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Feedback Next steps with Mobile Video Ads

Juber

Overlord
Community Manager
newlogo1.png

Dear Kings and Queens,
On Wednesday, August 17th, our next steps for the Video Ads are released.

This is the place to be if you have any questions about it or would like to discuss it with other players.
Please keep in mind that your opinion may differ from the opinions of other players, you don't have to convince each other of anything here. :)

We appreciate your feedback!

Please write your feedback in a factual and constructive way and stay on topic.
So that we can pass your feedback on to the developers, the following points would be important to note:
  • Feedback that only contains one sentence like "Adding to ads adds ads." is not helpful. Please make sure to include reasons for your opinion.
  • The same goes for positive feedback. We are happy about it of course, but describing what exactly you like is always very helpful!
  • Limit your feedback to the actual content. Feedback like "You should improve X" or feedback that refers to other game content or previous events is not helpful.
  • Use the "Like" button if another player has already reflected your opinion well.

Thank you very much and have fun!

Sincerely,
Your Forge of Empires Team
 

Thunderdome

Emperor
  1. For players within the test group, the ability to see Video Ads will stop being determined by their previous spending. At the same time, players can disable Ads by taking advantage of the Forge Plus package.
So basically, @Juber, Inno has nullified/nerfed money for diamond spending to turn off ads (for the mobile)... am I correct on this?

So much for it being "optional" since Inno wants to force ads down our throats if we're using the mobile.

Oh, and just because every other mobile game has them doesn't mean FoE has to, if you catch my drift.
 

Juber

Overlord
Community Manager
So basically, @Juber, Inno has nullified/nerfed money for diamond spending to turn off ads (for the mobile)... am I correct on this?
If you are in the test group, you can only "deactivate" ads, when you have Forge Plus active.
So much for it being "optional" since Inno wants to force ads down our throats if we're using the mobile.
What does one have to do with the other. The ads are still optional in every part of the game.
 

Okamiris

Baronet
Good point for the Double Castle points! Real advantage for players who will watch a video!
For the Reduce construction time, well, is a joke? Would giving 33%, or more, already be more honest?
I have not used the buildings of the construction menu for a long time, except for events of course, but for some players this new feature would actually help them, but not with 10%! It's just ridiculous!
As much as the video of the tavern brings 4 bonuses, but there....
 

Thunderdome

Emperor
If you are in the test group, you can only "deactivate" ads, when you have Forge Plus active.
Thank you for answering my question as I won't purchase an overpriced gimmick just to have ads disabled. Inno just lost me as a diamond purchaser (money spender) as there is no point in doing so. Wake me when it is reduced to a sensible price, like 5-10 bucks a month, and then I will think about it if it is worth it.
What does one have to do with the other. The ads are still optional in every part of the game.
Funny you have to ask me that question, so I will spell it out for you and Inno...

Ways ads are being pushed down our throats
Tavern: Instead of going to the default tables to collect our tavern silver, it goes into the tavern boost. Players had suggested that it should go back to the "table" tab so we don't have to worry about activating (or watching an ad). Instead, Inno just left it.
Ad-Disappearance Nullification: In the past, if a person spends a good amount for diamonds in their lifetime, they won't see ads in the mobile version. Now, that's being taken away from us and we were forced to either endure the ads or purchase an overpriced gimmick so we won't get this; because I have a feeling that Inno is going to remove that aspect so those of us that shelled for diamonds will now see ads once this update is in place.

So, in the end, Inno's just THAT desperate!
 

Okamiris

Baronet
@Thunderdome
For players within the test group, the ability to see Video Ads will stop being determined by their previous spending.
I think (I wish) it's just for the test group and for the duration of the test. After the end of the test (and this is desirable) diamond purchases will be taken into account again.
Otherwise, If not ....... :mad:
 
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mcbluefire

Baronet
Sweet, so by watching ads on mobile (or being a forge plus subscriber) one could conceivably pull down the 13 year goal for Max castle to just 6.5 years of watching at least one ad every day. (sarcasm) I suppose $2541 spent on forge plus over 6.5 years might be a better bargain than $12K for instant Max Castle.... and that's ONLY if it actually doubles the collection of all castle points for each day.

When are we going to see a serious way to obtain these three sectors from the castle?

Dropping diamond purchase history as a way to avoid ads is a poor move, in my book. Rather it should be forge plus OR diamonds in the last year. Why punish one contributor in lieu of another?
 

Thunderdome

Emperor
I think (I wish) it's just for the test group and for the duration of the test. After the end of the test (and this is desirable) diamond purchases will be taken into account again.
I cannot verily say that it would affect diamond purchases with just myself, since it's just only me that is slowly weaning from the diamond cow. However, with that SC/WT nerf and now this, I can see a steep decline on diamond purchases that will kill the game if both hits live fully (I haven't even consider the events' main prizes/pass prizes into this equation as it is a toss up at the very moment) due to no funding.

In short, Inno just vexed the pooch.
 

Finkadel

Marquis
I would go even further. How about limit access to rebuild option by watching add everytime you enter this mode? Or, even better, like it is now, make player watch it TWICE before letting it go...

How about working on your mistakes rather than adding more annoyance to the game? No? Yeah, as usual, never was expecting anything better from you, Inno. You are just living up to your low (below water point...) standard, nothing new, phew.
 

Okamiris

Baronet
and that's ONLY if it actually doubles the collection of all castle points for each day.
No, it's only on the chest point in the Castle
Screenshot_20220817-190323_Forge of Empires.jpg

I cannot verily say that it would affect diamond purchases with just myself, since it's just only me that is slowly weaning from the diamond cow. However, with that SC/WT nerf and now this, I can see a steep decline on diamond purchases that will kill the game if both hits live fully (I haven't even consider the events' main prizes/pass prizes into this equation as it is a toss up at the very moment) due to no funding.

In short, Inno just vexed the pooch.
Or it concerns only the 2 new bonuses I believe also. Inno should not remove the other bonuses with our purchases!
Already that app players pay more for diamonds (to finance Google) ....
 

kawada

Marquis
it’s seems like I’m involved in testing of those additional ads. Double castle points seem to be good, I guess I will watch ads for that


but this one:
Reduce construction time. In the Main City and Space Colony watching an ad will allow players to reduce building construction time by 10% once per building.

i have no idea how to test it. Advanced players barely build anything in the Main City or Space colony, because their cities mostly consist of event buildings and GBs. Maybe only when they move to another age, but in this case it would be applicable for a few buildings in the Main city (army ones) and when building the colony. But again, it doesn’t take too much time.
It would have way more use in settlements, though
 

kawada

Marquis
It's interesting though, that when I raised some concerns related to the mobile app to my live server support, often they would answer that FoE is a browser game and mobile apps is not a development priority blah blah blah
and now, when Inno decided making more money, they involve mobile app users lol
 

-Alin-

Emperor
It's interesting though, that when I raised some concerns related to the mobile app to my live server support, often they would answer that FoE is a browser game and mobile apps is not a development priority blah blah blah
and now, when Inno decided making more money, they involve mobile app users lol
With the pandemic things changed, also phones/tablets evolved very hard in the past years, are cheaper to get and easy to carry than a laptop or a computer and can run FoE very smooth.
At this moment, 60-65% of the player base of FoE are phone/tablet players and only 35-40% that are actually willing or playing from a computer because they are used to it.

Personally I hate playing games on my phone even my tablet, I just use them on the go or for testing purpose, also a small display and no gvg is another issue for me. I am much faster than the 95% of the very active GbG/GvG players playing from my computer, and playing a lot of games and FoE since 2012 made me used to the computer and bigger displays, much easier for multitasking and to manage things.
 

mcbluefire

Baronet
With the pandemic things changed, also phones/tablets evolved very hard in the past years, are cheaper to get and easy to carry than a laptop or a computer and can run FoE very smooth.
At this moment, 60-65% of the player base of FoE are phone/tablet players and only 35-40% that are actually willing or playing from a computer because they are used to it.

Personally I hate playing games on my phone even my tablet, I just use them on the go or for testing purpose, also a small display and no gvg is another issue for me. I am much faster than the 95% of the very active GbG/GvG players playing from my computer, and playing a lot of games and FoE since 2012 made me used to the computer and bigger displays, much easier for multitasking and to manage things.

What math are people doing? A $600-$1200 phone is in no way cheaper than a $300 chromebook even if it is put on a payment plan with their mobile provider. True that phones are easier to carry and since folks already have their ridiculously overpriced "can't live without" phone in their hand and they don't want to have a computer the app took off. ;0) More power to them, but I like being able to see what I'm working with. Smart phones, no matter how much they've improved will always be a secondary device to me.

Totally with you that I can't imagine playing on my phone. Why do folks want to look at a tiny screen? I actually started playing on the app and as soon as I discovered FOE had a web interface I switched to it immediately.
 

-Alin-

Emperor
What math are people doing? A $600-$1200 phone is in no way cheaper than a $300 chromebook even if it is put on a payment plan with their mobile provider. True that phones are easier to carry and since folks already have their ridiculously overpriced "can't live without" phone in their hand and they don't want to have a computer the app took off. ;0) More power to them, but I like being able to see what I'm working with. Smart phones, no matter how much they've improved will always be a secondary device to me.

Totally with you that I can't imagine playing on my phone. Why do folks want to look at a tiny screen? I actually started playing on the app and as soon as I discovered FOE had a web interface I switched to it immediately.

You DO NOT need Asus ROG phone 5, S22 Ultra nor Iphone 13 to play FoE lol, even my 130 euro cheap tentative of a tablet from Huawei with 2gb ram can run it decently and for other people it is more than they need.
You can play it on a Poco M4, Poco x3, other ones from Xiaomi, samsung, huawei at around 200-240usd, and it is blazing fast to play from them, not to mention the SH ones here, are going even cheaper than the newer ones, well, I do believe it matters on the country You are also those prices and people needs.

Chromebooks are meh, I do not like them, even how cheaper they are, still not great at all, maybe the ones with atleast 8gb ram and a decent intel core I3, maybe.

Phone is the third device for me, barely secundary, both computer and laptop are the pripority for me.
 
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Used to play on my desktop PC... but after my first FoEversary celebrated by investing in a top of the line gaming laptop...
Life is good playing in my recliner as opposed to my den office chair....
 

drakenridder

Emperor
Perk Creator
If you are in the test group, you can only "deactivate" ads, when you have Forge Plus active.
Does this change mean that regardless of how much money you've spend on diamonds, the only way to get acces to the features like aid all without adds is through Forge+?
Assuming this to be the case, this is why it is in my opinion bad:


1.) FoE+ for €30 is too expensive for what it has to offer (minor bonuses, minor QoL improvement), as it stands €20 would still be outrageously expensive. For €10, maybe even €15 for at least 30 days, not 28 days, it could might be something reasonable to consider for what it is offering.
A solution could be daily optional adds, providing a small discount. Ultimately stacking up to a free subscription after 35-40 days.

2.) Those who have financially supporting FoE through diamonds purges where previously rewarded with an add-free experience. This could be encouraging the purges of diamonds, especially in addition to already decent "special" extras you sometimes can get of buying diamonds during events.
Though truth be told, after the fellowship event no extremely appealing event buildings appeared, imo. Sure the summer event does offer an decently interesting main building that can replace a stage of ages easily due to its superior productions, it's simple too expensive to chase after with real money in larger quantities. Imho something like the hero tavern or the craw's nest or even the governor's villa where appealing and reasonable worth enough as the deal they're offering is big enough to chase after with money for an additional one or a 3rd, 4th or even more.

3.) To further explain why FoE+ is a bad deal; its length is A too short and B there's no option like other subscriptions for a discounted longer subscription. Why it's too short with 28 days? Simple:
365 days (average year) / 12 months = 30,41+ days on average per month. So, imho FoE+ should be at least last 30-31 days, not 28 days. A discounted subscription for 3/6/12 months could be more appealing. Still for €30 for even 30 days for what it is, its too expensive. A better pricing would be €20 at most. Through discounts for 6 months subscription €15 / month (€90 straight up) and for 1 year €10/month (€120 straight up)

4) Just changing how you'll get a add-free experience by making FoE+ the exclusive way, doesn't magically fix the reasons why FoE+ is overall a overpriced and bad deal for the package it is: too short and most importantly too expensive.

5.) Lastly imho anyone who's financially supporting the game should be granted a add-free experience. For example:
Up to €10 diamonds purges (1 month add-free)
€10-30 (3 months add-free)
€100> total in the last 12 months, 12 months add-free experience

Imho, if you're supporting FoE financially directly already, why should you be bothered by adds? As someone who likes to play in general f2p I think adds are fair but not when I've directly financially supported the game.

--------

Before FoE+ is flagged as off-topic, it's not cause the add-free experience might become a FoE+ exclusive feature according to the new tests, if my understanding is correct. @Juber please correct me in this if I'm wrong.
 
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