Ads removed. Goodbye Free to Play???

[Benedicto]

Honestly, I was very disappointed. It was my (and most of us) source of gems for almost 3 years of playing, trying to get at least 300 gems everyday, and I even farm ad boxes while working (work from home just to make it clear), my phone at my side, playing Fiery Pits and wait my toon to be killed once then running on the side then click at box while typing office documents, was my daily routine for years. I oftentimes buy the 30-day gem package but not every month, and I bought all the season passes except the first season. So, is it really goodbye for most of free to play gamers? But I hope not, as your note said you will find ways to earn gems in-game. On the other side, gem farming is not a problem anymore, so as a daily player (I haven't missed a single day playing since I started), may I have these simple suggestions on how to get free gems:

1. Rework the in-game calendar. Instead of those chests, gold and 330 gems, make it a gem calendar, a player must log-in everyday to have increased gem rewards. If one misses a day, he/she must start again.
2. Increase the daily quest rewards. From 20 every daily quest, make it 50 gems.
3. Increase the gem rewards in the story mode quests, to encourage players to play those quests repeatedly.
4. Have gem rewards every trial completion, make at least one guaranteed gem reward everytime one finishes a trial level.
5. Increase the 30-gem package, you might increase the price, but make it reasonable since it is the most affordable.
6. Rework also the achievements, add harder tasks with higher gem rewards.
7. Increase the gem drops in story mode and in trials.

250 gems is no joke, devs. I understand you lost revenues in removing ads, but you'll also may lose free to play gamers now like students and children that might invest real money in the future.

[CarnivorousDeathParrot.2]

I'd bet the ads were non-profitable to begin with.

There's clearly a million things they can do to improve the game other than removing a free source of gems.

[Benedicto]

A million bugs that must be fixed first,...

[kurtcabage]

i already played like 3 month and farming daily quest and adsbox every morning and some at work break time as well,
this is very disappointed to be clear, sigh!

hope they add more gems drop on story mode and trial

[Fish knife]

WTF?

Those 255 gems per day were my main source of gems and did generate revenue for DP. Without them there is no way I'll be able to compete in ANBs, i.e. I'll probably stop playing unless the devs quickly come up with another way to earn gems without having to pay.

[Seba]

What? Removing ad-boxes from the game??
Was it announced anywhere?

I have been still receiving them today, no changes noticed here.
At the moment they stopped, probably I already reached 50 ads for today.

EDIT:

Never mind.
Found another thread about this.

Good heavens! It is true...

Any ather news what new update brings to daylight?

[Benedicto]

Other than removing the ad boxes, the update now allows us to celestialize trinkets.

[Seba]

Thanks Benedicto.
So again, update with bitter and sweet taste at the same time.
What to do? I haven't updated yet and think I'll try to keep away from this update until game forces me to go through, or until I craft in this ANB really nice trinket worth keeping. Difficult decisions coming...

[Benedicto]

I really regret that I updated mine too early. Yes, it is better not to update yet until another one comes out that you must get the latest version. I was unaware of this because at the first place they did not posted it in the "What's New" in the Google Play Store that the latest version has removed the ads.

[Travesty]

Just wondering what everyone thinks about the removal of ads.

My 2 cents: Although I've never been a fan of ads, I've seen this happen in other games (along with the removal of monthly game currency value buys) and the part about, "...we will evaluate other ways to earn gems through gameplay," never happens.

Hope that's not the case here because in other games where I've seen this go down it's always been a shift towards focusing on spenders (especially whales) and encouraging f2p players to scram.

Minor aside to devs: Need to remove, "Reward Videos: On" from settings.

[RockDoc]

I was forced to accept update. Everyone will have to if they want to continue playing.

[Coldet]

My Androids are still running on the “Video” version.

[Benedicto]

I know a different game (an I am currently playing it) that they also removed ads (daily quest) because they really turned it into pay to win, improved many features but the gap was even widened between whales and free to play, yet even large spenders of that game quit playing because of disappointment. I still hope this will not greatly affect most players now.

[Arawn]

I think the whole gem model is outdated and needs an overhaul. I'm not sure we need gems. We don't need two in-game currencies (already have gold)

[Benedicto]

I did a speed run on story mode with my gold farmer BH, made my Act 1 & 2 5 stars on the normal, epic and legendary difficulties. Gained 210 gems using 40 minutes of coffee (+movement speed) and wasting 1 1/2 hours that I previously spent in farming exp on trials..

[Igetlifted]

Has there been some update about this that I missed? Last I saw, there was a problem with the file extensions. How the boxes linked to ads, or some such tom foolery. I was under the impression it was a temporary issue.

[Travis | Support Mgr.]

"...we will evaluate other ways to earn gems through gameplay," never happens.

Hope that's not the case here...

We are working on adding new "daily activities with gem rewards". Unfortunately, I don't have any details on what those activities may be, but the plan is to award more Gems through gameplay to make up for ads being removed.

[lmcelhiney]

Though I was a big user of Ad Boxes for gems, it was so dysfunctional on the iPad that I rarely got over 100 gems/day. What I will miss is the advertisements for other games which I sometimes tried. Oh, well, fires, pandemics, riots and now we are ad-free... Guess we'll all survive.

[Benedicto]

Travis, the ad removal wasn't even announced in the update contents when the game needs to be updated. In my case, "various bug fixes" only appeared, even the trinkets can now be applied by CTs were not there. We were surprised, in the middle of the event.

[Tattersail]

Seriously? Half of the ads that I got were for low quality chinese garbage or super click baity. There were even a few that ran when they hadn't finished translating. Personally I wont miss seeing the same 6 ads over and over. I'd stopped watching for the most part, 30 seconds was way too long that it really disrupted the experience and wasnt worth it.

[Arawn]

We are working on adding new "daily activities with gem rewards". Unfortunately, I don't have any details on what those activities may be, but the plan is to award more Gems through gameplay to make up for ads being removed.

Probably would have been better for devs to have an alternative before removing ads so that we could continue receiving gems-- especially with ANB events currently active. Not trying to be obnoxious or anything, just my opinion

[Benedicto]

My routine in ANBs is to push on the last day of the event. I reforge my exp stat on all my gear, and my average gem usage is 1000 gems. Luckily I have enough before the ad removal. Now what if there are other players that only ad box dependent and gem poor now...

[frodaddy]

In response to the original post I figured I'd throw my 2 cents...........that being said, 2 year player here. Just reached CL2000. I totally hear ya, Benedicto. I love the game but i cant spend more then what I have been spending every month. If I have to spend more to balance the ad boxes not being there, then it'll never work for me. I'd prob have to quit. Hope all y'all at the making fun team figure a way to keep it going. Good playing to all of y'all.....

[Sleepy Dragon]

New player here, started playing this season. A bit over a month playing.

I agree with Arawn, the devs should have prepare the alternative way to get free gems before removing the ad options. I am not a totally free player but the gems from ads did support me especially to build my side BH and mage character i play for fun. If there are no development on this issue like what Benedicto concerns about, i probably will also quit at the end of this season. Even though i will have a 10.000 gems to start that season from my season pass. Probably i should burn that gems on one last ANB then quit LOL..