Command Points: Alliance whaling a 5* for $5k
Piro_plock
Posts: 287 Mover and Shaker
I've did some math on Command Points (CP) and how they will affect the high-end play. I've come to the conclussion that there is now a way to max a 5 
character through a merc-like cooordination of whales.
Let's assume there's an alliance (maybe temporary) consisting of 20 people who are willing to spend quite a lot of money for a surefire way to max a 5 character as soon as it is released. With Phoenix, there are 3 Epic characters available. Before CP were introduced, the only way to explicitly buy a chance to cover a 5 was to buy 40-packs (11400 
for one 
). There's a 10% for a random Epic cover, so it's still a big lottery and you could spend literally tens of thousands before getting to 13 covers (and not even an optimal build) of a single 5
Now you can get 7 CP for the whole alliance when buying one Stark Salary ($100). To max a new character, you need to get each of their covers first, so you can buy 10 covers (10 x 720CP = 7200 CP). That means the alliance as a whole needs to buy 1029 Stark Salaries - that's 52 for each member ($5.2k). That gives each of them an option to buy 91 42-packs, therefore acquiring 91 Legendary tokens. On average that's 9 5 covers, so there's a good chance you'll get some you need. Also, some of those command points can be spent on legendary tokens (on average 250 CP for 1 5-star cover) before you are close to maxing at least one Epic character. We've got now 20 people who can (pretty much for sure) max a brand new 5 the day it comes out.
That scenario may seem a little far-fetched (but in my opinion only a little), because with 3 5 characters you have only about 1.11% chance of getting a particular cover (4 chars - 0.83%, 5 chars - 0.67% and so on). Still - people in that alliance are bound to max at least one Epic character that way. How many such alliances will be there - that is, how many people are there who are willing to pay 5 grand for instant win (no need to shield in PVP, clearing lvl 395 nodes in PVE with ease etc.)? One? Two? Ten? None?
Will there be people willing to do it? I don't see why not - there are already close to max-covered Surfers and OMLs in some people's rosters, meaning they either had a massive amount of luck or coughed up pretty nifty money (for a CHANCE of maxing). When they're presented with an opportunity to get those covers more consistently and for less money, they will jump into it very fast.
I don't see an obvious solution to this problem, because, all in all, I very much like the idea of Command Points. In my opininion, there shouldn't be a way to buy so much of them so fast. Maybe limit those purchase bonus CP to once a day/week/month per person (just like Daily Deal tokens)? I would be glad to hear devs' and other players' opinion on this.
***
A message to moderators:
I know there will be a lot of threads on Command Points, so please consider if this one needs to be merged with the others. At least give other people an opportunity to read this
character through a merc-like cooordination of whales.Let's assume there's an alliance (maybe temporary) consisting of 20 people who are willing to spend quite a lot of money for a surefire way to max a 5
character as soon as it is released. With Phoenix, there are 3 Epic characters available. Before CP were introduced, the only way to explicitly buy a chance to cover a 5 was to buy 40-packs (11400 for one ). There's a 10% for a random Epic cover, so it's still a big lottery and you could spend literally tens of thousands before getting to 13 covers (and not even an optimal build) of a single 5 Now you can get 7 CP for the whole alliance when buying one Stark Salary ($100). To max a new character, you need to get each of their covers first, so you can buy 10 covers (10 x 720CP = 7200 CP). That means the alliance as a whole needs to buy 1029 Stark Salaries - that's 52 for each member ($5.2k). That gives each of them an option to buy 91 42-packs, therefore acquiring 91 Legendary tokens. On average that's 9 5
covers, so there's a good chance you'll get some you need. Also, some of those command points can be spent on legendary tokens (on average 250 CP for 1 5-star cover) before you are close to maxing at least one Epic character. We've got now 20 people who can (pretty much for sure) max a brand new 5 the day it comes out.That scenario may seem a little far-fetched (but in my opinion only a little), because with 3 5
characters you have only about 1.11% chance of getting a particular cover (4 chars - 0.83%, 5 chars - 0.67% and so on). Still - people in that alliance are bound to max at least one Epic character that way. How many such alliances will be there - that is, how many people are there who are willing to pay 5 grand for instant win (no need to shield in PVP, clearing lvl 395 nodes in PVE with ease etc.)? One? Two? Ten? None?Will there be people willing to do it? I don't see why not - there are already close to max-covered Surfers and OMLs in some people's rosters, meaning they either had a massive amount of luck or coughed up pretty nifty money (for a CHANCE of maxing). When they're presented with an opportunity to get those covers more consistently and for less money, they will jump into it very fast.
I don't see an obvious solution to this problem, because, all in all, I very much like the idea of Command Points. In my opininion, there shouldn't be a way to buy so much of them so fast. Maybe limit those purchase bonus CP to once a day/week/month per person (just like Daily Deal tokens)? I would be glad to hear devs' and other players' opinion on this.
***
A message to moderators:
I know there will be a lot of threads on Command Points, so please consider if this one needs to be merged with the others. At least give other people an opportunity to read this
0
Comments
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I maybe in the minority here, but if someone is willing to sink £3,500 into a mobile game then for me it should guarantee the best of the best for them.
Christ, its almost as much as my rent.
These Whales (BTW why don't we have a Whale smiley, get on it IcelX) are going to be pumping a fortune into the game, which keeps the game going and gives us plebs more characters and stuff pumping through.
Let them have their massive new shiny and stomp everyone, they are keeping the light on. Its win win really.0 -
Wooodd wrote:These Whales (BTW why don't we have a Whale smiley, get on it IcelX) are going to be pumping a fortune into the game, which keeps the game going and gives us plebs more characters and stuff pumping through.
Here you go!
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The 720 cp cost only buys you a SINGLE 5* power that you ALREADY UNLOCKED. I confirmed this because I have OML missing black. So while in theory it SOUNDS super awesome to be able to directly buy covers, I suspect people will still be buying leg tokens to try for Phoenix when she comes out.
If players are willing to blow thousands on this game for a **** shoot on getting 5* covers, more power to them. I don't necessarily think having 5* would upset pvp balance in terms of alliance rankings, because you can't really shield hop off 5* defenses. To me, having 5* defenses will be like being sandboxed from the rest of alliance hopping off each other for points. So while it would boost player egos to carry max 5*s, it doesn't give alliances an advantage in pvp rankings per se and that in turn reduces the attraction of players carrying 5*s as alliance members.
So I see it as a double edged sword to focus on carrying/maxing 5*.
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Punisher5784 wrote:Wooodd wrote:These Whales (BTW why don't we have a Whale smiley, get on it IcelX) are going to be pumping a fortune into the game, which keeps the game going and gives us plebs more characters and stuff pumping through.
Here you go!
Lol..
Staring at his mouth actually made me go dizzy
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Consider a person in such a whale-alliance (whalliance?puppychow wrote:The 720 cp cost only buys you a SINGLE 5* power that you ALREADY UNLOCKED. I confirmed this because I have OML missing black. So while in theory it SOUNDS super awesome to be able to directly buy covers, I suspect people will still be buying leg tokens to try for Phoenix when she comes out.
).
They buy 52 Starks = over a million
Each person in the alliance has now over 7200 CP.
They buy 91 42-packs = 91 legendary tokens. That should give each (on average) 9 5-star covers.
Even if they had completely empty rosters, they should now be able to build a maxed (or near-maxed) Epic character. If they don't have enough 5* covers, they just buy legendary tokens with their stashed Command Points.
In my opinion, it's not a bad thing you can pay to improve. The bad thing is that situation means you can literally pay up your way from zero to virtually unbeatable. Is that what competitive game is about? I think 5* should be the endgame, rewards for your effort, not for the volume of your wallet.
If there were such 5* alliances, they would not need to shield at all. Imagine team of 2 maxed 5* and a loaner; would a 4* player had even a shot at downing that? Even if, 5* players could hop off each other. Battle could last long, chance for a snipe would be minimal.puppychow wrote:If players are willing to blow thousands on this game for a **** shoot on getting 5* covers, more power to them. I don't necessarily think having 5* would upset pvp balance in terms of alliance rankings, because you can't really shield hop off 5* defenses. To me, having 5* defenses will be like being sandboxed from the rest of alliance hopping off each other for points. So while it would boost player egos to carry max 5*s, it doesn't give alliances an advantage in pvp rankings per se and that in turn reduces the attraction of players carrying 5*s as alliance members.0 -
I'm OK with the fact that people who are willing to spend a lot of money are somewhat rewarded because this behaviour supports the game and it's great!
But we were said that 5* characters would be earned only by playing the game, a trophy (useful in game) for the most addicted players and definitely not whalable. One month later, they are. I don't care that buying a maxed 5* would be super mega expensive, there is a way to buy these covers, I mean with real money. I'm really positive about command points but I regret that it's possible to buy them straight with real money0 -
Games cost money to make and maintain. Licensed games moreso. Whales keep the game going for the rest of you. Without them there would be no games.0
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Wooodd wrote:I maybe in the minority here, but if someone is willing to sink £3,500 into a mobile game then for me it should guarantee the best of the best for them.
Christ, its almost as much as my rent.
These Whales (BTW why don't we have a Whale smiley, get on it IcelX) are going to be pumping a fortune into the game, which keeps the game going and gives us plebs more characters and stuff pumping through.
Let them have their massive new shiny and stomp everyone, they are keeping the light on. Its win win really.
I agree as well, long live the whales who support this game and keep it alive and healthy!0 -
I agree that paying players help maintain the game. But...
Would you rather have:
100 players who pay 5k for a new release, no one else paying (because they don't stand a chance anyway) and no new players (because of the paywall)...
OR
thousands of players, many of which drop smaller amounts of money, and a constant influx of new players?0 -
Look, if someone is willing to drop $5000+ on this game, that's so far outside my realm of experience that I can't even grasp it, let alone critique it. It's like wondering what kind of problems stars or giant squids have. Plus, if their rosters are that advanced, they'll get what, seven points for beating me? 12? It's barely (if at all) going to affect my game experience.
I understand FTP pride, but I make 1-2 purchases a year. In part because I need roster slots, and in part because I'd pay $20 for a board game that I might play a few times and forget about forever, and I get way more mileage out of this. Let 'em spend - it really doesn't affect you beyond some more intense alliance competition and keeping the game afloat.0 -
Piro_plock wrote:I agree that paying players help maintain the game. But...
Would you rather have:
100 players who pay 5k for a new release, no one else paying (because they don't stand a chance anyway) and no new players (because of the paywall)...
OR
thousands of players, many of which drop smaller amounts of money, and a constant influx of new players?
Why is this an either or?
Ideally, you have both. And there's a good chance MPQ does.
It's about that time where we remind once again that "don't stand a chance" is a competitive mantra that an exceedingly large percentage of the player base doesn't share.0 -
Consider how much you spend on traditional video games (for those of you that are gamers) every month. Or movies. Or music. Or hookers. Or whatever you do to relax.
Now transfer that money to MPQ.
For some of us, this is our outlet of choice.0 -
Jamie Madrox wrote:Consider how much you spend on traditional video games (for those of you that are gamers) every month. Or movies. Or music. Or hookers. Or whatever you do to relax.
Now transfer that money to MPQ.
For some of us, this is our outlet of choice.
A $10 Blow Job = 1200HP, choices, choices... the BJ probally lasts longer.0 -
The HP won't give you herpes though.Hendross wrote:Jamie Madrox wrote:Consider how much you spend on traditional video games (for those of you that are gamers) every month. Or movies. Or music. Or hookers. Or whatever you do to relax.
Now transfer that money to MPQ.
For some of us, this is our outlet of choice.
A $10 Blow Job = 1200HP, choices, choices... the BJ probally lasts longer.
Or get you arrested.0 -
I don't care if people want to spend thousands to get a loaded roster. More power to them and it helps the game.
My problem with this is that those people/alliances are always the ones who get ALL the good rewards in the events (and they don't even need them anymore). It ruins the game for everyone else since it's near impossible to get anything good consistently.
These whales and their alliances should be grouped into their own separate brackets. Like, if your alliance routinely finishes in the top 50 (or w/e), you get matched with other alliances that finish that high. Same with individual players.
Separate those players so I never see them, and I'm fine. Otherwise, I lose and can't get good covers because I'd have to spend every waking moment grinding nodes down to 1pt or I flat out just cannot possibly reach a certain progression in PvP.0 -
puppychow wrote:Consider a person in such a whale-alliance (whalliance? ).
They buy 52 Starks = over a million
Each person in the alliance has now over 7200 CP.
They buy 91 42-packs = 91 legendary tokens. That should give each (on average) 9 5-star covers.
Even if they had completely empty rosters, they should now be able to build a maxed (or near-maxed) Epic character. If they don't have enough 5* covers, they just buy legendary tokens with their stashed Command Points.
In my opinion, it's not a bad thing you can pay to improve. The bad thing is that situation means you can literally pay up your way from zero to virtually unbeatable. Is that what competitive game is about? I think 5* should be the endgame, rewards for your effort, not for the volume of your wallet.
Welcome to the capitalist era which the boss is the one who has money and who does not really deserve.0 -
I regularly see "average" rosters (3 star teams, maybe with 1 usable 4*) in t10. Hence, I can't see how an additional 3* cover (for t5, assuming that t5 will be taken by "whales") is a good reward.velocithon wrote:My problem with this is that those people/alliances are always the ones who get ALL the good rewards in the events (and they don't even need them anymore). It ruins the game for everyone else since it's near impossible to get anything good consistently.
That being said, I agree with the idea that separate tiers for events should be explored.0 -
donietsche wrote:
I regularly see "average" rosters (3 star teams, maybe with 1 usable 4*) in t10. Hence, I can't see how an additional 3* cover (for t5, assuming that t5 will be taken by "whales") is a good reward.velocithon wrote:My problem with this is that those people/alliances are always the ones who get ALL the good rewards in the events (and they don't even need them anymore). It ruins the game for everyone else since it's near impossible to get anything good consistently.
That being said, I agree with the idea that separate tiers for events should be explored.
So sometimes I'll get in a bracket where the top player is "average". I consider myself lucky when that happens. Other times, people are hitting 1300 in PvP at rank 10. Like, I came close to hitting 900 ONCE. I have no chance there. And the alliances seem to always be grouped in one bracket (i see the same alliances in the top 10 like every single event...)0 -
When someone in your alliance spends money to get you CP, can everyone see who spent the money? Or does it just show up?0
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Jamie Madrox wrote:
The HP won't give you herpes though.Hendross wrote:Jamie Madrox wrote:Consider how much you spend on traditional video games (for those of you that are gamers) every month. Or movies. Or music. Or hookers. Or whatever you do to relax.
Now transfer that money to MPQ.
For some of us, this is our outlet of choice.
A $10 Blow Job = 1200HP, choices, choices... the BJ probally lasts longer.
Or get you arrested.
And doesn't look like Moonstone0
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