To players who have stuck with the game for five years or more, what has kept you loyal and consistently playing?

For me, it has always been the people. I had friends who introduced me to the game, and over time I made more friends through playing it. I also find RoR genuinely addictive, and it is especially fun with friends who enjoy playing as a team.

Beyond that, I really enjoy the psychology behind it, reading people, making predictions, working together, and experimenting with unusual strategies just to see what happens.

I also find the game very relaxing since it is turn-based. It lets me comfortably multitask, think through and adjust strategies, chat with friends, or watch YouTube while waiting for my turns.

I came for the game and I stayed for the people :)

The community is lovely, and without it I would probably have gotten bored of WZ a long time ago.
Not only because (most of) the people are nice, but also because they keep inventing new ways to play Warzone, which keeps it interesting.

For me, three things have always stood out about WZ.

When I started, Warzone was one of the few Risk-inspired games around, but it stood head and shoulders above the others.
One of the biggest reasons was customizability. There are numerous settings and maps available. And you can even make your own maps. An incredibly unique form of freedom in a game. So many community-made maps really add to what Warzone has to offer.

Besides that, as JK already mentioned, the community is tight-knit and fun. Being able to chill and talk about all kinds of stuff really adds, and the community is a main reason for me to stay.

A third thing that was always big for me was that Warzone didn't force you to play daily, like so many other free games do. I personally absolutely hate being forced to play every day. My activity is my activity, and if you start demanding I'm spending every day on your game, I'd rather just leave altogether. Unfortunately, this is where WZ took the biggest hit over the years. Official ladders are pushing more and more towards at least 1 turn per day per game. While it won't turn me away from either the game or the community it has largely pushed me away from competitions and events that aren't community-run.

1. the community here is unlike any other I've ever encountered. I've actually been absent for a bit, but I come back and still see people I recognize like Min34. You just don't get that anywhere else

2. I love geography, history, politics, and strategy, and this game scratches all those itches

3. I have no life

I've left and gone inactive a few times, but I keep coming back to make sure my forum thread doesn't die: https://www.warzone.com/Forum/410884-lets-make-story-word-word?Offset=7500#Reply

It was the longest forum thread on the entire website for quite a while until June 2022 when it got exceeded by Fizzer's 'Free cache thread'. Since then It's been the second longest forum thread. If you help me add a word, it would be much appreciated:). Trying to catch up and overtake it sometime soon :P

Also I have to make sure that my quickmatch template doesn't die. vote for duel lotto 1.0!!!!

Edited 2026-01-10 04:04:09

I'm still in a game that started in 2016 and has yet to end. That's pretty much all that's keeping me popping in on occasion.

There is no other appropriate forum to #blameJK, so I have to stick to this game in order to get word of the truth out.

I've been sticking around to see Pulsey get to level 57. He's a legend of the game and I think we can all only imagine the level of play he could achieve with a little bit more experience.

I'm like an old piece of gum on the wall you can't scrape off

For me, its the game itself. Great test of intelligence, reasoning and tenacity. I simply love playing it. Plus, I am very competitive individual, and I thrive in the environment the game provides.
Community aspect is not that important to me, I am member of several game communities and I don't consider WZ that great in that aspect.

i just don't like changes, also switching to other game would require too much effort to learn it

Diplos are very engaging, and so is feeling of community with core players around diplos. Also love for and desire to create maps, almost finished with my first one.

Edited 2026-01-12 04:22:22

The game itself rises and falls as the draw for me, absolutely the community is why I have kept playing!

I have been playing war games since about 1966. Some relatively simple, some outrageously complicated and gigantic. For example,Drang Nacht Osten occupieda a full 4’x8’ table in our weekly wargame club for eight years, about 5000 cardboard counters. Realistic simulations turn me on. WZ has limitations, but capabilities, with mods. I am playtesting a medium sized WZ game, set just after the fourth crusade: 21 players with politics, religion, and gold mines. I’ve also designed an Aliens invade Feudal Japan with the bullet train game. Fun game, allows me to sort of justify procrastination.