The PvP Arena replaces the neighbourhood PvP Towers, this was why they were removed.
So, make matching based on neighborhoods, not the whole server!!! Simple as that, right?
Please understand that you are not being ignored and that your feedback is very much valued. Some of the feedback received here on the forum has already been incorporated into the feature, and they are continuing to work on adjustments to the PvP Arena.
When you're gone for days (if not weeks) at a time and your only response was "
it's under discussion" for that long amount of time, how do you think we, the beta players, feel?
Some? Only 2 noticeable things I can say were incorporated: 1. The MANUAL battles and 2. The adjustment of the time between attempts (from 4 hours to just 2). The removal of the diamond limit for purchasing attempts wasn't something any player ask here for (or desired). That was something that Inno just pulled out of their German posterior end to put into to satisfy their lust for money (don't know if anyone ever bought diamonds in the beta server; I know I didn't because I get a good amount of diamonds that I save for using on things that really matter... this travesty isn't one of those. Secondly, the little increase in rewards was supposed to make things better? There it is, folks! Sixteen pounds of Monterey Jack and the continent of Australia! The mice won't survive on 16 pounds of cheese. That's how we feel as we're the smart ones.
Whilst there is a lot of feedback on this subject, only a portion of that feedback is calling for the feature to be removed. Some of the feedback seen in this thread has already been incorporated and there are more changes to come. This indicates that your feedback is indeed being considered.
A portion? Were you reading the entire thread? Or, were you just skimming the posts just because it had your name on it (either by @ or someone, like me, just quoted your texts to be responded to accordingly)? If I am not mistaken, there's only a small portion who said they don't care about the feature or towers while an even smaller portion said they don't have a problem with it. However, there's a LARGE portion (or majority of the players for a better example) that called for this feature to be taken out and the towers to be restored. Make the game fun, not a bore that would have a mass exodus.
Changes? A little too late for that. The only change I saw was the silent treatment and censoring from Inno's end (yes, you included) towards the players for weeks on end. All we ever wanted was a little communications, but we didn't get that. I know many will probably tell me to "back off" but I am a bloke that won't do that. You want to change my mind, you get on the ball and you make them come out to address their players and explain themselves. Then and only then we might get some kind of peace.
Some of you would like to see the Arena removed and the towers reinstated. My latest update was to confirm that this is not on the cards and I'm really sorry that you feel that that equates to not being listened to.
Again, they better explain WHY and what were they thinking on removing something that players have come to love over the years with something that is not going to win any reviews (79 pages isn't wrong, you know). And, yes, many of us wanted this travesty to be gone and the towers to be reinstated. It was one of our ways of getting medals (for those of us who were either starting out in building or just needed them to continue expanding our cities). It was also a way for us to really interact with our neighbors, and make friends. Some people I enjoy hitting and competing to see who gets to the top, neighborhood wise (I could give a toss about server rankings as it always going to be one who spends a lot of money to get just about everything so they can be on top). It gives us that flexibility to using our armies efficiently. It also help us determine who is actively fighting and who is sitting on the sidelines.
Simply not removing this travesty DOES NOT EQUATE to not being listened to. It's the weeks' long silence THAT EQUATES to not being listened to. I was a forum moderator for a game that is long gone now but is being played on the Chinese server. I take the time to listen to folks' suggestions to forward to the ones responsible. I take the time to reply back to those suggestions in letting folks know that the matter is being looked into. When some time passes, I TAKE THE INITIATIVE to ask for a status update as I do not like to leave anything open or unanswered. Sometimes, if it equates to being a pest then so be it. I am not here to take your job or any other staff member's job. I am here to ask for a little professional courtesy between yourselves and the player base as Inno needs players... we don't need Inno.
We can't implement all of the feedback we receive and it's not possible to both remove the feature and improve it at the same time. For those who feel the only improvement is to remove it, then, in this case, the outcome is disappointing for you.
With this travesty of a feature, it would have fallen into the "Do Not Suggest List" for majority of the players have spoken on its removal. I guess Inno doesn't have the old backup that can be used to restore while this is being reprogrammed (feel free to check the really good suggestions that was made by others in the last 79 pages). Very bad, Inno, very bad indeed.
The last sentence has me laughing, though. We might be disappointed, but not as much as Inno that will witness everyone leaving FoE in droves should this go into the live servers in its current form.
For those who made it this far in reading the full monty, I don't believe in skimming when I want to get a point across. I am very detailed.
Moderator note: removed bold formatting
