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Miscellaneous
Approximately how many provinces in the Battlefields currently have Silver Service Level or higher? How many had Silver Service before the deletions? How many provinces on WoU have Silver Service Level or higher?
I don't have detailed statistics, but it's not a huge amount. Under 10% or so, I would guess, in all cases. While people are understandably complaining about the lack of players on Battlefields, I don't think they realize how few actual new players signed up on there in the past. The majority simply go to the Worlds of Utopia server anyway. In the future, as only large kingdoms are placed on Battlefields, there will be less of a problem with unfilled kingdoms.

Do you still play Utopia? Does Giff play?
I play off and on, mostly to "spy" on various kingdoms and see how the average kingdom is doing. I don't really play to be competitive. I believe Giff does play as well, but mostly to understand the game itself rather than compete.

How often do you reply to emails about deletions?
Unless I specifically request someone send me an email, generally, never. I don't handle the majority of our deletions, so its really not appropriate for me to discuss a particular deletion. Sending email to [email protected] is different though - I don't deal with those emails personally, so I can't tell you how often you'd get a response. I do know that he gets several hundred emails per day so its virtually impossible to respond to the majority of them.

How often do you reply to emails about game issues, bugs and loopholes?
I tend to read and deal with these kinds of things, but I won't always respond. Most of the time, I prefer to just fix the problem and go from there. Really, it just depends on particular issue and how much time I have at the time. If I'm going through 40 or 50 emails, I'm less likely to respond than if I just have 1 or 2 emails waiting.

If I remember correctly, the main reason you changed Undead selection was to give players who were killed a way to stay with their kingdom. What are your thoughts on what has happened on both servers in relation to players sending away all their resources then getting their friends to kill them then getting fed after they return as Undead?
I think it's a bit silly, but that's their choice if they really want to play Undead. Really, the Undead is supposed be a "simplified" race - that is, very good at attacking, easier to maintain, but not as good in other areas. The theory is that players who died in the course of normal gameplay are not as good at the game. Coming back as Undead gives them a bit simpler of a game to play. The penalty, of course, is they started late and are in a worse position in other areas.

From what I recall from previous interviews and posts in B&S, you want war more common. When Meteor Shower, etc, are quite powerful, attackers don't want to go to war as they can have their province devastated by only 1 province. Is there any way that you will get wars more common place in the future (if there is a future for the game)?
First, the whole "more wars" thing is a misconception. I want wars to be more common, but not by forcing them. I want wars to be based on emotion - that is, revenge and the like. Unfortunately, the game has devolved a bit where everything is just about growth, and in that respect, we need to make the game more destructive instead of being always about trying to grow as fast as possible. I'm certainly not going to "dilute" wars to make them more common. Wars should be destructive.

Can you give us any advance information on the new section you will be adding under the Swirve Banner (ie., the Politics server)?
I'm not sure it will interest the majority of our current users. We're hoping to launch a site (PoliticalPages.com) that will help voters make choices in the 2002 Congressional Elections. It will be primarily an information site, but we hope to offer something unique in giving people the candidates' true positions on any number of issues. The fun and challenging side of it for us is contacting all the candidates and getting them involved while also providing some real value for them.

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Readers' Comments

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AuthorComment
Frenzie
Posts: 5
(15-Jan-2002 02:30 pm)
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I'm an undead...but becoming in the Undead toplists is easier then in the Island top lists...sadly I have been kicked away from the 29th position to far out of any top position...my own fault...but hey, why don't take a risk? :)
Damiion
Posts: 1
(15-Jan-2002 10:21 pm)
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Wow, I just read through all of these post and the interview. I'm brand new to the game and have to say that I won't be playing for long after reading the interview. I think that Mehul should be more concerned with what the players want. It seems to me that he just wants to have things his way. That's a sad thing, too, because this can be a great game, without all of the things going on, like deletions and stuff... Anyway I wish it could be different, but I guess it's just not for me. I'll probably play 1 age tops...
Vander
Posts: 2
(16-Jan-2002 12:29 am)
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Damilion...Utopia is Mehul's game. He set it up, works on it and therefore it is his to change. If all he is interested in is what he wants, then he has every right. If the game thrives (which it is thriving)then so be it, and if the game dies, then oh well.
Trunks
Posts: 16
(17-Jan-2002 11:49 am)
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also, deletions are need damilion, nothing is wrong with that, sure some are delelted wrongly but it's worth the end result, dont talk unless u know what your talking about
KingHank
Posts: 10
(18-Jan-2002 01:07 pm)
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Undead should be less powerful next round in Elf self spells get sabotaged right?

You don't see more than one undead in a kingdom, one undead with elves seems to be a kingdom strat (and during this round a very good one too).
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