What about ala?
Okay, so I'm going to give it to you straight. Ala has lost just about lost a lot of its userbase.
I want you to look at how many users are registered, and how many people are on at a time.
Granted, it's during school, but I remember when our numbers would still hit the 100's, even on a weekday.
The game is amazing, but it's gotten old.
It's been running for 3 years and since then, nothing has really changed. I'm not saying to change the layout or the art. The trials aren't even a big issue.
The issue is that there is nothing NEW. It's nice to re-do things here and there, but it's not going to make people want to start playing the game if they see that just the banner is changed (no offense, it's amazing).
I know some people are probably like "who are you to judge?"
I'm like some of the staff, I've been playing this game since its public release and everyday I log in to see how it's going. I've experienced the change between owners, I experienced the time when the dog cap was installed, or the first triple bone special.
Outside of the game, I'm signed up on 18 different sims, I'm working for siminar, I'm a moderator on three different games, and I'm on an idea team for three different sim games while making one of my own. So before dismissing anything that I say, I want you to look and realize that yea, I know what I'm talking about. ((That list wasn't for me to say "look how great I am," but it's to dismiss those who immediately accuse me of knowing nothing, which has happened before on this game, and off.))
this game hasn't changed since Robyn had it. I thought that with a new owner, like with most games, we'd see something different, something new, something that would make old players want to return. And I understand that the owner isn't regularly on ala and isn't as invested as Robyn was.
I don't have any actual suggestions to offer for the game (and if I did, I'd put them in the suggestions board), but I just have a feeling that if Ala doesn't over go a huge revamp soon, it's just going to fade away, more so than it already is. I think that what keeps a lot of people here still is the amazing artwork.
New users right now can only train and breed, they can't do anything more (beauty shows are nice, but it's not exactly what the game is about).
I think the one problem that we have is that for an agility game, all we have are trials. Sure, I mean that's what we have in RL, but I think that we could maybe create something on the side, like lunging, that will help keep the attention of the users and make them want to stay.
I don't know, if anyone wants to agree/disagree, you're more than welcome to.
I tried to make this sound cohesive, but my thoughts got scattered halfway through and I feel I contradicted myself sometimes, oops ><
I'm actually glad that people are being honest with their responses, because I was worried for being shot down for thinking this. Talking about the negatives of a game can be hard for some people to do and more than once have I been attacked for saying certain things. :p<br /> <br /> I do have to agree with Jack. The game si still in a beta mode, since things haven't changed much since day 1, and even though we think we are improving, we're simply repeating the same things over and over again without changing much o the gameplay itself.<br /> <br /> Adding danes isn't going to do anything more than toss a few extra bucks into the owner's pocket. It doesn't change what you can DO on the game besides giving you another breed to play with. I was upset with the shibas to begin with, since I felt like we were kinda straying from the "agility dog" theme to begin with. <br /> <br /> <br /> <i>My main and unhapppy experience with Alacrity is that often decisions are made and then recounted on too much later in the future that it either punishes or frustrates users who have gotten used to them.</i><br /> <br /> Pretty much.
I do agree, though my mindset has always been in a different direction.<br /> <br /> My main and unhapppy experience with Alacrity is that often decisions are made and then recounted on too much later in the future that it either punishes or frustrates users who have gotten used to them.<br /> <br /> Item prices change too often resulting item that could be bought with cash suddenly turn into bone only, etc.<br /> <br /> A lot of competitive users I used to know have long since gone due to "go backs" in decisions that leave a negative impression, or a feeling of being punished for doing too well. Myself included.<br /> <br /> I understand the intentions behind them, but it's been the execution that I have quietly disagreed with.<br /> <br /> There are a lot of general flaws with Alacrity that I'm not convinced that can be fixed. This is just my opinion alone both as a player and as former staff.<br /> <br /> Alacrity is very much a beta-staged game, I think. And it becomes important to think of it in that sense rather than treating it as a fully developed and balanced game. That is where most problems and complaints originate from that I could tell in terms of expectations, whether it be from bugs or back and forth decisions, or just lack of things to do and strive for.
I agree they should try to make ALA as fun as possible
Mm, I agree with you.<br /> I love Ala, always have, always will, but I agree that it is slowing down. It's a Sunday night and there's only 14 users on right now - that is crazy.<br /> I know that it's been said a million zillion times before, but Alacrity has strayed from being an agility sim and turned more into an accessory/dog breeding game.<br /> It can change, but it will take time and patience.. but I don't think adding Great Danes to an agility sim will change that, and just further seals the deal (for me at least) that the game is straying further and further away from agility and more into an accessory/marking breeding game.<br /> <br /> I've hit the end of my leash here in the sense that I have nothing else to achieve. I've hit the cap, I've reached the cap with a strict breeding line (blue dogs), and my highest capped dog, over the cap, leaderboard.. is already too old to trial. I have too much money to bother trialing anymore, and there is no reason for me to continue breeding because I've already achieved what I wanted to achieved.<br /> <br /> I'm just not sure what to do on here anymore..??
I actually agree with you as well. It just doesnt seem like it has as much to offer. I can see where having a new breed added would bring in more people to the site again. I have been away from the site, I haven't noticed that trials have been down all this time because I no longer do anything with my dogs other than feed them. I used to be a crazy breeder with everyone else and now I tend just breed one or two pairs of customs and call it quits. <br /> <br /> I do believe that a new breed will help draw people in but I dont think they'll stick for too long either if they cant make the money they wish to earn on the site. <br /> <br /> I also remember when chat moved so fast that you could hardly keep up with it half the time. I dont stick around online long enough to ever see it like that anymore because when I am on it never seems to move much. I actually miss those days when chat moved that fast. <br /> <br /> The site really does need something new to bring some of the old users back, if thats possible now. It also really needs the trials back very soon. Preferably before the Danes are released. No offense meant to all the Dane lovers out there. I'm really not against a new breed on the site but I just think the other issues really do need fixed first as well.
To be honest, I don't see the reason to be adding a new bred when we still haven't finished all the issues with puppy art or adult art with the items. <br /> <br /> One reason why I'm glad the monthly shop changed was because there were like, how many new items being added a month? This game is swarming with items, both game and user made and it's gotten a bit execssive. Like it was nice in the beginning,but now it's gotten out of control. To the point where other features, like the riddler, aren't effective because there are WAY too many options to choose for it.<br /> <br /> I agree with the trialing. I understand it's going under a huge overhaul, but I mean, that's why you have a team of people work on it. I have dogs that are aging bcause its been down for months, and I can't imagine those who don't have the money to invest in time stops. :p<br /> <br /> EDIT: I want to address that I am by no means bashing ala. I love the game and the work that is going into it. This is simply constructive criticsm. c:
I agree whole heartedly. This place is a fraction of what it use to be. Frankly right now there is nothing to do but train and breed, which I can understand why new users don't stick around.<br /> <br /> The fact that the main base of the site, <i>trials,</i> was taken down months ago. In July? And we're STILL without it is just beyond me. I understand that overhauling it must be a daunting task but that should have been top priority over giving us dog kennels and other various things that have been implemented while we're all still sitting here twiddling our thumbs and wanting something to do with our dogs. My maxed dogs have been frozen for ages. If I didn't have a stock pile of time stops, they'd all be dead before trials come back and I can actually do something with them. The only way I'm making money is off the insane bank interest, which I'm also surprised hasn't been toned down. <br /> <br /> Then the big thing that had us all excited at the start of the month got bull dozed and now the monthly shop is hardly exciting at all.<br /> <br /> Aside from the short rush of people following a new breed, this place keeps getting quieter.
