The game’s popularity is always changing. Currently it is quite low but a few months earlier it was „high“(for Mazebert Standards at least).
I think the presentation may scare off quite a few people before they even give it a chance. It is not flashy well animated game that some expect and so if they stumble over it, they move on.
And then yes there is the „difficulty“ but that is the challenge that most of us that stay enjoy.
I dropped every game I played on my mobile phone sooner or later.
But I always come back for this, because of its charm and also because it is always changing.
I do not think that the goal is mass compability. It is a niche and it works well there.
But why do you not tell us what your idea is instead of writing such a long preamble?
The answare to your question is: because may be sometimes I have strange way of expressing and arrangement of my thoughts.
My idea generaly is: To not change what is done. Just to include new type of gameplay in the start menu. Lets say that one type you have already: lets call it a "Chance game (original)" option button.
Now will be very nice if next to the first option has new option: lets call it "You choose" button. When the player choose this new option of game stile it will be the opisit of the first one. Meaning you can pick allways what you like. Example:
1. Towers - in the section of the towers you will recieve only points (not towers). During the game, there will be a number (in the towers menu) against each of the four circles, indicating how many towers of this type you can choose. When you click on the circle of desired type of towers, a new screen opens where all the towers of this type are and the player can always freely choose the desired tower according to his strategy (and acording the number of the towers he can pick - every new wave +1 like the original).
2. Potions and items to be the same idea. Тhe game will not make a choice for me, but I will choose how to use the number of points received in the items section and the received points in the potions section, respectively.
Also souds fair enough when the player play this new type of gameplay to recieve lets say... 20%-30% less Wizard experience, or even -50% because is much more easy (or may be just I think will be much more easy). This will encourage the players to play the original option for more exp I gess.
This is the general idea with not to much explanations. I just outline the idea and if you like we can think of the details.
(I wrote this when I was at level 55)
The sandbox or shop-based game is an interesting idea. It could be used as a tutorial or something.
The major problem I see with the idea is the cost. This game has one developer and I won't vote for him to spend his time making a more basic version of the game instead of developing new content.
Your other idea: improved match-making is a good point. We've talked about this before and there is some opportunity for improvement there.
As far as the overall theme of your message: you assume the game is all luck. I agree there is some luck, but I think it's less luck than a tournament of poker (medium-low). A single cards drop is about as much luck as a hand of poker (medium-high), but the single cards aren't how you succeed in Mazebert.
When I played more regularly, I could win most of the hard games I started (as long as I didn't make a stupid mistake by wave 10 or so).
As far as the popularity goes, not everyone plays this game while connected to the internet, so not all of us show on the active players list. You're right, there aren't a huge number of players. And about what Kami recently said, part of that reason is because the recent season finished a couple months ago, and some of us are waiting for the next season.
Edit:
From another comment by Ken
"This game came hard to me or lets say "uncomfortable" because my type of play is to find the best (for me) one or two strategies and use them all the time."
I believe this is exactly what Andy is trying to avoid. He doesn't want a solved game, but a game where you need to adapt to what you're dealt.
I've tried following a rigid strategy before and about 20% of the time I'd win and make it to the bonus round. But being for flexible should allow you to win much more often. Most of the times I lose, I can trace my loss back to a certain bad decision. For me, the bad decision is usually assuming my towers can kill a boss or challenge when they're too weak. If I'd built more damage, then I could've killed those creeps, gotten their xp and drops and been in a more comfortable position for the rest of the game.
Well... I already know that and I said it. And yes... I know that you try to avoid that. Just Im saying this is exactly what most of the players like. So if you avoid what most people want... then its your call. Im ok with that. Has I said. The people that make this game or somehow are part of its development can do whatever they want with this product, or what they think for good. I just express my vision as experienced player. For me personaly is not important. I start to trying to stop playing video games couple of years ago. It seems like your visions are very different. I wish you all best in the real life. I dont say luck in the game development, because this is not important at all. The real life is. I wish I had stopped playing a long time ago. But I work on this. With the time I have more periods non playing in my life which encourages me. Why I want to stop? Becouse the video games are harmful. Damage the right way of thinking and acting. But I will not argue, because it seems to me that you will have a different opinion again. I have proves. And I know what Im talking about. Also know the variation of how the games can be used. I have big research on this. Not only in my personal life. I know 100 players personaly and I speak with them. Also on internet I saw many videos and different opinions. Some are against playing, some are on the side of the games. I know many thiongs but I don't want to make you feel bad... when I speak all of this here. That's why I will say more only of you want to know what happend to me, and what I discover when did that research which is long with years. I apologize if I said something ofensive to someone. If that happened I didn't want to. But Im serious on this... the video games are very very dangerous. Yea... you can say that you dont have that kind of problem. And that may be sometimes some people has problems if they play to much :) but let me tell you... if you are not addicted to the video games... then just stop to play them forever. Try this and you will see that they have more influence on you than you thought. (This I say to everyone here not only to FuzzyEuk).
Peace and respect... Ken!
Hello FuzzyEuk. You make a comparison between poker and this game.
First - honestly playing poker is more likely to get the desired card (especially considering that x4 are the same) than to get the desired playing mazebert td because there are 52 possible cards in poker. In Mazebert TD they are at least 70 (towers + potions + items) provided that you play with only one of the 4 elements. If you play with all 4 at once, then there are at least 100 chance possibilities.
Second - the comparison between gambling games and a tower defense seems completely inappropriate to me as a type and goal of the game.
Third - what I suggested - a new menu - will not be difficult at all nor will it take much time. No change in the basis of the game is required. Such a change will only improve the game and add many more new players. So in the end it will only benefit.
(I wrote this when I was at level 56)
Personally, I think the charm of this game is the uncertainty. There isn't a perfect way to play the game. That's the point of my comparison with poker. With other tower defense games, you follow the optimal strategy once you discover it.
As far as the danger of video games, humans can be addicted to many things: games, alcohol, television, cake, drugs, romance, exercise, etc.
Any of those can destroy your life if you allow it. There's no point to stopping all of those because some abuse them and ruin their life. That's a very short-sighted view. I think it's accurate to say that most humans participate in all of things I listed and most have more benefit than harm.
I respect your opinion. We can say what is right or wrong acording to our brain abilities to understand something (but never everything). I said this only acording to His word in the Bible. God know everything. Only God can say what is right or wrong without mistake.
