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Communication and protest. I did so here in hopes that Rovio would get the message. Not that I think they are going to reverse all the BS simply because I stopped playing. Who am I? But, as someone else said, if we all quit playing, that would be powerful, and would make Rovio rethink its recent destruction of the game. People seem to forget as consumers, when we act together, we can change bad decisions. Rovio exists because of us and they have exploited that loyalty at a time when people are locked down with nothing else to do but play games. So Rovio is also exploiting COVID for profit. The question is, why aren’t you quitting, @foulmouthedleon You’re okay with Rovio being douches?

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Has anyone ever done an Environmental Impact study of Angry Birds? If they support Animal protection, does the running of Angry Birds work against a healthy environment in which animals (and humans) live? How much electricity, by both Rovio and those who play their games, is wasted on this game? And is that energy green?

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I’m joining you. They are not going to step back from these changes. They are exploiting the pandemic to cash in. As someone else said, playing now feels like a chore, something to get done along with the washing up before going out for the day. But change is good, and AB is not the only game in town.

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I think they did very well during quarantine with all of us having more time on our hands. They got used to it and now want more.

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We’ve been discussing this for a few weeks now. Look further in the forums at Arena and Daily Challenge threads. Rovio has very much changed things and not for the better according to most here.

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What is this? I just played in the Arena and, with one bird left, I was slightly ahead of my opponent who had no birds left. I threw my final bird, inched up a bit more to ensure my win and then, despite having no bird to throw, my opponent’s score shot up by 4 million, winning the match. How the hell the did that happen? How did my opponent score 4 million points without any birds to throw?

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Sorry, the ads are not optional.

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So, would you then say that Rovio’s new model is to focus on a small group who spend money a lot at the expense of those of us who have a more casual approach to the game, content to watch ads? They’ve even added ads to the normal game play and these ads are optional. You must watch them. So, Rovio has altered everything to get us to spend spend spend. The quality of the experience no longer matters. Money money money is the only purpose of this game anymore.

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Same with today’s Clan battle. Total bird wasting bullshit. Absolute fuckery.

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The only reason to play the Daily Challenge now is to collect the 15 gems for playing. But as I am not spending gems, or watching commercials in protest of the recent changes, there is no reason to even collect the gems for playing. So, no reason to play. This is what you have done, Rovio. You have arranged things so the logical conclusion is not to play. Even in the Arena, where you shut us down on level 1 or 2, it just seems you do not want us to play? The game now seems to be all about shutting players down, not encouraging them on.

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They are not backing down on this, are they? Today’s Daily Challenge is bullshit. 3rd level room 3 is designed to ENSURE you WILL NOT finish WITHOUT spending money or gems. It’s total, transparent bullshit and we are pathetic to continue playing. I accuse myself, too. Why do I keep playing a game whose designers seem now intent on making the game as utterly unenjoyable as is possible. Total bullshit throughout now.

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Sorry, thought it was an apt analogy. Even today as I was playing the joke ran through my head, “Have the Trumps taken over Rovio?” I think you should get used to it, though. In the weeks, months and years to come, Trump is going to be the go-to analogy, metaphor, simile, allusion, etc, for all things cheap, greedy and corrupt.

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Playing the DC is now like experiencing Donald Trump’s presidency. It’s just all about losing. This is how I play now; strategic losing and avoid the Arena altogether. Angry Birds 2 is now all about how you lose, not how you win. Well done, Rovio.

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As expected, I played again and completely destroyed my opponent, winning my 1000 feathers. So clearly Rovio is staking a lot in people’s vanity vis a vis rankings.

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I just played the first level of today’s Arena and was defeated. Why does Rovio think I would now give 60 gems to start over when I can just replay level 1 for free? Sure, I loose ranking, but so what? If I play level 1 enough times, I’ll get the 1000 feathers at the expense of a few Arena tickets, which are everywhere these days anyway, so it’s no real expense beyond time.

However, when Rovio shuts us down on level 1 or 2 in the Arena or halfway through Daily Challenge, they are effectively closing the Arcade. It does seem like they are intent on having us not play, because the conditions for continuing to play have become, not subtly over time, but instantly onerous.

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The timing of this is no accident. People are stuck at home and they are going to get money for xmas and Rovio’s making a play for it. Don’t give in. Boycott Arena, DC and refuse the chests they offer. Take a hit for a while and deny them this Christmas cash grab.

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Exact same experience just now. I even used spells and paid 60 gems on the final Boss Pig level and still nothing. The 3 birds they gave me in relation to what remained were useless. The timing of this is no accident. People are stuck at home and they are going to get money for xmas and Rovio’s making a play for it. Don’t give in. Boycott Arena, DC and refuse chests they offer. Take a hit for a while and deny them this Christmas cash grab.

[rgc]

All of these changes are nothing more than gem traps. Rovio has increased significantly how much you have to pay to move forward in DC, Arena and MEBC.  It’s transparent bullshit. Clan battles are the only rooms remaining where one wins or looses in ways that seems consistent with expectation.

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I agree. The new Arena is awful. It’s the Angry Birds equivalent of a tourist trap. Indeed, it should be called The Trap. It’s a transparent a cash grab; so too, changes to Daily Challenge and MEBC. Rooms are full of bird wasters and as another commented, these pigs are tougher than before. Strikes are a rarity now. And Chests are full of Arena tickets now as well, making even opening these freebies tedious. A great deal of satisfaction has been lost.

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I have found that since the unfortunate changes to the Arena, the difficulty level in MEBC and Daily Challenge have both increased markedly. Before this change to the Arena, I never had to use spells in the Daily Challenge. If I don’t use spells now, I’ll be coughing up 60, 120, etc. DC plays more like Panic now, just without 3 boss pigs. Rovio’s becoming a (transparently) greedy little pig.