I am trying to get a grasp on what the real reason behind this change is.
I've read a majority of players that post are angry with the HC removal. I, for one, can't say I'm fond of it. However, let's try to give it a logical look.
Let's take a look at what we have. We have a game where the following things apply in order to do well:
1) Massive amount of time per day must be allocated to being able to be logged in, or have access to log in. The advent of the mobile alert system helped in not being required to be logged in 18 hours a day, but still one must have immediate access to do so to do well 10 to 18 hours a day.
2) One must time things precisely. The game is designed so that timing things down to the second is pretty important. The development of the attack planner helped in this regard, although it's not perfect. That said, every single update seems to cause problems that make timing to the second in a real time war situation more and more complicated. The removal of HC's is not an exception. Want to use the wall to determine losses? Better not be sending out multiple attacks at any given time. Now you have to attack... sit around and wait.... get the report... study the wall... do the math... determine the results... decide if it's worthy to attack further... send another attack if not... rinse and repeat till you find a target... oh darn - did real life get in the way... I guess maybe later we can start our 1 attack and sit and wait routine again later. Yeah... it just makes the ability to attack become an incredibly tedious and time consuming effort that simply promotes simming.
3) One must buy gold to get the special features. Surely one can do ok without gold, but to go toe to toe with a player of equal caliber and online time, gold is pretty vital.
That all said; what do the designers say about the removal of harbor checks? They say that although they want to promote transparency in the game, and get player feedback, and that feedback is important - they will do what they please without any notice just because they want to and claim logic is the only motivating factor.
This isnt the US political system. Force feeding us lies, misinformation, and deception isn't mandatory. Please stop doing so Innogames.
If logic is your key reason why this removal was done, why is it so mandatory it happened without notice?
Let's look at other logical issues:
1) How do we get battle reports when they happen, as opposed to waiting for when the troops return?
2) How can I stack troops in a city 10 hours away by fast transport, but feed those units with food from the city the troops came from even though the food doesn't get transported to the troops 10 boatride hours away?
3) How can there be so much unused land on an island, but my city reaches maximum size based on a maximum number Innogames picks? Regardless of whether the island has 1 city only, or 15 cities on it?
4) How can swords be made from silver, rock, and wood? What about iron, brass, and copper?
5) How can surviving units not know what they see?
6) How can the use of spies not impact the population? Where do spies come from if not from my population?
7) How can every city on every island in the world look identical?
8) How can spending gold reduce the time and resources it takes to produce a building, but that reduction doesn't have any negative impact on the functionality of the building? (no wonder OSHA was created)
9) How can weapons be used over and over but no repairs are ever required. Or at least no resources are ever needed to make those magically happening repairs occur?
10) Where do all the horses come from that just appear because I want to recruit a horseman or chariot army? Where do I stable them if I have no stables?
11) Why can't I disband units I no longer want?
12) Why can't I attack and kill units of my own in my own city, but if I send my own units to a city I don't own, my own units will happily murder them without thought if I then attack them?
13) Why do I get no BP for units killed when subduing a farming village, but I get BP for killing my own units that my own units just happily murdered because I moved them next door before attacking?
I could go on with a rather extensive list of things that I find illogical, but 13 seems a happy number to stop at.
So... all in all I find that the "logic" defense is rather pathetic.
It is my belief that Innogames intentionally mislead us and outright lied about the entire Harbor Check removal.
And it is my belief that the reasoning for the Harbor Check removal is something more than just "it's illogical so it was vitally important to remove a basic strategic element midgame without notice to ensure we have transparency in the game and a solid connection with the players based on what we are doing".
So please explain some sort of real reason for the removal.
Explain what the next step in regards to it's removal is (what are you trying to accomplish, because if "it's not logical" is your best answer, and the only one you stick with, then you have just dropped in credibility to levels lower than even the worst pathological liar in history)
Explain why every patch and upgrade prevents players from playing the game in a timely manner and with any sort of ease and funtionality, and why this lack of playability appears to be your goal.
