The aftermath of selling a post-nerf lvl.519 OML and what it taught me.

Jonny1Punch

My name is J.1.P and I was a long-standing and loyal day 1267  veteran of MPQ. In my 3+ years of playing and spending at a very high level I learned more about MPQ and its future by recently selling my 519 OML then I could have ever found out playing the actual game/stalking the forums here. I would like to share this terrible experience here as I have received so many personal inquiries about my decision recently.

Before you start wondering why on earth I would commit such an atrocious act by selling a character I spent well over  1.5 years working to build to lvl 519 along with countless hours of time/energy and more money wasted then I will ever care to admit please let me explain. Whether he was serviceable or not post-nerf was not the issue for me, the fact that pre-nerf he was already getting outclassed and outgunned by low level champed thanos/bolt combos was already a huge concern. The fact that my trust and investment into MPQ was violated by significantly weakening an already mid-tier/struggling 5* when we were told this would never happen was the nail in the coffin for me. Suddenly I became enraged. Not just the ridiculous amount of money I wasted  but the incredible time wasted and sacrifices I personally chose to make to get every scrap of CP I could get my hands on along with every legendary token/4* champ level I could earn to potentially see that purple cover pop up followed by those once magnificent claws. I felt beyond cheated and stupid for risking my life day in and day out as a proud 9 year veteran L.E.O and spending all my disposable income chasing that dangling purple carrot only to have it completely blow up in my face later. Had I known this was coming I would have never spent thousands of my hard earned money on this game and I would have been investing my CP in Thanos/latest legends this entire time not opening classics exclusively. This is not meant to be a toxic rant but more explaining my significant investment in OML and the choices and consequences I faced as a result of my own poor decision making. I take full accountability for selling him because I was already resigned to stop spending money on this game and supporting it. My mind was made up I could never love this game or respect it the way I did for so long. Alright enough of that heartbreak lets get on to the good stuff....

RIDICULOUSLY INSULTING COMPENSATION:

The compensation offered was even more of a ridiculous insult then I previously thought. Had we been offered a variety of fair options like 1:1 compensation with NMG tokens, allowing an equal number of 5* covers of our choosing or equal leveled 5* of our choosing I would have been fine with this. I exhausted all my options trying to make this right with CS ( who has me banned currently ) I even messaged Brigby saying that its only fair I can exchange my lvl.519 OML for a different lvl.519 5* of my choice. But instead we get offered fifty cents to the dollar and a random lottery ticket to RNG hell. I should have received 82 NMG tokens but instead that number was a pathetic 41 random 5* for my total of 82 5* OML covers sold. I was going into this with 6 champed 5* and two more dangling at 5/5/2 builds missing that one elusive cover. I was also hoping to finally pull some thanos and bolt to sort of start over with some new competitive characters. Man was I wrong........

WELCOME TO RNG HELL WITH 41 RANDOM 5*:

  I sold my level 519 OML and I could not have asked for much worse pulls. It should have been cool pulling 41 5* straight but it was a nightmare. I pulled zero Black bolts, 1 Thanos, a handful of decent assorted goblins/surfers etc, roughly 5 black panthers which was nice but he's not even halfway to useable...... but now for the worst:

I pulled 9 useless bruce banner covers. NINE. The worst 5* around accounted for nearly 25% of my pulls. As for the rest I pulled multiple Strange, Cap and Widow covers but guess what? They were all dupes that I could do nothing with except let rot in my roster cache until they slowly die. My strange has been 2/5/5 for forever I have had to sell so many of his covers and Caps yellow I have sold roughly 7 of his extras as well. This was a gamble I chose to risk and I made an awful decision. Seeing how this all played out only proved to me how incredibly broken the 5* draw rate system is and leaving everything to chance and luck is never good. Colorless covers, streakbusters, re-rolls? I don't have the perfect answer but this isn't working.

THANOS WILL BE NEXT:

  My thoughts on the OML nerf was that it was completely unnecessary, disgusting and clearly a motive that did not have our best interests at heart was at play. Whether it was a quick and greedy healthpack cash grab or a push to get us to spend on latest legends by slowly weeding out the classics I don't know. But that 10% usage factor that was spoken of will rapidly be filled by Thanos.

My level 451 Thanos is ridiculously overpowered and far more useful compared to my previous level 519 OML. He has almost the same health and is light years ahead of OML on defense and offense. The developers have set a new precedent that whenever a popular team or character has risen into the top ranks they will be nerfed when that usage hits 10%. There will always a powerful duo that edges out the rest, that's just the way these games always are. The key is to continually balance, buff and counter your current and upcoming characters not nerf the good ones. This nerf has indirectly buffed Thanos to absolute god mode and he will soon be all you see at middle to high level pvp. Mark my words Bolt and Thanos are getting funbalanced next.  

PRIORITIES OF MARVEL CANDY CRUSH: DELUXE TOILET EDITION:

   What was once a significant source of joy, fun and stress relief to me has now become nothing more then a casual toilet game to play for random bursts throughout the day. How I can I trust or spend another penny on a game that has its priorites so backwards? So many things we need to see introduced and have fixed. Where is SCL 9 and 10? Where are the incredibly important fixes to broken 5* pve scaling and PVP MMR? Where are the long promised fixes to RNG, dupes and 5* draw rates? Where are the new events to replace the same regurgitated garbage we have been playing for years over and over? Where are the buffs? All of these things we as the player base and community need and you ignore it and slap us in the face with a nerf no one wanted or needed?

FINAL THOUGHTS:

No, Do not sell you old man logan unless you are quitting like me and simply don't care anymore. Its a total joke and a huge waste.

No, you do not need to quit ,strike or be toxic and bitter. You can still play but I urge you... If any of these recent changes like nerfs, vaulting, **** new overpriced hero for hire packs bother you...... STOP SPENDING. Play casually and enjoy it as a great toilet game but for heavens sakes until they start listening and respecting the player base DO NOT SPEND MONEY ON THIS GAME. Give it bad reviews everywhere you can and tell your friends about this if you feel like I do..... we have been cheated, lied to, robbed and our trust violated long enough. Take a stand and close that wallet.

Have a great week and god bless you all,

Jonny aka J.1.P

The rockett

Spot on Jonny. 

Jonny1Punch

Thank you Rockett my friend.

Yoik

Concise and a little melancholy. Which reflects the majority of the player base who report on here I feel personally. Im a Veteran of a similar time frame ( 1216 ) J1P but I have never chased the heights of meta / 5 star world actively. I feel that if I had you would see a similar post from me. Good luck.

IlDuderino

Very sorry you had this experience and thanks for the post which summed it up very well (in one punch). Enjoy the freedom and hope you get better treatment next game

Thom Merrilin

Spot on indeed..

Jonny1Punch

I was fully prepared to get attacked for whatever reason..... I see a lot of support here and thank you all for that. Duderino the one punch reference was just perfect : )

El Satanno

Gadzooks. That's quite the experience.

What really sticks out here is the dupe 5* fiasco. In one of the LINE rooms I'm in, one of my buddies was considering selling his Logan off. He would have gotten 8 NMG tokens out of it. I half-jokingly said something like "You'll get 2 covers you kinda want/can use, 2 champ levels, and 4 covers of a sixth color." Lo and behold, your experience is startlingly close to that statement. And amidst all that, Demiurge/D3 stoutly refuses to budge on their wholly unfriendly 5* cover policy. Sure, I can see the logic, but this situation really shines a spotlight on how distasteful it is.

Sorry you got such a bum deal, Jonny.

Jonny1Punch

Satanno you are absolutely correct. As much as this was originally about the OML nerf I feel the spotlight really went towards how broken the 5* cover system is. From duplicates to how CS handles it (or refuses to handle it). This all was handled so poorly and unprofessionally.

Starfury

I'm still of the opinion that if one character is stronger than it's peers it doesn't make sense to expect the devs to buff a dozen (or in 3/4* land 50) other characters. That would be not only an order of magnitude more complex, it would also in all likelyhood lead to at least two new OP characters.

That being said, I still believe OML wasn't ubiquitous because he was so strong but because he was useful even if undercovered and he came early. Thus I doubt that any 5* will reach similar usage numbers anytime soon.

If I had a say, I wouldn't have touched OML's powers at 5 covers but only at lower levels (for example yellow only counts himself at 4 covers)

So while the change didn't impact me at all (never got OML yellow, so he's useless to me) and I don't share the fundamental opposition to nerfing any character, I definititely understand why someone with a champed OML is mightily tinykittied at this change. Because their character didn't need a nerf.

kyo28

Very good written piece. Although I'm not nearly as invested as you, Johnny, I sympathise with you have have stopped spending money on HP sales and VIP. Not a big spender like you used to be, but I feel the same as you do after nerf, vaulting, etc.

One of the most important aspects of a RPG-type or 'collectible'  game in my opinion, is that what is acquired should remain acquired. And this is the big difference between a fighting game and a long-running 'collectible' game:

• with a fighting game, all characters are immediately or soon available to all players, at the same levels. When the devs notice an imbalance, they can course-correct as there is no 'gathering of resources' investment from the players
• with a RPG/collectible game, acquiring a certain character and bringing it to a certain level is very time, effort and even money-consuming. If you then debuff that character tremendously, then the whole system collapses on itself. Why keep pushing for new characters and resources knowing they could be debuffed at any given time? No, the only rebalancing that can be done is with the release of new characters that are effective at countering an existing character that is perceived as overpowered.

Simple example of the latter: imagine OML's heal is too powerful in PVP. Then release a 5* that counters that! Imagine you have a 5* Mephisto that can stop all passive powers, including healing. That will not debuff OML in itself and he keeps his value to those that got him already but it offers an incentive to players to get that new 5* Mephisto so they can use him in PVP to counter OML teams. That would be a much better game design than a simple shortcut such as debuffing long-time high-level characters.

Really, it's very apparent that there has never been a long-term strategy in building this game and so we are now stuck with very temporary, shortcut type solutions to problems that require much more thought and planning:

• too many 4*s? Let's vault the older ones
• OML overused? Let's debuff him
• players complain? Let's throw another store out there

All these things are so shortsighted. It's like they take a day to come up with a solution whereas weeks of planning should have gone into it. Things they need to think about are "how can we keep releasing characters but still offer the same chances to build a diverse roster to long-time players and newcomers alike?" or "how can we add balance to the game without debuffing existing characters?"

OneLastGambit

Personally I sold my 10 cover OML and have no regrets. For me my position was a little more easier to decide:

Never used OML and did not rate him (one of the few posters who thought he was over valued)

Every possible cover except phoenix red and oml red was usable

It worked out OK for me as it helped me cover Goblin and Strange (both of which I really like) but I still agree that compensation was paltry, it should have been a 1:1 replacement and for those with a champed OML even 1:1 is bad due to the aforementioned RNG of tokens. If you are going to nerf someone and significantly reduce their usability (this part is debatable) then you should also offer compensation relative to the players position. For people in my position the compensation was adequate, for those at the champed level it was not.

I think for me personally the biggest issue on this matter is that D3 were happy enough to take the money from players such as Johnny and encourage them to chase and use this character but are not quite as forthcoming when they decide to damage that good which they encouraged people to chase. If I were a player who had followed D3 instructions and guidance and spent thousands of $ to level and use said character only to find they then punish me for doing so I would be asking for a refund of my money as surely this represents a mis-sale of some kind?

to change the context : If I bought a car on the basis that it was a fast car and then 1 year after the car is purchased the manufacturers decide they think it drives too fast and a firmware update includes a speed limiter I would be within my rights to ask for a refund.

This might be digital goods but they are still goods and in many courts across the world digital goods are being recognised in the same legal context as physical goods. D3 Should be careful really.

Jonny1Punch

Kyo28 I couldn't agree more. Very well said and I have always been a fan of buffs and counters. That method of tier management always felt more creative and respectful to the player base as opposed to cheap, lazy nerfs. When an older character is buffed to come into a more appropriate power range it is exciting and refreshing.

Tony Foot I also agree 100%. How we were not offered 1 for 1 compensation at a base level I will never understand. These are worthless digital goods in a virtual economy with no real world value..... Why would we be ripped off with such a stingy and cheap fifty cents to the dollar package?

OneLastGambit you hit it spot on. Nobody was complaining when I was ripping through a small fortune to build up my OML to high levels..... yet when they wanna take it all back suddenly everything is on there terms with this type of unacceptable compensation. Its a matter of terrible customer loyalty and retention.

sza

This is a great post J1P. Well said.

D3 have set a very poor precedent and I wouldn't be surprised if Thanos and Bolt get nerfed next, like you've said. There are very many things wrong with the game as it is but they've decided to spend time and resources 'rebalancing' one of the most well loved characters who several players have spent countless hours and dollars chasing after. This is so very unfair on these players.

While I didn't have a fully covered OML, I do have several of the latest and I shudder to think back on my investment of time/money acquiring them. And D3 nerfing the new toons because of their 10% usage has me worried. The latest pvps have seen the new power duos of Thanos/Bolt or Thanos/Panther - 10% usage anyone? Is my investment going down the tubes??

D3 punish players that support this game and seem to let cheaters (per the other exploit thread) get away. They've got their priorities completely messed up. 

FetidOubliette

Well said, Jonny.  You illustrate something that we've all known for a while... the devs don't really care about the veteran players.  They're chasing the mid-tier... those who aren't already burnt out.  Those poor saps who are still willing to spend at high levels chasing the next big thing.  And if they lose a few of the top end guys (as you certainly were), they simply shrug and move on.

And the random rewards were, and always have been, absolute garbage.  The single fact that this aspect of the game has never been addressed speaks volumes about the disconnect between the devs and the players.  There's so much broken about this game, and they spend their time and energy nerfing characters for a quick mediocre cash grab.

Very good post, Jonny.  Thanks for sharing your experience.

-JustDan

Jonny1Punch

Wow Dan, thank you for the kind words and you definitely have it figured out. Little do they realize it's the vets and high end players who bring the mid-tier up into the ranks and build them up. The negligence and disconnect of the developers is truly at an all-time low right now. It's too late for me but I hope they get it together soon.

mpqr7

J1P, we were old alliance mates, one or two years ago (time flies!), I think in Best?

I think if D3/Demi was really interested in getting us to use 5*s other than OML, it should have been a cover-per cover trade for a different 5*.

Selling your 519 OML? You should get a 519 other 5*, your choice, such as Thanos, Strange, Bolt etc. Selling a lvl 435 OML (5/2/5)? You should get a lv 435 five-star, spec'd with 12 covers, the way you prefer (I would choose 4/4/4).

That would have been the only fair way to do it. And then that way, people would have been fairly repaid for their hard work in leveling up their OML, and D3/Demi would have seen immediately results of people using OML less and using others more.

Unfortunately, the current method had one of two results:

1) People keep using their nerfed OMLs and simply enduring the pain of knowing they used to have a much better character that's now not very good. [I chose this option.]

2) People sell their nerfed OML and get a random smattering of mostly useless 5* covers. Results may vary, but probably most of the results will not nearly match up to once having a great OML.

Neither option was particularly appealing!

Jonny1Punch

I agree 100%. The only truly acceptable form of compensation would be a true 1:1 trade which I requested many times to Brigby and other developers. Had I been able to do a clean exchange of my 519 oml for a 519 thanos I would have been satisfied and continued to spend and play at the high level I had for the last three years. But instead they lost one of the oldest and most loyal veteran supporters of MPQ . Really is heartbreaking to me.

Sm0keyJ0e

I think the underlying problem in particular with OML is that they took too freakin' long to nerf him. Most other toons that have faced the Lucille-end of a nerf bat had it happen straightaway. Hell, even SL was nerfed before his buff was even released. 

D3/Demiurge/whoever is behind the scenes here let people chase him, spend time and money trying to acquire his covers, watched as new players flocked to him after his movie release, all over the course of 1.5+ years and then... made him weaker? The timing just stinks. 

All that said, he was never a well-designed character from the beginning. His healing should NEVER have been the best in the game--OML's healing deteriorated as he got older. Hell even his description says his healing "ain't what it used to be". They just missed the boat on his design entirely.

<ping> <ping>, my 2 cents...

Sorry you suffered through this Jonny. I am sure you are speaking for a large number of people who didn't take the time to formulate their thoughts like you did.

Bossblack

Thanks for sharing Jonny. Very well said in your post - I did spend money on this game but can't compare to the amount that you invested. I am glad I didn't as I would not be able to imagine my regret and disappointment if I did after all these nerfs and changes. I will close my wallet.

Fightmastermpq

I said the same thing about the compensation, "50 cents on the dollar" isn't even accurate.  It should have been a 1:1 NMG token OR half as many CHOSEN 5* covers to even start to come close to a fair compensation.

Sorry Jonny.