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Sep-16-2006 10:24

there is a great variance between the older players and agencies
and those who came along later...a gap that perhaps is too hard
to close...might i suggest quarterly rounds where the townies are
deleted for all...the older players would still have the advantage of
money, experience points, general knowledge of the game but the
quarterly deletion of townies ( all players having to reacquire the
townie favors every 90 days ) would make the game more competitive among all players and add some challenge every 90
days for the older players...

Sep-16-2006 17:34

Speaking for myself, I got my first PE contact after +150,000 EXP. Others got their PE contact after less than 10,000 EXP. There's already a random (chaotic?) element build in that advances some players to others. Some players get a hint contact first before a PE contact and vice versa, which is another random thing that advances some players in comparison to others.

Suppose a player that earned his PE contact much later than other players...does he/she still need to be randomized more by eventually loosing a hard earned PE contact? I'm all in for an element of risk, just as long as hard work doesn't get penalized for that....

Why not offer some features for ppl that like to gamble, double or nothing or something like that? Like if you have an FA, you can place a "bet" with Shady on your next case. Either you get rid of that FA or you get a second one.

Sep-16-2006 18:05

I also completely disagree with losing your contacts.
As so many have mentioned, there is already so much randomness is the game, it is very satisfying to know that our contacts are the one thing we can count on time after time.

I understand the frustration when you are a new player, with hardly any skills, and no contacts to help you... but that's part of the game. You work through it. There was a time when I had to quit half my cases because I didn't have the right skills, contacts, etc, and I chose not to join an agency. Nothing is worse than clammed up people!

But with lots of time, and hard work, I worked through it. Key word being WORKED through it.

My love of the game is to see how far I can get myself, what I can accomplish with what I've got, and how I can get further ahead. I don't see how "leveling the playing field" for long-timers and newbies would help anyone further themselves in the game.

It's not like we're all in a race to reach one big prize, and some of us are starting out with an advantage. That's simply not true. We all started with the same opportunities. We are just at different points in the game. Just like in life. Someone older than yourself has racked up more experience than you. It's cause they started before you. Once you reach their age, you'll be at the same level they were at before.

I would be devastated and, honestly, pissed off if I lost my contact that I worked so hard on. Like I said, it is the ONE thing that we can continuously count on.

Sep-16-2006 18:23

Well said...

Sep-16-2006 19:23

Ranier, Thank you SO much! You said exactly what I felt. We all started at the same place. We all started with NO contacts. Why should those of us who have been here longer (or worked harder to get them) be penalized just so that new detectives don't feel disadvantaged? My answer: We shouldn't. At one point, we were all where the new detectives are now. We put forth the effort and time to build our detectives. In my opinion, having contacts taken away would be the same as saying, "After X number of days your detective will be retired." My response to that would be very simple...why should I put forth the effort to build a detective (or a list of contacts) only to have them taken away? This is one change that would DEFINATELY make me (and others, I assume) leave the game for good. We see contacts as rewards for hard work. There is no good reason to take them away. Especially if it is simply to ease the ruffled feathers of some newbies. No disrespect meant, but seeing as how most of the players who are all for this are well under 100 days old, it is obvious this is favored by younger detectives, and not the older ones. Not to mention Greyling's point about the VHs. Those are hard enough without having to worry about when you will lose your contact and then regaining one. Sorry for the long post, the short and simple version: Bad Idea.

Sep-16-2006 19:35

Um, losing sleuth contacts = french revolution. WOW. you learn something everyday!

Sep-16-2006 19:36

And Mary, we're not against change in general, just this particular one. It serves no good purpose. And would cause many devoted and long-lived players to leave. I doubt Ben would do anything which would cause so many older players to jump ship.

Sep-16-2006 19:37

"Viva la difference" Mary :D

Sep-16-2006 19:38

Mary, you have mentioned twice you are older than the 3 days on your detective page. Would you care to enlighten us as to your former identity?

It has been said before, between the random cases, the random physical evidence, and the random amout of questions each suspect and the 8 townies who are not your contact will answer, there is enough left to chance. Let us keep the one constant. When you complete several hundred AI cases on your own with only your 1 PE contact, then you can rally for a change.