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Revision as of 20:40, 2 December 2009 by 205.211.16.254 (talk) (→Other controversies)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) 2009 video game| Evony | |
|---|---|
 Evony's logo | |
| Developer(s) | Evony, LLC |
| Publisher(s) | Evony, LLC |
| Platform(s) | (Flash reliant) |
| Release | May 6, 2009 |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy Medieval MMORTS |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
Evony (formerly known as Civony) is a browser-based multiplayer online game with graphic elements reminiscent of Civilization. The game received mixed critical reviews, and its 2009 online advertisement campaign continues to draw strong criticism.
Gameplay
Beginning
A player starts with a civilian ranking with a level one town hall and 5,000 each of gold, food, lumber, stone, iron, and population of 50. As with many real-time strategy games, one first has to increase population through the construction of cottages, acquire resources by building iron mines, quarries, farms and sawmills, and then start developing their town and building an army.
General
Evony introduces quests to guide new players so they do not get stuck at the beginning of the game.
In the game, when a player logs out, the game continues while they are not around. For seven days after registering, or until their town hall reaches level five, a player is given protection in which other players may not attack them so they have time to grasp the game's concepts and begin to achieve its goals.
Evony has two different monetary systems. The in-game monetary system revolves around gold. Gold can be obtained by way of quests, or by taxing the player's population. It is also possible to sell resources (food, lumber, stone, iron) for gold on the marketplace to other players. In lieu of this, a player can use real money to buy items and resources from the in-game shop to advance more quickly through the game.
Prestige is a measure of a player's rank in the game, like points. Players gain prestige by following the Evony quests, building or upgrading structures and successfully attacking valleys and cities often during the game. Honor is also a ranking system; however, it only changes with a successful or unsuccessful attack or defense of another player.
Evony allows the player to control up to 10 cities (though some players have 11). To increase the number of cities the player can control, the player must obtain higher nobility ranks through the collection of medals.
Critical reception
Reviews for Evony have praised the appearance, but have been mostly critical of its derivative gameplay.
The game was cited as doing "an amazing job at making the game look and feel appealing to all gamers" by New Zealand-based Stuff, although was criticised for the amount of time and effort needed to excel in the game. Stuff also noted the shortcomings of a system like Evony's where one could essentially buy one's way through the game.
The Guardian pointed out that it was so similar to Sid Meier's Civilization series that it felt like a ripoff, going so far as to essentially steal its name.
The game also has been criticized for its website design, which takes entire sentences and layouts that have appeared previously on RuneScape.
Controversy
Advertising campaign
Evony's 2009 online advertising campaign was criticized for featuring what The Guardian called "a string of increasingly racy images." The images depicted females who, as the ad campaign continued, became further and further unclothed, until the ad was simply a bra-clad pair of breasts. A more recent ad features what appears to be a fogged shower door with an apparently nude woman behind it. The next two ads displayed a topless woman lying on her stomach in bed, covering herself with her arms, and another woman in bed lying on her back, clad only in her undergarments. More recently, there has been a new ad of two women in a suggestive pose only wearing their undergarments seen on download sites. The slogans used to advertise the game also frequently included references to a "queen" or a "lover" to save, although there is no queen or lover within the game. Additionally, they frequently state that the user can "play discreetly".
Evony has also been accused of promoting the game through "millions of spam comments left on blogs".
A campaign for PopCap Games' game, Plants vs. Zombies, included online advertisements that parodied Evony's. They featured cartoony images of female zombies like those featured in the game, in similar poses to the women in Evony's advertisements. Similar slogans were also used; instead of "Save the queen!", one ad tells the onlooker to "Save Your Brains!"
Copyright issues
One of the images used during the ongoing advertising campaign, featuring a fairy, was taken from the website Costume Craze. The owners were subsequently informed and blogged about this.
Other controversies
Allegations have been made that the game is linked to WoWMine, a Chinese operation known for online gold farming. The developers of Evony have denied this accusation.
On 25 August 2009, Evony's lawyers threatened to sue a critical blogger for defamation. The developers of Evony have denied the allegations from internet blogger Bruce Everiss, based in Coventry, and have sent a cease and desist letter for defamation based on Australian law. Everiss responded by releasing a documentary which reportedly shows evidence of Evony's fraudulent history.
References
- ^ "Beginner Tutorial". Evony. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
- ^ Lauterbach, Joel (2009-07-08). "Review: Evony". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2009-07-22. Cite error: The named reference "stuff" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- "Step by Step Account Starting Guide". Hods Realm. 2009-05-10. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- "Evony Quick-Start Guide". Evony. 2009-10-14. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
- ^ Johnson, Bobbie (2009-07-15). "Has Evony become the most despised game on the web?". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- ^ Tate, Ryan (2009-07-13). "Everything Wrong with the Internet in One Gaming Banner Ad Campaign". Gawker. Retrieved 2009-07-22.
- Mannion, Gavin (13 August 2009). "History of Evony Ads". LazyGamer. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
- ^ Ng, Keane (2009-08-04). "PopCap's Evony Spoof Ads for Plants vs. Zombies Keep Coming". The Escapist. Retrieved 2009-08-24.
- "Dubious "Civony" Game Uses Costume Photo". Costume Craze. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ Everiss, Bruce (25 August 2009). "Evony want to sue me for telling the truth". Bruce on Games. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- Everiss, Bruce (26 August 2009). "Why use Warren McKeon Dickson to threaten me?". Bruce on Games. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- Everiss, Bruce (26 August 2009). "Interesting Video". Bruce on Games. Retrieved 2009-11-26.