An Open Letter to Ludia and JWA Players: What we can both do to improve the game we love

I am described by many as the eternal optimist. I have always tried to find the positive light of a situation I find myself in. Lately, I find myself trying to be that “positive person” in relation to Jurassic World Alive. Being active on the forum and seeing conversations in our own discord server some of the comments and outlook about the game truly saddens me. If I were a new player joining the forum (and yes there are still new players in the game), I don’t know if I would be willing to stick around for very long. To see long-time and respected members of the community giving up the game is hard to see. Ludia isn’t the only one to blame for a lot of these things, however. Yes, there are some improvements that can be made, but we as a community can do better as well.

Dear Ludia-

When I was first introduced to this game over a year ago I immediately fell in love. I am not one to get into mobile games, but my love of dinosaurs and all things Jurassic Park got me hooked. I remember the joy and excitement of finding new creatures and trying to figure out what to do with my team. Then I joined the forums and found a community of like-minded players and people that were fun and helpful and made me feel like I belonged. 

A lot has changed since the beginning and there are still things I truly enjoy about the game. I still love running scents and getting excited to find that dino I was hoping for. I get excited to see the weekly themes on Sunday so I can plan out my week. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I am able to finally get another level on a dino on my team. And even though Boosts have changed things a LOT, I still enjoy the arena. Especially when it is just good gameplay from me and my opponent. Getting to that next arena and those next levels of rewards is a fantastic feeling. 

But this game isn’t perfect, and I know that. There are plenty of things I (and we as players) would like to see improved. We have asked for alliance leader tools since their introduction 5 patches ago.  The bugs in the arena and on the map make the game unplayable for many. Even bugs that have previously been fixed seem to crop right back up again (like the sanctuary screen). The players continue to ask for these changes or report these bugs, but it often feels like it is falling on deaf ears. So are you listening to us?

Speaking from many players I can say this: Communication goes a long way. I am not a developer and I understand bugs and glitches happen, but it’s the lack of communication about a lot of these problems that make the community upset. 

Another mobile game I play does a “Community Update” to the players every 2-3 weeks. In it they address any big concerns that have been brought up by the community, what has been fixed, and what and bugs are still being worked on. There are things that haven’t been fixed yet but they at least acknowledge they are being worked on. 

This small change might make a big difference in the eyes of the community. Just let us know you are listening to us and you hear us and are actively working on the game that we obviously all love or we wouldn’t be here otherwise.

Dear JWA Players-

Looking at the forum and our discord, it seems like this is a tumultuous time in the eyes of many players. These past couple of updates have really changed the state of the game. It is obvious that people aren’t happy about a lot of these changes. And you know what? That’s okay. It’s okay to be frustrated about changes and express your opinions so they are aware of how the community feels about it. But at the same time, I think how we express those opinions is important as well. 

Other than the in-game surveys and support tickets they receive, the forum is the only place they can gauge players' thoughts on issues. But going on the forum right now, it feels like a toxic wasteland of negative threads. Once again, I am not saying you are not entitled to your opinion. Everyone should have the opportunity to express themselves. But I look back to the forum when I first joined and I honestly miss the community and camaraderie it represented. Sure, there were people who were upset and had opinions about things, but there wasn’t an “I quit” thread happening every other day and people were (for the most part) kind to each other. I enjoy a good debate, but the attacking of other people and the threatening of mods and support people (who are just doing their job) is not the way to get it done. 

I think we might all be able to learn a little patience.  Patience with our fellow JWA players and patience with the game. The second a new update comes out there are already threads and comments about how it and the game are trash. When we haven’t even given it time to really play out. I’ll be the first to admit there are things they can change and improve on (see my letter to the above). And I’ll also admit that there were somethings from 1.10 that could have been handled much better. But maybe we can give it a little time before deciding immediately it’s the worst thing to happen to the game? 

As with any game, you need to find what makes you happy and gives you enjoyment. I know plenty of high-level players that decided to just go unboosted and play around with their team. One person is working on an all epic team for some variety. Other people don’t battle but kill it at alliance missions in darting and hunting because that’s what they enjoy. 

Ultimately, at the end of the day, this is a mobile game we are talking about. If you no longer get any enjoyment out of it at all it might be healthy to move on to something different. And if there is something that frustrates you, don’t be afraid to express your opinion about it. Just be mindful of how that opinion is expressed as there are real people on the other side of that computer or phone screen. I think in this world of keyboard warriors that can often be easy to forget. 

I still love this game and I love the players and the community I have found with it (both on the forum and our Discord). I get frustrated with it at times and I don’t 100% agree with all decisions that have been made. I will continue to express my opinions on these matters in the most constructive way possible and I hope more people will continue to do that. They can’t improve on issues unless they know what they are. But I also hope we as players have a little respect as well and try to keep a positive outlook if we can. Because ultimately that’s what this game needs right now.