I think this game is dead, reasons:

[true maple]

1- really long queue time, people really wont wait 2 minutes for the game to fill up.
2- i bought many map packs just to keep waiting in the queue hoping a game would fill up.
3- you play games were almost every player bot out from the 5th turn.
4- this game have many bugs but devs keep focusing on releasing new content for cash instead of fixing all the bugs we're facing from along time ago.
I had this game along time ago, used to play with friends. But honestly i feel that this game wasnt worth my money although i do really love it. I dont like the stress of tournaments i just wanna have fun playing ranked, but long queue time and all of these bugs are ruining it. Just to add that this genre of games usually have low playerbase compared to battle royale and moba games, and stuff in risk are really expensive compared to other games. This is the truth and ik some people would get offended, but you cant hide from reality.

I think this game is dead, reasons:

[low cargo]

No arguing the ranked FFA player base is down right now, but I believe that is due to the update being so rough and buggy. Not many want to risk their rank with some of the bugs that were in the update. SMG has owned this one was rough.

The good news is I have seen how hard they are working to clean it up. Once everyone sees the bugs have been fixed the lobbies will return to normal.

[true maple]

Yeah, but these issues existed long time ago like long queue time and the bug were you have to surrender to win. It's just that new bugs existed now. Hopefully they prioritise fixing bugs over new content to retain the fans.

Just to add that most players are focused on certain game settings, it's not smgs fault, I'm just saying that when you buy a map pack that isn't europe advanced progressive capitals, or the classic map then you'll have to wait and pray someone joins and waits 2 minutes for others to join. Honestly I don't think there's a solution to this except adding bots which will ruin the game, generally because risk have low player base.

Also this game doesn't punish players who leave the game, which every game does. There's no penalty for going afk without being reported. You can just surrender if someone is stalling or you had something urgent.

Maybe they can ban them from ranked for a limited time that increases if the player kept leaving.

[late pecan]

I partly agree with this. I'd say there are other big reasons for the game dying. Along with all these simple bug fixes that even a mediocre developer could fix in a few minutes, the games bans its biggest fans. They ran off or banned their 10,000 hour players. They literally believe it is okay to ban innocent people. Players who play the game the most will likely have a 100% of getting banned. 10,000 hour players are the ones who keep lobbies alive and active. Thinking about myself playing, I had a full lobby going all day. I knew how to host in a way to fill it fast, etc. I would wait 20-30 minute sometimes when needed. Nobody else would host most of the time. 10,000 hour players and whales are two most important kinds of players. And here I am both. But yet they didn't care in the slightest that I supported them and paid GTA 5 prices for this game. The discord has a strong survivors bias so no change ever gets made since the people who left the game for good never have their voice heard. Nobody wants to stick around and try to make change to a game that will ban them just for playing it.

[true maple]

But what were the banned players accused for?

[late pecan]

If they won their appeals, then nothing, right?

[late pecan]

For me alone, winning every appeal means being banned half the year. But also plenty of cases of people being wrongfully banned.

[true maple]

Damn

[late pecan]

If you play the game alot you will accumulate more reports per 30 day period than everyone else. Fake reporting players is out of control if you ask me and many others. If you play once a week you might never get banned unless you cheat or collab.

[true maple]

So basically they got fakely reported

[late pecan]

Yeah. It is an effective way to be toxic.

But also SMG has gotten it wrong at least some of the time also. Like there used to be this bug (may still be) where the game would still your free tokens. I watched ads over and over all day to play again and the game stole all my tokens. When I messaged them they called me a liar and said that was impossible. But that is only one of many things I could name.

[true maple]

Youre right,many newbies accuse people of cheating. And if you play too much then theres a high chance you getvin the lobby with same people in a low player base game

[late pecan]

Appeal process can be slow too, sometimes taking weeks. So if you are wrongfully banned you could be wrongfully banned for 2+ weeks every 30 day period.

[late pecan]

Exactly.

I would go crazy each time I got a ban too, because I went to such great lengths to not be banned. And I am overwhelming better acting than the other players I play with. They can get away with much more presumably because they play less.

But also I did not have the time to check each and every day to see if I got a new ban, so sometimes I got banned and did not appeal at all. Sometimes you get banned and you are so mad you don't want to speak to the devs at all.

[true maple]

Sadly i paid too much in a game were devs ban you for playing too much and focusing on releasing new cosmetics instead of fixing the game.

[late pecan]

Each appeal you miss or ignore will hurt you ban since you will be banned for longer and longer periods of time.

[late pecan]

Right, That is exactly how I feel. And I keep telling them we are a super majority. This discord has a strong survivors bias. But most of us agree with you I believe.

[true maple]

But i still love risk and i play it in family nights

[late pecan]

Yeah, it is a solid game, even the best Risk game made so far if not for the stupid bugs and the aweful ban system.

[true maple]

I see this game might become like command and conquer games. Still held by a small but dedicated player base

[late pecan]

Ha! Funny! Yeah, that is probably true.

[true maple]

The reason might be because this genre of games have a niche market that isnt worth competing in. Just a small pie

So monopoly will rule

[late pecan]

I have to say, the devs really need to think about the consequence of selling something to someone and taking it away from them arbitrarily. They will have a class-action lawsuit one day. Yeah. I get you on that but this game doesn't really take long to make. Maybe 2-3 months I could remake the whole thing except the artwork. And there would not be any of these awful bugs that take 5 minutes to fix. I was actually about to clone it but I decided on a different project instead.

[true maple]

Many battle royale companies got shut down just because they didnt got famous enough, despite their great concepts

[true maple]

Even if you made a new risk game it wouldnt be profitable competing with an old shark

For a small peice of cake

[late pecan]

A game like this doesn't take long to make and cost next to nothing to maintain though. They will spend most of their money on advertising but maybe not even if enough people naturally search for Risk games.

[late pecan]

If I made it, I would be in the profit at the start since my labor is free. Well I would have to pay for an artist to make emotes.

100 Dollars to put it on steam plus the cost of art. Maybe 50 dollars x 100 emotes, characters, etc

[true maple]

But what about people who already paid hundreds of dollars? They wouldnt want to hold the exchange cost

[late pecan]

Labor would be about 600 man hours, but that is free for me.

[late pecan]

Paid 100 dollars for what?

[true maple]

Premium, map packs, emotes...

[late pecan]

I see what you are saying. They would have to get refunds if they can and then get the new better managed game. I would also NEVER falsey ban someone. And bugs like this game has is very unacceptable. I have to say each of these bugs are obvious 5 minute fixes that the devs themselves should have found before even publishing. I have also tested all my products thourogly before release. Sometimes I think these devs don't even play their own game.

[late pecan]

Did you get banned on here yet? That sure is alot of money to be stolen from you.

[true maple]

Not yet, thankfully. But i think my money wasnt worth spending and theres noway for a refund

Also i still wanna play this game

Its not that i hate it, its just the bugs and low player base is what killing the game

[late pecan]

That sucks. I feel you. I also want to play it. Yeah, you are right, Bugs, low player base, honest players being banned and leaving on mass.

[true maple]

They couldve fix previous bugs instead of releasing new expensive cosmetics and add monthly subscriptions

[late pecan]

What did they add subscriptions for?

[true maple]

Maps, sandbox

[late pecan]

Interesting. Yeah. They are good on content, they have a massive amount of it to satisfy most. But there is just nobody left to play with and the settings are too different that what few players there are are divided up into different settings that don't play together.

[true maple]

You hit the right spot, so many settings with a low playerbase

[late pecan]

Caps was always my favorite. But sooooo few players. And I was the main host for the longest until they ran me off.

[true maple]

But honestly 20 dollars for a yearly subscription would be safer for new players to test the waters.

[late pecan]

I think that is too much if you ask me. I think many will probably not want to spend that money. They just need to make the players they got happy and bring the players they lost back.

[true maple]

This way theyll know that buying map packs isnt worth it except for europ advanced map

[late pecan]

I was thinking more like 99 cents a month to play. that is about 12 bucks a year.

[true maple]

Its too much, but if you compare it to an 80 dollar maps to own then its way cheaper

Ik you can wait for sale but still, what about cosmetics and emotes?

[late pecan]

I see what you are saying. Yeah. No reason to buy the map backs if you know there is not enough people who will join. And the other people who bought map backs have probably been banned already since if they spent money on the game they probably like it more and therefore play more, thus leading to a ban.

[late pecan]

Yeah, expensive to buy everything one by one.

[true maple]

But at the end i still wish best of luck to the devs and this discord family, theyre really doing a great job keeping the game alive. I just hope we get all the bug fixed, more players to join, and being able to retain the OGs.

[keen lava]

I wish youbcoyld obtain some emotes as a f2p

[sharp vault]

You get free gems right each day

[keen lava]

By watching ads you gain 2 gems lmao

[sharp vault]

Then there is a f2p option. Just support the game and buy premium. Yall want first row seats for free

[keen lava]

That s why i saod a few emotes. Not expecting it all to be given for free....

Just saying that 2 gems/daily by watching an ad is brainrot maxxing

[true maple]

When you play via steam theres no ads and the controls feel way better.

Also everygame have ads, some are unplayable but this is good

[keen lava]

Yess i should install it on laptop, no space tho 😭😭

This one is okay indeed

[true maple]

No space? You got full storage? Cause it doesnt require too much

[keen lava]

I do, it s full bc of school (building programs etc)

[true maple]

Damn bro, school is the worst

[keen lava]

It seriously is

[dense topaz]

Not sure what you mean for expensive? I bought the unlimited coins a couple years ago and have never needed to pay for anything other than occasional new maps

[sharp vault]

Dont even need to pay for maps when you join others afaik

[late pecan]

Imagine watching over 100 ads to fill up your coins then the game stealing your coins without you even getting to play a match lol.

[keen lava]

Just happened to me

[late pecan]

Yeah, that was the first thing I ever brought up to SMG. I could even reproduce it for them had they asked. But they downright just called me a liar. lol.

[keen lava]

Smg really has some issues

[late pecan]

Yeah, I bet they have an army of people they pissed off that are probably sabotaging their game nonstop. Really thinking about it I think every game I every played had trolls that stuck around only to ruin the game. The way they treat their client base makes me think they have an above average level of trolling in this game.

[keen lava]

That s a good theory lol

[sharp vault]

Like you doing rn? Complaining while you can just pay a small bit and show support🫩

No more coins. Yay

[late pecan]

We paid to show support. Our faces were properly spat in. lol.

[keen lava]

LoL, the issue is not the ads to earn coins. But OK