FA - path block option?

[SkyRider99]

The feature to highlight a chosen FA path from orange/green/blue has been a big help in showing the chosen best path for the fellowship to follow.

But no matter how many messages are sent, or how much the path is highlighted I still have fellowship members going feral and throwing their badges all over the place like a dog's dinner.

I was thinking it would be nice if the Archmage or Mages could actually place a block on one or both of the non-selected paths. It's probably too hard to program but I could make good use of it. Dreams are cheap

 

[Julian]

And the problem with the path highlight option is if you want to switch paths or do multiple paths and miss out just a few.

 

[Solanix]

@SkyRider99 they still will find an opportunity to put their badges into the wrong place ... If you do not want to do 1 particular Waypoint of a path, may it be to keep this on spare for players that cannot log in when the majority is playing or if the amount of badges does not match with the reward for it, they will put their badges into that one.

 

[SkyRider99]

And the problem with the path highlight option is if you want to switch paths or do multiple paths and miss out just a few.

Good point Julian. I would imagine that in those cases the blocks would be removed at the appropriate time. It's a moot point for discussion. Thanks for your post

 

[SkyRider99]

...keep this on spare for players that cannot log in when the majority is playing...

Cheers Solanix. Our FS uses this method too. Before taking the flag we invite fellows who have not had a chance to place badges, to place a badge or two on one of the non-highlighted paths. They get a share of the FS rewards then.

 

[Gargon667]

And the problem with the path highlight option is if you want to switch paths or do multiple paths and miss out just a few.

It is a feature for low achieving FS, those that do one path each map and nothing else. I assume it works as intended.

For FS like ours the feature is useless. I ignore it completely. Actually one of our mages was asking about it this time lol, they had never noticed it was there haha. How old is it now? Half a year? Must have been there for like 5 FAs now?

It would have to be much more customizable to be of use to an FA lover FS

 

[Thorly]

I was thinking it would be nice if the Archmage or Mages could actually place a block on one or both of the non-selected paths. It's probably too hard to program but I could make good use of it. Dreams are cheap

In the many F/S' and FAs that I have been in over the years, it is needed. An Archmage and Mage are frustrated when 5 or 10+ difficult badges are wasted, when those same badges would be an added plus on the right path, or higher stage, or even for the pit. How many Archmages and Mages waste Badges during the FA? Ambassadors? Fellows? That is why it is needed.

 

[Gargon667]

I see it that way: It´s the same for everybody and it´s another way how a better organized FS will get an advantage over less well organized competition. I always prefer it when skill makes a difference rather than say diamond spending. In this case skill means training/teaching your fellows to follow a game plan together rather than having a bunch of people that all do whatever they want without paying attention to what the plan is.

The numbers of wasted badges really make little difference in the grander scheme of things. Not many FS will not reach their goal because of a few wasted badges.

 

[Thorly]

The numbers of wasted badges really make little difference in the grander scheme of things. Not many FS will not reach their goal because of a few wasted badges.

10 Badges in the pit for a f/s could mean 50pts, up to 350pts in closing rounds. That could make a difference in spots! 11th to 10th, 21st to 20th or even 101st to 100th place. It does make a difference in the grander scheme of things. 1 or 2 badges is not going to make a difference.

Planning or no planning, there are always renegades at times. To diminish renegading, give the AM & M to close and open paths, or part of paths.

 

[Gargon667]

10 Badges in the pit for a f/s could mean 50pts, up to 350pts in closing rounds. That could make a difference in spots! 11th to 10th, 21st to 20th or even 101st to 100th place. It does make a difference in the grander scheme of things. 1 or 2 badges is not going to make a difference.

Planning or no planning, there are always renegades at times. To diminish renegading, give the AM & M to close and open paths, or part of paths.

That´s exactly what I am saying though: A better organized FS has an advantage over less organized FS. Every FS will lose badges on the maps, but the better organized one will lose fewer and then have more in the pit.
It makes no difference to completing the maps for most FS. The pit is just for the sake of competition between FS. And there you are back to the original argument. Better organization means more points.

 

[Cheryn]

OMG! This past FA caused 4 people to leave our fellowship. Primarily, because they could not place the badges they were working on because of the higher players taking the stage. Secondly and partly my fault, for snapping at them for stupid stuff, which I'm very sorry for. Yes, the Arch and elder players should move things along when the path grows stale. But if the newer/lower level players don't feel the opportunity to contribute to the fellowship play, they tend to lose heart and feel worthless (Their efforts for no reason.) (my first fellowship FA I was told to stay out and don't worry about it) There is a fine line for elder players and newers/lower levs to understand, and not quite sure what that is. The higher players need to remember the little guys want to play too. I think the FAs should be abandoned, personally. It is the VERY WORST event in this game, IMHO. I am 1 research away from dwarves(Ch6) and that's pretty low. But I was soooooooooo stressed over this last FA, I almost don't wan't a fellowship anymore. I actually demoted myself so I do not feel so responsible for anything, especially if I have a SNAP moment. AND what kind of GAME gives so much stress that ANYONE SNAPs? FAs are great, but should be relegated to upper level players NOT looking at the little people to pick up the slack. That just SUCKS!! I used to hate the spire, but now it is my friend. Now I hate FAs!!!

 

[SkyRider99]

There is a fine line for elder players and newers/lower levs to understand, and not quite sure what that is. The higher players need to remember the little guys want to play too.

I started a new guideline for our FS by asking all fellows to only place one badge on the Sack of Coins and some of the others that have a high badge count in everyone's inventory.

Everyone gets a chance to contribute. And even if they miss out, we delay taking the flag until as many fellows as possible have placed a badge on one of the non-selected paths. In that way they can share the FS rewards too.

In a friendly and supportive FS there is often a strategy available, providing communications are kept open. We have members with scores above 600K and below 60K. We don't have any with an elitist mentality.

 

[Maillie]

We fix the problem by doing all three rows and everyone has a chance to toss anything they have into anywhere they want. This way everyone gets a reward and we have fun doing it.

The only map that we follow one row is the third map, and that's only until that row, usually green, is done. We generally finish the first map the same day it opens, the second map takes a little over a day, then we have 4 days left to play through the 3rd and into the Pit. We finished with another monument, I think it was 8th place, might have been 9th, we were back and forth. We have all sizes of cities from new to having finished Chapter 18.

I don't understand the term "wasting badges." What badge does anyone have that they can't replace in the next 6 days?

The main problem with adhering to one row is that the person that finishes a spot in a row is the first to see the next one open. They can then fill in the easy ones, leaving only the more difficult ones which the smaller cities, or cities that have no space, can't use.

None of this applies to the small fellowships or the ones that have a lot of inactive players, of course.

 

[Pauly7]

Primarily, because they could not place the badges they were working on because of the higher players taking the stage.

But if the newer/lower level players don't feel the opportunity to contribute to the fellowship play, they tend to lose heart and feel worthless (Their efforts for no reason.)

This does not sound like fun environments, but don't blame the game. Blame the group and the organisation. Why would people be prevented from placing badges? The people organising the adventure should be trying to make sure that everyone produces what is needed. They also should be making sure that everyone gets an opportunity to place some on each map and get the rewards. There will always be some left over (usually hundreds of guard badges and/or Wonder Society badges), but then there's always the bottomless pit to reduce those totals some.

the Arch and elder players should move things along when the path grows stale.

What on each does that mean?!

(my first fellowship FA I was told to stay out and don't worry about it) There is a fine line for elder players and newers/lower levs to understand, and not quite sure what that is.

What is that all about? In order to compete with the highest places in the FA takes at least 20 people... and that's if all those 20 are making titanic badge producing efforts. Why would a fellowship then ask people NOT to make badges? Because they don't want the team to do any better than a certain threshold?

Like I say - Don't blame the game for any of this.

 

[Gargon667]

OMG! This past FA caused 4 people to leave our fellowship. Primarily, because they could not place the badges they were working on because of the higher players taking the stage. Secondly and partly my fault, for snapping at them for stupid stuff, which I'm very sorry for. Yes, the Arch and elder players should move things along when the path grows stale. But if the newer/lower level players don't feel the opportunity to contribute to the fellowship play, they tend to lose heart and feel worthless (Their efforts for no reason.) (my first fellowship FA I was told to stay out and don't worry about it) There is a fine line for elder players and newers/lower levs to understand, and not quite sure what that is. The higher players need to remember the little guys want to play too. I think the FAs should be abandoned, personally. It is the VERY WORST event in this game, IMHO. I am 1 research away from dwarves(Ch6) and that's pretty low. But I was soooooooooo stressed over this last FA, I almost don't wan't a fellowship anymore. I actually demoted myself so I do not feel so responsible for anything, especially if I have a SNAP moment. AND what kind of GAME gives so much stress that ANYONE SNAPs? FAs are great, but should be relegated to upper level players NOT looking at the little people to pick up the slack. That just SUCKS!! I used to hate the spire, but now it is my friend. Now I hate FAs!!!

If you ask me you should make that 5. Sounds like a FS you´d better be rid of, join one that values its members and their contributions.

We always have all 25 towns on every map. And waiting for everybody to make it onto the map is the deciding factor how long it takes us to finish each maps. We keep one of the 3 paths on each map empty only to be used by those that haven´t placed a badge yet, once all 25 are on we finish the rest of the map and repeat the exercise on the next map.

 

[SkyRider99]

I don't understand the term "wasting badges."

Perhaps it's a relative term. In my case it means having a situation where for example, 52 Blacksmiths (BS) are needed on the orange path, but fellows place their BS on green or blue instead.

Not all my FS choose/want to play FAs because of their RL schedules, and because the 'prizes' are so small. So for the remainder who do play it is difficult to generate enough badges needed to finish a path. When fellows use their badges on a non-selected path, those badges are lost ("wasted") from the selected path where they are actually needed.

Some fellowships play the FAs differently and may not have this issue