Where are all the players in Expeditions?

Is there a (another) new 'feature' in Expeditions? Along with the now, slow moving Marshals, it seems there is a lack of player target colonies out there. 17 of my last 23 searches for available colonies came back with zero player colonies. Seriously? That seems odd since my existing colonies keep getting attack reports by other 'players'.

I note these 2, most recent features, appear to be items which could drive players away from playing this section of the game. If that is the case, it will work, but I wish it was more direct and just remove that section instead of wasting out time.

Update:

• 5 more searches, 0 (zero) player occupied colonies.

• 7 more searches, 1 (One, a HW colony) player occupied colony. Players actually take HW colonies?! Okay, now at last 35 searches and only 7 contained player owned colonies?! Something is afoot at the Circle K...
• Another 7 searches, 2 (Two, Marble and HW) player occupied colonies. Makes no sense that the only colonies available as Player owned are worthless ones. No player would take these to keep as they do not pay for themselves (157-520 unit losses) AND, they do not attract other player's attacks so they can garner Achievements for defending the colony.
• Another 7 searches, 0 (Zero) player occupied colonies.
• Five searches, 0 (Zero) player occupied colonies.

Working as intended, can't figure out that algorithm either but I've hated on that like 2 years back already as well. One of the bigger pieces that led me to stop doing Expeditions as well. Not only were there fewer and fewer player colonies (and while at the same time getting attacked left and right all the time, though probably the suspected phantom players), the expert colonies just stopped showing up as well, in 5 searches I'd be lucky to see even ExoLogs as a target, iron was kind of the best choice I had and that one went from "common" to "fairly rare"

Haven't done an expedition in maybe 6 or 8 months. And when the special maintenance came along and fixed inventory levels, the first thing I did was kill off 2,500 expedition troops.

I've always hated the search results. Put in several tickets letting them know there was something wrong with 80 to 90% of my choices being exo logs and coal, got the canned response. (yawn) Toward the end of my expedition career, I began getting aggravated that it was basically impossible to hold on to a colony, even a crappy one, for much past a day or two.

It's really too bad, cause expeditions were fun for a while. But with the crap search results, and whatever was happening with colonies getting taken so quickly all the time, it lost its appeal. I don't imagine BB is going to invest much into fixing this feature since it's so widely hated.

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I don't imagine BB is going to invest much into fixing this feature since it's so widely hated.

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Challenge accepted.

Or at least that's what I just heard from the BB office :P

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Originally Posted by Perwyn

[...] Put in several tickets letting them know there was something wrong with 80 to 90% of my choices being exo logs and coal, got the canned response. (yawn) [...]

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Agree, their 1t line support is seriously the worst I have ever seen; without ever looking at the ticket details we get the canned message, "...Flash Version...clear cache...latest version..." even with a ticket like yours where you are referring to the random-distribution.. what in the world could Flash have to do with TSO random generation?! lol

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what in the world could Flash have to do with TSO random generation?! lol

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Flash memorizes your result-frustration and learns you hated it when starting a new search, rinse and repeat....or so :D

I don't do expeditions either. But I'd say maybe it's a problem with the 'all' part in all the players. I remember when the market for stuff used to give pages of trades. Now sometimes I only see 3-4 LINES (not pages) for basic stuff. So either for some reason everyone buys stuff more quickly.... or we just have lots less active players.

Hello, apologies if this is not the best thread to post. Today I finished the Achievement, Conquer 100 small colony islands from other players. I am not a PVP game player, but got started on this because I didn't like looking at the pokey little castle tower in the water. I was very bad at first, got better, but clearly still not good, given how many troops I lost, and how few seem to be used to conquer me at times. Well, now that I am done. I won't attack another occupied small island, and I am not sure if I want to keep making my castle bigger (which is a nice size at 11). The real reason I am writing is to give some feedback: PLEASE extend the hours of protection in which one cannot lose their island. It is painfully disheartening to use sooooo many resources only to have your island taken away after only two or so resource collections. My recommendation is to protect the island for two full days. But definitely longer than 12 hours. Thanks for listening :).

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Originally Posted by Holistar

[...] It is painfully disheartening to use sooooo many resources only to have your island taken away after only two or so resource collections. My recommendation is to protect the island for two full days. But definitely longer than 12 hours. Thanks for listening :).

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+1 to perhaps a longer protection period.

Hello, Being in a similar boat, I really do not care for the Expedition segment either, but am pursuing it for the achievements only, really. (I agree that I like the appearance of the middle-level water castles as well, after castle level 10 or so, starts to look bloated)

In any case, reading your post, it was not clear what Tier you are hammering away at. Makes a huge difference. I did not start this Expedition stuff until I hit level 71, so it is really pretty new to me as well.

In my short tenure, I have found:

• It is truly IMPOSSIBLE to defend any colony from an experienced player. Period. Most actual failures are either noobs just learning the Expedition aspect of the game or players attempting to lower their strength points to get to a lower tier. Look at the report and if there are no attacks, or all attacks are using heavy troops, player is trying to lose Strength points and/or clear troops for other areas. I do not know if this was the intent of generating defense or not, but a veteran player will be clever enough to deal with any camp placement (and some are truly pathetic) Taking this into consideration:
• Most players at Tier III are most likely experienced and not that interested in lowering their Strength points, basically most players at Tier III want to be there and get the bigger EXP/Loot (such as it is); This also means, if they attack -- and considering their experience and capabilities, they intend to take the colony. Especially if it is titanium ore, gold ore or granite... most of those do not last a full 24h in Tier III.
• If you mean to try to get the achievements for defending your colony, stay at Tier I or Tier II. Here players are in the same boat and/or learning the system. They will make a faux attack on a colony and immediately cancel it, thus decreasing their Strength points and keep them at Tier I (or Tier II). This process sort of helps the other players get their achievements as well.
• In addition to staying at Tier I, I suggest only taking useless colonies (marble, iron ore, coal and hardwood) these are the most likely targets for players to strike a faux attack (and giving you a successful defense), taking titanium ore, gold ore and granite colonies is always tempting, but most players attacking these want them and will probably do so.
• Tier II is probably a dead place to try attacking other players. Beginners are mostly hanging out (or stuck) at Tier I; the Veterans are plugging away at Tier III where loot/exp/valor are better. Tier I and II player owned colonies frequently are hard to find; the activity will pick up during the next event when more players come back...

Good luck out there!


Cheers.

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Originally Posted by Raubhautz

+1 to perhaps a longer protection period.

<snip>
[*]If you mean to try to get the achievements for defending your colony, stay at Tier I or Tier II. Here players are in the same boat and/or learning the system. They will make a faux attack on a colony and immediately cancel it, thus decreasing their Strength points and keep them at Tier I (or Tier II). This process sort of helps the other players get their achievements as well.[*]In addition to staying at Tier I, I suggest only taking useless colonies (marble, iron ore, coal and hardwood) these are the most likely targets for players to strike a faux attack (and giving you a successful defense), taking titanium ore, gold ore and granite colonies is always tempting, but most players attacking these want them and will probably do so.[*]Tier II is probably a dead place to try attacking other players. Beginners are mostly hanging out (or stuck) at Tier I; the Veterans are plugging away at Tier III where loot/exp/valor are better. Tier I and II player owned colonies frequently are hard to find; the activity will pick up during the next event when more players come back...[/LIST]
Cheers.

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Thank you for this full response, which I did read some time ago :). Have been on an extended break from expeditions.

Could you please tell me how to get a lower tier when I send out the lad who searches? Whenever I search it comes back as Tier III, Rich level colony. I finally decided to at least use up my existing troops and have enough for a Regular Promising Colony or Large Barren Colony, which I assume is Tier II and Tier 1, respectively, but cannot figure out to search for those.

Thank you!!

To lower your tier, start a colony. Visit colony and cancel. I do not think you have to lose any units, but you could send 1 troop to perish. That way you will lose points to lower your tier and you will help whomever you just attacked to the nearly impossible goal of defending XXX colonies.

Rinse and repeat until your strength points are low enough for tier one.

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Originally Posted by SweaterPuppies

To lower your tier, start a colony. Visit colony and cancel. I do not think you have to lose any units, but you could send 1 troop to perish. That way you will lose points to lower your tier and you will help whomever you just attacked to the nearly impossible goal of defending XXX colonies.

Rinse and repeat until your strength points are low enough for tier one.

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Thank you, I had no idea.

Just starting and cancelling is sufficient, no need to zone there first, much less "at least lose/kill 1 unit".

Stuff you "discover" when cherry picking....hehe

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Originally Posted by Ceruhe

Just starting and cancelling is sufficient [...]

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Yeppers. No need to waste 30+ minutes for troops and marshals returning...