Lets talk nerfs

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  • HaywireII
    HaywireII Posts: 568 Critical Contributor
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    That's some educational reading. I never knew that Spiderman used to be good.
  • Handoftheking26
    Handoftheking26 Posts: 183 Tile Toppler
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    Ah the good ole days....when CMags, Spidey, and Rags were the best covers you could get....and you got guaranteed chars in 10 packs or higher....
  • ammenell
    ammenell Posts: 817 Critical Contributor
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    good thing i didn't waste 480cp on ice man.

    it may go to cho after the intern is finished throwing darts.
  • OneLastGambit
    OneLastGambit Posts: 1,963 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Firstly the topic of who will be balanced is speculative at best.

    Secondly balancing does not mean nerf. They didn't announce a nerf , they announced a balancing..

    Now let's look at the last time balancing was announced...we got changes that everyone agrees were positive. Sometime this forum is all doom and gloom and woe is me. You can't compare what happened 18 months ago with now, the game the devs and the players are different. It would be a far more accurate analogy to use the most recent example.

    Do some characters need changing ? Yes you can argue they do. The idea behind balancing isn't to make a bunch of poor characters better or to make a bunch of awesome characters worse...it's to create a tier where each character is useful. Sometimes in order to do this you have to change those which dominate ever so slightly.

    Think about the tier not the character. Would the 4* tier benefit from iceman stun becoming 8ap for example ? Yes because people may reconsider using him and may perhaps use someone else instead. There's a swathe of good New characters which nobody ever uses because im40 + iceman or goddess and fistbuster is way to comfortable and convenient to use.

    The devs give you New guys to play with and most of them are well designed and fun...what do people do? Go straight back to fistbustering their way to 1k, why bother learning new strategy for new characters when you know you can get what you want the trusty way? That's the fault of players not the devs. And you can say "well if they made better characters then we would" but they do, and you dont...mostly.

    Same problem in pve they made oml and phoenix the only two characters you'll ever need for pve due to never needing health packs...so nobody does use anyone else unless they don't have them.

    People get stuck and refuse to try new things which leads to the inevitable conversation of "not as good as iceman/oml so I'm not using them"
  • ammenell
    ammenell Posts: 817 Critical Contributor
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    its not about trying out new things, its about blowing through the opposing team as fast as possible, by design.
    “balancing“ in this context means changing the members of your A-team, so other chars will now be played and the former best chars will not see a game unless boosted or essential, think vision.

    this waste of resources is just baffling.
  • JamesV
    JamesV Posts: 98 Match Maker
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    The real "issue" with nerfs is that the have a disproportionate impact on the have-nots than the haves in a collectible game like this.

    If you are playing a traditional game -- Street Fighter -- and a character is buffed and a character is nerfed, it just requires the player to alter their gameplay -- but they already have all characters so there is no impact.

    But when you have a game where the faster and sooner you can get one of the top tier meta characters (especially in regards to how rewards were previously handled out) the easier* it becomes to get more rewards. More rewards increases the width and depth of that players roster, which makes it easier for those players to absorb nerfs. On the flipside, the slower players earn a top tier meta character, the slower they gain those rewards. So while the nerf in theory effects everyone, it effects the non-top tier people more than it effects them.

    And this isn't conjecture. Nerfing Sentry Bombing after months of it had long term Sentry bombers in a better position to avoid to move along with the new meta than non-Sentry Bombers for example.

    And while buffs may provide a disproportionate benefit as well, any benefit > any harm.


    * easier in comparison to those without. For context, we do have to ignore the RNG factor of five stars, but we can also assume that a more developed roster has higher chances of getting 5*.
  • cyineedsn
    cyineedsn Posts: 361 Mover and Shaker
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    Think about the tier not the character. Would the 4* tier benefit from iceman stun becoming 8ap for example ? Yes because people may reconsider using him and may perhaps use someone else instead. There's a swathe of good New characters which nobody ever uses because im40 + iceman or goddess and fistbuster is way to comfortable and convenient to use.

    The devs give you New guys to play with and most of them are well designed and fun...what do people do? Go straight back to fistbustering their way to 1k, why bother learning new strategy for new characters when you know you can get what you want the trusty way? That's the fault of players not the devs. And you can say "well if they made better characters then we would" but they do, and you dont...mostly.

    Uh what? Which new guys? The new characters in the last 9 months? That most people only have 0-5 covers of? I play with the same characters because it used to take 6+ months to cover a 4*, but now with the tokens so overstuffed with new characters it'll take 9+ months or more to cover a 4*.

    People have been using the same 4* teams because a) they don't have anyone else covered and b) iso flow was so small we had to think long and hard and choose to only level a select few characters (although iso flow has been improving lately!). These are problems not caused by players being narrow minded or anything, it's just working with what we've got.
  • wirius
    wirius Posts: 667
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    JamesV wrote:
    The real "issue" with nerfs is that the have a disproportionate impact on the have-nots than the haves in a collectible game like this.

    If you are playing a traditional game -- Street Fighter -- and a character is buffed and a character is nerfed, it just requires the player to alter their gameplay -- but they already have all characters so there is no impact.

    But when you have a game where the faster and sooner you can get one of the top tier meta characters (especially in regards to how rewards were previously handled out) the easier* it becomes to get more rewards. More rewards increases the width and depth of that players roster, which makes it easier for those players to absorb nerfs. On the flipside, the slower players earn a top tier meta character, the slower they gain those rewards. So while the nerf in theory effects everyone, it effects the non-top tier people more than it effects them.

    And this isn't conjecture. Nerfing Sentry Bombing after months of it had long term Sentry bombers in a better position to avoid to move along with the new meta than non-Sentry Bombers for example.

    And while buffs may provide a disproportionate benefit as well, any benefit > any harm.


    * easier in comparison to those without. For context, we do have to ignore the RNG factor of five stars, but we can also assume that a more developed roster has higher chances of getting 5*.

    Your logic is incorrect if proper nerfs are made. When a character or a few characters ruin an entire tier of characters or warp the intended gameplay, anyone who doesn't have those characters has no hope. If balance is more equal along the measure, then you still have a chance with whatever character you happen to have. I think you're misunderstanding. This is not about, "That character has power, nerf!". Its about game warping characters and ridiculous imbalances.
  • Vhailorx
    Vhailorx Posts: 6,085 Chairperson of the Boards
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    wirius wrote:
    JamesV wrote:
    The real "issue" with nerfs is that the have a disproportionate impact on the have-nots than the haves in a collectible game like this.

    If you are playing a traditional game -- Street Fighter -- and a character is buffed and a character is nerfed, it just requires the player to alter their gameplay -- but they already have all characters so there is no impact.

    But when you have a game where the faster and sooner you can get one of the top tier meta characters (especially in regards to how rewards were previously handled out) the easier* it becomes to get more rewards. More rewards increases the width and depth of that players roster, which makes it easier for those players to absorb nerfs. On the flipside, the slower players earn a top tier meta character, the slower they gain those rewards. So while the nerf in theory effects everyone, it effects the non-top tier people more than it effects them.

    And this isn't conjecture. Nerfing Sentry Bombing after months of it had long term Sentry bombers in a better position to avoid to move along with the new meta than non-Sentry Bombers for example.

    And while buffs may provide a disproportionate benefit as well, any benefit > any harm.


    * easier in comparison to those without. For context, we do have to ignore the RNG factor of five stars, but we can also assume that a more developed roster has higher chances of getting 5*.

    Your logic is incorrect if proper nerfs are made. When a character or a few characters ruin an entire tier of characters or warp the intended gameplay, anyone who doesn't have those characters has no hope. If balance is more equal along the measure, then you still have a chance with whatever character you happen to have. I think you're misunderstanding. This is not about, "That character has power, nerf!". Its about game warping characters and ridiculous imbalances.

    I actually think you are missing James' point wirius. James is saying that, if not done quickly, nerfing powerful characters in a collectible game like MPQ (where having a better roster makes it easier to get new stuff), just exacerbates the rich-get-richer dynamics. The vets who get powerful characters quickly can use those characters to get other characters. So when the nerfs come and the meta changes, those vets have deep rosters and can just switch to the new meta. The people who are most "hurt" by nerfs are the second tier players who scrape their way into the meta characters just before the nerfs happen. Those players have expended resources chasing the meta, only to reach it and discover that the rules had changed. When characters are overpowerful, it's important to do the nerfs quickly. That limits the ability of those who get the OP characters early to leverage their competitive advantage. So perhaps the best feature of the new balance strategy is that tweaks will be made each season.

    OneLastGambit: Your argument about 4* tier health is fine in a vacuum, but breaks down a bit in a collectible game like MPQ where players can make some choices about what characters to build, but only have a limited roster that takes time to grow. Tier diversity is a desirable goal. But diversity does little for players who don't actually have access to a broad swath of characters. (none of which is to say that some nerfs aren't appropriate).
  • lovesthempq
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    New players may be unfamiliar with the nerfs that have gone before .... in the game's first ~18 months, while the character design crew found their way, their were a ton of nerfs and buffs, several spectacular.

    This old thread is pretty dusty now, roughly 16 months old, was collected right after the 4Thor and XFW nerfs. Still I hope the young'ns find it educational ...

    The Most Humiliating Nerfs ... EVER!

    I didn't have a well-covered Sentry when he was nerfed. Amazing to look back at him, considering that his pre-nerf stats wouldn't be out of place at all in today's game. Would 'old' Sentry be a top-10 3* in today's game?

    Just another reminder to nerf lightly, if at all. As was said somewhere else, a while ago JeanBuster was everywhere in PvP, and now it's mostly moved on to other characters and combinations. They didn't have to nerf Jean or IMHB to change the meta, just give your players time and resources to build a more diverse roster.
  • wirius
    wirius Posts: 667
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    I got his point Vail, and its still an incorrect point. Here's a comparison.

    Prior to nerf

    Char A Char B Char C Char D
    Power 7 4 3 2

    Char A is clearly overpowered. Anyone who does not have Char A does not have a prayer. Most players own B-D

    Post nerf

    Char A Char B Char C Char D
    Power 3 4 3 2

    Now that Char A is not overpowered, most people who owned A and C are on equal footing. D is a little less equal footing, but not so much that it can't compete. Competing at a 2 to obtain a 4 is much easer then competing at a 2 or 3 to obtain a 4. MORE people can compete after a nerf, and people. Sure, people with Char A prior to the nerf may have all the other characters, but everyone can still compete easier. And if you DIDN'T nerf A, well, people with A would be getting much rich much quicker in the future then after the post nerf.

    The argument that nerfs hurt lower rosters ability to obtain the best doesn't make any sense.
  • Quebbster
    Quebbster Posts: 8,070 Chairperson of the Boards
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    lovesthebj wrote:
    New players may be unfamiliar with the nerfs that have gone before .... in the game's first ~18 months, while the character design crew found their way, their were a ton of nerfs and buffs, several spectacular.

    This old thread is pretty dusty now, roughly 16 months old, was collected right after the 4Thor and XFW nerfs. Still I hope the young'ns find it educational ...

    The Most Humiliating Nerfs ... EVER!

    I didn't have a well-covered Sentry when he was nerfed. Amazing to look back at him, considering that his pre-nerf stats wouldn't be out of place at all in today's game. Would 'old' Sentry be a top-10 3* in today's game?

    Just another reminder to nerf lightly, if at all. As was said somewhere else, a while ago JeanBuster was everywhere in PvP, and now it's mostly moved on to other characters and combinations. They didn't have to nerf Jean or IMHB to change the meta, just give your players time and resources to build a more diverse roster.
    Yes, Sentry would still be a top 3* today, though he might struggle against 4* teams. Still, he was able to deal insane amounts of damage in no time at all, and that's never a bad thing.
  • JamesV
    JamesV Posts: 98 Match Maker
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    wirius wrote:
    I got his point Vail, and its still an incorrect point. Here's a comparison.

    Prior to nerf

    Char A Char B Char C Char D
    Power 7 4 3 2

    Char A is clearly overpowered. Anyone who does not have Char A does not have a prayer. Most players own B-D

    Post nerf

    Char A Char B Char C Char D
    Power 3 4 3 2

    Now that Char A is not overpowered, most people who owned A and C are on equal footing. D is a little less equal footing, but not so much that it can't compete. Competing at a 2 to obtain a 4 is much easer then competing at a 2 or 3 to obtain a 4. MORE people can compete after a nerf, and people. Sure, people with Char A prior to the nerf may have all the other characters, but everyone can still compete easier. And if you DIDN'T nerf A, well, people with A would be getting much rich much quicker in the future then after the post nerf.

    The argument that nerfs hurt lower rosters ability to obtain the best doesn't make any sense.

    Your example is accurate and correct. Though it assumes, much like a Street Fighter or a Starcraft, that the player owns all of the covers of said character -- or enough to use the character functionally. But that's not the case. Pound for pound, players who have the top end of the meta have an easier time having more covers for other characters. Yes, RNG factors in, but when you have the essential every time, when you can hit 1000 in every PVP (and when you were capable of hitting 1300 when that was a 4* cover or getting the legendary), etc. you have a better roster. Better roster more flexibility against nerfs.

    The concern that I am expressing with nerfs is that because A characters and their brethren have defined the meta for so long, coupled with the length of time to cover a character, that it is the people just behind the curve and below who will shoulder more of it. To use a practical example: Players who could Sentry bomb had a better chance of getting Thoress... And two weeks after she was released, Sentry Bomb was nerfed and the meta soon shifted to Thorverine. So players who were working towards the meta were now behind the meta again.

    Now Sentry Bombing was pretty bad and toxic for the game and it made sense to Nerf it out. Now we have nearly twice the number of characters (maybe more) that were around at that point and that means huge meta changes can cause huge ripples. The heads of the meta will always be in the best chance to absorb said ripples.

    I think there's a place for nerfs and balancing. I think swift nerfs or iterative nerfs are better than massive nerfs. And I think parts of a power should be changed individually to find that sweet spot (cost or damage but not both). And I'm totally willing to see if this new design philosophy works out.

    But in games like MPQ nerfs are inherently more harmful than buffs when it comes to how they impact players.
  • Vhailorx
    Vhailorx Posts: 6,085 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Quebbster: sentry would be meh in the current environment. He does damage fast, but not enough to down boosted 4*s or 5*s.

    Plus ap boosts have been nerfed, so you could reliably get off both world rupture and sacrifice with just 1 match each.

    I think even if they had left him alone, sentry would have been out of the meta by june 2015 when so boosting had been nerfed, and both imhb and Iron fist were released. Imhb can survive even a full sentry bomb, and fist buster is about as fast a tactic as sentry bombing would be when (1) it's not a one hit kill, and (2) you can start with 6 yellow and green ap).

    Wirius: you are making an argument for why nerfing OP characters is generally good for the game. It's a solid argument and I agree!

    James was explaining why it's especially bad, in a game,like mpq, to release an OP character, wait a long time, and then nerf the OP character into the ground. In some ways, nerfing implemented in that fashion is worse than doing nothing, because it doesn't hurt the elites, and does hurt those latecomers who spent resources chasing the old meta.

    Your points aren't mutually exclusive. The dangers of needing badly don't mean that nerfing shouldn't be done. It just means that nerfing should probably be done quickly and for incrementallly (no one complains about the if nerf because it was done within weeks of his release, was justified by how strong he was at release, and was small enough to leave him very functional).
  • SnowcaTT
    SnowcaTT Posts: 3,486 Chairperson of the Boards
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    D3 - please look at your BoP data.

    Where EVERY CHARACTER is the same level.
    And basically EVERY PLAYER has some max covered characters to use.

    And do you want to know which ONE CHARACTER I'm seeing at a 50%+ clip? Out-pacing even the highly-used IM40 in this event?
    Do you want to know how often I've seen that ONE CHARACTER used at a 50% clip, despite that he's NOT COVERED?
    So players are willing to use an UNCOVERED character instead of any of 100+ other characters they may have covered?!?

    Did you guess The Only Character That Matters? I bet you did! Because you see him everywhere too!

    I am sick of waiting for the OML nerf - there are huge indicators all over the game that he is a massive problem.
    No true healing and he'd have high use in PVP but you wouldn't see him -everywhere- like you do today.
  • Vhailorx
    Vhailorx Posts: 6,085 Chairperson of the Boards
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    SnowcaTT wrote:
    D3 - please look at your BoP data.

    Where EVERY CHARACTER is the same level.
    And basically EVERY PLAYER has some max covered characters to use.

    And do you want to know which ONE CHARACTER I'm seeing at a 50%+ clip? Out-pacing even the highly-used IM40 in this event?
    Do you want to know how often I've seen that ONE CHARACTER used at a 50% clip, despite that he's NOT COVERED?
    So players are willing to use an UNCOVERED character instead of any of 100+ other characters they may have covered?!?

    Did you guess The Only Character That Matters? I bet you did! Because you see him everywhere too!

    I am sick of waiting for the OML nerf - there are huge indicators all over the game that he is a massive problem.
    No true healing and he'd have high use in PVP but you wouldn't see him -everywhere- like you do today.

    Haven't seen oml at all in bop so far. And people who use him are either stupid or Haven't read character stats in the game. 5*s are much much weaker than 4*s in bop.
  • simonsez
    simonsez Posts: 4,663 Chairperson of the Boards
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    SnowcaTT wrote:
    D3 - please look at your BoP data.

    Where EVERY CHARACTER is the same level.
    And basically EVERY PLAYER has some max covered characters to use.

    And do you want to know which ONE CHARACTER I'm seeing at a 50%+ clip?
    #1 - I was 100% convinced you were talking about IM40.

    #2 - Give people a reasonable chance to get a BSS, GG, Bolt or 5* IM, and you'd be seeing a lot less OML.
  • akboyce
    akboyce Posts: 283 Mover and Shaker
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    simonsez wrote:
    SnowcaTT wrote:
    D3 - please look at your BoP data.

    Where EVERY CHARACTER is the same level.
    And basically EVERY PLAYER has some max covered characters to use.

    And do you want to know which ONE CHARACTER I'm seeing at a 50%+ clip?
    #1 - I was 100% convinced you were talking about IM40.

    #2 - Give people a reasonable chance to get a BSS, GG, Bolt or 5* IM, and you'd be seeing a lot less OML.


    Bouncing off the back of the BoP data idea I wonder what an event where everyone had everything would look like. What teams and characters would rise to the top of the leaderboards if for just one weekend you could use anyone at their peak.

    What happens if you remove 5 stars?

    What happens if you run it every other week and each time you remove the top performing characters from the previous event?

    Obviously not a perfect test since you would expect people to perform better with what they are familiar and practiced with but it sure sounds like it would be a fun experiment. Other than the time and cost to create such a system of course.
  • simonsez
    simonsez Posts: 4,663 Chairperson of the Boards
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    akboyce wrote:
    Obviously not a perfect test since you would expect people to perform better with what they are familiar and practiced with but it sure sounds like it would be a fun experiment. Other than the time and cost to create such a system of course.
    Much simpler: add a second PvP event in which no 5*s were allowed, and hb, jg, rhulk, iceman and cyke were never buffed.
  • GrumpySmurf1002
    GrumpySmurf1002 Posts: 3,511 Chairperson of the Boards
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    simonsez wrote:
    #1 - I was 100% convinced you were talking about IM40.

    Seconded. I've seen IM40 in probably 90%. I've seen IM40-RHulk in well over 50%. If it's not them, it's basically winfinite.

    I've seen maybe 2 OMLs so far, and fought both because it was a helluva lot easier than IM40-RHulk (esp with Peggy 3rd, which is also super common)