Bait & Switch Prizes

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pheregas
pheregas Posts: 1,721 Chairperson of the Boards
edited March 2016 in MPQ General Discussion
I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but especially after a new character release, I carefully look at the placement prizes to determine how much effort I want to put into a PVE.

So when, during the last day of the Thick as Thieves event, it was posted that WXF was the top 10 prize, I thought, "Awesome, minimal clears, some down time, get the 25 cp and go home."

Then, this morning, I was double checking where I was on the progression prize ladder when, GHOST RIDER! (I literally watched the prize icons update, which was a little weird.)

So, yeah. ****. I shouldn't have pre-started. I should have been better about being dead-on in the 6-8 hour clear window.

All this could have been anticipated had there not been the prize Bait & Switch.

This is not the first time WXF has been swapped out at the last minute, but no pop-up announcements were posted. I sent a ticket to customer service, only to voice displeasure at having the rug pulled out from underneath me without any sort of notifications.

I know I'm asking a lot, but can the devs just commit to a prize and keep it? Or if there is a change, to notify us via pop-up? I'm much more interested in prize changes than when Agents of SHIELD starts back up (I've got my DVR on that) or whatever survey might need filling out.

Comments

  • Quebbster
    Quebbster Posts: 8,070 Chairperson of the Boards
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    They goofed. Wolverine can't be essential in Enemy of the State, so Ghost Rider got subbed at the last second.
    I do agree with your general point though.
  • LegendReborn
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    ****. I didn't even realize they changed it which really annoys me since I'm currently in noob brackets because I took a long break from PVE. I could have easily taken first to get a red and green which would give me my optimal Ghost Rider build.

    Oh, well. I just wish they'd make announcements when they do things like that because there was no reason for me to check the rewards a second time.
  • David [Hi-Fi] Moore
    David [Hi-Fi] Moore Posts: 2,872 Site Admin
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    There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.
  • grunzadin
    grunzadin Posts: 52 Match Maker
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    "David wrote:
    Moore"]Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    For future reference -- if a player hadn't brought this issue up on the forums, would the updated prize ever have been mentioned (either on forums or in-game)? Like do you guys consider it your responsibility to inform players and it was just accidentally forgotten this time around? Or do you consider it the player's responsibility to check the prize continually before the event starts?
  • rossmon
    rossmon Posts: 130 Tile Toppler
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    I was pretty frustrated too, since I was in a very close second on the PVP, and didn't break at the end for first because I knew I could get the green XFW in simulator PVE. I was 40 points out, and had 3 good qs, and a shield available, so I could have hopped and then broke at the end as well. Oh well... It happens.
  • BigRussian
    BigRussian Posts: 166 Tile Toppler
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    Congrats to the OP for stimulating that greatest of rarities.....a dev response. Once again, all it takes is hyperbolic allegations.

    amen
  • Dragon_Nexus
    Dragon_Nexus Posts: 3,701 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Hmm, I thought this topic was going to be about the times you dig into a vault, see the Iron Man icon, think "Oh, it might be Hulkbuster!" but instead it's IM40.
  • ammenell
    ammenell Posts: 817 Critical Contributor
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    "David wrote:
    Moore"]There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.
    no need to apologize, most people are used to missing communication.

    i originally wanted to hit that pve hard to progress my 4*wolvie.
    after changing it to ghost rider, i just watch the bracket thread and try to snipe in the last moment.
    least effort for most gains.
  • puppychow
    puppychow Posts: 1,453
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    Having seen this happen a LOT in the past, I don't rely on preview prizes anymore. I only check and confirm once pve event is live. (But then again, even after going live the prize does get changed on occasion--in shield sim for example).
  • mohio
    mohio Posts: 1,690 Chairperson of the Boards
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    ammenell wrote:
    "David wrote:
    Moore"]There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.
    no need to apologize, most people are used to missing communication.

    i originally wanted to hit that pve hard to progress my 4*wolvie.
    after changing it to ghost rider, i just watch the bracket thread and try to snipe in the last moment.
    least effort for most gains.
    Considering iso is most likely the rarest/most sought after commodity in the game, you're better off joining early anyway and playing casually to collect rewards. If you do enough to get the CP progression you'll likely get way better rewards than joining late and sniping for a 4* cover or two. Also like the iso-8 event simulator always has that one node worth a lot of iso, so you're missing out on that too icon_e_sad.gif.

    Note: I could see doing this for a top 5 character or a new character, but not for GR (maybe just my opinion, but he's gotta be outside top 10)
  • ammenell
    ammenell Posts: 817 Critical Contributor
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    you are absolutely right, iso is the reason i played the last few pves a lot

    but instead of grinding, getting a useable 4* (would be the first!) and collecting iso along the way, i settle for no iso and a chance at sniping a character i havent rostered yet.
    another 4* with a single cover, but sooner or later he is an essential again.
    besides, i need a break from pve and watch gotham and vikings icon_e_smile.gif
  • PeterGibbons316
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    "David wrote:
    Moore"]There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.
    If you changed it before it went live then he wouldn't have been able to pre-join. If changes are made after people pre-join, those pre-join brackets should be cleared when the change is made.
  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,654 Chairperson of the Boards
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    "David wrote:
    Moore"]There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.

    I appreciate the reply and understand things being subject to change before going live.

    This is the 2nd time ghost rider has replaced wolvie. Several seasons ago wolverine was the 2000 point award in the simulator. Then was later changed to Ghost rider. I had thought it was a few days into the season though.

    If you put a reward up please do not change it if possible. Mistake or not it frustrates the players. I would much rather have wolvie than fire head. It's getting harder and harder to get specific 4 stars we either want or need. Which is a whole other issue.
  • Quebbster
    Quebbster Posts: 8,070 Chairperson of the Boards
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    tiomono wrote:
    "David wrote:
    Moore"]There's no "bait & switch" going on here. The devs caught a mistake and fixed it before the event went live. I do apologize that this wasn't messaged.
    Please keep in mind that things are always subject to change before going live.

    Thanks for understanding.

    I appreciate the reply and understand things being subject to change before going live.

    This is the 2nd time ghost rider has replaced wolvie. Several seasons ago wolverine was the 2000 point award in the simulator. Then was later changed to Ghost rider. I had thought it was a few days into the season though.

    If you put a reward up please do not change it if possible. Mistake or not it frustrates the players. I would much rather have wolvie than fire head. It's getting harder and harder to get specific 4 stars we either want or need. Which is a whole other issue.
    Imagine how frustrated players would have been when the 4* essential node for Enemy of the State would have been unplayable as Wolverine was locked out. That was the alternative to changing it.
    I do agree that it would have been better if this particular mistake never happened though.