First, a quick reminder. In the agreements section on the "Join" page, it states that, "When alpha and/or beta is complete, the map will be reset and all countries will be removed. The game will then restart again." (As I mentioned elsewhere on the board, I'll also be changing the map location selection criteria after the restart.)

I believe that when treaties are complete, the game will essentially be intact and I'll likely switch to "beta." So, I have two questions for all of you.

1) If I'm able to get treaties done in the next week or two, would you prefer to restart the map on August 1st (potentially as the major game-launching restart, or possibly as an intermediate beta restart, depending on how well the beta goes), or would you prefer to keep playing on the existing map until beta is complete?

2) If the preference is to restart the map, would you be interested in changing the game from a once a day cycle to a multi-daily cycle (perhaps every 4 or 8 hours) for a final, crazy, all out war before everything is wiped clean?

You can reply on this thread, send me a note, or send me an e-mail (the contact link is at the bottom of the site).

i say the august 1st. and two daily cycles would be nice to.

First off, love the game and i like the idea about the multi-day cycle and have a few questions on that with regards to how the cash flow would work.
1) Would the current cash flow amount remain the same?
2) Would cash be cycled twice a day if the multi-day cycle were to happen or would the current cash flow be split evenly between the two cycles?

Next i have a suggestion with regards to air attacks.
I find it difficult to locate an enemy sea unit when attacking with jets and such. Is there a way that you could incorporate some kind of unit location when it comes to attacking with air?

Also maybe add some features to the explore map, as I am constantly looking at it, and want to zoom in.

Other than that i think it would be in the best of interest if you did a map restart.

I am not ready to restart :(
2 cycles per day is a must though. At least.

I would like to restart at the begining of beta, and i would like a high speed war before the reset. but the once daily cycle is what makes this game great in the long run. its not a game abot who has the most free time near a computer, all thats needed is a little time once a day.

yes but two cycles would bring in the reality of a real-time war scenario, making decisions more strategic like, along with the overall game play.

I'd like to restart at the end of Beta, and I also like the once a day feature.

First off, I would love to have the aplha continue because I am so close to world domination. lol

I think a twice a day ramp up-to the release of the beta would be cool. Would you run it at 4am and then 4 pm. This would allow everyone plenty of time to adjust to the changing landscape.

I think we should just go crazy with the daily cycle, like every hour,...that is until the game is reset. Personally on the daily cycle, I like how there's just one. When you start playing the game from the beginning, it's really, really slow because you don't expand as much. But when you are a huge country like Cispolia, the West Undies, and even me, even though I'm smaller than both of them, it takes like an hour to figure out your battle plan and how you're going to expand. An idea could be that once you start the game, lets say the first five days you get two daily cycles per day, but afterwards you only get one. This would be able to get people started in the game quickly, easily, and put up at least a decent fight on an older player of the game.

Next for a question: When the game is reset, will we have to re-place where our country would be? I'm sure it's close to a 50 : 50 to all the player's that want to either stay in the same spot or then move their country somewhere more stratigetic on the map.

It's your call when you want to restart the game. We all knew it was going to come sometime sadly. What you should do before you restart is ask everyone if they have any other things that could be added to the game for consideration on your part. I know when you click on the "View Map" link and click on the map, it always says "New map viewing things will be added soon." (I know that's wrong, but you get what I'm saying.) I'd personally like you to add the "ping" that you suggested a long time ago so that you can find enemy ships.

Speaking of "ping", are we going to have subs or no? It doesn't really matter, you've got the basics on naval units.

For air units, is there a way we can see the flight path of the units so that we can see if they run into trouble before getting to their target. It seems like my air units never make it to their target and I'm just sending them on a suicide mission. If I was going to spend money on something, I'd wanna make sure it's reliable and will be able to make it to it's target before it gets shot down somewhere unknown.

Another thing that is not really necessary is that I think it'd be great if the bases were like the airfields. When you click on the base and the screen comes up asking what you would like to buy and when you click on the unit, you have the choice to modify it right away, instead of clicking on the base a couple of times to get a unit modified. I thought it'd save a couple headaches on people whos computers are slow.

One last thing and then I'll shut up. I agree with Lightbender when I say that the nukes are just too much. They sounded good at first, but it's just way to powerful. If this game is supposed to resemble modern warfare, I believe we need to get rid of the nukes. In today's war on terror, I don't think we're launching random nukes all over the place to put a dent in someones land. Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Sorry to everyone that I rambled on like this. Hope ta see all of ya playin after the game is reset.

BenJamin

Yeah the nukes are kind of dumb.

I have to agree on a whole restart. It's getting harder for new people to join, so maybe if we restart it, then the new people and more would join. It would make things more interesting.

Even though I've worked hard on my country, I'm changing my view to support a re-start, but without nukes.

I support nukes.
but they must be hideously expensive.....
if they cost enough, the will be used very rarely.
is 100000 enough to keep the usage minimal? or is it too much?

I like the once a day feature, just because I work and do other things. Once a day makes it manageable.

Also, I like the nujes, but they should cost WAAAAY more. My 2 cents.

On the subject of nukes.

I do not think they are necessary. I would rather see other additional units.

But if they stay I think they need to be mucho expensive. Or come with some sort of counter penalty. ie - you use a nuke, and all of your turrets shut down for two days. Or your daily income is slashed until the radiation disperses. Some sort of in game detente.

That's actually a pretty good idea I believe. It gives the country who was hit time to react before the person who sent the nuke can completely annihilate them.

Great job coming up with it.

BenJamin

I agree ..if we're going to keep them something like that has to happen. Otherwise people will leave the game I think.

Make like a law that all countrys argee too, It would put a stop to over nukeing small countrys. Make like a UN type of peace makers. Like a invite can be sent to every one and see if they would like to join while if you are in a allaince you are still in it if you join, Then there can be a army that dose attack but deffends other smaller countrys.

I've not been playing long yet but what brought me to the game is the once a day cycle. Until you get huge, it is not a major problem playing the game. I have other games that eat way too much time and that is what I liked about this one. As for the restart, I like the idea on August 1 and again after final release. As for nukes, I don't really think that they are necessary.

<b>Restart</b>

At this point, I don't think I'll have time to get all of the changes I wanted to have in place before a restart by August 1st. So, the game may have to run a bit longer. I'll still try, though.


<b>Multiple Cycles</b>

To clarify, the actual game will <i>always</i> be a once-a-day cycle. I very much wanted to create a game that <i>anyone</i> can play without having to devote gobs of time to it.

(On a side note, I will likely create a "mini" version in the future where a player can create a game on a smaller, <i>custom</i> map with just his/her friends. The player will be able to choose how often the game's Cycle takes place.)

As for the multiple cycles before a restart, I haven't decided if/when that will take place. It will have to depend on my progress over the next couple weeks.


<b>Bombs</b>

I believe I'll likely reduce the radius of the bomb/nuke and also make it much more expensive. So, it will still be a devastating hit, but on a much tighter area. With the higher cost, it will <i>really</i> have to be worth it.

sounds good about the bombs...
sounds good about the restart...
:):) :) :) :)

I'm all for the mini version of the game. That would be really fun. Great idea.

Also thank you for making the bombs less devistating and worth more at the very least. I'd still consider getting rid of them, but what ever.

The last thing that I ask is that you give us players a weeks notice or so when the game will be restarted.

Thanks a lot.

BenJamin

I agree, the full restart (after I get my name fully written:) with nukes being hugely expensive. I think that the nukes are a good idea, but too easy to use on a regular basis (I can get one in two days, way too easy).

-CK

I can get 2 bombs a day now commander_keen, so watch who you launch them at.[/devil]
I also agree that it would be nice to have a restart notice.

M_M, just leave my Vorticon writing alone and all will be peacful between our countries.

Since there will be a restart, M_M's congress has decided to you allow you to deface our map with your graffiti, for now. Our attentions are turned to the east where there seems to be a green country bothering our female counterpart/ally.

Vorticon's stoic dictator has sent his thanks.

Am looking forward to the restart! I think many of us have learned some lessons in the first version of the game, including:

Not expanding too quickly.
Developing units with strength, rather than just units period.
Making sure territory one does have is well defended.

I'm getting overran at the moment from two ends and I may not have much of a country anymore soon. :)

Sorry about that. [/tng]

I just started attacking for the sake of getting some good wars in. How about I give you back your capital and take off north, and you can duke it out with Assholia for a bit? I have a fight on the other side I can focus on for a bit instead.

It looks like the restart may take longer than I thought, just because some other things have come up and I haven't had much time to work on GT. Sorry for jumping the gun!

I have to say I like the ideal of this game and have read most of the forums and look forward to playing the game after the restart. (though I am going on vacation) so I may start late if it happens anytime soon. so please take your time get it right (seems like all has been right so far). I am enjoying the game and it sounds like you actually listen to the people that play your game.

Just a thought, on the restart, you might want to make the Larger continents a bit more separated by water and as the game progresses, you can create stray spawn markers on other continents so as to group combatants into "age" groups and therefor keep the map "equal" even on into the game. This would give noobs a chance to get a foothold before having to take on the jolly green giant.

Ha, I appreciate that. I am having to rearm my land a bit, it looks like. :)

Good idea on the bomb. Right now the radius seems to be the equivalent of several hundred miles, which is a bit extreme. Radius of say, 3 squares each way?

Any update to the restart? This game has become extremely lopsided. A few countries have grow so large that they are essentially immune to attack, and impossible to defend against.

I have a site I'm working on for a sibling that's fairly urgent that I've needed to focus on, so it may be a while. I have to do all these extras on the side, during my free time. (If only I didn't have that "job" thing to interfere with things. haha)

This does raise a good issue, though. Even after the restart, there are going to be instances where a country gains an advantage. I think the only ways to counter that would be to (a) makes offers and form treaties, or (b) make an agreement with other countries for extra protection.

I still have to get caught up on the boards and create the June/July map video on YouTube, as well.

Your job is no excuse. Clearly, its time for you to re-evaluate your focus in life. Someone needs to sit you down and do some serious visioncasting with you, to help you to refocus on what's most important.

Sorry bout that...just channeling my old sales RVP.

Here Here.

You don't need to eat, have a roof over you head etc. You just need to focus on THIS issue.

Guerrilla warfare. This is where I think airborne units would be nice. You could drop in on a large countries land base, take it over and start producing there for taking land and defending it. Strategically, if you had allies, you could scheme against a larger country and possibly cripple them. Just saying. Commandos would be another option. They could move across land without capturing it, and only be able to engage units or structures. They could capture a base and then... The only thing I would like to see is that their Icon be very small or just off color of the land they are in. They should be quick moving but slowed down with attacks.

I think this goes back to the main issue of what I want this game to be. Parachuting in troops or commandos on secret missions is too mission-oriented (C&C) and not a global war game. I wanted to create a game where you basically feel like a general staring at a map and guiding your lines in a massive world war.

Also, a person should be able to set up a wall/defense and miss a few days without too much going awry (since I don't want people to feel completely tied to the game). If you can just drop troops in at any random point, you'd have to cover your entire map with units.

you can make the planes that transport them have a 50 range

While I agree with you about how much of a pain it would be to have to have troops all over the place, in a real war situation, generals are well advised to leave troops behind the lines for exactly such an event. Those who shove all of their troops into one line neglect the possibility of having troops either drop behind them, or an enemy spearhead punching a line through their defenses.

I still think that it would be really cool to have some mountain and river features incorporated. You'd immediately see battlefields spring up in front of passes through mountains, river crossings, etc. It would also allow for cool dynamics such as small nations who might be almost completely surrounded by impassable mountain ranges, who would be able to defend themselves almost indefinitely against a much larger opponent by simply controlling a pass.

Fun stuff so far, man. The alliances make it a lot of fun. Planning attacks with multiple people is going to be rewarding.

OK, I can see your point. I do agree with the mountains. Rivers aren't really impassable, we can build bridges. I like hills that increase your attack/defense. I would love to be able to "dig in" your infantry and have the same effect with the added disadvantage of a reduced attack range from said position.

Definitely. I just go back to worrying about making it a game that people are <i>too</i> tied to, undoing my original intention for GT. If you can pop in over a front, then people have to be on guard each and every day. I think it should be okay to miss a few days and still have a country be fairly intact, assuming you built up the appropriate defenses.

Hey Johnny, any idea when we'll have the re-start? Just wondering if you had a new date in mind.

I don't have a date, no. As I mentioned before, I think I jumped the gun a big on the announcement before. I have another project I need to do, and I haven't had time for either lately. <i>Hopefully</i> I can get back to GT soon and finish the major updates, but I can't say when that will happen.

I think I'll take another "vote" of sorts regarding a restart as it approaches, to see if people still want to start fresh or if they'd rather keep the map through the beta (having a restart only at the actual launch). We'll see how people feel about it.

In the meantime, if anyone would like to abandon his country and start fresh, let me know. It will eventually be a function on the site itself, but I can do it manually in the meantime.

I was thinking that YOU might want to do this... LOL I feel like Mexico trying to stand against the US. Just don't have the finances to make a stand on the front.

hahaha

I'd be up for making a deal. I'll send you a note.

Backroom closed-door deals already! Ha!

Hmmm, judging from the extensive lines that are undefended, there are a lot of backroom deals going on. If there weren't, then this game wouldn't be very strategic.

Violent controls all of the southern portion of our continent. We've recently added a new member and are eliminating an annoyance in our backyard right now, we're courting another on a different continent. Someday, we'll come pay all you old timers a visit.

That is, of course, if the speed of units increase...otherwise I'll be forty five by the time they get there.

What's the advantage of hiding alliance members? Just curious as I wrote that.