One Hour One Life Forums

While I think the intention of this mechanic was to encourage multi-racial cooperation for long-term success, I do agree that it does unnecessarily add some racist elements to the game.

It's not like your skin color prevents you from actually functioning correctly in the desert in real-life. I know this is a game, but it's just a bit strange. I think the random languages are really cool and really all that is needed as a distinction (besides appearance) between the races.

But, honestly, more than anything racial zone restrictions just add a lot of unnecessary frustration to the game.. To me, it makes the map feel smaller (and less dangerous) when you cannot interact with things in certain zones. I don't even remember the last time I had to dodge a snake. But that's just how the game is now. The villages are almost all late game and the game is super easy. It's complicated to learn new recipes but that often isn't what I feel like doing when I want to play.

Obviously it is a crafting game and always has been, but it also used be a survival game. I miss playing early civilizations and eve lives where I felt like I could actually die but make a significant impact if I didn't. I loved following up on these civilizations and seeing how far they would go. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to help a new Eve player start a successful civilization. I even enjoyed the fact that most villages just didn't work out even if you felt like you did everything humanly possible. I know there are Eve civilizations still but usually I feel like I am just stuck playing in the same three villages now. I know the player population might not support many new civilizations anymore, but I really do feel like this could be tuned up a bit...I can't be the only one that prefers playing in new civilizations.

While I have been playing again lately, I don't think I will ever enjoy it again in the way I used to. And that's because it just isn't the direction Jason chose for the game. My play style was almost completely phased out as viable way to enjoy the game anymore.

It is what it is, but I do think things like racial restrictions ultimately contributed to this. I think the game instantly gets better if this mechanic is completely removed.

I also personally miss the randomly generated map but that is a whole different discussion...

I think this proposal is interesting but PLEASE consider that there is a portion of the player base that don't want to be forced into advanced cities. I was just fine with the system before war swords and natural springs, but I fear this is where the game is going (maybe I am wrong though). I put a lot of hours into this game because I enjoyed Eveing and being a part of new civilizations. I was told that I could choose the life I want to live. This is what kept me playing so long.

Advanced cities are, no offense, extremely boring to a lot of people. Maybe they aren't vocal on the forums, but I promise we certainly exist. I will play an advanced city every now and then, but I do not want to feel like I am stuck in a life just so I can MAYBE get an early civilization later.

Some people loved the flexibility they had over the lives they live. Sometimes I can only play for an hour at a time, I don't want to hope it's actually a life I will have fun in.

I see your point futurebird, but, honestly, these things aren't enough for me. I've done just about everything in the game at one point or another outside of making cars, planes, radios, and a few of the more complicated food items. I have murdered griefers (probably the worst part about advanced civilizations). I would even say I have in fact saved a few advanced cities. These things just don't give me the same satisfaction as early civilizations though. The only reason I ever stay in a city anymore is to practice high tech smithing but even this is often just a headache because of all the people and clutter.

I enjoy early game because it's fun to start from scratch. I enjoy the pressure of survival because if I die, especially as a girl, I know my family could very well die out (much less likely in a city). I like that I will still starve at times if I get careless (never happens in a city). I LOVE that there are rarely griefers in early civs. I like that going out and finding iron is actually dangerous and even getting a few ore can make the difference in whether your civilization survives. I like that I need to make priority choices that really matter (i.e. Do I have time to make a backpack before I look for iron? Should I expand the farm or try to make clothing? Do I gather bananas when I forsee a food shortage or do I have time to rush out a pot of stew).

This urgency just isn't there for me in cities. We need more changes like the Natural Spring update.  That actually motivated me to learn how to smith an oil rig because I was in some villages where I was the only one who had a clue how to even start it (and the deep well was dry). I had always seen as a luxury item before the update but now it is required just like pottery, tools, and sheep pens.  I think there needs to be more "technological check points" like these, although I am not particularly sure what the changes would be. I'll have to think about it.

Alright, I think I misinterpreted the tone of your post so I apologize if I came off rude. I have just been rather unhappy with the state of the game and was in a bad mood when I wrote the post.

I just think the changes are too drastic and are going to alienate a good chunk of the player-base. I feel like it's a roll of a dice whether there's going to be a civilization I actually want to play in when I login and this has never been an issue before. I have actually been very supportive of the changes Jason has made since I bought the game 8 months ago, but I am not sure I like the direction the game is going now. It's starting to feel like a different game in some ways.. and I really haven't been playing much anymore because of it.

You really think the player base is going to increase at this point? Outside of the game going on sale (even then it'd just be temporary), the player-base is going to steadily decline. So yes, losing players should certainly be a concern. Especially long-time players.

And you are characterizing our concerns basically as us being man-children. Maybe...just maybe... the changes went too far too fast. A good chunk of the player-base has ALWAYS preferred early-game to late-game and the extremely limited eve spawns drastically cuts into that. I don't have an issue with limited Eve spawns. I agree it's likely needed. But it's been in the game forever, so essentially eliminating them is extremely frustrating for people.