5* Duplicates, no exchange=stick a fork in me...

Hotnfresh

Hello all,
A little background-- I'm on day 700 (merged two accounts)-- so I'm a long time player.

I recently received a 5* green Phoenix, the one color I'm max'd with Phoenix. I have 8 Phoenix covers. I wrote D3 the other day and this is how it went:

"Hello,
Long time player here. First let me say I love the changes that you make and have made recently. I think the VIP promotion is great for the money. And I like reselling my champ'd 2*'s to build them up again. Great job!

Now to my problem-- I just received 25 cp for reaching 1300 in the latest pvp. I purchased a 20 cp token. I received a green 5* Phoenix. When I see the 5*, I get all excited and then... it's the one color I'm fully max'd with Phoenix.

I'm a paying player, spent quite a bit. In fact I just spent another $50 the other day along with $10 for the VIP. I'm willing to put up with the disappointment of receiving duplicates or covers I just don't need at the time. But please... please!... can you do something about getting duplicate 5*'s? Especially when I have only 8 covers for Phoenix, only one color is full... and that was green. The cover I just got.

Can you exchange this into a different color for the same character? I don't know if you plan on addressing this issue in a patch, but it's the one element of this game that's getting me frustrated to the breaking point. I really enjoy everything else about it. But I've been grinding forever, hitting all the goals, trying to get more Phoenix and OML covers. Then I finally get one and it's a duplicate?!?!

Can you help me?

Thanks,
Hotnfresh"


And now the generic response from TJM at D3 CS:


"Greetings D3 Go! Customer,

Thank you for contacting D3 Go! Customer Support.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee to obtain rare characters or covers when redeeming recruit tokens or purchasing recruit token packs. The drop rates for each Recruit Token can be found by clicking the "?" icon displayed in their respective stores and are broken down for each featured event. Drop rates can be both good or bad, and the rate at which you pull covers has its own probability. While some probabilities may seem low, they can still occur. Please keep in mind that each Token pull made does not affect the outcome of your following pulls. We are sorry to hear that you didn't get the covers that you were hoping for, and we hope that you have better luck in the future, but there is little we can do regarding this issue.

We do not have a service that we offer to players for Comic Cover trading. If you wish for this to be a feature, we highly recommend posting your suggestion on the forums. Suggestions do get looked at by time to time and are a great way to get a backing from other players.

http://d3go.com/forums/

We understand your feelings regarding the drop rates. However, please note that probabilities for a given cover are not a guarantee. Since the outcome you observed is among the many possibilities, we will be unable to take any further action regarding this issue.

Many questions can be answered by visiting our helpful Marvel Puzzle Quest FAQ at: http://www.d3go.com/mpq-support/

If you require further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us again and it will be a pleasure to help you.

Best Regards,
D3 Go! Customer Support Team (TJM)"


And lastly, my final response to them with no reply from TJM:


Hello,
With all the choices of games to play and ways to spend my money, this doesn't make sense. I got into MPQ because I'm a collector, as most of the player base. I've been playing for a long time, building my roster. Essentially, when this happens, it's like winning the grand prize and it being taken away by a technicality.

Usually, with most companies, loyalty is rewarded. In this case, it's the opposite. Why would I keep playing this game when the current goal (at my level of play) is to obtain 5* covers, only to obtain a duplicate? I appreciate the RNG system working at all levels except with the top tier rewards-- the 5*'s.

You increased the drop rate to 15%, which I applaud, but the amount of play to obtain the chance at 5* drops is extreme. So the disappointment of a top tier duplicate is also extreme. In fact, it's unacceptable.

So I thank you for the years of fun but I'm done with MPQ. I cannot continue to waste any more time and money with a company that doesn't understand the mentality of its customer base. You took a hard stance on this matter which shows me you aren't interested in keeping the customer happy with a simple and much needed reform-- to exchange duplicate 5*.

Regards,
Hotnfresh


They said to post it on the forums, so here ya go. I know there are players that have spent a lot more money than me (I've spent +/- $600) but I figured after spending that kind of money on a phone game, D3 would be more apt to compensate me with a simple request that is not unreasonable. I'm not even asking for something for free.

I know there are many more out there that agree with me. I'm not asking to revamp the game, only to be logical in how they proceed with their revisions. What is the point of playing this game anymore? Because I can't answer that, I begrudgingly say farewell to MPQ. It's not a threat or a ploy for help or attention. I just hope someone with more sense than TJM at D3 CS reads this and sees there is a real problem with that kind of attitude towards loyal, enthusiastic customers.

baarzo

I agree whit d3p. Tokwn is a lottery, if you don't win is your problem.

if you spent a lot of money for the game is your problem.

this game is going to become a pay to win, your request if it were accepted would only accelerate this process.

Hotnfresh

baarzo wrote:

I agree whit d3p. Tokwn is a lottery, if you don't win is your problem.

if you spent a lot of money for the game is your problem.

this game is going to become a pay to win, your request if it were accepted would only accelerate this process.

Your argument makes no sense baarzo. I won a 5* token, didn't pay for it. How does exchanging a token I won for a different color of the same character accelerate the process of pay to win?... Two different concepts, try again.

Quebbster

Hotnfresh wrote:

baarzo wrote:

I agree whit d3p. Tokwn is a lottery, if you don't win is your problem.

if you spent a lot of money for the game is your problem.

this game is going to become a pay to win, your request if it were accepted would only accelerate this process.

Your argument makes no sense baarzo. I won a 5* token, didn't pay for it. How does exchanging a token I won for a different color of the same character accelerate the process of pay to win?... Two different concepts, try again.

You can buy Command Points though since large in-game purchases are rewarded with CP for your entire Alliance. This is exploited by buy clubs, where people who are looking to get large amount of CP form a temporary Alliance, do their buys and everyone gets a lot of CP (if everyone buys one Stark Salary that's 140 CP for everyone in the Alliance). The more you spend on the game, the more Legendary tokens you can get. Everyone is after fivestars, so allowing people to change the color after the pull would mean there would be a lot more functional fivestars up and running already... and that probably wouldn't be a good thing.
(By the way, I have gotten approximately 10 green Phoenix covers, so I know your pain. Also 7 red Phoenix, but only two Purple so far. 7 OML yellow, 2 black and 3 red... And I Think 6 black Surfers while blue and red only have one or two covers...)

Bowgentle

Quebbster wrote:

(By the way, I have gotten approximately 10 green Phoenix covers, so I know your pain. Also 7 red Phoenix, but only two Purple so far. 7 OML yellow, 2 black and 3 red... And I Think 6 black Surfers while blue and red only have one or two covers...)

Can we switch draw rates please?
The sheer amount of 5* draws is staggering.

Quebbster

Bowgentle wrote:

Quebbster wrote:

(By the way, I have gotten approximately 10 green Phoenix covers, so I know your pain. Also 7 red Phoenix, but only two Purple so far. 7 OML yellow, 2 black and 3 red... And I Think 6 black Surfers while blue and red only have one or two covers...)

Can we switch draw rates please?
The sheer amount of 5* draws is staggering.

I open a lot of tokens too, I don't Think my 5* draw rates are out of proportion. I can usually hit 1300 Points in PvP, I almost Always get the final PvE progression, and my Alliance mates buy things every now and then. On average, I Think I open one Legendary token per day.

Bowgentle

Quebbster wrote:

Bowgentle wrote:

Quebbster wrote:

(By the way, I have gotten approximately 10 green Phoenix covers, so I know your pain. Also 7 red Phoenix, but only two Purple so far. 7 OML yellow, 2 black and 3 red... And I Think 6 black Surfers while blue and red only have one or two covers...)

Can we switch draw rates please?
The sheer amount of 5* draws is staggering.

I open a lot of tokens too, I don't Think my 5* draw rates are out of proportion. I can usually hit 1300 Points in PvP, I almost Always get the final PvE progression, and my Alliance mates buy things every now and then. On average, I Think I open one Legendary token per day.

So do I, and I'm nowhere near those numbers.

simonsez

Bowgentle wrote:

Quebbster wrote:

I open a lot of tokens too, I don't Think my 5* draw rates are out of proportion. I can usually hit 1300 Points in PvP, I almost Always get the final PvE progression, and my Alliance mates buy things every now and then. On average, I Think I open one Legendary token per day.

So do I, and I'm nowhere near those numbers.

Ditto. I started tracking again, just to see if my pull rate was really as bad as it seemed, and it turns out it really is. I wonder if I'll get banned again if I add a tagline that keeps a running total of how many 5*s the rng has screwed me out of. Currently, 3.9 since May 1st. Worse, oniy 1 of the 6 I HAVE gotten was a usable OML/PHX. So I've barely progressed at all in 2 months, while the % of lv450+ OML/PHX teams I see in PvP is now approaching 100%.

Hotnfresh

Thanks Quebbster, Bowgentle, and Simonsez for posting that... Puts things in perspective. No matter how bad you think you got it, someone's got it worse! I've resisted buy clubs but apparently that's the way to do it. And that sheds more light as to why they wouldn't exchange.

I still don't agree with their psychology, because all it does is irritate even higher paying customers, but I get it. The whales will keep buying with eternal hope for the few covers they need. And the scavenger fish (like me) will buy now and again, but with better odds we'll get a much needed cover.

When the point of any game is to progress, it's frustrating to be stalled by rng. I just hope d3 can find some middle ground at some point... Which I have faith. They do a good job revising MPQ in due time. (What set me off was the generic response from their CS.) (I've received exceptional service in the past from RBK.)

I appreciate the posts ladies/gentlemen.

Dayv

I keep hoping they'll act on this suggestion I made, or something like it:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=37571

Basically, if you get cover #6, you should be able to apply it to one of the unmaxed powers of the same character. Make it apply randomly, if they don't want to create a selection UI.

I know some people would like to be able to apply unusable covers to add levels pre-champing, and that might at least be something better than just selling it, but it's of no use to those people who already have a character at their current cap when they pull a wasted cover. And it's still a waste if the character isn't leveled to the point where the individual levels are significantly more than the cover is worth.

Dayv

Alternate solution I just pulled out of my butt: add 15 CP to sell price of all 5* covers.

simonsez

Those idea aren't helping people who are drawing 5*s at half the rate of the people we're supposed to be attacking in PvP.

The best idea I've seen is to keep boosting the pull rate after each miss.

Hotnfresh

I like your solutions DayvBang! See, now that would make us happy! I read about your black SS dilemma... painful. This was my first 5* dup, but after reading that this has happened to you and the other posters multiple times... The disappointment you must feel.

I just don't see a downside to implement a system like that, for either parties. With the amount of characters rolling out, d3's wallets won't be picked and encourages the player to keep at it with forward progress. As long as we can actually complete a character, we now have more motivation to move on to the next to be completed without feeling like we're wasting weeks/months.

Currently, we stall with dup's while the d3 locomotive trucks on. Championing helped that a lot but only the craftiest and wealthiest of players can champ the 5*'s. Now we have IM, Cap, GGoblin, Spiderman, Phoenix, OML, SS, and more I'm sure I'm forgetting atm. We all want a variety of characters to use, not just the fully covered Phoenix/OML that took over a year (each) to max. So if we could progress just a little faster, we should have that variety.

And don't forget the infinite 4* parade! There are many 4*'s that I have yet to cover max too, and I play more than I should. So now I want to max these 4*'s and the 5*'s I was lucky enough to win. If d3 would allow more flexibility with the proposed new system, I would be inclined to buy ISO so I can have fun with a variety of characters.

It's the precedent the current system is setting that makes me nervous for the future. I'm sure they're thinking about the longevity of the game, so pull back the reins. But it's a series of give n' takes to ensure balance. And with a large core of players stuck in purgatory, makes me wonder "if not now, when?".

Hotnfresh

simonsez wrote:

Those idea aren't helping people who are drawing 5*s at half the rate of the people we're supposed to be attacking in PvP.

The best idea I've seen is to keep boosting the pull rate after each miss.

That's another good one!