Mirror Universe?

[Wolf359]

Okay - this comes from my other thread about removing artificially produced AT from the game. It is clear from teh poll in that thread ( http://herebegames.com/StarGateWars/vie ... p?p=646037 ) that the community is split, right down the middle!

So - an alternative suggestion - that could solve all of the problems:

What if a Parallel Universe was created - this would essentially be a mirror of Main, but with a few tweaks. All things that are in Main would remain, except:

- The market would be a player derived market where the players dictate the prices and what they sell (including AT).

- No artificial production of AT in the Mirror Universe (sounds like Star Trek!). I have no problem with artifical production of naquadah and even UU - these are physical entities, and so can be produced by the market (within sensible limits) - but an AT is a non-physical commodity, which I take to represent the capability of an army to participate in battle; and to be able to take part in battle you need to prepare and bide your time. How can you purchase readiness?

Ascension would remain as is - with the same Ascension server for both sides of the mirror.

The snag is - you can only have an account in one of these Universes - you can exist in Main, or the Mirror Universe, but not both.

The way I envisage it - once setup, everyone currently in the game at the time has the option to transfer to the Mirror Universe if they wish (this option will ony be open for a limited time) - once they do, their account is moved across, with a few tweaks - I don't want people carrying 10s of thousands of AT across there - so when you move across, you start with 1000 AT - for everyone. The rest of your account is transferred as is (but maybe not planets - might have to have a think about that......). Naturally, you will not drag your officers with you, and you will not belong to an alliance - because initially there will not be any!

Once you move to the Mirror Universe for the first time (!), you are committed to stay there for a minimum period (2 weeks, a month?). Once this predetermined period is up, you are given the chance to transfer back to Main for free - with similar limitations imposed. The idea of this is to give you a chance to see if you like it - if you don't, you get to go back.

You will note I said 'for the first time' - what I am proposing is that it is possible to traverse the divide between the two mirror universes - but it should not be easy! You would have to reach a certain level in something - maybe in G&R? Or maybe a new points system, based on experience and knowledge (just pulling ideas out of a hat) - it could even be that you get Experience Points (XP) and something else (Acknowledgement Points (AP)?) which is awarded to you for certain actions - or by other players (you would only be able to award points to a single player once), and it is a combination of these 2 that allow you to cross the void so, to speak.... I really don't know - I'm thinking way out the box right now (probably due to the fact I'm falling asleep here) - but what I believe I am trying to say is that your ability to do this should not be solely dictated by your strength, power, ability to raid/mass, your alliance, or even how many friends you have - but other players would be able to award points to players for certain things (still thinking about that). To make it fair - players in the same alliance cannot give points to each other - and you can only award a certain number of points per week, and not more than one to the same player. Once you award a point to someone, you cannot give them another (until they have crossed the void AND come back).

Also - both games, although connected would be blind to each other - and it would not be possible to create an account in the Mirror Universe - you must traverse the void to get there.

I am willing to come up with anything that will help people decide to stick with SGW, because as it is, a lot of people are leaving / thinking of leaving because of the way the game has gone in recent months. A lot of those people have played the game for a long time and are among the most well known in thw community. That must tell you something?

The reason I have suggested something like this is because - according to the poll - it seems to be split almost down the middle (currently YES = 23 votes, No = 21 votes), which would indicate to me that opinion on this matter is split right down the middle and half of the community are unhappy about it.

Please take time to consider if this is a good idea - whether you would choose to cross the void or not. Also, feel free to comment on teh suggestion and suggest modifications (it was very late when I thought of it last night - and I did ramble on a bit in places! ).

But please, constructive criticsm only - I don't mind disagreements as long as you can back them up with something.

[Zeratul]

seems like a good idea... dont know if it would work, but worth a try...

[Londo Mollari]

Also - both games, although connected would be blind to each other - and it would not be possible to create an account in the Mirror Universe - you must traverse the void to get there

would players who wanted to play both be multies then? what if a person who is introduced to one wants to play another, we shouldn't have to chose one or the other to play, even if we can transfer. We should be able to play both, but interactions between the servers should be 100% illegal.

[Bazsy]

Thats a server killing idea, all the server workload doubled:P ... not bad but as i heard its a last chance weapon or so?...
Too bad we got that far....
Its not against you wolf, its against the problems lead to this...

[Wolf359]

@ johnkeel:

- you wouldn't be able to play both - and the only way to access the Mirror Universe is through Main - since Main is, if you like, our existing universe. The games are linked - you can traverse between the two, but not exist in both - and ascension is linked to both (if you think about it - this has the potential to make Ascemnsion more interesting too! ). So if you moved across to the Mirror Universe, and then created a new account in SGW, you would be effectively multi-ing - because you have the ability to return to SGW. You cannot exist in 2 places at once.

Besides, by the time you are strong enough to go to the Mirror Universe (after the initial opening) you would have to start a brand new account in SGW - is it worth it?

@ Bazsy:

- the thought would be that it would be a new, but linked, server hosting the game. But yes, it is my last ditch dying attempt to try and please everyone - since the community seems split down the middle on the issues that have led to this.

@ anyone that votes 'No':

- please explain why - as this would seem the ideal solution to keep everyone happy - I see no downside at all - perhaps you could enlighten me?

[PSICOLIX]

@ johnkeel:

- you wouldn't be able to play both - and the only way to access the Mirror Universe is through Main - since Main is, if you like, our existing universe. The games are linked - you can traverse between the two, but not exist in both - and ascension is linked to both (if you think about it - this has the potential to make Ascemnsion more interesting too! ). So if you moved across to the Mirror Universe, and then created a new account in SGW, you would be effectively multi-ing - because you have the ability to return to SGW. You cannot exist in 2 places at once.

Besides, by the time you are strong enough to go to the Mirror Universe (after the initial opening) you would have to start a brand new account in SGW - is it worth it?

@ Bazsy:

- the thought would be that it would be a new, but linked, server hosting the game. But yes, it is my last ditch dying attempt to try and please everyone - since the community seems split down the middle on the issues that have led to this.

@ anyone that votes 'No':

- please explain why - as this would seem the ideal solution to keep everyone happy - I see no downside at all - perhaps you could enlighten me?

Well, players woude grow in MAIN than bully on mirror.
players in WAR in main woude "hide" on mirror.
i about a new Server with limited Turns ASCENDED Server is that way.
i Belive IF ascension was fully active(all players playing) u woude LOVE IT.
for The problems with Turns, better solution woude make they expensive in one way that only woth FARM active acounts.
implications for raiders(wait a few days to the "FARM" become bigger), for the ONES r farming NAQ, well upgrade u ATT for actualy fight for some PROFIT.
FOR the MASS problem woude be better change the casualities! like this:
ATTACK death rate drop from 3% to 2%[33% less] (that will make easier FARM for NAQ)
DEFENCE death rate drop from 2% to 1%[50% less] (that will make be farmed more aceptable)
ARMY DEMAGE be half of what it is today.

ATTACK limit, if u r with NOX and CRITICAL, u can be attack X -2 times, when X is the # of attacks u need to be MASSED, so u will need to wait 1 turn to MASS some1.

PS: i already give some ideas to make ascension more active

[Wolf359]

It wouldn't be possible to bully on Mirror, or hide in Mirror, because it would cost a lot in G&R/XP/NAQ/AT etc to make the transition - and once there it would cost just as much to get back.

And these would only be things that would be achieveable over a matter of time (I envisage it being a matter of months before you can transfer between games). And liek I say - when you transfer - you take a hit on things such as AT, G&R, possibly other resources - and the possibility of a new type of XP/Acknowledgment points in order to make it possible.

Bottom line - if you tried to do it to hide - you better be prepared to:

a. - take a hit on your account when you cross over.

b. - be prepared to hide for a long time.

If you moved across to bully you would have to take into account you would take a hit on your account when you cross over, turns will not be as readily available, it is likely that you will receive big retaliation from others established in Mirror - and you will not be able to return for a long time (and that's assuming that those you came to bully (and their supporters) allow you to get to a level where you could return - i.e. what goes around, comes around).

My vision of the Mirror Universe would be the best of Main, but tweaked so as not to allow the situation Main is in now to develop.

Like I said - is there a downside?

I appreciate your suggestions on Ascension (and like them) - but this isn't to do with ascension - it is to do with striking a balnce to keep everyone happy with pre-ascension games. Really - it is something of giving people the opportunity to take a step back to what the game used to be - without making them start from scratch again.

And the best part of it is - it would be an update that would be purely voluntary!

[TacticalCommander]

My Input
Cost for transitioning should be G&R only, why, its the only resource that is nontradeable to other players, you can only get a certain amount at a certain time, thus effectively ensuring the time limit between tranistions is maintained.

Possible G&R cost of transitioning universes increases each time.

When Starting, you can choose to start in Main or Mirror.

AT is non transferable between servers. Why? To prevent someone from stocking up on 50k turns in Main, transfer over, use them, transfer back, admittedly the months between waiting would be a pain, but not enough to stop it.

all for now

TC

[Wolf359]

AT would not be transferable becasue the whole point is to create an environment where such amounts of AT do not exist (I suggest you check out the 'broker' topic in SGW General, high empty's 'Increasing teh turn limits' topic in Game Suggestions, and my 'Stop artificially creating AT in teh market' topic in game Suggestions) - if we allowed the transfer of AT, then as PSICOLIX suggested - bullying tactics would reign supreme - I'm looking at creating an environment more like what SGW used to be - i.e. one that takes a little bit of strategic thinking, and does not depend on who can buy and stockpile the most turns.

And there will be a maximum amount of AT you can take across - 1000 turns is a suggested figure. Enough to do some strategic attacking, but not enough to do constant massing or indulge in bullying.

Starting in Main or Mirror would be an option - the reason I said start in Main is because I see Main as our universe, so to speak.

P.S. I find it laughable that those voting 'No' cannot back up their vote with an explanation of why they voted 'No' - if you cannot explain your vote, then frankly, it is irrelevant.

I do not mind people voting 'No' as long as they can at least attempt to justify it and I can therefore try to counter it - debate is good - voting without justification is bad.

Edit: Since people are unwilling, or more likely, unable to provide an explanantion (as requested) as to why they Voted 'No' I have removed the poll - forcing those who disagree to state why.

[madcat]

i do like the idea Wolfie, but surely this would damage your account more than anything, because without the constant supply of turns.....limited raiding......which means slower growth, therefore bad for u in the long run?!?

i am one of the players becoming a little tired of the same thing day in day out, but i just dont see this update working out tbh

because if you go into the mirror universe for a month, come back to main......everyone will have grown a LOT more than you in that time, and eventually the power imbalance would reverse?!?!

as i said, nice idea.........but in practice i don't see it working out

[Wolf359]

Like I said - it will not be easy to traverse between the 2 - and as someone suggested, could get progressively harder - and the choice of whether to do it is totally voluntary - nobody would be forcing anything - so you need to decide if it is worth the risk to go back and forth - you see - make a decision on risk - it's introducing a little strategy already!

Speaking of strategy - again, as said above - that is what I am trying to bring back - don't care about slower growth (in fact I welcome it) - we had that before unlimited/mass availability of turns - and the game was BETTER, because it involved more decision making and planning.

Again I stress - everything is voluntary here - you don't have to cross over.

[Come_Forth]

I like this idea, but I am worried about server speed, main is so slow for me as it is :/.

What if it was like a older universe so that the other server would be going by old school sgw rules and updates. Just an idea, I just hate the planet system as it is now since everyone gets so mad over planets.

[AncientAnubis]

'Twould be a new challenge that might refresh the game for some.

[Phoenix of Gaia]

It would be nice for those of us who missed the original "old school" to see what it was like.

[TacticalCommander]

Another thought. Would the restriction on the amount of AT that can be generated naturally be changed? Like Main is currently 4000, would the restriction go to 1000 or 500. Since this all about stadegy and wise use of turns, I think lower is better(to a point, not below 500). This encourages players to still use thier turns, but not making it worth saving up to launch multiple massings.


Now you said Ascention would remain the same for both. Are you sure thats a good idea? Because people in main may decide to start decending people who play in mirror(when decention comes out).

Planets: I think should be fully transferable. Alot of people have invested alot of resources into them, so losing them in transition would cause many players to decide against this idea.