Changing PvE event rank prize system - good idea, bad idea?

AardvarkPepper

If you want high PvE event rank prizes, you need to grind *constantly* over a period of a couple days, like doing a run through every 2.5 hours or so.

It strikes me this is unhealthy.

Yes, competition is optional; you don't have to do it, and additional incentive makes sense. But I think there's a line, and that Marvel Puzzle Quest has crossed that line.

To use a metaphor, I understand the Guinness Book of World Records does not have a "heaviest pet" category, because recognizing such a category could result in people deliberately overfeeding pets and damaging their health. There's a lot of issues involved there and here, but this is roughly what I'm talking about.

I understand not everyone is going to share my opinion, and some are going to straight out disagree, and even some that think the current PvE event rank prize system should be changed may have different reasoning. I'm interested in hearing other perspectives regarding PvE event rank prizes.

Perhaps instead of having events that use aggregate score over a period of one to three days, players may be allowed to activate a two-hour timer (or other time period) during which they can try to score as many points as possible, with players being allowed to activate the timer, say ten times for more tries at a higher score.

Or maybe players are *supposed* to be speed-running through PvE events, building speed running rosters, and setting alarm clocks to wake them up every hour and a half (hour of play, hour and a half of sleep), etc.

(edit) fixed poll, thanks for posting. Also changed poll so people can change their vote if they feel like it. (/edit)

Unknown

You may want to clarify your title. If I pick YES am I saying 'yes, what a good idea' or 'yes, it is a bad idea'?

Unknown

My opinion is that PvE should have always been more about progression rewards and less about ranking. Ranking prizes is what makes PvE events just overly stretched PvPs. Granted that you compete against static AI teams and not other player teams but nevertheless you have to compete against other players also to get those juicy ranking rewards. Not my idea of player vs. enviroment.

AardvarkPepper

GhostWolfe wrote:

You may want to clarify your title. If I pick YES am I saying 'yes, what a good idea' or 'yes, it is a bad idea'?

Fixed, thanks. As an excuse, I haven't had much sleep recently with the Deadpool event.

BTW I'll probably be pretty happy with whatever prize I get. Also I can't feel bitter against players that beat me out; they worked harder at it (or were more skilled or whatever other thing). It's just that I was driving for a couple hours yesterday and I was like "wow I am BEAT." (after doing Oscorp and Iso-8 events plus the Deadpool thing I guess even my iron constitution isn't able to keep me up, heh.)

atomzed

I voted "no". I would want the event pve rank prizes to be maintained.

First, I don't like to grind in pve (so much so I'm in an alliance with no pve requirements). I find it a terribly waste of time to grind so long for 4 covers.

So while do I vote to retain the rewards?

Bec it's the only way for 2* transition people to have a great shot at a 4 cover rewards, with out spending money on shields.

So while I don't like to grind the covers and just play for the progression, I don't see why I should take it away for others.

Unknown

True PvE should never incur or force player competitions. That's what PvE means. I'd like to see all those rewards to be earned as progression reward instead. However, the amount of points should be on par to the past "ranked" points.

For example, to get 3 featured 3* covers (1 color each) in PvE event similar to the structure of Deadpool PvE, you'll need 35k points at least. No competition required. You work hard, you get it. Keep the 2.5 hours refresh, the "rubber band" effect and the MMR effect, but now it's all individual with an individual moderator rather than a community/bracket moderator.

Alliance rewards is the same. It's a whole alliance effort to get the rewards unlocked by progression, not competition among alliances.

In the end, we have PvP to cater all competitions. No need to taint the PvE with it.

simonsez

For me, trying to hit the high end rewards in a PvP is way more stressful and unhealthy. I don't see why proper strategy and determination shouldn't be rewarded on the PvE side. I don't think anything needs to be changed at all.

Unknown

Ariakos wrote:

My opinion is that PvE should have always been more about progression rewards and less about ranking. Ranking prizes is what makes PvE events just overly stretched PvPs. Granted that you compete against static AI teams and not other player teams but nevertheless you have to compete against other players also to get those juicy ranking rewards. Not my idea of player vs. enviroment.

Pretty much this. Current system isn't really pve and progression rewards would be much better as only prizes

GuntherBlobel

The Rank Awards lead to player dissatisfaction every PvP. Like a lot of people, I got burned by PvE, since it all comes down to the last hour while I sleep. All is fine now that I ignore placement awards. I just don't know why they persist.

Unknown

i dont really care as i havent been able to land myself any decent PVE reward from rank recently. it was scaling at first, and now it is scaling AND team-ups. there's nothing quite like getting onslaughtered and then world ruptured....which is puzzling since onslaught is supposed to deplete all green ap....

Phillipes

ABSOLUTELY yes !! I wish it could be true. With PVE focuses solely on progression rewards (3* covers as highets prizes for transitioning people), we wouldnt need to wake up at 05.00 am every SECOND day, only two times a week for PVP !

Please devs, do this - to maintain sanity of your european player community and to prevent burnout of all players.

Unknown

Definitely. 90% of what I did in this one was just grinding to keep my place. I actually got my first #1 in a PVE in this one (I got top 2 once before), but I would have happily given up that 4* cover to have been able to cross a progression level for all three Deadpool covers and gone to bed at my normal time.

Unknown

atomzed wrote:

So while do I vote to retain the rewards?

Bec it's the only way for 2* transition people to have a great shot at a 4 cover rewards, with out spending money on shields.

So while I don't like to grind the covers and just play for the progression, I don't see why I should take it away for others.

I've been playing for 250+ days and have never won a 4* cover in any PvE.

Every event is a grindfest and what appears to matter most is not how much time you put into it, it's you're timing; when you join, and of course you MUST grind in the last hour or two to finish close to the top.

Unknown

I hate PVE but PVE definitely needs good prizes so those should not be done away with. PLenty of people like it and like it more than PVP.

For me the system of PVE needs to change some how. The hit nodes every 3 hours is complete **** and yes it IS unhealthy. While we on on the subject there needs to be a 12 or 16 hour shield option for pvp as well. Because 8 hours in unhealthy too if you dont allow your player base to get a full night sleep. Yes 24 is a bloated option for those wanting to sleep in on a sunday....

GrumpySmurf1002

I don't think they should do away with them, but especially these events where new characters are introduced, top 5 for 3 covers is a brutal ask of your player base. For PvE, I think it should be moved to top 10, and others shifted according.

Of course, with the exception of the insane 150k progression awards that pop up occasionally, most of the recent PvE's have given away 3* covers for not a ton of effort. This event was basically 2 free Hood covers, with TaT on deck to boot, which is pretty good no matter where you are in roster building hierarchy.

I think that balances out. Competition is there if you want it, otherwise grind the progression at your pace and move on.

Bryan Lambert

As some other people have said, it really is just as simple as switching the focus of the rewards in PvE.

PvP has progression rewards and ranking awards. The ranking awards are the good, important stuff - the goal. Progression rewards are nice stuff but non-essential. This makes sense, because the focus of PvP is, well, PvP. How much better you are than other players.

If PvE put the important stuff (new characters, new covers) in the progression rewards, and the lesser stuff (HP, ISO, tokens, other less key covers) in the ranking awards, then that would match the intent of the story events. It would also solve the problem of when to end PvE's to give everyone around the world an equal shot at the good prizes.

When have people been happiest in PvE? Hulk and Sentry, when the new character was given as a reward not for ranking, but for progression. Do well against the levels in PvE, get the good prizes. Do well against the players in PvP, get the good prizes. If you can also do well against the players in PvE, here's some lesser prizes. If you do well against the system in PvP, you shieldhopping wizard, here are some lesser prizes.

GuntherBlobel

Bryan Lambert wrote:

When have people been happiest in PvE? Hulk and Sentry, when the new character was given as a reward not for ranking, but for progression. Do well against the levels in PvE, get the good prizes. Do well against the players in PvP, get the good prizes. If you can also do well against the players in PvE, here's some lesser prizes. If you do well against the system in PvP, you shieldhopping wizard, here are some lesser prizes.

This is what I don't understand. Wouldn't they venture to make more money by shifting the new character rewards to Progression? With new character releases as popular as Deadpool, why would you limit new Roster slots purchases to just the 20% of players that ranked? My only guess is that it would cripple their current Cover Pack sales model that is based on Required nodes --- another thing that people hate.

The metrics must says this somehow the most profitable model that they've explored, but I bet it also causes a loss in active players over time.

Bacon Pants

I wish I could count how many times this topic has been broached. I am in agreement that PVE should be progression based and not based on any type of ranking. The main problem I see is that they have never been able to properly gauge progression rewards...it happened again in the Deadpool PVE. I assume a large portion of players had 10,000 points before the first day of the event had finished.

Unknown

I voted yes as well. I like the idea of.pushimg the progressuon awards levels out and making it so that you can just sorta solo your way through to all the rewards. In my bracket, the difference between first place and 100th place was all of 2k points, making placement more luck than anything. I still got a Deadpool cover, but if I had started a few minutes earlier, maybe could have gotten three. Who knows, since we all had roughly the same number of points anyways.

Unknown

I'm in favor of a more single player experience from PvE, and putting the emphasis on progression over placement rewards would be a very easy and natural way to do that. Move away from all this rubberbanding and community scaling. Have nodes that increase in difficulty and points as you complete them and see how many points you can get.

Unfortunately competition and the stress is causes is basically what drives their business model. They want you worried about missing out on a good placement so you buy packs to get the featured character to give you an edge, or buying health kits/boost in the event's end frenzy, etc etc. Relaxed people don't spend as much money as people in the heat of competition for prizes. Until they get more creative about how they're making their money any kind of change to the reward structure status quo is very unlikely to happen.

Unknown

PVE needs a time-independant reward system because of the duration and how the rubber banding creates scoring and server issues.

You could put all the rank rewards into a progression award system, remove alliance rewards from pve and people would have infinitely more fun and all those non-americans who don't get to sleep on the last night of pve could finally get their well earned sleep.

It would also differentiate the events much more from pvp events.