My opinion regarding the new GE level 5:
I do like the graphics, they give a more friendly look to the last GE level.
I also like the concept of being able to have bonuses for each encounter by building fortifications for that particular encounter.
On the other side, I think the balancing is way off and should be reconsidered:
- The progressions of goods needed for negotiations goes from 0 to 1 per good (1-5 goods, level 1), 1-3 per good (1-8 goods, levels 2 & 3), 4-9 per good (5-9 goods, level 4) and suddenly jumps from 10 to 78 per good (10 different goods) in level 5!
- Similar for the battles: with a "normal" defense bonus of 34% A / 194% D (SpaceAge Mars) I can't even win a battle in the first encounter! While the bonuses of the opposing armies range from 100% to 458% in levels 1-4 they jump to 345% to 963% throughout level 5! And even if I level-up Deal Castle, Basilius Cathedral and Terracotta Army to levels beyond 100 I would only have 210% Attack bonus gain which is not even near what would be needed for all 16 encounters.
- the cost for the fortifaction is higher than the goods needed for negotiation in many encounters!
- The better rewards in GE level 5 aren't even near compensating for the high qualifications necessary to complete level 5 ... people won't play level 5 for the current rewards if you need >>10000 goods for negotiating ONE level.
- Playing in top guilds the last 10 years has also shown a change of requirements for joining/ staying in a guild with each new feature coming out which touches guild ranking or guild performance. One of them is typically completing ALL GE levels in ONE DAY when necessary to win the weekly GE for the guild! The change in philosophy/mechanics for level 5 will lead to a lot of problems for many players, a lot of mad discussions within the guild and a lot of unneccessary unrest! That alone will be a pain in the *** again :-((
I personally am not a fan of a "marathon" for a specific feature in online games: the game itself is a marathon already (because it never ends), running through all kinds of guild issues is a marathon, trying to play all or most of the numerous features of the game is even a daily marathon already, and I really don't need a new marathon within a new feature which is "way off" challenge-wise without a really big (compensating) reward ... that is more than frustrating!
I do hope that you reconsider the balancing of GE level 5: a new feature that in the mid-term run will only be played by 1-2% of the players is not really
worthwhile programming and maintaining, isn't it?