Increased Scaling On Easy Missions

hodayathink

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Hey, erm...devs? Remember when you changed the scaling to make things a little easier and we all said "Good job! This feels about right!"
What part of that sentiment made you feel like going back and bumping it back up again? =(

Cynical reality check:

People stopped buying health packs. Welcome to the world of a free-to-play game where you aren't selling cosmetics. You have to give people a reason to actually spend money besides "because I like the devs". Because while some will spend for that reason, most won't.

Punisher5784

hodayathink wrote:

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Hey, erm...devs? Remember when you changed the scaling to make things a little easier and we all said "Good job! This feels about right!"
What part of that sentiment made you feel like going back and bumping it back up again? =(

Cynical reality check:

People stopped buying health packs. Welcome to the world of a free-to-play game where you aren't selling cosmetics. You have to give people a reason to actually spend money besides "because I like the devs". Because while some will spend for that reason, most won't.

Well Thick as Thieves is sure making me use alot of health packs.. freaking strike tiles everywhere!!

Smudge

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Hey, erm...devs? Remember when you changed the scaling to make things a little easier and we all said "Good job! This feels about right!"
What part of that sentiment made you feel like going back and bumping it back up again? =(

Exactly. Health packs or not, I do not appreciate level 140 "trivial" nodes. Do you know what that third "easy" node rated for TaT sub 1 at my scaling by the 4th clear? It's Normal. Last I checked, that isn't Easy.

Guys, if the scaling was bugged, you have had this bug for years. I'm just letting you know... I have never had the first three nodes break level 70 at the high end even after the harder nodes kept scaling, and that was under the old PvE system.

Fixing this now? Stupid idea if you ask me - once players become accustomed to something for so many years (since the game's inception?), you shatter expectations. I'm significantly less inclined to even keep playing if the only game mode I enjoy is going to eat me alive both figuratively in health pack usage and literally as far as the sudden ridiculously stupid time sink it is becoming again.

The recent changes have been fantastic on the whole. This change makes me despise your bug fixing priorities even further.

Jexman

Another heroic? Loaded with Dark Avengers? I really can't believe I've played over a 1000 days of a game where after all that time, PVE still has mostly the same enemies. PVP isn't much better because of the meta. Basically the Shield Sim is the most fun part of the game at this point.

Of course, I'm going to keep playing, so my opinions about this won't have any effect.

adamdivine

With everything the devs have been doing, this is a ridiculous change. Pve was actually somewhat fun and felt rewarding with the implementation of CLs. Why would you now roll out a negative change?? This is why there is so much hatred on this forum.

Warbringa

Well, devs you set the expectation that this is what we could expect in the PvE format. Easy trivial nodes and a fairly easy 2* essential. It has been that way on most of your tests and all of the new format. Now you are saying this was a mistake....I will call you guys out on that one. This is the definition of bait and switch. Guess what your unintended consequence was of "fixing" your bug....full clears now take a whole lot more time for me to do. If this was a mistake all along....which I don't believe it was....you should have notified the community that it would be fixed and to expect much more "difficult trivial" nodes....get the irony there? Oh btw, I have also seen scaling increase in the other missions as well....not to the degree of the trivial nodes but noticeable none the less (at least 20 level increase, sometimes higher depending on the node).

I was so heartened by many of your good recent changes but this is actually more steps backward than forward. The only way I can influence you is through the pocket book, therefore I will not be purchasing HP on the up coming sale (even though I intended to do so) and will not be renewing my VIP that just ran out.

Dragon_Nexus

hodayathink wrote:

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Hey, erm...devs? Remember when you changed the scaling to make things a little easier and we all said "Good job! This feels about right!"
What part of that sentiment made you feel like going back and bumping it back up again? =(

Cynical reality check:

People stopped buying health packs. Welcome to the world of a free-to-play game where you aren't selling cosmetics. You have to give people a reason to actually spend money besides "because I like the devs". Because while some will spend for that reason, most won't.

I dunno if I even buy that with my uber cynical hat on.
The primary source of income is roster slots. I can't imagine health packs are something people spend a butt load of money on for PvE. I've dipped in a couple of times for PvP if I had a bad run so close to the 4* cover or something, but never PvE.

Speaking purely for myself, if PvE starts to feel like I'm chewing through a wall, I simply stop. If I run out of health packs, that's my sign that I need to take a break for an event or to and play something else.

This decision just baffles me somepletely. The mission statement of this new system was to reduce player play time because it was too lengthy and regimented. How is increasing the scaling helping that in any way? It's like they're trying to slowly bring it back to the horrendous first introduction of the system where EVERY node scaled up to level 300. Are they George Lucasing their own system? "It's not in line with my creative vision. I don't care if it's not what you want."

mckauhu

Could you please let us have also EASY enemies since grinding those nodes is a pain otherwise?

dmeleedy

I too do not like this bug fix. The increase in time, the lack of what used to be some fun nodes. You need a mix of fun and challenge D3. Everyone likes the lower level nodes, bring them back.

Quick Fire

Changes to Mission Difficulty

by LakeStone » Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:39 pm

Hi Everyone -

Another update from the development team, in regards to some changes in the mission difficulty, starting with the upcoming Hulk Event on Thursday.

"It has been about three weeks since the new mission difficulty has become the new standard for Story Events. We would like to make a few tweaks to the system to improve high level roster performance and reduce overall playing time for everyone. Please see below for details:

- Tweaked how enemies scale as your roster gets better. Higher level rosters will experience easier enemies than before.
- Reduced the amount of times a mission can be played after it reaches it's maximum difficulty. Missions can be played three times (down from four) before being worth 1 point.
- 2-Star Required Missions now have a maximum difficulty (like easy missions).
- The amount of points that the 2-Star Required Mission is worth has been reduced while the amount of points the 4-Star Required Mission has been increased. The amount of points a 3-Star Required Mission is worth has stayed the same."

So this was a bug? I call shenanigans.

Quick Fire

Maybe i don't understand the original post in this thread. But i don't feel like it makes sense. In game, it feels like they've removed max difficulty on these nodes.

I could wait until the next event to see how this addressed, but i don't play heroics. So sorry if I've jumped the gun and formed an uneducated opinion. Just going off what i see, and i don't like it.

SkyElf

I agree with all the people who are saying that the easy nodes are too hard now. Since the 2* nodes give rewards and event points as if they were easy nodes, I shouldn't feel like I need to bring in 4* champions in order to beat them. Also, I want to be able to use 1* and 2* characters against the easy and 2* nodes during a heroic event, so that my best characters aren't already beaten up by the time I get to the hard nodes. I have been buying VIP status since its release and I expect a game I'm spending money on to be enjoyable, and not feel like a chore.

hodayathink

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

hodayathink wrote:

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Hey, erm...devs? Remember when you changed the scaling to make things a little easier and we all said "Good job! This feels about right!"
What part of that sentiment made you feel like going back and bumping it back up again? =(

Cynical reality check:

People stopped buying health packs. Welcome to the world of a free-to-play game where you aren't selling cosmetics. You have to give people a reason to actually spend money besides "because I like the devs". Because while some will spend for that reason, most won't.

I dunno if I even buy that with my uber cynical hat on.
The primary source of income is roster slots. I can't imagine health packs are something people spend a butt load of money on for PvE. I've dipped in a couple of times for PvP if I had a bad run so close to the 4* cover or something, but never PvE.

Speaking purely for myself, if PvE starts to feel like I'm chewing through a wall, I simply stop. If I run out of health packs, that's my sign that I need to take a break for an event or to and play something else.

This decision just baffles me somepletely. The mission statement of this new system was to reduce player play time because it was too lengthy and regimented. How is increasing the scaling helping that in any way? It's like they're trying to slowly bring it back to the horrendous first introduction of the system where EVERY node scaled up to level 300. Are they George Lucasing their own system? "It's not in line with my creative vision. I don't care if it's not what you want."

Is that something they've said, or is that something you think? Because, and I've said this before, there's probably a good amount of people that don't play the game the optimal way that people around here know to play it.

firethorne

Yeah, something about this seems incredibly suspicious. They spent months tinkering with revamping the difficulty. They claimed they were looking carefully at changes. They reported to us in a celebratory manner that they were happy with what they had developed, what they now claim is a bug. Players were happy. The devs claimed a win. Months went by and nothing about the easy nodes seemed to be in error. Then they change it, instantly get complaints that it is too hard, and claim the easy ones were a bug?

Happy anniversary. You're supposed to lose 2.0.

Dragon_Nexus

Quick Fire wrote:

Changes to Mission Difficulty

by LakeStone » Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:39 pm

Hi Everyone -

Another update from the development team, in regards to some changes in the mission difficulty, starting with the upcoming Hulk Event on Thursday.

"It has been about three weeks since the new mission difficulty has become the new standard for Story Events. We would like to make a few tweaks to the system to improve high level roster performance and reduce overall playing time for everyone. Please see below for details:

- Tweaked how enemies scale as your roster gets better. Higher level rosters will experience easier enemies than before.
- Reduced the amount of times a mission can be played after it reaches it's maximum difficulty. Missions can be played three times (down from four) before being worth 1 point.
- 2-Star Required Missions now have a maximum difficulty (like easy missions).
- The amount of points that the 2-Star Required Mission is worth has been reduced while the amount of points the 4-Star Required Mission has been increased. The amount of points a 3-Star Required Mission is worth has stayed the same."

So this was a bug? I call shenanigans.

I don't think shenanigans so much because generally the devs have had no qualms in saying "We're increasing the scaling because we want to".
They've not really hidden behind excuses and made up nonsense to sell the idea of boosting or lowering the scaling. From what I can tell, generally they're honest people despite not necessarily always having their game philosphy in the right place.

So in this instance I'd find it very odd if they made up the excuse of "Oh erm...yeah it was, erm...a...bug? Yes! Yes, it was a bug and we've fixed it. You're welcome, internet 8D" because it wouldn't fit their normal pattern. I mean, nothing in what Lakestone said gives any kind of concrete numbers like "We've made it so the 2* node is capped at 110 regardless of your roster" or anything like that which they then went back on. So it's difficult to ascertain if they're being sneaky here or if they genuinely didn't want the scaling to be that low.

Regardless, the players want it that low because it means we have 5 hard nodes and 4 easy ones and we spend a lot less time burning out on PvE. Because I know for sure that if the idea was to get me to play for longer, it backfired spectacularly.

Smudge

Dragon_Nexus wrote:

Regardless, the players want it that low because it means we have 5 hard nodes and 4 easy ones and we spend a lot less time burning out on PvE. Because I know for sure that if the idea was to get me to play for longer, it backfired spectacularly.

Yep. Any change that increases play time has the opposite effect on me - I play less.

I've played through the "trivial" nodes on sub 2 and decided it's just not worth it now. The intensity of releases combined with the hellish grinds Civil War brought just about killed my desire to play back in May. This change is having the same effect again.

I only play PvE and DDQ. Making the only game mode I enjoy more difficult is not good for my involvement. It's going to drop my "would you recommend this to a friend" rating on the surveys from a 1 to a 0, and I'm about ready to update my Google Play star rating/review of the game.

Positive changes that are offset by distinctly player-negative changes taints opinions and ruins the positive vibes. I liked what was being done until this change dropped. Now it's all sour again. Why doesn't this development team understand that?

Mechahamster

The 2* essential on day 3 of Thick as Thieves is now the hardest node of the day

Nick441234

Those 3 muscles are by far and away the hardest fight in that sub. I lost Ms Marvel in 2 turns.

ZootSax

Can the devs clarify the intended scaling for the "easy" nodes? In Thick As Thieves, the levels between the 2* and 3* nodes have consistently held 5-10 levels apart through the first four clears. That can be indistinguishable in a standard node, much less in one that requires a particular character with a maximum level of 144 (unboosted). Is difficulty supposed to transition uniformly or should there be a difference in nodes with "easy" versus "hard" rewards structures? I was originally going to submit a bug on this, but based on this announcement maybe this is the intent?

tizian2015

They gave us the new system with the promise of playing less. I remember "three clears per node to get max-progression". Now we have ClearanceLevels and they maybe think, we get too much too easy. Devs, we have nearly 40 4*s. If you want players to achive enough 4*s just by buying packs, tell us, because then I am out. I spent 120 bucks and with that "investment" I expect more than what I´ve got.

I really thought about spending another 50 with the sale, but with all the changes and with the still lowered 2*droprate in pvp I decided against it.