I dont think it will either Amaterasu as people have adapted during the last 2 years playing more alone and solo.. and we also have drones now so u can sit home all weekend and stock up on gear without even going out.... those days when u did frackers with bunch of agents are long gone in my town atleast except for when we had those kythera bb events then agents came because there was a badge to earn lol otherwise i dont run into agents often really .. . i miss the old times when u felt there is a point to meet other agents and build stuff together... now niantic doesnt do anything to promote teamplay or give us fun events that require u to play coop.. 😣
Everyone play differently. Some weeks I'm busy with life, and do a few hacks, drone moves, and review wayspot nominations while I watch TV. Some weeks my goals are to submit portals and make scans. Other weeks I use XMPs a lot, and still others I'm feeling geometric and make layering fields. In all of those weeks, I consider myself an active player.
Maybe battlebeacon events and medals to earned are the recipe to bring people together? First people will come for the medal, but if they are having a nice time together, it is moust likely to bring more meetups in the future. Since it is in the human nature to be together. Or have we all become shapers? 🤪
Removing qcaps will probably remove ~20% of the existing player base to already diminishing numbers.
In order to save the player base and maybe bring back older players while keeping newer, clearly 2 things need to happen. Remove backpacks, remove spoofers. For each, you have to add features that specifically harm them.
1. Backpacks. Hilariously, the fix is to make the player play the backpacks. First, you need to detect backpacks. Any account that doesn't remove or add a reso in a score cycle (upgrading resos do not count) is flagged. Cmon, you have a week. This way the Intel board will show you what account is actually playing. Any account that is flagged has 1 full scoring cycle to remove or add (17 minus thier current level) resos or be set to inactive. Any account inactive for a month gets all their items deleted. The multi account players run out of room caused by their own backpacks. Any account that has recursed is excused from the last item deletion part, except for keys, so recursed mules cannot hoard keys.
Spoofers is mainly based on keys. And there are way too many keys and whatever baf/blocking links is created, so it's too late. So you have to find spoof accounts and attack the portals they are spoofing. Using the flagging method above, if an account is flagged, it cannot hack for keys. That's it. And any portal owned by an inactive played cannot be hacked for keys by anyone. After 25 hours plus whatever portion of 5hr mini cycle is left, any field with a link over 10km can be underfielded. So for areas permagriefed, hey, at least you can field, unless they take down and put up their field every other day. But then you get to track all the backpack accounts you can report.
Ps - w t beep, the k word gets replaced by asterisks?
Btw I use my qcaps to create keys from places I've been to for giving to others, so I randomly drop keys like millenium falcon, Wrigley field, white house, and eiffel tower keys.
You're big issue with nunber 1 is, what happens if someone decides to take a full break from the game? Or ends up I hospital and can't do it (or even off the grid holidays), or even just retired players returning. To cancel out backpacks your running g the risk of punishing several legit players
Legit players are not willing to pay for gears just to take down fields created by bots and mule accounts either. So, the cycle continues until Niantic alienates its legitimate players and quit the game.
This is the latest in a long line of really stupid moves that seem intent on both alienating the existing players and biting the hands that feed them.
So now players in remote locations - and in fact players everywhere - will no longer be able to duplicate mods or resos or weapons, and without any shadow of a doubt the quantums will be removed prior to the promised new programs being introduced, so they then won’t be able to duplicate keys either, until the new programs come, so the whole thing will just grind to a halt.
About 15 months ago, when I first started playing, a senior agent gave me a helping hand by giving me three quantum capsules, so that I could help myself in building up a stock of inventory. I have since done this with several other new agents, to help to get them started in the same way. Can you do that with Kinetic Capsules? No, because you can’t drop them. Only recycle them. So no, Kinetics are not a substitute for Quantums.
If I hadn’t already cancelled my CORE subscription a few months ago in protest at Niantic’s previous bit of idiocy, I would certainly cancel it now. Because if there is no longer any point in holding on to excess stuff because it no longer duplicates in your Quantum Capsule, there is certainly no point in holding on to those extra 500 inventory slots. And since the only thing worth buying in the store is the key lockers, of which you can only buy six, there is absolutely no point in continuing to build up CMU that you cannot use. So well done, Niantic, you just killed off the main reason for continuing to have the CORE subscription.
Biting the hands that feed you and alienating your player base really is a very odd business model.
When qcaps are gone, the power in the game will exponentially tilt to backpack/cheater accounts and even more packs will be created. Niantic has basically already said we won't address these accounts. Your existing player base already knows this.
The problem isn't qcaps, it's that you have tens of thousands backpacks who have been using the qcaps for years. When qcaps die, you will give these accounts I guess a 2-3 year head start above the average ingress player and because the cheater is always going to hack/store more items and the difference will only widen, which is why I estimate you will lose 20% of your players when they go away
A> you can set your account to pre inactive. Then your account and items gets moved into a database, and can be restored.
B>If you end up in the deleted pile, your account gets moved into a separate database, that can also be restored, without items. If you want item items, go ask your teammates. Remember when trading gear was a thing?
What if I get into an accident or something? your teammates can vouch for putting you to pre inactive
The point is that then these things are noticeable and you create a history of problem accounts. Which makes removing backpacks and cheaters far easier. And also removes items/accounts from the game even if temporarily, thereby reducing lag making it better for everyone else.
As long as you fill out the form on ingress website, the bot should activate your account right after. You'll have to wait for next portal, unless you fill out a form pretty fast
It's a game. Most of the games want players who took a break for several weeks or months to play again. Welcome back, here's what you missed, have fun!
With your suggestion - come back, items deleted, fill the form - do you think players will bother?
1. You really think niantic are going to be able to do all you suggested?
2. So let's say your account gets deleted because you took a break/came out of retirement/couldn't play, your account had unique keys, kwpt unique media, useful keys, possibly even good amounts of vr gear, you rally think it's fair to then have to have this legit returning player beg for all this gear and possibly unobtainable stuff? All for an idea that probably will hit legit players more than back packers as back packers will do what you suggested anyway?
3. What about solo legit players who don't have people around or don't interact, who's going to vouch for them?
4. The only thing that was causing g lag in inventory from what has been said is the qcaps, not the items in general, so even the lag wouldn't be helped as its all passive stuff being deleted anyway
I'm not saying your idea was entirely bad, but it was massively heavy handed and would, even in a perfect world, hit far too many legit player. Factoring in niantics inability to do anything right and it would be a catastrophe
1. Lol, Niantic can't even get reporting and portals right, how would they ever be able to come close to my plan?
2. Can set yourself at pre inactive level, where your stuff wouldn't be deleted. Also, you get a copy of your player file showing all your stats, medals, and items. Which would resolve future problems. Er, should.
3. Solo legit players are still known by the other people around. With the player base as it is, you already know when someone is missing. We can still figure a future mechanic for this anyways.
4. Must move forward. At some point, we do have to trust Niantic. But yes, little faith currently.
Fyi, can always go softer. If account is marked inactive, it cannot hack, dupe, link, upgrade resos or mods, recharge, pick up or drop items, or Drone. It must add or remove 1 reso first. (And move 1km lol)
1. So why even defend this plan when you expect niantic to fail it?
2. And what about the already semi to retiried players? What about those who have accidents and can't get to phone, there's soo many ways that this can go wrong. It's still just heavy handedness that isn't needed
3.if a solo player who doesn't talk to anyone disappears, why would anyone know they have just taken a break and not quit? I've seen several that have done that and I've only been playing for 3 years
2. We can always go to a softer level, as i mentioned above, where no items are removed from inactive players. But the process to get it must be started.
I just dint see your idea working as its too heavy handed, most likely won't stop much of the back packers as people will probably just use them to deploy their one. The idea fails badly for returning players who will ha e missed it all. And this is all if it was a good programming company, niantic is notna good programming company, chances arw they would have ended up with 75% of the player base being deleted
75% of your player base since we went prime is already gone. Geopolitics and inflation ensures very low numbers enter or come back to the game. Removing qcaps is anti casual and rural players, so population is about to take another hit. It also is about to tlit power even higher for cheaters/backpackers. We should probably stop pretending they will be stopped. I'm of the belief that we should change inventory max to 9999 to compensate. Or like, every recursion +1250 space. You mean, the more I play, the more I can use/hold? How many ingressers would be against this? More inventory is more wanting to use inventory.
Ingress must fundamentally change to survive/evolve.
Inventory to 2000 + 600 keys + 500/$5 per month (max 4 times) is completely acceptable, and has zero requirement for QC's. I can hack that much extra in a day or two.
We agree on the space, though 9999 is a bit too far (for now), but none of that requires Quantum Capsules.
Comments
I dont think it will either Amaterasu as people have adapted during the last 2 years playing more alone and solo.. and we also have drones now so u can sit home all weekend and stock up on gear without even going out.... those days when u did frackers with bunch of agents are long gone in my town atleast except for when we had those kythera bb events then agents came because there was a badge to earn lol otherwise i dont run into agents often really .. . i miss the old times when u felt there is a point to meet other agents and build stuff together... now niantic doesnt do anything to promote teamplay or give us fun events that require u to play coop.. 😣
Whilst unlimited keys can be an issue (not always) the main issue is backpack accounts loaded with QCs. Not the QCs themselves.
Removing QCs will not improve player account numbers.
We still have farm meets etc with QCs.
If you can play with 5-10 X8 a day bred from QCs meaningfully I'm yet to see it. Unless perhaps you only play once a week or two.
I think net gain of players will be negative. Two locals have already said they will quit.
Everyone play differently. Some weeks I'm busy with life, and do a few hacks, drone moves, and review wayspot nominations while I watch TV. Some weeks my goals are to submit portals and make scans. Other weeks I use XMPs a lot, and still others I'm feeling geometric and make layering fields. In all of those weeks, I consider myself an active player.
If someone thinks QC removal will end backpack accounts, friendly reminder that adventure sync + defit is still a thing.
Maybe battlebeacon events and medals to earned are the recipe to bring people together? First people will come for the medal, but if they are having a nice time together, it is moust likely to bring more meetups in the future. Since it is in the human nature to be together. Or have we all become shapers? 🤪
Removing qcaps will probably remove ~20% of the existing player base to already diminishing numbers.
In order to save the player base and maybe bring back older players while keeping newer, clearly 2 things need to happen. Remove backpacks, remove spoofers. For each, you have to add features that specifically harm them.
1. Backpacks. Hilariously, the fix is to make the player play the backpacks. First, you need to detect backpacks. Any account that doesn't remove or add a reso in a score cycle (upgrading resos do not count) is flagged. Cmon, you have a week. This way the Intel board will show you what account is actually playing. Any account that is flagged has 1 full scoring cycle to remove or add (17 minus thier current level) resos or be set to inactive. Any account inactive for a month gets all their items deleted. The multi account players run out of room caused by their own backpacks. Any account that has recursed is excused from the last item deletion part, except for keys, so recursed mules cannot hoard keys.
Spoofers is mainly based on keys. And there are way too many keys and whatever baf/blocking links is created, so it's too late. So you have to find spoof accounts and attack the portals they are spoofing. Using the flagging method above, if an account is flagged, it cannot hack for keys. That's it. And any portal owned by an inactive played cannot be hacked for keys by anyone. After 25 hours plus whatever portion of 5hr mini cycle is left, any field with a link over 10km can be underfielded. So for areas permagriefed, hey, at least you can field, unless they take down and put up their field every other day. But then you get to track all the backpack accounts you can report.
Ps - w t beep, the k word gets replaced by asterisks?
Btw I use my qcaps to create keys from places I've been to for giving to others, so I randomly drop keys like millenium falcon, Wrigley field, white house, and eiffel tower keys.
According to me, the Quantum Capsule offers unbalance to the game.
Fine with me to retire the Quantum Capsule or convert it.
Sorry for being a little late on this discussion.
You're big issue with nunber 1 is, what happens if someone decides to take a full break from the game? Or ends up I hospital and can't do it (or even off the grid holidays), or even just retired players returning. To cancel out backpacks your running g the risk of punishing several legit players
Legit players are not willing to pay for gears just to take down fields created by bots and mule accounts either. So, the cycle continues until Niantic alienates its legitimate players and quit the game.
Game and CORE Subscription killer
============================
This is the latest in a long line of really stupid moves that seem intent on both alienating the existing players and biting the hands that feed them.
So now players in remote locations - and in fact players everywhere - will no longer be able to duplicate mods or resos or weapons, and without any shadow of a doubt the quantums will be removed prior to the promised new programs being introduced, so they then won’t be able to duplicate keys either, until the new programs come, so the whole thing will just grind to a halt.
About 15 months ago, when I first started playing, a senior agent gave me a helping hand by giving me three quantum capsules, so that I could help myself in building up a stock of inventory. I have since done this with several other new agents, to help to get them started in the same way. Can you do that with Kinetic Capsules? No, because you can’t drop them. Only recycle them. So no, Kinetics are not a substitute for Quantums.
If I hadn’t already cancelled my CORE subscription a few months ago in protest at Niantic’s previous bit of idiocy, I would certainly cancel it now. Because if there is no longer any point in holding on to excess stuff because it no longer duplicates in your Quantum Capsule, there is certainly no point in holding on to those extra 500 inventory slots. And since the only thing worth buying in the store is the key lockers, of which you can only buy six, there is absolutely no point in continuing to build up CMU that you cannot use. So well done, Niantic, you just killed off the main reason for continuing to have the CORE subscription.
Biting the hands that feed you and alienating your player base really is a very odd business model.
When qcaps are gone, the power in the game will exponentially tilt to backpack/cheater accounts and even more packs will be created. Niantic has basically already said we won't address these accounts. Your existing player base already knows this.
The problem isn't qcaps, it's that you have tens of thousands backpacks who have been using the qcaps for years. When qcaps die, you will give these accounts I guess a 2-3 year head start above the average ingress player and because the cheater is always going to hack/store more items and the difference will only widen, which is why I estimate you will lose 20% of your players when they go away
Well, obviously it was only the first step.
A> you can set your account to pre inactive. Then your account and items gets moved into a database, and can be restored.
B>If you end up in the deleted pile, your account gets moved into a separate database, that can also be restored, without items. If you want item items, go ask your teammates. Remember when trading gear was a thing?
What if I get into an accident or something? your teammates can vouch for putting you to pre inactive
The point is that then these things are noticeable and you create a history of problem accounts. Which makes removing backpacks and cheaters far easier. And also removes items/accounts from the game even if temporarily, thereby reducing lag making it better for everyone else.
I also use it for collectables: keys and very old media.
Lol, I like dropping toast media when killing some portals/fields
How long would I have to wait to get my account out of inactive status so I could deploy a reso while sitting at the traffic light?
As long as you fill out the form on ingress website, the bot should activate your account right after. You'll have to wait for next portal, unless you fill out a form pretty fast
It's a game. Most of the games want players who took a break for several weeks or months to play again. Welcome back, here's what you missed, have fun!
With your suggestion - come back, items deleted, fill the form - do you think players will bother?
1. You really think niantic are going to be able to do all you suggested?
2. So let's say your account gets deleted because you took a break/came out of retirement/couldn't play, your account had unique keys, kwpt unique media, useful keys, possibly even good amounts of vr gear, you rally think it's fair to then have to have this legit returning player beg for all this gear and possibly unobtainable stuff? All for an idea that probably will hit legit players more than back packers as back packers will do what you suggested anyway?
3. What about solo legit players who don't have people around or don't interact, who's going to vouch for them?
4. The only thing that was causing g lag in inventory from what has been said is the qcaps, not the items in general, so even the lag wouldn't be helped as its all passive stuff being deleted anyway
I'm not saying your idea was entirely bad, but it was massively heavy handed and would, even in a perfect world, hit far too many legit player. Factoring in niantics inability to do anything right and it would be a catastrophe
1. Lol, Niantic can't even get reporting and portals right, how would they ever be able to come close to my plan?
2. Can set yourself at pre inactive level, where your stuff wouldn't be deleted. Also, you get a copy of your player file showing all your stats, medals, and items. Which would resolve future problems. Er, should.
3. Solo legit players are still known by the other people around. With the player base as it is, you already know when someone is missing. We can still figure a future mechanic for this anyways.
4. Must move forward. At some point, we do have to trust Niantic. But yes, little faith currently.
Just mark the account active again when it performs COMM visible action.
Fyi, can always go softer. If account is marked inactive, it cannot hack, dupe, link, upgrade resos or mods, recharge, pick up or drop items, or Drone. It must add or remove 1 reso first. (And move 1km lol)
There, everyone can keep their equipment.
So with the team saying it would be 2-3 weeks (on January 12) for the QCaps to be retired do we expect it be;
?
1. So why even defend this plan when you expect niantic to fail it?
2. And what about the already semi to retiried players? What about those who have accidents and can't get to phone, there's soo many ways that this can go wrong. It's still just heavy handedness that isn't needed
3.if a solo player who doesn't talk to anyone disappears, why would anyone know they have just taken a break and not quit? I've seen several that have done that and I've only been playing for 3 years
@gazzas89
1. A person can always dream.
2. We can always go to a softer level, as i mentioned above, where no items are removed from inactive players. But the process to get it must be started.
3. Same as 2.
I just dint see your idea working as its too heavy handed, most likely won't stop much of the back packers as people will probably just use them to deploy their one. The idea fails badly for returning players who will ha e missed it all. And this is all if it was a good programming company, niantic is notna good programming company, chances arw they would have ended up with 75% of the player base being deleted
75% of your player base since we went prime is already gone. Geopolitics and inflation ensures very low numbers enter or come back to the game. Removing qcaps is anti casual and rural players, so population is about to take another hit. It also is about to tlit power even higher for cheaters/backpackers. We should probably stop pretending they will be stopped. I'm of the belief that we should change inventory max to 9999 to compensate. Or like, every recursion +1250 space. You mean, the more I play, the more I can use/hold? How many ingressers would be against this? More inventory is more wanting to use inventory.
Ingress must fundamentally change to survive/evolve.
Inventory to 2000 + 600 keys + 500/$5 per month (max 4 times) is completely acceptable, and has zero requirement for QC's. I can hack that much extra in a day or two.
We agree on the space, though 9999 is a bit too far (for now), but none of that requires Quantum Capsules.
1 Backpack=2000 for free
Niantic says this is acceptable. Lol
For me the only use that would work for me is reproducing portal keys and very rare items. Anything other then that they can keep the capsules...