I guess us newbie “experts” should leave the game for you vets to enjoy and go play something else? What a joke.
Whats funny is ive seen you in 5/6 32 player games of late and you have quit early in every game except 1. We might present you with a challenge if you actually stuck around for more than a few days 
Just about everything in this post misses the mark.
First up, if you want a healthy player base, lamenting the loss of the “good old days” is a bad way to go about it. Online games inevitably have player churn. Getting a healthy communities needs you to encourage and grow new players. Trolling, calling people “fluke” winners, and shouting people down because they haven’t played as long a you are great ways to create a toxic environment that puts people off. You want a good player base maybe stop doing those things.
Yeah, there’s a bunch of us that have started in the last few months. I’ve been playing since March, and have finished in the top 3 in half of my 32p games. I can think of several other people in the same boat. All of the winners in the games I’ve played have allied early, played well and stuck with it. All of those games have had at least a handful of “vets” in them. Face it, there are at least a dozen strong players in the new faces that are probably sticking around for the foreseeable future.
One of the great things about this game is that it’s relatively simple and so the learning curve is pretty shallow, so new players can get good pretty quickly. I can’t speak for others, but I was running optimisation models for games like this 20 years ago, and I’ve done it here too: this is not a hard game to figure out. If the game is growing, it will inevitably attract people that will perform well at it.
So really I would check your attitude when it comes to newer players who are consistently winning. Seems like it’s something you’d want to encourage rather than whine about.
As to your specific proposal…
The problem with the game is that 1) random starting neighbours gives you a huge advantage and 2) advantages grow exponentially. Ergo, some games are lost by the first toss of the dice.
You can’t really deal with 2 in this game, and 1 will always be there with player quality. The real problem is AFKs giving people an easy run. Adding more players just increases the chances that more than 1 person got lucky.
You could mitigate this either by decreasing how many people go AFK (e.g. more open premium only games maybe) or making it less damaging when someone does (e.g. greater variety and difficulty of bots). Larger games sound fun, but they don’t touch on that problem at all.
Kaine you have been the main motivator in me deciding to give up trolling. Your resentment has been amazing to behold. But even so, you dont know real Neptune’s pride having only started in march, you are using big words to present points that don’t really make any sense. Using the word ergo doesn’t make you smart or right. And you can’t deny failing to ally with me was an incredibly stupid move that prevented both of us from finishing top 3. Im glad someone new is getting so into NP. But thus far you are largely an emotional player, that thinks they are a logical one. In a 64 you would be played like a violin by the more devious player base that is now largely gone.
Large matches becoming unbalanced by so many afks was a very real issue that 32 player matches have mostly resolved. And thatll likely be why they never come back and the old crowd will continue to disappear along with eventually me.
Though I did join a 32 with bbb and taco in it along with some other old faces which makes me happy. And I scored two afk neighbours, which also feels like nostalgia.
Thanks guys ill definitely sign the petition for 64s. I hope they do come back. I do believe growth in NP will solely depend on it in time.
lmao i have only quit early 3 times in my years of playing. You were just lucky to see me quit my third time. But then again, i had a pretty good chance of winning if i stuck around, I just couldnt stand what your ally did to me to continue to play the game with a positive attitude. I play this game for fun and to relieve stress, not to make grudges and get into drama (which is something I have been getting unnecessarily into these days).
I definitely will have to agree. I used to play with the alias Stardust back in 2014 and I promptly got my ass kicked every 16+ player game I joined. At some point I think I forgot my password and made this new account. But I agree with @Slicertos1. Things have definitely gotten a lot easier as time passed on. I know Taco irl (he is the reason I started playing this game) and as he stopped playing I started playing more and eventually won my first 2 32player games. Before then, I would just create a large alliance and help my allies win, but nowadays I changed my play style to become more aggressive to make up for these past players who used to crush me.
I agree that the ABSURD amount of AFK’s in games give certain people to much of an advantage, and those who use multiple accounts also ruin the fun, but honestly, people going afk was a problem back then as well. Sure, not as bad as now, but still present. The reason I still play is because nevertheless, there is no game like Neptune’s Pride out there (except Hyperion’s newly launched Solaris, try it out today!) but other than that there is no comparable game. I think a lot of the older players are definitely starting to come back though, due to the pandemic and everyone being inside and whatnot. Main reason people probably left is because of work irl.
I welcome you new players, but there is a certain lack of energy in game recently. It’s not because we are complaining and sad for why we don’t play well, its because we are kind of sick of how lopsided the game has become. The game has increasingly become less about skill, and more about whether you have an AFK or inactive player spawned beside you at the start.
I started playing a lot more when the quarantine started. I think I played around 5 or 6 32 player games. Out of those 5 games, I won 2 of them, quit 1, lost 1, and placed 4th in one (cause i was afk, otherwise wouldve gotten 2nd). Honestly, if all the old-timers tried like we used to back in 2013-2016, we wouldve honestly crushed everyone.
Let’s be clear Slice. The first time you offered to ally, I declined because it would have left you no expansion route and I was quite sure your plan was to back stab one of its as soon as we were pointed elsewhere.
The 2nd time you opened up a proposed a grand alliance by accusing us all of taking bribes because “you’d never seen anyone take the centre”. I’ll admit that got my back up, which is why I pointed out it had happened mere days ago in a game you were already in. But I probably could have been brought around.
The reason I refused to ally with you after that is your 12 message rant laced with sexism and homophobic insults in a public forum. This isn’t me being emotional about the game, this is you being toxic. I’m glad you’ve decided to stop “trolling”. I’m not, as it happens, personally offended by being called a homophobic slur. But I get the impression that I was on the receiving end of a relatively “mild” version of your trolling, and if this is as frequent as you seem to be proud of, I’m sure over the years you have driven people away from this game for nothing more than your own childish amusement. I would rather lose the game than work with someone who behaves like you did in that thread and I stand by my choices.
@BOsshOgg my previous message wasn’t particularly directed at you. Fwiw I was not happy with what happened in that game. There had been a lot of behind the scenes shenanigans already from all sides, and I went to bed with some vague notion that meatloaf might try and confuse matters further. By the time I woke up half the game had already quit. From what he said to us, he pretty much instantly regretted his actions, but we (the alliance) agreed to close down the game and engineer or so he got neither rank nor rating for that game. It definitely was not a tactic I approve of.
I was responding to Slicertos’ post not your comment mate. The game you mention is the only time ive seen you quit.
I agree the photoshop fabrication was a step too far. I think everyone has acknowledged this.
Yea I know. Just wanted someone to represent us “old timers”. Not all of us quit all the time and troll.
Ok there is literally no way I can ask this question without it sounding really really snarky so I’m just going to ask it, apologise in advance, and say that it is intended as a genuine question.
Several long term players are saying the game is easier now than it used to be. I’ll have to take your word for it, I wasn’t there. If that’s the case, why aren’t veteran players consistently cleaning up in 32p games?
Yes, i checked the leaderboards and saw that. I do partially thank you all for that. I still wish to never play with him again.
lmao, to answer your question, it’s because this game has become less about skill and more about whether you have an AFK beside you or if you have an inactive player giving you free stars. But statistically speaking. I played this game for around 7 years now? Around 4 on this account, and I got both 32 player wins during quarantine lmao. Only won 8 player or custom games beforehand.
@Hallos before you reply, can i just join ur chat on my phone so i can get off my computer? We can talk about this more personally instead of spamming a forum.
Have to agree, players going afk is a big issue and often puts someone at an advantage/disadvantage immediately.
I think dev needs to buff the AI ability. Full on Ex Machina or Terminator style.
You dont want to join my chat… meatloaf is there lol
ah, you’re right I don’t
Slicertos, chill my man. Not worth it.
Kaine I was not allied with reiguy so no it had nothing to do with no expansion. I made a friendly alliance thread that captain was on board with. Then you declined with a message dripping with prepubescent butthurt that was at first entertaining and very soon became intolerable. I shouldn’t have stooped so low as to call you names. But wow dude therapy and *** need to be implemented into your life.
Just understand yas don’t know shit, and I can be content 
Brutal dude. I thought we had some fun trolling each other. Didnt realise you were in tears about the whole ordeal.
By the way your comment r.e. you quitting because you have enough experience to see where the game is going… surely this only adds to the issue of people going afk? Bit of a contradiction tbh
Very confused tbh. Ive only just joined this forum and have never preached about how the game should be played.
I love the game and just play it my way 
Lmao we did hallos. Just you and kaine keep reverting to the pitchforks when I think I’ve resolved my standing with yas.
No more bullying jay pls
Jay
Pls
Ps, the afk issue is referring to numerous players going AFK right at the beginning of a 64 match. Literally up to 15 players sometimes. Because 64s took a long while to start for a while there. And then it was changed.
My point and one that’s shared by many is that is now its a non issue and 64s should be restored asap
Pss. Im not gonna use name calling anymore, im not saying it the way it reads -,-