this is how it works... so why make changes for alliance that is working fine for other servers? different servers have different problems and solving one in one server may be bad for another server. There was no problem with FFA so why change it? it could have mad it more enjoyable then just the same same in every server.

what do you mean?

He meant that changes should be done accordingly to servers. For example, we do not want people doing special attacks to spoil someone's finish during the last 5 seconds of the set, but he may want it that way in FFA.

It might be a pain to run different code for different servers, it might get confusing or be more work too, so maybe not. But I sort of agree with ZIP here.

The new batch of changes (much like the attack changes we got before) were specifically made for Alliance, not for us Primary/Tournament/Express players. Special attacks didn't need to be changed on the solo servers, and the new "ramp up" formulas still don't make sense for servers like Primary where you can only hold 80 turns and can't coordinate with other players.

It's the same with the newly announced changes. They are almost all designed because there's no one to grab in Alliance. Therefore there's a lot of land trading, so now we're getting these changes to ghost acres and building costs and dictatorships. But there still won't be anyone to grab after this change. Dict ghost acres weren't actually overpowered on a functional server, in fact dicts are rather *weak*, and the dict's "strength" was only a comparative strength, a loophole more or less, and a symptom of Alliance's disease, which isn't being addressed at all. The actual working servers like Primary are being worsened in order to paper over the fundamental flaws on another server with imperfect solutions.

They need to either just concede Alliance sucks, or do something to fix it (untagged bot countries? I don't know!). Instead they're changing parts of the game that were working fine for the rest of us.

Dicts weren't actually good. Now they're being made worse. The building cost changes are going to completely overhaul start up strategies, and will cripple networth finishes on our solo servers as well. Why are we getting any of these changes shoved onto us? These high building costs will probably stop anyone on Express from doing the MB conversion metygl did in this round:
http://www.earthempires.com/express/146/ranks
All to fix a problem we don't even have on Express.

I don't play Alliance because I don't like it. But it seems I can't avoid it, it comes and gets into my solo games and messes up the formulas!

Word.

Game changes are good. It forces players to adapt. The best of the best players stays in the top 10. Players unable to adapt get left behind.

I had suggested before that every reset should have a game change to shake things up and keep the game "interesting and new", but qz had not liked the instability of it, where a single change could potentially cause huge game unbalances.

Game changes introduced to spice up the game are a somewhat different topic than game changes designed specifically for Alliance that harm the other servers. For example, making dictatorships (a weak gov in solo) worse doesn't force people to adapt. Making ABs almost pointless against people with tanks doesn't force people to adapt. It just harms the game. The only thing that might "force people to adapt" is the new building prices, but they're going to adapt everyone's scores down which is less fun!

Well, Dict's +25% bonus has always been too much (it was only +20% during Mehul's time), and consequently the -30% BPT penalty is also too harsh.

The Dictator government has always been a government designed for WARRING, not for netting, so trying to argue that it is a weak government for netting isn't really a strong case.

A Dict Casher, for example, is certainly viable. But it is not as good as Rep Casher for netting. Dict's just weren't designed for netting, just as much as Demos aren't designed for warring.

Point taken that it's a gov better suited for warring, but also, as you say, it is viable for netting (without land trading) and it gets less viable with this change.

so Oldman should have been a fascist or demo last set?

Maybe so! :P But Fascist is only +15% food and its got those income penalties and Demo just has the tech/commission benefits. So I think a Dict probably can compete as a farmer better than it can compete with a Rep at cashing.

I agree with this 100%, and for that reason I am not upset about the build cost changes.

What I am upset about is the Dictator and ghost acre changes. This has a huge effect on FFA. Land gained in FFA can only come from exploring or landtrading. Choosing 5 targets per day for 16 countries within a dwindling player pool is not feasable and will force the farming of untageds which will force further players away.

I don't see Dictator as being overpowered in FFA. It is just a step towards your overall strategy. H-Techer, M-I-D-Techer, M-I-Farmer, M-I-D Farmer, M-I-R Casher, M-I-D Casher, H-Casher.

These were all balanced strategies in FFA, and I believe these changes just took 3 or 4 of those options away.

Dicts are now more in line with other governments. Previously, it was obvious that if you wanted to landtrade, 90% of the time, you want to be a Dict.

I think Dicts and Tyrannies are the most popular governments on FFA? They must be popular either because they are good warring governments, and/or Dicts are good at landtrading.

last set there was 392 tyrs and 296 dicts in ffa and best tyr had 286m nw and best dict had 260m nw (both got fa'd most likely).

but who is going to finish as a dict or a tyr? mono - dict - theo.


well lets play a set or two before we go over the deep end, Great changes for alliance, bad for FFa is my guess.

I'm afraid it is bad for primary, express, tourney, and ffa. good for alliance.

there was quite many dicts/tyrs with over 30m nw in last set of ffa when set ended.

Surprisingly, I agree with ZIP on this.

Dicts bonus has been reduced yes, but that's because dict was *THE* land-trading govt; it's nicer to foster some variety


But yes, we can design changes separately; and for different servers in mind.

30 mil nw ? really who looks that low?

there was over 50m nw dicts/tyrs on 1st page of earthgraphs on 1st page etc.

We will have to see how it plays out I guess..

But i will admit I am a little saddened to hear the Techer networth record for Primary that I made last set is probably old news now.

There is roughly ~23 days left in this Primary set. Lets get some positive changes for the solo servers done by then please! :)