What's the point of clearing areas?

[Optimus_Pig]

This would seem to be pretty basic (especially since I’ve been playing for almost two months and have hit L140), but lately the question has been nagging at me:

— I’m trying to understand the point of the game and why we need to go around clearing areas (other than the satisfaction of watching stuff get blown up, of course).

So other than earning pigs (to free more Transformers) and earning coins (to upgrade / recharge those TFs and pay to unlock more areas), what’s the point of running an area?

For example:

– If I successfully complete an area at “very hard” does that then make the area “immune” from being further transformed by the eggs? i.e. it’s now been cleared permanently? From what I’ve observed, this doesn’t appear to be the case.

– If I clear an area at a given difficulty level, does it automatically take that same area to the next difficulty level (very easy -> easy -> medium -> hard -> very hard) the next time it gets transformed? From what I’ve observed, this also doesn’t appear to be the case.

So really, from an overall game standpoint, does it actually matter whether or not we run areas, other than collecting pigs and coins?

Topic

[h82loze]

Besides earning coins and pigs, clearing the areas also allows you to get the achievements. Without clearing the areas, you couldn’t get the achievements unless you paid for Jenga and used that to get the achievements.

[Optimus_Pig]

@h82loze – OK, that’s an interesting point you raise. But from what I’ve seen, the only benefit of Achievements (other than feeling good about yourself) is to gain free gems. Is that correct?

So in other words, the only benefit of running levels is to earn in-game currency, which helps to indirectly support your game objectives by being able to upgrade your TFs to higher levels, but no direct effect on the game itself?

[Red7827]

The whole point of this game is just going for these levels. It mostly varies by everyone what they has to do. Some say they are just for enjoyment, some say they are for progress in-game and some say they are for achievements. Their main point is giving players enjoyment and recommend to play with. Sometimes, i don’t care if the level is Very Hard. I mostly care if it gonna give some pleasure like you get many coins, stuff explodes or you don’t believe you just made through fifteen mortar towers.

[Victor]

This is actually a question that was on my mind as well. Because of the bugs that people experience once you progress in the game, I stopped playing the regular levels. Only Jenga mode. So I am still collecting coins, upgrading my characters, etc. You really don’t miss anything by not playing the regular levels.

[Optimus_Pig]

@victor – is the rate of coin collection much higher in Jenga mode vs. regular areas? I’m struggling with justifying paying the $9.99.

It’s too bad they don’t have a way to play Jenga mode on a trial basis to see if we enjoy playing it, before we have to shell out.

[Optimus_Pig]

@gulgor0 – not that I don’t enjoy just blasting stuff and collecting coins for the pure joy of it, but I guess my point is that the game would be more meaningful to me personally if there was an overall strategic objective to be reached. Otherwise I can envision the day (probably sooner rather than later) where it’s just getting too repetitive for me to enjoy the simple blasting of stuff, or becomes too onerous for me to continue collecting enough coins to do more upgrading. (145,000 coins to upgrade Goldbite Grimlock from L7 to L8. I shudder to think how many coins it will cost to take him from L9 to L10 …)

[Victor]

@optimuspig Yeah, I found it hard to justify at first too. But it’s worth it because you get about 700 coins per run and you can play it without restriction. So it adds up to real progress.

[illawarrior]

The money trees only grow in cleared areas. The more cleared areas you have, themore coins you can harvest.

[Optimus_Pig]

Yes, but I was hoping that there was something more meaningful than just collecting coins.

[Anonymous]

The reason is to get rid of those horrid levels with Shotgun pigs Laser Pigs and the level 3 Mortar Towers. The coins and pigs are just a bonus.

[nikki567]

Well, that is the essential philosophic question that I ask myself every morning when I open the game. But that leads to: why do we game at all? We all have a variety of motivations. For some, it’s curiosity, or compulsiveness, or enjoying the progression (accomplishment) of levels.

Perhaps I am diverging too much into psychobabble, but personally this game is more satisfying than some of the other AB games. I will say that the visuals in this game are much more satisfying than the other Rovio games, and the occasional surprises (sometimes an object will come flying toward the viewer in cool effect – I am an artist, so the visuals are important to me – or the new Egbot, or whatever, are fun. Figuring out how to navigate Pig City. Anyway, what prompted your question? The original games were much more Geometry-inspired, which is satisfying, but this game has surprises that are enjoyable.

[Optimus_Pig]

Actually, what I meant by “meaningful” – go back to my original post right up at the top of the page.

I’m not getting philosophical or anything like that.

I’m thinking more in terms of gameplay – is there an actual linear progression accomplished that’s more complex than “earn more coins, use coins to upgrade bots, rinse, repeat”.

But the answer is a resounding “no”.

[LadyDi]

For me, the other AB games are collecting dust as I never finish one as soon as they great the next great AB game. And so, this one, is the great one… for now. Im learning from you all posting thought provoking questions and answers.

[oldschool]

I agree with @optimuspig. There is no point in actually playing the game, since it does not advance you anyhow. You progress by getting coins, which are obtained by entering the game, clicking on cleared levels, then waiting all over again. As soon as you have cleared enough levels, you don’t need to play the game anymore.

Edit: it seems playing it actually prevents you from playing it any further, in the sense that levels for that bird will get harder, and he will take more damage, eventually demanding upgrades to complete.

[Optimus_Pig]

@oldschool understands where I’m going with this. Just going around killing pigs and towers and blowing up structures is fun – up to a point. So’s seeing if you can top your previous coins performance in running a node (my record so far is 36,736). But again, that’s only fun for so long.

Even getting to Rank 250 (25 TFs @ L10), even though it’s going to take me at least three more months to achieve, will eventually happen – but then what??

Or to put it another way, I could quite easily progress my TFs to maximum upgrades without running a single node between now and reaching Rank 250. How you ask? Simple, by harvesting (29 x 400 x 6) = 69,600 coins a day, just by logging in and doing nothing more. Perhaps play a Gold Dome node once every 3 days for a few more coins. It would take me somewhat longer than if I were to also run nodes regularly, but it would still happen.

I asked in another topic I started a while ago: “What’s the endgame?”

As the saying goes (more or less): “Life is about the journey, not the destination”. But what happens when there is no destination?

[BuriedTreasure]

Clearly, the point if the game is to have fun and waste some time. The point for Rovio is to make money.

That said, the story is undocumented and inconsistent. The bugs make it difficult. However, as I open new levels I no longer have any infestation in the old levels. I presume that means I am helping to clear the island…

[Optimus_Pig]

@buriedtreasure “Clearly, the point if the game is to have fun and waste some time. The point for Rovio is to make money.”

Clearly, but that’s not really what I’m trying to get at.