TL;DR: Warlight should warn players using ad blockers this will reduce their points. Forcing ad blockers to watch ads doesn't get anyone anywhere, including generating any extra revenue for Fizzer. I want my points, and the message saying Warlight failed to display an ad to go away.

First off can I point out that NOWHERE does the site suggest that using ad blockers will decrease your points. The only way you discover this is when you notice something is wrong, like winning a lottery game only bumping you up one level at Lvl. 19 or so, and you actually go look at your point count. By which time it is too late to undo the massive point loss you just incurred, and all the badges from having beaten players of level ___ will only ever count for a mere 500, and can never be re-earned. If you're going to choke off points for using ad block, at least include that in the message about failing to display an ad!

Onto the bulk of what I want to talk about. I recognize that ads are a source of revenue for sites, and I'm fine with their use as such. What I don't agree with is the use of intrusive ads. I'm talking about the flashy eye catching ads that block content, the kind I'm sure many of you are familiar with. This is exactly the kind of ad that appears at the bottom of the screen in warlight.

Now, even that is not too bad, and wouldn't warrant a forum post. However, I, as previously mentioned, use ad block plus. An ad blocker which supports unintrusive advertising, and correctly blocks the ads I was just talking about, but there's only one problem. The reason I want it blocked is because it's distracting, but when it's blocked, Warlight pops up with a message, right in the center of the screen, saying it failed to display an ad. Which is even worse!

Like I said before, I'm all for ads as a source of revenue, so I understand that Fizzer might be inclined to try and deter the use of ad blockers as much as possible. But here's why I disagree with what he's doing: the people who use ad blockers are not the people who will click on the ads, in fact, they're not even the people who might be slightly more inclined to buy a product because of it. They're people who have gotten so FED UP with advertising they went out of their way to try and get rid of it. They're people who, showing an ad to will only bring up feelings of disgust and anger (I've even considered quitting the game a few times because of this issue, and certainly will if this: https://www.warlight.net/Forum/84305-getting-coins-ads is implemented poorly). Insisting on showing these people ads gets no one anywhere. It detracts from their experience, reduces their chance of buying a product, and does not generate click revenue for the site. If the goal is to encourage membership, that's both petty, and possibly counter productive. I know that I'm personally much less inclined to donate, or pay Fizzer anything when I'm treated like nothing but a source of income.

I would much like to see Fizzer change this setup, to look a little more like the following:
I, and ad block user show up, and don't see an ad underneath the phases menu, beside the games list on the my games tab, where there isn't any content anyways, or beside the dashboard, where there already is an ad. Noticing this, warlight displays a message saying warlight failed to display the ad or whatever, (possibly with a warning about a decrease in points earned if fizzer still insists on this). After this happening 3 to 5 times, a little check box appears at the bottoms saying "don't show me this message again", which I check off, (knowing that I'll sacrifice the points, but not eliminate any of Fizzer's revenue), never to be bothered again.

Edited 4/13/2015 05:45:09

If you don't like it, buy a membership. Then please shut up about it.

did you even read the post? or just the title?

Even if I wanted to buy a membership, it's not that simple for me. for reason's I don't need to go into.

Edited 4/13/2015 05:55:53

You're whinging about seeing adds on a game that is for you completely free to play. How much do you pay for xbox / playstation games?

Also the option to watch adds for game money on other games is just that an option, you have to decide to do it and click the blink to earn the money. So your whinging about something that you haven't read properly.

Warlight should in no way have to make your add blocker work properly for you, think about it, it is Warlight's revenue source and you are circumventing it and so taking the revenue away from the game that allows it to stay on the servers. Why on earth would any game owner / developer spend their time making sure that people trying to avoid giving revenue can do that without any annoyances?

Basically read the link you clicked properly before spouting off ill informed posts like this one.

I don't own any of those systems, but a computer is pretty essential to being a productive member of western society today.

I have read the link, in fact, I'm the last poster in that at the moment. I have said I would support it, and specified quite clearly I would only leave if it was POORLY IMPLEMENTED.

And if anyone actually bothered to read the post before commenting, you'd notice I explained why it's not actually taking anything away from him using ad blockers. If anything, letting me do it would improve my experience, making me more inclined to go and buy a membership.

Edited 4/13/2015 06:01:30

I did read your post. It was fuill of subjecture and whinging.

You add nothing to this site. You said so yourself. And yet you insist you will leave if it doesn't change in ways that will suit you.

And you not clicking adds hardly allows you to insist adds bring no revenue.

You didn't explain at all why Fizzer should make your add blocker work to suit you.

But you are happy to moan about it not working.

You didn't read the thread properly posting last does not mean you read it properly. Read MoD's post or go check how it works on other games before assuming it's going to break a game - that you get for free.

Summarizing that makes me wonder, Why did I waste my time reading your post?

I read the entire thread actually, and have played many such games, and I do watch them if there is a direct reward associated with it. I will re-iterate, my comment was regarding POSSIBLE worsening of this issue.

You say I don't add to this site, but I do. How? Do you know how minecraft got so big? Or how microsoft forced it's way in as a standard in developing nations? By letting people pirate the software easily. As a user, I am an advertiser. A much more effective advertizer as well, because I know exactly what will draw friends towards the game. Friends who might not use ad blockers, or might choose to become members. However, if Fizzer chooses to push people away, he loses that advertizing, and he loses income.

Read my original post again, more carefully this time, because you missed a few things:

If he wanted to get me to watch the ads, then he could consider looking into AdBlock+'s standards about non-intrusive advertising and get me to watch the ads without distracting from the experience. (https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#criteria) Like I said, I have nothing against the use of ads for revenue, only against their interference in the user experience. Take what reddit has done, they have followed the standards, and their ads are not blocked. As a result, they don't bother me, or upset me, and I have actually clicked on a few because they have legitimately interested me.

I never suggested that ads don't bring revenue, what I said was getting the people who have ad blockers installed to watch ads they don't want to brings no revenue.

Edited 4/13/2015 07:17:07

Excellent point.

Making this clearer would certainly convince a lot of players to turn off their Adblockers and generate more revenue for Warlight.

This post is funny.

If you're going to choke off points for using ad block, at least include that in the message about failing to display an ad!

In fact, it does!

did you even read the post? or just the title?

Did you even read the message about failing to display the ad, or just the title?

You should try reading it more carefully and you'll find that what you're asking for is already done.

If an ad is blocked, WarLight pops up a message explaining so, and also notes that if you don't fix it, you'll receive fewer points. The way it works is simple: each time the message appears, it increments a counter. The first 5 counters have no penalty at all, but after you see the message 5 times, your points are reduced by 10%. This way, players have a chance to fix it before losing points.

If you still don't fix it, each counter will reduce points by an additional 10% up to a maximum of 90%. Disabling ad-blocker will cause the counter to go back down with each successful ad-view, until you get below 5 again at which point you have no penalty.

The reasoning for this is simple: It costs over $1,000 per month just to keep WarLight's servers online. This cost is a direct proportion to the number of people playing WarLight. In other words, it actually costs money every time anyone plays a game.

This money has to come from somewhere if the site is to stay alive. As a player, you basically have two options: pay for it with your wallet, or pay for it by seeing ads.

I understand that there are some people who both are unwilling to pay money, and also unwilling to look at ads. The unfortunate reality is that I don't know how to make the site work with these people. Every time you play, it costs money, so where do you propose that money comes from? If you have any ideas, I'm all ears, but right now the only way I know how to make it work is to try and encourage them to either pay or turn off ad-blocker.

Edited 4/13/2015 06:35:14

My apologies, I guess after reading it the first time, I just underestimated it's effects, and stopped reading it again.

I fully support encouraging people to pay, but I think you'd be better off doing so with gentle reminders, and less invasive ads. Remove the flashy, in your face part. (see https://adblockplus.org/en/acceptable-ads#criteria for more details) There's a good Ted talk by Amanda Palmer on this issue: http://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_palmer_the_art_of_asking?language=en . Assuming that the average increase in ad and membership revenue is greater than the increase in server costs per user when asking nicely, a greater user base would benefit you. Hence why I believe you might want to consider catering a little more to those of us who maybe can't pay, don't respond to ads, and could advertise the game ourselves. In fact, just the other day, I was talking about it with a friend who might be joining. It's not always a question of not wanting to pay, sometimes it's about not being able to pay. A possible example of this is the user accept my surrender in https://www.warlight.net/Forum/6606-ads who stopped playing over a year ago because of the ads. He WANTED to support you, but didn't know how.

yet another alternative is, as was suggested in the other thread is an option to CHOOSE to watch an ad, in exchange for a reward of some sort, points, coins or otherwise.

In summary: I'm suggesting that money comes from a) unintrusive advertising b) an increased user base who WILL pay for it through ads or their own money and/or c) an option to choose to watch ads

P.S. and if it makes any difference, I have turned ad block off, because I enjoy the game a lot.

Edited 4/13/2015 07:17:34

Yes, Genghis, I know I, an adolescent, just admitted I was wrong on the Internet, get over it.

Edited 4/13/2015 06:56:41

I'll lead with commenting on how entertaining it is to see Fizzer angry. (Sorry Fizzer, but it is.)

Secondly, Daniel: Huge respect gained for being man enough, whatever your age in real life, to apologize, especially on the internet where few people bother.

PS: Since you knew it was coming-Someone who is that responsible is always welcome in the Juggernauts. If you wish to join, simply send me a PM.

Edited 4/14/2015 02:40:53

Has it really got to that point? Where you just accept folk for being humile?

I don't think it has, I know several folk including myself who throw away pride and honour, as these are two very destructive feelings.