Apr 14th 2012, 19:08:00
Games fine, the population is the issue.
The only answer is bots. Let's face it, the main thing to change from days of 3k+ countries to today was removal of multies and bots. I am convinced we have only lost a few hundred actual players from that time.
So obvious answer return the countries, but in a controlled and intelligent manner. Make them try to retal and set the priority to retal higher when a country grabs them from a member of the admin teams alliance. So a PDM, Evo, or Martian member hits them 2 times its worth 4 hits to ensure no one can question the impartiality of the bots. Then give them some AI that determines when they will retal.
I would even like to see suiciders... LaF comes through and drops a couple of dozen hits on a bot counry then diffuses missiles, bot has no chance to retal it suicides the tag. As an example.
To me this would add the element of surprise to keep grabbing interesting and not let the game turn into farmville.
The only answer is bots. Let's face it, the main thing to change from days of 3k+ countries to today was removal of multies and bots. I am convinced we have only lost a few hundred actual players from that time.
So obvious answer return the countries, but in a controlled and intelligent manner. Make them try to retal and set the priority to retal higher when a country grabs them from a member of the admin teams alliance. So a PDM, Evo, or Martian member hits them 2 times its worth 4 hits to ensure no one can question the impartiality of the bots. Then give them some AI that determines when they will retal.
I would even like to see suiciders... LaF comes through and drops a couple of dozen hits on a bot counry then diffuses missiles, bot has no chance to retal it suicides the tag. As an example.
To me this would add the element of surprise to keep grabbing interesting and not let the game turn into farmville.