New Changes to PVP and Clearnance Levels Are Fair

Vhailorx

dsds wrote:

The Herald wrote:

As a 3* player, who progressed effectively the first time last season, I am now screwed.

I now get stuck about 800 points. Not even 850. Juuuuust below advancing my roster.

Yeah, it's SUPER FAIR if you already got yours. Screw everyone else until the end of time, right?

You are not screwed, you just got brought back down to level everyone else is at. This is the game is intended design. Besides 800 gets you a luke cage cover which gets you are 4* at level 183.

I didn't get mine? My roster is pretty close to yours. I just think it's fair now because everyone's at the same level. Your skill matters now. Instead of like before where you can have no skill, as long as you find those cupcakes, you can get your 1000-1300. No effort, no skill needed to eat cupcakes. Just the right time and know the right people is all that is required.

It's been said before, but this isn't true. This is a game that rewards roster depth, ability to grind for long periods of time, and willingness to spend $ WAY more than skill. There are very few scenarios wherein actual player skill makes a different. in order to eat cupcakes, it was necessary to climb to 800-1100 points (depending on slice and timing) "straight up." It required exactly as much effort as current pvp. Only now 4* transitioners that put in that effort are stuck in a target-poor environment above 800 points and can't float for more than few minutes. pure 3* players can still push to the 800range if they know what they are doing, pure 4* players can still push to 900, and 5* players can push to 1.2k and beyond without shielding. The only change is that 3* and 4* players no longer have any path to 1.2k that doesn't involve an absurd amount of shields (which is a bad deal for players even without regard for money. Shield hopping with cooldowns is a pain in the ****).

In general dsds, I have a hard time understanding your position. the PVP changes have made very little difference for you, but have substantially harmed some 4* players. The only people who truly benefit from this change are demi/d3, who give out fewer CP and seem to think that means they will sell more HP or something.

(But I definitely agree that 10cp at 575 is a huge improvement for everyone!)

As for intended gameplay: who cares! Demi thinks moonstone is awesome and uses words like fun and challenging to describe shield cooldowns. Just because they want the game to operate in a particular fashion doesn't mean that we should accept their vision as correct.

dsds

Vhailorx wrote:

dsds wrote:

The Herald wrote:

As a 3* player, who progressed effectively the first time last season, I am now screwed.

I now get stuck about 800 points. Not even 850. Juuuuust below advancing my roster.

Yeah, it's SUPER FAIR if you already got yours. Screw everyone else until the end of time, right?

You are not screwed, you just got brought back down to level everyone else is at. This is the game is intended design. Besides 800 gets you a luke cage cover which gets you are 4* at level 183.

I didn't get mine? My roster is pretty close to yours. I just think it's fair now because everyone's at the same level. Your skill matters now. Instead of like before where you can have no skill, as long as you find those cupcakes, you can get your 1000-1300. No effort, no skill needed to eat cupcakes. Just the right time and know the right people is all that is required.

It's been said before, but this isn't true. This is a game that rewards roster depth, ability to grind for long periods of time, and willingness to spend $ WAY more than skill. There are very few scenarios wherein actual player skill makes a different. in order to eat cupcakes, it was necessary to climb to 800-1100 points (depending on slice and timing) "straight up." It required exactly as much effort as current pvp. Only now 4* transitioners that put in that effort are stuck in a target-poor environment above 800 points and can't float for more than few minutes. pure 3* players can still push to the 800range if they know what they are doing, pure 4* players can still push to 900, and 5* players can push to 1.2k and beyond without shielding. The only change is that 3* and 4* players no longer have any path to 1.2k that doesn't involve an absurd amount of shields (which is a bad deal for players even without regard for money. Shield hopping with cooldowns is a pain in the ****).

In general dsds, I have a hard time understanding your position. the PVP changes very little difference for you, but have substantially harmed some 4* players. The only people who truly benefit from this change are demi/d3, who give out fewer CP and seem to think that means they will sell more HP or something.

(But I definitely agree that 10cp at 575 is a huge improvement for everyone!)

As for intended gameplay: who cares! Demi thinks moonstone is awesome and uses words like fun and challenging to describe shield cooldowns. Just because they want the game to operate in a particular fashion doesn't mean that we should accept their vision as correct.

PVP changes haven't substantially hurt anyone. You are writing under the assumption that cupcakes were a valid form of play. We have been told by the developers, they did no condone it. You don't have to accept their vision. But they will impose it on you and the only decision you can make is whether to accept it or to quit. I will be honest, I have faced that decision many times. Especially during those ridiculous cascades that can't possibly be random.

The rewards you got from the cupcakes, you were not entitled to. This is my point. I don't understand how people can say it is fun when cupcakes were around when there was absolutely no challenge. Does everyone like to take the easy way out or cheat to win? Where is the honesty and integrity? I was referring to skill compared with cupcakes. I never said that PVP was easy. But there should be some requirement of skill. How much skill does it take to beat 1* team for 75pts compared with having to fight a champed 4* or 5* team for 50 points and just taking the gamble that you will win. That's what I did with the cage pvp. The sense of accomplish is much bigger when you are fighting harder odds because you knew you worked for it just like in real life.

The game developers will always try to change the game to it's vision. I have now realized this and when that vision is not inline with my expectations of the game, i will probably leave. But I am not delusional to think that somehow the developers will stop trying to change the game to their vision and miraculously their vision will align with my values. It's a company to make money, some decisions will be unpopular, while some will be.

The ISO exploit recently, I was pretty angry about. But I got over it. You will get over this cupcake issue too.

broll

madsalad wrote:

I think some more tweaking is required.

I couldn't agree more!



Wait what? He said tweaking.... oh...

But in all seriousness yes PvP needs some serious tweaking.

cyineedsn

dsds wrote:

The rewards you got from the cupcakes, you were not entitled to. This is my point. I don't understand how people can say it is fun when cupcakes were around when there was absolutely no challenge. Does everyone like to take the easy way out or cheat to win? Where is the honesty and integrity? I was referring to skill compared with cupcakes. I never said that PVP was easy. But there should be some requirement of skill. How much skill does it take to beat 1* team for 75pts compared with having to fight a champed 4* or 5* team for 50 points and just taking the gamble that you will win. That's what I did with the cage pvp. The sense of accomplish is much bigger when you are fighting harder odds because you knew you worked for it just like in real life.

The game developers will always try to change the game to it's vision. I have now realized this and when that vision is not inline with my expectations of the game, i will probably leave. But I am not delusional to think that somehow the developers will stop trying to change the game to their vision and miraculously their vision will align with my values. It's a company to make money, some decisions will be unpopular, while some will be.

The ISO exploit recently, I was pretty angry about. But I got over it. You will get over this cupcake issue too.

If we're discussing risk vs reward here, then PVP needs some pretty big tweaking to come back into line with PVE. The risk, or how about...effort, required to hit max progression in pvp, is about 10x more than the somewhat half asleep matches I play on the train to and from work to get max progression in PVE. In my fresh cut bracket it looks like it is once again on pace for 10-12 people to hit max progression. In heroic jugg I got max progression and stopped and finished 207th. That doesn't seem like good ratios there

So either a) PVP max progression is overtuned, b) PVE is meant to be easier than PVP, c) we should be arguing that PVE is too easy and alot of people are not entitled/don't deserve to be reaching max progression d) some combination of all the above e) something else I'm not seeing

GurlBYE

The Herald wrote:

As a 3* player, who progressed effectively the first time last season, I am now screwed.

I now get stuck about 800 points. Not even 850. Juuuuust below advancing my roster.

Yeah, it's SUPER FAIR if you already got yours. Screw everyone else until the end of time, right?

It seems like no one cares about 3* players.

Everyone just pretends it's 4 and up now.

GurlBYE

dsds wrote:

The ISO exploit recently, I was pretty angry about. But I got over it. You will get over this cupcake issue too.

Defensive team changes hurt variety and pvp and the same alliances still want 2000 points, those points are coming from lower players instead of coming from each other now.

Honestly it's hard to hold a discussion when you just brought honesty and integrity into a video game. So I won't go much further, it seems like you are less trying to discuss and more trying to speak.

Crowl

cyineedsn wrote:

So either a) PVP max progression is overtuned, b) PVE is meant to be easier than PVP, c) we should be arguing that PVE is too easy and alot of people are not entitled/don't deserve to be reaching max progression d) some combination of all the above e) something else I'm not seeing

Maybe max progression in pvp is just not meant to be as readily accessible as the way to balance rewards with pve, which requires more time but you can eventually grind your way to the rewards.

Another way of looking at things would be how much you would typically get from 4 days of both pvp and pve, for a 900 point player you would get 2x 3*, 2x 4* and 20 cp from 2 events, whereas in pve you would get 4-5x 3*, 1x 4* and 25 cp from a 4 day event.

GurlBYE

Crowl wrote:

cyineedsn wrote:

So either a) PVP max progression is overtuned, b) PVE is meant to be easier than PVP, c) we should be arguing that PVE is too easy and alot of people are not entitled/don't deserve to be reaching max progression d) some combination of all the above e) something else I'm not seeing

Maybe max progression in pvp is just not meant to be as readily accessible as the way to balance rewards with pve, which requires more time but you can eventually grind your way to the rewards.

Another way of looking at things would be how much you would typically get from 4 days of both pvp and pve, for a 900 point player you would get 2x 3*, 2x 4* and 20 cp from 2 events, whereas in pve you would get 4-5x 3*, 1x 4* and 25 cp from a 4 day event.

As it stands in pve a 3 star player (no not maxed and champed, just covered and leveled a decent amount) can get 3 stars.

In pvp that isn't possible until they are champed and spend HP and pick the rigthtbracket at the right hour.

cyineedsn

Crowl wrote:

cyineedsn wrote:

So either a) PVP max progression is overtuned, b) PVE is meant to be easier than PVP, c) we should be arguing that PVE is too easy and alot of people are not entitled/don't deserve to be reaching max progression d) some combination of all the above e) something else I'm not seeing

Maybe max progression in pvp is just not meant to be as readily accessible as the way to balance rewards with pve, which requires more time but you can eventually grind your way to the rewards.

Another way of looking at things would be how much you would typically get from 4 days of both pvp and pve, for a 900 point player you would get 2x 3*, 2x 4* and 20 cp from 2 events, whereas in pve you would get 4-5x 3*, 1x 4* and 25 cp from a 4 day event.

So.... b) it is then, since PVP events are shorter. If we're in agreement that 4* rosters should mostly only be relegated to getting the 10cp and rarely (or at great cost) the extra 15cp, then....okay I guess

tiomono

Vhailorx wrote:

The only people who truly benefit from this change are demi/d3, who give out fewer CP and seem to think that means they will sell more HP or something.

(But I definitely agree that 10cp at 575 is a huge improvement for everyone!)

I think now they are probably giving out more cp. The 10 at 575 is way more accessible than 25 at 1300. More people will be hitting 575 than total amount that were hitting 1300 before the change. Also with recent changes to PvE they are giving more cp with less effort.

AtlasAxe

Vhailorx wrote:

dsds wrote:

The Herald wrote:

As a 3* player, who progressed effectively the first time last season, I am now screwed.

I now get stuck about 800 points. Not even 850. Juuuuust below advancing my roster.

Yeah, it's SUPER FAIR if you already got yours. Screw everyone else until the end of time, right?

You are not screwed, you just got brought back down to level everyone else is at. This is the game is intended design. Besides 800 gets you a luke cage cover which gets you are 4* at level 183.

I didn't get mine? My roster is pretty close to yours. I just think it's fair now because everyone's at the same level. Your skill matters now. Instead of like before where you can have no skill, as long as you find those cupcakes, you can get your 1000-1300. No effort, no skill needed to eat cupcakes. Just the right time and know the right people is all that is required.

It's been said before, but this isn't true. This is a game that rewards roster depth, ability to grind for long periods of time, and willingness to spend $ WAY more than skill. There are very few scenarios wherein actual player skill makes a different. in order to eat cupcakes, it was necessary to climb to 800-1100 points (depending on slice and timing) "straight up." It required exactly as much effort as current pvp. Only now 4* transitioners that put in that effort are stuck in a target-poor environment above 800 points and can't float for more than few minutes. pure 3* players can still push to the 800range if they know what they are doing, pure 4* players can still push to 900, and 5* players can push to 1.2k and beyond without shielding. The only change is that 3* and 4* players no longer have any path to 1.2k that doesn't involve an absurd amount of shields (which is a bad deal for players even without regard for money. Shield hopping with cooldowns is a pain in the ****).

In general dsds, I have a hard time understanding your position. the PVP changes have made very little difference for you, but have substantially harmed some 4* players. The only people who truly benefit from this change are demi/d3, who give out fewer CP and seem to think that means they will sell more HP or something.

(But I definitely agree that 10cp at 575 is a huge improvement for everyone!)

As for intended gameplay: who cares! Demi thinks moonstone is awesome and uses words like fun and challenging to describe shield cooldowns. Just because they want the game to operate in a particular fashion doesn't mean that we should accept their vision as correct.

This.

Before cupcakes were a thing, I was taught by a good player how to hit 1k with a 3* roster using the then existing MMR/matchmaking/shielding. It was not risk-free, but it also was also doable with reasonable teams. It required beating A teams, which I certainly didn't have a problem with.

I am a 4* transitioner (I have five of the best ones champed, along with 3 decently leveled 5*, but not enough to guarantee a boosted every week). You'd think that with the removal of the ability to cupcake, it would be easy for me to go back to the pre-cake strategy and hit the 1-1.2k range. Not even close - because the other changes since then have made it so the matches available ensure a long slug-fest per match, and a defensive beat-down that on average consumes 90% of the points achievable winning matches. It's a slogging crawl to get to 1.2k. At some time in every event I've hit 1100. Only one have I ended above 1.2k. Last time I hit 1100 and got beat so hard in one hop that I ended up giving it up and finishing 940 rather than spending more on shields. I'm at the point where I'm debating whether I want to play Psylocke, or even play at all for the remainder of the season.

I can't imagine what a 3* roster faces.

The enjoyment of playing is what provides me value in any game. I have other things I can spend my time and money on, and huge commitments elsewhere. My game time is an extremely valuable, scarce commodity to me right now. I've really enjoyed the game in past. At present, my enjoyment is at it's lowest. I'm mostly hanging with the game just in hopes that a) Anniversary will be fun and b) they fix the tinykitty that is now PvP.

MrCrowley

Atlas Axe wrote:

This.

Before cupcakes were a thing, I was taught by a good player how to hit 1k with a 3* roster using the then existing MMR/matchmaking/shielding. It was not risk-free, but it also was also doable with reasonable teams. It required beating A teams, which I certainly didn't have a problem with.

I am a 4* transitioner (I have five of the best ones champed, along with 3 decently leveled 5*, but not enough to guarantee a boosted every week). You'd think that with the removal of the ability to cupcake, it would be easy for me to go back to the pre-cake strategy and hit the 1-1.2k range. Not even close - because the other changes since then have made it so the matches available ensure a long slug-fest per match, and a defensive beat-down that on average consumes 90% of the points achievable winning matches. It's a slogging crawl to get to 1.2k. At some time in every event I've hit 1100. Only one have I ended above 1.2k. Last time I hit 1100 and got beat so hard in one hop that I ended up giving it up and finishing 940 rather than spending more on shields. I'm at the point where I'm debating whether I want to play Psylocke, or even play at all for the remainder of the season.

I can't imagine what a 3* roster faces.

The enjoyment of playing is what provides me value in any game. I have other things I can spend my time and money on, and huge commitments elsewhere. My game time is an extremely valuable, scarce commodity to me right now. I've really enjoyed the game in past. At present, my enjoyment is at it's lowest. I'm mostly hanging with the game just in hopes that a) Anniversary will be fun and b) they fix the tinykitty that is now PvP.

Hoping for exactly the same thing.

In the CC era a PVP event was a multi part thing. First you had some easy matches. Then you had to play up to 800 - 900 vs. some similar teams as your own. Then you had to find cc and dodge the big dogs.

Now you roll up to 500, then you start struggling and at around 900 you stop playing.

I am a 4s player and I find this new PVP model extremely boring. Unless I happen to have a boosted champed 4s I cant dream of going higher than 900. And even if I have that champ, 1.2k is out of reach.

What the change did was to cut off the progression off the top and reduce the variety of teams I will meet during my struggle to the top progressions. This is very much reducing the time I use for playing and also my interest in the game.

The 15 cp I am not reaching is something that will make the strong even stronger during the time when I struggle to get even a few more 5s covers or to get the extremely rare single color cover for a 4s I want to champ.

Jexman

I love PVP since the changes because I've hit 900 in each event, and as a 4* transitioner that makes a huge difference. My roster *finally* feels like it's developing.

BUT...someone said something about how the game is now about "skill", and even though I hit day 1000 yesterday...it's just a match-3. there's next to no skill here. I'm here for the grind, I've been here for the grind since day 1. Maybe I get a few more 4 in a rows than I used to, I suppose that's something of skill, but otherwise...it's just click click click. That's what I'm here for! It's no shame! But it'll never be a skill game.

MrCrowley

Jexman wrote:

I love PVP since the changes because I've hit 900 in each event, and as a 4* transitioner that makes a huge difference. My roster *finally* feels like it's developing.

BUT...someone said something about how the game is now about "skill", and even though I hit day 1000 yesterday...it's just a match-3. there's next to no skill here. I'm here for the grind, I've been here for the grind since day 1. Maybe I get a few more 4 in a rows than I used to, I suppose that's something of skill, but otherwise...it's just click click click. That's what I'm here for! It's no shame! But it'll never be a skill game.

The skill is in the meta-game:
Which characters to level first?
Which teams to use for each match?
How to manage the health packs vs. the scoring target you have?
How does your team match up to the enemy team?
When to join a bracket?
When to play your climbs?

People who know how to do this stuff dont realize it is a skill, because it seems like it is automatic behaviour that you have learned over time. But that is what skills are to some extent, instinctive stuff that you have drilled in over repetitive tasks.

The execution of a single match is just about routine and speed. Skill is no longer important, or at least the skill ceiling is limited to being able to spot match-4 possibilities and multi-match3 possibilities.

ruyen

Atlas Axe wrote:

... because the other changes since then have made it so the matches available ensure a long slug-fest per match, and a defensive beat-down that on average consumes 90% of the points achievable winning matches. It's a slogging crawl to get to 1.2k. At some time in every event I've hit 1100. Only one have I ended above 1.2k. Last time I hit 1100 and got beat so hard in one hop that I ended up giving it up and finishing 940 rather than spending more on shields. I'm at the point where I'm debating whether I want to play Psylocke, or even play at all for the remainder of the season.

I can't imagine what a 3* roster faces.

The enjoyment of playing is what provides me value in any game. I have other things I can spend my time and money on, and huge commitments elsewhere. My game time is an extremely valuable, scarce commodity to me right now. I've really enjoyed the game in past. At present, my enjoyment is at it's lowest. I'm mostly hanging with the game just in hopes that a) Anniversary will be fun and b) they fix the tinykitty that is now PvP.

You're not alone, not by a longshot.

You hear that Demiurge? Or was it D3 who pushed for this as a cash-grab to sell more HP to shield-hoppers?

Polares

Jexman wrote:

BUT...someone said something about how the game is now about "skill", and even though I hit day 1000 yesterday...it's just a match-3. there's next to no skill here. I'm here for the grind, I've been here for the grind since day 1. Maybe I get a few more 4 in a rows than I used to, I suppose that's something of skill, but otherwise...it's just click click click. That's what I'm here for! It's no shame! But it'll never be a skill game.

Yeah I agree, I have to say than more than skill, it is a bit of luck what you need. Luck to not be found by too many people when over 900, luck to not have cascades in the AI favour, etc, etc.

Some things have improved in the new model, but some things still need to improve. As I said it before loses from people climbing should not affect people hoping that much. Lose a hop because you have been hit twice by someone 700 points below you is a bummer.

BassMuffinFIve

Polares wrote:

As I said it before loses from people climbing should not affect people hoping that much.

Don't let MPQ affect your hope.

D3 2016

dsds

There is so much randomness in this game. It is not even funny. But there is some skill in it. This is what will make you different than other players. Everyone has good luck and bad luck. Some days, some people will do better than others, that is definitely random and cannot be avoided. I've argued on both sides before. This game has so much randomness in terms of the initial board, the cascades and even the characters that are available to you. No denying that this game is very similar to a slot machine in a casino. Sometimes it feels like at the start of a match you pull a lever and then the slot machine spins and spins, then finally it will land on "win" or "lose". The only difference is that you have to keep pushing buttons to keep the wheel spinning until it ultimately stops.

I mean you can just sit there and whine about the randomness or you can try to control it work it to your favor. Many things in life are uncontrollable and completely random just like this game. But why focus on those things, when you could focus on what you can change and make a better gaming experience for yourself? I've said this before but skill is about 40-50% of the game. Choices such as tactical retreat even though you lose points is something that is possible (when the bug hasn't hit us and retreat only costs 10% of health) Pick high points and fight harder battles. For instance, I would choose a 60 pt target full of 4* compared to a 25pt target full of 3*. The reason is that I can retreat and lose very little points fighting the 4* team whereas if luck was bad for me fighting the 3*, I'd still have to slog it out due to the much more significant point loss.

When making matches, know your odds and sometimes gamble on them. A lot of times you can't see what color is coming up next but you know your chances of the color you need so you make reasonable choices based on the probabilities. So sometimes you take the chance and gamble. Know which colors to use first. For instance 4thor you use blue first then red to get maximum damage. With champion levels, you can now tweak the colors to the match. With IM40 in my team, I never have 4thor yellow more than 3 levels. This gives me 3 stuns for blue and red at maximum damage. With 4thor, it makes the matches go very very fast. This is all skill. The more you play, the more you will know the team. You will never learn the skill part through eating cupcakes all day.

Edit: I can't stress the tactical retreat enough. Sometimes I think through my moves 2-3 turns ahead, and I just can't see any yellow. I could either keep going hoping for yellow or enough blue and red, and never find it. Not only would I lose the match with no health left, but I am open longer for people to attack me and lose even more points. So sometimes, i just retreat and take the 10-15pt hit and try again. I may have enough health left to fight again without using health packs. I really hope they fix the 30% health retreat bug soon!

alphabeta

dsds wrote:

You will never learn the skill part through eating cupcakes all day.

You make it sound like people where eating cupcakes all the way up. You had to climb to 750 / 800 on a teams before you could start q'ing them so people did know how to play. The different in the cupcake era was there where readily available points that meant you could then quickly climb past the progressions score of 1300 and on and upwards.

Now past 900 4* rosters and 5* transitioners are hoping doing 2 fights and crawling up towrds progression.

For whatever the right and wrongs of cupcake the game is infinitely more borings and slower as a result of their absence because the reasons they came into existence all still exist and haven't been addressed but the solution the prevailed has.

I'm hitting progression and I'm spending less HP on shields because I and a lot of my alliance mates are hitting 1200 and done - the risk reward of continuing to play a game that is supposed to be fun and diverting has disappeared.

I may not bother returning next season - not because I want to score insanely but because the game is less fun that it was and therefore there are more fun things to do - that's not healthy for the long term viability of the game because I'm far from the only one saying this

Sword user

Atlas Axe wrote:

Vhailorx wrote:

dsds wrote:

The Herald wrote:

As a 3* player, who progressed effectively the first time last season, I am now screwed.

I now get stuck about 800 points. Not even 850. Juuuuust below advancing my roster.

Yeah, it's SUPER FAIR if you already got yours. Screw everyone else until the end of time, right?

You are not screwed, you just got brought back down to level everyone else is at. This is the game is intended design. Besides 800 gets you a luke cage cover which gets you are 4* at level 183.

I didn't get mine? My roster is pretty close to yours. I just think it's fair now because everyone's at the same level. Your skill matters now. Instead of like before where you can have no skill, as long as you find those cupcakes, you can get your 1000-1300. No effort, no skill needed to eat cupcakes. Just the right time and know the right people is all that is required.

It's been said before, but this isn't true. This is a game that rewards roster depth, ability to grind for long periods of time, and willingness to spend $ WAY more than skill. There are very few scenarios wherein actual player skill makes a different. in order to eat cupcakes, it was necessary to climb to 800-1100 points (depending on slice and timing) "straight up." It required exactly as much effort as current pvp. Only now 4* transitioners that put in that effort are stuck in a target-poor environment above 800 points and can't float for more than few minutes. pure 3* players can still push to the 800range if they know what they are doing, pure 4* players can still push to 900, and 5* players can push to 1.2k and beyond without shielding. The only change is that 3* and 4* players no longer have any path to 1.2k that doesn't involve an absurd amount of shields (which is a bad deal for players even without regard for money. Shield hopping with cooldowns is a pain in the ****).

In general dsds, I have a hard time understanding your position. the PVP changes have made very little difference for you, but have substantially harmed some 4* players. The only people who truly benefit from this change are demi/d3, who give out fewer CP and seem to think that means they will sell more HP or something.

(But I definitely agree that 10cp at 575 is a huge improvement for everyone!)

As for intended gameplay: who cares! Demi thinks moonstone is awesome and uses words like fun and challenging to describe shield cooldowns. Just because they want the game to operate in a particular fashion doesn't mean that we should accept their vision as correct.

This.

Before cupcakes were a thing, I was taught by a good player how to hit 1k with a 3* roster using the then existing MMR/matchmaking/shielding. It was not risk-free, but it also was also doable with reasonable teams. It required beating A teams, which I certainly didn't have a problem with.

I am a 4* transitioner (I have five of the best ones champed, along with 3 decently leveled 5*, but not enough to guarantee a boosted every week). You'd think that with the removal of the ability to cupcake, it would be easy for me to go back to the pre-cake strategy and hit the 1-1.2k range. Not even close - because the other changes since then have made it so the matches available ensure a long slug-fest per match, and a defensive beat-down that on average consumes 90% of the points achievable winning matches. It's a slogging crawl to get to 1.2k. At some time in every event I've hit 1100. Only one have I ended above 1.2k. Last time I hit 1100 and got beat so hard in one hop that I ended up giving it up and finishing 940 rather than spending more on shields. I'm at the point where I'm debating whether I want to play Psylocke, or even play at all for the remainder of the season.

I can't imagine what a 3* roster faces.

The enjoyment of playing is what provides me value in any game. I have other things I can spend my time and money on, and huge commitments elsewhere. My game time is an extremely valuable, scarce commodity to me right now. I've really enjoyed the game in past. At present, my enjoyment is at it's lowest. I'm mostly hanging with the game just in hopes that a) Anniversary will be fun and b) they fix the tinykitty that is now PvP.

This, this, 1000% this. I am a 4* to 5* transitioner, and I've dropped a some dollars on the game, but the frustration of long battles and getting hit is doing the game in for me. I have 10-12 champed 4* and not a single 5* that has any reasonable power (0/5/5 Phoenix, 5/1/2 oml), there's no substitute or amount of pushing that I can do. I may be on hit lists or something, who knows? Shield etiquette is out the window, and there are no points out there for the hops, which are invariably too long. So, where does that leave me? With this amount of frustration, something has to give, and I think it will be my care for this game.