Scaling Tied To S.H.I.E.L.D. Clearance Levels (5/25/17)

Arphaxad

Reading all the pain CL8 is causing players I'm glad I down graded to CL7. Sure there are less rewards, but I play this GAME for FUN and CL8 is not sounding like fun.

I hope the developers turn down the pain and encourage players to play CL8 in the next event.

revskip

First impressions after just finishing my first clear to 4/6 are very favorable.  I dropped down to SCL 7 for the event since even with a fairly decent boosted list for me this week I wanted to see what the difference in clearing time would be at the lower level.  

I can clear much quicker in SCL 7 test mode than I usually do and that included taking a 15 minute break in the middle of my clears to run a lightning round.  Along with the increased rewards they just enacted if this test is similar to what we see going forward I'll definitely drop down to 7 until I start up on 5*s.  The time/reward ratio is just so much better.  Also a side benefit is all the people who were upset with the CP being backloaded now won't have that issue since even 6/6 will be much faster than 4/6 used to be.  Sure you miss out on a couple of rewards at SCL 8 but it really is a small price to pay to have a quicker clear time.  

I also see that the vets who have been getting hammered with 5* scaling are having a much better time in SCL 8 than they used to in any clearance level so I think tales of them dropping out of 8 permanently are probably over-stated a bit. 

Starfury

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

Beer40

Arphaxad said:

Reading all the pain CL8 is causing players I'm glad I down graded to CL7. Sure there are less rewards, but I play this GAME for FUN and CL8 is not sounding like fun.

I hope the developers turn down the pain and encourage players to play CL8 in the next event.

Everyone should have stayed in their usual bracket for this test, I believe. If you already did 8 then this still shouldn't be a problem for you. That's my experience anyway. The first 3 nodes are easier and the 3 required/3 harder nodes seems to be scaling the same as before for me. 

I don't "speed clear" or "play optimally" but I got 4 clears of each, no problem, and am waiting for some points to build back up before getting the 5th clears (which I still don't like but that's another topic).

Your experience may have been different. But, point being, how are you ever going to know your proper bracket unless you find the breaking point? You probably just got cheated out of some rewards.

Stax the Foyer

Starfury said:

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

They're chances for bonus rewards, though.  That's worth the clicks right there.

GrumpySmurf1002

Starfury said:

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

Access to 2200 iso (counting tokens) that takes roughly 2-3 minutes to finish is pretty good if you ask me.  Sure it's repetitive, but it's always been repetitive, at least now it's shorter.

udonomefoo

GrumpySmurf1002 said:

Starfury said:

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

Access to 2200 iso (counting tokens) that takes roughly 2-3 minutes to finish is pretty good if you ask me.  Sure it's repetitive, but it's always been repetitive, at least now it's shorter.

This plus the bonus rewards makes it totally worthwhile.  Though I do wish there was a "replay" button at the end of the match so you didn't have to go back to the node selection screen and through the dialogues again.  

Moon Roach

udonomefoo said:

GrumpySmurf1002 said:

Starfury said:

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

Access to 2200 iso (counting tokens) that takes roughly 2-3 minutes to finish is pretty good if you ask me.  Sure it's repetitive, but it's always been repetitive, at least now it's shorter.

This plus the bonus rewards makes it totally worthwhile.  Though I do wish there was a "replay" button at the end of the match so you didn't have to go back to the node selection screen and through the dialogues again.  

They've recently removed the event details display after the first showing.  How hard can it be to show each node dialogue only once?

Tee

astrp3 said:

Tee said:

Seems like the test has been mostly successful. Main issue people are having is not getting enough notice before they were already involved in the event.

Out of curiousity, what do you actually lose from going to SL7 from SL8? It's a few hero points and CP ya?

For top-10 placement, I think the total you lose (placement and progression) is 1550 ISO, 50 HP, 3 CP, two 3* covers, and one 4* cover, which I find a bit more than trivial (as some have described it).

The biggest thing I see there is the 4* cover but I'm assuming that is for placement rewards. I gave up on those after I realized leveling Logan put me in a higher bracket. Progression's all I've been doing.
May change now with this new system.

Nepenthe

I have nearly all 4*s champed, but the highest ones are currently level 293.  I stayed in CL8 and am finding the scaling fine for my roster so far.  I'm on track to get a top 20 finish, possibly top 10.  If this test is the level going forward I'd probably pick CL8 for most events but drop down to CL7 for things like Venom Bomb and maybe Juggernaut Heroic.

I'm a little concerned about how they've described the variable starting point from one event to the next, though.  I don't like the idea of not knowing if the hard nodes are going to be level 330 or level 400 before I have to pick which CL to join.  

Most of the worries I've seen about people dropping down from CL8 to slum it should be eliminated if they just revise CL8 rewards to be more appropriate for someone who is past the 3-4* transition already. I hope that is next on the docket.

mrPuzzleQuester

As a 3* -> 4* transitioner who has been playing scl8 I don't like the changes. I had to drop down to scl7 where I still face roughly the same level enemies but I don't get the extra rewards.

To me, this change along with backloading rewards & requiring 5 clears for progression is just D3s way of saying the rewards are too generous for "casual players" (i.e. ppl to play 2 hrs a day).

If this reward structure stays I plan on doing what someone said earlier in this thread & dropping all the way down to scl5 where I can cruise through 5 clears relatively quickly & get the cp from max progression in situations when I don't need the 4*. In cases when I do I'll just play scl7 for half the time until I get to the 4* then quit.

The game already takes up way too much of a time commitment to justify these changes (for anyone without a 5* roster, as it seems like those people are the only ones this change helps as they are now facing easier opponents). 

I doubt they'll take our feedback seriously but I'm going to leave it here anyway. More importantly I'm going to revise my review of the game (as I always do with every new change) and suggest others do the same no matter how you feel about these changes.

deadtaco

With a few 4 champs and all 3s champed my choices were : 

SCL7 - difficulty goes down 20+ levels.

SCL8 - difficulty goes up 80+ levels.

I went SCL7 because I'd rather get through the new 5 clear rule faster for a few less CP and one less 3

So far it has been pleasant.  I gave up on placement hopes when the clears went from 4 to 5 so just chasing progression means I can clear as time allows and not worry about it.

Overall I think this SCL8 should be 9 and SCL8 should be a difficulty between 7 and 9.  

I have to say I am enjoying this a lot more than in the past couple of months.

SpringSoldier

I chose SCL 8 and I've made it into top 50 in the first day of the event. I don't even have any championed 4* yet. Most of the nodes were played only with Dr. Strange 3*, Iron Fist 3*, Jean Grey 5*- 3 covers. For the harder nodes I used Medusa, since she's buffed, Agent Venom (12 covers) and Dr. Strange 5* (3 covers)+ essential characters (10 covers Gwenpool, 6 covers Psylock and 1 cover Ares). Maybe it's going to get more difficult, but so far, I'm not considering scaling down.

Alsmir

stewbacca said:

I love how everyone that were placing better than they ever should are having trouble beating levels that are still only 75% of what I used to face regularly.  Yes I run multiple 450 5* , but you shouldn't be able to beat my roster if you run a few champed 4*s. Grow your roster then try to compete with the big boys.  

That being said, there should be a threshold from allowing people to drop too low. And open up scl 9. 

Or just get it in your head that PvE should never have placement rewards in the first place.

vinsensual

4* player here who played optimally the first day in CL8 taking about an hour to start and end with grinds to 1 point.  Still ended up around 25th place.  This has certainly gotten the 5* players out in full grind mode, and with the competition for top 10, I bet plenty of them are repeatedly hitting nodes for 1 point.  The exact thing D3 supposedly didn't want players doing.

Magic

30+ 4* champion player with no usable 5*.

I'm loving it. The game is a game again. Relaxing tile matching with superpowers. Less pressure, less time consuming. Fun. I am happy with rewards in scl7 (they are already better then they were couple of weeks before) so my opponents drop around 70 levels. Me gusta. I might even recommend it to my friends again as you are no longer punished for developing your roster. 

If this leads to scl9 with mega rewards I will reconsider "challenging" fights. For the time being I will enjoy this and I hope it stays where it was.

ps. I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of softcappers suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

WEBGAS

vinsensual said:

4* player here who played optimally the first day in CL8 taking about an hour to start and end with grinds to 1 point.  Still ended up around 25th place.  This has certainly gotten the 5* players out in full grind mode, and with the competition for top 10, I bet plenty of them are repeatedly hitting nodes for 1 point.  The exact thing D3 supposedly didn't want players doing.

from my point of view, this test is a complete failure. Due to the the poor difference of rewards between cl7 and cl8, the majority of high players opted to drop on cl7 (who wants to fight bigger enemies and waste healt packs when you could do an easy grind with your powerful roster and clear to 1 all the nodes in less than 1 hour? (35-40minutes I suppose)

So this change is good for top roster players, but an abomination for all the others stuck in 4* transiction and even worse for those who are still in 2*-3* transiction.

A very bad move from demiurge....my only hope is that this could be a further step towards a PVE system with progression rewards only. This is the only fair solution

Splurch

vinsensual said:

4* player here who played optimally the first day in CL8 taking about an hour to start and end with grinds to 1 point.  Still ended up around 25th place.  This has certainly gotten the 5* players out in full grind mode, and with the competition for top 10, I bet plenty of them are repeatedly hitting nodes for 1 point.  The exact thing D3 supposedly didn't want players doing.

Except if they really didn't want players to do it they would have made all nodes be able to drop to 0. The changes they made just make it that those with better rosters can farm the min value nodes.

jamesh

If I were to design a reward scheme for people playing in multiple clearance levels with fixed level enemies, without just making minor tweaks to the existing system, I'd do something like this:

1. As well as increasing enemy levels in higher clearance levels, also increase the points awarded for clearing a node.
2. Switch to a single progression rewards table shared by all clearance levels.  This would cover everything from the minor CL1 rewards to the 4* covers of CL8.  Since different clearance levels will be earning different amounts of points, the final rewards won't be attainable at lower levels.  With this in mind, rewards should be spread out evenly rather than clumped right at the end.
   
3. Leave placement rewards as they are, or even consider removing them.
4. Let anyone play any clearance level they want, perhaps with a warning if they pick something that the game thinks will be extremely difficult for the player's roster.
   

With a system like this, there are clear incentives for players to pick the highest clearance level they can play, since (a) they will get their rewards faster, and get more of them, and (b) they will contribute more points towards their alliance total.

And since there is a hard maximum to the amount of points you can get from a node, picking a lower clearance level will make some of the rewards unattainable.

It also wouldn't be the end of the world if you entered too high a clearance level.  Suppose that the nodes got too difficult as you repeated them so you were effectively locked out of getting more points: since those nodes were worth more, you might still be able to attain similar rewards to what you could if you repeated the nodes more at the lower level.

Starfury

udonomefoo said:

GrumpySmurf1002 said:

Starfury said:

Biggest problem I have with this test is the easy nodes.

Now they don't scale the least bit, they've become completely obsolete. They were already Thanos-fodder before, but now we're only going through the motions... 18 freaking times per day.

This is only made worse, by the sluggish and non-streamlined UI requiring too many clicks.

For the love of whatever deity, please make an effort to cut down on the amount of our time you waste.

Access to 2200 iso (counting tokens) that takes roughly 2-3 minutes to finish is pretty good if you ask me.  Sure it's repetitive, but it's always been repetitive, at least now it's shorter.

This plus the bonus rewards makes it totally worthwhile.  Though I do wish there was a "replay" button at the end of the match so you didn't have to go back to the node selection screen and through the dialogues again.  

I'm not saying there's no rewards for it.

I'm saying it's a completely mindless chore, made worse by the fact that 90% of it isn't even gameplay but dealing and waiting on the UI.