Hulkbuster: 4* release in a better way (updated again)

Vladdy

I am looking at all the negative feedback regarding Avengers vs. Ultron here on the forums. Sure, server downs and bugs are not funny, not wanted and tend to frustrate people. I totally agree with "I would like it more if all those issues would not be present.".

On the other hand:
It is the best 4* release ever, or not? I mean, every player in a full size vet alliance should be able to get all 3 covers just by playing regularly (I am not talking about the progression issue that fast alliances faced). I am pretty sure that I will get all 3 covers and maybe more if I get lucky on token draws. That is a very big improvement for me (grinding a PvE for top placement is far worse).

So I think we should all encourage the devs to release 4* this way or in other better ways than before (of course, they should fix the problems to improve the experience).

UPDATE:
I have to admit that I will not get all 3 covers of Hulkbuster due to the Ultron overall health "changes" (maybe that was planned for a long time because a 4* should be harder to get).

Do I think they should have informed us about that? Yes
Do I think they should handle their bugs? Yes
Do I think just because I can't get the 3 cover my post is no longer true? No

I still think getting 3x 3* and 2x 4* covers this way is better (not flawless or perfect) than before.

And now they even "release" Hulkbuster again the "traditional" way in a one week long PvE with top 5 requirement for 3 covers. So there is really no "drawback" any more. Ultron PvE is basically a bonus chance for Hulkbuster covers. I really like that.

I would love to see Hulkbuster as a 1000 point progression reward before its own PvP instead of a top 1 placement reward. But well... A man can dream

UPDATE 2:
Just in case you are interested: My alliance finished round 7 and I got a lucky token draw once. So 3 HB covers for me

Unknown

Um no, this just shifting the rewards to a different subset of people on top of greatly increasing the 4* rewards in the first place. An equivalent of the old method would be if top 50 all get 3 4* covers and compared to that, some players benefit from this while some players do not. I'm sure part of the reason devs do not take most feedback on the forum seriously is because everyone cries about how the game sucks all the time but whenever a bribe is coming to a particular set of people you immediately praise them for being awesome, like the change from T50 to T100 alliance reward for 4*, which at most benefited another 1000 players in the game (50 * 20 alliance = 1000 players) and would immediately be offset had the game actually grown by any respectable amount. As long as this game doesn't even offer an in game tool to recruit players, putting so much weight on manpower can never be a good idea. It just happens that this time manpower is favorable on your side. If they eventually require you to have 30 million alliance points to hit the first IMHB cover which is round 8 you'd be saying how ridiculous this system is, even though that'd be roughly on par with the previous effort expected to get a top 5 finish in a 4* release event.

SnowcaTT

This is the first one in a long time where I assume I'll get all three covers. Didn't get any for the back-to-back KP release, only got one for the PX release: the PVE's were just getting into to much grinding and alliance-hopping for me to enjoy them. Who knows when/if I'll ever get the other covers for these characters, since season rewards are really the only way I was getting them.

This is a great way for them to release covers. Anyone moving into transition + can get all three. It's also a way for D3 to actually sell more - if they don't get the first covers out there, they can't sell more.

Unknown

You're not outsmarting or outworking the system for your covers here. In a typical event, 1% of the population can get all 3 covers for a 3* and 0.5% of the population can get all 3 covers for a 4*. Let's just say there are 100K players so that's 1000/500 players for the 3*/4*. I'm pretty sure more than 50 alliances were able to clear round 8, but this doesn't mean D3 has a change of heart or that your hard work finally paid off. No it's more like the Marvel overlords say, "Hey we want to hype this Age of Ultron thing so you guys better make it easy to win stuff" and of course nobody's going to argue with the Marvel overlords. So congrats to those who won and you really should thank the Marvel overlords who have way more influence than any of us could possibly hope for. Did people forget the 'I don't think there are even that many points in the event' progression rewards for the first Heroic Oscorp that offered 3 4* covers? They could have easily ensured that only 50 alliances were able to clear round 8 by putting the requirement to say, 25 million. Likewise for the IMHB they could've moved it to 30 million alliance points for the first IMHB cover (and only one cover) to ensure only 25 alliances could've hit it. They didn't do that because the Marvel overlords won't be pleased, not because they can't do it.

Stax the Foyer

Phantron wrote:

Um no, this just shifting the rewards to a different subset of people on top of greatly increasing the 4* rewards in the first place.

Exactly. Like the OP said, best 4* release ever.

This event is cooperative and (largely) non-competitive, which is probably the best thing that they could be doing for the long-term health of the game. It's true that there are some people who are unable to get as many covers under this system as they could have under the old system, but there are many, many more people who are able to get more covers than they could have under the old system.

And for most of the people who were disadvantaged by this event, there's a clear path to being more successful the next time through, even if that path goes through the forums rather than through an in-game recruitment system.

Yes, if the numbers were different, it could have been a bad event, but they weren't and it wasn't.

fmftint

For me I'll actually get less covers. Since there isn't an alliance reward, unless i get a lucky token pull I'll only get 3 covers instead of 4 I would get for a typical T5 finish

Unknown

Not just 4*s. I wish they would release every new character this way. Put in a boss battle at the end of a PvE, and allow strong alliance members to help weak alliance members earn new characters.

At the very very least, a reward node for new character cover should be more common. Right now only Ultron features this method, plus Hulk and Sentry for a single cover of an old character.

fmftint wrote:

For me I'll actually get less covers. Since there isn't an alliance reward, unless i get a lucky token pull I'll only get 3 covers instead of 4 I would get for a typical T5 finish

This is true, but then again I bet you didn't have to play as hard as a top 5 finish normally takes. I'd much rather have 1/1/1 in more peoples hands than a 1/1/2 for the top .5% of people

JamieMadrox

Best. PVE. Ever,

Vitalbird

fmftint wrote:

For me I'll actually get less covers. Since there isn't an alliance reward, unless i get a lucky token pull I'll only get 3 covers instead of 4 I would get for a typical T5 finish

If you can get top 5 in every 4 star pve while your alliance finishes top 50, this is true. However, you have to work much less hard in ultron. If you are referring to 3 star pvp's, then you have the opportunity to earn 6 covers outside of token draws rather than the normal 4. Hell, why not just finish top 1 every 4 star pve, so you can earn 5 covers instead of 4?

fmftint

Lerysh wrote:

Not just 4*s. I wish they would release every new character this way. Put in a boss battle at the end of a PvE, and allow strong alliance members to help weak alliance members earn new characters.

At the very very least, a reward node for new character cover should be more common. Right now only Ultron features this method, plus Hulk and Sentry for a single cover of an old character.

fmftint wrote:

For me I'll actually get less covers. Since there isn't an alliance reward, unless i get a lucky token pull I'll only get 3 covers instead of 4 I would get for a typical T5 finish

This is true, but then again I bet you didn't have to play as hard as a top 5 finish normally takes. I'd much rather have 1/1/1 in more peoples hands than a 1/1/2 for the top .5% of people

No argument there, I'm much happier hitting a rotation every reset than hitting every reset+ grinding down a transition

puppychow

Personally, I'll probably get all the HB covers. So I'm not affected negatively w/ this manner of distribution. But I can't help but feel that a lot of ppl got screwed when D3 decided to make SW the essential characters in place of QS. So if you weren't able to get any scarlet covers last ultron event, it pushes you back so much further in helping your alliance unlock ultron round 6-8. Personally, I would have kept 1 QS as an essential, and use SW as the second.

Obviously, D3 is hoping ppl missing SW cover will get desperate and start buyng ultron packs.

Aidonis

Anything that gets covers out the door faster is better imo.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I dunno what kind of time frame some of you think this game is going on, but personally, I'm not going to be playing this game for the next **** decade, so I'd like a shot at a finished 4* in a reasonable time frame (Day 434 for reference).

Server issues aside, this event has been great, and hopefully a weekly/monthly 4* quest will come in as well to alleviate things as well.

Moar Boss battles!

patrice789

Well, looking at the next PVE event, looks like they'll be another way to get him. Ugh

TheWerebison

patrice789 wrote:

Well, looking at the next PVE event, looks like they'll be another way to get him. Ugh

Ah, ya had to expect that. There'll probably be a pvp event for him, too.

Turbosmooth

patrice789 wrote:

Well, looking at the next PVE event, looks like they'll be another way to get him. Ugh

How is that bad? You need more than 3 covers to build a character.
This will be the first time perhaps that I can get **** as an earned reward.
Great job. I'm so glad I was prompted to change Alliances before starting the event. My new Alliance is looking good.

SnowcaTT

I have zero KP and one PX.

Having already pulled two HB, likely three more from Ultron, and T100 so one from EotS: six covers of the brand new 4*? Yes, please. That's more than I'll have for 4hor, or any 4* after that release. This is a good way to help start the 4* transition, give lots of ways to get them up front.

I only wish the individual was T100, so I could have a chance without the crazy/perfect grind required to T50

PorkBelly

This is, without a doubt, the best method to release a 4* character given how difficult it is to get covers after the debut.

I really hope D3 continues this method in the future.

OnesOwnGrief

Jamie Madrox wrote:

Best. PVE. Ever,

Jamie has spoken. This must be the truth.

I like the Ultron PvE for this 4 star release. Anyone in a good alliance (that can regularly reach top 100 in PvP) should be able to make at least 2 or the 3 rewards if the first event was anything to go off of. Then they turn around and run Enemy Of The State which does not have a SW essential but an more common She-Hulk one? Girlfriend, please~ This is the most generous release I've seen since I started playing MPQ when it came to a new character. I don't think it will happen again anytime soon but this pleases me greatly. You people who could/can not do Ultron but place well in PvE, go get it. Have fun. I'm not gonna step in your way to reach top 50 for a cover I feel guaranteed to get 1/1/1 from someplace else.

dkffiv

Round 6 Ultron HP has risen from 3m to 5.5m. If round 7 and 8 have similar increases it will be difficult to clear round 8 / unlock the third cover, especially if top end PvE'ers are going all out in Enemy of the State for individual Hulkbuster covers. We'll see how the numbers work out but it looks like this event is going to take a lot of grinding. Tiny kitty back to back overlapping PvE's - surprised Combined Arms isn't releasing Scarlet Witch covers so you'd have to manage 4 events in an 8 hour window.

Punisher5784

Vladdy wrote:

I am looking at all the negative feedback regarding Avengers vs. Ultron here on the forums. Sure, server downs and bugs are not funny, not wanted and tend to frustrate people. I totally agree with "I would like it more if all those issues would not be present.".

On the other hand:
It is the best 4* release ever, or not? I mean, every player in a full size vet alliance should be able to get all 3 covers just by playing regularly (I am not talking about the progression issue that fast alliances faced). I am pretty sure that I will get all 3 covers and maybe more if I get lucky on token draws. That is a very big improvement for me (grinding a PvE for top placement is far worse).

So I think we should all encourage the devs to release 4* this way or in other better ways than before (of course, they should fix the problems to improve the experience).

I wouldn't mind if they kept a permanent event similar to this as a way of winning 4*'s like DDQ does for 3*'s. While most of us would rather have some sort of Gauntlet or an extension to DDQ, this could work as well. It might even be good for 4* releases, less of a blood bath for Top 50.

OnesOwnGrief

Fear Itself, Infinity Gems, and a few others would benefit from a similar format. I wouldn't mind Demiurge's idea of the Worthy. Another game previously did their own characters, I think it was Clash of Heroes, and the designs felt good for who they picked. Not everything has to stick closely to the comic book as you can see since we still don't have Vision.