It seems to me the farther we go into this new "Alpha Server" the more competitive those who play it become. To state some of the more aggravating abuses of this server here are some edicts:
* Realistically speaking, no player in a normal server will achieve anymore than 12 or 13 cities. So, there is no reason for everyone on Alpha to have 20.
* Chaotic aggression without a hypothesis or direction in mind. I've heard several players stating that they plan to just randomly cause havoc to others to test for bugs. This is like trying to solve a crossword puzzle in the dark. Start with what you know is already glitchy in other servers and expand from that.
* Countless players are actively competing for top 10 slots on the server. This is wrong for all the obvious reasons. No glory comes from the top 10 of a test server where everything is free.
* Sending spam messages of "Let's take over this server!" is just a huge step back for the purpose of this server, and if I had my way would be an automatic ban from the server.
* Not sharing your experiments, findings, or thoughts about the server is only setting us all back. No sense in doing an experiment that has already been done a hundred times.
There are many many more, but these are just some of the main points. It is time to pull together as a community and hammer out the bugs that exist on this server so we can better the other servers. I know there already exists a movement of this idea on Skype where many players and developers have joined together to share thoughts, ideas, and experiments, but for this to be a truly efficient server everyone who plays on it has the responsibility to do their best to contribute to the global effort or have the moral decency to step down from the server as they can contribute nothing but setbacks.
1
Locious
on: 24 Aug 2011 [23:42]
100% agree!
Cathexis
on: 24 Aug 2011 [23:46]
I forgot to add...
* No players need 500 mercenary camps. This does nothing but crowd the valleys taking up space to use for contour testing.
Locious
on: 24 Aug 2011 [23:48]
well you can just create a contour anyway and the camps will move so that doesnt really matter.
on othere servers you get vassals so you need some way to get the extra merc points on alpha = more citys with only fountains or lots more merc camps.
this is the only point i disagree with you (sorry)
Cathexis
on: 24 Aug 2011 [23:51]
updated: 24 Aug 2011 [23:55]
Yes, but this would involve building around the 100's of merc-camps...
And to get an adequate (realistic) ammount of merc points you would only need (at max) 10 merc camps. I would say that is about the average player on any server. (~15k mercs)
If you need more than that (I wouldn't know for what kind of experiment as morality testing only reaches upper 400's in troop size) you can use some of your 20 cities for fountains...
crimson
on: 25 Aug 2011 [00:58]
??? what of the previous statements you have made about being the top order of the server? You suddenly had a change of heart?
Thanks Cathexis for pointing these facts out. I only hope it helps!
Jake7
on: 25 Aug 2011 [01:07]
Nice one Cathexis
Locious
on: 25 Aug 2011 [01:59]
crimson look at my rank, you think im taking trying to win? i grew 3million points in 1 day, u think id still be only 8 million points if i was trying to win?
i was aiming to win at 1st. then i made the post and i thought about with what you said at the time and i agree. i have now been testing alot more and playing alot less competivily
cant a guy change his mind around here? or a rule a missed
crimson
on: 25 Aug 2011 [04:11]
I can not. There is not a statistics page for alpha server yet and I did not partake in alpha testing since I do not have to time for it. All I can go by right now is what I see on the forums...
, a change of heart then!
Thanks for understanding the true meaning of "test" server and for helping 1100AD!
Klara2
on: 25 Aug 2011 [08:26]
updated: 25 Aug 2011 [08:29]
Cathexis, Don't let's make Alpha (HellTest) a sorry display of greed and vain competition, given that its purpose is what its name says: "alpha testing"
Re. the number of merc camps, I'd say, sure, we need a limitation but not , imho, because on the "realistic servers" you get people with many more... Dobriy (Halifat) and Barmalej (Посторонним В) are the owners of the largest numbers of merc camps that I know of, so, suppose we get a limitation at their level(s)?
When I say "a limitation", I mean not a ban to have a certain number of merc camps, but a ban on building a certain number of merc camps for gold. Like, 'Player N, you got points for 100 merc huts? Well, you can only build 50 for gold; the others, you better pick yourself up and go and capture them.'
Re. , it is my considered opinion that we have this Brownian agitation solely because HellTest just opened. It will shake down to some hypothesis and direction, and, alas, quite soberly thinking, also in-game enmity and alliances, just like on Bohemia, Crusade or elsewhere... I know of a few orders and players who have chosen their targets already.
But maybe on HellTest we'd all try to be opponents, not enemies
crimson
on: 25 Aug 2011 [10:32]
what for? you only need to built to test, not build just because...
Locious
on: 25 Aug 2011 [12:34]
ooh! i was unaware you did not test. i was hovering around rank ~18, now im done at rank ~54. as i am testing not building!
ibizafree
on: 27 Aug 2011 [03:50]
cathexis......u totally right....the only problm is that when you give the tools to th players to be used...normalyy they use them....limitate from beginig to don have more thsn 15 cities..this will avoid all these missunderstood...its humane nature...
resest server will not be useful..many players will leave due they have big expensive account in other servers(thats why they were invited)...just give time to people to follow the rules,,,and please post the total amount of rules,,,will be more useful that ask peiple to dont use the tools that server provided...just limitate this tolls from the beginnin...but I agree with have some limits...improved with sese and time to let player ammned their strategies to be more equals and competitives(dont mean that we want be the big fishes,,just equla fishes)
thanks
crimson
on: 27 Aug 2011 [05:03]
first, the invitation was open the everyone, not just avid players... second, the restart will only happen on the server in question which is the Alpha server. this will not affect your account on the other servers...
When I say "a limitation", I mean not a ban to have a certain number of merc camps, but a ban on building a certain number of merc camps for gold. Like, 'Player N, you got points for 100 merc huts? Well, you can only build 50 for gold; the others, you better pick yourself up and go and capture them.' 