Is there a change in how people approach PVE

Uthgarprime

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has. Are people start to grind down to start the event. Is this a viable strategy cause doing the nodes every 8 hours with a grind down not quite to 1 at the end of the node is barely good enough for 100. And I am always struggling to break 100 at each 8 hour interval even if I am doing it on the hour.

grunzadin

There will always be some people that hit the nodes several times as soon as the event starts. This will temporarily put them at the top of the bracket, but it is not the optimal strategy. The early frontrunners will eventually be overtaken by the people that are clearing every 8 hours.

If you do 8 hour clears and grind to 1 at the end (assuming you wait until roughly 3 hours before the event ends to start your grind), you will be top 5 in every single PvE you ever do from now until the end of time.

mpqr7

If people do clears before 8 hours, it's because they're hoping for top 100-50 etc, not trying to get the very best score. Often people like to sleep and not wait until all hours to do a full sub clear!

Marine8394

Now that iso 20 is a thing of the past, PVE, is slightly different. Points are still points which needs to change for the better, most especially on 7 day grinders. Anyway. It still depends on need. What does the PVE offer? Your need. I have always plowed through a 24 hour reward string. All nodes, one bang. Then in pre-20 ISO days, I hung to top nodes, more points, but now. I clear all nodes, then go back to to bottom nodes. Champions affects this also. Small points, but seven rewards. Same with essentials. Bang them for rewards and points. Top nodes of points and rewards wait for, save health, rewards, and points for 24 hour. 48 hour is a long place line play. Now I play more top nodes, depending on where I want to place. Hearts of darkness was an easy one to this pattern of play. I placed easy top 50, while only goaling top 100. Though I suspect not a lot of rush to get I.W.

Tatercat

Agreed the loss of 20 ISO has changed how I play it. Before I mostly doing 8 hr refreshes with some fudges on that (a clear before I go to bed, even if there's 1-2 hour left before optimal) and then one more right before the sub ends. Maybe a little bit of grinding there too, on the CP nodes or essential nodes. That got me usually in Top 50-100 range.

With the change, I mostly keep to that schedule, except now, throughout the day I'll take extra cracks at the two CP nodes, to make sure I clear them the 7 times no matter what. Hasn't made as much of impact on my scoring as I thought. I got top 50 in Hearts of Darkness and I've been around that so far in Hulk PVE (though I'm playing more relaxed on that one). I won't ever be top 10 with this strategy, true, but it's steady CP's for once, and I'll still get good rewards, including 1 cover of a new release each time.

babinro

Recent game changes have definitely changed how I play PvE.

Before I was more concerned with relatively perfect clear times then trying for a end time grind which would often put a lot more pressure on health packs and my pvp play. This was also a little risky because if real life stuff got in the way I'd be screwed. On the bright side I was typically finishing top 20 and sometimes even top 10.

Thanks to the PvE cap change, the ever increasing power of my 5* roster over time and the removal of 20 ISO I've changed my focus. These days I'll just do relaxed clears over the day in a way that I finish all 7 before the end of the sub. That often means I'm clearing sooner than optimal...showing as first in my bracket but ultimately finishing the subs in top 50 or sometimes top 20. It's less rewards in the end but the whole process feels a lot more fun since it's done on my schedule rather than D3's.

You get three 3*'s to champion for top 50 so it hardly feels like a loss. Rewards in PvE are pretty great these days

It's also by far my favorite mode of play now. PvP has been tainted by MMR hell, skip jail and a complete lack of variety. You can only play against OML/Phoenix, OML/Surfer, OML/Rulk and OML/ xDP so many thousands of times before it becomes a grind that you endure for a good return of rewards.

alphabeta

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has. Are people start to grind down to start the event. Is this a viable strategy cause doing the nodes every 8 hours with a grind down not quite to 1 at the end of the node is barely good enough for 100. And I am always struggling to break 100 at each 8 hour interval even if I am doing it on the hour.

Sorry but mathematically your statement can't be true - 8 hour refresh and a grind to 1 always outscores any other strategy, that's just the way the numbers work.

People overgrind because rewards aren't attractive so its just about progression and node rewards but for placement 8 hour clears and grind simply has to win so you either aren't doing that or you aren't calling out lack of essential characters.

carrion_pigeons

My approach to pve is basically do the nodes once per sub. This takes me about90 minutes per sub, is good for about 400th place, and by the end I'm so sick of the game that I want to throw my phone out the window, so I snipe events until DDQ is too boring and then I try again.

I realize my lone 5* cover is ruining my scaling, but I still don't understand at all how people clear subs three times a day. That seems like it would be just a ludicrous amount of time.

Marine8394

90 minutes? You mean for the whole string of nodes once? That seems long. Even with my roster I can bang out this last one, and I mean this PVE in less than 30, seriously. Not ripping you, don't know what you have for roster. The way it's structured now takes the crawl out of it, and now that yo-yo scaling seems to have ended PVE is getting to where it should be.

Unknown

Marine8394 wrote:

90 minutes? You mean for the whole string of nodes once? That seems long. Even with my roster I can bang out this last one, and I mean this PVE in less than 30, seriously. Not ripping you, don't know what you have for roster. The way it's structured now takes the crawl out of it, and now that yo-yo scaling seems to have ended PVE is getting to where it should be.

That can be what some of my clears take honestly.

Not running the game itself at max speed may be a factor. Also other distractions.

I ain't very speedy.

Marine8394

Like I said. Not being a D-bag. Just sort of surprised.

Marine8394

Here is the other truth to the game. Others would have you believe the game is fast to build when it isn't. No aspect of the game is fast paced. Nor do you need to hammer to get the new and cover it. It's a game. Period. Play it the way you want. Make it the way it is for yourself. No one gives a turd for you but yourself. Don't try to keep up with a want that someone, even yourself, may make. Just enjoy the play and like and accept what happens. Life happens around you while you play games.

simonsez

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has.

Until a sub ends, pay no attention to your rank.

Unknown

simonsez wrote:

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has.

Until a sub ends, pay no attention to your rank.

It IS pretty discouraging when you're all "Alright time for the end grind it's an hour or two before the sub ends and wait I've made my clears and I'm only rank 210?"

That usually means "Skip this PVE you ain't winning crud" to me.

I didn't even crack t100 during said grind. >:T

simonsez

colwag wrote:

simonsez wrote:

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has.

Until a sub ends, pay no attention to your rank.

It IS pretty discouraging when you're all "Alright time for the end grind it's an hour or two before the sub ends and wait I've made my clears and I'm only rank 210?"

That usually means "Skip this PVE you ain't winning crud" to me.

I didn't even crack t100 during said grind. >:T

You said a couple of posts ago that it can take you as much as 90 minutes to do 1 clear. So how is time for your end grind "an hour or two before the sub ends"? I'm not suggesting you devote your life to the game, but if you're only hitting each node once or twice at the end, and not 3 or 4 times, that's why you're not hitting t100.

For players who are grinding all their nodes down, if they start their grind in 210th place, this is great news because it means a huge chunk of people in that bracket have no idea what they're doing, or don't care about clearing optimally.

puppychow

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has. Are people start to grind down to start the event. Is this a viable strategy cause doing the nodes every 8 hours with a grind down not quite to 1 at the end of the node is barely good enough for 100. And I am always struggling to break 100 at each 8 hour interval even if I am doing it on the hour.

The optimal grind is to clear every 8 hours and then start the final grind as late as possible. When you start the final grind will depend on your roster. A guy with 500s could probably start maybe a bit over an hour prior. Someone with a veteran roster could start 2 hour ish. A less developed roster should start 3-4 hours prior.

As far as breaking t100 goes, it depends on what bracket you land in and whether you can clear all three essentials. Some events you will have the characters, and others you won't.

puppychow

colwag wrote:

Marine8394 wrote:

90 minutes? You mean for the whole string of nodes once? That seems long. Even with my roster I can bang out this last one, and I mean this PVE in less than 30, seriously. Not ripping you, don't know what you have for roster. The way it's structured now takes the crawl out of it, and now that yo-yo scaling seems to have ended PVE is getting to where it should be.

That can be what some of my clears take honestly.

Not running the game itself at max speed may be a factor. Also other distractions.

I ain't very speedy.

I usually do a full clear in 20-30 minutes. I think you need to do some "speed training." When a game starts and your starting board appears on your screen, how do you look at it? Do you look line by line (vertical, horizontal, or cross) to decide what tile to move? Or you do take the "look at the forest approach," by looking at the entire board and determine the biggest similar color clusters (for possible 4/5 match)? I trained myself to take the forest approach to reduce the time it takes to decide which tile to move.

Also, I enter each game with a game plan---deciding which colors I should prioritize based on my attack team, in order to trigger their powers ASAP. So I take the forest approach while prioritizing my colors.

And yes, no distractions is really important. When I play, I turn the sound off, go to a spot/place/room with no one else around to distract me. My attention is 100% on the game, especially for the final grind.

puppychow

babinro wrote:

Recent game changes have definitely changed how I play PvE.

These days I'll just do relaxed clears over the day in a way that I finish all 7 before the end of the sub. That often means I'm clearing sooner than optimal...showing as first in my bracket but ultimately finishing the subs in top 50 or sometimes top 20. It's less rewards in the end but the whole process feels a lot more fun since it's done on my schedule rather than D3's.

You get three 3*'s to champion for top 50 so it hardly feels like a loss. Rewards in PvE are pretty great these days

For old character reward events, this is my approach as well. If I end up with 3x3* covers, I will be very satisfied with the result. Sometimes my 7 or 6 or 5 clears drop me into t10, but I don't focus on getting up there anymore.

saj14saj

How do you all do multiple clears at the end of subs?

I can do maybe one to one and half clears without running out of healthpacks.... and that doesn't leave much for the first clear of the next sub or event.

I am just starting the 2-3 transition... I have one 3* (Grey Suit Black Widow) who is 5/3/3 and level 128 and so generally usable, otherwise, I am using well champed 2*'s in the 120ish range.

---S

carrion_pigeons

simonsez wrote:

colwag wrote:

simonsez wrote:

Uthgarprime wrote:

The last few PVE events I start them at the right time, go through all the nodes, check my rank and 1 hour into the event I have half the points everyone in the top 25 has.

Until a sub ends, pay no attention to your rank.

It IS pretty discouraging when you're all "Alright time for the end grind it's an hour or two before the sub ends and wait I've made my clears and I'm only rank 210?"

That usually means "Skip this PVE you ain't winning crud" to me.

I didn't even crack t100 during said grind. >:T

You said a couple of posts ago that it can take you as much as 90 minutes to do 1 clear. So how is time for your end grind "an hour or two before the sub ends"? I'm not suggesting you devote your life to the game, but if you're only hitting each node once or twice at the end, and not 3 or 4 times, that's why you're not hitting t100.

For players who are grinding all their nodes down, if they start their grind in 210th place, this is great news because it means a huge chunk of people in that bracket have no idea what they're doing, or don't care about clearing optimally.

I was the one who said that, not colwag.

Phumade

saj14saj wrote:

How do you all do multiple clears at the end of subs?

I can do maybe one to one and half clears without running out of healthpacks.... and that doesn't leave much for the first clear of the next sub or event.

I am just starting the 2-3 transition... I have one 3* (Grey Suit Black Widow) who is 5/3/3 and level 128 and so generally usable, otherwise, I am using well champed 2*'s in the 120ish range.

---S

At your stage of the game, it just takes time and a better developed roster. PVE really rewards rosters that have certain combos developed. The 8 hour strategy is still the best, but honestly top 50 has very reasonable rewards and can be easily achieved just by getting all the rewards. Double grinding a node in return for a 16 hour break from MPQ sounds like a very reasonable trade off, especially if you can still maintain a Top 50 ranking.

The way they got rid of random 20 iso drops has really changed the experience of PVE in a very positive manner.

Instead of having to work around 3 8 hour windows and a 2hr+ final grind, they can space out their play to hit all rewards (7 hits on each node) at their convenience. To me the trade off from a top 10 finish for convenience of play seems very reasonable (especially if its still top 50).

I think its great that the people who want top play it competitively can still do so via the 8hr grind.

and

people who just want to iso farm, can do so at their convenience and still make top 100.