As you are all aware, there will be a new empire. Do you really want this? Consider the results.

There will be more players.
Alright, that's good, right? Wrong. There will be more players, causing lag, the new empire itself with all of these new abilities will cause lag. Many of us can no longer play, like Fr0st. Also, they will have to reprogram many things like the replay codes.

More variety:
This also seems good at first glance. But everything will change. WyzDM may drop to 1200 rating for all we know. There is no predicting, new players may rise up. That being said, more variety may or may not be good.

Money:
This is a big issue. Some of us cannot let on to our parents that we are playing computer games(I've got strict parents and writing this right now is difficult while closing this every 17 seconds). So we can't pay. We will be disadvantaged and will lose in the first few weeks or so.

All in all, I think it's a bad idea, not to mention the new bugs and other things that are coming. I actually think

They should get all the Alpha testers to go to a website to test everything first, so bugs don't go all over.

Stop making these, it's not like it's gonna change anything. But yes, it's a good idea.

OK, so excuse me as I cut your post up into little pieces and reply to each piece separately, because there are things I agree with and some that I disagree with.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

There will be more players.
Alright, that's good, right? Wrong. There will be more players, causing lag, the new empire itself with all of these new abilities will cause lag.

No, I don't think so. As I understand it, lag can be caused (or perceived, rather) mainly by two forms:
1) Takes a while for information to be sent/received between client and server
2) Lots of rendering and redraws affects framerate
Unless they go all Miccool on their animations and abilities, adding a new empire doesn't affect either of these.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

Many of us can no longer play, like Fr0st.

This reason for this has never been made clear. Fr0st, why is this?

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

Also, they will have to reprogram many things like the replay codes.

Depending on how replay codes work, that may not be necessary.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

More variety:
This also seems good at first glance. But everything will change. WyzDM may drop to 1200 rating for all we know. There is no predicting, new players may rise up. That being said, more variety may or may not be good.

Well, to be blunt, that's how games work: adapt or die. I won't speak for him, but I'm fairly certain that WyzDM would enjoy the variety/challenge in getting used to another empire.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

Money:
This is a big issue. Some of us cannot let on to our parents that we are playing computer games(I've got strict parents and writing this right now is difficult while closing this every 17 seconds). So we can't pay.

While I don't feel like being a cheap-face, this is a true statement. People who can't pay have to stick with Order, so until I get the money, I'll stick with my swordwrath, thank you very much.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

We will be disadvantaged and will lose in the first few weeks or so.

I don't know. We have to also consider that the people playing as the new empire will be unfamiliar with it, so we can't be certain of this yet.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

All in all, I think it's a bad idea, not to mention the new bugs and other things that are coming. I actually think they should get all the Alpha testers to go to a website to test everything first, so bugs don't go all over.

I disagree. Try as you might, there will always be bugs. To keep a program in Alpha testing until there are "no bugs left" is to keep it in Alpha testing forever. They should release it when they think it's stable enough, like they always have.

No comment, just what he ^ said.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

As you are all aware, there will be a new empire. Do you really want this? Consider the results.
There will be more players.
Alright, that's good, right? Wrong. There will be more players, causing lag, the new empire itself with all of these new abilities will cause lag. Many of us can no longer play, like Fr0st. Also, they will have to reprogram many things like the replay codes.

Not necessarily true. More players will always cause lag, the empire however won't unless the animations are highly advanced and dependant on unit being attacked, position and other factors. But the attacks are simple animations, so a new empire won't directly affect lag. More people playing however, will mean more work for the server meaning more lag.

Also, the replays just replay what animation was used, the position of the unit, what it was doing and what abilities and stuff the player had along with armoury items. So really, for replays they just have to make some slight adjustments in the replay code generator so that replays will work. And they basically just punch in the names of the animations used (I think) which shouldn't be that hard. Besides they probably expected a replay code rewrite with the new empire.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

More variety:
This also seems good at first glance. But everything will change. WyzDM may drop to 1200 rating for all we know. There is no predicting, new players may rise up. That being said, more variety may or may not be good.

What's wrong with people dropping ranks? If they get beat, they got beat. The only thing bad with a larger variety of players is that there may be more glitchers or hackers (rare anyway due to way game works) or spammers.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

Money:
This is a big issue. Some of us cannot let on to our parents that we are playing computer games(I've got strict parents and writing this right now is difficult while closing this every 17 seconds). So we can't pay. We will be disadvantaged and will lose in the first few weeks or so.

I don't see how this makes a large effect. You could say the same for Chaos. If you need help combating the new empire, just browse the forums a bit. Sure your parents may be hyper strict but I doubt many people are in a similar situation. A developer of anything must cater to the majority. Maybe ask your parents to loosen up or something.

Quote from ShadowyWhisper

All in all, I think it's a bad idea, not to mention the new bugs and other things that are coming. I actually think

They should get all the Alpha testers to go to a website to test everything first, so bugs don't go all over.

A new thing always has bugs. Once the empire is (initially) complete I bet there will be sign-ups to test it on the forums or somewhere.

Quote from jli

OK, so excuse me as I cut your post up into little pieces and reply to each piece separately, because there are things I agree with and some that I disagree with.

I disagree. Try as you might, there will always be bugs. To keep a program in Alpha testing until there are "no bugs left" is to keep it in Alpha testing forever. They should release it when they think it's stable enough, like they always have.

For a few weeks only. I didn't mean forever, they're still fixing bugs now.

There are like 3 other threads about the same topic. Stop making them and go post on one of them.