[Xenohart]

@angrlee Dude … I understood what you are saying and I think that a lot of unfortunate things happened. But, we shouldn’t bite at each other here. Over ten million downloads … the odds of being grouped together is very minimal. If it wasn’t @datguygamer taking advantage of a glitch (or whatever it was … I don’t know – I wasn’t there), it’d just be someone else. Personally, I don’t believe that the so-called players scoring 185,000 points in the first 8 hours of a competition is real (especially when it gives out 230 tokens per run). So, to @datguygamer, you shouldn’t be so upset – no reason for it – I’ve read your posts and they’re fine. And, @angrlee – your story is a good one and I’m glad you shared it – and yes, you were pushed out, it was wrong – and your strength will help others who feel pushed out, too. This is what happens when the decks are stacked and odds are against one another … people get hurt. And, while Rovio gets wealthier, we’re left to deal with the fallout. Just remember the words of Rovio CMO Peter Vesterbacka, when asked by Matt Lynly of Business Insider why his mom couldn’t stop playing … “That’s the way we built it”. Creepy. (On wordpress … thinkingerrorfree blog). Anyway – the pigs are the enemy – never forget!!

[Xenohart]

So, the science behind pay to play mobile games is that they operate on the gambling principal in their entirety [and you can research this for yourself if you want]. The flashing bright lights, intermittent rewards, and so on. I foolishly tried ABBlast and saw just how far they’ve taken this concept. The FTC will not treat it like gambling even though real money is being spent and lost … go figure. And, just like anyone at a casino, when you’ve burned through enough time and money … you get burned out. Yes, it is difficult to see some people win big and want to believe that the system is not rigged … so we keep pulling the proverbial slot machine handle.

Thing is – (trying not to beat a dead horse here) Rovio is just taking advantage of this “bigger, better, newer” attitude in America (gotta be first, gotta win, spend more, $900 IPhone that is the same as the last $900 IPhone, etc.), mixing it with gambling, and the result is that they are profiting. Add in how much they bank on selling account info – and it’s a winning combination. For the players, it’s like being in a bad relationship. Why do people stay in bad relationships? Because, admitting that you stayed for a long time with someone who treats you like garbage is insulting, humiliating, and embarrassing. It feels like a sign of weakness and helplessness (when we strive for some small amount of control in life … drama triangle 101). Not easy to deal with.

I just play the game when I’m seriously bored. Coming back, map coins are maxed and I “lost” time, that stupid spire and the daily totals went by without completion and I “lost” out, and I’ve missed out on several contests. So be it. There will be more. As long as the cash cow trudges on … lol. It gets easier to do that with time and “pull” away from the game slowly. For instance, like a lot of people, I am not wasting my time on the new Hound character (aka re-hashed Heatwave), for 10,000 coins – because Rovio is, like any retailer does, putting out an expensive product up front, banking on those who spend $$, and then they’ll troll it out to everyone else later. Once you recognize that you’re playing a rigged game with a really nasty casino owner – it loses its fun.

I won’t give up on Battlefront 1 though … I may be the WORST Stormtrooper that ever “pewed” a laser gun … but I die well defending the empire! HAHAHAHA. (Sorry – side tracked) :P Now, if I could just come up with some stupid game that flashed bright lights, gave limited chances, and sold game money for real money that emotionally took advantage of people and locked them in … I’d be rich, too … oh … no … nevermind … that would really be hitting rock bottom (<= hint hint wink wink … Rovio).

[Xenohart]

I think, for a long time, some of us were arguing that the contest included bots. It seemed to be heavily rebutted on this forum that wasn’t true … even though the math didn’t work. So, I saw the fight, die. It has taken until level 650 to compete at a more balanced scale with the group I get “bundled” into, still going from number 1 to number 18 if I don’t play every 30 minutes, and if I they put out a TF for 7500 … “maybe” … if that one player who doesn’t somehow seem to score 185,000 every round doesn’t play. For 10,000 – not even if I’m number 1 in every round, max out treasure chest bonuses, etc. As a time waster / fun game that’s not as commercialized out as the other ABs have gotten, TF is still fun – but they’re pushing it too far, now. How come they dish out other new games constantly, keep them updated, and yet, in 3 years the back half of ABT island is in a cloud, they’re still trying to figure out sparks, bats, blah blah blah …? Nah – I’m trying to hang in there because this is the only AB time waster I play – but I gots other things to do – and a LOT more fun games! Maybe Rovio and EA can get together and really slam the player / fan-base into the garbage with some more greed! *sigh* sorry – rambled. The point is: challenges just aren’t fun anymore. I get that they want to make money – and they’ve been doing so just fine with all those players who have money to waste (I suppose) – for the rest of us (that they bank off of via the info they get access to) – the “fun” is quickly dying. (Side note … it is slightly funny that “Rovio” appears mispelled on the “Rovio” forum … you’d think they would have added that word! :P)

[Xenohart]

Just an update. I never did figure out what this commercial was and don’t know if more than 1 other user (SnTrooper) ever saw it. But, from the day I asked, it disappeared and stopped playing. It is the only ad that stopped playing? Not to be “too” conspiratal, but I know there’s a lot of weird things that reach the internet that have a message hidden in them (even if just for fun), but when I asked Rovio about this… no comment. No reply. Nada. Maybe it was just a fluke? Weird that a rogue non-advertisement/ advertisement would just “magically” interject itself into Rovio’s money-making machine. You know … just sayin’…

Anyway… back to the game!

[Xenohart]

There’s no way they’ll stop. With the new tf movie coming – they’re banking on the increased traffic. Plus, tf is already scheduled for a No. 8 movie by at least 2019. So …. the question is will they dump this game for a abt #2, like they did with their star wars version, or will they actually expand the current game. All things considered … like most game companies, I would hedge my bets on no. 2 game … but who knows? I agree about the competitions … too hard to compete anymore. Therefore, no new transformers and therefore, no reason to keep playing. Meanwhile, what Rovio calls entertainment (which is just a glorified way of saying “enhanced advertising” these days), will continue to plague the masses!! My only shock is that this comes out of Finland and not America … I expect it from America … *sigh*

[Xenohart]

Ty for the responses. Could have been a time change when the cell carrier switched during the day – but that sucks. Otherwise, there was no reason for it (on an Android). Seems to have stopped now. Reported it, but as expected, no response. Maybe the support folks were just getting revenge for all the creative feedback I give every time it crashes … hmmm… Again, ty to all. Just wanted to see if it was isolated or not.

[Xenohart]

Nope. Level 505. Been doing this for a while. This is the first time anything like this has happened. I did spend 10 gems to reboot the 4 levels so I could run the competition – that’s what got me down to 204. The health reboot was 8 gems. Seen a lot of crud happen past couple of years – but not this.

[Xenohart]

Hmmm… Sorry – not sure what that means. The last time this happened, I re-energized Soundwave so I could keep going in the ultimate weapon contest (down to 2 hearts – didn’t want to die) – cost 8 gems. No biggie. I don’t buy gems, but I don’t do anything else with them, either. So – in the bot select screen, selected Soundwave, paid 8 gems for the heart refill (was at 204 gems), run the mission, and once complete – 48 gems?? This has happened 3 times today. Over 200 gems have been lost. It’s pretty frustrating. I did report this – but again – I worry that Rovio doesn’t deal with reports??!!

[Xenohart]

So, I hear what everyone is saying and can’t agree more. I started ABT when it was in beta. I lost my data twice when Rovio “updated”. Considering where I am in the game right now, I would have everything maxed probably more than a half a year ago. I’ve seen all the terrible changes and how it’s become more like AB2 with all the add-ons and costs. I have already taken formal actions to expose some of it, but to no avail. However, we have options. I don’t want to take away from the seriousness and beneficial truth of just walking away, but I have posted elsewhere on the ABT forum, more than once, that the only way to force Rovio to listen is for everyone to stop playing. It’s the same for any consumer-based activity. If you don’t like the prices, then cut out the service. It may be inconvenient for a while … but the benefits could be dramatic. We don’t have to quit unless you really want to.

Also, I don’t like being taken advantage of anymore than anyone else. It’s not “just” an addiction to keep pulling the handle and hoping the cherries will line up, it’s a hope that things will get better (definition of insanity – doing the same thing over again and hoping for change!). In a world of cruddy, high-speed releases (like Battlefront sucking out $120 from players for just over 2 years of game play and then expecting another $60 for a new release??), half-hearted programming (like ABT), and other cruddy declines in quality that we’re faced with, the real problem is that we keep buying into it. When we allow Rovio access to our private information and sit through the long commercials – WE are asking for it. We could blame Rovio … but they are just taking advantage of what WE are letting them do.

So – for those who have escaped: good for you! YOU took control back and you deserve that piece of mind. For me, I haven’t played in a few days and I’m fine with that. Do I miss competition points? Yep. Do I miss a daily reward? Yep. Do I care? No. I don’t have to log in every day, obsessed to play the game, and there’s my control. I have shut down access to all of their private data hijacking, and I repeat it every time they update because I know they reset those parameters. It’s only when I feel like it, get bored, or want a quick break that playing again suffices. You can play the game that way, too, and gain control.

The challenge is that unless we can convince 10 million players to stop simultaneously, it doesn’t matter how often we check back in – Rovio’s making money and so they’re not going to change. I’ve even taking to having fun with the “send feedback” after every crash option (and maybe someday I’ll post that … ’cause it’s super fun!). I just feel sad that people were ‘pushed’ out. I feel sad that people were ‘sucked’ in. I hope, that in reassessing one’s life, we take the opportunity to look at everything. ABT, other video games, electronics, etc. Living life by earning money to buy things (that makes “the man” wealthier) just so we can go back and earn more money (again, to ‘keep’ making “the man” wealthier), is a form of slavery. I’ve written in detail about this on my own blog site – and this “reassessing my life” post – is a perfect example.

Whatever change you make – and whatever course you take – just remember – it’s yours. You own it. Rovio can’t “make” you do anything – no one can. The only real thing we have control of in this life is our selves and our own choices. Well… anyway … sorry – guess I went off on a tangent. Maybe the real question is – are “we” the angry birds? And, how do “we” [the angry birds], fight back?

Hmmm…. play well, my friends!

[Xenohart]

I took 1st place twice, and anywhere between 2nd to 14th for everything else as I just stopped caring since I refuse to pay $20 for 350 stars. That’s just stupid. Just for kicks this time, I played 4 – 5 different times a day, and refreshed up to a 40 gem quick reload. Played with 105% max, no added bonus. It came out to 6340 stars. Starscream … an exceedingly worthless transformer as I’ve seen him played on Youtube, was available for 7500. So … oh well. With so many people going to play the Easter event, and so many people willing to buy truckloads of gems just to get a knockoff half-hearted attempt at a transformer … won’t be too many new transformers won. Well, I can say this, thanks to United Airlines, we know how Rovio would treat us if we were passengers on their airplane! Someone should complain to Norway … Amsterdam’s supposed to be much cooler than this from what I’ve heard … at least according to NPH. :) Peace Angry Birdians!

[Xenohart]

@ef5ox but, therein lies the catch. I don’t imagine that most people ‘member back to the days when an Atari or Commodore 64 were the only options (or an Apple IIe if you hated life), but I think we appreciated what we had more because it was all we had. Gaming boomed during those days. It meant as much to the programmers, companies, get-rich-quick-moguls, as it did to the players. “Earning” in game stuff was actually fun. Sure – I have said some pretty bad things in my time about video games, especially in agreement with @angrlee, as the amount of time wasted on gaming is way too much. But, when we talk about “time wasters”, and that’s all the mobile games are … they are supposed to be a little challenging (otherwise, we’d sit in front of some cr@ppy television and let our brains rot), and it’s supposed to be a little fun. Accomplishments are just a way to say “hey, you’ve spent enough time on here. Now go do something else for a while.” Having to buy into these games … well, when you consider that only 20 years ago, a landline cost $25 per month and now you pay, what … $60 or more (before all the hidden fees)? So… when is enough, enough? After all … on my post on the discussion about how much Rovio makes per day in the latest competition forum … your advertising viewing is worth a LOT, not to mention your information.

Here’s the thing … we shouldn’t have to think about all of that. Just pop a quarter in the coin slot, pull on the springy thing, and bounce the ball around for a while. It doesn’t have to be alone … it can be with others, too. And, we’ve paid out quarter in advertising. But, if your ball freezes mid-stream and you’re required to put a quarter in every 30 seconds … the momentum is lost. If the fun of seeing your high score or whatever you could accomplish (not even being the top), is replaced with a screen that says, “Sorry – please deposit more cash and play the same thing for another 50 hours so you can hate your score later,” you wouldn’t be thrilled. A time waster is no different than a slot machine. Drop a quarter, pull the handle and hope you get three in a row. It’s that simple. It’s a time tested formula that works (just ask Las Vegas). Sorry – gone on too long. So much more to say. But, the point is – whether Rovio reads these or not … not only do they not care about the players, they don’t care about their own game. They don’t give it any effort. And, they don’t even understand how the gaming industry works … that’s why they have to spread themselves thin across 15 variants of the same game … rather than making a few, single, well-made games that bring in more players.

*sigh* Sorry. but I feel what you’re saying about time. That was what I said. Time is short. Time is valuable. You’re giving it to Rovio with only one, small request … just make it fun … and they won’t even do that … even when you do give them money. Hatin’ on the birds!!

[Xenohart]

Here’s what’s so awesome about this round of competition. Aside from the bunches of crashes that started this morning (which, by the way, requires you to log into the playstore (at least for android), manually update), and then Samsung and some others just released an update that’s causing it to still not work well until you update your OS … and then the crashes just continue but ONLY when you’re playing a competition round and they “close out” the mission at the start, not at the end like they do with the map missions. Therein lies the catch! It’s not about Rovio trying to fix everything … because the way they close out the missions is clear … if you lose a mission and the game crashes, you can’t restart it – and so – you need to ‘buy’ more stuff and max out spending what you have just to keep playing.

Yet, with 10 million downloads on android, even 10% = 1 million players. That means the game is played at least 2 times per day during competitions for 2 million plays, daily. With 4 rounds per play (totaling 8 rounds per person on average), and an average of 1 ad every 3 rounds, that’s 5.3 million ad pop-ups. At 10 cents per ad (just guessing wildly, here on how much ads cost), that’s around $533 thousand dollars … per day … off of just one OS. Now, count windows and Iphone/Ipad … and well … can you think of a good reason why it’s not fixed? Just saying. Wouldn’t want to speculate about the company that said they wanted to become as big as Facebook and Google.

‘Course, the second best thing about this competition is that, after 25,000 points, it jumps to 100,000 points. Now … at an average of 1200 points per round (that’s 105% sparks with missions that are completely dominated between 350 sparks (totaling 700), to killing the big bird in the background for 2200 or so (4500 sparks), and a weighted average of mission types every 4 rounds), that means that you can earn an average max of 4800 points every 4 rounds. Sure, some real go-getters might do a little better, but I think that’s a fair number. So, for the remaining 75,000 points, you need to make that average max during your 4 round sequence over 15 times. So, let’s assume the game doesn’t crash (which mine just did again and which is why I have the time to write this). Based on the number of resets within a round (one 24 hour period), if you let the game reset on its own, you can play at least 5 … maybe 6 times (maybe 12 if you don’t ever sleep)? (someone feel free to correct that). But, let’s say you do sleep and you can only play 6 rounds letting it naturally count down between each 4 round set. That leaves you with 9+ times to reset in order to achieve the goal. Well, at a rate of 10 gems, then 20, then 40, then 60, and so on … (frankly, I don’t know what comes after 60 and only reached 60 once because I pressed the wrong button), assuming they continue at 20 gem increments, you’d need 910 gems just to get 250 bonus stars. That’s gong to cost you $20 in their store (again, assuming the game doesn’t crash, steal your gems and your money).

But hey … you at least get to earn more sparks to fight with other people in the next competition to fail to earn a new transformer that you used to be able to earn with in-game play. So … fun, right? *sigh* Sorry … let the angry bird retorts, begin!

[Xenohart]

As a waste of time – YES! Alternatives: cleaning the house. Learning a new skill. Reading a book. Something useful. etc. So … why do we keep doing it? Because working 10 hours a day at business and working 3 hours a day at home, and working for church on the weekends and donating time to charities and giving time to family and listening to news radio tell us about how terrible the world is and political leaders bickering like children and raising taxes like we’re made of money … and … and … well … I guess stress is bound to happen. We all need “me” time. I look at it this way. I didn’t pick up smoking or drinking like the rest of my family. I didn’t get into gambling or over-eating. I worked out at the gyms. I go on hikes and campouts. Television has become a duldrum of sheer stupidity … and anything significant takes too much time to squeeze in those tiny moments of ‘me’ time … a quick sneak to play a round of this stupid game … and at least it’s my time. I guess that’s why I get so frustrated with Rovio when they mess with the game. It’s actually my short break from reality and frustration during that time — steals away those few moments of breathing. I guess meditation might be better … now if only there were somewhere free of the beeping phones, bleeping machines, cars whizzing by, and people clammering on … *sigh* :)

[Xenohart]

I don’t think the DQs themselves have ever really been an issue. It’s when Rovio messes with the DQs that’s a problem. For example, popping 10 sharktihogs … no problem. Modifying cobalt valley missions during that time to have zero spawn sharktihogs or preventing missions from spawning there … problem. Dodging monoliths – no problem (a little challenging depending on the transformer). Messing with the transformers and changing how they function so that it doesn’t work the same … problem. So, when I see DQs with the cobalt valley, I’ve started giving up. I don’t have 18 hours a day to commit to just angry birds just to get the number of spawns needed … no one would (I assume). What’s sad, is this is another testament as to why Angry Birds is not a game anymore. Now, it’s just as much a time waster as something stupid like candy crush (that I will never play out of sheet stubbornness and self respect). Games have parameters of functionality that aren’t changed by system updates (ie, big red in the original did the same thing and his functionality didn’t change just to mess with the players for no seemingly good reason). Game missions are clear so that I don’t end up sending the wrong transformer into a mission whose apparent ability to explode every target on the screen except for walking monoliths or the big pig head boss, isn’t an issue. Games have goals that aren’t changed by suddenly adding a need to buy add ons (even games with purchasable dlc have a core operations that functions consistently without it and dlc acts as an expansion). The creators have spent so much time adding on their cost value, that they’ve done nothing in creativity for that terrible music, for the cookie-cutter transformers, for unlocking the island (or going back to achievable transformer unlocks like they used to have … that was enjoyable and closer to angry birds), for opening up the “coming soon” add ons (that I dread based on the way they’ve handled the game thus far), providing variations in levels so it’s not so monotonous, and so on. The challenges are fun … sort of. However, it’s quickly becoming excessively boring and seemingly impossible to get to the top (at least for me, I can’t speak for anyone else). If I’m at #1 with a 10,000 point lead 3 hours after the start, by the next morning, I’m in position 15 and the leader is ahead by … 65,000 points (from just the #2 position) – which would be completely impossible to achieve without paying for gems, and so, I’ve given up ever thinking I can reach that top. Thus, the joy in those challenges is gone (and I am still not convinced it’s real players). The ability to choose transformers to accompany on missions is okay, although it’s sad we can’t select from our own list of transformers. The cost of crystals to change transformers for map challenges is a waste of all those worthless coins that should be used for it, but it’s not overboard at this point. Sorry if this is too much for this topic, but it seems that one thing leads into another and into another. Maybe a moderator can bump it if they want :)

[Xenohart]

Problem is happening for a lot of people. I timed the number of appearances in all areas during the last competition and on average, 4 – 5 TFs appear in all areas except those on the daily quest. That forces players to play the competition when the DQ is to visit an area or kill x number of sharktihogs. I had 2 TFs sitting in cobalt valley before today’s DQ, and on today’s competition: 2 sharktihogs appeared on 1 map, and 0 on another. For 0 sharktihogs in cobalt valley – it’s not rocket science to figure out there’s a setting timed with the DQs (especially with the competition off and no other way to get to cobalt valley). I have played more than thirty rounds – and no TFs have returned to Cobalt Valley – but just during this DQ. The same for yesterday’s DQ and no TFs loading in pig city after more than 55 rounds. Just more scamming from Rovio … *surprise!*. I wonder if they’ll ever open up the rest of the map … or if “coming soon” will actually mean, “soon”? Hmmm…

[Xenohart]

Agreed!

Maybe quit making it possible for people to spend a ton of money, get a ton of crystals, and put the rest of the players down. It’s a PHONE game … not even a console game – that type of unfair advantage exceeds stupid. And … I still don’t think the top players are real. Sorry. Every time I’m rocking the event and in number two, about to overtake number 1 by 1200 points … I’m in number 4 and in less time than the game was even up and running, number 1 has more points than is possible by 4 or 5 thousand!!

[Xenohart]

Time waster. It was the original Angry Birds, then Star Wars versions .. but all that’s turned into a force to pay – or just got boring quick. This one’s going that way and quickly losing steam, too. Once, I actually played it, even through the repetition, ’cause getting achievements and unlocking transformers, thinking they may do something unique or different, was fun. Again … that’s going away, too. Otherwise, it was something different and still fun. Not some stupid puzzle game and not the same Angry Birds.

Other than that … needing to stress down, cruddy television programming, and not wanting to clean the house.

[Xenohart]

Current Rank 418 (Nubian). Just before the first beta upgrade when all the account info was lost: 218. And just before another major upgrade that cost a lot of people their account info: 318.

Sucks. But – Have every transformer except for the most recent 7 and the Halloween special: all but 14 are level 12 with one at 13, the rest are level 11.
Every Energonicon unlocked.
Max storage warehouse.
2 million plus coins (’cause their worthless for anything except the upgrades that take 2 days at a time).
16,542 pigs.
Every achievement unlocked.
Customized 20 transformers

Will probably never get to see a new transformer again because of the event issues and not buying gems. And, because they’re no longer accessible in a game that won’t expand or ever open up the areas ‘coming soon’. :) Well, that and I only get to play a few hours on weekends and rare occasions on weekdays.

[Xenohart]

I’m not as high level as many players simply because Rovio lost my info in two upgrades and over 400 ranks. I’ve built back up again – but when I see the bots UNnormalize, and they become worthless, that’s really unpleasant. In the spawns, they push their new bots that are all but worthless, forcing us to spend gems to get to grimlock. There have been so many evolutions and changes to this game from the beginning and it’s clear that none of them came from player feedback. The same bugs during special events existed back during regular events in the beginning. Rovio has done nothing to fix this, and customer support offers solutions such as: reboot your phone. It’s not the phone, or the tablet (for a lot of the problems). Yes, it’s hard to program a game to work across multiple platforms and their accomplishments have been pretty good. Their dedication to graphics, great. Their failure on music, epic. But, they still try to push us into spending money to play their games. It’s still a fact that they force the phones to unlock all its features to them (including the ability to make phone calls??), because they monitor behavior and this, like Facebook and Google, brings them huge profits – HUGE. They didn’t get into the 9 – 10 digit IP figure selling 10 million people a $0.99 cent game.

Our efforts and our work in Angry Birds is unlike any other gaming platform. We have to agree to unlock our phones and tablets so they can monitor our behavior and sell it. Aka, they make money off of us keeping their games installed. So – we ARE paying for these services and they DO have an obligation to their players. Seriously, from an Optimus Prime and Bumblebee that were, and are, still worthless, to levels that don’t accurately correspond to character levels and competitions that even top players with high level transformers can’t compete in (and it’s more than just ‘competition’ and ‘skill’, when someone can garner 45,000 points repeatedly which could ONLY come from buying crystals – although – I still don’t buy the argument that the players are all real), this game is getting bunked. It’s like all their others.

It was fun. It had the potential to grow. They could have expanded the cloudy island for what … two years now? The ‘coming soon’ mystery has been since day 1 – and that’s a LONG time for ‘soon’. They aren’t putting more money into making the game better. They make transformers that are just extensions of the original – not new. They make powers that are just modifications of the original – not new. They are not adding new level backgrounds, the music is bunk, and the glitches are rampant. This is not an ‘upgrading’ game. There are hundreds of options they can do. And, I know that if I’ve proposed a few dozen, so have other players. That is evidence – they don’t listen.

Oh well. I was enjoying it. Maybe if we all quit and give up all our hard work, the next generation will get a cool game and look cooler and sound better. It’ll be like everyone who thought Super Mario was neat watching the next generation rock ’em at Halo. How depressing …

“ROVIO!” “ARE YOU OUT THERE?” “You have a chance to make a million players happy — who will encourage a million more players – who will encourage a million more after that! Just LISTEN to the players and stop spending time on how to milk us for money, but how to make the game MORE awesome! (or at least, don’t mess up what was there!)”

[Xenohart]

If you look at the leader boards during the events, E. Grimlock WAS everyone’s bird of choice, save for a few, random others. Soundwave also did well for me, but eventually, as Soundwave is so easily injured, I had to switch back to E. Grimlock.