow faster, obtain wonders faster and compete on a more even footing with ancient nations, without making the work they have put into the game over the years redundant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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