The Thoughts of a Returning Player

Day 2,781, 12:03 • Published in Germany Croatia • by Nathan Maximillian Stark


You know, there's something about this game which inexplicably, no matter how many times I stop playing, always draws me back to it. Something mysterious, alluring. Having had to deal with loads of RL commitments and school, I had to stop playing. But a couple of days back, while browsing through some of my old bookmarks which had begun to collect dust, I noticed a well-known entry. And I decided to give it a try once more. I don't know whether it's my love for this game that caused me to come back or my hopes that one day I would return, to find it better and improved. Maybe it's simply the fact that I'd finished all games I had on my laptop and watched all TV shows on my hard drive, and now had nothing better to do. It doesn't matter really. The important thing is that I'm back.

And what did I see when I returned? Immediately, my eyes were met with four different ads for spending RL money on this game. War stash, gold packs, special offers... I wasn't really surprised. Although, there was that one tiny, glimmer of hope that the game would stop being pay-to-win by the time I returned. And sadly, that glimmer died the moment I logged in. Some things won't change, I suppose. Next up, I checked the work and train modules. No major changes, really, save the reimplementation of houses. So I did my working and training, like a proper citizen, then joined a party and a military unit (since I was kicked from my last ones due to inactivity). Later on, I checked the war module. It is the way I remember it (however, I now had the opportunity to buy 55 bazooka parts for 2 gold) Having around 100 pieces of each part (except the missiles, which I intended to buy) I thought about trying for a BH medal. Upon noticing that the current BH had dealt 10 000 000 damage, and the battle wasn't even halfway through, I abandoned the notion. I also noticed the implementation of dictatorship, which I think is an interesting idea.

And then, I wanted to read few articles, see what the eWorld was up to. However, there was a problem. There weren't any. The media module seemed to be at a moratorium, only coughing up an article or two every week. That's what made me sad. The realization that this, once wonderful game numbering in tens of thousands of active players, which revolved around the community and interaction, had crumbled to this point. I was never a great businessman or soldier in this game (didn't like spending gold, to be honest) and I wasn't quite interested in politics, but the media module has been my favorite. I loved reading articles, whether they were about the happenings in the game, players or simple off-topic interesting articles. I also dabbled in article writing myself (even though I was never particularly good at it, I admit). But I enjoyed it and really made me feel like a part of the community. And now, that module is on the brink of death, and the community's becoming increasingly lethargic.

I often think about V1. I am an irreparable nostalgic, strongly adhering to the opinion that V1 was and will be the best eRepublik version ever. I remember the epic battles and alliances, interesting and lively community and an immensely enjoyable experience. Even though I was a mere rookie at that time (I still am today, judging by my time of playing/level ratio) I felt like a part of the greater whole, like every action of mine would have an effect on the final outcome of things. Nowadays, I just play for the sake of it. I don't FEEL it, if you know what I mean.

I want us to change this, at least in eGermany. Let us liven this game up once more. Let us be active in our community, on our forums, in our parties and military units. Let us write articles on every topic, encourage new players to keep playing and build our community. Let us be glorious again. I realize most of what I'm saying may sound like the ramblings of a mad man to some people. Maybe it is. Maybe I just have the wrong impression, as I've only recently come back to the game. But I'm certain of one thing. If we are to prosper, we need a more active community. Let us build it together.

PS. Here's something for the 'veterans' of this game, to remind you of the glorious days of V1 and eGermany.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghgNJYWgOxA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzOkAz4t-_I
Proud to have participated! o7

PPS. I'll randomly chose one of the commenters of this article (under level 30) and give them a gold bar. So, comment on. 😁