you actually get a reward, it is just not shown. It will be in your star menu after refreshing the game.
I came back maybe 7 to 10 days ago after a short break and found this ugly building on my island with no explanation of what it was, what we are supposed to do with it, what it's purpose is or how to use it. It kind of looks like the gambling machine a select group of developer rl friends are using in their games right now. The only real thing that was explained is that we are now getting these crystal things that are also showing up in connection with the gambling machines. Knowing BB and the reason they made me need to get away for awhile, I assumed it was another one of those events. I looked throughout the forum and still no real explanation at all. There are some BB posts listing the resources we'll lose using it but that's about all and this thread with peeps complaining about what amounts to the same BB money grab scam. I carefully experimented with it and have no idea what I'm doing. It's like traveling to a far away land where you don't speak the language then go into a store to buy something and blindly open your wallet for the cashier to reach in and take out whatever they want. There is also a great fear much like trying to deal with a heroine addict knowing they'll try to rip you off and have who have no problem with messing everything up for you if they don't get their digs in on your valuables. I also instantly got this feeling like it was a time limited event like the golems. I think I confirmed that with seeing the BB post announcing the winners. That might explain why the letter/book part seems to be unusable. I did manage to get some experience points and rewards but I'm not sure how or why. I was just clicking on the button to spend those crystals that otherwise seemed to have no purpose in the game. I also play with the sound in game off so I can listen to the music I LIKE or the news while playing. Luckily I stayed until the end of the 7 day sign in week for the gems and spent them all. I suddenly got a box that popped up saying I don't have the gems. Like WHAT!!! This machine is secretly using gems...what the (BLEEP). So of course I'm not going to waste any in game resources on daily quests to gain gambling crystals, or whatever those things are. I can't do anything about them being shoved down my throat as daily sign on bonuses. That really confesses me because why would be still be getting them if it is a time limited event. Someone posted in this thread they calculated it would take two to three years to complete this event thingy but why then has BB already posted the winners. ~sighs~
The lack of any explanation and/or direction of what we are supposed to do, what is going on here, is bazaar. This has BB typical scam written all over it and if that isn't what is going on here, there is very poor communication as to what is happening. I know It isn't me being stupid. I scoured the forum and nothing. A week to 10 days and no one in game, guild or friends seem to know or be able to communicate it either. Just put your gambling crystals in the gambling machine and push the button and HOPE your gems don't disappear. :/
Luckily I managed to make 50 gems fall out of the machine but as a practicing christian, I don't gamble and don't want to be lead into sin if that is what this is. BB please elaborate on what this is, what the goal or object is...anything to help us understand.
You should have had a small set of 3 quests that helps introduce this in-game.
I am actually lost as to why you are saying that you could not find anything about the new feature. There is a Dev Diary on this feature. This is just the feedback thread. This has been on the test server for a couple months as well, so the Wiki EU has some information on the different parts of this feature even before it went live and still being updated as the community reports their results.
Can you use gems in the machine? Yes. There should be a pop-up asking if you really want to use them so it is your discretion to use them or not. The person who even commented about it using gems in the first few pages confirmed that yes there is a pop-up every time they pushed it and retracted their statement about it using their gems without notice. Post was here I don't personally use gems on it but I am patient to try and get what I want over time.
What winners are you talking about? There have been a couple of forum contests over the past few months. The last one that was run was Letter Writing Day which was held before Excelsior came out. There is a current one now Captain Graham's Adventure and that goes until October 2nd which involves what the Captain of the Excelsior did before she came to our island.
Did you try the Help chat tab? There are some really wonderful people that hang out in that tab. I recommend them as well as reading over my links from above. A web search for "Settlers Online Excelsior" also brings up some good info.
Depending on your definition of gambling, it could be considered gambling same as with running adventures. You are gambling that you will get what you what. However, you should be getting something out of each crystal you put in. The long letters produces quests where the final reward can be either 50 gems or a recipe to make manuscripts in your rare provision house, which may be where you got the 50 gems. The fact that they give a way to get gems in-game instead of just from the weekly rewards I think is really nice.I don't gamble and don't want to be lead into sin if that is what this is. BB please elaborate on what this is, what the goal or object is...anything to help us understand.
Some are saying there may be a bug with rewards for crystals not showing up all the time but I haven't personally had that issue. I don't spend all my crystals at once either. So to say up front, this a new permanent feature and it is not a limited event. If you don't want to do it, then don't. That said there are some great things you can only get out of it.
Where all can you find a battle you can do without losing any troops? It's a quest chain requirement, and I can't think of anything other than Nords.
The first camp in IOTP {granted you have a MOMA}, most of the 1001 Nights adventures have a camp you can 270 MMM, Surprise Attack has a few, the towers in Stealing from the Rich, the very first camp closest to the landing spot in Horseback that everyone ignores, the first leader in Witch of the Swamp {granted you have a MoMA}, the first camp in Lost Skull and Tropical Sun {granted you have a MoMA}, the first camp on the way to the Bone Church in Dark Priests {blah blah MoMA}, the Nords troop camps on Bastille Island are both zero loss, Arctic Explosion has one, .. uh those are all I see from a brief look .There are plenty out there.
One army. Pretty please.
I have to agree with Zami; looking back at the forum and game news, there has been quite a bit about the expansion. One would have to interpret "a short break" to mean over two months. From a quick forum review, there was a major sneak peek posted July 21st (http://forum.thesettlersonline.net/t...ack-Sneak-Peek). From the news archive, there was also a news story about it as well, with the same link provided. There was also another news post tease about the feedback, reminding everyone about it being on the test server, another link on our forum, on August 11th. The Dev Diary was posted on September 12, and in case you missed the article in the news section, it is also at the right section of the page in its own box (Excelsior: Read the Dev Diary).
Besides the sneak peek in the forum, the Dev Diary, and the feedback posts for each of them, there is also a section in the game help archive and a basic quest line to introduce the feature. There are some other forum articles about it as well, not to mention all the associated outside websites with the details BB will not give. However, based on the multi-page dev diary, this is one expansion where they have not been stingy with giving details, including what the treasure drops are from each of the new items.
As far as the gambling aspect, while the GUI may have changed, it is no different from any of the other features or items in the game that have a random table. One person has mentioned adventure loot, but it also includes any of the surprise/mystery boxes you can buy. There is also no non-winning condition associated with using the gems, only more or less desirable outcomes.