It’s very interesting to see all reactions you get on an April Fools joke and of course I thought I should comment on this year’s joke, and our fools jokes (past, present and future) in general. But before I started to write I just got curious and checked up the reactions from last year’s joke and what I wrote back then. And to be honest I wasn’t that surprised that it contained most of the things I wanted to write now. So, if you have very good memory – sorry for repeating me.
Now, from the reactions it’s clear that the vast majority of you appreciate our fools jokes. Some jokes might be better than others, but that’s how it is and it’s all a matter of taste in the end. I also have to add that our joke this year was really good, one our best ever I think. But even if most people enjoy our jokes, I will actually focus mostly on those who don’t in this post. You know, to explain why we do this and why we think it’s important. Well, give it a try at least.
Some say doing jokes like this is a waste of time, as nothing of it can be used in the game world and thus is of no use. I respect that opinion, but I strongly disagree with it as I find it utterly boring having to be deadly serious about everything. Sometimes you just need a good laugh. Just as you sometimes want to go out and have a good night out, for no other reason than to have a good time. Sure, we can all work 16-18 hours per day and devote the rest to sleep and eat (but eat really, really fast then – enjoying it would be a waste!), but would the world really become a better place if so?
So, for no other reason than just having some fun we spend a little dev resources on creating April Fools jokes. This year we spent about 0,04% of our yearly dev resources, and I think it’s time very well invested (to be honest, the spending the double would be totally ok too). Even if it’s for no other reason than for the fun of it and sharing that fun with the community. Naturally we also want to show that even though we’re very serious about what we do, we also want to give you this side of us and joke a little – mostly with ourselves and sometimes perhaps even about our own shortcomings. We don’t have to take ourselves so seriously, I mean you have to be able to joke about yourself as well.
Anyways, I think most negative reactions this time was about us joking about a 3D match viewer though, as it’s common wish at least from some users (but fram from all) and thus nothing to joke about. However, this is also what made it perfect to joke about.
Hattrick is a game proudly presented in text. That’s what we are, and we don’t try to be anything else. And that’s not likely to change either as we believe a 3D match viewer has little to do with how good the game can be in the long run. To be honest, most of the viewers for manager games I’ve seen haven’t really impressed me at all, plus that it’s a gigantic project to complete. I just don’t see that big benefits of doing it. Other games may think it is for them, and for pure football simulation games like FIFA it’s naturally obligatory. But we’re not that kind of game.
So, sorry guys and girls if you’re one of them who really fancy such a viewer. There is definitely things that can be improved in the live experience, but any 3D or 2D match viewer is just not likely to happen. And I guess some of you couldn’t appreciate the joke because of that, but in the end the best jokes also have to challenge your thoughts and opinions a bit. At least that’s what I think, and I think we pulled this off quite nicely. If I’m allowed to say so.
Fun is not complete when everyone laughs at a joke. We need some serious personalities around to make it funnier.
cheers
Lol, good joke. I saw it and was like “whaaat?” :))
That really was a great joke. Personally my favourite of this years 1st April. Thank you 🙂
Taking so much time to explain a joke makes me feels that was a crappy joke.
Some folks really want 2D/3D viewers. You just make new friends.
Good joke, and very practical: it showed that the comunity wants a 3D match viewer badly.
I pretty agree with everything you said except one: Yesterday’s joke was cool, but in my humble opinion, the best will remain last year’s one 😉
Last year’s joke was definitely the best of all, in my opinion. It just felt so… real. Midway though setting my terrain settings I was thinking “wait a minute… something isn’t right here” 😀
Hi.
Ok, Tjecken, I understand (and, in some degree, support) that you probably will never implement the match visor. But, then, Could you, at least, improve the HT-Live with more programmed match reports, reports that avoid the boring of 20, 30, 60 or 90 minutes with no facts in the games? I wrote an idea about that in the Global (English). Please, implement it. Thanks in advance.
This is so true. I can accept that no 2D or 3D match viewer will ever exist… but the current match viewer feels a little stale at times. Basically, we should be getting an update at least every minute. Like reading a play by play transcript of an actual game. Maybe throw in some funny lines, some color commentary, maybe the play by play is narrated by two different characters? Maybe describe what the fans are doing in the stands? Give the users some live stats at half time? See where I’m getting to? The possibilities are endless. Now some will hate this, but it’s natural to me that at some point you might want to actually DRAW a rectagular stadium around the match report text and add actual scrolling sponsorship banners on the sidelines, like in real life matches. This is the single feature in Hattrick that needs the most improvement. Not the staff, not the fan system. The match report, which is the bread and butter of the game.
I completely agree with you guys… Improving HT-Live in the way SOYNINJA describes will really improve this game. For now, when I have a game I usually put the website on while “wandering” in the internet and when there is aמ updating foxtrick informs me… but using HT-Live could really be much funnier, It could be something that will make you stick to the screen… and it will make you wait for any game that you will have…
Do you really want a 2D/3D viewer? in HT? Are you insane?
Just to mention, how do you imagine Throw-ins in that viewer? How do you imagine high passes in that viewer (and the way the player controls the ball)? How do you imagine your players dribbling? Ok, all the player are like Messi and have divine dribbling.
Do you want 1 corner per game? What about a counter attack? Oh… I forgot that only works with the tactic… A quick rush? But I don’t have any quick player in my team…
How fast will the players run? No, they must be equally faster… and the divided balls? How do you solve it? How do you see your left wingback defending against a right wing? what does he do to take the ball from the attacker?
Free kicks? Just one or two per game? What about if the free kick is in the left… or the right? Maybe all the players are ambidextrous, like Pelé.
Ok, lets do that, nevermind the problems, I want a 2D/3D viewer, I don’t care if it is a good one or a mediocre one… lets see:
1st week: Hmm, it is nice, all the players are running… I know they are just dots in a screen, but they are ok… look, that’s my NT forward…
2nd week: Haven´t seen this yet… oh
3rd week: De javú…
4th week: This is Boooooooooooooooring… where’s the FF button, I want to see my goals… uh! no goals?… stupid and sexy viewer!
5th week: I’m gonna play some Angry Birds in my FB while appears a report… oh, I love the text viewer, just a glance every 5 minutes and I can keep on working on my thesis.
Guys, a nice a pro viewer requires a different engine. Do you really want to change the engine? Is that wise enough… just for a decorative thing? Think again.
A new engine? You mean an engine that comes up with reasonable results and a winner of the match who really deserves it: Oh my god – no way 🙂
But for those idots who wants to have the fun of an animated viewer (like me, I confess) – how about developing a software (as a download or cd) to buy in the shop? So the others won’ be annoyed by that extra-Feature and we have our fun…
Hello,
I thought of a cute little extra tab of the stadium.
Why not be registered where the amount of fans who came all the previous league game, so it will be easier to evaluate when to upgrade the stadium and will be easier user?
Thank you.
I would hate to see a real 3D Viewer in Hattrick.
But I would very much like it if the April Fool’s version were permanently implemented!
3D viewer in Hattrick?… no thanks !!
but i’d like some more suspence in HT-Live… more reports… and whit suspence.
example:
– penalty for team A…
– and 1 minutes after.. the result of this penalty
etc.
I quite like the fact that the match report is text-focused. I don’t want a graphical representation of the match. However, don’t think I don’t like the graphical side. I love it. If I could have anything for a ‘special wish’ it would be more images of the players once a match is complete – like a newspaper snippet for instance in ‘My Office’. Perhaps showing one of our squad players celebrating a winning goal, or the manager jumping for joy at the result, or a player totally depressed on the ground after his team getting knocked out of the cup. These are images many of us could use on our Hattrick United blogs also. The avatar system, I think, could be implemented in such images, so that whatever your player or manager looks like it could be blended into such ‘snapshots’ or in-game or after-game emotion. We already have avatar moods, so is it that impossible? It would be a fantastic supporter feature – match photos.
I like this suggestion, it would be really cool. I can’t say whether it will be realized or not, but I’ll definitely bring it up in the team. 🙂
I agree that a 2D or 3D viewer has no place in HT. And not because it wouldn’t bring a lot to the game but because of how the game engine works. It doesn’t really compare 11 players against the opposites. It compares 7 ratings instead. So making a realistic graphical viewer would be impossible (that’s why I didn’t have to see the “viewer” to know it’s a joke despite forgetting that it was april the 1st). The only solution would be replacing the standard text messages with standard graphical messages that don’t really reflect the players on the field but rather a missed/converted chance.
But the thing is that there are really some things to be improved about the live viewer like the real time ratings report that we wanted even before we saw HTO. And I know that you are probably working on implementing that into HT because it would be simply mad not to but some of us are losing our patience. And in such troubled times when some of us expect something new added to the match viewer, a joke about that match viewer might seem a little bitter.
And for those that actually expect that one day HT might involve realistig 3D/2D viewer like Football Manager, I think this joke was really really hell on earth 🙂
Ci sono cascato come un pazzo.. ero fomentato a mille con il cuore che impazzava per il 3D….
Ah.. Ah … AH : )
I love the joke, i hate the concept.
but what i really hate is the way people respond on forum’s.
first everybody likes the sound of 3D but when one man/woman say’s “i don’t like it”, the rest doen’t like it either. hmmmm, strange………
it was a nice joke, but it could not beat the one from last year…. that one was hillarious :-), with the designs in the grass and how people would play on it :-D. I still laugh on that one.
I definitely not need a 90 minutes 3D real time viewer. But yes, I would like to see goals and other highlights (the ones that appear in the real time text viewer).
And for me the highlights graphics do not need to be viewable real time as they happen. The highlights can be published in the game report with the rest of the detailed info.
Tha’s my 2 cents of thought, have a good Easter!
Good!
First of all I was like: “It’s joke, today is 1 Apr, but I got to check it”. Then I saw button “Watch in 3D”, I was like “WOW, it’s so cool. Finally it was like: “1 Apr, again..”.
hi
please attempt for this ability
i want hattrick with 3D
tank you
“If I’m allowed to say so.” Surely you must say so, and even more:) Hattrick is a game complete – in my opinion. It does not require visualization like the “FIFA” or any other such games – to move and inspire emotion.
I think there could be at least some graphical improvements within the game. For instance, goalkeeper kits. Maybe an improved team picture. Asian players who actually look asian.
Maybe it would be possible to see a picture of the whole body of a player, with the team kit. Players with head spec. would look taller, strong ones would look bigger, fast ones would look shorter and thiner…
I don’t see why it would be hard to implement…
I want my money back!!
“A day without a laugh is a wasted day” (Charlie Chaplin)
It was a good joke but after I saw first 3D report in which the crazy text where floating in the air it took only one minute for me to discover that it must be a joke. But last year one really did fool me . It was the best one.
Re 3D and 2d viewer I agree with you. Also agree that live text report should be much more expanded. But I have a suggestion too. What about the Audio? If its possible that some reporters report the game for us and we can hear it like FIFA and PES reporters that would be great as current text form that every several some thing is reported is boring and I always do something else when I am watching my 90 minutes game live . Audio of reporters can keep me busy and entertained as the game is going on.
Hehe, well audio would be cool, but I don’t think it’s realistic to believe that it will happen one day to be honest.
You make jokes with such speed but years to make significant Hattrick improvements.
Start working in important features for the game, there are many users paying/supporting you to do that.
Hey Tjecken, may I ask few questions ?
1- Personally, I really like the way we can appreciate our own players and I really enjoyed the “Fidelity” improvement with bonus for homegrown players. Will we be able one day to put a player from Hall of Fame as Young-team coach ? By the way, I heard your team was working on a new staff system, will we be able to use former players from Hall of Fame in this staff ?
2- Another idea, did you already think about feet abilities for players ? In hattrick, today we don’t care if a player is left-foot, right-foot or both. I was wondering if one day it may be included in HT ? For example, a right-foot winger playing on the left side will better playing towards middle instead of going close to the throw-in line. And “vis versa”.
Thank you in advance for your answers 😉 And thanks again for this game I now play since … 2003!
1. I think that will possible one day, yes. It’s a good way to allow old dear players to continue to be an important part of your team.
2. No, it’s not likely that left/right foot will be implemented in the game. I don’t think it will positively add much to the gaming experience, rather the opposite.
Thanks for playing, I’m glad you like it (and have done for such a long time!)
Thanks a lot for your answers !
I’m glad you and your team have in mind to use old players 🙂
I think in the end it all comes down to one question: in a day and age where Hattrick is struggling to maintain users and especially not to alienate them even more from Hattrick, what is more important: ‘not being to serious all the time’ and creating a laugh on some faces by what turns out to be a prank or not to disappoint and probably even annoy those who would really love to see a 3d-view of the game? I’m not even belonging to the last category, but I know which one I would pick if I were part of the HT-staff…
My reply is kind of late but i’ve been lobbying on and off (whenever the opportunity came up) about actually introducing a real 3D (or 2D) into hattrick.
So now that the joke is complete i will again bide my time and wait for the day that the match viewer will be introduced in 3D (or 2D).
I stand by my previous creed: “Text is dead compete when competing against so much browser games”
hello
please attempt for this ability
i want hattrick with 3D
tank you
Think smart…
Try to improve the text reports of the game, with more details and facts, and fun stuff so this will allow the CHPP developpers to create match viewers. This way everyone will be happy… 😉
Possibly the joke was good, but i really don’t know. Sometime ago we were almost 1 million of players. Today, we are less than 700.000. I think that there is something wrong…
I like the April Fools Joke as well – but why do you have to fool us every Saturday? It’s so obvious that the stability and performance of an application is the most important aspect of its popularity. I was supporter all over the years and I would have spend the fees without hesitation nor sorrow in the next years – given that the application ist stable and performant. But todays problems were definitively to much for me – I’m not longer willing to accept that you are either not capable or willing to stabilise the application, i will not renew my supportership.
Hi, I have a simple and nice suggestion for the game.
Regarding the injuries, it would be great if each injury has a name such as: Hamstring, Strain, Sprained Ankle, Knee Cartilage Tear, Hernia,Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
Hope you like it.
Best regards
Juan
I have to admit the joke was very good . Since I’m a new user , I didn’t know about the April’s jokes .
Seeing 3D made me think of some cool feature , so of course I clicked , just to see some wierd floating text lines. So I spent about half an hour to figure out what am I doing wrong (changing/restarting browsers, logging on/off , scrolling the floating texts for minutes) LOL
I gave up in the end . You sure got me good , bastards 😀
Oh my God! you’ve really fuck**** me! 🙂
hiya, season is almost over, new ticket prices announced. can we expect u guys come with something else around the corner quickly ? anything else supposed to be added with start of next season ? or is the new rating presentaion the next thing we can expect by the end of next season, then ?
There are no other changes or so planned for next season, no. The new ratings are the next major thing to expect yes, but it’s still too early to say when they’ll be ready.
In Spain we hace a similar day on the 28 Of December, using the day that Pilatus killed children in Jesus Christ times.
Although is been losing the habit, the newspapers usually includes a piece of news that it’s part of the joke.
Sorry for my English.