Luck is not my lady...

[abernathygreen]

Let me first say I love Castle Story. I have long been a fan of these types of games. It started back in the day with all those -ville games by ... well, you know. But from farms to cities to frontiers, there was always something missing. They lacked heart.

Then I found Castle Story. This game is great, it really is. I know it's free to play, but I have given teamlava actual money in the past - I believe in financially supporting games I like (I've paid a lot more for PS3 games that I play far less than Castle Story).

Sure there are glitches and I will say I've fallen into a hated gem trap a time or two (really, guys, come on, it's an easy fix! just add a confirmation screen!), but the issues I have with the game have been few and far between.

Until now.

I understand having a random element to some aspects of drops, but now three major quests rely not on my dedication as a player but on the luck based alignement of zeros and ones in the code.

I still am waiting on the horn-that-will-not-drop. Is it because I have long since stored away my Love Shack rather than be reminded of my unfinished quest every time I see it? Are my knights not adventuring on the right quests? In the right order? Or am i just unlucky? I don't know.

I am willing to slave away at Trials and Tributes even if the requisite number of actions is high. 5,000 crops? 10,000? What's a girl got to do to get more than the Explorer's Badge? Let me know the number. Give me a sense of actually achieving it - striving for the goal - not just wondering if this time, with this potion or feast or fancy beam, the code will align in my favor.

And now the dragon.... sigh.

tl;dr? I want a sense of agency back in my beloved game. I want a Castle Story that I can play, not an app of random luck.

[tanbi1]

Bingo! Exactly how I feel! I am level 30, with NO Alicorn parts, NO shards, and blatantly pathetic drops of needed resources. I play throughout every day, and no matter how hard I work, or how much I pay, it's fruitless. People are bemoaning the lack of an Alicorn part, or how long it's taking for their fourth shard to appear...I literally have had nothing that has given me any incentive to continue. It's all seeming a little pointless. I appreciate the odd random factor, but there are far too many, and it's not fair on the people who obviously aren't lucky! I'd rather slave for something I know I can achieve, than rely on a computer generated code, that frankly can't spot a loyal, paying, frustrated player when it sees one!!!

[tanbi1]

tl;dr? I too want a sense of agency back in my beloved game. I want a Castle Story that I can play, not an app of random luck.

[vchanhs]

I understand your frustration but just want to add...

1) Alicorns are really really rare but not game breaking. There is no real need for 1 besides completing the quest. Just give it time. Even if it never drop, I don't think it affect the quality of your gameplay.

2) T&T are not random. It seems to be but it's not. Just keep making and collecting the stuff that contribute to the badges and you will get it eventually.

3) This is the only one that I have issues with. An entire update and chain quests based on a random drop triggering it. This is gamebreaking indeed. But TL say they hear our feedback loud and clear. We should see.

All in all, patience is a virtue. Just keep playing if it is fun and stop when it is no longer so.

[tanbi1]

I beg to differ. Shards affect gameplay. Even just the first one for mermaid scales would do me! And have you seen the Alicorn? It's the cutest darn creature that I never did see! I want one! I don't want to visit everyone else's castles to see one! I want my own. I never was a people person. I want me an Alicorn, not a princess that can't walk in her dress.

[tanbi1]

And I want a break. A glimmer of hope. You hot the nail on the head with the fun thing...not so sure.

[abernathygreen]

1) I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to gaming. I dedicate (waaay too many) hours to side quests in rpgs just so I can feel that sense of satisfaction when I complete the goal and it gets marked off. I don't care if I *never* get Alicorn - it just bugs me that the quest is sitting there... and sitting there... and sitting there.... (at least with the dragon thing, I don't have it taunting me).

2) The point is that they *feel* random. If I don't know how my actions directly affect gameplay, then it doesn't feel like I'm really playing at all. When I do finally get the badges, there's no sense of accomplishment for a task hard won, no anticipation, or build up - it just happens.

3) At least when/if the egg shows up, it looks like we'll have player driven tasks to complete.

Castle Story is my favorite casual game. I love the art design and they've done a really great job with the characters and their stories. The whole 'just don't play if it's not fun' breaks my heart, because it can be fun - it's just lately taken a bit of a downturn by decreasing my agency in gameplay. I don't want to abandon my GlimmerWoods!

[ghjvcucjb]

ITA on many of your points abernathygreen & tanbi1, especially the computer generated code that generates multiples of things for one player and zero for others and the need to complete goals off my list.

Since my glimmer dust trove was lost in the glitch and the T&T goals aren't really identifiable, the workable goal that I got was Sabina months ago. Like I said on my nbrs wall this morning. In kingdom years thats like 40 years ago!

Although I've sent knights out every day since Valintines, NO alicorn, carriage, unicorn statue, etc.

Although I've sent knights out on valentine adventure every other day until the valentine adv was removed and now at least once a week and continuously craft random valentine plants NO pink flowering bush to finish botany goal.

And of course no dragon egg.

Yet I'm fully expanded, have 9/10 badges for almost two weeks, have almost everything upgraded to level 5... Doesn't matter how hard we work, it's just random chance. I've cut back my play time by more than half.

BUT....still holding out hope...because I really liked this game.

[hmgdanielson]

It could be complete coincidence; I want to be clear that I'm not saying it will totally work, but... When I was having problems getting alicorn parts, I uninstalled and reinstalled the game. I got my alicorn parts within the week.

It might not work, but I don't really see the drawback in trying, either.

[vchanhs]

It could be complete coincidence; I want to be clear that I'm not saying it will totally work, but... When I was having problems getting alicorn parts, I uninstalled and reinstalled the game. I got my alicorn parts within the week.

It might not work, but I don't really see the drawback in trying, either.

Lol, I do the same too. Everything I think I am missing a random stuff, I do the delete and reinstall. Works for alicorn and dragon eggs at least for me.

[Oliver118]

And I want a break. A glimmer of hope. You hot the nail on the head with the fun thing...not so sure.

Truth is, without the randomness, the game would be really boring, TL don't want that to happen, so here's a word of advice from Maguar; play on, and enjoy the game while it lasts, because, like your precious life, it won't last forever.