A topic for the headaches. Devs, please...I cannot play

[Pantenkind]

I know there are numerous threads about issues and although there are many complaints about headaches I don’t see one dev response telling us what or if anything is going to be done. Please do not respond with any issues other than the headaches. I realize the effects make it hard to see…and there is a few threads about that.

I can deal with anything except physical discomfort. Since the update I’m getting through GW and dungeons and maybe a task If it’s quick. Then I’m done. My eyes start to hurt and it feels like needles are being driven into my skull behind my sockets. I tried using reading glasses to no avail.

Devs…if there will be an option to turn off all battle animations tell us. If not then tell us that. Just tell us something. This is a gamebreaker for myself and many others and it’s really both inconsiderate and insulting that you once again hide from the problems and us. If you are going to take the hardline stance that particle effects being turned off and a board transparency slider are never happening then tell us so I can move on.

[Sheba]

I agree with this so much. I do nothing but GW and dungeon since the update and, unlike the first UI update where a hotfix because of readability issues was quickly announced, we haven’t gotten any feedback if there will be a hotfix coming.

Fact is: I have - thankfully - some gold saved up to meet my guild’s requirement for the next week. But I have no idea how to make the trophies, to be honest, or the seals. I can likely get a week of not meeting requirements if I explain to my guild leader, but if it will take months until this will be fixed - or it won’t be fixed at all - then this will be the end of me being part of my guild and I might just quit then. I cannot play. And we also will lose a guild member on Monday who said he’s quitting for good because of the update.

It’s great that the devs made some really detailed statements about the soulforge stone change and all - I’m grateful for that, for sure - but the main issue (the headaches/epilepsy triggers named “particle effects”) has not been adressed at all yet and it’s one hell of a bother. We need to know IF - and WHEN - a hotfix is coming. And that really, really urgently.

[Saltypatra]

Hey everyone, just jumping in to discuss some of the issues regarding the newly added particle effects. While we believe that our new particles are in line with other games in this and similar genres, we can appreciate that the change from a game with minimal visual effects to one that is much more modern and rich has reportedly caused a few problems for some players. It is one of our aims at Gems of War to make our game accessible to a wide range of players, and we will be looking into the particle effects as part of this goal.

Firstly, thank you for bringing this to our attention. As I have mentioned in the past, three of us in the office are migraine sufferers and were not affected. However, we are aware that this is not the same for all people that experience migraines and motion sickness. As such, we are currently looking into ways to improve the negative side effects introducing the particles has caused a small portion of our playerbase.

Unfortunately, there is no easy way to add a button that turns all of these effects off. If we did so the player would be unable to see the current status effects and damage dealt by or received by their troops. This means that we are unable to release a hot fix for this issue. We are looking into several ways to address the problem and viability of bringing them to the game as soon as we can. We have no current ETA on this fix as it will likely take a fair amount of planning, experimentation and coding to bring to fruition.

This will be slowed down by the fact that Christmas is fast approaching and many of our team will be on holiday. There will still be some core members around during this time, but we will be running with less people that we usually do.

Thank you for your patience as we work on addressing this issue. As we move forward we will inform you of the process and what changes we are planning on implementing.

[Ghaleon]

Going forward before making bold moves like this I think more consideration needs to be give to the audience. These types of changes with this type of backlash are swift and harsh and can be avoided with discussion with us your players the ones helping keep the lights on.

I think what is most upsetting is we just had a similar issue and here we are again with a similar problem much more severe and now it can’t be fixed quickly.

I hate to beat the drum but the old UI never gave us any of the issues as of lately. Looking back I really think the UI change has not been for the better.

[Sheba]

Hey Salty, just saw that this was where your answer was originally posted. I’d like to reply here in a bit more detail compared to the Q&A since it clearly belongs here.

First of all, I am very, very grateful that there’s finally some feedback from you guys on the issue! Thank you for taking your time to explain things; I’m definitely glad you’re back from your vacaction and back to taking care of things so quickly!

I had asked in the Q&A already if a temporary rollback is impossible to do. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t even mind a button that would turn the effects, including status effects and numbers off. That would still at least let me play (and lose more often) compared of not being able to play, which would be a bad hotfix, but at least a hotfix. Granted, my vision problems mean that I cannot see the numbers most of the time anyway, so maybe that’s just me thinking that…

At any rate, I completely understand that you cannot fix the particle effects quickly. But as this means that I will lose a place in my guild (since I cannot meet requirements if I cannot play) it basically means… that I am forced to quit. And that would be absolutely sad for me. I’m not sure how many others have the same issue, but I know at least one more person of my guild quit.

Hence, either a temporary rollback (to give you guys time to change the effects after Christmas holidays or find a way to introduce a button to turn them off, but not the numbers/status effects) or a hotfix turning everything off would be very much appreciated by me. At least I could keep playing and that’s all that matters to me.

Lastly, I would like to say that I think it’s sad that you guys think that GoW needs to be “in like with other games in this and similiar genres”. Being different is not a bad thing - actually, I think it’s a good thing. If everything looks the same, what’s the point in having many games of a genre? For me, as a visually impaired player with several health issues, the “old”, minimalistic, non-modern style (both in effects and UI) was a blessing, as it made this game playable for me when I couldn’t play anything else.

I understand that moving forward is important for any company. And I also understand that I’m just sad because the changes mean that I’m left behind. But I wish that things like people complaining about the bright flashing button - which you have now fixed - would have given you the idea that the particles might cause health issues in those people from the start.

Still, thank you for taking your time to try to fix things, even if the absence of a rollback/hotfix will mean that it’ll be likely too late for me since my guild only allows one week of not meeting requirements.

[Brat]

Thank you for replying. It isn’t merely the case of motion sickness or migraines I am afraid. Some of us are epileptic. Yes there are other games in the industry that has similar flashing lights, as there are many games that have other things in common as well. However, this game is not any of those. That is why we are so passionate about this topic. We don’t want to have something ruin a game we have come to love.

We can choose what games we do or don’t play. Until this update I had no issue with this game and that is why I chose to play it. Yes there are some games I would like to play but I simply cannot because of my condition.

Theme park inventors will tell you it is easy to build a roller coaster that will make 90% of the riders sick. They can use g-force and turns and other factors to do this. However, that is not the goal. The goal is to bring the rider to the brink of being sick and have our bodies release the endorphins to cause that exillerating high. The peak of excitement is the goal. Game developers need to understand that they also have parameters that need adhered to.

One of the best things about being unique is that you AREN’T like others. Make others try to mimic you… not the other.

[Taliesin]

Saltypetra answer is a copout plain and simple. The code already exists to not have the particle effects they just don’t want to admit they screwed up yet again and place the old code back into the game.

[Saltypatra]

I wish things were that easy. Sorry to disappoint you @Taliesin.

[Pantenkind]

This sucks…this is going to force me to quit. You guys could roll back the update but someone in your office seems to be very headstrong and stubborn. They do not like to admit they were wrong.

I cannot be patient…or I guess I have no choice. I cannot play the game.

[Sheba]

Mind elaborating why they are not? Why is a temporary rollback not possible? Why is it not possible to offer us a temporary hotfix option you claimed was possible (disabling the particles, status effects and numbers) on an optional basis; so toggleable in the settings menu?

Because yeah, I’m with @Pantenkind and @Taliesin. If there’s no hotfix, there’s no more playing for me. And I won’t wait three months or longer for a “longterm solution”. There’s only so much you can put onto a player. Especially since I also just read in the other thread that the other things players (still) have health issues with - the semi-transparent board - will not be adjusted further.

Obviously, the plans of this game are to make it unplayable just like the rest of the genre to people who are not 100% healthy. But if that’s the goal and brings in more other players, I suppose that’s understandable.

[Nephilim]

Perhaps it’s not the guys in the office but 505? That guy called P**l in the stream with Sirrian, might be all his fault!! Pitchforks at the ready! Lol
I’m not making light of the problems people are having, just trying to think for another angle. Candy crush was successful because it looked so good for the type of game. Nothing fancy but it was all in keeping with the genre. With this ui they’ve been given very poor advice in my opinion and tried to fit a square peg in a round hole.

[Sheba]

Yeah, I had just suspected the same here:
https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/3-2-5-feedback-and-suggestions/33955/129?u=sheba
Since Cyrup has also declared that the other thing that gives people headaches still - the semi-transparent board - will not be changed anymore. There is no benefit in for them in keeping something that gives people health issues - unless they have no choice but to keep it.

I’ve had some experiences - I have worked as a translator for online games before. While I was only a third party, I had gotten messages from my employers, who were the creators of the games, before about “make the text shorter, it’s too big in the font and I’m not allowed to change it”. I never really asked about that - why the creator is not allowed to change something - but I suspect that in these days, to list things in the stores of Microsoft, Google, Apple, Sony and whatever, you need to follow the rules they make and with that, what they want to make out of the game.

Of course it’s just a theory and I don’t expect the devs to confirm anything (as it’s very normal that such things don’t get discussed with the players), but given how the new UI, now the new status effects and particles, have caused many health issues and make the game for people with vision problems anything from difficult to play to unplayable, there’s little else what comes to mind.

I understand the UI update in that it makes it possible to expand to other languages which was not possible before. However, the particles I don’t understand and between announcing that health issues stay ingame and Salty’s statement that the game is supposed to look like the “others” now instead of keeping its own charm, it’s either the devs having given up on what they want(ed) to create or them having no choice anymore.

Both possibilities are equally sad.

[AngryMidget]

With each UI update players seem to be suffering more and more with illnesses and each time these issues are reported. This just shows we are not being listened to, plain and simple.

Either that, or the big boys at 505 are pulling all the strings. Which lets face it is probably what’s going on.

An update is forced out despite not being good enough or being tested because deadlines must be met and corporate greed rules over.