Earning alliance rewards suggestion

rollx

It is my understanding that an alliances rewards are determined by each of it's member individual scores. Is that correct? If three members enter an alliance with a score of 2000 points, their alliance is at 6000 points for that event.

I ask because I feel this system is easily abused. I've recently found out that different alliances will bring on "mercs" at the last minute to boost their score and put them in the top 100. I'm not blaming the alliances for doing this; it's taking advantage of the system. I feel this needs to be changed. This encourages alliances to kick low scoring members out, to bring in temp "scabs" to boost the rating, then drop them after the event. Also, it's really disappointing for your alliance to go from the rank 75 spot to rank 105 in a matter of 15 minutes. Here is my idea on how to improve the system.

An alliance should build up points and credits like a individual does in a pvp season. As you gain points in a pve node, it contributes to your alliances score for that event. That encourages member to enter an alliance at the beginning of an event and contributes points to a total. I feel like this would encourage more bonding between alliance and members, and would be less inclined to be abused. What do you all think? Pros? Cons?

Malcrof

Merc'ing is an important part of this game. It is how many of us made, and continue to make our 3* transitions. Score high in an event where you need the extra covers? You merc out, Having a good PVP score and you really need the covers? Merc out.

Running a casual T250 alliance, we allow our members to merc out if they want, it is part of fleshing out your roster. Some people don't need many covers, like myself, so if one comes along that i need badly, and need 2 of them.. i will merc to get that cover, then come home to my alliance.

This is simply part of the game, there are even professional mercs, who decide to go allianceless, and just find one for events with things they need.

I think merc'ing is a great thing.

san

This has been brought up numerous times. The one event that was the exception to the system you stated, was the Ultron event.

There are pros and cons to both

You have noted the cons to the current system. The pros are that you can remove the "leeches" (see how you can turn words around? ) that seem to be doing nothing, and bring in a merc to help the alliance mates who have earned their scores get the rewards they deserve. The cons, of course, are that alliances can drop spots easily if this happens. However, most (top) alliances account for this by looking at what their average player scores need to be for a particular event based on when that event was last run, as well as the last few events.

In lock-in type events, you are in for the long haul. So, even if a player does absolutely nothing in the PvP event, they partake in the rewards - is it fair? I don't know. I'm not the judge, but it's certainly different, and would bring about a very different game mechanic.

In addition to what I said, you also have to be careful not to confuse last minute mercs with last minute players. I, for example, tend to play in the last 3-6 hours of an event. That means that my alliance, until that time, can be sitting at a lower placement than they should. The 800-1100 score I tend to bring in can mean a very different result for the alliance. I am certainly no merc (same alliance for 11 seasons straight). However, my alliance can seemingly go from sub-100 to mid 60s. Again, this is NOT mercing, this is a few players playing at the end.

Let's not blame mercs for your alliance's shortcomings. I suggest working together and building a better roster together. Get a core group, and you can get there. I remember when Team Ka-Zar was well below top 100. We worked our bums off trying to get to where we are. These are the growing pains of the game.

Unknown

If you can't beat em, join em

rollx

Malcrof wrote:

Merc'ing is an important part of this game. It is how many of us made, and continue to make our 3* transitions. Score high in an event where you need the extra covers? You merc out, Having a good PVP score and you really need the covers? Merc out.

Running a casual T250 alliance, we allow our members to merc out if they want, it is part of fleshing out your roster. Some people don't need many covers, like myself, so if one comes along that i need badly, and need 2 of them.. i will merc to get that cover, then come home to my alliance.

This is simply part of the game, there are even professional mercs, who decide to go allianceless, and just find one for events with things they need.

I think merc'ing is a great thing.

I understand that, but on the same note, what if you made points for your team, then dropped out and let someone else reap the rewards? Wouldn't that be more fair, as you contributed to your alliance and sacrificed your spot so that someone else can get the rewards?

rollx

san-mpq wrote:

This has been brought up numerous times. The one event that was the exception to the system you stated, was the Ultron event.

There are pros and cons to both

You have noted the cons to the current system. The pros are that you can remove the "leeches" (see how you can turn words around? ) that seem to be doing nothing, and bring in a merc to help the alliance mates who have earned their scores get the rewards they deserve. The cons, of course, are that alliances can drop spots easily if this happens. However, most (top) alliances account for this by looking at what their average player scores need to be for a particular event based on when that event was last run, as well as the last few events.

In lock-in type events, you are in for the long haul. So, even if a player does absolutely nothing in the PvP event, they partake in the rewards - is it fair? I don't know. I'm not the judge, but it's certainly different, and would bring about a very different game mechanic.

In addition to what I said, you also have to be careful not to confuse last minute mercs with last minute players. I, for example, tend to play in the last 3-6 hours of an event. That means that my alliance, until that time, can be sitting at a lower placement than they should. The 800-1100 score I tend to bring in can mean a very different result for the alliance. I am certainly no merc (same alliance for 11 seasons straight). However, my alliance can seemingly go from sub-100 to mid 60s. Again, this is NOT mercing, this is a few players playing at the end.

Let's not blame mercs for your alliance's shortcomings. I suggest working together and building a better roster together. Get a core group, and you can get there. I remember when Team Ka-Zar was well below top 100. We worked our bums off trying to get to where we are. These are the growing pains of the game.

You do have a valid point about the pros and cons. I see there are pros to having the merc system, but I feel there are more cons. I am not blaming mercs, necessarily, I'm blaming the system in which they are "abused". Again, it's part of the game and encouraged by the mechanics. Alliances are doing what is in their power to make their alliance succeed. I just feel it would be more rewarding if you contributes to a "team score" rather than just a pooled score.

san

rollx wrote:

You do have a valid point about the pros and cons. I see there are pros to having the merc system, but I feel there are more cons. I am not blaming mercs, necessarily, I'm blaming the system in which they are "abused". Again, it's part of the game and encouraged by the mechanics. Alliances are doing what is in their power to make their alliance succeed. I just feel it would be more rewarding if you contributes to a "team score" rather than just a pooled score.

It's all about how you weigh the pros and cons, then. As I see it, the system isn't perfect, but you learn to live with it. With a good enough core group, you wouldn't have to worry about these sort of things. I shouldn't have said "let's not blame the mercs" but rather, let's not blame the current sysyem. In reality, you as (presumably) alliance commander are responsible to figure out what score range you need for top 1000 (most of the time, around 150,000-160,000) and to encourage your team as a whole to get there. If you're still missing the top 100, it's because your scores are simply not good enough yet, and you need to get better, that's all .

fmftint

Who's say those alliances that pushed you out of the T100 didn't have a high concentration of slice 4/5 players?

moogles85

fmftint wrote:

Who's say those alliances that pushed you out of the T100 didn't have a high concentration of slice 4/5 players?

Another valid point. You need to figure out what slices your players are in.

If all your players are in the first few slices, you will naturally be at a much higher ranking than your alliance will finish.

Our alliance yesterday had 4 players in Slice 4 and 5 players in Slice 5. We were below-100 after Slice 3 finished.

wymtime

I could say this even for a competitive alliance real life happens and players don't want to hurt their team. If someone can't play a PVP because of a real life situation and you hire a merc for the event why shouldn't this be aloud? The season is very long and players sometimes can't play.
For teams with 18-19 players who do really well in PVE will bring on a merc to earn the top 100 spot. Should they be punished? If more events were like gauntlet or Ultron and all rewards were progression then a different system could work. As it is right now not all alliances kick lower people for Mercs.
Sometimes people take advantage of the system but it is a small effect and yes if you end 101 it fees huge but in the grand scheme it is a small effect.

Lee T

I don't like mercing and I'rather see points being added to the alliance on the go. However there is one tiny problem that makes me wish it'll never be the case :

Imagine you do play the game the best you can, earn a lot of points all contributing to your alliance. Then for some reason, you didn't make enough points, or one of the leaders wants a friend in, you are kicked out high and dry. No beefy alliance will want a guy with a null contribution.

At the very leasr keeping your points protects your "earnings" if you will. You get kicked out, the one who kicks you out looses your points and you got to keep them and are free to contribute somewhere else.

Merrick

Mercing is absolutely necessary in this game. Very few alliances are great at both PVE and PVP. So a person who primarily plays PVP and is in a great PVP alliance will need to merc out for any PVE they do well at, & vice versa.