Offline mode: "Something is blocking access to our game services"

[underfire]

UPDATE: This issue has been resolved! Thank you Ninjakiwi devs for listening!

Hello Ninjakiwi devs,

When launching the game offline we get the message "Something is blocking access to our game services", and very frequently while playing the game. This is very annoying and the only way to remove this annoyance (without breaking ToS) is to connect to the internet.

Offline Mode on Steam is a feature that we as users expect to work as intended on all Single Player games, and most certainly a tower defence game such as Bloons TD.

You have implicitly acknowledged that this message does appear frequently, hence you saw the need to address it in the FAQ [1]. Because of this I think it’s fair to assume that this is not a bug, but rather a feature, and therefore I’m not reporting this as a bug.

This is actually an anti-feature, because it pesters and annoys the user into connect to the internet when in reality there is no need for the game to do so. The game is mostly self-sufficient offline, and does not need any connections to your servers to function. As I’ve mentioned earlier, this game is also advertised as being Single Player, with optional multiplayer components. In light of this, it’s not right to annoy your customers who have purchased your game and are playing it legally offline. Ironically, someone who pirates the game will maybe even have a better UX due to better privacy and likely having such annoying messages disabled.

Please remove this message, it does more harm than good for your users. We know when we’re turning off our internet connection, and we do not need this game to constantly remind us that it’s off, and essentially bully us into playing the game online.

Thank you for reading. For anybody else who has experienced this and feel annoyed by this message while playing offline, please let the devs know by commenting here.

[1] https://support.ninjakiwi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019842898-Why-am-I-seeing-the-Something-is-blocking-access-to-our-game-services-error-

[Plake]

Have the same problem starting the game on my phone since 2 days, that's ALWAYS online...

[HeraldOfOpera]

引用自 InvadeGames：

引用自 Twinchlian：

I am with OP on this one. I live in the third world where power outages are frequent and the internet is unreliable. Bloons has become extremely annoying lately. And I assure you, *nothing* is blocking their gaming services unless there is an issue with my ISP.

norway isnt 'third world"

"third world" really just means that you didn't take a side during the Cold War. Now that the Cold War is over, it doesn't mean anything at all.

[battlezoby]

引用自 Twinchlian：

引用自 battlezoby：

1) Denmark, 2) Sweden, 3) Norway.

That would have been real funny if it was true. But you are gravely mistaken: 1. Norge, 2. Danmark and 73. Sverige. I don't live where I grew up though - and that "Something is blocking" message is real annoying when you are on an unstable net.

Actually, I was ranking Scandinavian countries in the order of my personal preference of maybe visiting them if-and-when I next get the chance (again.) Obviously any other country doesn't really matter much when considered in that context.

Q: I'm curious, what criteria where you using to rank them in your order?

More on track with your internet coverage though: Do you live in a very RURAL part of Norway? I suspect that matters more than the country - I suspect that certain areas of Alaska, for example, although being part of the USA don't get any coverage whatsoever.

[Twinchlian]

I got your joke. It was funny.

引用自 battlezoby：

引用自 Twinchlian：

Q: I'm curious, what criteria where you using to rank them in your order?

I used no criteria. My reasons are: Norway is glorious in all things. AAnd while Denmark is pretty neath, their nature is boring af and the speak weirdly https://youtu.be/s-mOy8VUEBk
It could be argued that Norwegian southrons speak like effimate bottoms - but this is negated by the poetry and song of the western and northern dialects.

Sweden gets a lower rating as it is just a really boring country to drive through, swedes are generally kind of stuck up and also it is a failed state only good for their dirt cheap cabins close to the border.

[ArmstrongDicksmasher]

引用自 underfire：

Hello Ninjakiwi devs,

When launching the game offline we get the message "Something is blocking access to our game services", and very frequently while playing the game. This is very annoying and the only way to remove this annoyance (without breaking ToS) is to connect to the internet.

Offline Mode on Steam is a feature that we as users expect to work as intended on all Single Player games, and most certainly a tower defence game such as Bloons TD.

You have implicitly acknowledged that this message does appear frequently, hence you saw the need to address it in the FAQ [1]. Because of this I think it’s fair to assume that this is not a bug, but rather a feature, and therefore I’m not reporting this as a bug.

This is actually an anti-feature, because it pesters and annoys the user into connect to the internet when in reality there is no need for the game to do so. The game is mostly self-sufficient offline, and does not need any connections to your servers to function. As I’ve mentioned earlier, this game is also advertised as being Single Player, with optional multiplayer components. In light of this, it’s not right to annoy your customers who have purchased your game and are playing it legally offline. Ironically, someone who pirates the game will maybe even have a better UX due to better privacy and likely having such annoying messages disabled.

Please remove this message, it does more harm than good for your users. We know when we’re turning off our internet connection, and we do not need this game to constantly remind us that it’s off, and essentially bully us into playing the game online.

Thank you for reading. For anybody else who has experienced this and feel annoyed by this message while playing offline, please let the devs know by commenting here.

[1] https://support.ninjakiwi.com/hc/en-us/articles/360019842898-Why-am-I-seeing-the-Something-is-blocking-access-to-our-game-services-error-

im getting this bug aswell, but im not disconnected from the net, i have normal access like always. It's annoying but i havent noticed any differences in gameplay.

[battlezoby]

Trying posting to http://reddit.com/btd6 or whatever it is they read. They rarely ever read Steam forums.

I think Steam forces them to have a Steam Forum when they make a Steam version of their mobile game, but I'm pretty sure they're most concerned with the mobile version and both PC and Mobile users can post to reddit (if you signup and the like... not sure I eve have.)

[Stevoid]

I had this happening yesterday while online