Do you believe the game is dead?
SFC is dead.......................... 26.1%
Not dead yet, but dying...... 39.1%
No......................................... 26.1%
No, SFC is thriving................ 8.7%
Not dead yet, but dying...... 39.1%
No......................................... 26.1%
No, SFC is thriving................ 8.7%
Letters to the editor
"What you keep harping about is seeing all the threads about this game is dying...well its true...it is...however the intentions of those threads are to offer solutions...not just to trash on BFG.
"The main problem with BFG is that their business philosophy is to keep taking more money each from a few number of players each month....and giving them more and more advantages...i am normally a large spending player.....i have no problems supporting the game...but its gotten ridiculous." Ken M.
Hello Ken, thanks for taking the time to write. I have to disagree with you a bit for your first statement. In my opinion, the game is not dying but that is beyond the point. Most of the posts on the forum, are people complaining, "OH the game is dead.... waaaaa... why do i even bother playing!" Very few people offer possible fixes. Some of these good fix ideas are shot down by BFG. So i blame both players and BFG for the complaints of the game dying... if it were to be dying that is. ;)
BFG is a business, so obviously they want money. Their prices are ridiculous, and 90% of their revenue is profit. They should chill out with the price spikes.
-unownreality
"Hi all i don't think this is a dying game I feel the introduction of NPCs and lunar docks have helped the game . I used to play all games but i only play uni 1 and uni 2 now because of D mode as you have to have a break sometimes and you shouldn't have to pay for it .What would i like to see to improve the game a bit more hydro on NPCs. Newbie protection could be higher to give them a chance in the game but at some point they are going to have to learn to fleetsave what i don't want to see is anymore universes starting up for I wont be playing them" - Batwing 3-3-2013
Hi batwing! thanks for writing. I tend to agree with you that the games are not dying, but instead, all the recreational players are falling and now what is left is more of the hardcore or medium core players. I don't see how this is bad, but many people believe that BFG has and is killing the game. Clearly you and I and some others out there think the game is still fun and that although not thriving the game is not dying either.
I do believe that people need breaks from the game so I understand your diplomacy situation, however, people should not live in diplomacy all their game life like many people do. What i believe we should do with regards to raising the newbie limit, I personally see no need, but alliances and people need to pick up the noobs and teach them how to play. We have some great players joining if only we can give them a chance. -Unownreality
"Dear Fellow Earthlings:
I don't believe the game is dead but with each new universe that Blue Frog Gaming makes, it draws out more players from the healthy uni's and into the new uni's, thus thinning them out.
We don't need more uni's, we just need B.F.G. to improve the ones we have. That's my two mites worth." -Tom H.
Hey Tom, I have to agree with you 100%. Many universes such as extreme, uni 2, and even NOVA have drawn some good players away form the original Universe. Improve the game you have, don't recreate it! I'm not sure if many of you've heard about Blue Frog's new idea, Dark Fire Galaxies, I really hope its not another spin off. -Unownreality 3-3-2013
"Hey I have to agree with everything that everyone here is saying.
SFC is thriving now since the introduction of NPC'S.
Why do we need new players when Blue Frog Gaming can just make them.
I take my hat off to them I think it is more fun attacking an NPC than a real player and this is the way it should have always been from beginning.
Blue Frog have found the silver bullet." -Dave Johnson 3-3-2013
Hey Dave, Thanks for taking some time to write! I would say that the game isn't yet thriving as there is a sharp decline in Active players over the last few months. At last check, in Original, we are down to less than 7800 players from 11000 in December. Until this number changes, i don't belive the game is thriving. Now is the game doing well? Yes, and as you said, the NPCs have brought the fun back. I mean what better way to fill the less than full systems? Put in a few attack-able targets! That is what the developers did, and i praise them for it. All the people saying NPCs killed the game, Sorry, but i have been having alot of fun with them. Its alot better than having my fleet stay home most of the day waiting for a single target to screw up. Now you can attack NPCs, gain DSP and resources, while watching that active target you want to hit. -Unownreality
I got to somewhat disagree with you about NPC's making the game exciting again. I started playing at original (and only at that time..) universe years ago. Then there were way over 100k players and 99 galaxies with plenty opportunities to hunt, make friends and enemies and it was great fun, mainly because you had the thrill of hunt and success and the bitter taste of having your own ass kicked to stone age. Now we have way under 10k players in 35 galaxies. I don't know the real number, but my guess is that about 40% of remaining players are in D-mode or inactive. So we are playing in galactic wastelands. Then came NPC's.... Only thing they provide is resources and dsp. They appear out of nowhere and sit there as a sitting duck waiting for someone to collect the goods.OK... I like to have some resources out of them same way as I like finding someones change in vending machine... You can't be buddy or enemy with NPC, they are not having a laugh with you in skype after successful group attack and they certainly do not curse you to depths of hell after you destroyed their fleet which they have build with hard work.... Game is at its best when you can enjoy your victories and curse your enemies. That kind of activity has reduced to minimum. But I'm still hopeful that something will happened in future and will keep playing to the day that they are pulling the plug from SFC. Happy hunting to everyone. -Marko S.
Hey Marko. I know the era that you are talking about. I've been playing Original since January 2010. I joined when there was 60k+ players. I had a great time up in G79. At on point, i had a 3 man war with a few guys around my home system. Then came the compression and from there the game got slow. At that point i believed that the game WAS in fact dying. There was nothing, no real fun in the game, other than the guy who would occasional mess up his fleet save. Then BFG introduced the NPCs and now I had the chance to start attacking again! They brought back hunting for me. I was a small fry then, so any attack was fun for me. By bring fun Back, i mean post compression. Nothing could ever compare to the amount of fun pre-compression. I know what you mean when you say the NPCs aren't people, in the sense they do not bring the same enjoyment. But at least to me, I feel that NPCs had brought a lot of fun back into the game. -Unownreality
"The main problem with BFG is that their business philosophy is to keep taking more money each from a few number of players each month....and giving them more and more advantages...i am normally a large spending player.....i have no problems supporting the game...but its gotten ridiculous." Ken M.
Hello Ken, thanks for taking the time to write. I have to disagree with you a bit for your first statement. In my opinion, the game is not dying but that is beyond the point. Most of the posts on the forum, are people complaining, "OH the game is dead.... waaaaa... why do i even bother playing!" Very few people offer possible fixes. Some of these good fix ideas are shot down by BFG. So i blame both players and BFG for the complaints of the game dying... if it were to be dying that is. ;)
BFG is a business, so obviously they want money. Their prices are ridiculous, and 90% of their revenue is profit. They should chill out with the price spikes.
-unownreality
"Hi all i don't think this is a dying game I feel the introduction of NPCs and lunar docks have helped the game . I used to play all games but i only play uni 1 and uni 2 now because of D mode as you have to have a break sometimes and you shouldn't have to pay for it .What would i like to see to improve the game a bit more hydro on NPCs. Newbie protection could be higher to give them a chance in the game but at some point they are going to have to learn to fleetsave what i don't want to see is anymore universes starting up for I wont be playing them" - Batwing 3-3-2013
Hi batwing! thanks for writing. I tend to agree with you that the games are not dying, but instead, all the recreational players are falling and now what is left is more of the hardcore or medium core players. I don't see how this is bad, but many people believe that BFG has and is killing the game. Clearly you and I and some others out there think the game is still fun and that although not thriving the game is not dying either.
I do believe that people need breaks from the game so I understand your diplomacy situation, however, people should not live in diplomacy all their game life like many people do. What i believe we should do with regards to raising the newbie limit, I personally see no need, but alliances and people need to pick up the noobs and teach them how to play. We have some great players joining if only we can give them a chance. -Unownreality
"Dear Fellow Earthlings:
I don't believe the game is dead but with each new universe that Blue Frog Gaming makes, it draws out more players from the healthy uni's and into the new uni's, thus thinning them out.
We don't need more uni's, we just need B.F.G. to improve the ones we have. That's my two mites worth." -Tom H.
Hey Tom, I have to agree with you 100%. Many universes such as extreme, uni 2, and even NOVA have drawn some good players away form the original Universe. Improve the game you have, don't recreate it! I'm not sure if many of you've heard about Blue Frog's new idea, Dark Fire Galaxies, I really hope its not another spin off. -Unownreality 3-3-2013
"Hey I have to agree with everything that everyone here is saying.
SFC is thriving now since the introduction of NPC'S.
Why do we need new players when Blue Frog Gaming can just make them.
I take my hat off to them I think it is more fun attacking an NPC than a real player and this is the way it should have always been from beginning.
Blue Frog have found the silver bullet." -Dave Johnson 3-3-2013
Hey Dave, Thanks for taking some time to write! I would say that the game isn't yet thriving as there is a sharp decline in Active players over the last few months. At last check, in Original, we are down to less than 7800 players from 11000 in December. Until this number changes, i don't belive the game is thriving. Now is the game doing well? Yes, and as you said, the NPCs have brought the fun back. I mean what better way to fill the less than full systems? Put in a few attack-able targets! That is what the developers did, and i praise them for it. All the people saying NPCs killed the game, Sorry, but i have been having alot of fun with them. Its alot better than having my fleet stay home most of the day waiting for a single target to screw up. Now you can attack NPCs, gain DSP and resources, while watching that active target you want to hit. -Unownreality
I got to somewhat disagree with you about NPC's making the game exciting again. I started playing at original (and only at that time..) universe years ago. Then there were way over 100k players and 99 galaxies with plenty opportunities to hunt, make friends and enemies and it was great fun, mainly because you had the thrill of hunt and success and the bitter taste of having your own ass kicked to stone age. Now we have way under 10k players in 35 galaxies. I don't know the real number, but my guess is that about 40% of remaining players are in D-mode or inactive. So we are playing in galactic wastelands. Then came NPC's.... Only thing they provide is resources and dsp. They appear out of nowhere and sit there as a sitting duck waiting for someone to collect the goods.OK... I like to have some resources out of them same way as I like finding someones change in vending machine... You can't be buddy or enemy with NPC, they are not having a laugh with you in skype after successful group attack and they certainly do not curse you to depths of hell after you destroyed their fleet which they have build with hard work.... Game is at its best when you can enjoy your victories and curse your enemies. That kind of activity has reduced to minimum. But I'm still hopeful that something will happened in future and will keep playing to the day that they are pulling the plug from SFC. Happy hunting to everyone. -Marko S.
Hey Marko. I know the era that you are talking about. I've been playing Original since January 2010. I joined when there was 60k+ players. I had a great time up in G79. At on point, i had a 3 man war with a few guys around my home system. Then came the compression and from there the game got slow. At that point i believed that the game WAS in fact dying. There was nothing, no real fun in the game, other than the guy who would occasional mess up his fleet save. Then BFG introduced the NPCs and now I had the chance to start attacking again! They brought back hunting for me. I was a small fry then, so any attack was fun for me. By bring fun Back, i mean post compression. Nothing could ever compare to the amount of fun pre-compression. I know what you mean when you say the NPCs aren't people, in the sense they do not bring the same enjoyment. But at least to me, I feel that NPCs had brought a lot of fun back into the game. -Unownreality