Feedback Request 03/11/2013 - Tribe Upkeep

Tribe Upkeep is ready for public testing. Please provide feedback here.

Totem and Upkeep Tab:

- Displays upkeep statistics and information on upkeep effects.
- Displays a list of operational Trade and Quest totems and their Tribe locations.
- Upkeep can be added using the upkeep tab.
- Totem shows player class and last active day
- Totem can now refresh values with multiple players viewing the totem.

Upkeep:

- Updates once per Game Day. Upkeep is reduced by 0.5% of maximum per Game Day.
- Upkeep takes 200 Game Days (22 Real Days) to reduce from 100% to 0%.
- All effects will apply at maximum power at 80% upkeep. 80-100% upkeep is considered overstocking.
- Upkeep consists of three components: Currency, Resources and Provisions (Food). Provisions are reserved for future use when agriculture is fully implemented.

- Currency upkeep uses the Tribe's local currency.
- Currency is required per full tribe member. Trial / Transient tribe members do not require currency upkeep.
- Currency upkeep affects tribal and tribe leader bonuses as follows:

• 0-20% upkeep, no bonuses.
• 20%-80% upkeep, bonuses increasing from 0 to 100% of bonus.
• 80-100% upkeep, overstock, bonuses at 100%.

- Resources are required per building on tribe land.
- Resource type is determined by the most common building type.
- Resource upkeep affects tribal construction functionality as follows:

• 0-20% upkeep, can't terraform, can't construct buildings
• 20% upkeep, terraforming available
• 40% upkeep, construction available

Notes:

Please note: The main purpose of this thread is for me to obtain feedback on reasonable upkeep amounts and gather suggestions on what you players want for the effects of upkeep.

The initial amounts were arbitrary and set for testing purposes while I gather data and your feedback.

- I would like feedback on the amount of upkeep per tribe member.
- Provisions can be ignored. They will not be implemented with the first public upkeep patch.
- Resources are currently set only to granite. This will be revised based on building types.
- I am open to suggestions regarding the effects of upkeep.
- Important: Currently upkeep is reducing per Game Hour. This is temporary for testing ONLY.
- Values are amounts are in testing.

03/15/2013 Revisions:

- Updates once per Game Day. Upkeep is reduced by 0.5% of maximum per Game Day. (4.5% per Real Day)- Upkeep takes 200 Game Days (22 Real Days) to reduce from 100% to 0%.
- Resource upkeep capped at 1000 units.
- Currency upkeep set at 100 units per player.
- Overstock increased to 30% (max reached at 70%). With the increased upkeep time, this provides roughly a week of overstock.
- Tribal Member buff added. Stat bonuses now apply to you as a tribe member regardless of location.
- Tribal Lands buff displays that you are in a safe zone.
- Town member and rank information displays only for tribe members.

Wow - I like the principle - as "Resources upkeep" is really are something you need to do, in order to be able to build - that`s harsh, but I like it very much !!! There will be a run on granite :)

I have a question about "Per full member" - how is that counted ?
"Full member" means has a active subscription, or does it mean "bought the game" - active subscription not neccessary? Dormant players can start to be a burden on some "old established" tribes in the second case (which is sort of what a lot of players requested). I still like the general idea of the upkeep !

Very good design, thank you very much!

So far, I'm not liking the decay rate on Upkeep, you'd nearly have to have someone on 24/7 to keep bonuses. lol I'd like it reduced per RealLife day. Per game day is just too harsh for casual players and you're going to have more casual players than hard-core, I think, as these are the types that are attracted to such games and STAY, IMO.

My stats are not updating correctly or even updating consistent from stat to stat, the only one that updated correctly is strength based on 43.81% of the dollars fed to totem, buff icons indicate i should be getting 1.72 for tribeland, 1.72 for leader, str bonus at 3.4, fort at 1.4, agility at .7 , dex at .7, int at .2, spirit at 0 (i have 0 base stat on spirit and no bonus) , perception at .1, charm .0

P.S. Yes i got nekked to test this.

Once i reached 100% bonus (had to change currency types a couple times to pull this off) then i am getting 8 points on all stats.

(side note) if i check rank tab on a different tribes totem, shows ranks (names and numbers) for my tribe, not theirs.

(side note) every game hour, i hear like the crafting noise and some couple inch window "flashes" on and off game screen real fast.

(side note) trade totem placed on allied property had defaults name of "Oasis Totem Totem"

Grass Packs and Grass Pouches do not have a label or lock option for them.

Far as thoughts and feedback, i have some, but no interest in dealing with forum trolls, so if another method of providing them, let me know and i will.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by OrlandoKev

Grass Packs and Grass Pouches do not have a label or lock option for them.

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It`s been like that as long as I can remember.

Very good tests though. Thank you!

Bonuses, are next to worthless for the cost.

Decay is way to fast, why not have a larger buffer or something so we don't have to feed it as much.

8000 "currency" every real day, is much to much.

Can we get more bonuses? Instead of just 4 points of stats only in tribe lands (and 4 for leader everywhere)?
Maybe like healing rates, crafting success rates, energy decay/regen, HP bonus, energy bonus etc.

Just stats is not much to motivate people to pay upkeep costs, and when they do pay, its likely for a short time for whatever they need the stats for, then let it drop again.

Could we get the ability to see our upkeep status without being at the actual totem? Not the ability to add upkeep, just to be able to view the status. I think the Tribe Info (actual totem) and Tribe tab (on the normal UI) need to be unified and have certain actions only be useable in range of the totem. Having the functions split is annoying.

this system is bad all over. Im sorry disabling building, terraforming. my totem said 734 granite bricks, 47000 dollars, 47000 provision. Lets get real here, No tribe in this game in the years its been here has stayed active more then a few months. Ive restarted mine over 40 times, tried to keep it active and they always quit. This is a sandbox, Make this system for bonus's give a perk for that 1 member or all ofem contributing to get awesome boosted while on the tribe. Don't take away building, terraforming, etc. That's just nuts. People don't pay a sub to goto work, they do it to play a game. I pray to god you have a hard look at this as my tribes big and any1 elses that gets big, will have to spend 24/7 everyday ingame just to keep the land they spent years working on, adding people , Useable . Some of ya might not agree with me. But im sorry I spent years getting 49 members. Its not my fault they don't stick around, I just had 3 friends join the game and they seen this stuff and don't want no part of it. Reaslitable 100 a month of each sounds rite, as people have LIVES. and yes people I still play the game I just don't chat. don't care to.

I know I can get 1 granite in about 6 seconds. That makes about 15 granite in 2 minutes. Then I have to transfer the 15 granite to the totem upkeep (with luck the granite is right next to the totem, my character can move about 400 granite with a cart). If I spend 60 minutes only on granite gathering and adding it to the totem - that would make about 400 granite an hour (loosing 50 granite due to energy management-eating&drinking-, lags and clicking) all in real time. Right next to the totem !
If I have about 5 minutes back and forth the granite is reduced to roughly 300 per hour). This calculation does not includes no "play" breaks ...
Still the granite has to be transformed into bricks (forgot about that) - well about 190 bricks per hour - not counting the time to create the hammer and chinsel for that work (my forager hammer breaks after ~150 bricks - with mansonry at 100).

How long should that 1 play time hour of "boring granite work" provide a tribe with the ability to terraform and build?

I would like the system be adapted so that e.g.: 2 players work for 1 real time hour to provide resources for a 30-50 player tribe to build for 1 real time week.

IMHO the system should be adapted to:
* overstock for 1/2 a game year season - so essentially 1 real time week
* drop rates adjusted so that all resources are spend in 2 game seasons (so essentially 4 real time weeks)
* change upkeep costs so that 2 players can re-stock the upkeep for 1 real time week in about 1 playing hour (so the upkeep that is payed in 1 real time week, can be replaced by working for 2 player hours)

This would mean that for a very large tribe (like Pawnee, The Praetorian Guards, IS) 1 player has to spend 2 playing hours a week to provide the upkeep for building (for 1 play week). 4 players are done in 30 minutes (roughly) - that makes sense, still gives the system some meaning and players that capture a huge part of the map - because they once had 60 members but are now alone - have to pay tribute to their large land.

Please keep in mind that this is only for building!

Any comments ?