League of War: My Review and Thoughts for Improvement

[eagleProphet]

LEAGUE OF WAR: My Review

Yesterday, my wife looked over my shoulder and found me playing League of War again. "Are you addicted to that game?" she asked. "No," I said unconvincingly, looking up only briefly as I kept spamming the Boss with Rocket Squads. I love this game! Before I tell you why, I should admit up front a few things about myself. First, I am a relative newbie; I think I am on day 63. Second, I'm a pathological cheapskate who has spent exactly $0.00 on this game; sorry Gree. Third, I play this game every chance I get; I just finished making my way through the reward list for the Walvis Bay, Namibia Boss battle event, and I'm facing the level 45 Boss and well on my way to finishing the event in the top 50.

The reasons I love this game can be summarized under three headings: balance, variety and progress.

Balance

The game is expertly balanced in every way. It's not too easy so as to lose my interest; it's not too hard so as to make me give up. Since I have to wait 20 minutes per Morale and 3 minutes for every 1 Energy, my game play time is effectively balanced; if I could play nonstop for hours I'm sure I would, and I'd surely get burned out, not to mention fail to accomplish all the important things needing to get done during my busy day.

Variety

I love the variety of the game. I can play campaigns. I can achieve rewards from various covert ops. I can play against others on my wi-fi. I can play PVP battles. I can join alliances. I can be social or antisocial. Every week, there's a new event I can take part in. There's a variety of interesting units to promote and train and try out on my squad. There's the excitement of opening a chest to see what kind of new unit you might randomly receive. I like the idea of Officer cards.

Progress

The really great thing about this game is that you're always progressing. I've seen several claims that the only way to make progress in the game is to spend money. That's simply not true. I'm very grateful for those who have spent money on the game so as to keep it supported and constantly improved. I've been tempted at times (such as days of trying to get past Violet Tempest with inadequate units) and my patience and will-power has certainly been tested, but I have not spent a penny. On Campaigns, I have just won Naogoan Nightmare, the first mission in the Somapura Slam campaign, and onward I progress. As a player, I am currently at LVL148. I'll never go down a level, always up. My army will never become weaker, only stronger. The more you play, the more gold and cash and units you receive for free. You never lose anything; you are constantly adding and gaining. I love that!

LEAGUE OF WAR: My Thoughts for Improvement

The glitch in this week's event that caused the deeply frustrating and morale-robbing crashes just as the Boss was about to be defeated whenever you had long-range anti-air units in your squad was unacceptable. Let's hope for better testing before new events go live. I'm grateful that the fix was sent out automatically and quickly and that 2 morale refills were given out to compensate.

There seems to be a glitch in the new Reinforcement feature. Some see the feature. Others do not. I do not, and I am eager to try it out.

There needs to be a seamless way to port your game, progress and army, over to a new device. This is especially critical with the new iPhone 6 coming out. I'm glad to hear that an easy transfer is in the works.

PVP battles are against other player's current squads but not against other players. It would be fun to be able to play PVP in a true multi-player environment. It would also be fun to compete directly against other alliances.

This may just be me, but there have been several times during the Boss battles where I accidentally sent out a distress call for help. It would be a nice feature to be able to cancel the call and make your battle private again. This happened to me because the button to close out the reward screen after defeating an officer or the boss is immediately replaced by the button that says "Public," too easily pressed by accident in my opinion.

This is currently my very favorite game. I'd be interested if there are any other games out there like it. Keep adding new campaigns and new events! That's all I have. Thanks Gree! Keep up the excellent work!

[Tadaaah]

This great feedback! Thank you for taking the time to put it all together! Others please feel free to let us know what you agree with and disagree with in the above. Remember keep it classy!

[eagleProphet]

I'm compelled to add a couple revisional statements to my earlier review of the game from September. Back then, under the heading "Progress," I asserted the following:

My army will never become weaker, only stronger. The more you play, the more gold and cash and units you receive for free. You never lose anything; you are constantly adding and gaining. I love that!

I can no longer say that or recommend this game to others based on the selling point that you never lose anything and your army only gets stronger. It's no longer true. My army has become weaker because, with the latest update, the tinkerers at Gree capriciously weakened most of my SR units, the most egregious weakening being perpetrated against my two Myrmidons whose overall stats dropped from 84,585 to 47,720. With any powerful unit now at risk of capriciously getting downgraded by Gree's erratic whims, it should be unthinkable to spend even a penny on this game. I'm questioning whether free play is even worth my time. Weakening our hard-earned units is truly unconscionable, not to mention irrational. I am hoping against hope that this was the work of devious hackers and that the good stats we earned will be restored ASAP.

Back in September, I also included the following thoughts for improvement:

There needs to be a seamless way to port your game, progress and army, over to a new device. This is especially critical with the new iPhone 6 coming out. I'm glad to hear that an easy transfer is in the works.

PVP battles are against other player's current squads but not against other players. It would be fun to be able to play PVP in a true multi-player environment. It would also be fun to compete directly against other alliances.

I seamlessly ported the game to a new iPhone 6 by linking accounts via Game Center. Gree also added the requested feature of competing directly against other alliances. You deserve thanks for listening and then responding with these good improvements.

[littlecap99]

You deserve thanks for listening and then responding with these good improvements.

Maybe that's it!!
That's what Gree wants!
Maybe if were all more positive, give some thanks for what they HAVE done, instead of complain about what they haven't. Give them something to work towards, because every time we get an update something we did want, we are happy for 2 hours and then begin complaining again. I will admit, I have done the same thing. After Alliance Wars, I was super excited and played and played. Now, just today, I was complaining that we need something new to do. I believe this is where we all go wrong, instead of demanding changes, ask for them, and if they don't, then give a reason why you believe your thought is a good one. NOT "You should do this because it is what the players want". Because we don't (Nor does Gree) know if that is true. There are what? 20 or less people on here CONSISTENTLY. They have a couple thousand players, so what we want and what every body else wants could be different (Outside of the top 20 alliances). For ex. All of us are pretty eager to get some new UR or SR buffs or units that are obtainable. But wait, think about it! There are more new players then veterans, so they need to get them addicted like some of the rest of us. Then maybe-- maybe one day, they'll help us out a bit.

Let's have another good example- ME. When I first started the game, I was excited to get a common promoted to level 40, but then I got testudo level 20 from my first gold chest, and I got very frustrated because all I had to do was drop it in ASAP and win battles again and again. So I deleted the game. I know I know, crazy, kinda? Well at the time, yes. But, MAYBE. just MAYBE, they are trying to prevent this from occurring again.

So now on to when Ill give my suggestions WITH some things I like.

Pros:
1) I love alliance wars, I believe they should be constant!
2) I think that the UR should well be UR... rare are RARE people think about the names, I don't think they should be unachievable, but getting them like we used to is a little ridiculous. they are ULTRA-RARE for a REASON. Now like EagleProphet said in a recent post, 1 in 100 is crazy, but say 10/100. thats seems good right? Because everybody think-- if every can get UR easy, then A) The game will become boring and B) Then they wont be Rare, much less Ultra-Rare
3) I enjoy the gambling aspect of the game, it makes it feel risky. Because it is possible to get units without the gambling aspect.
4) Progress is possible yet difficult, so you can't beat the game in 20 minutes

Some small changes I'd make:
1) I think energy refills should be a little shorter, not a lot, but a little
2) Decrease some units energy points ex. Great Bombard and Apollo Nuke to 30 a piece
3) Make rares more possible in bronze chests (For new players)

Some Big changes I'd make:
1) Make a new shop so you can buy in-game units
2) Make gold easier to get
3) Make more campaigns and better rewards the farther you get, not the same ones.


Thanks for those of you who read all that. Give me your opinions. Even if you don't agree.

[SpartanPhalanx]

I applaud you guys for your efforts, but I don't think Gree are listening. Their agenda is all about increasing their revenue. Things are moving in the wrong direction. For example - a few months back, with a squad of Rares, I was able to win SR and UR units. Now, with a squad of SR and UR, all I can win are Rares. So my progress has gone into reverse.

[drgnknt]

I applaud you guys for your efforts, but I don't think Gree are listening. Their agenda is all about increasing their revenue. Things are moving in the wrong direction. For example - a few months back, with a squad of Rares, I was able to win SR and UR units. Now, with a squad of SR and UR, all I can win are Rares. So my progress has gone into reverse.

Agreed not just stagnate but moving backwards, with a little unit degrading on their part, I am moving backwards much faster than I ever moved foreword.

[WarZoneFare]

Maybe that's it!!
That's what Gree wants!
Maybe if were all more positive, give some thanks for what they HAVE done, instead of complain about what they haven't. Give them something to work towards, because every time we get an update something we did want, we are happy for 2 hours and then begin complaining again. I will admit, I have done the same thing. After Alliance Wars, I was super excited and played and played. Now, just today, I was complaining that we need something new to do. I believe this is where we all go wrong, instead of demanding changes, ask for them, and if they don't, then give a reason why you believe your thought is a good one. NOT "You should do this because it is what the players want". Because we don't (Nor does Gree) know if that is true. There are what? 20 or less people on here CONSISTENTLY. They have a couple thousand players, so what we want and what every body else wants could be different (Outside of the top 20 alliances). For ex. All of us are pretty eager to get some new UR or SR buffs or units that are obtainable. But wait, think about it! There are more new players then veterans, so they need to get them addicted like some of the rest of us. Then maybe-- maybe one day, they'll help us out a bit.

Let's have another good example- ME. When I first started the game, I was excited to get a common promoted to level 40, but then I got testudo level 20 from my first gold chest, and I got very frustrated because all I had to do was drop it in ASAP and win battles again and again. So I deleted the game. I know I know, crazy, kinda? Well at the time, yes. But, MAYBE. just MAYBE, they are trying to prevent this from occurring again.

So now on to when Ill give my suggestions WITH some things I like.

Pros:
1) I love alliance wars, I believe they should be constant!
2) I think that the UR should well be UR... rare are RARE people think about the names, I don't think they should be unachievable, but getting them like we used to is a little ridiculous. they are ULTRA-RARE for a REASON. Now like EagleProphet said in a recent post, 1 in 100 is crazy, but say 10/100. thats seems good right? Because everybody think-- if every can get UR easy, then A) The game will become boring and B) Then they wont be Rare, much less Ultra-Rare
3) I enjoy the gambling aspect of the game, it makes it feel risky. Because it is possible to get units without the gambling aspect.
4) Progress is possible yet difficult, so you can't beat the game in 20 minutes

Some small changes I'd make:
1) I think energy refills should be a little shorter, not a lot, but a little
2) Decrease some units energy points ex. Great Bombard and Apollo Nuke to 30 a piece
3) Make rares more possible in bronze chests (For new players)

Some Big changes I'd make:
1) Make a new shop so you can buy in-game units
2) Make gold easier to get
3) Make more campaigns and better rewards the farther you get, not the same ones.


Thanks for those of you who read all that. Give me your opinions. Even if you don't agree.

I know this all along - We've been very ungrateful for everything Gree has done for us. We haven't been spending enough to balance their budget. We should've liked their menu which has nothing but prices so there has always been full of surprises making us feel like puking . We should've appreciated the unexpected 20 orders of greasy fries that we didn't order after paying the price for baby back ribs. We should've admired the wisdom of the fortune cookie they gave us after each meal consistently saying "Better luck next time because you will need it." It's all our fault. Sorry, Gree.

[littlecap99]

I applaud you guys for your efforts, but I don't think Gree are listening. Their agenda is all about increasing their revenue. Things are moving in the wrong direction. For example - a few months back, with a squad of Rares, I was able to win SR and UR units. Now, with a squad of SR and UR, all I can win are Rares. So my progress has gone into reverse.

Eh worth a shot anyway! We could give it a try, not like anything else has worked :P

[littlecap99]

I know this all along - We've been very ungrateful for everything Gree has done for us. We haven't been spending enough to balance their budget. We should've enjoyed their menu of choices which consists of various prices but without knowing what we are gonna get. We should've liked the fortune cookie they gave us saying "better luck next time because you need it." It's all our fault. Sorry, Gree.

They should just go back to square 1, back to the earliest version of the game that they owned, because I don't disagree. Things need to change Gree. And I never said it was our fault, just that if I spent my days coding for money, as a job, then I'd want a half decent pay. They're getting it, just not in the right way, at all. So I just wanted to see the response to my paragraph, see what happens.

Btw all, Im in search of a game similar to LOW, Ill let you know if I find anything.

[eagleProphet]

Eh worth a shot anyway! We could give it a try, not like anything else has worked :P

Gree is in Japan. We could try contacting the Chief Operations Officer who lives in California. His name is Andrew Sheppard. Can anyone find his direct email or phone number? The company's profits fell 23% in the fiscal year, so they're clearly going about it all wrong. Maybe we could help talk some sense into them before they go belly up.

[littlecap99]

Gree is in Japan. We could try contacting the Chief Operations Officer who lives in California. His name is Andrew Sheppard. Can anyone find his direct email or phone number? The company's profits fell 23% in the fiscal year, so they're clearly going about it all wrong. Maybe we could help talk some sense into them before they go belly up.

We could give it a go. But I don't have the information. and 23% that's a lot. As in enough that you might think they would change something. Yet, maybe they don't understand percentages, thats why they think 20% to 1 is 21%! And that's why they think that the +40% makes us excited!

Gree, fix it.

[SpartanPhalanx]

Gree is in Japan. We could try contacting the Chief Operations Officer who lives in California. His name is Andrew Sheppard. Can anyone find his direct email or phone number? The company's profits fell 23% in the fiscal year, so they're clearly going about it all wrong. Maybe we could help talk some sense into them before they go belly up.

That drop in profits could explain everything. Some of the changes they have made recently do have an air of desperation about them.

I have been reading the reviews for this game in the App Store. They fall into two categories - newbies who are impressed and think it's great, and experienced players who warn against spending money.

When Gree drop the "buy a lottery ticket" model and replace it with a "buy exactly what you want" model then I shall start spending again.

[BaziOne]

Even if you could buy any specific unit you wanted, why would you bother?

I could have 6 maxed Epic units but what would I do with them? With crap prizes for all the events, it's barely worth my time to participate, since the reward for my time is useless and doesn't help me advance in the game at all.

The problem we have now is that Gree has taken away the incentive for playing. Until they bring it back (good prizes that are worth the effort/time to get - not just a desperate, obvious money grab) it really doesn't matter what units I have.

[SpartanPhalanx]

Even if you could buy any specific unit you wanted, why would you bother?

I could have 6 maxed Epic units but what would I do with them? With crap prizes for all the events, it's barely worth my time to participate, since the reward for my time is useless and doesn't help me advance in the game at all.

The problem we have now is that Gree has taken away the incentive for playing. Until they bring it back (good prizes that are worth the effort/time to get - not just a desperate, obvious money grab) it really doesn't matter what units I have.

I agree with you. It must be worth the time and effort.

When the SR and UR prizes were within my reach I even spent some money to make sure I got them, but now they are so far off that there is hardly any point even starting.

What puzzles me is why they are so reluctant to give out the SR and UR units. After all they don't actually cost them anything. They can create thousands of them at the click of a button. Do they not want happy players?

[WarZoneFare]

I agree with you. It must be worth the time and effort.

When the SR and UR prizes were within my reach I even spent some money to make sure I got them, but now they are so far off that there is hardly any point even starting.

What puzzles me is why they are so reluctant to give out the SR and UR units. After all they don't actually cost them anything. They can create thousands of them at the click of a button. Do they not want happy players?

They're just playing hard to get. When a girl is doing that to you, what would you do? Would you just give up and walk away or spend more to win her heart? Lol