Has the user base grown too large to handle? (Long post)

Omega Blacc

I'd like to begin this post by stating that I don't consider D3P to be incompetent in any capacity.

I don't develop games. I don't write code. I don't program. I don't do accounting. I just play great games. I consider MPQ to be a great game...a great game that's just taken a large hit.

All things being relative, I'd think it's safe to say that the forum / line users are a small percentage of the player base. Issues seem much larger than they really are when you focus and look too closely at a situation.

It's like that underground music artist you like. You go to a sold out show and you think they must be popular, but you're just among a small pocket of people that enjoy the same thing you do. Take a step back and you realize that very few people have heard of said group.

Anyway...I can't understand how you can tease an event for two weeks and then have the servers cook on the launch event.

I don't understand how you can center this event around a match designed to consistently beat the player base, and not have the foresight to explain the mechanics beforehand.

I don't understand how you can underestimate the intelligence of your loyal player base by:
-reducing the token percentages
- lobbing these reduced tokens at us
- setting a progression reward that 80% of your players probably won't reach (full disclosure - my alliance is at the end of Rd. 8. I also bought a $20 Hp pack for roster spots and a PX card.)
- creating a boost / HP sink with the broken mechanic and then running an HP sale concurrent with the event.

I guarantee you that loosening the slots would have reduced the number of torches and pitchforks at your gate. I'd like to let you know that some of your players ARE programmers, doctors, lawyers, parents, writers, professors...hell maybe even a few celebrities, definitely some hackers, and definitely whales among all of us.

We are not stupid. We choose to play. We choose to support. Some of us may be slightly (or completely) addicted.

Point is this. Don't tell us "cool things are coming for the anniversary" and then choke off rewards. Don't give an HP sale and create sinks to negate any forward progress. I'm not speaking for myself, really...I have a strong roster and great alliance mates. I can make it through this and probably be ahead. I'm talking about people who were hoping to get those 1 or 2 3-star or 4-stars leveled over the course of the week.

Instead they get battered down and want to quit.

Is this what you want? Is your player base too large for your infrastructure? Are you growing faster than forecasted? Are these just random results and not by design? I think you guys are smarter than that.

I see all of this and I still played almost non stop. I still spent money.

I don't know where the balance is between customer goodwill and the need to make a profit. I just know which side the game is currently leaning toward.

Where's She-Hulk when you need her...

CyberVenom2001

Absolutely great post! Personally, I feel that if they want a transition to 4*-5*, they should retire the 1* characters and move the percentages of getting characters in packs down one rank. 2* become the new 1*, 3* the new 2*, etc.

Turbosmooth

With any large fan base, there will be a huge-anti/reluctant-fan base. I can't name anything popular that has an seemingly anti-popular crowd because it is impossible to please everyone. And everyone is a critic and has certain expectations. Although the business can suffer if long-term loyal fans jump the fence and they can't attract a new user base to replace them.

CyberVenom2001 wrote:

Absolutely great post! Personally, I feel that if they want a transition to 4*-5*, they should retire the 1* characters and move the percentages of getting characters in packs down one rank. 2* become the new 1*, 3* the new 2*, etc.

I don't think any of this would happen. What would be an interesting idea is to raise the level cap of lower tiers in a staggering fashion (and lower ISO costs). This would help the new balance against 5* and each other. It would revitalize lower tiers. This is better than trying to buff each ability individually.
4* 270 -> 300
3* 166 -> 230
2* 94 -> 180
1* 50 -> 110

CyberVenom2001

That's a great idea!!