DeletedUser
Guest
Hi - I have quite a few suggestions so I will just list them in one post instead of making umpteen. Apologies if any of these have been previously suggested.
1. Neighbours, Helping, Visits, Socialising
Problem: As we all know, inactive neighbours are an issue, as are neighbours who do not return visits.
Solution: Let people add up to 50 friends as well as or instead of neighbours, who one can help and trade with. To avoid people abusing this, if one assumes they will (multiple accounts maybe), one can introduce a system where the number of friends that can be added depends upon your interaction. As in, first you can add 5 and after having visited them x no of times you can add 5 more and so on. One could also introduce a social score for people depending upon their interaction with others (helps, trading etc).
User interface: On the list of names, display the amount of times you helped them comparative to how often they helped you, and block people from helping after 5 non reciprocated helps, until the other party has helped back.
Provide options "visit" and "help". Visit shows you the town, whereas "Help" opens a popup with the available options people can select. Maybe these can be ordered in preference set by the city's owner. This avoids lengthy loading times. Also provide a possibility for people to click "next" when helping others.
2. Trader.
Problem: Too few/bad trades displayed depending upon environmental activity.
Solution: Allow people to trade with friends as in (1)
Problem: Unfair/silly trades that spam the trade lists
Solution: do not allow people to offer less than the standard going rate, OR allow people to select which trades they want to see (as already suggested by others).
3. Diverse City Design
Problem: This game is very limited in visual options. Obviously loading is an issue when people have lots of different graphics, see (1) for a solution to this.
Solution: Provide different building designs people can acquire via achievements (quests, helping others, milestones), events or available to purchase for gems.
4. Events.
Problem: This game seems to lack any form of event as far as I can tell. Players like events.
Solution: add them
There could, for instance, be maps people could explore during an event or drops that could come from any activity during that time, etc. This could also be an incentive for people to spend money.
5. Generating income.
Problem: All "free" games obviously need to make money to stay online. Providing an incentive for people to spend without ruining the game is quite a challenge.
Solution:
a) Premium memberships (x amount/month). Perks could involve: set no. of gems/month, extra builder, access to different building designs and/or cultural buildings which can be purchased only by premium members for gold or whatever, % - construction time, %- - scouting time, % extra culture, % extra produce yields and so on.
b) Events, see (4).
c) Aesthetics, see (3).
I've explained why I have issues with the new game features which are imo obviously intended to provide the game with a considerable financial boost (using KP to help others, KP can be *bought*, this opens paths to unhealthy social behaviour such as using others, conning others, competing aggressively, coercion, gambling behaviors etc. Just as an example, imagine a situation where you helping someone by buying KP and then they do not return the favour or quit the game because they are not in a position to or unwilling to help back. Or imagine someone helps you and then begins to pressure you to do the same, etc. Helping should remain unequivocally positive imo).
6. Goals/Achievements
Fellowships: Add goals or achievements to encourage interaction and give fellowships a purpose beyond visiting/trading.
Individual: Add goals or achievements to provide people with extra incentive and give them a further dimension to their sensation of progress (produce x number of x products, kill x number of x enemy and so on).
1. Neighbours, Helping, Visits, Socialising
Problem: As we all know, inactive neighbours are an issue, as are neighbours who do not return visits.
Solution: Let people add up to 50 friends as well as or instead of neighbours, who one can help and trade with. To avoid people abusing this, if one assumes they will (multiple accounts maybe), one can introduce a system where the number of friends that can be added depends upon your interaction. As in, first you can add 5 and after having visited them x no of times you can add 5 more and so on. One could also introduce a social score for people depending upon their interaction with others (helps, trading etc).
User interface: On the list of names, display the amount of times you helped them comparative to how often they helped you, and block people from helping after 5 non reciprocated helps, until the other party has helped back.
Provide options "visit" and "help". Visit shows you the town, whereas "Help" opens a popup with the available options people can select. Maybe these can be ordered in preference set by the city's owner. This avoids lengthy loading times. Also provide a possibility for people to click "next" when helping others.
2. Trader.
Problem: Too few/bad trades displayed depending upon environmental activity.
Solution: Allow people to trade with friends as in (1)
Problem: Unfair/silly trades that spam the trade lists
Solution: do not allow people to offer less than the standard going rate, OR allow people to select which trades they want to see (as already suggested by others).
3. Diverse City Design
Problem: This game is very limited in visual options. Obviously loading is an issue when people have lots of different graphics, see (1) for a solution to this.
Solution: Provide different building designs people can acquire via achievements (quests, helping others, milestones), events or available to purchase for gems.
4. Events.
Problem: This game seems to lack any form of event as far as I can tell. Players like events.
Solution: add them
There could, for instance, be maps people could explore during an event or drops that could come from any activity during that time, etc. This could also be an incentive for people to spend money.5. Generating income.
Problem: All "free" games obviously need to make money to stay online. Providing an incentive for people to spend without ruining the game is quite a challenge.
Solution:
a) Premium memberships (x amount/month). Perks could involve: set no. of gems/month, extra builder, access to different building designs and/or cultural buildings which can be purchased only by premium members for gold or whatever, % - construction time, %- - scouting time, % extra culture, % extra produce yields and so on.
b) Events, see (4).
c) Aesthetics, see (3).
I've explained why I have issues with the new game features which are imo obviously intended to provide the game with a considerable financial boost (using KP to help others, KP can be *bought*, this opens paths to unhealthy social behaviour such as using others, conning others, competing aggressively, coercion, gambling behaviors etc. Just as an example, imagine a situation where you helping someone by buying KP and then they do not return the favour or quit the game because they are not in a position to or unwilling to help back. Or imagine someone helps you and then begins to pressure you to do the same, etc. Helping should remain unequivocally positive imo).
6. Goals/Achievements
Fellowships: Add goals or achievements to encourage interaction and give fellowships a purpose beyond visiting/trading.
Individual: Add goals or achievements to provide people with extra incentive and give them a further dimension to their sensation of progress (produce x number of x products, kill x number of x enemy and so on).