Breaking up with a casual alliance

The Bob The

Here's a question for the forumites. Since I started, I've been in an alliance with a group of my friends. They play casually - REALLY casually - and we all have decent 3* rosters now. I've probably got the most developed 4* set (nothing over 166 yet), I'm a reliable top-100 finisher, and I usually pick up PVE Legendaries with about a day to spare. We chat, we have a good time, the game moves at a moderate pace.

So naturally I'm thinking of getting out.

Okay, I KNOW joining an alliance is going to net me bigger returns - regardless of if they're t50, t100, or whatever, they're going to play harder than my current group (I think my tipping point was in just missing the very achievable Legendary token in Galactus because nobody else played enough to get his point values up high enough). I'm not asking that. What I'd like to know is, just how big a difference in outcomes does one experience in active alliance play? Is it just raining 4*s and HP up there? Probably not, but I want to learn more about the incentives - again, at just about ANY level - before saying "See ya!" to a group I still talk to IRL with.

One more time: I know it's a personal decision and that it's about weighing interaction with achievement. I'd just like to know, for those of you who joined fairly active alliances, just how big a change in rewards/gameplay did you experience? Any drawbacks?

Unknown

I think the biggest thing with an active alliance is the ISO gained from top finishes.

Also, in active alliances the commanders work really hard to make sure you hit the rank rewards. If they have to bring a merc in to help out, they will. This almost always guarantees that, assuming you put in the time, you will get a top 100 finish for new PVE's, and a top 100/50/25 finish for PVP's.

The Bob The

barrok wrote:

I think the biggest thing with an active alliance is the ISO gained from top finishes.

Also, in active alliances the commanders work really hard to make sure you hit the rank rewards. If they have to bring a merc in to help out, they will. This almost always guarantees that, assuming you put in the time, you will get a top 100 finish for new PVE's, and a top 100/50/25 finish for PVP's.

Exactly the kind of information I'm looking for. Thanks, man!

Unknown

So I just came back from a year long break. I am back in my original casual alliance with Irl friends now, but previously I was faced with the same decision. And opted to leave them for a more serious alliance I could earn rewards with. So, I have experience on both sides and at different points in the games progressive history.

There are pros and cons to both of course, so let's start with your current casual group of friends. On average, you see some extra ISO from alliance finishes, a few standard tokens, and a few event/heroic tokens thrown in throughout a months time. If your group is anything like mine, you do not ever see hp or cover rewards. You are the first place finisher most if not all the time, and reap your rewards from your individual achievements. Now, on the opposite end, you also have no obligations or requirements. You choose which events you want to go all out in, and choose the events you only want to play half-heartedly, if at all. Life is great, but you feel like you could gain more from being in a more serious alliance.

From my experience switching from casual to competitive, there are a few major points that stand out.
1. Your Irl friends won't stop being your friends for leaving them. (Or at least te real ones wont)
2. You will notice a HUGE increase in Hp/cover/higher end token rewards, and also a pretty big ISO gain throughout the month. On average, an extra 500 or so hp a week depending on the rank of alliance you join, and if it is a pve only / pvp only or both.
3. It opens a new field of competitiveness within your new alliance that pushes you to score better and try harder (which can be extremely fun) and also throws you in with a new group of 19 other guys (and girls) that you end up bonding with and befriending.
4. You are now required to play at a higher level for every event that the alliance is playing for. Every pvp. Every pve. (Some alliances only play new char pves, some have lower expectations etc). And this ultimately is what burned me out in the first place.


At the end of the day, shop around for an alliance that fits your needs and wants, apply and see what happens. I'm sure your friends will understand, and some may even join you in your search. In any case, it opens a whole new level of game in the game. And changes your prospective on many of the issues you had with your previous non competitve group.

jimstarooney

The big difference for me is hp.if u get in a top50 pvp then its an extra 100+what u earn solo.if there are 3*covers u need then thats a big difference too.most if not all t50 alliances will use check rooms etc so thats another part of mpq u may not have been aware of,these will help u score higher still.a top pve alliance will earn u extra hp and also extra tokens that u get when u sign in daily.if you are prepared to put in the effort then joining a competitive alliance is a no-brainer.

Of_Insidious_Mists

In a competitive alliance there is a chance for extra command points as well as some of those players will likely be spending some cash on the game as opposed to maybe not as much in a casual alliance. Big alliance events ie ultron and galactus are way more fun when you have a group you actually believe can get it done. I was the top point getter in a weak alliance didn't have the best roster wasn't real friends with anyone so made it easier when I chose to look for better. That's all I have to say I guess after all a lot of the points I would put in were already mentioned by previous posters.

TxMoose

doesn't rain 4*s - gotta do that yourself (unless you're part of a whaling group), but when I moved from my begnniner to a t100, it did rain 3* covers and really started helping with hp. iso bump was a little, but the extra hp was great. look at the t100 pvp scores and if you'd fit into one, I think many are looking for consistent players.