Ascended Updates/Suggestions: General Discussion

[Tekki]

At the moment there seems to me a number of different opinions about what the issue with ascended is.

Some people think it's activity, some people think it's descendability and others think the server is just broken in the first place. I think it's a bit of a combination in that it's impossible to descend some people and that it's easier to build your ascended defences and not the strikes. Defences against descension are a lot cheaper than the ability to descend so it's simply a matter of logging in, building some of the defence stats and then not logging in for a few days to repeat and once you get to particular levels then you just are impossible for most of the server to descend.

Of course there is the other problem then of some people just not being descendable because their over all stats are too good. While they deserve some kudos for working on the stats, the catch up point is years in the future and even then they still won't be descendable. To descend someone you have to have a FAR bigger TOC than their defences and given the exponential nature of the costs that is just not going to happen.

Now why should anyone be not descendable? In my opinion, every ascended being needs to be descendable, regardless of their stats. The other problem, in my opinion is that some people just aren't active and aren't interested in being active.

I've got a couple of suggestions for solutions, but I want to see what other people think is the problem before I suggest what I think would be a workable solution. So suggest what you think the problem is and perhaps what you think would be the best solution - or an idea about how to solve what you think is the problem

[jedi~tank]

The ascension server sucks and should be shut down..most find it boring like me while others (most too) dont have time to bother with it..so if something is done that would force an increase in activity for many working people or overall busy people..to further maintain thier accounts you will see even less people playing this game and the numbers will drop at a quicker pace..although this is a good idea..with the current state of the game it does not fit. Maybe another time.

[Robe]

I would also be interested in debating incremental solutions rather than radical changes.

I think one of the biggest problems is that its easier to build personal levels than Total Offensive Capability (TOC).

This has led to players growing lazy and not logging in because they can't be descended.

If a player doesn't log in to the server within a reasonable time frame then they should be able to be descended (despite their personal levels).

Activity and effort should be rewarded.

[Rottenking]

i belive activity is the key problem, people dont log in and make the effort.
maybe it could be accounted for the fact people dont know how to play. or dont want to learn to play

some of the key issues i belive plauge the ascended server:
* some people are undecendable which is wrong
* new players cannot catch up to the "average" account (im talking about a new player who has ascended for the first time, cannot get to 2bill planets fast enough to farm the big ammounts)
* lack of farming opportunities for newly ascended players because of the rank multiplier


now the point of this thread is to identify the key problems. so does anyone disagree with what i perceive as the problems

[jedi~tank]

I dont disagree..but I think its just not very interesting..main is not very interesting. Mechanics and rewarding and all of that is rather pointless unless that server or the main is done up so as to attract new players.

[Jixxi]

its over complicated to the average player, thats the main reason nobody plays it.

i dont think being undescendable is wrong if you put in te effort you should get the reward those players would'nt have reached their level if others played and kept up with them.

theres far to many options for the average player to get their head around me included i just improve what others who know better tell me to improve

[Calesta]

The ascension server sucks and should be shut down..most find it boring like me while others (most too) dont have time to bother with it..so if something is done that would force an increase in activity for many working people or overall busy people..to further maintain thier accounts you will see even less people playing this game and the numbers will drop at a quicker pace..although this is a good idea..with the current state of the game it does not fit. Maybe another time.

i fundamentally disagree with you.
i think the ascension server is great i had to work my way up
im in a constant state of warfare ( i get massed twice a week )
granted i start it by farming like a madman but still im always busy ...
ive always got something to do or someone to mass back
i enjoy it completely.... that being said ...

i do agree that it should be possible to descend everyone in the game..
i still think the best solution is to allow for ascended strikes every hr....
that way peeps of equal power would be able to descend peeps of equal power
just what i think

[Angelis~]

I agree that something needs to be done to attract new players and I also agree that the ascended server can be quite complicated even after first glance. There is a lot to do in ascended and some people just don't have the time to learn it or don't want to.

How about simplifying the ascended server?

When most people ascend for the first time its a lot to take in but once you get past looking at all the buttons you want to figure out what they all do. But that your like Holy Crap you cant attack anyone because of the rank modifier. I'd say about 30% stopped playing because of that little fact alone. That's just guessing it could be less it could be more.

The problem with descension is the cost to build undescendable defense levels compared to the costs to get to the levels required to try to descend them are far to great.

Example.

To get to the current undescendable levels would require 1.56 quintillion (1,560 quad) dmu which is about 8 months to a year worth of farming/buying dmu. That's from 0 by the way.

For someone to get to a high enough toc to just do damage to someone with those levels would require them to spend 13.2 quintillion dmu in the toc levels alone (attack power/skill and mnec). Thats just to do damage so at the current hit every 2.5 hours it would require 36 days of constant hits.. Yeah Right. So in order to get to a time frame of descension in 4 days would require almost 24 quintillion dmu spent on toc alone.

Neither the first or the second will be reached anytime within the next 3 years at the current state of the ascended server but to get to the defense stats levels would take less then a year.

What needs to be done for toc? I honestly don't know. Maybe lower the cost of mnec? Right now I'm at level 1,028 and its costs me 20 quad dmu to increase that 1 level where that same 20 quad dmu could increase any of my defense or military levels 50 to 100 fold in levels.

Edit. I've put years of work into my ascended so I get frustrated every time I see someone suggest resetting or closing ascended. How would some people feel if Jason decided to reset main... probably the same way. I say we all brainstorm and fix ascended where everyone can enjoy it.

And yes I do understand that most dont have time for playing both servers. But honestly, 10 minutes a day is all ascended needs.

[Tekki]

Part of my problem is that catching up is just not possible now. This is similar to how it was when DD was around. Their ascended accounts were great and thus no one could catch up, there were some changes and now people could catch up.

Something like that is going to have to happen in this case and -maybe- a rethink of how descension works entirely.

[Jorgensen]

Ascended server i boring, i work on my stats daily coz i don't want to be descended. But truth is, there is no way for me to ever catch up to the big boys. That is why i feel that if you reach. A certin level you should be able to be undescendable. Thus way people will work hard to get there.

Maybe give people with really good levels in ascended a small reward in main say + 2% covert or defence or something so it would still be worth playing the server

[renegadze]

Part of my problem is that catching up is just not possible now. This is similar to how it was when DD was around. Their ascended accounts were great and thus no one could catch up, there were some changes and now people could catch up.

Something like that is going to have to happen in this case and -maybe- a rethink of how descension works entirely.

It's not impossible at all, it takes time and effort, when I joined TL I had one of the worst asended accounts out there...now granted I'm far from the best now, but I can certainly hold my own....If I'm completely honest I could have been even more active on ascended then I have been, so realistically I could have been even closer to the top accounts.

I heard one of your suggestions would be to start over with ascended...i.e a reset.

Now how fair is that for those of us that have actually bothered with out accounts? My Main account (particually the MS) barely dent the top MS's ingame...maybe we should reset main because I've not been bothered to be active enough to keep up?

Ascended is an awesome server because it does not allow for $$ spenders to directly influence it on a whim. Sure you could probably buy from DMU for $$ (but good luck finding it in large quantities that makes a difference). Unlike main you can't go from having a rubbish account to an awesome account overnight.

as a leaving thought consider this....

I'm undescendable.....
People in main buy USS every week so their planets can't be taken

[Lithium]

being able to build an account to a state of undescendable is like finding a broken mechanism to that server. its a dead point that should be fixed.

the real problem of that server was/is the knowledge and its complexity for players so many of them gave up, another big problem the time of playing two servers. many old players simply didnt had enough time to play it and they built their accounts t be undescendable and expanded that game play to many others.

the ascended server should be more focused in the personal levels then in physicals.

the def and attack personal levels should be balanced in cost so the def ones would cost as much as the strikes or the % gap between those two in increasing cost should be lowered.
this gap is far advantaging the def personal levels and players jsut play 1-2 weeks and build an undescendable accounts for few months.

so far the % gap in cost isnt balanced. the attempts to lower the time between two hits just makes it harder for small players even tho the 30% rule which takes 3-4 hits.

there have been previous suggestion of this kind in 2 years but not liked much by the community who those times didnt played much ascension. So why now , why now the the activity there is even lower? just cuz some heavy farmed for 3 months whoever and now want to ave their time worth?

[Angelis~]

No one is "undescendable" anymore. Apparently Admin Jason added a multiplier to the calculation today er yesterday actually.

Life Force Energy * (1+ energy Attack Power Level/1000) * (1+ energy Attack Power Level/1000) * (1+ energy Attack Skill Level/1000) * (1+ energy Attack Skill Level/1000)

It doesn't show in the introspection page yet so either do the math or hit someone to see your new toc.

[Cole]

Edit. I've put years of work into my ascended so I get frustrated every time I see someone suggest resetting or closing ascended. How would some people feel if Jason decided to reset main... probably the same way. I say we all brainstorm and fix ascended where everyone can enjoy it.

This I totally agree with!
Even though I've not been really active lately in ascended (but that's going to change), reseting it is really a very bad idea. People spent years to build up their accounts without $$ or anything in ascended, and that would disappear in a go.

Interesting info regarding descension formula you provide Angelis, there.

Edit: tested it and indeed the TOC increased quite a bit compared to the one appearing in the powerup page.

[Lithium]

test:

Total Offensive Capacity 1,086,672,279

Starting with 175,009,834 weildable life force, with 1,995,130,304 attack potential after accounting for energy attack power and skill,~Lithium~

again this isnt the solution of the problems, it just postpone the issue again