Alliance Issues

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    • Alliance Issues

      I've been enjoying COW for over a year now. I have a suggestion that will improve your product. WIth all the focus on COW 1.5, which is a drastic upgrade/overhaul of game dynamics, I think the major issue with COW has slipped through the cracks. There is nothing wrong with game play in 1.0 or 1.5. Both are excellent. Player communication is the major problem with COW as I see it. Its not game play. Its lack of socialization tools.

      So what am I talking about? Something so simple and basic is missing from the game. You can't communicate with more than 1 person at a time. You can't do group messaging, email or any other form of communicating to more than one player at a time. This pretty much shuts down interactive play for most people.

      I've been trying for over a year to find an Alliance to join. I also started one that failed because we can't send messages to our groups. I recently encountered and tried to join an alliance that used free market software to try and fill this gap. That ended up being the worst experience I've ever had in this game. I'm at the point of quitting because it is no longer enjoyable to beat strangers in most all the games I play. Fix this problem, and you will truely improve your product.
    • Ryan04px2025 wrote:

      No41 wrote:

      If u wanto join allince u need discord
      He had discord in my alliance. As our leading officer said, he has everything stated above just that he doesn't like the way it operated.
      Thats the point of the post. For COW to require secondary freeware for player interaction is an incredible handicap for the software franchise. Many people are not willing to install freeware on their systems, let alone go through long trouble shooting processes when plug and play doesn't work. Which is what happened to me on two separete laptops.

      Look at the number of Alliances that go nowhere in this game. Looking through the list,it looks like many never even play a game. There is a reason for that. I don't think I'm unique that for longer term enjoyment some social interaction is important to maintain interest in the game. The suggestion is for developers, or more likely managers not players. If you want to keep customers, figure out how to allow more interaction and communication between them with readily in game tools.
    • Given the limited time and budget of the developers I am not sure that inventing a communication platform identical to countless already available free systems is worth the time. I would prefer feature improvements and bugs fixed in the game instead.
      War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin keep out of the way til you can. - Winston Churchill



      VorlonFCW
      Retired from Bytro staff as of November 30, 2020.

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    • VorlonFCW wrote:

      Given the limited time and budget of the developers I am not sure that inventing a communication platform identical to countless already available free systems is worth the time. I would prefer feature improvements and bugs fixed in the game instead.
      Could be true. Although I doubt we are talking about a lot of programmer resources here. The game already has a messaging system. The missing feature is to add the ability to create groups with the current system. This isn't rocket science in the programming world. And it isn't my idea. I've heard it raised here on many threads before. Add group messaging. That is all that's needed. Or at least its a huge step 1.

      if COW wants to utilize Discord or some other outsourced software, than do it right. Set up propper interfaces that ereduce or eliminate problems. Don' just dump it on customers and hope they figure it out. Bottom line is you don't want your customer to be required to do anything but show up and play. Any added burden will turn away most everyone eventually. MHO of course.

      BTW, my hats off to you who took the time and effort to set this stuff up and get it working and have created successful alliance with the various freewares availables. Its no easy task. I can imagine how many hrs have gone into it.
    • I agree with you mate, Ive tried to get people to chat with me in the Coalition Ive joined which is the chat window to the bottom left hand side of the screen, or is that limited to High Commands?

      Ive started an alliance that requires input from players, in the comms level, and intend to keep standards high in this regard, and intend to get a slack site going if need be.
      Again why dont people use the chat channel??
      I have run a gaming site for 12 years before and believe me comms from everyone in the club or group is essential, otherwise everything comes crashing down, if no one talks. Especially when wargaming is concerned otherwise it becomes too much like real life, when the right comms isnt achieved and this is what people dont understand, with online gaming
    • I prefer the Alliance and Coaltion Chat channels because they are safe(r) from spies. But I play on a PC, and someone on mobile told me that when a Diplomatic mail arrives he gets an audio alert on his phone; so, he prefers Diplomatic mail.

      Concerning the socializing, there is already the Global Chat channel, but maybe a map-specific chat channel, or a map-specific diplomatic mail (similar to the coalition diplomatic mail), might fill the socialization 'needs' that have been expressed so far. And maybe it would be a relatively simple addition to the game because it would be based/modelled on an existing game function.

      I myself don't need the 'socialization' - I'm a little slow and need to focus on the game(s) I'm playing at the moment. But I understand that others might want to socialize, and I don't begrudge them that.
      But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
      Falling like dew, upon a thought, produces
      That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.

      - Lord Byron
    • Yea Ive also tried skype and the onsite chat channel I use to have, and in both cases people will not use it.
      In both the above cases these platforms you can go and use face to face, and even that isnt used.
      So the issue is I believe that the attitude of people on the internet is that they want there privacy, but if they dont want to com. they have to reveal certain amount of privacy of themselves to do so, and its seems they dont want to reveal even that.
      Ive been taught that socialy, if you dont do the normal meet and greets in face to face coms, then you are showing the world that you are at best inward and dont want to be part of the people you are associating with. So the same still applies, online. In fact it worse because people use the internet to deliberatley hide behind, in otherwords they dont overall trust the internet, full stop.
      And that is reflecting on the poor normal meet and greet, attitudes online. Now solving that may I suggest in the game something like a game bonus for the more you associate. In the online game Elevenar players are rewarded in the game by helping others, and that helps break down the com. problem a lot.
    • Discord is a perfect pairing to CoW... While playing Starcraft2, which had a perfectly fine Community chat format.. I still used discord as it is spot on for most all gaming and communication needs... If a disdain for Discord keeps you away... well that is unfortunate and most definitely your lose.
    • Perfect eh? I installed it on two different laptops and it didn't work correctly on either. I asked for assistance and received none from anyone. The troubleshooting resources proveded with discord was a joke.

      I got it to work after many hours of effort. And with NO HELP from anyone associated with COW. The fact is, its a decent system. But most will never know that because they quit long before they figure it out.

      The point is, most will not go to that trouble. Period. No contest.
    • Now you're getting it. You are absolutely correct Ryan. I have never had a problem with COW software. Played on many PC's, never played on the phone. Never had any issues.

      My problem was with discord. Always was. If COW wants to lose customers because their customers are impacted by other products than thats there call. I'm simply telling them whats happening. Perhaps one of their Managers who tell the programmers what to program will figure it out. If not. Its there business.

      Simple question, Would it be a major improvement for the COW franchise to encorporate a communication system that allows group communication between players?
    • Balhog wrote:

      Simple question, Would it be a major improvement for the COW franchise to encorporate a communication system that allows group communication between players?
      I think yes, from my experience not everyone wanted to use Discord or Skype since they didn't want to use theirs existing accounts or create a new ones, so having this group communication system would be beneficial to boosting the engagement, since you already have the game account and no need for external applications.
      Forum Gang Sergeant Major

      Hanz Gunvor

      Ace of Spades - Unit IV Alliance Leader