another "another 4* release" thread

Vhailorx

I recognize that this topic is redundant, but I am creating a separate thread intentionally to provide a better indication of the volume of player dissatisfaction.

I have always felt that the "new character every 2 weeks" release schedule was a bit too fast. Not all of the new characters felt finished, and it's not hard to see how a 2 week development schedule could result in some rushed or untested characters getting pushed out the door.

Additionally, the ever-growing roster does not mix well with the infinitely increasing roster slot cost. Each time the total universe of available characters doubles, the cost of rostering all those characters more than doubles. That doesn't seem like a sustainable game when the only collectible items for players to collect are rostered characters.

This process really came to a head last autumn when Dino, blade, mystique, 4*thor, rocket and groot, gamora, and elektra were all pushed out the door in something like 7 weeks. Even big-spending whales were complaining about the release rate and the attendant iso/HP costs to cover everything. Community feedback was so negative that the devs even commented on it their December Q&A, acknowledging that the release schedule had been a bit crazy during the holidays, and assuring the players that it would go back to the regular pattern.

So now just about 4 months later, and we have back to back new releases, and 2 new 4*s in 3 weeks. We have also been told that there are no upcoming changes to the roster slot prices in the near future (DDQ is apparently the answer), nor is there any indication of (1) any change to the 4* reward structure, either in pve character releases or in the regular 4* reward rotation, or (2) of any coherent strategy with respect to 4* power levels (Xforce seems next on the chopping block, which is odd given that he was intentionally designed to be really good just 6 months ago; but most of the other 4*s seem to be well below the desired 4* level).

I think the game built up a fairly large store of customer goodwill in Jan. and Feb. by releasing several good new characters (there was a terrible stretch last summer with she-hulk, cap marvel, beast, colossus, and doc oc), switching to 8 hour pve timers. and introducing the daily quest.

But since that time they have nerfed 4* thor (probably necessary, but still sure to irritate the big spenders), released a stupidly powerful 3* that had to be nerfed in less than 10 days (iron first) and 4* that had to be nerfed before release just a few days after being announces (Xavier); broken up winifinte and stormneto (the former may have been necessary, but the latter is very unfortunate for 2* players); "upgrading" ragnarok to new levels of uselessness (and apparently pushing him out the door even after the initial redesign failed); and now going to back to back to with new character releases and 2 new 4*s in less than 3 weeks.

that's a boatload of player-unfriendly changes all in about a month's time. It's possible that these changes are intended as the first step in shifting the game in a better new direction, but as of right now it's a lot of very negative changes all at once without much indication of any longer-term design strategy.

Kiamodo

You have summed up most of everyone's fruststions very well. Now time will tell if this post was read.

Unknown

Supposedly, she hulk, beast, ock, and IW updates are coming. Here's hoping that actually goes well and doesn't end up on the list of negatives....