Shogun Blogs

The Captchas broke a lot of cell phone access.. which isn't much fun.

So, today I've worked up some code that detects cell phone users and shows them a text based captcha instead of the image based one.

This makes me nervous however, because there is very little testing I can do before releasing. So please, try your phones out and let me know how it works.

As anyone that has been around since the beginning knows, I hate captchas. I find them annoying and tedious. So anyone that is planning on complaining... I hear you and agree.

Having said that, we now have a captcha system in place because unfortunately, it is the best anti-bot mechanism out there.

There is one captcha system associated with the login page, and second one where every player will be required to do a captcha once per hour to take actions in the game.

I have also added a feature that allows you to update your captcha code at any time by filling out a captcha form. You can do this by clicking the link inside the progress bar on the side of the screen.

I've also got some ideas on the changes we'll be doing for next age, but I'll have to post them another day. So much to do, so little time.

~Sus

One thing that I forgot to mention is that there will be one chance for current players to chose where their referral credit goes.

The referral system will be reset early in the morning on 01 / 03 / 10.

Whomever is your commander at the turn after this reset will get your permanent referral credit. After that it will be set in stone.

So get pick wisely!

~Sus

Part I.

Lo there mighty Shogun!

Over the past few days I've been meditating on New Years resolutions for the coming year. One that I have decided on is to do whatever it takes to see Shogun Wars reclaim status as a thriving and growing community.

I know that we have had problems in the past, have them now and it is just Murphy's law that says there will always be problems of some sort in the future. However, in retrospect these problems have been overcome and I still have faith in the Shogun Wars community.

I've often thought about the way we started. There was a feel of excitement in the air. Yet, back then in many ways we had way more issues than we do now. The game was less balanced, more multis, not to mention there are huge parts of the game we play now that did not even exist. Anybody remember when alliances were brought to the game? Honor? Banking? Dojo? ... NINJA missions? War actions? Honor Badges?... maybe when there was only one kind of turn (before covert turns)? ... all the other things we've added over time?

And yet, today it seems that we are missing that original spirit. Back then we were all (even the developers!) learning the game. It was new and shiny and exciting. Now we find ourselves as veterans of many seasons of struggle.

I don't pretend to know everything it will take to reclaim that place, but I pledge that this year I will strive towards that goal. In fact, I will strive to not only meet it, but exceed it. That is my resolution.

Part II.

I believe that it is no one major thing that will do this, but many small things. First, we have to rejuvenate the community and start bringing in new blood to the playing field. We need to recruit strong players that will bring new ideas and view points to the game.

The feature I added today is focused on that. Once upon a time, we grew like crazy, not so much anymore. For all practical purposes, the game we have now is better than where we started, so there is something there that just doesn't fit right and I think this feature addresses part of that.

Does anyone remember when we could not change commanders? It was annoying, everyone hated it.. and yet that was the time period we saw the biggest leaps in the community.

Is that why we quit growing? I don't know, but there are some good arguments that it may have had something to do with it. It seems to me that at this point, the mentality has changed from getting new players and helping new players to just recruiting from the game and getting your enemies to quit. It's not a healthy direction.

On the other hand, being able to change commanders has benefits. You have more control over your own destiny. I see way more teamwork since this was implemented, and that is healthy progress.

So, no. I'm not taking the ability to switch commanders away. It is too great a part of this game for that. refer

What I have done is created a new referral bonus system that works along side the commander-officer system we have now. There is a full explanation on "My Referrals" page... you can get there from the command screen.

The only problem is that I don't want officers and referrals to be the only thing that the game is about. Right now I hesitate to make a change mid-season, but next season look to have officer bonuses scaled back so that the two systems together produce about the same as we are used to.

I will be posting a poll to the forums shortly however. If there is a large majority, I'll balance them now.

Part III.

It has also been brought to my attention, and I think it is very true, that something that we used to have but now lack is the feeling of discovery. Except those players that are playing their first or second season, much has settled into a pattern.

Some things that we are working on now are designed to attack that situation in particular. Perhaps we do not need the types of changes we had on Phoenix. Perhaps just the addition of new weapons, specialized weapons, different equipment, clans and other things that don't change the core of the game, but give variety inside the game we already know. These types of changes will be getting focus in the weeks and months to come.

Conclusion

There are a lot of things I would like to see. I will work to achieve them because I believe in this game and this community.

And with that, I wish you all a happy new year!

~Susanoo of the Kusanagi

Thanks everyone for your support here and elsewhere.

I totally understand the anger regarding the season changeover. It is really frustrating. Even as I was there trying to get the server back up I know it was coming, and I knew it would be bad for the game.

But all we can do is keep a positive attitude and move on.

I'll be posting later today regarding email verification and other things.

~Susanoo