I would first like to say that Evony is a great game. I have enjoyed it immensely, and with just a bit more attention to development, I think the relatively minor flaws could be corrected and/or the gameplay enhanced to make the "Evony Experience" that much better.

In particular, I enjoyed the challenge of bringing a city up from scratch. Managing limited resources, including time, to build as much as possible with what I had to work with gave me a sense of satisfaction...of a job well done. And when I had used all the resources I could, or simply had to go to bed, I slept well and was ready to come back the next day and do it again.

I eventually found my way into a good alliance...one with good-natured and helpful members. Chatting with them in the ever-expanding time it took to finish buildings and research, became equally as fun as the game itself. I genuinely looked forward to logging in each morning before work, during my lunch hour at work, and then again when I got home.

I was hooked...not just on the game itself, but also on the new friendships and comradery that came with it. Before I realized it, while I was working so hard building my virtual cities, a network of real friends from all over the world had sprung up around me. This game allowed us to laugh and do things in Evony's virtual world together, to have a shared sense of accomplishment and sometimes loss. We have learned and grown together...cheered when one of us found employment, been supportive and encouraging of those who are still trying, bonded with each other in good times and bad, and most recently, celebrated when one of our members welcomed a newborn son into his family.

I think that is the true "Evony Experience", and it's something that happens largely without any direct influence from Evony staff.

It is when the Evony staff intrude on that experience, even when they have the best of intentions, that they themselves do the most damage to it.

There are things that they simply must do though which cannot be avoided. Establishing rules of conduct and of gameplay, enforcing them, and taking appropriate action when they are violated. With such a large community of players, I am sure this is a very difficult task, but it is a necessary "evil", and I understand that.

On this, I will offer only two constructive criticisms.

First, I think that they have relied too heavily on their automated security sweep. No system is perfect, and I think it is unwise to allow the security software to initiate automated suspensions. It is a system that CAN work in many, or perhaps even most cases, but it is a mistake to place your full faith in its results. You must at least have a policy in place that addresses those times when the security software issues a wrongful suspension and an appropriate remedy for the innocent. It would be far better for the security software to simply flag the suspicious accounts for staff review, and let the staff then decide whether or not to suspend. This would save the staff from having to deal with all the customer service "blowback" from these automated suspensions, and free them up to handle customer service issues in a more personal manner...rather than relying on yet another automated system to send out form letter responses to customer service issues. (this would also resolve much of my 2nd criticism below)

Second, customer service must be able to respond in a timely manner, and if that's simply not possible, then there should be something in the way of a "compensation" package that they can offer when it's simply too late to remedy the problem when customer service finds the time to review it.

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I have one and only one account on one and only one server, which I played from home and from work. I honestly don't know or understand how or why anyone can manage more than a single account. There is more than enough to keep you busy with just one, let alone 2, 3, or 10 accounts.

I'm not a big money spender either, not by any means, but I did purchase packages and cents occasionally...on average maybe once a month since October when I first started playing. Probably nothing the accountants would even notice, and probably won't miss when I'm gone.

I have now suffered the full length of two suspensions.

I didn't run here to the forums to rant about it. I followed proper protocol in contesting the first one, and received only automated responses for the entire 72 hours of suspension. Once the suspension was over, I was disheartened by the lack of attention I had received, but "got over it" (for the most part) and just went back to playing.

Then I got suspended again, for another 72 hours, and this time without even the automated emails to remind me to read the terms of service.

This time I cc'd Nathan on my email to the escalation address, and he did at least respond, and relativly quickly I might add, to ask me what my lord name and server was. I did appreciate that rapid response, but now, after one and only one additional email to request an update on my account review, and nearly a week later...nothing. In that email, I suggested that a compensation package of 9 senior guidelines would be fair once my innocence is verified. 72 hours of production gained for 72 hours of production lost.

So, in spite of everything that I enjoy about Evony, I have decided to retire from it. Multiple wrongful suspensions, with more likely on the way since no one seems to have the time to review my account and the lack of any response from customer service is just too much for me to bear. It upsets me and ruins my whole "experience".

Being labelled and treated like a violator, over and over again places a question in the minds of my friends and alliance members that has no business being there. And without any sort of vindication from Evony, there is simply no way to remove that question from their minds.

Does it even matter to them, or to anyone else? It's just a game after all, right?

Well it matters to me, but now it's too late. I'm officially retiring from Evony.

I created this forum account solely for the purpose of sending this message, since you are most likely to see and perhaps respond to it here.

Thank you Evony for the free game and all the fun I've had playing it...and for the friendships I will take with me as I go.

I truly wish the staff and players the best, and hope that you can eventually work through the problems that have driven me and those like me to leave.

-E