Do you HAVE to "keep up" to do well in MPQ?

Unknown

There have been a lot of posts about the large influx of new characters. I agree that they are coming out a bit too quickly, and that roster spot prices have the potential to get out of control, as we have seen from some of the whales who have doubled up on some if not all of the characters.

The part where I get confused is when some of the posters complain that the large influx of characters are ****. To me, that sounds like the joke about the man in a restaurant.

Man: This food is burnt and tastes like ****.

Waiter: Anything else, sir?

Man: Yes. The portions are too small.

If the characters are ****, why are you bothering to put any resources at all into them?

Main response? They are needed for the next PvE.

Ok, I get that. But if the game gets a new 3* every 2 weeks, and they are mostly ****, why do you care if you win the next character in the next PvE?

Because I want to get better, and get to 3* land.

Sounds good. Wouldn't you be better served to play PvEs for Iso, HP, and Tokens, and not the new **** character? Save the 500-800 HP you are using for roster slots to buy covers. Quit shield hopping to try and get into the top 25. Stop wasting ISO on boosts. Pretty much budget your resources, and do without for awhile so you can build up your core. I am not trying to be rude, but if you keep on this road of trying to have everything, you are not going to catch up. But if you focus, and I mean truly focus, on getting 2 or 3 maxed 3*s, and forgo everything else, you will then have the means to support a growing roster. A roster in which you keep the characters you want. Not because you "need" to have them, or are "forced" to have them, but because you want to have them.

But that's not fun.

Maybe, maybe not. But it's the game for the near future, at least. I think a major problem is that the game is not as quick as other games. I hear often that a player should be able to achieve everything in a F2P, but it will take longer. That is what we have here. Except that the taking longer may be a year for some people. And that is against the concept of instant gratification. It may be a surprise to some, but there are players who have six covers and are excited about the seventh. It is a game of collection to some. If instant gratification and top tier play is your goal, then you have to wait, or find a game that is more suited for your needs. Sure, the game may be tweaked to be easier, but it may not.

When I started play, I did not go the "optimal" route. I have 2 maxed 3*, and many between 130 and 160. I didn't level one guy as quickly as possible. I don't even have a max sentry, daken, or hood. Sure I could have, very easily. But that is not what was important to me. And every time I earned just one new cover, I had a moment of joy. I was one step closer to having all the covers. I never had a problem with the game, but now I am growing bored. Not because all my characters are maxed, because they aren't. But 9/10 times there is an event without a new character, I most likely don't need it. Maybe if you would look at it this way, you will see that you still have the fun of collecting still ahead of you. And if you do get everything, there is nothing left to do.

Long story short. Stop chasing the carrot. Spend wisely. Build a strong core, and then venture out into the MPQ world. Just a thought, and I hope everyone finds their success, whatever that means to them.

Unknown

Although I tell people they shouldn't hoard characters for the sake of hoarding, I love to hoard characters myself. That said I don't put special effort into a new character if the event that character is in totally sucks (e.g. Unstable Isotope) and the character is average. I try to get the 3 covers but will settle for 1 which I can do quite casually. I'll make exception if I think that character is going to be a game changer but there usually aren't too many of those. In fact you can argue since Sentry there hasn't been any new character that'd be considered a game changer. Maybe Blade will eventually get there, but even that is far from certain. Other than for the sake of collecting I don't see the reason to keep up. If the top 150 gets a 3* cover is here to stay there's really no reason to worry about 'what if the next event has awesome prizes', because if you can't casually do top 150 on a PvE event then it wouldn't matter to you at all even if the next event offers 3 Thor 4* covers for #1. You just won't be anywhere close to that if you can't even pull a top 150 casually to get whoever is required for the next event.

Mawtful

Phantron wrote:

Although I tell people they shouldn't hoard characters for the sake of hoarding, I love to hoard characters myself. That said I don't put special effort into a new character if the event that character is in totally sucks (e.g. Unstable Isotope) and the character is average. I try to get the 3 covers but will settle for 1 which I can do quite casually. I'll make exception if I think that character is going to be a game changer but there usually aren't too many of those. In fact you can argue since Sentry there hasn't been any new character that'd be considered a game changer. Maybe Blade will eventually get there, but even that is far from certain. Other than for the sake of collecting I don't see the reason to keep up. If the top 150 gets a 3* cover is here to stay there's really no reason to worry about 'what if the next event has awesome prizes', because if you can't casually do top 150 on a PvE event then it wouldn't matter to you at all even if the next event offers 3 Thor 4* covers for #1. You just won't be anywhere close to that if you can't even pull a top 150 casually to get whoever is required for the next event.

I've been using this approach myself. Only character I'm currently missing any covers for is Doc Ock.

notamutant

Phantron wrote:

Although I tell people they shouldn't hoard characters for the sake of hoarding, I love to hoard characters myself.

That is funny to hear you say that, because maybe there is just someone else with your name in the game, but in my Simulator main event bracket, there was a phantron in number 1 by thousands of points. I just barely got #2 and someone just lost out to me for that spot. Both of us needed the black X Force cover. The phantron that took first place already had a maxed out X Force, and seemed to have no reason to be playing PvE so hard. Hoarding isn't cool when you don't even need the character and will just sell for ISO.

Unknown

notamutant wrote:

Phantron wrote:

Although I tell people they shouldn't hoard characters for the sake of hoarding, I love to hoard characters myself.

That is funny to hear you say that, because maybe there is just someone else with your name in the game, but in my Simulator main event bracket, there was a phantron in number 1 by thousands of points. I just barely got #2 and someone just lost out to me for that spot. Both of us needed the black X Force cover. The phantron that took first place already had a maxed out X Force, and seemed to have no reason to be playing PvE so hard. Hoarding isn't cool when you don't even need the character and will just sell for ISO.

Because I like Simulator events?

Let me try this again. You shouldn't play for the sake of hoarding characters if you don't enjoy the event. I see way too many people post like "I hate Heroic Jugg but had to do it because I need 3 covers for Dr. Octopus" or something similar. Seriously, don't do that. It's not worth it to play something you don't enjoy for extra Dr. Octopus covers. On the events I like to play I'll certainly try to do well in them because it's fun. The score in Simulator Basic was the lowest score I could do and still have top 5 in each sub for the 100 HP finish, and sub is where I get my HP in this game so while the overall finish is irrelevent to me, the sub finish is.

ballingbees

Let's define "keeping up" as being able to max cover 3* characters as fast as they are being released. We need a simplified index, let's call it KeepUp Index, that is the number of useful covers you need to earn/win/draw per day. With a new character every 2 weeks or 14 days, to max cover him I have to earn 13 new covers in 14 days, so that's an Index of 13/14 =0.93(cover/day). We'll ignore the HP and Iso for roster slot/levelling for now because that will be too many factors.

What this means basically is if you can earn >0.93 useful covers a day, you can keep up with the game. Or at least the rate at which new characters are brooding. If you earn <0.93 useful covers a day, you'll be lagging, and will be playing till infinity and just keep lagging further behind.

And by useful covers, it means a cover that you do not have maxed yet. For new/early transition players, every new cover drawn is useful, so its not hard to hit 0.93. For mature rosters, even if you earn 10 covers a day, you may not even get 1 useful cover.

So this may be what it means for different players:

New to early transition players
<0.93 : cannot earn covers as fast as characters release. May not ever cover max anyone. Interest in game waning.
>0.93 : steadily building up roster, cover wise. Interest in game conserved.

Veterans:
<0.93 : still in the chase to cover max new characters. Interest in game conserved.
>0.93 : easily maxing whatever new characters popping up. Interest in game waning.


I will imagine it is crucial for game developers to monitor this index and how it is affecting customer behavior, so as to keep as many players involved as possible. For the moment, it seems too many people must be hitting way above the index, so that may explain the new character introduction overdrive.

As long as carrot remains ahead of donkey, donkey will keep moving. Never let donkey reach carrot.

Ducky

Phantron wrote:

The score in Simulator Basic was the lowest score I could do and still have top 5 in each sub for the 100 HP finish, and sub is where I get my HP in this game so while the overall finish is irrelevent to me, the sub finish is.

So much this!

Unknown

To build up closest double pair to 166 level (BP + Pun) I would need to drop 7500 for covers. This is not something you can get in months. You have diluted view on how hard is to get HP if you're not in top alliance and getting high rewards each event. Even more so, you're saying that transitioning players should stop competing in PvE. You know, only place where as 2* player I don't need to pay to get 3* rewards. Where this HP should come from then? I'm getting 50 per PvP event, 150 per week. Because I could grind in PvE like in MMO I get a total of 750 + 3x Falcon + Xforce, for week. And you're saying I'm better giving new characters up, so I could never get such scores.

Secondly, 7500 is (let's make it simple) 10 slots. And during that savings (that you won't get in 4 months), at least 10 new characters will be released. You finally have first maxed pair. Except you are facing new problem - old characters are vaulted, and you're missing half characters that are available now as rewards or required as essentials. You are so hard behind you now can't compete in PvE with your shiny new chars, and half of PvP gives you characters that you don't have space for. You may find HP for one, but the rate you will be offered will leave you behind. Even Gauntlet, which now for me is 3 guaranteed covers, would go down to 1-2 covers reward.

Sorry, but your ideas, for me, aren't how to 'break the cycle and move forward'. It's more for 'how to screw yourself and be left in worse position that you left from'.

And the problem is not that I'm collecting new stuff. Maybe one day I'll use it, nice. Problem is that this new stuff overrrides stuff that I need. Not only taking place in rewards, but also getting vaulted for long time. New characters are making me go from 'slow **** snail speed but forward' to 'full stop' for multiple months. The 'choice' of throwing new characters instead of increasing roster will bite your ****, once by making all events rewarding them worthless to you, secondly taking away chances of winning covers you want. I may not want Blade, but if I didn't have him, I wouldn't get BP I do want.

Unknown

I agree with OP. Pushing yourself for that extra cover because of the illusion that "I will not be competitive if I don't have it" is what ruins most people's mood in this game. I was doing it a while ago and I was so unsatisfied with what the game was giving back to me. You just have to find the balance with what you want to give and what you want to get.

Unknown

Yes, I have to keep up. But I'm thinking your definition of keeping up is different than mine. I don't want to play nodes more than once in any PvE but I often do because otherwise what you get in the end of a week is next to nothing and sometimes even grinding in PvE gives you nothing you want. PvP scores are usually too high to win something useful for a transitioning player. Not to mention the increasing slot costs. I have 500 HP. Next slot costs 600. I have a Blade waiting in my rewards for a couple of days now. And now Groot and Gamora is coming. Btw, I cannot focus if they keep taking away the characters from the tokens.

Unknown

KevinMark wrote:

Btw, I cannot focus if they keep taking away the characters from the tokens.

This is a serious issue imho. Not only they are not in tokens, but they will not be featured or have events run for them or be rewards in any event. Up to now 4 very good chars are out of rotation. This makes it very hard to prioritize chars. Especially now that my 7 covered Lthor and CMags are just sitting there.

Unknown

The vault system is last nail in the coffin for transitioning players. Basically they can go tinykitty themselves if they don't have good 3* close to maxed. Without it, even top 100 is usually out of reach. All they can do is virtually grind to death for weak useleless (with only few covers) new chars and waste resources on roster slots for them

Unknown

I m lucky to get 5 L cap 4 deadpool 4 Lthor 4 falcon 5 BP 4 Hulk 2 she hulk 2 IM40 4 spiderman 1 L daken 1 Doom 3 doc oct 3 MS 4 Cap M 4 Msq 1C mag 2 L storm 2 sentry 2 x force 1 dino 1 nick

so many 3 star but NONE are useful .....

My teams backbone is 2* and very hard to get in top 100 to get that single 3* cover

OP talking **** that only and doesnt solve any problems

Unknown

raziel777 wrote:

The vault system is last nail in the coffin for transitioning players. Basically they can go tinykitty themselves if they don't have good 3* close to maxed. Without it, even top 100 is usually out of reach. All they can do is virtually grind to death for weak useleless (with only few covers) new chars and waste resources on roster slots for them

agree with you

laughingMAN

Maybe we should suggest some way for an individual player to control the characters available in the heroic tokens. Maybe have 5 slots (shouldn't be all of them, otherwise it might skew too easy to get characters you want) that you can assign to specific 3* characters.

Unknown

A question for Devs.

What if you have a featured PvP for each of the vaulted characters.

In this way, new characters get put into tokens. At the same time, people who need the vaulted character will have a chance to win one as a prize, but also the featured token will have a high chance for the character as well.

Then a season can have a mix of events containing new characters for the vets, and vaulted characters for the transitioners.

rednailz

benben77 wrote:

I m lucky to get 5 L cap 4 deadpool 4 Lthor 4 falcon 5 BP 4 Hulk 2 she hulk 2 IM40 4 spiderman 1 L daken 1 Doom 3 doc oct 3 MS 4 Cap M 4 Msq 1C mag 2 L storm 2 sentry 2 x force 1 dino 1 nick

so many 3 star but NONE are useful .....

My teams backbone is 2* and very hard to get in top 100 to get that single 3* cover

OP talking tinykitty that only and doesnt solve any problems

And eventually with playing you will get more covers for the useful 3*s you have started. I don't get the point?

GuntherBlobel

With the vaulted characters now, it makes more sense than ever for the devs to create a generic 3* token. It could work for only vaulted characters or just certain color abilities, if the devs want to put limits on it (otherwise its just a Sentry/Thor token). Whatever. More characters with less character dilution. Win-win.

Unknown

rednailz wrote:

benben77 wrote:

I m lucky to get 5 L cap 4 deadpool 4 Lthor 4 falcon 5 BP 4 Hulk 2 she hulk 2 IM40 4 spiderman 1 L daken 1 Doom 3 doc oct 3 MS 4 Cap M 4 Msq 1C mag 2 L storm 2 sentry 2 x force 1 dino 1 nick

so many 3 star but NONE are useful .....

My teams backbone is 2* and very hard to get in top 100 to get that single 3* cover

OP talking tinykitty that only and doesnt solve any problems

And eventually with playing you will get more covers for the useful 3*s you have started. I don't get the point?

Yes " eventually " so when? For PVP top 100 is more difficult than before 600 points is 70 -80 i think ... For PVE > oh new characters... tokens? not just say you NEED to roll a 3 but also a character you need....relied on RNG? Well more characters / more rotation / longer time it takes..... a 3 star character is useless until it get 8 -9 cover...at 90 lv +.....