Mid-High level getting stale

elwhiteninja

With all of these four stars coming out, I have to admit I am getting really bored. As are most people in my alliance. The new four stars are creative and interesting but the problem is that until they are mostly covered they are worthless. If i had to pick between sending a 166 ironfist and a buffed lady thor that is lvl 150 base I am still going to send ironfist. That is the issue since Bullseye we have had how many four stars? Ant-Man (made sense for the movie), Carnage, Deadpool, Jean Grey (who was needed), The Thing, and now the next character is four star Mr. Fantastic. I thought the previous release campaign was perfect. 4 three stars then a four star. It gave us some new characters to play and kept the game exciting.
I am sure these new characters are really exciting for the people who are dropping lots of cash but for the people who just love playing the game and don't have a huge disposable income (when we having a sale by the way?) PVP has become a chore and pve is typically pretty boring because you are grinding the same nodes over and over. I used to look forward to deadpool dailies and upcoming PVPs but having all the three stars covered (I know first world problem) gives little desire to play these rounds. And since we keep getting new four stars I keep having to spend my HP on roster slots not on covers
It is a really nasty place to be, want to get stronger and more competitive but being forced to pay 900 HP every two weeks on roster slots (one having to be a two star since to get the four star you have to have a two star). I make just enough in events to break even but unless I get really lucky with tokens or have a PVP that I can grind to 1000 (which is very difficult when you are just using three stars).

I guess what I am saying:
-Expensive Roster slots are feeling like punishment for doing well at the high level (without those expensive slots I could buy covers or tokens)
-Four star flood (super cool characters that I want but are not adding new experiences for me or my mates because four stars don't really get interesting till about 9:13 covers)
-Transitioning from three stars to four stars is not very exciting as they don't increase in power like the other rarities
-Before the flood it was fun to earn the four stars as I needed the reward covers now I find myself getting to 1000 then just letting the vultures pick me back down to like 600 pts

Vhailorx

I think that the late spring and early summer increases to the distribution rate of 4*s are just now starting to become apparent.

My Elektra, Kingpin and Professor X are all in various stages of usability (11, 10 and 8 respectively) with just the odd 1k reward and some lucky pulls. Though oddly enough my star-lord is still mostly useless with only 6 covers. None of the new 4*s are usable yet So that's 3-5 months to build a 4*, which is an improvement over last year, when it might have taken twice that time.

Of course, there are many many more 4*s now, so the pool of rewards will dilute even further. And the biggest problem is that it remains impossible to get multiple covers for the same 4* in any event after release. That's the real stumbling block and will only grow worse as the 4*s increase in number. multiple 4*s covers should become a regular placement price in PVE and PVP. and 4*s should be featured repeatedly (or the prog reward structure in both PVE and PVP should be changed to allow for multiple covers for a single 4*).

Demiurge really needs to ease up on 4* rarity. And a drop in cover prices would be useful too. The old rarity level just doesn't match with their clear intent to make 4* the real heart of endgame play.

TxMoose

my impression is that there is only a small, but important, segment of the player base that is genuinely pleased with the new 4* tier explosion. if they have a new weekly-ish ddq-type 4* event that would help some but the more they add, the more that will not be enough. as soon as they hit 20 or 25, that will would be enough for nearly a daily ddq-type event. I'm due for buying more hp but for now I feel like I should hold off until I see a decent path to progress. hitting 1K helps but even if you hit 1K every single time, with 16 characters it would take me a year to add 2 covers to each ability, adding 2/2/2 to what I currently have. that means in a year i'll have a nearly maxable xforce (12 covers) and marginal starlord, thing, hulkbuster, and fury. a year seems an awful long way away to really start entering **** play when start of the game to *** play happened in ~7 months.

Unknown

Hey, on the bright side, with all these new 4*s coming out, my 7-8 single cover 4*s will have company...

DBC

simonsez

Like it or not, here's the deal: 5*s are coming, and 4*s are the new normal.

TxMoose

simonsez wrote:

Like it or not, here's the deal: 5*s are coming, and 4*s are the new normal.

if 1300 is not attainable, like for vast majority, it takes ~2 years to fully cover via 1K progressions (a full year even for the very small percentage who could hit 1300 every event). new normal does not sound fun - will get very, very repetitive and stagnant, even with huge roster full of level 70 characters with 1-3 covers each. will take months before I'm close enough to consider buying a character out, and I don't mind dropping money into the game.

Nick441234

I have 7 4*'s all with only 1 cover. My X Force is the most covered at 2/2/2 and I've had him nearly a year now!

4*'s are utterly pointless unless you pour real money in as you just dont get any covers for them elsewhere.

simonsez

I'm assuming that once 5*s show up, 4*s will become easier to get. Believe it or not, it used to be hard to cover max your 2*s. Seriously.

nwman

So more 3*s or higher odds for 4*?

DFiPL

simonsez wrote:

I'm assuming that once 5*s show up, 4*s will become easier to get. Believe it or not, it used to be hard to cover max your 2*s. Seriously.

I musta joined the game after this point, but I remember my 3* being tough to come by a while back. I'm closing in on my 3* roster being max-covered. I think I only have four 3* who are more than 3 covers away, each, from 13.

Vhailorx

simonsez wrote:

I'm assuming that once 5*s show up, 4*s will become easier to get. Believe it or not, it used to be hard to cover max your 2*s. Seriously.

I have been saying this for most of the summer. Glad some one finally agreed with me!

And yes, it was before my time, but 2*s used to be much harder to get before their covers were available as PvP match rewards. That was also when ares/obw could get you top 25 in PvP events easily. And punisher dominated 3* land.

rawfsu

It's definitely hard being in the middle. That's exactly where I am and it has it's moments. I have been encouraged by DDQ and the ability to reach 4k in PVP. I've come far, but still have a LONG way to go. I got frustrated this past season when I couldn't win Jean Grey or DP 4*, but that was due to burnout more than anything else. I had to make the decision that a video game should be fun, not life-encompassing. I've almost completely done away with PVE, and joined an alliance with the only requirement being reach 4k per PVP season. As far as 4* go, I've relegated myself to daily rewards and seasonal 10-pack pulls. I've been playing for over a year, with XF being my first and IW being my second 4* characters. Neither is above 7 covers. I managed, somehow, to get Nick Fury to 7. The only other four with multiple covers is LThor with 3. I use them from time to time, but I know the strength lies, and will probably always lie, in my 3* roster. Eventually, I know I'll get out of this mid-level zone.

Unknown

Vhailorx wrote:

simonsez wrote:

I'm assuming that once 5*s show up, 4*s will become easier to get. Believe it or not, it used to be hard to cover max your 2*s. Seriously.

And punisher dominated 3* land.

I can't tell you how long Spidey and Punisher were my go to squad. Rainbow coverage, 2AP stun, true healing, strike tiles, AOE, and one of the most fulfilling finishing moves in the game (retribution).

Ah...memories!

marc

TxMoose

Vhailorx wrote:

That was also when ares/obw could get you top 25 in PvP events easily. And punisher dominated 3* land.

ouch, the thought of fist/hulkbuster being relegated to ares/punisher.

simonsez

Vhailorx wrote:

And yes, it was before my time, but 2*s used to be much harder to get before their covers were available as PvP match rewards. That was also when ares/obw could get you top 25 in PvP events easily. And punisher dominated 3* land.

Might've been before your time, but you nailed it. I bought 2 purple OBW covers in order to be more competitive, and it was totally worth it. And yeah, Punisher was my first maxed 3*.

SnowcaTT

simonsez wrote:

I'm assuming that once 5*s show up, 4*s will become easier to get. Believe it or not, it used to be hard to cover max your 2*s. Seriously.

Agree with simonsez...and this is when I'll quit. I remember when 2*'s were hard to get, and I was so excited to get my Thor covered at last. OBW was nearly impossible to find the covers for, almost one of my last 2*'s.

Just got into the 3* feel of things....and they went to 4*, made 2*'s drop like candy, and made the 3* transition soooo much easier, and cheaper to level. "What? This sucks!" I think. But I have my 3*'s going so I continue on.

Having the 4* "transition" bar yanked away (by the introduction of 5*) from me like the 3* was will be the end of this game for me. And I do think it's coming. But the 4* transition should be made much, much easier before the 5*'s are even here.

People could have all the 3*'s covered/maxed before the 4*'s started flooding the game. They need to make that possible with 4* - tons of covers and ISO need to start coming along.

I can scan down to the end of my roster and see only a few 2*'s left (since roster spots are so pricey), lots of 4*'s (max leveled unable to get past 94), and a 1* for DDQ. That page alone tells you a couple of huge problems with MPQ.

acescracked

nick_chicane wrote:

I have 7 4*'s all with only 1 cover. My X Force is the most covered at 2/2/2 and I've had him nearly a year now!

4*'s are utterly pointless unless you pour real money in as you just dont get any covers for them elsewhere.

Weird, why has our mpq game experience been so different?

I have 3 (buster, wolvie xforce, 4hor) 4*s fully covered and maxed, fury fully covered and at 250, profx fully covered and at 210. Elektra and invisible woman fully covered but not leveled. Antman and kingpin almost fully covered and leveled little.

I dropped $20 twice on this game once when I started and another $20 awhile ago. That was for slots and shields but now I'm hp positive every season.

"4*s utterly pointless unless you pour real money in as you just dont get any covers for them elsewhere"... Hmm either I'm a wizard or that's not a very accurate statement.

chill21genlee

Vhailorx wrote:

Though oddly enough my star-lord is still mostly useless with only 6 covers.

Hate to be "that guy", but a LVL 270 StarLord is also worthless, except as a meat shield, so I wouldn't fret much about only having 6 covers for him. Perhaps the worst conceived four star in the game... even IW is useful in PVE.. StarLord, not so much... I have been honestly trying to find a good use for him and have thusfar failed. Any character so reliant on CD tiles is just a bad thing... especially the randomply placed variety, as they seem to get matched out by the enemy about 75% of the time. Anyway, sorry for the rant, hope that helps though!

elwhiteninja

acescracked wrote:

nick_chicane wrote:

I have 7 4*'s all with only 1 cover. My X Force is the most covered at 2/2/2 and I've had him nearly a year now!

4*'s are utterly pointless unless you pour real money in as you just dont get any covers for them elsewhere.

Weird, why has our mpq game experience been so different?

I have 3 (buster, wolvie xforce, 4hor) 4*s fully covered and maxed, fury fully covered and at 250, profx fully covered and at 210. Elektra and invisible woman fully covered but not leveled. Antman and kingpin almost fully covered and leveled little.

I dropped $20 twice on this game once when I started and another $20 awhile ago. That was for slots and shields but now I'm hp positive every season.

"4*s utterly pointless unless you pour real money in as you just dont get any covers for them elsewhere"... Hmm either I'm a wizard or that's not a very accurate statement.

aces you have made it through the four star transition, that is why you are different. Maybe you got lucky on token pulls, or didnt have the crazy disconnects during the ultron event. The point is that this game is getting stale due to lack of new content for the people who have not finished the four star transition. Without new three stars coming out there is no new content for people who are not earning four stars like crazy or spending money (I have 2 fully covered but not 270 four star in ) but iw is not even close to being a good four star to make it count for me. And wolvie is not that great compared to all the new four stars. Hulkbuster is the man, as is if you can 270 even 2 of those you are good.

Vhailorx

chill21genlee wrote:

Vhailorx wrote:

Though oddly enough my star-lord is still mostly useless with only 6 covers.

Hate to be "that guy", but a LVL 270 StarLord is also worthless, except as a meat shield, so I wouldn't fret much about only having 6 covers for him. Perhaps the worst conceived four star in the game... even IW is useful in PVE.. StarLord, not so much... I have been honestly trying to find a good use for him and have thusfar failed. Any character so reliant on CD tiles is just a bad thing... especially the randomply placed variety, as they seem to get matched out by the enemy about 75% of the time. Anyway, sorry for the rant, hope that helps though!

I was trying not to be too mean to poor star-lord. But yeah, he is a pretty weak character. it's too bad, because I really like the idea behind his design. It's just implemented very poorly. I would very much like to see his ap powers changed to passives (so collect X teamup AP and he starts auto-spawning a countdown tile that reduces friendly AP costs. that way you get the effect automatically when you collect enough ap, but the enemy can still use board manipulation to counter the effects).

While I only have 6 covers, it's a 5/0/1 build, so at least I have his best power maxed. Yay?

simonsez wrote:

Might've been before your time, but you nailed it. I bought 2 purple OBW covers in order to be more competitive, and it was totally worth it. And yeah, Punisher was my first maxed 3*.

It was before my time, but JUST before. So the forums were still awash with people moaning about true healing changes and the introduction of teamups when I started playing.

Lesson to all newbies: if you think the forums are full of cranky vets complaining about the "good old days" now, just go dig up the true healing thread. . .

elwhiteninja

lets not turn this into a gripfest.

Perhaps a solution is to have 2 or 3 pvp events in the seasons that have not the new release four star as a essential character and the round before will do the current rank rewards but with the upcoming four star instead.