roll call!

[Jokingjoe]

Or try the Massacre==lots of turns to let you get the feel of things.

[Tara]

Aria! Nice to see you around again.

I Hit random for Guilds, ended up Red, so I submitted to the smallest guild ;>

That's the only game so far for dis wenchie, already wasted prolly 3 turnsets logging out for the freebies then not comin back around for 2 days.

[Calis]

/waves

Hello, pretty familiar faces

[Aeropagitica]

#Confess# If I was red, I'd so be Cult of Mav

[Sikil]

So, Kaz, what's the word? Did Guilds bring in more people?

[Maverick]

#Confess# If I was red, I'd so be Cult of Mav

It unfortunately appears that this guild is going to be put on hold and that another guild is going to be formed. But who knows, as of now im the only one actually playing turns.

I have some interesting ideas if this one does stay.

[Gili]

Not good. If you end up with an inactive faith I'm sure some of us are cool to move some kingdoms about to equal out the numbers

[Kaz]

So, Kaz, what's the word? Did Guilds bring in more people?

It's too early to really tell. There are currently less players than there were at the end of Evernight, but there are more players now here than there were at the end of last age. We'll know later in the age if the player base is going to continue to grow, or start to shrink back again. At least the boards no longer seem totally abandoned. That's a definite win

We are currently borderline as far as a successful game goes. I don't think I'm going to manage to get the 72 hour restore feature coded and tested before the wars start kicking off, so the one feature that might keep things interesting after the first war might not be in place until next age

Fingers crossed though

Later today (assuming I can't sort the 72 hour restore in time to release this age), I'll load up a selection of NPC's to play with. I don't want to load them before I know what's happening with the restore, because the second NPC's go live, wars will likely start.

[Lak]

I don't mind going wherever I'm needed... I'm used to being an underdog so yah....

[Masta]

Hmmm... I was hoping NPCs wouldn't be a part of (or be needed) in guilds game. Kind of jacks up the whole idea of guilds game as it has been played for.... ever.

I would suggest that if NPCs are going to be put into guilds game.. To put them in After at least the first war, and probably not until after 2 wars.

If NPCs are loaded in before the first guild wars, then people will just instantly feed on the NPCs to get bigger than the other guilds, and who will benefit? Whoever is online when the NPCs pop up. It would disrupt the otherwise level-playing field that a new age grants to the guilds game. The first couple wars are normally some of the most interesting, due to the fact that everyone has had the same amount of time to build and is about equal in average land size and possible troop deployment. I would not want to upset such a balance. It makes initial wars very hard to strategize, and the first wars of the age are arguably, the best wars from a defensive standpoint, giving the opportunity to actually win a defensive war, due to the nature of the balance that exists as mentioned above.

Please don't load those NPCs in until after at least the first war, Kaz.

[Maverick]

I completely disagree. Part of the reason people stop playing is because of the fact that they were being forced into unfair wars or to do nothing. NPCs provide guilds, players, with a chance to attack/grow and not feel bad about "down hitting" or any of the other numerous complaints that have caused people to leave.

Hitting a NPC is great. But if a guild destroys a bunch of NPCs, they have left themselves open to be attacked by someone else. Fighting a NPC is not a guild war, thus if you expend to much time/resources you could very well end up donating that land right back to another guild.

Currently there are 3 guilds of comparable size. If 2 of them are at war, what is the other supposed to do? Be forced to sit and tithe? Then massacre the guild that is left standing?

I guess Id rather give people the option. NPCs have been in most of the games for a while now, I personally think that really improved the play.

[Masta]

I do not disagree with the idea of NPCs in the guilds game entirely. I did say I hoped they would not be needed, meaning I hoped we would have the numbers to permit leaving NPCs out of it, but that is sadly not the case.

Given your argument, which I almost completely agree with, I simply say that all I am really asking is that NPC realms not be placed into the game until after the Start of the first war. Soon as the first war begins, I am fine with it. You are right, with the 3 guild system we are currently in, it would be beneficial to give that third wheel something to do other than smash whoever is left standing as soon as that first war ends, which in the past has lead to some serious arguments concerning how fair it is to build for an extra week and then smash someone who has been affected by a war, even if they were victorious.

I just want the first war to be declared before NPCs hit the scene, due to the nature of the planning and strategy that goes in to the first war of an age. So, basically I agree with you, on all accounts, except that I want a war to be *declared* before NPCs drop.

[Gili]

That does raise an interesting issue. In the past(very past!) Guilds seemed so concerned of not being hit hard and early that the first wars got earlier and earlier. I wonder, if just 3 guilds, if people would delay that first hit...on the hope of not being involved in the first war, to get uninterrupted NPC realm feeding

[Maverick]

I guess I just dont understand why the first war makes a difference. In my opinion part of the reason for NPCs was to create more variety of play. I think NPCs should be around. If you want to take the time to attack and kill a NPC for land, instead of tithing, that is up to you. If you want to attack another guild instead of a NPC, that is up to you.

Otherwise the game is simply who started a kingdom first and who knows how to build fastest. NPCs make the game more strategic, you actually have to make decisions on how to expend resources.

Gili,

There are always 2 strategies to the early game. 1) Beat someone to war or 2) hope you dont get hit. With or without NPCs, you are still faced with the same dilemma.

[Kaz]

At this point adding NPC's with an average size of 10,000 acres, a minimum size of 7,000 acres and a maximum size of 20,000 acres (like domination) wont switch the majority of kingdoms to fighting NPC's instead of players. I deliberately held off on introducing them to prevent that very thing.

The top kingdoms currently would be unable to declare war on most of the NPC's (except for a few possible freaks) due to already having too much land to declare on them. So if a guild declares on them now, it's the smaller kingdoms (plus three-and-outs) that'll benefit. It's also not as if these NPC's are easy to break. They are defended with forts (that actually work these days and are out of the troop cap), plus 100% defensive troops.

Even if I did wait for war, what's war? I can already see a war thread. Looking at the back-end I can already see war-like activity. Adding them in today seems like as good a time as any.

[Nether]

I wanna kill somthin.....its been far to long since I've killed somthin...unless you count that brownie which I doubt anyone around here would.

[Igneous]

HI Calis! :0)

[Pistol]

Where a kingdom name has (N) before it does that mean it is an NPC?

[Aeyliea]

Yes.

[Nagash]

How dare the automated bastards outrank me?