Wartune's Dark Dragon Lair Lag dilemna

Wartune has a weekly multi-player dungeon called "Dark Dragon Lair."  In it, there are 20 stages total in which each stage has one boss to defeat.  When you defeat it, all players rolls a die to determine how much rewards you get for that stage.  Then you have 30 seconds to collect rewards and this process repeats for the remainder of the stages.   There is a time limit in DDL which you have 20 minutes to complete assuming you are strong enough to do so. 

Sounds competitive, don't it?  Actually not really.  Many players have slow computers.  Since the clock in DDL never stops, it doesn't take into account how long your game needs to load for the next boss, going into the boss battle, and how long it takes players to leave the boss and get to the die screen. 

As characters become stronger, it is becoming easier and easier to clear all 20 stages in DDL.  I remember about three years ago when it first came out, most players could only clear 4-5 stages.  Then as the game kept adding new junk which increase players' strength, players were able to clear more stages.  Now it's to the point where most active players can clear all stages... assuming you have a fast computer because of how long it takes people to get out of battle and roll the die.

The game gives you 30 seconds to roll the die and another 30 seconds to collect loot.  Since the dungeon has 20 minute time limit, if it takes your team 30 seconds to roll the die, there is no hope in beating it  20 stages, 30 seconds to collect (that's 10 minutes) and if you let the time run out to roll the die, that's another 10 minutes.  In fact, you are at risk of not clearing all stages if one player takes 10 seconds or more to roll the die. 

I normally don't like to offer strategy on wartune, but in this situation, I will.  First, if you have been, stop spending money on this game.  Tell the game that you refuse to spend any more until they either stop the clock during the die rolling section OR they remove the time limit on DDL.  Second, upgrade your computer.  If it is taking you longer than 5 seconds from the time the enemy is defeated and to roll the die screen, you need to upgrade your computer.  Third, create another character.  It probably will take you a month or two to get your alt strong enough to activate DDL.  Fourth, you should find one more player to run DDL and see if your two (with your alt) can beat DDL w/o other players.  This will speed up the time it takes to roll the die and give you more time for the later stages. Last, you do need about 750,000 + attack in order to clear all 20 stages, unless you get help from other players that can roll the die quickly.

It's sad that in order to succeed in games like wartune, you need to find players that have fast computers, not the strongest ones, which is likely to be more difficult as wartune does not have a feature where you can check the ping of other players.  Wartune has 2.5D graphics so it shouldn't strain your computer resources like other games such as World of Warcraft.   What incentive are you giving games like wartune if you keep rewarding them by spending money when they refuse to address these kinds of problems?   

Paying a striper vs paying free to play games? Are there any differences?

I wonder how many people fall for an attractive"exotic dancer" at an exotic place such as a strip bar?  It's free to watch them perform their dance routine wherever it may be, assuming you didn't have to pay a cover charge to get in.  You can typically upgrade to a "private" showing simply by paying a certain amount of money.  How is this any different than playing a "free to play" game?



Well, there are a lot more similarities than not.  I never been to a strip joint so I am basing my analogy on what I have seen on TV:

Cover charge/VIP lounge
Some places my guess on peak nights charge a fee just to enter the door.  Perhaps other places just charges a fee to be in a specific area or for parking.  On wartune, you can purchase VIP which eliminates cool-down time, bonus exp, and receive some in-game items that you wouldn't get otherwise (perhaps some discounts at the bar if you have a VIP Package).  Perhaps VIP people may have exclusive access to areas where non-payers don't or maybe a free private showing by a stripper of your choice!

 Food/Drink
Most strip joints I would assume you can buy food and drinks which costs money.  You can always spend your money eating or drinking prior to coming into the bar so you don't end up paying for them in the bar. In games like wartune, you can always buy items using real cash to become stronger, or deal with trying to get in-game items with out spending. 

Happy hour
Want more value for your buck?  Buy drinks during events like "happy hour" to get discounted items.  Wartune almost always have recharge events where you get in-game items when you recharge your account with a certain amount.

Private Rooms
Watching strippers perform on stage is usually free, or at a minimum you need to pay a cover charge.  If you really want to have a private showing with a stripper, you can always upgrade to a private room.  Games like wartune have events where you spend a certain amount of in-game currency you get in-game items.  More you spend, the better the rewards. 

Seeking same stripper
If you fall for a stripper, the stripper will use you for cash until you run out. Then they will simply
ignore you and find another client's money.   Similarly like wartune, if you want to remain one of the top players, you must keep spending.  Wartune
will always continue to add new items to get you spending. 

Closing down
If a strip joint loses clients to the point they are not profitable, they will shut down.  Same with free to play games.  You need people to keep pumping in money otherwise they will shut down.  In both cases, you will never be able to access their services and will need to move on to either a different strip joint or a different game.  Remember that there is always a 100% chance that the game you are playing will shut down.


I hope I changed your perspective on paying into a free to play game.  Perhaps I convinced you enough that there really isn't much difference in going to a strip joint vs free to play game.  Does anyone have any other comparisons?