A new or lower level player will see all the Secret District promoting in the game and think it looks cool. While using a low level account to get some screen shot of the Bandits, I went to By The Bookie and clicked on the “Do Job” button of the first job. I needed equipment items and was over 2 million Real short. The only option I was given on the popup was to buy it for 1,351 reward points. There was no mention of the fact that I could do other jobs in Brazil and get it for free. I suppose a player who didn’t know any better would think they were getting a deal because normally this would cost 1,930 reward points!
I went to the Marketplace and clicked on the “Buy More” button to see how much it would cost to buy this currency. To get enough reward points, I would need to spend $300.00. Most trying Mafia Wars do so because they believe it’s a free game. I don’t think this helps with new player retention and that is what is needed in order to save Mafia Wars. This type of thing clearly demonstrates that Zynga isn’t doing enough to hold on to players and is a Epic Fail!
and players with high attack skills points and defense poiints less energy=less Money less money =unlock zyngya shit to do a job
ReplyDeleteNew players start out in Chicago now and early jobs have similar values to low level NY. No other city is available ("Travel" is not available until level 25), the marketplace isn't available until level 15, the Inventory tab is blank, the boss/operations tab is blank, the splash bar is absent so they are not seeing the secret district or Family property and boss fight ads. A new player is so totally isolated that he has no idea how many mafia he has unless he goes to the fight page. Mafia management is an Invite Friends popup. Information on how to play is so minimal it is ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteTHAT is why new players are not sticking... there's no glue.
I think you're right, I made a throwaway account and it turns out you don't even get missions until lvl 50.
DeleteI asked my sister to unblock her level 11 account, to help me with the NY LE properties. She started playing again over Christamas and managed 5 levels..before she saw level 1000- 9500’s attacking her daily for easy ices. At that point, she blocked it again. It’s not just Zynga that kills off the stream of new players, plenty of high level players are doing a pretty good job nailing the coffin shut.
ReplyDeleteShe cant b attackd by high lvls b4 450 lvl unless sumone is passing her link around
DeleteDude, FYI a level 16 wouldn't be attacked by those levels. A level 500 maybe. You don't or didn't even hit the shark tank until level 400, so the highest a level 16 would see is a 399/400.
DeleteExactly as Anonymous Feb 23, 2012 11:08 AM said .. they create minis and harvest links to attack minnows to bloat their stats. I'd post a link with photos if you want proof...but would probably be removed. It is not just one account doing it, there are many...and they are not weak accounts. You can see in the attackers list... 8 accounts around level 20 attack and 2 accounts in the 1000's.
DeleteI Love it when others tell someone that they cant see or it cant be even when IT IS WHAT THEY SEE!!
DeleteI created a mini a few weeks ago just to see what the game looked like for a beginner. When it was at level 16 it was getting attacked regularly by a level 35,000.
Delete^
DeleteI can confirm that is exactly what is happening. It's a vicious circle. Why? Because of their predatory/bully tactics, fewer players are playing. That causes them to go even harder after newbies or other low level players. And really at this stage of the game, how many *REAL* players are or would want to start playing the game now when these people (not hard to figure out who - just create a throwaway character and you'll see it's "the usual suspects" that start icing you)?
Heck, I'd wager 99% of the low level/new players aren't really new players (but ghost accounts by high level players using the account for 'farm purposes) BECAUSE of this bullying. In the end, it spell the end for the game as no new players are replacing the old players you naturally lose from attrition.
This is correct. There's different scripts and other methods that some players use to generate a p|# assassin-a-nator "list" of low level players.
DeleteSomeone generates a list, then plugs it into ASN in TARGET MODE and let's it ripp. You can get 1,000+ ices a day or your 150 family ices very fast for less stamina(you 1 hit low levels that are alive) with the methods.
There are also some scripts out there(mostly you pay $$$ for them) that generates low levels/inactive people on it's own and hits them all day.
In my circle of friends this has all become very controversial.
On one side people call this bullying and ruining the game.
On the other side people point out that the most of the low levels they hit are inactive accounts, minis, throwaways, ghost accounts and that anyone can make their own custom lists of low level players, albeit spending much more time to do so.
I am positive some will be pissed I even posted this, but deal with it peeps.
Back on topic. Zynga does next to nothing to gain new players. One promotion - that sucky 'starter pack' thing. Wow.
Not to mention the 'master' and 'student' thing which was HORRIBLE and USELESS. Although they where on a good track with it, they just had someone that doesn't play the game decide what the rewards are. They might as well give us a butterfly knife and call it cool.
They need to advertise to new players outside of the game, they need promotions for new players - ones that can't be abused, ones that don't suck.
What's zynga's answer for all of this? Let's make Mafia Wars 2! Lmao........
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DeleteIMHO, the easiest solution (if it's possible) would be to give ZERO credit for non-shark tank player ices for shark tank players. Give at least these low level players (new players) a fighting chance before being hammered.
Sure there would still be bullying going on, but at least it wouldn't discourage legitimate new players from building up characters.
I've been playing for a year and have built up a mafia of 1900. Over the past 4 months, about 400 have blocked the game. Out of curiosity, I started tracking the levels of the people leaving. While a lot of the people quitting were below level 100, the largest number of people quitting were around level 500-600. I see the same people cycling on my fight list every day...where are all the players? Icing 150 is getting harder and harder every day. Player health has gone through the roof..and the stamina investment has just not caught up for most of the level 500-600 player,so they are target and unable to deliver to their family.
DeleteFWIW from what I've seen, the level 500-600's leave the games, but it's the higher levels that tend to attack the very low levels.
I am at level 6146, and have been playing for about 6 years. I am getting attacked by players with defense over a million. I don't have any auto play at all. I have just under 25k kills...all by manual labor. Almost half of my team has left. I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a Game Station and playing WWII games. I am working with someone as I write this developing software to produce a live action Mafia Game. I'm a loyal MW daily player, but it takes me forever to get ahead.
DeleteHow does one block, or unblock an account? Thanks for your time.
DeleteActually this should be titled,
ReplyDelete"Why New Mafia Wars Players Don’t Stay: Reason #394"
Agreed 100%
Deletewhat level do you have to be to do the secret district?
ReplyDeleteIve been good at pointing out things you already knew over the years. Lets try another:
ReplyDeleteEver consider, that you arent giving the big Z enough credit? They come up with extremely clever ways of getting people to use rp. They are systematically annoying older players. They have made it shallow and difficult for new players. You used to start with nice easy jobs, finish them quickly, level up a bunch to start, ect. "Wow, im getting so much done, so fast. This game is cool!" Now, that is not the case.
What if Z cant shut down the game, but wants to. They cant control every little bit. When someone is down to just a few items left to upgrade his zoo, and build a warthog, does he or she break down and use rp to finish it? Nope. Because if hes in a family, someone like me already gave that person enough to fully upgrade all his NY properties. Along with 1000's of other items, that older players have so much of, they literally go out of their way to give to those that can use it. (more missed sales opportunities for Z)
They cant just shut down the game. They are in the public eye. So they hamstring it, set up rp traps, and watch the numbers. Say X=profits from rp sales, and Y=daily users. IF X remains constant, Y care?
Dude FYI a level 16 would be attacked by those levels. Many of the red tagged high level families attack lower levels. It happens daily during ice seasons.
ReplyDeleteI believe they 'hive' lower levels details and put them in their whitelists.
I can name one family in the top 5 who regularly attack my partners mafia, they are level 10. My partner only fires it up to gift me after I ask, but I can see who has been attacking them. And it is not just them, it seems there are quite a few players who use minis to get 'minnows' details.... It does happen Al.
Jen the secret district Cash problem has been around since day one. I mentioned it to you (way back) that my low level family members were struggling for cash. You said something about a cash glitch, but that never worked.
ReplyDeleteAs for the High levels hitting low levels.......simples.
ReplyDeleteI highlighted this problem months ago on this very blog. One family was battering a very low level player in my family constantly. I'm talking level 13,000+ and 10,000+ players hitting a level 120. When I looked at the 'family' it had 101 members most of which were variations (in name) of The godfather and the underboss's It was obvious to me what had happened. A couple of THAT families members (low level) create a whitelist/blacklist of REALLY low level players, then the high level accounts (same players no doubt) use that whitelist/blacklist of low level players to get their 150 a day because the are too weak to hit anything over 1000. How do I know the level 13000+ were so weak? I hit every member of that family with my level 2000 account for 2 days and won every fight! - They never once tried to hit me back!!!! This scenario is hurting the game more than anything Zynga is doing!
Players have access to ALL players now that we have families and battles.......just go to the battle modules and scroll to the bottom of the leader boards and work your way up the lists and check out the families at that end and you can then add them to your own whitelists ......its too easy for the strong to find easy targets regardless of who shows on the fight lists. Families/Clans ruined the game PERIOD!!!!!!
DeleteMy account is in the low 400's (pre shark tank) and I find big accounts attacking me for easy ices hours/days/weeks/months after battles. I am very strong for my level, but am no match for people 1000's of levels aboves me.
Delete^
DeleteIt's reasons like this that the number of players (I mean REAL players and not ghost accounts) have been decreasing for a while now.
Well this is to be honest the most silly post I have ever read, ever wondered why a kilo potatoes costs more than 5000 dollars? Cause I take my 2 fried potatoes in a fancy restaurant as a benchmark... We are all responsible enough to judge whether you buy all at that price or maybe need just 20k Brazilian cash to finish before deadline... sorry but due to all complaining about missions and events there ain't no better news I guess :/
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