Something else we need communication on[Dupes for Champs]

simonsez

So, a bunch of people have been contacting customer service requesting that their dupe characters be deconstructed so that the covers can be applied to a championed version of that character. The vague response from customer service is a that they will assess the player's eligibility for this courtesy. Then, a few days later, the request is either approved or denied, with no explanation.

How about telling us exactly who is eligible for this and why? Is this another case where people are buying their way into special treatment from customer service?

Look, when someone spends money on this game, they're reaping the gameplay benefits of the items they've bought. THIS SHOULD NOT ENTITLE THEM TO SPECIAL TREATMENT FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE ON TOP OF THAT.

It would be really helpful if one of you red-type guys would get out in front of this and tell us what the hell is going on. You assured us recently that the integrity of the game is still intact. These kinds of shenanigans don't help that perception.

Mod Edit: Clarified Title to encourage responses

pheregas

Agreed.

When I went through my debacle with customer service regarding my pull rates of duplicates, they suggested that I just start a second character with them.

I actually did do that after receiving a HB cover (figured I could use him in essentials and keep my main HB for pvp). However, if I can have him converted to covers and free up a roster slot? Yes all day long.

DaveR4470

I have no dog in this hunt, as I don't have any dupes.... but if some people are getting deconstructed characters, it seems than ALL people should get them. Or at least there should be some black-line criterion for who gets them, i.e. "anyone who put a cover into a duplicate character in the last month" or something like that.

Malcrof

simonsez wrote:

Is this another case where people are buying their way into special treatment from customer service?

Actually no on this.. i know 1 person who has had about 10 dupes deconstructed, but they don't spend money, well at least nothing anywhere close to recently.. And i was denied (just a 5 cover purple DP, unleveled for sending team ups), and i have spent a bit.

I think they look at how long the dupe was there, whether you leveled it or not, and probably some other arbitrary factors.. but spending is definitely not one of them.

stowaway

I deleted my much longer response, but it boiled down to: in a previous customer service interaction, "we have to determine whether your account is eligible" absolutely was code for "check to see if you've spent any money." I'm looking at the six-month-old email now. I'd be happy to go into it if people are curious.

No idea if that's the case here. But they say they're sending me 13 Iron Fist covers (they haven't arrived yet). I haven't spent much on the game, probably about $60-$80, $20 of it pretty recently. The Iron Fist dupe was completely unleveled, but they might have been taking pity on me for selling a completely covered and leveled Luke Cage dupe before contacting them.

simonsez

Malcrof wrote:

I think they look at how long the dupe was there, whether you leveled it or not, and probably some other arbitrary factors..

I don't see the relevance to those factors, and I don't see why your dupes should have been disqualified. "Arbitrary" seems to be the key word here, and that's just as a big a problem. Randomized progression is one thing, but randomized customer service support isn't acceptable.

Malcrof

simonsez wrote:

Malcrof wrote:

I think they look at how long the dupe was there, whether you leveled it or not, and probably some other arbitrary factors..

I don't see the relevance to those factors, and I don't see why your dupes should have been disqualified. "Arbitrary" seems to be the key word here, and that's just as a big a problem. Randomized progression is one thing, but randomized customer service support isn't acceptable.

For all i know, they may not be arbitrary.. I do know people who made dupes in the past week are being denied.. so making them now to save the covers to champion with later won't fly.

Hi-Fi let us know , it is on a case by case basis.. it may be something as simple as i only had 1 dupe, and the amount of work to deconstruct using whatever portal/software/tool they had was the same as someone who had 10, so doing mine , being work intensive, was not worth their time, while someone who has many, may be the same amount of work with more being accomplished.

This is nothing more than a guess.. please do not take it as anything else.. (could really use those DP covers though lol)

Buret0

aesthetocyst wrote:

simonsez wrote:

So, a bunch of people have been contacting customer service requesting that their dupe characters be deconstructed so that the covers can be applied to a championed version of that character. The vague response from customer service is a that they will assess the player's eligibility for this courtesy. Then, a few days later, the request is either approved or denied, with no explanation.

I can share my experience ... but can't speak to the why of anything. I too would like the answer to the "who" or "what" is eligible.

Starting almost a year ago, I started building dupes of all my key 3*s and of XFW. Ultimately I had 17 completed dupes. I also leveled them after the costs were slashed. I used them to save on health packs, and for alt builds.

They doubled health packs ... and champing made alts unnecessary. So I asked to cash one in. I didn't say why, make any reference to spending, or length of play, just a short to-the-point question.

CS responded the next day, saying not a problem to break down dupes for assistance in championing. Just send in a list. And they provided a format.

I sent in a list of 8. They asked me to sell them, and confirmed I had sold them. I received the covers later that day.

I have since done the same on another round of 7 dupes. I have 2 left, and was hoping to break them down eventually, when related characters are championed.

Are other player being declined? If so, why? Are dupes created since R91 ineligible? Are unleveled character ineligible? If this only a limited time offer? Or is it indeed a case-by-case review?

The communication I got for CS was polite and prompt. I was grateful for the help, but it doesn't clarify future possibilities.

There must be limits to this. Would just like to know what they are. For instance, cashing in single-cover "dupes" would be a ridiculous waste of everyone's time.

So wait.... you got the sold ISO value and covers?

I finally just sold mine because I needed the ISO now for leveling more than I needed championing covers.

I wish there was somewhere the developers of this game could have explained the rules to us... like in a thread created by me, asking what I should do before selling my now useless duplicates.

So now that I have sold them, are you saying I should go to CS and ask for 13 JG covers and 13 4Pool covers?

woopie

Everyone in my alliance that requested it got approved and we have different levels of spend, but no one has spent since the Android $5 sale. My 2 dupes (2/2/2 JG, 2/3/3 HB, both level 70) got approved for deconstruction and now I'm just waiting for the covers

OneLastGambit

Personally I think the inclusion criteria is when the dupe was created.

If the dupe was created before the announcement about champions then it will be broken and cover refunded, if after the announcement I think it'll be tough luck.

I do know it's not money related as two people I know have both had dupes broken and one spends and the other is completely f2p

madok

I just finished the process of having them break up 4 duplicate characters I've been working on for awhile. While they did go ahead and do it, this was included in the final message:

Again we ask that you keep in mind we do not normally offer this service, and we will be unable to offer you the same service again.

Ruinate

I will share my experience.

I also made it short and simple. A small list of 3 characters that I have duped for a while. They told me no problem. I asked them if this is a one time deal or if I could keep asking. They told me it is NOT a one time deal. I asked if I started opening roster slots "right now" and if I started to bank all the characters in my queue, would they qualify. They said yes.

I confirmed my list of 3 and told them I would contact them again in the future once my iso catches up. They said it wouldn't be a problem. They have not asked me to sell my dupes, and they haven't broken down my dupes yet. It's been over 2 days and no other response was made to me. (TM) is the rep who "approved" me, yet when I woke up in the morning, I saw that someone on Line was rejected by the same (TM). I have no idea what they are doing.

I opened many roster slots and combined several covers into a dupe because they told me I could. If they turn around and reject me now, I will be highly upset.

Punisher5784

I have been waiting nearly two-weeks with no response.. meanwhile I see players who had dup 5*'s running around now with championed 5*'s.. priorities.. I have this strange feeling I will somehow be considered disqualified.

Edit: Literally 5 minutes after posting this, CS emails me (coincidence? Probably haha). I had to sell all my duplicate covers and they will send me the covers. I hope I do not have to another 2-weeks.

For those that might complain that we are receiving Iso from selling the covers, please keep in mind we only get the 500 Iso no matter how many covers you have at lvl 70. We would have received more Iso if we sold the covers separately. Also, if you put Iso into the character, you will not be compensated, so my Lvl 130 Thor at 5/5/3 I am not deconstructing.

In other news, I now have 13 extra roster slots and a ton of HP.. guess I have enough roster slots for all the new characters for the next 4 weeks.. I mean months!

stochasticism

Another data point.

I contacted CS a week ago and asked if I could deconstruct character dupes for covers to put toward champions. They said absolutely, we would be happy to do this. I then realized that between saved covers and dupes I had more characters I could champion than ISO that I had to champion with so my thought was keep some of the dupes and deconstruct later.

Before I went through with this plan, though, I specifically sent CS a message on the ticket asking them if I could send in another request to deconstruct some of my dupes later. They said that they would be happy to process another request for me when I obtained more ISO. I then proceeded to go through the process of selling dupes and obtaining covers that aeshetocyst described so well above so I won't rehash that. Once I had open slots I filled them with other characters I couldn't champion but I had covers in my queue for.

Note that I did not get any form of stock message when I did this as I believe I was one of the first to request this so they may not have had time to decide on a policy (whatever that may be).

So, I fully believe you can do this and do it multiple times. I haven't tried with any of the new dupes yet and I haven't heard any credible stories of anyone else doing so either, so I have no idea if they will let you do that but I fully expect to try and do so in 2 weeks.

Buret0

Punisher5784 wrote:

I have been waiting nearly two-weeks with no response.. meanwhile I see players who had dup 5*'s running around now with championed 5*'s.. priorities.. I have this strange feeling I will somehow be considered disqualified.

Edit: Literally 5 minutes after posting this, CS emails me (coincidence? Probably haha). I had to sell all my duplicate covers and they will send me the covers. I hope I do not have to another 2-weeks.

For those that might complain that we are receiving Iso from selling the covers, please keep in mind we only get the 500 Iso no matter how many covers you have at lvl 70. We would have received more Iso if we sold the covers separately. Also, if you put Iso into the character, you will not be compensated, so my Lvl 130 Thor at 5/5/3 I am not deconstructing.

In other news, I now have 13 extra roster slots and a ton of HP.. guess I have enough roster slots for all the new characters for the next 4 weeks.. I mean months!

Yeah, I sold my 269 JG and 270 4Pool duplicates for 98K ISO instead of the 720K ISO I put in, which is why I was upset in the "should I now sell my useless duplicates" thread that there wasn't going to be any increased sell prices for existing duplicates. I'll be fine with getting the 26 covers and the 98K ISO. I'll be a little upset if some people were getting both and others were not.

Especially if I'm one of the ones who gets screwed.

Linkster79

aesthetocyst wrote:

They doubled health packs ... and champing made alts unnecessary.

This is why I feel that duplicated characters should not be broken down for champion reason. Players create duplicates for a reason, be it just for added team up options or to allow one to stay in the fight for longer after the original has been downed. Players with duplicated characters have had their use out of them many times and should now be presented 2 options.

1. Keep the duplicated character and carry on as before.

2. Sell the duplicated character for the massively reduced ISO value.

This way there is a fair and unbiased method.

Let me ask, if it wasn't for the new champion feature would players still be so eager to be rid of duplicate characters?

turul

Linkster79 wrote:

aesthetocyst wrote:

They doubled health packs ... and champing made alts unnecessary.

This is why I feel that duplicated characters should not be broken down for champion reason. Players create duplicates for a reason, be it just for added team up options or to allow one to stay in the fight for longer after the original has been downed. Players with duplicated characters have had their use out of them many times and should now be presented 2 options.

1. Keep the duplicated character and carry on as before.

2. Sell the duplicated character for the massively reduced ISO value.

This way there is a fair and unbiased method.

Let me ask, if it wasn't for the new champion feature would players still be so eager to be rid of duplicate characters?

Yes, because of other duplicate devaluation like health pack increase or a duplicate which did not get the health increase treatment, so is indirectly nerfed, etc

madok

Linkster79 wrote:

Let me ask, if it wasn't for the new champion feature would players still be so eager to be rid of duplicate characters?

I had 4 dupes chopped up. I have been wanting to get rid of those characters for their slots because slots are expensive and I couldn't bring myself to sell them off for a small ISO amount. This gave me a reason to do it and get a good reward for it. I opened 2 5 from the resulting LTs.

If ISO had been flowing like sand in the desert and I could have leveled those dupes up, I may not have done it.

Buret0

Linkster79 wrote:

This is why I feel that duplicated characters should not be broken down for champion reason. Players create duplicates for a reason, be it just for added team up options or to allow one to stay in the fight for longer after the original has been downed. Players with duplicated characters have had their use out of them many times and should now be presented 2 options.

1. Keep the duplicated character and carry on as before.

2. Sell the duplicated character for the massively reduced ISO value.

This way there is a fair and unbiased method.

Let me ask, if it wasn't for the new champion feature would players still be so eager to be rid of duplicate characters?

All of my duplicates were built as alternate cover options. When they introduced champions, I could change the cover combinations anytime I wanted. The introduction of champions therefore completed eliminated a valid reason for me to have a high level duplicate character.

I wasn't using the level 270 duplicates for health pack savings, I was using them to give me different options for team make-up. A single champion now does that without needing the second character. I spent a ton of resources building those duplicates, including 26 covers and 720K ISO.

If they hadn't introduced the new champion feature, I would keep the duplicates because they were useful. Now they no longer serve the only purpose they were built for, due to the release of this new feature.

Am I keeping some of my duplicates? Yes. Their purpose has not been eliminated. There is still a reason for building duplicates of Star-Lord with just 5 yellow covers or MBW with just 5 covers in blue. Too bad the ones not made useless were also the ones I spent less than 6,000 ISO building.

donietsche

Deconstruction of the dupes should be an in-game option, coming with the disclaimer "all the iso invested into this character will be lost; the process cannot be undone".

If players will be 100% sure that they can buy additional slots (which means investing up to 1k to use the covers - in many cases - in a very distant future) to avoid the expiration date, the sales of roster slots (which are one of the main sources of revenues for the game) would skyrocket. Even among players who invest very little (if any) money into the game.

The expiration date would still serve a purpose: in 14 days you either buy a roster slot, or your covers will be gone.

woopie

Just got my dupe covers from customer service and my note also included the 'this is not normal, don't expect it again' disclaimer