Eliminate Option to Tenaril After Exodus

I just wanted to throw my hat in here, especially in regard to the question of how this affects the fun new players have when playing.

There seems to be a core group of Illy players that only advocate a single way of playing the game. New players that seek advice in GC are drowned in various guides and suggestions, all of which is not a bad thing by itself. However, people in that group I referred to most often present their advice as something which should be followed rather than something worth considering. They act like it's the only way to do things.

I understand that most of this advice is meant to help new players and give them the opportunity to plan wisely for their long-term success. But as some others have mentioned here, the methods that are suggested to new players can be boring or limiting.

When I first started playing Illy, I was told by some people that there are many ways to play. I liked that, and I still believe that is true. But I wonder how many people would not agree, or perhaps say something to the effect of, "Well, you can play any way you want, but this is how you should play if you want to succeed." So far I've been playing the way I want to, and I'm happy with it. I can see where I might have made other choices, more profitable ones even, but to me that's really secondary to what matters most. What matters to me is that I enjoy the game, and so far I do.

I think it's a matter of expectations, in some ways. Does every person that joins Illy desire to be the best at everything and build the biggest cities possible? Obviously not. So why do some people act like it's crazy for someone to simply play the game and enjoy it in their own way?

As for whether the option to Tenaril should be gone once Exodus is used: I think there's a good chance that the devs did not intend for the relocation spell to be used in this way. I'm not enough of an expert to know how, or even if, this has a significant affect on the overall game as it relates to balance. But assuming that it doesn't create any real problems, I think it can be left the way it is now.

What I would like to see a change in is the general attitude toward playing the game and the way that new players are presented with all the options before them. I was perfectly fine with picking and choosing what advice to take and what to ignore. Some people might be easily overwhelmed, and as a result decide that they really ought to follow all the advice given. The problem I see with that scenario is that in many ways this can lead to the game becoming more like work than anything else.

I agree 100% with Rill that this way of making the "perfect spot" for your city fails the "fun" test. When I start playing a game, my first thought is not, 'I wonder how I can go out of my way to get a very specific advantage way down the line, while ignoring all of the other fun possibilities the game has to offer.'


Edited by Voice In The Night - 25 Mar 2013 at 01:13