[Series] Visiting eRepublik Labs [Part 07]
Master_rg
you are reading a part of my series of articles about my trip to eRepublik Labs from 07th to 10th dec. In order to make it more easier for you to get in touch with every topic, this table of contents can be found on top of every article. It will directly link to the specific topic you click on.
Table of contents
1. Preamble and some rules
2. Clarification about some used terms
3. How did it come to that visit
4. What happened during the days
4.1 Wednesday
4.2 Thursday
4.3 Friday
5. Problems eRepublik is currently facing
5.1 Community
5.2 Economy
5.3 Military
5.4 Politics
5.5 Newspapers
6. Some quotes of players which appear regularly
7. Conclusion
#5 - Problems eRepublik is currently facing
I think it should be clear that you could fill like hundreds of pages by talking about the problems eRepublik is currently facing. I would like to give you a basic list of things I have identified before and during my visit. Again: It’s not a complete list but feel free to leave some comments about this topic. It’s important to actively speak about those issues in order to get a better overview of the overall situation.
Last but not least I will collect all of your comments in order to create a solid foundation for a discussion platform about the future of eRepublik I am currently planning.
5.3 Military
I think we don’t need to talk about the lack of balance in this module. The current division system is crap as only old players benefit from it OR players which invested a huge amount of money into the infantry kit.
I think it’s understandable that also here a simple solution doesn’t exist as you somehow need to still have an attractive game for old players, but also find a solution to attract new ones.
I took a closer look at the Air Battles: Are they worth it? Are they fun to play? Is it fun for a new player to engage there? I don’t have a real answer for that as it is a subjective perspective. In my eyes it is FUN to play around in air battles as also new players can engage there. Of course: You may won’t get a Sky Hero Medal as a new player, you will always compete against players with thousands of energy bars - yes, but, to be honest: At least in my eyes Air Battles made the game interesting for new players again. They can fight there regardless of their division, everybody got a kind of low amount of damage so also the damage of those new players counts into the game.
But of course: It will take time to build up a decent air rank, but I don’t think it will take as long as it takes to push up your account to at least 100.000 strength.
I also enjoy all those discussions of old players who were like “Add perception!!11 We need it nao!111234” - but why? Because you want to skill it? This may lead to the problem we are currently facing in the ground battles. Other players are like: “You can add perception, you just need to do it in the right way” - ok, but: What is the right way? And that’s the point you need to think about! You can’t generally just say “this is the right way do deal with it” because first you need to analyze the whole situation and compare it to other “right ways” to deal with it.
As this topic, especially the perception, is also a very common one on the latest articles in the eUSA: Feel free to leave a comment about it as I am really interested in your ideas. If you think perception training can be added to the game: What’s in your eyes the right way to do it?
So, after all this text, let me just list some problems I identified.
Level based divisions
- I mentioned it already, the current implementation isn’t attractive for new players and handicaps players who level up through actively engaging in battles
- Maybe add dynamic strength- or maxhit based divisions
- BUT: Players may just stop training to stay at the upper limit before being forced to switch to a higher division
- Maybe remove divisions completely
- BUT: Players already invested money to stay on a lower division while training a lot, we also got air battles right now which are more attractive to new players
- Add more power or influence to lower division (more points for low division fights in battles?)
- BUT: Think of the Maverick Pack which may turns this ad absurdum
- Extend the military module with smaller features which are more attractive to new players.
Guerilla Fights don’t feel well balanced
- It isn’t fun to miss three shots in a row
- Somehow add a required skill to it
- It is just feels way too random from time to time
- What shall casual players do against a +2 bonus guy?
As you may see: This part is quite short. You may ask yourself: Why don’t you mention the Infantry Kit? Why don’t you mention the Maverick Pack? Because in my eyes the cause for the problems we are experiencing are the divisions.
Would you need an Infantry Kit or Maverick Pack when there weren’t any divisions? But is it that easy to remove the current division based system? I don’t know. In my eyes the MP was added in order to create a way to stop players with the Infantry Kit to simply rule the lower divisions.
Please always keep in mind that the maxhit in lower divs are capped at about the maxhit of the player who fought in the specific battle AND is member of the specific division. What does that mean? Well, long story short: Such a battle isn’t that attractive for high division players in terms of BHs if there are only players with a low maxhit are fighting.
So again you see, that they tried to fight the problem of disbalance - if it was the best way? I can’t tell you that, what I can tell you is, that they added packs to a disbalanced system which now act as some kind of duct tape, trying to hold all this stuff together.
To come to an end regarding this topic: Things need to change. Do we need some kind of division based system? Probably yes as the game should be fun for new players.
Again there isn’t an easy answer, but: What do you think?
Comments
I've run out of memes. : (
I AM THE ONE WITH THE MEMES. THE MEMES ARE WITH ME!
I can give you one with kittens.
DONT U DARE TOUCH THE KITTENS
U MONSTER
No touching them
The system of divisions is alright, to change it to a system based on strength is stupid. I would propose the following changes:
- remove infantry kit
- implement a fifth division for all the lvl 200+ or 300+ guys
- maybe tweak the current borders of the other divisions a bit, d1 should stay as it is, the others could be made a bit longer.
- remove flipping infantry kit if you forgot it already
I'm fine with the maverick pack though, the limitation of the maxhit is fair and will work as soon as all the IK guys are gone from the lower divs.
Just a general question: Why is it stupid to implement strength based divisions?
because people would stop training, maximizing their ranks and still dominate the division they are in.
Good point, but what about dynamically calculating the limits? That way you could have more "flexible" division limits - but of course people could still stop training and try to overcome that kind of system
I think the most important thing about divs is that nobody should be able to dominate them by sitting at the top forever. Just like you already mentioned there would be people stopping their training to achieve a divisions maxhit.
I can imagine that it would improve the situation a bit, but its not really a solution it just moves the problem somewhere else.
In addition it feels just wrong to do it, training should make you stronger without having to fear about getting placed in a higher division.
Add automatically 1/5/10 strength each day. The more for the low level divisions. That will prevent people to stop trainning. They will be forced to climbing up and move to the following division
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one hit one kill is boring.
I cannot win a single epic battle due to this.
I give up
I made a big ass comment about this
but CRFSDASD attack fuked me right in the pooper
Long Story Short: Epic battles Fixed/Reworked, Guerilla Reworked, Don't Touch AirBattles, Don't even give hgiher Q weps there, accelerators affect EBs too, whatever Mazza said too, bombs(?, not sure, but probably just my issue with them), Ally Helped Medal(which was purposed a long time ago).
oh also Maverick: it should be made to influence walls in lower/higher divs if u have means to do so, not to make artificial kitten epics, either remove it completely or don't count damage from other div players for particular div epic
Divisions per maxhit. I think is the best way not to cheat.
It´s one of the best ways to start "reparing" eR even if many player with good acc in low divs ( I suppose I should be one of them xD) may be angry.
With this people wont have to worry about xp and communities will organise "fights together" more usually and with more players. This = more activity = more press.
And for those who speak about strength divisions: if limit is 100k, why I can´t stop in 99.999? With maxhit the problem is smaller :3
Well, we got some ideas already in order to fight this kind of problem, but of course: You can't really remove it completely.
Divsions shouldn't be removed. My suggestions:
- Agree with cbird on a division for players level 200+
- add a new division for new players with a top strength level of say 20k. after which they're automatically moved to d1
- have a strength limit on divisions. if you exceed it you're automatically moved up a division into the next regardless of your level.
- perception hmmm i'd like to see it implemented but can see a similar problem as we have in the tank battles. maybe create a division system there?
Maverick pack is useful for smaller nations with a small player base to help win lower divisions so wouldn't remove it. Have maverick pack myself and use it for that purpose only.
So if I understand it right you want to cap the divisions by strength and xp? This is a really interesting idea. I could agree on this depending on how harsh the strength limit is. 😃
well it would depend on the division. like d1 would have a harsher cap than say d3
I think in that way: any accout should have more characters for play(now are 2):
- on ground
-on air
maybe more can be added.
Any character should have a limit maxim by xp to grow up.
Who played mmorpg MU online game can understand more easy what I said.
Disclaimer : I couldn't care less about military module so my suggestions may not make sense at all
Division system must be changed because it punishes player following natural flow ( train + fight ) . It's cardinal rule that in an MMO progress is encouraged. Experience inhibitor of IK is clear proof that something is going on. It was somehow mentioned by eRep administration before but a logical "division zero" might help.
Apart from that in order to keep BH hunters (to get gold for their CC2Pack cycle) at their bay, I think a quick solution might be introducing "Battle Heroes" for high divisions something like top 5 gets BH Medal at div 4 , 3 at Div 3 and so on.
I'd not implement Perception training in short term on my own. It is against the very purpose of it (which isn't new fun times for oldie but goldie players)
PS : CSRF as well but copy pasted thanks to experience :/
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divisions would made by a formula, which is contain str, rank, level
One of the biggest reasons to add Perception has to do with the fact that THEY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WOULD ADD PERCEPTION.
In my Military Unit, as soon as Aircraft was announced and explained, I quickly saw that in order for our MU to score an advantage, we needed to organize. So I identified those players who were low strength and invited them to become "Airborne Specialist". We then also identified our biggest tanks who also wanted to become Air tanks and they became "Dual Threat". So far so good.
I then spent about 10,000 personal Gold distributing to our Airborne units so that they would have enough Gold to invest in the Perception Grounds on the first day of their availability. We didn't know exactly what day that would be, but we got prepared quickly. In some cases I bought Gold boxes with cash for these players, and in most cases they were also receiving 10G per day. We wanted to have at least 400 or more Gold in each of those accounts so that they could train Perception immediately at its introduction.
Now we are waiting. And we are waiting. And we are waiting.
And now we are worried that maybe Plato screwed us with another lie.
If he does not introduce Perception training, his lie cost me 10,000 Gold that I don't know how I could ever recover.
So if you want to know why Plato must introduce Perception Training? My reason is because HE SAID HE WOULD. People made strategic plans based on his announcements.
Of course I am already angry waiting for Q6 and Q7 housing but that is another matter. Shall I expect Plato to never have higher Q Air weapons too?
It is not the players fault that the game is in the state it is in. But if Plato will lie to the players about what is coming and then excuse his lies because "he wants to improve the game"... he may find himself with a better game and nobody willing to play it.
So, how would you add perception training to the current system without adding the same issues the current "ground" system has?
I'm not sure you can and Im not sure it matters
Well it matters if you think of air battles as antithesis to ground battles (in terms of new players who are able to engage there more or less actively).
And I totally get your point that you started to support your low strength people as it adds quite a huge amount of strategy into the game, but still (and I don't want to sound harsh): It's like pumping your money in some kind of high risk investment - and I mean you already made the experience in the housing industry (Q6/7) and still invest your cash into it.
Personally I thought about exactly that in the beginning of the air battles era, but for me it was way too risky as - besides the fact that they said they're going to add perception in future - they didn't say anything about the way they want to implement it.. and for me that was the reason to don't give away the cash to players.. because all in all they could also introduce a complete new system (like e.g. a skilling tree) which could be the complete opposite to the current TG implementation.
Perception could be implemented as something that isn't gained permanently, like a perception storage that would take several weeks/months to be filled (it could have a max capacity), but that would get depleted (with a slow max rate) every-time you would choose to use it in specific battles. When deciding to use perception in a battle you would get a damage boost (there could be an option to choose at which rate you would accept to deplete your perception store, different rate giving different levels of boots).
This system would be different than using EB or weapons, in the way that there should never be a possibility to buy perception, only daily training would give it.
This system would give an advantage to people investing in perception training, while still not creating a definitive growing gap between old and new players.
Divs were implemented for a good reason. The gap between old and new players in terms of str was increasing day by day. So it was understandable.
But after div system were implemented,people quitted fighting to maximize their benefit from the div system. I know that if the old system still existed, it would be worse than now. But div system did not solve the problems of new players completely and brouht others along with it.
For example, I calculate that if I use full ff for fight and train etc., I will be d2 with 10k str. And d4 with 40k str. So then? Economy module is dead, media module is dead, political module is dead and I am d4 with 40k str?
Div system must protect new players from the older players but it must not cause citizens stop fighting. It is the only joy left in this game.
So here are some my suggestions, independent of each other:
1- Remove gaining experience from fighting. Only train and work gives exp. In order to avoid people waiting at lvl 33 and stop training, give daily str and exp for login.(So people cannot avoid level up)
Lets think what happens:
* I must train everyday so as to increase my max hit. I cannot stop at level 33 because the game already gives me exp everyday along with some small amount of str.
* I can fight in every battle without fear of level. I enjoy the game.
* I buy food and tank, producers gain. Or I produce my own food.
2- If you make 25 kill in a war, then the rest is free of exp!
3- If you complete daily order, you do not gain experience from the rest kills.
These are the things that pop up in my mind. My suggestions may have drawbacks. But I am sure that if they want they can find a better solution from now.
This is the biggest problem of the game. New players do not stay in the game.
so brah, how do I get to level 300, or 400 with ur logic? 🙂
What is the point of being level 300 for a new player? A new citizen does not care being lvl 300.
So if it does not fit to d4 players, add a switch enable/disable gaining exp like in infantry kit.
I am offering the free version of experience inhibator sold in Infantry kit.
Create division by strenght, without Infantry kit and Maverick pack, if players fights, they will go on the upper division. If they don't train there won't be a huge gap between them and the others who are training.
They should release perception and allow players only to train in aerial OR ground ( no pack , fuck it ).And perception gain should be "logarithmical", like +90 at the start and +5 after some month.
Also, there could be some events ( missions would be the best) in which the final prize would be some perception, like +30 or so. Like that the gap between old and new players wouldn't be huge after some month playing, but active players would have some prise due to their activity.
I think we can not really talk about military of the game when there are more computer controlled accounts than real one.
I know it takes resources hunting down those zombies, time that they could use to add new things in game instead, but I believe with implementing things like checking if the player behind is real with "what is on the picture" tasks before working can make the multi master's life harder, meanwhile it does not take that much reasources to implement.
Yes i know computer vision rocks today, but such security steps can still work against the beginner automation fans still.
Anyway:
What is the aspect that a good game must have? Letting players collect "cool things". Cool thing is something that make little Joe feel like he is cooler than the other guy.
What players can collect in erep at the moment? hmmm meanwhile showing your friends your FP collection can be cool, I can not think about anything else you can collect in erep and have that "epic factor".
Lets bring some collectable things in game:
1.First of companies should make ammo/bullets for a certain type of vehicle/weapon.
2.The player's damage should mostly depend on the weapon/vehicle she/he currently use and own.
3.These weapons/vehicle should drop rarely in wars, or being collectable if a MU work together, or if you attack certain country etc. Just make sure the better the weapon/vehicle, harder to get them.
4.In each division players should be allowed to use only certain type weapon/vehicle. (forexample in D4 any type of weapon/vehicle can drop for them, but they can only use tanks in wars).
5.In every awhile should be introduced in game new sets of weapons/vehicles. These should offer more damage, then old ones, and can clone RL things in name/model.
6.At least certain type of collected weapons/vehicles should be sold able on market for gold for other players. Do not forget make erep multi proof first.
7. Set up a max strength level for each season, if the max level reached then those gyms should produce something else. Old whales with a lot strength can start new season with max stregth always as long their old str level higher than season max str.
8.Division should be more equal in points, in which division a player plays should depend on her/his decision, making possible division switching for gold.
9.Less populated divisions make more attractive, for example more random drops etc.
10. Anyone will read this?
Any estimation on percentage of real players in this 62K?
2000
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so mere 3%? Far less than I expected tbh
How much you expected?
I'd expect a 20.000 (based on nothing but) at least otherwise it (with average conversion rate of 5😵 doesn't sustain game.
Max 4000-5000, but this my last bet.
Ok 5.000 with an extraordinary conversion rate of 10% spending 20€ average = 10K € revenue per month , doubt it worths the trouble 🙂
I think perception could go bad like strength. I would do it differently. For example everyone gets different amount of perception. The top guys woul get a small amount, would keep them in front, the bottom guys would get a percentage of the top guy's perception, so it would take ~3-6 months to get to (almost) the same perception level.
Some other ideas I ha😛
https://www.erepublik.com/en/article/can-we-why-not--2624749/1/20
Training.
Most new players quit the game the moment they realize that they can't make a difference in battles due the str gap. No-one wants to play a game where their effort doesn't matter.
So, I would change the training system. Instead of giving everyone the fixed +90 str/day, the str gain should be decreasing over time. Alternatively weaker players could receive more str from training. This was actually used in v1.
The div system.
All divs should produce equal amount of campaing points & BH-gold.
Divs should remain level based. However, the div lvl-limits should be dynamical instead of the current fixed limits. Div assignment should be done on weekly basis, so the 25% with most XP would always be in D4 and the 25% with least XP would be in D1.