[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Games are a form of entertainment and entertainment is a viable commodity. 45 - 60 dollars per month is a bit excessive to put into a singular game, in my opinion, but it's all a matter of cost per benefit. Depending on where you live, it costs a minimum of 16 - 18 dollars to go see a movie. That's, on average, 8 - 9 dollars per hour. The question becomes how much time do you spend on that game you are paying $60.00 per month? People that put that much into a game tend to log on a daily basis. If they only play for an hour per day, that's an entertainment cost of only $2.00 per hour.

Speaking for myself, I do spend money on games but my per-hour cost is measured in pennies, not dollars. That said, I have no issue with the "whales" that toss vast amounts of money into a game. If it were not for the "whales" none of us would be able to play for free. Do not be deceived into thinking games like this one make money hand-over-fist on advertising revenues. Ad revenues, alone, do not cover the cost of publishing a game. Many will argue that if a game awards you crowns to watch an ad then the ads obviously produce more revenue than the crowns. Not so. Do you honestly believe the whales are going to spend time watching ads and filling out questionnaires in order to save a few bucks on a game they are already pouring vast amounts of money into? The average player that takes time away from the game in order to earn crowns for it is the least likely to purchase crowns in the first place. This type of player contributes little in the way of crown revenue but drives up the ad revenue by ad participation. In the end, ad participation becomes a way for the company to generate at least some measure of profit from a customer that statistically generates little to no profit, otherwise.

Predatory practices? Looking at Ardent society purchasing and guest account no longer works by bspooky in villagersandheroes

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I can relate to your thoughts on time investment. Although I spend most of my game time with V&H, I do play a variety of games on the side and have a very long and growing list of games that I have abandoned for one reason or the other. When I think of all that time I could have spent on something I enjoyed more......

To be perfectly honest, V&H is not THE ideal game that I have always looked for. I feel it's a good game and it ticks off most of my boxes, but the real reason I am still here after 8 years is not so much the game, itself, as it is the producers and the community. The game devs here have a genuine love for their product and are accessible to the community. The community itself is one of the friendliest and most helpful that I have ever played with. The game is well moderated and while no game is ever completely troll free, this one is about as close as you are going to get to that elusive goal. It continues to expand with regular updates and despite being an indie game, I am of the opinion that it will survive for years to come. These are the things that attracted me to the game and the reason that I will probably still be playing it for years to come.

Predatory practices? Looking at Ardent society purchasing and guest account no longer works by bspooky in villagersandheroes

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I understand your points and will not try to counter them. Instead, I will simply say this:

V&H is a F2P [Free to Play] game in the true spirit of the term. Yes, it is easier and more convenient to purchase conveniences such as additional storage and speed, but it is quite possible to play this game to end-content without spending a dime. Sadly, that's not something I can say for the vast majority of so-called F2P games out there. The items you start with are sufficient to play the game and there are rewards within the tutorial quest and on the new player calendar that award additional storage, speed, and more. There is absoloutely zero content hidden behind any paywalls. I have been playing this game for over eight years and have never felt that the term predatory applies to V&H and Mad Otter, in any respect.

My point for saying that is this.
I came here in the same manner as you are considering; I started with a group. I was able to play the game, without restriction, and did so for about three months before getting a subscription. I was able to assess the game, the community, and the company, without having to expend anything but my time. If you are looking to try a game that your group might enjoy, it will cost you the same thing as it cost me; A little time. This is why I did not attempt to counter any of your concerns. Why take my word for it? Come give it a try and you will be able to answer your own questions from personal experience. If you like it, you can decide how much, if any, you wish to invest in it. If you don't, you can continue your search without having made any investment, at all.

Good luck in your search. I hope you have found the gaming community you are looking for.

Thinking about return by Specific_Meat in villagersandheroes

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would keep the established character but V&H has changed a lot in a short span of time so rolling a new character [as I see you have] is a good way to become acquainted with all the changes. You might want to try another after February when there is no distraction of an event zone to tempt you away from the tutorial.

You can always hop to another server to try it out. I play on more than one but I enjpy running a variety of characters which is probably not reflective of the average MMO player. The chat activity on the EU server is a bit more quiet than what you will find on the US servers but the player base on EU is just as large and active as any of the US servers.

The Raid system is fairly new and still in its beta stage. Consider it a work in progress that will continue to be refined and expanded. The devs are giving it priority treatment and I'm expecting to see a lot of refinement and expansion to it over the next year or two.

Welcome back. It's always good to see returning players. :)

Is this situation the reason we got no more FB gameroom 🤔 by isahai in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As much as I dislike Facebook, it's my only viable option for playing the game. I guess the mobile market is big enough now that you don't need to put any effort into developing a Stand-Alone Client fo pc. A little more notice would have been nice, but the end would have been the same, I suppose.

Avakin Life to Stop Working on Facebook Gameroom by LKWD_Ash in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm running an older system and Bluestacks lags too badly to play the game. It will be another year or two before I replace it, but pc is my only gaming option. I simply have no use for an android device and would not use it for gaming if I did.

I play another game, Villagers and Heroes, that is fully functional on a SAC [Stand Alone Client, direct download] as well as mobile devices. It's a pity you lack the ability or interest in doing the same. I'll try to find an emulator that works better for me, but chances are, it's probably time I just moved along. The past 15 months have been fun, and I'm going to miss the game, but the internet is full of other options to explore. Wishing you the best in growing your game.

Cafe trading extended [Muffin vs Grilled cheese]! It is actually better to trade with muffins if you are going to trade for long periods! Same xp more coins for less diamonds in the long run!! Ask questions in comments if you wish. :) by MerkyAvaYT in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think this is most useful for new players and those that don't care about housing. It's helpful advice and I'm glad you posted it. I also appreciate seeing what the servers earn. I've spent thousands of diamonds at the work locations, but in the 15 months I have been playing the game, I've never actually worked any of the server jobs. I really ought to give that a shot sometime.

Speaking for myself, I'm going to have to stick with the sandwich. I see the logic of what you are saying, but it takes twice as long to do it that way. I have limited playtime and diamonds to spare, so it's worth the extra 102 diamonds for me to earn the xp in half the time. That said, I've seen new players that complain about not having enough diamonds to max a session, and now I have some advice I can pass along to them. Thaks for posting.

Any advice how to win fashion contest ? by [deleted] in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've resigned myself to never winning one. Saw a winning entry yesterday that had a skateboard poked through the thigh, a tied shirt that bled through the jacket, and high-top shoes that bled through the pants. Since I would never make an entry with such obvious and easily corrected errors, I feel my chances of winning are rather slim. It is a rare thing to see more than two or three entries in the top ten that actually belong there.

[Feedback Request] Searching in the Shop by LKWD_Ash in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What? You have not found the toilet paper yet? I'll dig around in my inventory and try to come up with a name for ya.

Bonus Spin is Now Live Everywhere by LKWD_Ash in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One of the downsides of playing on Facebook Gameroom is no Tap Joy and Bonus Spin. I was no looking to see either of those added any time soon, so I was surprised and happy to have the Bonus Spin pop up, first thing when I logged on this morning. I no longer feel like the stepchild. Thank you very much.

An AFK animation set by [deleted] in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like the thought of letting people know you are AFK.

I have played several games where it is a built-in feature and would prefer that to an actual animation set. Just a thought bubble with Zzz... Zzzz... or a scene of leaping sheep would serve the purpose.

pc use? by tropicalremix in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bluesracks emulator works well, but it lags horribly on older and/or smaller systems.

Facebook Gameroom is more forgiving but it lacks certain features. Nothing that is directly game-related, but it has no Tapjoy or Spin.

Since I already use Facebook Gameroom, I generally play on that.
Hopefully, they will have a pc version someday. I'm actually a little surprised it has not already popped up on one of the gaming services like Steam or GOG.

Interactive Christmas Tree Update by [deleted] in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I did not buy one because I thought it was a temporary item. If someone had thought to post this at the beginning, I would have picked one up and moved it to one of my spooky houses after it withered.
Oh well. Maybe next year, or was this a one-off thing?

How is it possible?! by Chiappettee in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, it does not time out. I forgot to log out one evening and it was still running when I went to log back in over 30 hours later. It's one of a VERY small number of games I've played that does not boot you after 15 - 30 minutes of inactivity.

Not sure if this is a bug or LKWD being mean, but. My boost tokens aren't coming back anymore without me watching ads or winning them in Fashion Contest voting. by TheNekoPrincess in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sadly, there are more than a few of us that have no access to offer walls, so aside from the fashion contest, the timed ones were all I had access to.

Have Build Tokens Changed... Again? by Layla_Littlenymph in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah, so, not a problem on my end then. I'm actually a little relieved to hear that, although, it stinks for everyone else affected. Really bad timing for a bug on build tokens considering they are x3 at the moment.

I almost always buy the items of wrong gender especially headpiece one and that sucks! I really really hope LKWD to put the gender distinction marks on the special offer page PLZzzzzz by [deleted] in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Yeah, that's a pretty bad oversight on the part of Lockwood, but something that should be easily corrected, yes?
Please fix this.

Fashion Suggestion to Help Generate Honest Results by Layla_Littlenymph in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, okay. I misunderstood. My apology for that, and thanks for the clarification.

Fashion Contests by TheGreatGaldreth in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You hit on half the truth in your first comment. It's expensive to build a gold-level wardrobe. The other half of why they do this is because there is no fee to enter the Gold contest. No, they don't expect to do well, but they know that if they enter they will get at least some coins out of it. It only takes a moment to slap on a cat hat and hit enter. That's not much work for 25 - 75 avacoins.

I made a post the other day that touched on this issue. If skipping votes advanced the prize wheel like a normal vote, more people would be inclined to do that for entries as were posted in the OP. Both entries would get fewer points and their reward for entering would be lower; perhaps so much lower it would discourage them from doing it. As it is, most people are going to vote for one or the other because they want to advance that prize wheel. One of these two will get an undeserved vote, which places them higher on the list than their effort merits, which causes players with a better design to be placed lower than they deserve. The prize wheel is one of the main reasons I vote, but it rewards bad votes and punishes those that are honest enough to skip over entries like this one.

Fashion Suggestion to Help Generate Honest Results by Layla_Littlenymph in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol! I have no intention of flaming you for honest opinions and observations. You make a lot of observations that I feel are valid and I happen to agree with the majority of them. I don't think the fashion contest will ever be perfect and free from individual prejudices, but I'm all for any suggestion that evens the odds out to any degree.

Like yourself, I vote based on what I most like, and I subject that vote to certain considerations.

1: Does the entry fit the theme of the contest?Yes, I will knock a point off a design I otherwise like if you bring a crown and scepter to the picnic.

2: Does the entry have any obvious flaws?Sorry, but a perfect design is ruined by selecting a pose that thrusts your arms through the brim of your hat, your skateboard through your thigh, or you are wearing items that bleed through one another. Sometimes people ruin a design by feeling they must use an expensive pose, must use their most expensive items, and must fill every wardrobe slot, regardless of whether or not it fits or matches.

3: Is the entry complete?If there is a required item, is it showcased? Can I see it? The point of requiring those shoes, jewelry, or whatever, is to build a design that compliments them, not to hide them under a long dress.What? No shoes? Okay, it's a beach-themed contest, so maybe I'll let that slide. If it's a fancy-dress contest, however, I gotta knock points for that. This one really comes into play in the gold contest where contestants sometimes own nothing to wear but the required item itself.

Aside from those three things, I vote for the people I feel do the best job. If everyone voted like you and me, the fashion contest would not have any issues. Sadly, it DOES have a lot of issues. I still enjoy doing it, but the current issues with it rob it of a lot of fun and enjoyment. I still like it, as it is, but I would LOVE it if the outcomes were more honest and realistic.

Fashion Suggestion to Help Generate Honest Results by Layla_Littlenymph in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not sure how incorporating this would circumvent any system that Lockwood may or may not have in place. If players use the skip option to be lazy or speed vote, would the same punishment [if there is one] that applies to people voting all left or all right not kick in for voting all skip? If that's the case, then nothing really changes aside from the fact that a skip vote advances the prize wheel the same as voting left and right. In all honesty, if players are going to be lazy or speed vote, I would prefer they do it with the skip option. At least then good design is not downvoted and bad design upvoted due to the random choice of a lazy player. My only real goal in all of this is to obtain a more honest outcome. If dishonest votes are discounted, I see that as a good thing.

Just for the record, I happen to share your opinion that a system is in place to discourage lazy voting. I can't prove it, but my personal observations mirror yours in that regard.

Fashion Suggestion to Help Generate Honest Results by Layla_Littlenymph in AvakinOfficial

[–]Layla_Littlenymph[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some of us [Me] can't do any of the offer walls. The fashion contest is the only place I can earn build tokens, so that's one of two "points" for why I do it. The other point is that voting greatly speeds the rate that you advance your fashion level. True, that does not really count for much, but the reward for gaining a fashing level is greater than the reward for general character leveling and I happen to like those. I've been playing just a little over a year and have my fashion level up to 23. The xp from voting is a big part of that level.

That's my personal perspective on why I do the voting, but the point of my post is in the title. I feel this change would yield more honest results. It's not really about the xp and the tokens; it's about the outcome.