Changes to Spire Rewards

[Jackluyt]

In my opinion, the entire system of re-issuing evolving buildings and their artifacts is totally crocked. I really hope that the designers will do something to fix it.

Old buildings are re-issued periodically for those who missed them first time round - but the artifact system is ridiculous - it is entirely chance if you will even get one, going all the way up to the top of the spire every time for six weeks; some people get lucky and gain several; others may have to wait several years to fully evolve their building.
It is a totally dysfunctional system.

Giving us a random building and a random artifact every six weeks is doing nothing to fix the mess. Rather we should be allowed to choose any building that we wish from the crafting list and buy it for Diamonds - and then we should be given 'Artifact Fragments' in all the side events and other places too like daily log-in bonuses, so that we could over a period of months collect enough of them to forge one Artifact for any building we choose. If 'Artifact Fragments' could be gained simply from logging in to one's city, as well as FA Waypoints, Tournaments, Spires and grand prizes in the questline events, that would motivate reluctant players to be far more involved in the game!
That would make far more sense - and the sooner they bring in a similar system, the better.
I do hope the developers are listening to this suggestion. Not the first time I have made it.

 

[Silly Bubbles]

I agree, I think it's a very small number of players that actually benefit from the current system. Ok, you can disenchant the artifacts but you can disenchant anything. Personally, I'd like to see the Moonstone Library set back in, now when it's properly balanced. It is a huge advantage in the game to have multiple sets. To me it seems that they are biding time to put something else in, hopefully it'll be something worth the wait.
And yes, it would be great to have an universal artifact. Maybe they're getting ready for it with this new tab and option to pick an artifact that you want.

 

[Pauly7]

I agree and I've said it ever since they first introduced this idea. It's at worst ridiculous idea and at best it's a little bit useful for a small number of people.

Anyone who plays the game regularly probably has the fully evolved building if they a) wanted it and b) were playing at the time it was originally available. If anyone wasn't playing at that time then it is extremely unlikely they will win 9 artefacts in 6 spire weeks in order to make it worth building.

So... all they are doing is rewarding the people who dip in and out of the game and don't play very much. I understand that Inno wants to appeal to these people, but it's quite insulting to try to do it for such a long period of time without giving thought to regular players in this regard. Luckily the Spire prizes are good regardless, but there hasn't been that added excitement with it since a long time ago.

 

[DeletedUser501]

To me, the only artifacts that should be in the Spire cycles are those of the classic phoenix ( fire, storm, gold) and classic bear ones ( brown, polar, panda), since those are the ones that a beginner, medium and long time players would really appreciate to have.

 

[Gargon667]

I agree and I've said it ever since they first introduced this idea. It's at worst ridiculous idea and at best it's a little bit useful for a small number of people.

Anyone who plays the game regularly probably has the fully evolved building if they a) wanted it and b) were playing at the time it was originally available. If anyone wasn't playing at that time then it is extremely unlikely they will win 9 artefacts in 6 spire weeks in order to make it worth building.

So... all they are doing is rewarding the people who dip in and out of the game and don't play very much. I understand that Inno wants to appeal to these people, but it's quite insulting to try to do it for such a long period of time without giving thought to regular players in this regard. Luckily the Spire prizes are good regardless, but there hasn't been that added excitement with it since a long time ago.

I don´t remember anyone ever liking this idea lol. Not back when they started it and not now.

I dislike the entire idea of constantly recycling old stuff. So I don´t need artifact fragments either. I would rather get something new/unique/interesting rather than recycled old stuff.

Sure Firebird and Brown bear are an integral part of the game, they need to be available for new towns, but put it somewhere else, like the MA and leave it there for those that need it. It´s horribly boring for everybody who already has them. Put something fun into the spire, not old junk.

 

[Far Reach]

I don't need the artefacts from the Spire either (although I did make use of one Bear artifact a few cycles ago), but it does seem an eminently reasonable system to me. It obviously isn't intended for highly active veteran end game players, but that doesn't make it useless. They will allow less people who didn't finish an event questline to complete their buildings, and newer players to develop them. Even a partially upgraded evolved building may be attractive to many.

Put something fun into the spire, not old junk.

I 'm sure that we both agree that the Spire already has lots of cool prizes to win. It seems odd that people complain more about the certain of the Spire prizes (Spell Fragments and Artifacts) than they do about the less prized rewards from the FA, quests or tournaments.

 

[Gargon667]

I don't need the artefacts from the Spire either (although I did make use of one Bear artifact a few cycles ago), but it does seem an eminently reasonable system to me. It obviously isn't intended for highly active veteran end game players, but that doesn't make it useless. They will allow less people who didn't finish an event questline to complete their buildings, and newer players to develop them. Even a partially upgraded evolved building may be attractive to many.

Complete a building YEARS after we initially got them? I honestly hope people who have had a partially evolved Coldfire or whatever it is we are currently doing, have deleted that useless piece of junk a long time ago...
If they did that with the most recent evolving building I could understand it, say make it an extra chance to complete the previous event building, while we play the next event. Would bore me just as much, but it would at least make sense for those that didn´t finish the new witch hut during halloween. Give them an extra chance while we do the winter thing at the same time. But in 2 years nobody will have have a witch hut in their city...

Please anybody speak up who has had a partially evolved coldfire phoenix in his town and now 2 years later managed to finish it! Anyone PLEASE prove me wrong! It would make me so much happier if anyone out there had a use for it! BIG PRETTY PLEASE!

I 'm sure that we both agree that the Spire already has lots of cool prizes to win. It seems odd that people complain more about the certain of the Spire prizes (Spell Fragments and Artifacts) than they do about the less prized rewards from the FA, quests or tournaments.

That is why I said FUN, not powerful. Yes the spire has the best rewards in the game already, I don´t need anything powerul in there in addition to what we have. But I would very much appreciate anything FUN, no matter what it is as long as it doesn´t bore the heck out of me like some 2 years old piece of rusty junk metal dragged from a recycling station. This is such a waste of prime real estate in this game.
Can Inno´s entire creative team really not come up with anything fun (say something seasonal maybe?) I don´t know give a free sled ride on a goblin sled animation (they are good with graphics usually) even a seasonal avatar... anything... spire achievement points that have no use other than a ranking list called RNG hero, I don´t care.
And btw this nonsense has replaced an insanely powerful reward (the moonstone set) so it could definitely have some value without imbalancing anything now. But as I said I am happy with non-powerful as long as it is FUN!

 

[Pauly7]

I 'm sure that we both agree that the Spire already has lots of cool prizes to win. It seems odd that people complain more about the certain of the Spire prizes (Spell Fragments and Artifacts) than they do about the less prized rewards from the FA, quests or tournaments.

You are right about the prizes, but that isn't really the point. There's a choice for Inno to make about putting in item a) - i.e. boring for most people that play it regularly and option b) - anything else. That just makes it disappointing.

 

[Gargon667]

You are right about the prizes, but that isn't really the point. There's a choice for Inno to make about putting in item a) - i.e. boring for most people that play it regularly and option b) - anything else. That just makes it disappointing.

I don´t see it much interesting even for people that don´t play regularly. Those people are not getting more than 1 or 2 artifacts out of it. You have to finish the spire 6 weeks in a row if you want a good chance to get multiples, not something a casual players does. so what is the appeal to somebody who has to craft an expensive base and then evolve it to lvl 3?
So really only extreme cases of semiactive people who suffered through YEARS of having a partially evolved building can now advance it. How many of those people are there that suddenly now switch to hyperactive drive and finish the spire 6 weeks in a row? This must be a smaller subsample of elvenar players than forum users are

 

[Pauly7]

I don´t see it much interesting even for people that don´t play regularly. Those people are not getting more than 1 or 2 artifacts out of it. You have to finish the spire 6 weeks in a row if you want a good chance to get multiples, not something a casual players does. so what is the appeal to somebody who has to craft an expensive base and then evolve it to lvl 3?
So really only extreme cases of semiactive people who suffered through YEARS of having a partially evolved building can now advance it. How many of those people are there that suddenly now switch to hyperactive drive and finish the spire 6 weeks in a row? This must be a smaller subsample of elvenar players than forum users are

I agree 100% and many people have said so since their "great" idea first started. The artefact are useless for almost everybody. It's just the lazy option on Inno's part.

 

[AsterObelix]

I accept Gargon's invitation.
I'm playing elvenar since May 2021. I have won some phoenix and bear artifacts in the spire and with additional crafting have my Fire Phoenix now up to level 10 and brown bear to level 7.
I have won 7 valentine and 7 gingerbread artifacts in the spire and when I get the chance I will craft the additional artifacts to get those buildings fully evolved, after which I will place them in my town. If not I will wait till they appear in another cycle of the spire.
I have also won 6 coldfire artifacts, but yeah I agree the coldfire phoenix doesn't deserve a place in my city.

But overall I'm not unsatisfied with the current system.

 

[Gargon667]

I agree 100% and many people have said so since their "great" idea first started. The artefact are useless for almost everybody. It's just the lazy option on Inno's part.

There´s one thing Inno is good at: exchanging game devs with artists... the graphics are always top At least I can remember when I last had a complaint about the looks of anything in elvenar It must be a bigger attraction to have great graphics instead of great content. Sometimes I wish I could go back to some text based game... but they don´t do those anymore...

 

[Gargon667]

I accept Gargon's invitation.
I'm playing elvenar since May 2021. I have won some phoenix and bear artifacts in the spire and with additional crafting have my Fire Phoenix now up to level 10 and brown bear to level 7.
I have won 7 valentine and 7 gingerbread artifacts in the spire and when I get the chance I will craft the additional artifacts to get those buildings fully evolved, after which I will place them in my town. If not I will wait till they appear in another cycle of the spire.
I have also won 6 coldfire artifacts, but yeah I agree the coldfire phoenix doesn't deserve a place in my city.

But overall I'm not unsatisfied with the current system.

You won´t believe how happy it makes me that I can say I finally know someone who doesn´t hate this stuff

I suppose highly active players that have started playing after the original event are a target group for whom it actually works out I never thought of that! So yes for that target group this is a nice reward, not too powerful but something fun to do. I mean the game won´t change either way if you manage to upgrade those buildings or not. But it is something to do in the long-term.

On the subject of your buildings: that very old valentines building isn´t worth much, but the Gingerbread house is really good for T2 production! so yes keep them and see if you ever get the chance to max them (not likely in the current system as we will not return to the same artifacts for years). Maybe you get lucky and they make more of those multi-artifacts they have recently invented. One could possibly fit all the valentines buildings next valentines event? Not so sure about the gingerbread house, because they changed the entire idea to the snowy owls for winter... but it might still happen...
Also make sure you craft a new base next time they come around, otherwise you will have a building so far outdated it is completely useless unless you use ton of RR spells to bring it up to your current chapter. If you keep track and see they are reintroduced to crafting, disenchant your current base (otherwise no new one will show up in your MA) and craft a new chapter version!

Good luck making it work!

PS: congrats on the Firebird and brown bear, you´re nearly there and in only half a year!

 

[Wibbly Woo]

I accept Gargon's invitation.
I'm playing elvenar since May 2021. I have won some phoenix and bear artifacts in the spire and with additional crafting have my Fire Phoenix now up to level 10 and brown bear to level 7.
I have won 7 valentine and 7 gingerbread artifacts in the spire and when I get the chance I will craft the additional artifacts to get those buildings fully evolved, after which I will place them in my town. If not I will wait till they appear in another cycle of the spire.
I have also won 6 coldfire artifacts, but yeah I agree the coldfire phoenix doesn't deserve a place in my city.

But overall I'm not unsatisfied with the current system.

I am going to second this point: I started in Dec 2020, and have Stage 10 Fire Phoenix and Brown Bear, and am collecting artifacts for a Polar Bear.

I am concerned by the assumption prizes should be appealing to end-game, fully updated, veteran cities. Many of these cities are already packed with the best buildings from any era of the game, so the only way to be “better” is power creep, which has its own problems. Do we really want something better than a Fire Phoenix?

 

[BlueBlou]

I don't see the extra evolves as a bad thing, even if I might not need it right at this moment. There may come a future time when I want to have the base at latest chapter value and having a full set of evolves will spare me upgrading it the usual way from the chapter level I got it in. That is to say if the base is offered in the MA choices again.

Lol, I do have the rainbow bird, aka Coldfire Phoenix, in some of my cities and just today I came to the realization that having a second base of the white bird, aka Ashen Phoenix, might actually be a good thing to place as well. Will be waiting for further evolves of those.

 

[Gargon667]

I am going to second this point: I started in Dec 2020, and have Stage 10 Fire Phoenix and Brown Bear, and am collecting artifacts for a Polar Bear.

I am concerned by the assumption prizes should be appealing to end-game, fully updated, veteran cities. Many of these cities are already packed with the best buildings from any era of the game, so the only way to be “better” is power creep, which has its own problems. Do we really want something better than a Fire Phoenix?

Nobody is disputing the old phoenix and bear artifacts, we are talking about all the junk besides those two... btw those have been through the system now and at the current system it will be years (if ever) when they come back.

 

[Turing]

I accept Gargon's invitation.
I'm playing elvenar since May 2021. I have won some phoenix and bear artifacts in the spire and with additional crafting have my Fire Phoenix now up to level 10 and brown bear to level 7.
...

Ditto, but I started something like a year earlier. I've got the phoenix and the brown bear done via the spire artifacts. Got lucky with the phoenix and got it evolved to 10 from the 6 weeks in the spire (the only time I've gotten 9 evolves randomly from the spire on either of my accounts I think).

Please anybody speak up who has had a partially evolved coldfire phoenix in his town and now 2 years later managed to finish it! Anyone PLEASE prove me wrong! It would make me so much happier if anyone out there had a use for it! BIG PRETTY PLEASE!

But it seems the issue here is that the coldfire phoenix is rubbish... if no-one wants it, it doesn't prove the spire artifact system is bad per se. It's just that several of the old evolving buildings are not appealing - which was presumably more or less the case when they first appeared as well.

Having said that I'm not a fan of the current system. It seems neither one nor the other in terms of getting artifacts... I usually seem to end up with about 5 going to the top of the spire every week. That's not really enough to make a building useful. So although I've gotten lucky with some important buildings this doesn't really seem to satisfy either older players (who don't want the artifacts) or newer players (who won't get enough - usually - to actually be much use)

 

[CrazyWizard]

I don´t see it much interesting even for people that don´t play regularly. Those people are not getting more than 1 or 2 artifacts out of it. You have to finish the spire 6 weeks in a row if you want a good chance to get multiples, not something a casual players does. so what is the appeal to somebody who has to craft an expensive base and then evolve it to lvl 3?
So really only extreme cases of semiactive people who suffered through YEARS of having a partially evolved building can now advance it. How many of those people are there that suddenly now switch to hyperactive drive and finish the spire 6 weeks in a row? This must be a smaller subsample of elvenar players than forum users are

I agree 100% and many people have said so since their "great" idea first started. The artefact are useless for almost everybody. It's just the lazy option on Inno's part.

I think you guys really underestimate the power of casual. you know those people who collect unicorns. who spend money on a marlo because they like a turtle in there city.
And similar with bears, panda's, owl's and birds and any other pet.
A lot of casuals just want there cute little zoo and for all those players those aretefacts are awesome.

So I like the fact that there are more "casual" tailored prizes in the spire that are totally usless for by big main city.

 

[Gargon667]

I think you guys really underestimate the power of casual. you know those people who collect unicorns. who spend money on a marlo because they like a turtle in there city.
And similar with bears, panda's, owl's and birds and any other pet.
A lot of casuals just want there cute little zoo and for all those players those aretefacts are awesome.

So I like the fact that there are more "casual" tailored prizes in the spire that are totally usless for by big main city.

I agree that casual players want those things, what I am saying is casual players won´t get those things from this system. Only highly active players have a a chance (no guarantee for them either) to get enough artifacts. Unless of course people are happy with a lvl 3 moonbear or whatever. But people that are happy with that will be just as happy with anything else. They can just craft the egg in the MA and place that in their town, it is probably better looking than a cracked lvl 3 egg.

 

[Gargon667]

Ditto, but I started something like a year earlier. I've got the phoenix and the brown bear done via the spire artifacts. Got lucky with the phoenix and got it evolved to 10 from the 6 weeks in the spire (the only time I've gotten 9 evolves randomly from the spire on either of my accounts I think).


But it seems the issue here is that the coldfire phoenix is rubbish... if no-one wants it, it doesn't prove the spire artifact system is bad per se. It's just that several of the old evolving buildings are not appealing - which was presumably more or less the case when they first appeared as well.

Having said that I'm not a fan of the current system. It seems neither one nor the other in terms of getting artifacts... I usually seem to end up with about 5 going to the top of the spire every week. That's not really enough to make a building useful. So although I've gotten lucky with some important buildings this doesn't really seem to satisfy either older players (who don't want the artifacts) or newer players (who won't get enough - usually - to actually be much use)

And there you see the problem with the current system: The 2 ONLY amazing and absolutely necessary artifacts have come and gone. If you have been around for them, you are lucky. They will not come back in any meaningful amount of time under the current system. So that part is done, from now on and for the next few years, nothing important will come, all you get is the sometimes nice, sometimes less nice buildings, but never anything of importance.
So this system is burnt out for important stuff. No point reiterating that these artifacts are important and that one could get them in the past. No such thing will happen in the future unless something changes.

Yes we have finally found a target group for them: Active players that have started playing the game recently and have an interest in collecting old evolving buildings. But I doubt anyone can call that a big audience, because all 3 of those parameters have to be met, otherwise there is not much value in the current system.

Inactive players won´t gain a meaningful amount of artifacts.
Old towns will already have them.
And of course people that don´t care about collecting buildings won´t even look at them.

Anyway as I said before I personally don´t care much, I would be happy with the spire if we got nothing at all instead of the artifacts, i just find it extremely boring and a bit sad that they can´t come up with anything more interesting.