It's a welcome addition to the many enhancers available, but IMO will do little to make Emporia anything more than slaughterhouses for those looking for PvP and XP. Unless one is willing to commit an inordinate number of troops, a number far outweighing any possible returns, to Emporia, the chances of holding on to one for more than 10 to 15 minutes are negligible.

It's a bit of a pity since the basic concept of Emporia as a way to secure additional resources and currencies is sound, it's simply not practicable. The main problem IMO is the speed at which relatively far off Emporia can be attacked: sending any number of troops to an Emporium will practically guarantee it being targeted by 3 to 5 players within the first 10 minutes, and even assuming one's troops survive this onslaught, the retreating units will be able to carry home but a pittance of resource or currency. 

IMO this is the one flaw, the unit speed engaging Emporia, which needs to be examined to make Emporia what they were intended to be, but there are a few others which could also stand review: 

1.  Significantly reduce the unit speed engaging Emporia.
    
   
2. Eliminate the 5 min. waiting period units require before they can be bothered to begin collecting resources or currency.
    
   
3. Admittedly, this last suggestion is most probably a non-starter since it introduces a concept absent in all other areas of SWOE, nevertheless: if incoming raids on Emporia were visible to the Emporia holder, this would significantly assist them in securing their meagre earnings and withdrawing. 
   

P.

 PS: Were these Emporia collection enhancers, not 50% but rather 250% or 500%, then it would begin to make a difference, otherwise I fear it won't make a dent in the fact that Emporia are nothing more than killing fields for light and heavy infantry.

GLP said:

Increase gathering speed x10 might make emporia wothwhile. I bet if your devs check stats, the % of players who even bother attempting to gather resources from emporia is well below 1%, which is all the evidence they will need that currently the risk/reward ratio is absurd.

And that 1% learn the error of their ways pretty soon, I'm afraid.

ItBurnsWhenIPvP said:

Emporiums are a failure...On my server just about nobody uses them at all and this new item is them trying to make emporiums useful again, but there just not worth it. They are nothing more than coffins for soon to be dead troops..

My point precisely. Raising gathering speed and/or reducing unit speeds to/from Emporia would make this playable and would be a nice addition to available strategy and tactics.

Back to work on this post-Easter Tuesday
P.

Emporiums are a failure...On my server just about nobody uses them at all and this new item is them trying to make emporiums useful again, but there just not worth it. They are nothing more than coffins for soon to be dead troops..