My experience with golden players (and gold)

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    • My experience with golden players (and gold)

      Last night I archived my game (id 4570410). I'm so frustated with this business model that I will leave this game for a long time.

      When I joined this game (day 5, Germany) I have no problem the first days. Germany was intacted, so I was easy to defeat nearby countries (public games are so easy...). But soon I noticed a player (China) using cruise missiles in order to defeat singles mot. inf.. In this moment I though "oh, a golden boy, a real challenge!". Few days later, when China and I shared boundaries, I could spy some of his troops, all of them at max level available (mot. inf, gunships, attack helis, ASF, MBT, officers, etc.), but nothing about arty and air support. After I saw China patrolling the boundary with helis, I smell blood and smiled. "Sweet summer child", as Opulon would say. China had infraestructures at max level too.

      When I saw China researching nuclear weapons in 1 minute and nuked nearby countries, I though "ok, I have to prioritize research of TDSs and max level SAMs". On day 20 I had around 100 cities (my best mark by far) so I had a good production.

      China has a coalition of 5, he offered me to enter many times, but in a previous game I joined with a golden player and it was a very bad experience, so I didn't want to be a pet anymore. It is very frustating watching another user using huge quantities of gold destroying and conquesting with no sweat.

      Finally, yesterday China attacked me. He launched enormeus quantities of nuclear cruise missiles (at max level) to my core cities with his stealth bombers. I had some TDS (level 2) and SAMs (level 4) and I could destroyed some of them, but he was able to nuke Leizpig. After that, he launched a ICBM againts my capital and he nuked it too (as I read in the forum, it is very very difficult to stop a ICBM and you need some luck). At that moment I was very angry, so I used my gold reserve from previous games and a old purchase and purchased aditional 80.000 of gold (I became crazy, Dorado's business model is very very addictive) in order to improve TDS, SAMs, mobile arty, and place some TDS trying to create a secure bubble around my core cities and a few strategic cities (Vienna, Belgrade, Minsk). With mobile arty I was able to stop chinese ground invasion and kill around 40.000 chinese troops in one day (mainly MBT, mot. inf., national guards, special forces, CRV, and towed arty maxed xD). I lost around 15.000 troops, mostly nuked in his first attack. He launched another salvo of nuclear cruise missiles (max level) and I was barely able to stop them.

      Then he called his coalition mates (bored users, almost inactive most of them), and another country outside his coalition. I have to retire troops from Africa and concentrate them under protection of TDS of my key cities. Any troops outside secure bubble would be vaporized with chinese nuclear cruise missiles.

      Finally, last night I took the decision to archive the game at day 27. I can no defeat a user using such quantities of gold, with unilimited provisions of nuclear missiles and stealth bombers. I can not build a ton of TDS in every place in order to protect my cities and troops. China also lowered morale of cities of his enemys, so he can do againts me. It is very frustating be forced to use gold in order to play competitive against a massive golden player.

      I'm purchased Security Council, I think it is a good way to support this game. But allowing using unlimited quantities of gold in a game, it is insane and very frustrating. So I will quit from this game for a long time, this business model it is very frustrating if you want to play in a competitive way without using gold.

      I'm sure this thread will be close, I don't mind, I only want to show my deep disappointment and frustation.

      I know I can join a Elite Challenge with an alliance (I never joined at this elite challenges), but surely it would require a lot of dedication in order to play competitive, and in this moment I can not play in that competitive mode.

      Thank you for your attention.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by W. Adama ().

    • when i started, i chose to start as a non pay to play player and play solo. but because of my decision, i am aware that a coalition can beat me up and so can pay to play players.

      i don't know why you would quit the game. it's obvious coalitions will have an advantage and so will pay to play players. personally, i would continue to make it difficult for the pay to play players where they will have to spend a lot in gold when they confront me. let them spend their money.... be happy knowing you are getting them to spend what is in their wallet and you're not spending a dime. look at it as a challenge. look at it where these guys have to spend a ton of gold just to take you out. it makes you that good and that much more better. they are inferior. they don't like to lose. they probably would if they weren't paying to win.

      they have no good strategy. their strategy is to pay for their game. that's their strategy. those type of strategies no patter how hard to be, are vulnerable. figure out their vulnerability and expose it and make them spend even more.

      it may be hard at first and you may not see rewards at first, but when you keep running in to these guys, eventually they are going to figure out that attacking someone else is going to be worth the gold more than attacking you

      i am on my first game but trying to learn quick and i've already picture myself against coalitions and pay to pay players. it's about having the right mindset or joining the right game even where there are less coalitions and pay to pay players. there are many options for you

      it's easy to come in here and vent. i really don't blame ya. i'd be pissed too, but that hurt, anger, and resentment is gonna eat away at ya and promote bad choices through emotions. it's all a distraction to all your other choices you have and can make to make the game more fun for your individual play stay and strategy. something to think about at least.
    • I'm confident that, with the exception of what you paid for the gold, Dorado will gladly refund all the money you spent to enter that game, and to have fun playing it for 20 days; and that they will gladly let you start another game for free.

      The sum of all of those freebies is the price we pay (zero) for occasionally getting frustrated.
    • I've had players like this but one of your issues is you play to win. I used to get frustrated too when I see icbm launches on day 6 but eventually I stopped playing to win. Now a days after the final fight I just archive the map and dont continue to the win and let someone else do it. In the end, China has a lot of fun and he paid a lot for it. I think if you simply took it as a challenge and was ok with the idea of losing you would probably not have wasted your money and fed the system you don't like and might have laughed at the massive amounts of missiles coming your way
    • i had one of those in my last game. I'm egypt, the golder is USA. We are are head to head in number of cities from the start of the game. I proceed fast: i go choppers, and move my way to Europe - lots of cities in small areas, choppers are ideal, starting with inactives, and my production goes up fast. I then think that i should attack him: at some point we'll go head to head, and i'd rather attack and use surprise than defend.

      We are in Rising Tides.

      I have 1 stack of cruisers, one of Frigates, and just a bit of inf to take his homeland. i know he's making cruisers too, but his port recently got to level 4, so he can't have many - i count on naval superiority. I take his ships, his capital, and take out his level 4 port. Flatten the others. i think that's it, it's game over and i won. I am a little disappointed because it was too easy, i obviously caught him during his sleep as he never reacted.

      Then he wakes up. Cruise missiles start flying, but the frigates take care of most of them. Good, at least there was a fight. While i was reading the news, i read that he just made a Naval Officer. Wait, wot? i leveled his ports. i look again, and he has 2 level 4 ports. Opsies. Here's a golder. I write to him "so now we know you can pay, let's see if you can also pLay". He is furious. My stacks get surrounded by 1 elite stack of cruisers, and a few destroyers. I run the frigates into his elite stack: sacrifice them to give my officer a bit more time to try and run away alive. He does, bruised but alive. frigates and most cruisers dead, some of the inf manages to fly away.

      What follows is one of the best games i've ever had. He kept golding and sending units in - but he made the mistake of giving me a (game, i.e. 4) day to regather and prepare. I tunnelled him Gibraltar using cruisers, frigates, and jumping RGs to lock him in the strait. He took all his units and tried to land in North Germany - with my choppers taking his ships and transports. Then, pissed about my choppers, he golds a Carrier and puts some naval ASFs on it. But... he makes the mistake of sending the transports and the other ships first, so they turn into diving reefs.

      Long story short: after that day taking his capital, i pushed 5 massive attacks on Europe and North Africa back. I had some of the best naval battles. Yes, i did use gold, particularly to turn my drones suddenly into stealth ones in the middle of a naval battle.

      what made the real difference? A few things:

      - he knew how to pay, but not how to play. He never rebuilt his capital, and used plenty of chem missiles. The combination of a headless state and morale going down because of chemical use made his country revolted against him;

      - i spent endless hours online. during a week-end i did a good 19 hours on. Active = gold; to beat more gold, you need to be even more active, and then they spend more gold... so it's about who gives up first.

      - at one point, particularly after his losses > 100,000, he stopped spending money. and at that point, it was over - fortunately for me, i needed to sleep!!

      - no matter what people say, railguns made a lot of the difference, particularly in defense of ballistics on my homeland.

      It was one of the most fun games i ever played. But, yes, he did stop after... i estimated a couple of 100$. I think that was the difference with your game...

      in the current world of giving-uppers on day 3, at times it's good to meet a golder. but you need to evaluate your chances. i could have wasted sleep for 3 nights, had he kept on VISAing. But, it was GREAT fun.

      The post was edited 3 times, last by Sgniappo ().

    • There are two things, that give you an advantage over the average player:
      - time
      - money


      The only difference is: Time is capped, money is not


      4x players have an excessive amount of time and gold players an excessive amount of money

      Both therefore tend to not understand the game mechanics that well, because they have no need for it against the average player.
    • I really don't mind use of vitamin G. I use it some but when someone has units on day 1 through 5 and just runs over other players that way it takes the fun out. Sometimes I give them a good game experience and other times I just don't have the time to play with them and archive the game.
      "Retreat hell! We're not retreating ..we're just advancing in a different direction." General Oliver Smith USMC
    • JimmyMaestro wrote:

      You took 100 cities by turn 20? How much gold did you spend in the match?
      Before day 20, nothing of gold. I was lucky and all countries nearby were inactive. And, due to COVID, I was plenty of time, this was the key. 100 cities in day 20 is my best mark by far, surely I will not get that mark again. China had more than 120. Also, Germany has a good production.

      As I said, I bought 80.000 of gold in day 26, in order to be able to defend ICBM, nuclear missiles, stealth bombers, stealth ASF, helis max level, special forces max level, naval forces max level, and stuff like that. I archived the game because that game turned into a competition of size of wallets, no skills.
    • dfrost wrote:

      when i started, i chose to start as a non pay to play player and play solo. but because of my decision, i am aware that a coalition can beat me up and so can pay to play players.

      i don't know why you would quit the game. it's obvious coalitions will have an advantage and so will pay to play players. personally, i would continue to make it difficult for the pay to play players where they will have to spend a lot in gold when they confront me. let them spend their money.... be happy knowing you are getting them to spend what is in their wallet and you're not spending a dime. look at it as a challenge. look at it where these guys have to spend a ton of gold just to take you out. it makes you that good and that much more better. they are inferior. they don't like to lose. they probably would if they weren't paying to win.

      they have no good strategy. their strategy is to pay for their game. that's their strategy. those type of strategies no patter how hard to be, are vulnerable. figure out their vulnerability and expose it and make them spend even more.

      it may be hard at first and you may not see rewards at first, but when you keep running in to these guys, eventually they are going to figure out that attacking someone else is going to be worth the gold more than attacking you

      i am on my first game but trying to learn quick and i've already picture myself against coalitions and pay to pay players. it's about having the right mindset or joining the right game even where there are less coalitions and pay to pay players. there are many options for you

      it's easy to come in here and vent. i really don't blame ya. i'd be pissed too, but that hurt, anger, and resentment is gonna eat away at ya and promote bad choices through emotions. it's all a distraction to all your other choices you have and can make to make the game more fun for your individual play stay and strategy. something to think about at least.
      Thanks for your message, dfrost. I agree with you. I normally take as a challenge playing againts golden players, and perhaps I should have continued playing that game. But when you are aware that you need gold in order to keep playing in a competitive way, and that the game turned into a competition of size of wallets, I think this is the moment to archive the game.

      Good luck with your first game!

      The post was edited 1 time, last by W. Adama ().

    • Please note the following from the rules:

      e) The denunciation of Gold users is not permitted and leads to an immediate warning. The use of Gold is an explicit part of the game. The same applies to the premium account. It should be noted that violations of criminal laws in the internet are also subject to prosecution and can be brought to the police.

      Constructive feedback is alright let's just keep it at that and try not to go overboard with comments that just bash players that use gold.
      EN Team Lead