Forums / Miscellaneous Discussions / ADMIN, put some effort into it

VU was a ripoff from Utopia from the start. A social game, add a kingdom, and then a map where you could move stuff around. Take the best thing from Utopia (the kingdoms) and add a new dimension to it (the map) and you have a great concept.

VU always was, and still is a great concept. Its just a shame that nothing has happened with the game over all these years. The game has been static at a couple hundred active players for so long, and yet no effort whatsoever is made to expand upon the game. Make it bigger, better, more popular, interesting, more challenging. Add something to it. Bring in new blood. Hell, do something.

Listen to the players about whats wrong with the game. When something does go wrong, like this era on Fantasia.. dont just pretend like everything is fine.. restart the era and admit you screwed up by making the map tiny and placing all kingdoms within a few clicks of eachother.

Spend a week improving the game. Pay some graphics guy a lil money to come up with some fresh new graphics and ideas. Dont ignore the loyal playerbase. Start playing the game, competitively.

In another game called Astro Empires.. the admins have about 10.000 players.. and the amazing thing they accomplished is that theyre actually making money. hundreds of players are paying 2-3 euros a month for small advantages in the game.. and that game is basically just a big database with a forum and a few planets.. it can be done.

Put some effort into VU. Improve the game, make it exciting to play. Adapt it so that a thousand people can enjoy it, not just a couple hundred.

Its worth the effort.

Rox knows what he's talking about.

Zeta will surely do something.

nah, rox aint knowing what hes talking about. He's talking on behalf of those who quit earlier since there was no improvements into the game. (Including me)

Snoppiora is right, Zeta (a.k.a. Mr. Zetterberg) is not exactly trying to rip off people. To him, the game appears to be a hobby. Notice how little he posts in the forums? That is because each day he is over-flooded with complaints and suggestions just like yours! I have already said the same thing elsewhere, he has a life too! He probabily has a family to feed and spend time with. Not all of us can spend our lives next to the computer.

     Not all of us vets are gone, the ones who truly see the potential of this game are still here hoping that one day Zeta will make it what we all know it can be. 

We've made lists, we've made petitions, we've done everything within our power to get him to change things around in a way that will make the game better.  It's up to Zeta now to take VU and decide whether or not he wants it to thrive, or die. 

We've voiced our opinions in the form of thousands of forums posts and PM's to the admin, and that's all we can do, it's up to him. 

I hope he chooses soon, because if I'm waiting for nothing, and if VU is never going to change, then I'd rather know now so I can move onto a different game., but I want to hear it from his mouth.  I'm tired of assuming that it will get better, if it's going to happen, tell us.  If not, tell us, we need to know.

Guys, guys.. this isnt a case of "do this to the game, or else". Im just pointing out that the game can be so much more with just a small ounce of effort put into it, and letting a bit of creativity run free. I know people who has spent a lot of money on BTs on this game.. and I mean a lot.. so its obvious that there is a certain cash flow. But thats not my point either, I dont care if the admin makes money or not.. Im just mentioning the things that can be done better.

And I doubt zeta is selling the game, a guy in my KD offered to buy 50% but zeta just ignored him =P

If i ever grow up to be rich, maybe i'd put some $$ into it for ya, but atm i'm 16 so... ya hopeless right now. ☺

Right now people who don't pay have just almost just as much potential as people who do pay.  I hope it stays that way, because I hate those games where the people who pay gain a completely unfair advantage.

The thing is Zeta should want to increase this games size. Not only would more people buy BT's, but he would make quite a bit of cash throughb advertisement. Lets say 10k people played this game then he could raise the price of advertisements with ease and no one would complain.

Yeah, I do want to complain to the admin that he's not doing things fast enough.  You are obviously a new player to this game who doesn't quite get it yet.  This game needs change.  It's not like all these Ideas have just been in the past week.  For over 4 years I have been playing this.  In that time, he took out walls, nerfed dwarfs and magic and changed the map.  Does that sound like a large work load to you?  He has a forum for suggestions however anything he ever implements is of his own ideas, it's like he doesn't even read them.  Time?  It's been a VERY LONG TIME, things need to change.

Ya he has caused a lot of great players to lose passion for this game. He reduces teh map sizes its pathetic. I mean the random kd locations is a joke. The maps are so small, worlds that say have room have none and you end up in a fuking war zone with no room to settle at all on the entire map.  There is a lot more that im sure the Vets can name.

I do realize the game is not about me, I also realize that I have helped to support this game monetarily so that he can make these improvements.  I've divied up my personal money and expected to see some improvements, anyone who has donated would most likely feel the same way.  According to your thinking there, I should be seeing faster work, yet I'm seeing no work at all...  Now where am I wrong there in my logic?  Did I interpret what you said incorrectly?

Mingan ZeTa put the suggestions forum in the game. This is one of the more serious important suggestions of the game so NUB get over yourself.

You guys are funny. The game is fine the way it is.

You play it for 4 years and you grow tired of it. That's wholly understandable. You are so familiar with it, the interest you once had has now worn off. You're bored after having gotten your four year degree in the field on VU.

But,

Remember, the times when you, yourself thought this game was fun and interesting? Remember back when it was all new to you? You craved the game, and you had to have more of it.That's where I am now. I like this game.

You can be critical of the game, and critical of me too. It may not matter to the Administrators one way, or the other.I am taking a contrary point of view, and the more it irritates the pompous veterans, like Justin for example, the more I like it. Put your opinions in a public forum, and I'll put in mine.

The first games had about 190 players on one world. Now there's about 600 players and there are several worlds. There's the progress you all are pissing on right now. Please, maybe you old dogs should find a new game to grumble over and let the new kids enjoy this one. Seriously.

Lol 15 eras doesnt make me a Vet. But it does give me enough time to watch ZeTa destroy map sizes, get rid of great walls, warp dwarves and magic. Its ridiculous. His imporvements have consequences on many good things we have. already. And most those players are multis Mingan. There are more in this game then anyone can count. Technically there are only 200 players left and decreasing rapidly with each era because of what this came has come from. Simple advertising and sprucing up a little bit of codes and all that is nothing when it comes to bringing in more players who will provide more sponsoring for the game.

>_> too bad we don't still have the flamers from my time. (i used to play during the early teen eras and came back this era) had whole threads just for flaming =D

and on another note, its true he could change things to keep the game interesting but think alil on his side in the sense.. maybe HES getting uninterested. I don't believe most of the people i used to play with even remember VU (im exagerating) yet even before all of them played ZeTa was typing away making the game. I'm sure it's different for most other people but i don't have that kind of attention span. lol

but the problem isnt really new stuff, its old stuff, the old stuff that used to make the game better got took out. When I first joined (some time in january/february when i first got ill), the game was great. Then slowly admins just been sabotaging his own game, one by one the best things of the game slowly got took away, it doesn't even make sense. Half the things he took away only had like 3 complaints, and majority of people were tellin them to f*k off lol. Did anyone ever see the suggestion that got rid of B&D? Well I did, it had around 10-15 posts and half were against it rofl. I liked B&D, it was fun, even though I got completely slaughtered by it a few times, it's still fun, I mean if you can't hold you blocker up then your bound to loose your cities anyways. I don't even play anymore, too much activity needed now, the great walls and B&D were two of the things that helped to reduce activity, but now they've been took out I can't really be bothered. I did have a solution to the activity thing, and admin posted in it, but didnt go nowhere...

Sir Mingan Report 12/2/2008 6:49:33 AM

You guys are funny. The game is fine the way it is. You play it for 4 years and you grow tired of it. That's wholly understandable. You are so familiar with it, the interest you once had has now worn off. You're bored after having gotten your four year degree in the field on VU. But, Remember, the times when you, yourself thought this game was fun and interesting? Remember back when it was all new to you? You craved the game, and you had to have more of it.That's where I am now. I like this game. You can be critical of the game, and critical of me too. It may not matter to the Administrators one way, or the other.I am taking a contrary point of view, and the more it irritates the pompous veterans, like Justin for example, the more I like it. Put your opinions in a public forum, and I'll put in mine. The first games had about 190 players on one world. Now there's about 600 players and there are several worlds. There's the progress you all are pissing on right now. Please, maybe you old dogs should find a new game to grumble over and let the new kids enjoy this one. Seriously.

*In walks Wilber*

You know what? Shut the hell up. You don't know what your talking about.
The game is not fine, the game is on a downward spiral. Slowly, albeit, but a spiral never the less. We who have played longer than you, we don't know everything. Hence why we cut you new guys abit of slack (obviously made by the lack of flames and lack of times you've been shot down), but when push comes to shove... we know more about the game mechanics and what would happen from new implements and such.

4 years to get from 190 players, to 600? Including a fair amount of multis?
Not exactly quick growing now is it? Whats more, alot of the players come in from word of mouth, cousins, friends, family etc.
The vets are the ones slowly leaving/becoming disenchanted.

We are grumbling for a reason. We like this game, hence why we want it to survive. The rate it is going at though, it will die.

I know zeta has a very busy lifestyle. Thats why i'd like to see someone buy into it, thus reducing the need for zeta to be online alot of time and giving him some capital to do whatever he lies with it! Although, i'd like to see a un-biased person buy into it :P

Gotta agree with Roxbury and supporters. No need to repeat them all, so I'll keep it at that. I've been seriously considering leaving VU for a few Era's now and the only reason why I'm here is because I hope there will be some actual progress in the game the following Era.

Get some help and work on the game more then the 2 days in the weekend in between Era's. The game can be improved throughout the Era's too with updates becoming active the following Era (or throw open a 'test-map' where things are continuously changed, as long as people are aware of that risk when they choose that map) There might be some programming people around that can help you with the game if you ask for volunteers. Just get something done. VU has potential. Its a waste to let it bleed to death like this.

Prince Mielo Report 12/2/2008 2:54:40 PM

... how hard is it trying to stay on topic? ...

Omg you hipocrite! :P Era Theme topic ring any bells!? :)

On topic now...

This game obviously needs some improvements, but not an entire rehaul that would destroy it completely, just what rox is asking for is fine. In fact, if you erased everything in this thread except for roxs post, that is all you really need to make this game great. I would be more then willing to invest money into this game if there was potential for it to expand. I mean who knows where the money is going now.

this isn't a "hey *beep* comes here and say why VU is so great" thread

srsly Zeta, put some effort into your game

Let me say this: I have played only 5 eras, but I still remember when I first joined. I didn't know anything.  This game was like a book to me, I read it, learned from it, and when it improvements, I go out and read it again.

You people don't understand somthing, you refuse to listen to me.

Zeta is human- Zeta has a life too.

You can't expect Zeta to do your every wish in 2 days, but listen, what about Arma? Has anyone noticed he REMOVED ARMA! DO YOU PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THIS?

Zeta IS changing the game, he is moving as fast as a 3 man team of developers can, and he is only 1 man!

Give Zeta some slack, you can't expect one person to do the work of 50 expert geeks. He is making updates huge each era, you just don't realize how hard he works for the game, you don't realize how much stress it is to run a game. Remember 'The Path to Darkness...' RP? The guy running it ran out of steam after 5 days. Zeta... he has been doing this for 4 years... The same routine, the same game... for 4 bloody years! I doubt any of you could spend 4 years of your life building, programing, drawing, drafting, cooking, reading, learning, searching for inspiration, reading forums, reading countless letters from people, reading e-mails, reciving money, mabye even working on top of that!

If zeta is doing this alone then that is his problem Samulis, with all the money some people are spending on Bonus Turns he could hire some proffesional help. But I doubt he is 100% alone, but if he is it wouldn't surprise me, seeing the ammount of effort put into this game. And for players to want updates on their game is normal, it is not our duty to update it for the admin, that is his, it is why he made this game in the first place. And spending 4 years building, programing, drawing, drafting, cooking, reading, learning, searching for inspiration, reading forums, reading countless letters from people, reading e-mails, reciving money, as you say? Well guess what, he hasnt either! Obviously from the lack of effort and improvements he has not been spending his entire life steaming over this game.

So shut your trap unless you know what you're talking about. And get your nose out of the admins ass.

Well Zeta as I believe has his own special coding for the map, which idk if he would be willing to give out : ) but otherwise yes stop fussing and do it!

Actually I think all the maps other then the original were player made, if that is not the case then hte majority are player made...