Enough. Is. ENOUGH!!!

[Mandovar]

To Our European Horizons Players, Past and Present:
The previous year, in particular the previous six months, have seen phenomenal changes and growth for Horizons: Empire of Istaria. Our conversion rate (players who subscribe after the free trial) has seen unheard of rates, as high as 50%! Our retention of players is increasing each month. In May alone, we saw growth of 7%. We are very proud of what the game has become and look forward to where it is going.
Long-term goals including the Ancient Rite of Passage, Dragon Lairs, a fantastic and robust new player experience and continual client improvements have occurred. In the coming weeks the new Confectioner changes will be placed, new members of the development team have begun work and a complete Loot System redesign begins. We've also announced our first expansion: The Settlements.
All of this would not have been possible were it not for the hard work and dedication of the team here at Tulga and the loyalty of each and every player across all shards.
But to you, our European players, we'd like to present an additional option - the ability to now play on the North American shards. Beginning immediately, you will be able to open an account in North American - allowing you to play Chaos, Order or Blight. This will give you options you've not had in the past.
Chaos is our most populated shard and is busy both day and night. On Order, our role-play shard, you can experience a "truer" RPG experience. Blight, our testing shard, allows you the chance to try out new content before it reaches the Live servers and to submit your own feedback regarding the game's development.
The support team for the North American shards has also grown recently. Support tickets average a 24-hour turnaround. We've recently contracted for full community support and now have an Online Community Manager, Community Site Administrator and Content Tester. All three, as well as the entire Development team are accessible through our recently redesigned and very robust forum system.
There are many features available through the web login for the North American shards you may not be aware of:

• A Listing of Current Plots for Sale
• Plot Reclamation
• Stand-Alone Launcher

Other support features available are:

• Community News Site
• GamersInfo.net Data Site
• IRC channel

These are just a few of the many features available. So, please, consider the option of joining us on the North American shards. You can sign up using the 14-day trial at http://www.istaria.com or, for a limited time, find a 21-day key at http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/horizons/.

Sincerely,
Tulga Games, LLC


Do you want to let Unity die? If thats what you want so just please say it! I am becoming angry slowly. Would PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE somebody tell us European Players what are your the Plans with Unity?
Oh, bye the way. I dont think i would start again with a new char on another server.

[Sylvester]

I second this.
An official statmenet will be very nice

[Takora Drakan]

The whole Unity Playerbase recieved today this E-Mail:

To Our European Horizons Players, Past and Present:
The previous year, in particular the previous six months, have seen phenomenal changes and growth for Horizons: Empire of Istaria. Our conversion rate (players who subscribe after the free trial) has seen unheard of rates, as high as 50%! Our retention of players is increasing each month. In May alone, we saw growth of 7%. We are very proud of what the game has become and look forward to where it is going.
Long-term goals including the Ancient Rite of Passage, Dragon Lairs, a fantastic and robust new player experience and continual client improvements have occurred. In the coming weeks the new Confectioner changes will be placed, new members of the development team have begun work and a complete Loot System redesign begins. We've also announced our first expansion: The Settlements.
All of this would not have been possible were it not for the hard work and dedication of the team here at Tulga and the loyalty of each and every player across all shards.
But to you, our European players, we'd like to present an additional option - the ability to now play on the North American shards. Beginning immediately, you will be able to open an account in North American - allowing you to play Chaos, Order or Blight. This will give you options you've not had in the past.
Chaos is our most populated shard and is busy both day and night. On Order, our role-play shard, you can experience a "truer" RPG experience. Blight, our testing shard, allows you the chance to try out new content before it reaches the Live servers and to submit your own feedback regarding the game's development.
The support team for the North American shards has also grown recently. Support tickets average a 24-hour turnaround. We've recently contracted for full community support and now have an Online Community Manager, Community Site Administrator and Content Tester. All three, as well as the entire Development team are accessible through our recently redesigned and very robust forum system.
There are many features available through the web login for the North American shards you may not be aware of:

• A Listing of Current Plots for Sale
• Plot Reclamation
• Stand-Alone Launcher

Other support features available are:

• Community News Site
• GamersInfo.net Data Site
• IRC channel

These are just a few of the many features available. So, please, consider the option of joining us on the North American shards. You can sign up using the 14-day trial at http://www.istaria.com or, for a limited time, find a 21-day key at http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/horizons/.

Sincerely,
Tulga Games, LLC




If you would prefer not to be contacted again about such events, please send an email here.

As i readet the mail, i was nealy on that point that i pick my mouse up and smash it against the wall!

You know, I was always a player who accepted the situation and always looked on the bright side, but that mail bah that overfilled the barrel!!!

COME ON TULGA?!?! YOU really think you can drive players from Unity off and start FROM THE GRID (Yes from zero, nada, nothing, no char, no plot, no exp, no money, NOTHING) and even pay for that?

Do you REALLY expect that we want to start OVER again and loose our beloved friends? That our great communit gets cuttet off? And 2,5 years of playtime?!?!

That Mail is like a hit in the face for the unity players you know? "Our shards are so beautiful, and we have this and that what you not have ~nahnanannahnaaa~" - this is like the mail sounds to me. And it doesnt change it a bit that we can 14 or 21 play it free.

We have right now a hot debate in the market channel because of this mail, and you know what? NOONE, really NOONE wants to start from the grid. Only if we can keep our beloved chars and plots we would accept to move, but you know what? The half of the players has to get a credit card to play on NA shards, again more friends get lost.

The most players woudl be happy if the Unity database gets moved on a new na server, yes that woudl be ok for the most, or Tulga gets finnaly up and finds another provider who knows his job.

And nothing now against the NA players, but dont say now "come over here blah, we help you to get back etc.". It wont help. You cant replace all. You simply cant.

So Tulga, it now my first loud roar for unity, and probably not the last. IF unity shuts down, you will nothing win, not new customers, not new players from ew.

Don't forget, we have overlived GN, the merge.

Don't forget that Unity is our Shard, our home, our Community.

If you let Unity die, also a big part of Horizons die.

*Sits down and growls angry, ready to roast someone*

[Tantalyr]

As has been expressed many a time in other threads, it is readily apparent that due to contractual restraints Tulga may neither comment upon GN's "service," nor may it simply "take over" the Unity player base and run it as smoothly as it does the North American shards since GN, not Tulga, owns the Unity data base. And it is equally readily apparent that GN is unwilling to transfer that data base except upon payment of extortionate amounts of money.

So Tulga is offering this alternative to European players who wish to flee the miscreant "service" of GN and continue to enjoy playing Horizons. Yes, it means giving up the pixels and experience Unity players have garnered on their server and starting all over again. But I would reiterate an offer I made in another thread--I, and many others on Order, stand ready, willing and able to smooth the difficulties of starting over again should you choose to take Tulga up on its offer and create new characters on the Order server.

Some Unitarians have already done so. And from what I glean from the ones I hear from on Order, they are quite happy they did.

[tramsan]

All this letter means is this:

"We are no longer redirecting European IPs to the European Horizons login."

[Aamer Khan]

And the same is true for the Chaos shard as well.

If you desire to move to either shard, there are many players including myself that are will, able and ready to help.

[Garfonso]

I, too find it very wrong to write that mail...

It's like the official statement form TG that Unity is about to die, that you don't cooperate with GN anymore, that we won't get any updates anymore and that TG WANTS it this way (no matter what mistakes GN did).

So TG WANTS Unity to die.. that is all I can read out of that mail...
How can you expect me moving over to any NA Shard, after killing unity??
I visited order. And the people there are really nice... but it's just NOTHING against the strong community on Unity... we had so much trouble with GN... we are like a big familly..

With that mail you made me cancel my subscription for the NA Shards... I just can't stand the fact that you officially kill unity... there has to be another way... You just can't do that... AHRG...

Be aware of that angry cat... don't cross my way... I really hope that for you...

*sits down next to takora*

[Mandovar]

As has been expressed many a time in other threads, it is readily apparent that due to contractual restraints Tulga may neither comment upon GN's "service," nor may it simply "take over" the Unity player base and run it as smoothly as it does the North American shards since GN, not Tulga, owns the Unity data base. And it is equally readily apparent that GN is unwilling to transfer that data base except upon payment of extortionate amounts of money.

Says who? I have never seen an official statement in any direction. Only players who discussed what the reasons of TGs and Gns silence are.

I know that many players of the american shards are willing to help and thats great but think about if you have to start from nothing with 2 or 3 3 year old Chars to delete which are played with your heart and soul.

[Doombreak]

I for one and i know many other will NEVA start a new my char is 785 days old and id rather end my time on unity knowing i did well than try again somewhere else

[Sigi]

This is so bitter, and pff, really can't find the words, but after all our questions and the big silence and oh, we can't say anything and the blah blah of 'oh, they are probably bound to some contract saying they can't say anything" we get this????

Hallo!!!! We could played at the NA shard all the time, if we had wanted to. NO news there. This is just plain clientstealing behaviour and it makes me puke. I'd rather play to infinity at Unity without any updates than starting all over. I DON't want to play at NA. PERIOD
Not even when my character is copied and think it is very much below the belt behaviour. I'm angry and upset. BAH

[Tantalyr]

Says who? I have never seen an official statement in any direction. Only players who discussed what the reasons of TGs and Gns silence are.

I know that many players of the american shards are willing to help and thats great but think about if you have to start from nothing with 2 or 3 3 year old Chars to delete which are played with your heart and soul.

And I doubt very seriously that Tulga--unlike GN which has unfortunately chosen the path of breaching its contract and casting unsubstantiated aspersions at Tulga--will lower itself to GN's level and throw rocks back. And for that, I applaud Tulga.

And believe me Mandovar, I really do understand how difficult it would be to give up your plot, your possessions, indeed your very characters and start anew. I wouldn't blame you a bit if you simply chose to move on to another game.

That said, you should know that there are plenty of plots and lairs left on Order in good locations and of goodly size ready to be purchased. And there are plenty of folks left on Order who would be happy to help you purchase a plot or lair, not to mention outfitting your new character(s).

[Takora Drakan]

*ready to roast Ophelea, then calms down*

You know what? I will stay on that sinking ship, like the most players on Unity. I'm here since Beta 2, my char is 951 days old and Unity is "my baby". I'm the shard herald and have always cared about unity, you will never see me on a NA shard or one of my friends. We will stay, even in the darkest hours. And until someone pulls the plug.




*makes a captian-like salutation to all*

[Dremora]

Wow, that's horrible. Do they not realise you are PAYING CUSTOMERS? You deserve better! I don't see why Unity is getting ignored, it makes no sense at all.

[Jayne]

Starting on a new shard is one thing and I know many would just say "Well I'll pretend I'm starting a new game" But that is not easily done. It is easier to go to something fresh and new and invest time in a game that you are learning and there is something new around every corner. you don't have that going to a new shard and starting over. You will go start a character and simply be repeating everything you have already done.

Thats easier said then done. With that said, I and many on Chaos would gladly help any of those whom would like to come to our shard. I know its not much but its all we can offer and is the only thing we as players can control.

Jayne

[Sigi]

As has been expressed many a time in other threads, it is readily apparent that due to contractual restraints Tulga may neither comment upon GN's "service," nor may it simply "take over" the Unity player base and run it as smoothly as it does the North American shards since GN, not Tulga, owns the Unity data base. And it is equally readily apparent that GN is unwilling to transfer that data base except upon payment of extortionate amounts of money.

Excuse me??
Comments can't be made due to contractual restraints but plain client stealing practices are allowed??
This is insulting.

[Tantalyr]

Excuse me??
Comments can't be made due to contractual restraints but plain client stealing practices are allowed??
This is insulting.

It's not "client stealing" at all, Sigi, at least not as that term is commonly understood in America.

Rather, it's an option. If you choose not to avail yourself of it, then in my opinion you would be terribly wrong in blaming Tulga for the ultimate demise of your Horizons playing experience.

[AA0]

Client stealing? They are not stealing anything at all. They are allowing all people to sign up with them. Get real Sigi..

Besides that, GN has always offered payment type that TG did not support. People in Europe just don't have credit cards like everyone has here, and TG will need to find a way around that if they really wish to get any amount of EU players at all. Will bank transfers work? Paypal? EU debit cards?

[Sigi]

@Tant

Perhaps it isn't in America, you are allowed to go further in the comparing advertisements too than over here, But...
It's directly directed to the European players - clients of GN.
Tulga is aware of the existing problems.
They state an offer of a "better" HZ experience, something we should have too, without starting all over at NA.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark (or something like that, I mean really, you can't say it's just a nice gesture, you're not that naive... )


edit - @ Tant because Gopher was wishing Unity dead between Tantalyr's message and my response

[Sigi]

Client stealing? They are not stealing anything at all. They are allowing all people to sign up with them. Get real Sigi..

?
Pardon me but I was ALLWAYS allowed to sign up at the NA servers, that's nothing new. They are NOT offering something extra or whatever. They are just saying to people who are allready playing HZ but paying another company h'e, come over here, we are better... without explaining why the situation is the way it is.

[Fratricide]

I dont read anywhere on there that Unity is no longer going to be given any game updates, nor do I read anywhere on there anything but the reminding to the Unity players that the NA shards are now there for them to be able to utilize. I can see where you all assume what you have jumped to conclusions with, but until someone flat out says that support will no longer be granted, then you are reading into things that just arnt there.

I see it as TG wanting all the paying customers to be able to get the full benifits available to the rest of the playerbase. Im sure they do not know when GN will finally pull their head outta their 4th point of contact, and it may never happen, but at least they are opening the door to the eu player. Also, perhaps the invitation wasnt meant so much for the active players as it was meant for those who havnt played for a while.

There are lots of reasons this message could have been placed to the players, perhaps reading it at TG's point of view instead of a disgruntled EU player view would skew the original intent back to where it was meant.