by Xiahou Mao » 30 Nov 2011, 02:55
We realize that this ending of the game is likely somewhat unexpected as there is no clear winner, which is a first for our site (What's V4? Never heard of it), but we feel it's in the best interests of the game to wrap things up as they are. SimRTK is a game of both strategy and roleplaying for enjoyment, and as the activity of players decreases, the enjoyment of the game decreases as well. The workload upon the remaining people also increases as people grow weary of the current game and depart, leaving fewer people to manage things. In short, we believe the game has reached the point where it is merely a chore for many people, with very few people actually wanting to see the game continue as it is.
If it were merely a matter of another turn or two to decide things, it would be different, but after having had three and a half game years to build up, neither Miao nor Chen's armies will be that easy to score a decisive victory against. Continuing with the current situation, we could look in after another year of gameplay and likely would still see the map largely unchanged, and we simply cannot continue like that. We do not have an explicit time limit on the game, but we feel that people should recognize that they cannot simply outwait everyone while activity on the site dies off. The game can continue only while there is sufficient interest in it. The majority of players have already voted with their feet and left the game- we opened the game with 380 PTs and activity had dwindled to less than 150 PTs posted last turn. Those who remain seem bored and ready for V5, which has already gone on for notably longer than any other version, to end.
And so, after watching and considering the situation for quite some time, we have decided that it is an appropriate time to conclude things. We will be opening PHs shortly and conferring with rulers to write an official ending story. And with the conclusion of this game, our attention can now be turned towards the development of V6, where which we hope to bring significant updates and innovations to the system to make the game more enjoyable all around. We hope to see you all back for it sometime in the New Year!
Xiahou Mao - True Hero of the Three Kingdoms!