How Intrusive are the Player Advertisements?

[LordRahl2]

Quality standards just will complicate things exponentially.

 

These ads allow sheeps to collect funds. 

 

If you don't like the ads you see,buy add time with some you deem worthy 

 

Valid point.

[Spite]

I would increase the chance to 100%. If you're going to have them, you might as well have them properly. I think after the initial "lol new feature" period, the amount of stupid ads will probably go down, and it'll be more as originally envisaged (propaganda etc)

[Cuba]

Maybe appoint a couple of community ad moderators to approve ads above a certain quality to reduce workload for Sheepy? Could even tack it on to the forum mods' responsibilities.

I'll gladly judge the quality of Rose recruitment adverts.

[Fiddler]

I'd just like to bring up the point of artistic quality of the ads that you accept Sheepy. I don't mind looking at ads to support sites that I like, what I do mind is seeing ads that are equivalent (In quality) to doodles made by my 3 year old. Over the course of the week or so that I have been seeing them, I have started to resent them, so much so that I might just block them.

Just because someone is using your product for free doesn't mean you should give the absolute best you can (which Sheepy does btw).

 

Tl:dr Make better looking ads that don't hurt my eyes

 

Edit: Can't english

Edited July 7, 2015 by Fiddler

[Alarik]

The ads are irritating at best, downright offensive at worst, and are largely pointless and hard on the eyes -- forgive me for saying. They serve almost no function, and do not add to the game in any significant way.
 

I can see how it might be looked on as a way to unify the forums and the game. But most players who don't frequent the forums do so because they don't want to. Many of the players are not interested in the interplay between alliances they are not a part of. 

 

And, while we're at it, it seems a bit unfair to force players to pay a monthly fee in order to return to the style that got them hooked on the game, and to which they had grown accustomed. 

 

I understand the need for revenue, but isn't there some less irksome way of getting it? 

[Nicklas]

I don't normally chime into discussions outside of FOFA, but wanted to weigh in on the side of someone who uses ads to promote a service related to the game.

 

First, I apologize if anyone finds the FOFA ads annoying/intrusive in particular.  They were made pretty quickly by me as I just wanted to get word out ahead of World Cup II.  I'd normally sit down and create a more intricately-designed ad in Photoshop (as anyone who has seen my jerseys can attest), but I am on vacation this week and was in a bit of a rush.  They're pretty simple (text over a soccer background) but I hope they haven't sufficiently hampered anyone's playing experience. 

 

As far as the impact of the ads, I have found them very valuable indeed as someone who publishes them.  FOFA has seen a wave of growth in the past week and is now up to 40 teams.  It seems like players who don't frequent the forums - but would otherwise be interested in something like FOFA for their nations - have been joining as a result of the ads.  I haven't done a formal poll or anything, but interest definitely went up after the ads were put up.  I appreciate this feature.

 

That said, I understand that ads aren't everyone's cup of tea, and that for some people, they ruin the experience.  I don't think it should be a monthly cost to disable ads.  I think it should be a one-time cost to permanently enable the option to enable/disable ads for the user.  

Edited July 7, 2015 by Nicklas

[Regulus]

I think there should be "I love the ads" option, because, in spite of my quibblesome associates, they are great. They have information relevant to the game or generally amusing content AND they have no function outside of the aesthetic. It's a simple, user-friendly, user-supported, fund-generating feature that produces laughs or activity. 

 

For those complaining about how 'intrusive' they are, get a life. If your day is legitimately ruined by a small banner-ad on your FREE game, then go outside an enjoy the ad-less sunshine.

[Callum]

If they were made with any degree of artistry or skill. they'd be fine.

 

 

but as they pretty much all made in paint for shits and giggles. i would rather not see them at all.

[Reagan]

As of now the ads or horrendously annoying. The ones that I have had the displeasure of seeing are childish and extremely unprofessional. Sure this is a game and you're meant to have fun, but throwing huge images that a random player threw together in 30 seconds on Paint right in your face is horrible. They're likely a huge turn off for new players as they would have no understanding of any possible underlying meaning or the event/person referenced in them. Why am I looking at a picture of "potato soup?" Why is this player threatening to destroy other advertisers? These ads have just been stupid. There is no other word for them. Absolutely stupid. Anybody who thinks they are appropriate should be ashamed of themselves and seriously consider growing up.

 

If you keep the ads:

 

1) Make them smaller and less intrusive.

2) Raise the standards of approval.

3) Provide a free option to permanently turn them off and make it clear that this option exists.

 

 

I can barely escape the !@#$ posts on these forums and now you're throwing them in my face. It disgusts me.

This sums up everything I was going to post. You never get a second chance at a first impression. Keep the silliness elsewhere. There's a place for everything. Ads in the actual game is not the place for spam.

[martiy]

I did not like the idea of ads at first, but eventually i started to like them and even ended up making one

 

And some of them are hilarious, my personal fav is the 3.6 billion years of ayyyy lmao one