Anyone having a hard time this season?

Dragon_Nexus

Last season I was getting to 1000 relatively consistently. Maybe half to two thirds of them. I tended towards slice 3 since that was the most competitive with high scoring top 10, so I could sneak by in about 75th-50th place with my 1000 points and walk away happy with a 4* cover. Two weeks before the end of the season, the shield sim was fighting it out with 2500 points so I could walk up to 2000, grab the cover and give up for a while, dipping in if I wanted to hurry the last legendary.

This season though, every slice 3 PvP has been the same. Top ten players are around 1300-1700 and then the scores drop off significantly. I was top 30 in one with about 850 points and getting hammered hard. Losing points faster than I could make them and finding no matches other than Hulkbuster/Jean or similar level 270 4*s that would take an age to beat, if I even did. As a result my best score so far has been around 900. Haven't earned a single 4* yet.

Shield Sim is just as bad, we have just over a week to go and only the top 4 in my bracket have over 2000, and no-one has more than 2076. This doesn't bode well, because no way will I be able to get to 2000 easilly.

I'm hoping that it's not due to my silver surfer putting me in a different type of PvP bracket, something more dominated by the richer elite with 4*s who happen to be fewer in number than the lower ranks I was in before which were more plentiful.
I'm honestly wondering if I'll manage to get the legendary in progression this season.

Konman

It seems that the highest point earners are shielding way earlier than before, effectively removing those points from the bracket for most of the players. I get to around 700 pts, and can't find any worthwhile matches anymore, making additional climbing fruitless, especially if I am the only one left unshielded. These days I've become content with a top 50 finish to get a Command Point, and usually that's sub 1000 pts.

snlf25

Same boat. Can't find any points once I get over 650. Just came in 65th in Vicious Cycle with only 656 points in a bracket I was in from the beginning. Really wanted 1000 in that one. It's become a ceaselessly recurring story. I can't hit 1000 points anymore because the opponents just aren't there. It has been this way for me since shortly after 3* Bullseye debuted and I am rapidly losing interest in the game. I've had one useable token pull out of the last 250 or so as well. The destruction of the 4* DDQ by difficulty ramping and the raising of point totals needed to get the Legendary Tokens from PvE progressions has pretty much halted my progress and left me much more indifferent to playing. I think that's worse than being mad.

madok

I must have found your old slice/brackets because I've hit 1K in almost every PVP so far where last season I was barely able to get to 800-900. What you are describing is exactly what I dealt with last season though.

This is where the "luck" of the bracket is a serious pain.

snlf25

I'm hoping I get better brackets next season. Can't see myself playing the season after if I don't.

Desufnoc23

I have a similar issue. I've been successfully hitting 1k in most events for a few seasons now. Every since the end of last season, that has all changed. I used to push to just under 600, wait until I had health packs and push to 900, then shield hop the rest of the way. Now, once I cross 800, I am bombarded by attacks, with good point fights difficult to find. I've started shield hopping around 800, which doubles the shields I have to use. Tough, but doable, definitely not ideal.
The Ghost Rider pvp has been a different story. The second I step over 500 points, I am destroyed. My best push so far got me to 700ish, where I spent an hour and 8 health packs + trying to clear into 800, no dice. If this was the last 2 hours of the match, I'd understand, but this was with 28 hours left. Each match I would win, I would typically lose 2 to 3 while fighting it. This is with maxed out 3 stars and sometimes decent mature 4 stars. I don't see how anyone, even shield hopping can make this work.
At this point, I'm concerned that something fundamentally has been changed with matchmaking.

SnowcaTT

I made a post back when I was in 2* land about PVP being bad, and it's getting to the same game of "Chicken" again. There are two main categories of players popping up.

1) The late runners. This is getting as bad as I've seen it in fifteen seasons. We have a couple of folks in-alliance that do this - they can run from 0-1K in the last three hours. This kind of player will storm over anyone who has a lower roster and has pushed earlier - making those lower rosters push later and later as well, putting less points out there earlier for everyone the entire event.

2) The early runners. These are going earlier and earlier now, in part because of category #1. There is "a mechanic" (haven't been watching to see if it's frowned upon publicly discussing?) that allows front runners with friends to find easy points to keep those easy points going. The only way to do this is be out there with the frontrunners (so you have to run early), and shield a -lot-. When I've tried this, I cannot keep up with HP necessary to both shield and to buy roster slots - this is a technique that (I believe) has to be paid for.

Anyone not doing one of these things will be run over by category 1, or shut out (won't find due to point spread and shielding) category 2.

My complaint now is the same as when I was 2*: PVP shouldn't -be- a lightning round. Prolonged play shouldn't have a terrible downside. I suggested in the first six months of the game's existence what I'll suggest now: that Q's should lose 1 point every 10 minutes, so after three hours any Q would be worth 18 less points than if you found that Q immediately.

Why? To encourage earlier play. You can play day one and anyone who Q's you with three hours remaining will find a one point node. Right now I can't give any discouragement for late runners (other than you'll be out there in the jungle with everyone, hard 1K's) - why run early with a 3* roster if 5*'s are going to over-run you in the last hours of the event?

wymtime

This season has been brutal for me. I have normally hit 1000 fairly easy and now no matter what slice I take once I get over 900 points if I don't start shielding I get hammered. I actually think it is because of what snowcaTT is talking about with early climbers. Because they are climbing so early and so high they are shielded an invisible to others. Also since so many players are now in 3* land trying to transition to 4* they ar beating each other up at 700-1000 points. Because so many players now have max boosted 3* they keep seeing each other. It used to be if you used 2 boosted max 3* and a max featured character you would get skipped for easier targets. Now all you see at maxed buffed 3* so unless you are whaling 4* don't expect to be skipped in PVP and expect to use 2 shields to hit 1000 points

GrumpySmurf1002

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

This season though, every slice 3 PvP has been the same. Top ten players are around 1300-1700 and then the scores drop off significantly. I was top 30 in one with about 850 points and getting hammered hard. Losing points faster than I could make them and finding no matches other than Hulkbuster/Jean or similar level 270 4*s that would take an age to beat, if I even did. As a result my best score so far has been around 900. Haven't earned a single 4* yet.

I'm in slice 3 every event this season. My bracket leader hasn't been under 2500 yet, and the only top 25 I've made is with 1825. Been above 1300 every event but Marvel's.

It has been getting more chippy lately, but I think that's a product of the boosted characters more than the slice itsellf.

puppychow

I'm in slice 4, and it really depends. Some events I get lucky and find people worth major points (60-75). Other times, I lose out and find only the low value targets.

But I get hit from 100-500 points on day 1-2. The best approach is to make a push before you go to bed, shield overnight, then rely on strategic shield hop to reach 1k or higher.

Shadow

GrumpySmurf1002 wrote:

It has been getting more chippy lately, but I think that's a product of the boosted characters more than the slice itsellf.

This precisely. Especially since last week was hood buff week. Hood buff week means you have to use hood to counter hood. Unless people don't use him. In prior weeks, my float was around 800 region. With hood buff, it lowered it to somewhere in the 600 region.

Another reason is the mass exodus that is taking place because of the poor implementation of 5*. Many vets are getting fed up that they pull tons of tokens and can't keep up with lower rosters that simply luck into 5*s. As these vets leave, there are less targets out there with points which simply make it that much harder for everyone.

Cypr3ss

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Shield Sim is just as bad, we have just over a week to go and only the top 4 in my bracket have over 2000, and no-one has more than 2076. This doesn't bode well, because no way will I be able to get to 2000 easilly.

I wouldn't be as concerned with the scores in the SIM not being high enough, as I had similar concerns when I looked a few days ago, the #1 was at ~1900, with the top 10 being on 1600->1800. Started my run anyway, and got to 1400 with ease (1 set of health packs) and left it for a day. Had lost maybe 100 points when i returned but from there was able to get to 2k, at which point I was number 1 for a few hours before getting knocked back down. So I'd suggest going sooner rather than later to ensure you miss the mad rush near the end of season with people also trying for season points.

In the last PVP, Vicious Cycle, I joined slice 1 with ~12hrs to go, expecting to see some 1800ish scores... but there was only 50ish people in the bracket, highest score was 510 I managed to rank #9 overall with 1084 points and used 3 shields (2x 3hr, 1x8hr) to get there. Prior to this, joining slice 1 early has seen high scores in the top 10 and 1k points has been good for a top 100 finish... so maybe try slice 1?

Edit: Should also mention it wouldn't have required the 2x 3hr shields but as i'd hit 1k I thought i'd go for 1300, took a 70 point match vs 4*cyc & 4* Jean... which didn't end well for me

Regards,
Cypr3ss.

Dragon_Nexus

I did go back in the last few PvPs to slice 2, then slice 4 for GR.
Annoyingly I ran out of health packs. Started a fight with 990, won it and got 72 points but got hit while fighting for 65 points. So I shielded at 997. Already bought three 5 packs of health packs and felt dirty for doing so. Bad enough I've spent 2000 HP in a little over a week due to two 4*s launching at once. Going to take me ages to get back to where I was.

I might have a shot at Shield Sim soon. Trouble is I'm doing okay in the PvE as well. I've ended up in that horrible place where I'm spreading myself thin trying to progress in PvP, trying to get another 4* cover and legendary token in PvE AND finish Shield Sim at the same time. And now even 10 health packs aren't enough.

drcassino

Cypr3ss wrote:

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Shield Sim is just as bad, we have just over a week to go and only the top 4 in my bracket have over 2000, and no-one has more than 2076. This doesn't bode well, because no way will I be able to get to 2000 easilly.

I wouldn't be as concerned with the scores in the SIM not being high enough, as I had similar concerns when I looked a few days ago, the #1 was at ~1900, with the top 10 being on 1600->1800. Started my run anyway, and got to 1400 with ease (1 set of health packs) and left it for a day. Had lost maybe 100 points when i returned but from there was able to get to 2k, at which point I was number 1 for a few hours before getting knocked back down. So I'd suggest going sooner rather than later to ensure you miss the mad rush near the end of season with people also trying for season points.

In the last PVP, Vicious Cycle, I joined slice 1 with ~12hrs to go, expecting to see some 1800ish scores... but there was only 50ish people in the bracket, highest score was 510 I managed to rank #9 overall with 1084 points and used 3 shields (2x 3hr, 1x8hr) to get there. Prior to this, joining slice 1 early has seen high scores in the top 10 and 1k points has been good for a top 100 finish... so maybe try slice 1?

Edit: Should also mention it wouldn't have required the 2x 3hr shields but as i'd hit 1k I thought i'd go for 1300, took a 70 point match vs 4*cyc & 4* Jean... which didn't end well for me

Regards,
Cypr3ss.

This is kind of SOP for the Simulator. Since no one's worried about placement, no one shields above 2K (until the last day or so). As such, once someone hits 2K, they get beaten down fast (I went from 2000 to 1700 in about a day). Bunch of people floating at 2K or above would be unusual, what's being described is normal.

Unknown

I took a break from PVP, just doing the first rounds and done. Sim I'm being real cautious and shielding because I want that X-23 cover since I have the other two.

which as we speak I'm in #1 at 1842, **** **** ****

JamesV

I have found it pretty difficult this season after clearing 800-850 points to find fights worth points. It just becomes a dearth and requires almost constant checking to hopefully luck out and queue someone while they are unshielded. Significantly more so then previous seasons (at least for me).

And while the past few events had been pretty rough, this Ghost Rider event was the worst so far. This event was the first time since mid-summer that I couldn't hit 1000 when trying for it and it was all because of the lack of points at the top. I pushed to 900, shielded, couldn't find the points to get to 1000, crashed back to 600 over night, push backed to 800-850 and found myself in the point dead zone. Absolutely maddening.

snlf25

florida92 wrote:

I took a break from PVP, just doing the first rounds and done. Sim I'm being real cautious and shielding because I want that X-23 cover since I have the other two.

which as we speak I'm in #1 at 1842, tinykitty tinykitty tinykitty

You might make it if you try between 3 and 4 AM and get a little divine intervention but when the Icarus Factor hits it's gonna be ugly.

Dragon_Nexus

I got really lucky. Sat at 997 points and shielded I hoped someone would attack me and lose. They did. Got 5 points from them and will finish the PvP at 1002 and a second red GR cover.

Took a lot of work and health packs to get to that.

Unknown

SnowcaTT wrote:

I made a post back when I was in 2* land about PVP being bad, and it's getting to the same game of "Chicken" again. There are two main categories of players popping up.

1) The late runners. This is getting as bad as I've seen it in fifteen seasons. We have a couple of folks in-alliance that do this - they can run from 0-1K in the last three hours. This kind of player will storm over anyone who has a lower roster and has pushed earlier - making those lower rosters push later and later as well, putting less points out there earlier for everyone the entire event.

2) The early runners. These are going earlier and earlier now, in part because of category #1. There is "a mechanic" (haven't been watching to see if it's frowned upon publicly discussing?) that allows front runners with friends to find easy points to keep those easy points going. The only way to do this is be out there with the frontrunners (so you have to run early), and shield a -lot-. When I've tried this, I cannot keep up with HP necessary to both shield and to buy roster slots - this is a technique that (I believe) has to be paid for.

Anyone not doing one of these things will be run over by category 1, or shut out (won't find due to point spread and shielding) category 2.

My complaint now is the same as when I was 2*: PVP shouldn't -be- a lightning round. Prolonged play shouldn't have a terrible downside. I suggested in the first six months of the game's existence what I'll suggest now: that Q's should lose 1 point every 10 minutes, so after three hours any Q would be worth 18 less points than if you found that Q immediately.

Why? To encourage earlier play. You can play day one and anyone who Q's you with three hours remaining will find a one point node. Right now I can't give any discouragement for late runners (other than you'll be out there in the jungle with everyone, hard 1K's) - why run early with a 3* roster if 5*'s are going to over-run you in the last hours of the event?

Being one of those late-rushers, I have to say I'm kinda amused with this post.

While you do have your valid points, I'll state my reasons why I highly recommend rushing in the last few hours:

1. HP, HP, HP: If your roster is good enough to storm from 0 - 1000 in 3 hours and shield out, you're saving an immense amount of hp on shields, assuming you only shield once you've hit 1000 points.

2. Placement: Sometimes (though not usually,) when I join in the last 2 hours, there're only 100-200 people in that bracket who also joined late. I've got top spot with 10XX before. You also generally place higher than those who joined earlier brackets because they have had more time to build their score,(probably spending a ton on shields in the process). I find that joining late generally gets me top 10 or sometimes top 25 (if i don't shield out at the end).

3. MPQ/Life balance: There're already 3/4/7 day PVE's. I really don't want to spend an additional 50hours+ on PVP when I can just get the same rewards in 3hours. The burnout is real, and this way my hate-meter for grinding increases at a slower pace than if I commit both full-time 48-60hour PVP and the occasional PVE for new releases.

Sure, you can say that it's a disadvantage to those who climbed earlier, but that's what shields are for, are they not? That's the reason your system of gradual point loss most probably won't be implemented: The availability of shields. Also, while you're shielded, people can't Q you.

You may frown upon the method of late running, but it makes time and economical sense for those who don't have much of those in life (I have a full-time job with plenty of overtime) and doing so really helps with the burnout of the game in general. I swear that if I had the money to buy hp for shields and a not-so-demanding job I would definitely be one of those players who gets 1500+ points every pvp, starting early and such.

P.S. At my level, while late rushing, I don't see sub-leveled 3* in my Q from the very start of the PVP. I see boosted 3* from 0-400 points, I start seeing maxed 4* from 400 points onward, so I'm not sure whether this sentence:

SnowcaTT wrote:

why run early with a 3* roster if 5*'s are going to over-run you in the last hours of the event?

carries any weight.

jimstarooney

Nothings changed 4 me,in fact i have made 1.3+every event this season.and as for the game mechanic, i have found as long as u are within 1k this can be achieved and most events i havent used more than 3 shields sometimes less to hit my targets

SnagglePuss

Still averaging about 2 shields to hit 1k.
I would say some of the slices are very quiet now

In the Sim, even with a lack of points i hit 2k last week. Not many people play ealy in the season so keep hitting those 40pt matches quickly and just slide all the way back to 1200 currently.