Events

Hey guys. I was just running the numbers on the Lumberjack event contemplating the value of it for my level 19 city. I could definitely use the improvements that are offered as rewards for the first 3 rounds, and the log cabin would be a nice addition of course. However, looking at the expense in pre-event production (just in beams alone), this event is prohibitive for a lvl 19. Keep in mind with all the things a level 19 still has that needs improvements or upgrades every production point and city coin counts.

Here are the numbers as I got them for the Beams requirements only.

5 level 2 lumber yards (no more available to build)
16 beams per run per yard
150 PP per round of beams

Event beam requirements
rnd 1 250
rnd 2 400
rnd 3 800

Total 1450

1450 beams/ 16= 90.625 lumberyard(have to run that 91st lumberyard to complete requirements)
91*150= 13,650 PP (PP reward for event is 15k)
19 total hours of production in beams alone. Not including the lumber and logs that are also required which also require PP to get there.

With these facts in place I think you should be able to see where I am going.

A level 50 or 75 player who has all the production facilities maxed and lots more houses to get PP from will be able to complete these requirements without sweating about if they have the stuff needed to get there.
A level 30 or below, however, is another story. We need more division in the events so that those just getting going can reap some of the benefits of these events and help them keep assets flowing in.
current division is lvl 8-14 then 15-75.

I suggest the following

6-15
16-25
26-50
51-75
with rewards increasing to match difficulty. At least then everyone has an opportunity to get in on the events. Though not required to progress those rewards can go a long way to making the journey even more rewarding. Being able to complete them is the key though. With the cost of production higher than the end rewards, an increase to PP rewards at all levels would not be a bad idea either. I understand the other rewards are taken into account as well, but 15k in PP when you will spend well over 20k in production, seems more like a penalty than a reward.
I have bypassed the last 2 events simply due to expense factor.

I know you guys work hard to give us the things we want or need. Thank you for everything you do.

AmberAnn | ID 9537962

 

AmberAnn the events are meant to be a challenge. You do not have to complete all of the stages of an event. The events are also designed to force players to upgrade their city to make the event more doable. The real problem is once you get to a certain level the events become rather routine.

 

I agree that we need more tiers in events. We've been wanting new tiers for higher levels especially, and they could use some tweaking for sure. We've been on and on about it, especially being able to choose which tier to play.

Your specific reasoning I largely disagree with, however. The events are perfectly completable in the levels they are available for, though of course they may be more difficult in early levels, depending on how you've develop your city. So everyone already has the opportunity you seek. Whether they need to be easier is up for debate. Actually, they were easier until not long ago, when requirements were increased and they removed our extra mill permits.

I know everyone plays differently, but to not have your mills maxed already is hurting you. If you have the time, it only takes a few days. It's also terribly unwise to even try to produce the beams needed for the event during the event: you use what you have stockpiled or acquire beforehand – things you'd be doing anyway because they can be made at any time. Yes, you always need materials, but you should keep a stockpile regardless. This goes for any non-event item as it may be impossible otherwise in the time allotted and allocatable by the player.

You have to also consider that the manufacturing facilities are more efficient when upgraded, using less PP per item made. You use just shy of 10,000 PP with level 3 mills for the same amount in half the time, which is entirely doable even during the event. If you are making beams anyway, the only PP really being spent is on the logs/power bars, which cost much less. With the rewarded PP in addition to what you make already, you tend to at least break even with no difficulty, which I think is fine because you shouldn't try to rely on event PP to keep you going. Events also help you learn to manage yourself.

Upgrading manufacturing should be a priority. The thing is, to have any real chance of success you are pretty much required to max your production at the cost of everything else at first, which is kind of limiting/boring/problematic in it's own way, but that's how it is. I know it's perhaps not the most friendly path to take, but it's arguably the best, for better or worse. You could also provide BP with income. While recurring events can always be done again, there are some events that are once a year so it's not really an option in my opinion. You max manufacturing ASAP, relax later.

The fact that an event may be more expensive than the initial income/reward isn't really problematic to me, and it's not entirely unrealistic for that matter. Usually, the rewards in PP and CC more than compensate you in event-exclusive expenditures (manufacturing event-only items and clearing boulders). CC rewards are abysmal when you consider how much you can sell materials for these days. In fact, some of them used to only cover the cost of placing the permit you win before they were free to place.

You really only do events for special permits/items/MM, experience, and the challenge. You get something special at a relatively reasonable cost, especially considering premium items. Events are investments (generally loosing ones, because the special permits aren't going to recoup your expenditure either) and commodity sinks. PP can end up being free anyway, even early on, and usually you end up with too much, so you basically loose nothing there. If you need RIs, you may as well just buy some packs with CC. You'll gain way more than enough CC selling the beams needed for the event to buy some and probably get an epic or two anyway.

If you run the numbers on most things in the game, especially in isolation, you end up loosing financially. Potential RI returns vs. costs of packs are rather low. It takes years of collecting rent to cover the cost of some building upgrades. That seems to really get to some people that can't seem to rationalize other sources of income. It's best to ignore that. Capitalists have mostly lost their role because you loose money supplying them with most goods. Unless the market prices drastically decrease to the levels they were years ago (and then some), you are going to loose no matter what, at least in the short term (and the foreseeable future) if you only look at the profitability of the event alone, or any action, really. If you can't afford it it's another story, but if your PP flow is positive you should be fine, even if you take a momentary dip. RC is more of a holistic system, I guess, with everything profiting together.

Not everyone likes it and it can be hard to sustain at first, but the emergency system helps quite a bit as well over time, giving you PP and materials.

TL;DR Almost everything is prohibitive somehow at any level and it doesn't really get significantly better until you have no need for a given material, at least. The only remaining factor is if you want the stuff enough. You want the log cabin? Just do it. In the best case scenario it would only take a few months or so for it alone to recuperate the cost of acquiring it, itself a prohibitively expensive goal that I don't care to calculate. Or you could sell about a day's worth of beams and be done with it the next day. Events, generally, are only going to help you, despite the material costs. Leveling begins to take a long time and all those goodies add up. In the end, RC is like Legos; the more pieces the better.

And yes, we need to have those extra mill permits available for purchase again, BP.

 

Arsuru thanks forgiving the type answer I wish I had had time to deliver. As usual you come to our rescue.