The Road So Far

wordwaster · Feb 25, 2015

Chop-Suey said:

Think it's funny how mods always get the first couple comments of a mod thread....
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it's because they keep them hidden in the hidden section until they are ready to bump them into at.

Spoonlord · Feb 25, 2015

More than a bit inaccurate. Not surprising from a baby acct. Edit to make it clear I'm referring to the OP.

Savage_CashMeOusside · Feb 25, 2015

Daphnia said:

Guardians of the KAWlaxy

The Road to KaW So Far

Disclaimer: The information in this thread has largely come from publically available sources. Any errors or omissions are the sole responsibility of the author.

This thread is aimed at the newer members of the KaWmunity who may be interested in how the game has evolved into what it is today. To those members - welcome to KaW! Stick around to see what crazy stuff comes next. Enjoy the exclusive ATA Q’n’A at the end!

I am hoping that the many veterans of KaW add info to this thread, as I have only been playing two and a half years. Many of the dates were triangulated by earliest forum appearance, so accuracy is limited. Much of this information will be old news to the veteran community (excluding the statements from ATA and the founders!). This is a work in progress, and will benefit from more community input!

A Thinking Ape was co-founded by Wilkins Chung, Kenshi Arasaki, and Eric Deip. Chung and Arasaki are computer scientists who had previously worked with Amazon.com, while Deip independently developed on the Facebook platform.

In 2008, the founders of A Thinking Ape received as start-up grant from Y Combinator and three Silicon Valley angel investors. Y Combinator is an American investor company, of which Reddit was one of their start-ups. While working on a chat service, Chatterous, the founders noticed that users were discussing gaming strategy. They wanted to combine communications and gaming on a single social platform.

Daphnia said:

What were your goals when you first came up with the concept of Kingdoms at War?
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Founders said:

We initially wanted to create a game that had a lot of ways to communicate with other players. We had a feeling that this would lead to really interesting behavior, but we really weren't sure. At that time we were just two people and KaW was starting out as an experiment.
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For the next year, ATA worked on releasing a single product. At last, in September 2009, Kingdoms at War was released to iOS.

In the beginning, builds were limited to the first two tiers, and 25 lands available in Lowlands. There were no clans (yet), nor mods (yet), no EB’s (yet), and all was primeval chaos. As there was no clan chat, players formed alliances with each other in forums.

For more information on the early years, including the OSW history, see GrammarUnicorns thread.

Daphnia said:

How did the concept for Kingdoms at War change over time?
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Founders said:

We realized just how strong the community of KaW would become and decided to invest in ways to help players work together. We wanted to create a game that people would open up just to hang out with friends, even if they didn't have anything to do in-game.
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At this stage, KaW was still a small operation, with only the three founders. Despite humble beginnings, by 2010, KaW was listed as the eighth highest grossing app. Tier Three builds was introduced between 2009/2010.

Clans were introduced early in 2010, and system wars boomed for the first six months. Clans such as The Ethereal Order and The Hollow were among the first to experiment with plunder war income. Gold was generated by PVP actions (sometimes on inactive farms) until pwars became more prevalent.

The first ever All Stars War was run in September. Team Tyr, named after the god of single combat, rather ironically triumphed over Team Aries, named after the god of war. A month later in October, Tier Four was released. This was during the “Pwar Era” of KaW, where clans farmed OSFs for gold in 48hr plunder wars.

Daphnia said:

Could you explain the emphasis A Thinking Ape places on social interaction?
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kaw_community said:

Social interaction is a core component in all of our games for a very good reason. When you have a group of extremely passionate players and put them into situations where they must work with (or against) each other some very interesting things start to happen.

Allowing players to openly communicate with each other leads to the creation of strategic alliances, sharing of information, and betterment of the community.

Having a clan system offers players a sense of belonging. No matter what, your clan has your back and absolutely nothing can stand in your way.

Beyond this, we keep a close eye on how our players interact with each other, and look for ways to encourage emergent behaviour.
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By 2011, with the introduction of Epic Battles, pwars were no longer necessary to make gold. Throughout this year, the epic battle series Calydor the Depraved, Z’uthmerak of Despair, Usaris the Troll King, Thorak the Destroyer, and Apherium in Exile were released. In March came the first land expansion into Highlands.

That same month, Japan was struck by magnitude 9.0 earthquake, which triggered a tsunami and nuclear meltdown which claimed 30,000 lives. ATA donated parts of its sales for disaster relief, raising over $33,000 in 48hrs.

In November, co-Founder Kenshi Arasaki won one of the first annual Future Entrepreneur Leaders Award (FuEL). This is available only to entrepreneurs under the age of 30, for their innovation, acumen, and community involvement. KaW was nominated for a Digi Award, which are a premier showcase of Canada’s international digital media companies, in the category of best mobile game.

ATA then limited whale spending, after noticing discontented comments about players buying their way up the leaderboard.

The 2nd All Stars War was based on a Sin’s theme: Team Wrath triumphed over Team Lust to become the 2nd ASW victors.

Daphnia said:

How does ATA contribute to the community?
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kaw_community said:

You’ve covered a good portion already. As a company we believe in giving back, and based on player feedback, have led initiatives to donate to some pretty worthwhile causes.
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It was another award-studded year for the company, winning the UK Trade and Investment Global Adventure Competition, which allowed them to travel to the UK to forge business networks. The founders were also named as the Information Technology Entrepreneurs of the Year, in the 2012 Pacific Entrepreneur of the Year awards. KaW remained high on the top grossing app list. It was during this year that KaW expanded onto the Android market.

Throughout this year, (beginning in February) the epic battle series Hawthorn the Wretched, and Moutos the Malevolent were released. Earlier EB tiers were also enhanced, for example Apherium only had Haunt and NQ, to which FOD and COTD were added.

The first ever Summer War was run in June that year: home clan vs home clan. Last Rights eventually defeated Zaft Corporation, and won the Summer equip.

In August, Tier Five, with levels 1-3, had a staggered release into the Highlands. Shortly after in September was the 3rd All Stars War. The Harbingers of Doom were the victors, triumphing over the Harbingers of War.

November brought a drastic change in wars: the Estoc War open beta trials began. These were originally 4 hour wars with a minimum of 50 members who were automatically active in the war. The trials also had the 20% dtw mechanic removed, and the Knock-Out system introduced. The community vied to name the Red Paladin equipment.

Daphnia said:

What kind of change did Estoc’s Edge bring to the game?
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kaw_admin said:

The goal of Estoc’s Edge was to get people to experience other parts of the game that they may not have already been exposed to. With Estoc’s Edge we saw a large number of players interested in an organized war system which was great.
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The new year opened with the nerfing of the turtle build, whose DTW mechanism had allowed it to unfairly dominate the Estoc trials. Gamemakers were focused on adjusting the match-up formula. In March, the community enjoyed Season One of the Rancor Wars: intense 2hr battles, rewarded with mith, Estocs Edge, special equip, and Rancors Fury.

It was another year of awards for ATA, with Kenshi Arasaki nominated for the Gaming Insiders 30 (GI30) list of people expected to have the greatest impact on the gaming industry. ATA spread its influence further. After the devastating Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, KaWers raised $91,889 after exchange rates and fees for the relief effort. ATA topped off the donation to $100,000 USD.

In July, the third land, the Hoarfrost was unveiled, with Tier Six builds levels 1-3 having a staggered release. In September came Season Two of the Rancor Wars. Changes included introducing new hit ratios, locking BFE, 2hr wars, removing estoc edge loss when leaving clan, and lowering members to 26-29.

Throughout this year, the epic battle series Scorpios the Deathstalker, Jorathe of Silver, and the Vanish Paladins (for mith recovery) were released. The first Event Hunt occurred that Halloween, where players sought to collect the most Fiendish Fangs. Then, the Rime Comet lit up KaW that December, prompting the migrating Moth Hunt. Top hunters were rewarded with the Icetail.

Daphnia said:

How do you determine the best time to release new buildings?
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kaw_admin said:

We keep a close eye on how you progress through the game and determine what new lands/buildings will behave like and when they will be released based on that information. It's a bit of a tightrope walk, because everyone is building their kingdoms at a different pace and there will always be some who feel they are coming too soon, while others have been fully prepared for ages. The Hoarfrost lands were designed to appeal to kingdoms both big and medium by allowing lcbc players to grow while also providing mid-sized players an option to extend their reach into the Hoarfrost before completing the Highlands. We continued with this philosophy with the launch of the Abyss.
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Early in 2014, Eric Deip was listed 12th on the inaugural 30 under 30 List by BCBusiness, for industry leadership and community altruism. ATA (and its backer, Y Combinator) had fundraised for the Immunity Project, with all proceeds going to researching a HIV vaccine. They raised $40,000.

The Rancor Wars Season Three began in January with further adjustments based on community feedback. KO times were randomised and war roster shrunk again to 20, with 1hr weekday wars and 2hr weekend wars.

Throughout this year, the epic battle series Scrag the Bloodless was introduced (with a cameo from Moutos) and had a staggered release. A few months later saw the release of levels 4 and 5 for T6.

In April, the Great Quetzal Hunt began. This incorporated the feedback poll of the Ice Moth Hunt. Boots, helms, and banners were the reward. In May, the community enjoyed the Dragon Melee hunt, which dropped some pretty awesome dragon chestplates.

Soon after, in June, the Blue Wolves won the 2014 All Stars War (which was a shame because the Pink Krakens had the best name). Victors have stars on their usernames to celebrate their triumph.

In July, KaWers battled the Lure of the Hive, collecting emerald hornets which turned into a swarm. The Hive Eb dropped a new element called Psion, which was used to enchant the three Hive Rings.

September brought the Battle of the Nomads, which was distinct from previous events, because it allowed the entire community to be involved in wars. Players would purchase Green Drifter or Purple Vagrant toxins for their arrows which was hedging on the randomly allotted Individual war teams. The prize? More arrows, which formed crossbow equip.

Kingdoms at War also celebrated its 5th anniversary in flamboyant style, with fireworks, crystals, badges, increased build refunds, triple mithril, and all that jazz. The Blood Rains, EB’s which gave % plunder bonuses, were also run throughout the year.

In August, Tier Five level 4 builds were released (to the chagrin of the newly HLBC). In November, the Great Bone Hunt: the Absolution of Souls, celebrated Halloween.

But what came next was something entirely different. Starfall: the Rush of the Shards brought the first official player versus player event, in which KaWers had to attack one another to win precious meteor shards. The Fortuna Sword was another innovation: it was dropped through PVP, boosted PVP plunder by 100%, created mith, and increased Shard payout. The sword could also be stolen by other players unless you cast an Astral Ward.

Daphnia said:

What kind of work goes into designing events, hunts, and the like?
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kaw_admin said:

In KaW, gameplay has always been king, so the goal with new events is to engage you all with interesting game/social mechanics and of course, valuable rewards. From there, our creative team works their magic to craft a theme, story, and visual style around the event structure. I’m stoked that pvp enthusiasts have enjoyed some of our recent events. We took a leap of faith into unknown territory and learned a lot about what you all want from these events. Everyone’s feedback was heard, and we’re in the process of parsing that feedback so we can bring both pvp and pve players something really great.
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After this intense event came the Crux Crusades: In Cold Blood, with expanding rewards such as building tokens and plunder cruxes, in addition to tokens. We celebrated the end of 2014 with The Spirit of War: Merry Mischief, a relaxing event which gave all players Christmas stockings. It also allowed people to give their clanmates Spirit Plunder Sacks which dropped the legendary new banners.

The new year opened with the unveiling of the Abyss Wisp hunt, which encouraged players to scramble for wisps that would allow them safe passage through the underwater caverns to the fourth set of lands - the Abyss. On 21 January, the Abyss Lands, with Tier Seven - Level One, was released to all of those who had opened 15 Hoarfrost lands.

At the end of January, The Stone Emperors: Twin Paths to Glory was the first ever combined PVP and PVE event. This event catered to all playstyles, and rewarded with both PVP and PVE plunder spells (among the other rewards).

In February, the level two of tier seven was released, with much more due to come this year!

Daphnia said:

I notice there have been no shark events this year. Can we expect one in future?
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kaw_admin said:

The release date for the shark event is delayed by 1 year every time kaw_community or kaw_creative asks for it. See you in 2021.
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kaw_community said:

Haha, while it’s no secret that sharks are awesome I’m not sure that they fit in with the world of Kingdoms at War. That doesn’t mean that kaw_creative and I will stop bugging kaw_admin for one though
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Daphnia said:

Did you ever expect to host such a strong and vibrant community?
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kaw_community said:

Before I jumped head first into the waters of KaW I made sure to take a good look at what I was getting myself into. All of our players are extremely passionate and I’m continually impressed by how they’re willing to go the extra mile to help others and offer suggestions on ways to improve the game. While I can’t respond to every single one of you, I do share your ideas with the development team.
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Daphnia said:

Support, you laugh with us, and cry with us. Or at least, watch us cry. What is the most rewarding aspect of your role in providing support of KaW?
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Marvin said:

Support is all about being there for the players. As we're on the front lines, we are rewarded with the opportunity to directly make a difference within the community. Our goal is to sniff out any issues with new events, new bugs, intervene with player hostility and most of all, ensure the game remains safe and fun for all of our players.

I'm not sure if there are players more passionate than those in KaW. It's an extremely strong and vibrant community with all sorts of characters that keep the job endlessly entertaining. I'm a gamer to my core so the true reward is knowing I am doing my best to help players enjoy the game as much as possible.

It's been amazing interacting with all of you during my time with ATA. Thank you all for making it so enjoyable.

Don't even trip, dawg. We've got your back.
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Ruby said:

Support is such a rewarding place to work. Not only do we interact directly with the community but we have a direct line to developers who can fix things asap when something goes wrong. We see everything from angry players to marriage proposals. It’s nice to work somewhere that we have direct impact and I enjoy empowering people to make change whether it be making a change in the world through humanitarian causes hosted by ATA or telling a 14 year old to go to school and you can make games too. ATA empowers us to empower others, because of that the scale of what we do is endless.
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Daphnia said:

What do you guys love most about Kingdoms at War?
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Founders said:

Definitely the community and all of its emergent behavior! The large community coupled with strong communication channels led to many unexpected player behaviors, both good and bad. Things like pwars, stripping, off-system wars, and many other things that, at their heart, are people working together to achieve a goal. That was pretty awesome to see. It meant that the community had a life of its own, with its own culture and personality. Another thing that surprised us was just how strong relationships within the game became - it was a pleasure to receive the first KaW wedding cake picture in the mail, or to see KaW's community supporting a player who had become ill and was playing from the hospital. We're excited to see how KaW's community evolves over the years.
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kaw_community said:

It’s hard to pick just one thing as there’s so much that makes Kingdoms at War unique. I do think it’s amazing how passionate everyone is, and how you’ve truly made this game your own.
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kaw_admin said:

Enchanting the Icetail.
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kaw_creative said:

Trolling the forums <3
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Ruby said:

It’s amazing to think we have a 5 year old game in the app store it’s still going strong. As much as I’d like to pat everyone of us on the back and say good job ATA, I think much of our success is attributed to the community we serve. That’s amazing.
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Marvin said:

It’s all about the community.
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Daphnia said:

Any hints at we can look forward to next?
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kaw_community said:

We’re always working on a number of different things. Our recent focus has been on The Abyss and incorporating PVP into our events. What’s coming next though,.. I think it’s almost time for Scrag the Bloodless to make his final appearance!
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So there you have it! The Road to KaW as of February 2015.

This thread will be updated throughout the year. Let me know what you think needs to be added or adjusted.

Finally, a massive thank you to all the moderators, developers, support, and community members who provided valuable information for this thread.

Happy KaWing!

~Daphnia

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No support

wordwaster · Feb 25, 2015

Spoonlord said:

More than a bit inaccurate. Not surprising from a baby acct. Edit to make it clear I'm referring to the OP.
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what exactly is inaccurate?

Kool-Aid · Feb 25, 2015

@OP please look up Tofu labs and review your post.

lIIlIl__Spirit___IIlIll · Feb 25, 2015

Why did you leave out the introduction of hte? Kind of a game changer, no? Or were you not sure about what to write incase of stepping on the Devs toes? Lol

Daphnia · Feb 25, 2015

Do you have specific dates on that? If I couldn't find the exact date, I didn't include it. Send me a pm if you do. 

Chaos · Feb 25, 2015

Daphnia said:

Do you have specific dates on that? If I couldn't find the exact date, I didn't include it. Send me a pm if you do. 
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HTE was released Sept 11, 2013 Daph. 

RoTWB, I don't have however. 

lIIlIl__Spirit___IIlIll · Feb 25, 2015

Chaos said:

Daphnia said:

Do you have specific dates on that? If I couldn't find the exact date, I didn't include it. Send me a pm if you do. 
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HTE was released Sept 11, 2013 Daph. 

RoTWB, I don't have however. 
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Yeah it was about that time, not sure on exact dates but it stemmed from the summer promotions (which were the first of their kind) when they did all the 2x gold and 2x item drops from selected ebs. Hte started as a promo aswell but they kept it for some reason

Daphnia · Feb 25, 2015

Thanks! Appreciate it. I'll include it in the next edit. 

Chaos · Feb 26, 2015

I posted in the original HTE launch thread. Kaw Admin responded to me and I took SS. Hence how I was able to confirm. LOL

Can't seem to find that thread tho.
Yep, 100% fact HTE came out Sept 11, 2013.

powerwrestling96 · Feb 26, 2015

Great thread

Dr_FallOffACliffAndDie_IV · Feb 26, 2015

Thumbs up.

-Narwhal · Feb 26, 2015

Woah woah, wait a minute. The last part is wrong. KaW_Community locked Creative in a dungeon, why would he help him get an... Wait a minute... Does that mean Community brainwashed Creative. :shock:

The-Raj · Feb 26, 2015

The Followers Of The Taco respect your Supernatural reference.

Kitten · Feb 26, 2015

Amazing!

but_bandit · Feb 26, 2015

But what about spragga or law communitys clan? We need answers!!!???

Raime · Mar 20, 2015

Bump for Tiger Assassin

Killzone · Mar 20, 2015

Nice thread Daph!

I know you don't want to include osws but it would be neat to at least have the NaL Vs. Hollow War. This was, I believe, the last war that the developer team actually communicated with the kawmmunity by keeping track of the entire war and all strips- 14T.

-Narwhal · Mar 20, 2015

Almost all of the OSW's are on GrammarUnicorn's thread.

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