Vet/Dev Question

Unknown

I've noticed quite a few vets on here stating they've won or done really well in tournaments just to throw the reward away. That led me to wonder why? I mean why waste your time if all that you get is internet brags?

For any of the dev/reps that lurk here, is data kept on this sort of thing? It is rather discouraging for newer players to see this happening.

Unknown

The *** covers sell for HP. Additionally, they want the ISO gained in getting to the top.

Unknown

Many of the times, the reward you get wasn't the reward you were shooting for.

So, you might get some duplicates of covers you already have and you need to sell them to get some HP back. To recoup the HP you spent on shields.

NorthernPolarity

I've been half-heartedly trying to place in top 15 for the tournaments that I don't need covers for so that I can get 150hp in placement awards (100 for the placement, 50 in sold covers). I don't really shield in these tournaments, so that HP is pure profit and helps me fund future things.

Unknown

From what I recall most of the vets on here actually say the exact opposite. Countless times I've seen people on here tell others in their bracket to go for the top spot because they already have 3 yellow Invisible Woman covers, for example.

I don't read every thread (especially as of late) but this is surprising to me.

Unknown

It's fun to play and compete even if the reward isn't needed. Although it have dropped out of contention on purpose if I didn't need a reward. I won't push for any IW yellows for example, but I like to know I COULD win if I wanted to.

Kiamodo

9/10 I'm not going for the top spot. I don't need a hood cover so why fight for it? I would prefer 500 ISO over 150 ISO and 25 HP.

Unknown

Hardly a vet, but:

1) You want a cover you need top 5 for, but it comes with two more you don't want.
2) You don't need the placement award for an event sub, but you do want the points to continue competing in the main (see: several entire 13/13 Patches' worth of covers binned during TaT), so you aren't going to throw it out of courtesy by more than a point or two, and #2 is 870 behind you.
3) You want the extra HP, especially now shielding more than relatively minimally costs more than it makes.
4) When a game puts a leaderboard in front of you, you cannot rest until your name is at #1. Don't think there's a whole lot of that here, most approach events with a bit more of a pragmatic "what do I get out of it?" attitude, but anyone with a competitive streak has probably had their moments.
5) You want to do what little you can to limit the proliferation of covers so the 13/13 you have and other people don't is an advantage. Because you are evil, and more than a little silly.

There's probably more.

Edit:

Ooh!

6) You wanted the 46-75 (top 2*) placement tier, but trundled up to 400 or 500 for the progression HP, weren't on to tune your rating at event close, and your bracket was so slack you wound up with another Patch, instead.

Unknown

"YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME."

-Herm Edwards

Unknown

Some will gain levels for the ISO and then invite people to attack them so they don't get the reward. This happened more inthe tanking days, of course.

Unknown

beezer37_84 wrote:

From what I recall most of the vets on here actually say the exact opposite. Countless times I've seen people on here tell others in their bracket to go for the top spot because they already have 3 yellow Invisible Woman covers, for example.

I don't read every thread (especially as of late) but this is surprising to me.

Don't get me wrong, there aren't massive amounts of players saying this but if a few are it would stand to reason that this is happening more often than is said. I think the argument that you're doing it for a few more ISO/HP seems a bit weak. From what I've read on the forums many of the long time players don't really need ISO/HP/covers. I guess for me, if I saw a tournament with say a full set of thor 2*s or something else I already had, I'd likely pass on that event.

I can understand both sides but at the same time, you'd think the system would be set up in such a way that the rich that constantly get richer are forced into brackets with more of their kind. As opposed to newer players like myself that are forced to play against people with maxed teams and also competing with the players that are even newer than me that are somehow winning events with 1* teams. Plus there are events that seem designed for older players such as the recent 300HP entry event and LRs. So far I've seen 1 PVE that I'd say should have been a new player event and that has been it since I've started playing.

The system just seems off, I have very little chance against a squad of 3*s, I can't see the 1* teams and lately every 2* match is a pain because it always has either OBW or Spidey. I much preferred the Thorverine days, you didn't have long fights where you're losing way more points than you're gaining per fight. Not that longer fights are the problem here, I'd say it's that you can be attacked multiple times while fighting 1 person.

Unknown

For PvP tournament, I don't usually try super hard if all the covers are already something I have, unless the bracket turns out to be surprisingly easy. For example this tournament I only plan on finishing top 45 because I only need exactly one more cover for Spiderman (which happens to be the one given at 45). If competition is surprisingly light I wouldn't purposely try to do worse, but I figure I'll get up to like #5 and stay unshielded and when/if I drop down to 20th or so I might throw up a shield.

In PvE there's usually substantial Iso8/HP rewards so it's always worth competing.

Some people might want to just win for the sake of winning, and that's perfectly fine too.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

beezer37_84 wrote:

From what I recall most of the vets on here actually say the exact opposite. Countless times I've seen people on here tell others in their bracket to go for the top spot because they already have 3 yellow Invisible Woman covers, for example.

I don't read every thread (especially as of late) but this is surprising to me.

Don't get me wrong, there aren't massive amounts of players saying this but if a few are it would stand to reason that this is happening more often than is said. I think the argument that you're doing it for a few more ISO/HP seems a bit weak. From what I've read on the forums many of the long time players don't really need ISO/HP/covers. I guess for me, if I saw a tournament with say a full set of thor 2*s or something else I already had, I'd likely pass on that event.

Uh what? Long time players are in desperate need of ISO. Do you know how expensive it is to level up a 3* or 4* character? I guarantee there aren't more than a handful of forum people with a couple of 141s. Also, the tournaments almost always give out a 3* player as a reward, which means: possible new build, more HP to fund shields and other HP intensive activites, etc.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

The system just seems off, I have very little chance against a squad of 3*s, I can't see the 1* teams and lately every 2* match is a pain because it always has either OBW or Spidey. I much preferred the Thorverine days, you didn't have long fights where you're losing way more points than you're gaining per fight. Not that longer fights are the problem here, I'd say it's that you can be attacked multiple times while fighting 1 person.

Things were far worse in the Thorverine days, because everyone with those 2 characters can fearlessly attack you, so there's no way your rating was ever going to hold. You can be sporting 3 level 141 characters and you'll still get hit hard if you're worth 40 points because Thorverine matches up favorably against virtually any team out there.

Now, at least if your team is strong, you might dissaude some people from attacking you. If your team is weak, yeah you'll still get pounded, but why would you expect otherwise?

Kelbris

thatguy13 wrote:

I've noticed quite a few vets on here stating they've won or done really well in tournaments just to throw the reward away. That led me to wonder why? I mean why waste your time if all that you get is internet brags?

For any of the dev/reps that lurk here, is data kept on this sort of thing? It is rather discouraging for newer players to see this happening.

Last tournament I accidentally placed higher than intended. I shielded with 550 and went to bed and woke up with a top 5 finish; I didn't need the extra cover that came from placing higher than 6-15.

I'm sure that happens to others as well.

Unknown

I don't understand the notion of this being disheartening to a newer player. This OP doesn't make any sense to me.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

I've noticed quite a few vets on here stating they've won or done really well in tournaments just to throw the reward away. That led me to wonder why? I mean why waste your time if all that you get is internet brags?

For any of the dev/reps that lurk here, is data kept on this sort of thing? It is rather discouraging for newer players to see this happening.

Almost feels like you are saying people like myself shouldn't play in events, having the temerity to win brackets! I'm not as competitive in this game as I was in the early days, but I still enjoy the feeling of winning.

Besides. If you want those rewards, you have to earn them. Just like I've had to the whole time.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

Don't get me wrong, there aren't massive amounts of players saying this but if a few are it would stand to reason that this is happening more often than is said. I think the argument that you're doing it for a few more ISO/HP seems a bit weak. From what I've read on the forums many of the long time players don't really need ISO/HP/covers. I guess for me, if I saw a tournament with say a full set of thor 2*s or something else I already had, I'd likely pass on that event.

That must have been some selective reading. Everyone would kill a relative for ISO, some a close one. A few are rolling in HP, but that's a few; it's mostly a hangover from when there was nothing to spend it on (that anyone wanted to) and from some very high event awards. It's not a scarce resource, especially by f2p premium currency standards, but there aren't other significant regular sources than tournament progression and placement and, in case you didn't catch this the first time, tournament placement costs HP.

People do routinely grab progression awards and then tank tournaments they don't need anything from, offer to cede first to someone who wants it more, and artificially deflate their rating because they want OBWs or they're rebuilding Thor. But you didn't ask that, you asked how it is people end up winning covers they don't need.

I can understand both sides but at the same time, you'd think the system would be set up in such a way that the rich that constantly get richer are forced into brackets with more of their kind.

They're matched against "their kind". Brackets are arbitrary, but they're fighting a procession of high level Magses, Spider-Men, Hulks and Punishers alongside the odd OBW'n'Ares for their 400 points while you complain about having to deal with Black Widow for yours. They can, of course, tank their rating so that they get matched against you and you don't want to retaliate. You can do the same and slap around Joe IM35, if you like. It's near enough cheating and makes the already hideously complicated match-making task Demiurge has set itself more or less impossible, but it's within the current rules of the system and you can't expect people not to take advantage of whatever edge they're offered - you can only join in or keep doing the best you can manage despite it.

The recommended response to people winning events you'd like to isn't to request they stop winning at you. It's to kick their ****.

Unknown

Phantron, I did significantly better during the Thorverine phase. I could essentially play non-stop for hours on end. Now I could probably do the same if I took the time to plan out every move but even then it's very grindy when every team has a healer.

Koolbird: My point is if you're a new guy and would love any new cover and have to fight and grind to top 45 and people at the top are wiping their butts with covers. It's a bit discouraging. Particularly when coupled with the fact that most events appear to cater to the upper tier of players.

Ladder: As I said I can see both sides. I'm not advocating not earning rewards, just suggesting that the system needs further balance and at the same time being afraid that in the attempt to level the playing field, the game will be made worse.

Veracity: I don't read every post, please forgive that horrible crime. Also I didn't say that people that are awesome at this game should just let me or others like me win. What I was getting at is that I feel that brackets should be designed to take your roster into account. If your roster is fantastic then you should have to play other players with similar rosters. If you have a midrange roster like mine, you play other midrange people. If you have 1*s, you play 1*s.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

most events appear to cater to the upper tier of players

They really don't. Can we get a psych major up in here to tell him what he's doing? It's not selection bias, I don't think, but there's bound to be some fancy name for it. The new LRs will be dominated by long-established players while they're novel, but if they're to anyone's great benefit it's the ever-complaining middling roster players. The most established vets who've stuck around do not want more IM40 covers, much less at the cost of scrapping in the game's most brutal regular event.

One thing I did want to toss in: I've said before I wish it were possible to decline covers you don't want (from part or all of a placement award), and the server would just pass them to the next ranked player. I've not bothered posting it in the suggestions forum because I think there are more pressing uses for Demiurge's limited time right now, and because I doubt they'd see the upside in helping put more free covers in players' hands when they're trying to sell you the things.

Unknown

thatguy13 wrote:

Ladder: As I said I can see both sides. I'm not advocating not earning rewards, just suggesting that the system needs further balance and at the same time being afraid that in the attempt to level the playing field, the game will be made worse.

Not sure why you feel the playing field should be level. MPQ has RPG elements where you're rewarded for the time you've spent in developing your characters. Why should newer players have better access to the high placement rewards compared to older players who have sunk a lot of time (and/or money, often a replacement for time in F2P games) into the game?

Furthermore, the MMR system in its current form is already a sort of balancing, as newer players wouldn't be matched to older players directly due to their lower MMR. This giving the outperforming ones a shot at getting the high rewards without competing head-on against the 3x lvl100+ teams. Heck, since roster checking came out I've been studying the top10 rosters of the tournament brackets I'm in, and at least 6 out of the 10 wouldn't have a single 100+ char. During the last The Best There IS 2 out of the top10 even had IM35 as their top char.