I think thats an interesting concept/dynamic, dont you?
No, I don't.
I guess we heard everything by now at least for beta as it was announced. I have played all annual special servers except the first one and I want to continue even though I say, as many of us, "this is my last one" every year
The reason I always come back to special servers is I want something different and I don't like playing for zergs. Please prove me wrong, I really, honestly want to be proven wrong but here is how I see it:
"Something different" is fulfilled. Playing without zerg - not so much. I don't even want to touch teches subject.
On the previous versions, if you had a wing or a friendly alliance, you had to be careful about their population in the regions you held. Much less now, just need to make sure they are smaller than you, but 50% you are getting together.
In theory I can come up with gazillion exciting scenarios, in reality I played travian long enough to know that most likely scenario is to zerg a faction and there is no way to fight it. Even if your faction will not zerg there will be another one that will and guess who wins? Assuming more or less equal skills, if there is no equal skills on the opposite side what is the point anyway?
Regardless of the scenario, I feel that leadership work will increase several folds either on diplomacy front or to run a zerg
I still have a couple questions which, I thought, would be answered before server starts but now I am not sure.
How confederacy system fits in all this? Can we confed with any alliance in any faction (with current limitations) and defend other factions if we want? Can we defend own faction or only those of them who we allied?
Will map be 800 everywhere or local servers will be 400? Will there be local servers or it will be similar to 10x and summer special - all on com?
How exactly alliance contribution to the win will be calculated? Who contributes most - an alliance that fighting all round and only hold the power of a few regions so it can stay lean or good fancy simming crowd that is sent to majority of the regions with no battle value? What are the criteria?
No advanced start is disappointment, just want to mention it.