Access Granted: S.H.I.E.L.D. Clearance Level 9 *Updated (9/20/17)

Bloody_Marvel

OJSP said:

It's to make the players who have those high level 5*s beat the others who don't have high level 5*s. I think this handles the competition quite reasonably. Those who can beat lvl515 regularly with the least time will win the bracket. I just hope it doesn't discourage other players to move to SL8 or lower. Personally, I find the time requirement and resources (boosts and health packs) required are significantly more than CL8.

Because not everyone can play optimally and I can see players deciding to move back to CL8, hopefully that makes some placement rewards more attainable for players without 5*s and keeping the brackets populated. If there is lack of participation, the levels might be adjusted in the future. It still needs to be challenging enough to allow roster strength to be the deciding factor for placement.

I imagine CL10 would simply cap the opponent's level at 550.

And there's the issue... If you stand no chance at winning the 5* node, and you're playing for placement you have no choice than to play below your level.

I know I won't be playing SCL9 again until either those levels have been lowered significantly, or I have at least 3 champed 5*s, including the required 5* (which is probably at least 4-5 months away).

Rick_OShay

Bowgentle said:

nick_chicane said:

I'd still do 3-4 day events. 7 day events are so exhausting though! I'd rather just take a week off from the game than grind just for progression rewards. 

What's exhausting about a 7 day event?
Just treat PVE as a 365 day event that randomly spits out covers.

One sub per day, every day, for your whole MPQ life.
Play, or fall behind on resources.

It is what it is

Remember when you said you gave up on posting meaningful and helpful posts?
THIS proves you still do!

Rick_OShay

OJSP said:

Bloody Marvel said:

....

I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm not trying to change your mind, but if a lot more players think the same way, it will make competition easier in CL9 for the next event. We can't really predict how it's going to be with just one event, so try not to ignore CL9 completely and check with others who play CL9 about placements. It is potentially less stressful to get t50 in CL9 than to get t10 in CL8. If you can normally get t5 or higher in CL8, then I agree that the rewards in CL9 is not worth the added stress and time commitment.

Agree here, I played CL8 like usual this time since I was afraid of how things will go in CL9 with the new scaling. But, I may just go ahead to CL9 for the next event even though 5* Peter is low covered. We may get quite a few CL9's drop back down to 8, and all I need is T50 to improve my earnings over what I normally get in cl8 (even if I'm assuming 1 or 2 clears of the 5* node are impossible). I'll try to measure the additional time required too, even though I doubt optimal play will be possible for me regardless of which CL I choose.
I guess we'll see, just as others are thinking similar things and feeling out the changes. 

DarthDeVo

mexus said:

So, one event without the required 5* done.
I played in CL7 and can honestly say that top 50 is impossible even on optimal play.

What's best:
Going down to CL6 to secure a good placement?
Going up to CL8/9 for the progression rewards?

Since top 50 seem rough without the required 5* my eventual play in CL9 would be a bit more laid back, maybe aiming for top 100 on a play style that doesn't force me into a 1 hour sitting. I'd take  node here and another node there.
In CL6 I'd compete for placement which would require scheduled play.

What sounds like the better alternative?

SCL 6 has no 4* in progression, and only rewards 4* covers for first place, if I'm not mistaken. 

With SCL 9, you'll get a 4* in progression and more progression rewards all around. But you'll likely tank on sub and overall placement rewards. 

It's a decision I'll have to make myself soon enough, as I only have a little over half the 5*s rostered. I'll probably stick with 7 though, that seems to be the overall sweet spot for rewards versus time invested. 

DarthDeVo

I ended up going SCL 8, slice 4. I'll probably try SCL 9 eventually, but it sure wasn't gonna be on Venom Bomb. 

I held out as long as I could for a flip, but unfortunately joined at 988. I'll probably land T20, as that initial sub point disparity will probably be too much to overcome. 

First two days of the 5* node weren't too bad. I used my one-green-cover 5tar-Lord with my 3/5/4 Level 250 G4ocket and champed Medusa. I had to use a health pack or two, but never wiped. 

Then came day three. 

Beat Doc Ock/Sandman/Venom twice, then kept wiping no matter what I tried. I fell to about 31st place, so decided to come back to that node later. I cleared C4rol and Cap's node, then decided to try subbing out C4rol for Medusa, since she's boosted. I got my final two clears, then finished everything else optimally in about 9th or 10th place for that sub. Not looking forward to three more clears of it. 

In general though, I do like the challenge in principle. I didn't when I kept wiping, but it forced me to rethink my strategy a bit, which isn't a bad thing. 

It will sting a bit when we get to the first event I don't have the required 5*. I've got a little over half of them at least rostered, so it's only a matter of time. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to play a required node, and I pushed pretty hard to fill out my roster for that very reason. I'd be lying if I said that doesn't feel like a bit of a step back in my progress, which is somewhat demoralizing. 

I think most of us are aware of just how dismal the prospects of pulling a particular 5* is from Classics. I hope they either change the odds to that "mistake" we had for a few hours when Daredevil was released, or they continue with something like the Cosmic store, although not with its own special token. Just three classic 5*s with improved odds featured on a rotating basis, with at least one of them being the required for the current event. 

Nick441234

Thankfully, I'm only missing Silver Surfer, Black Bolt & Daredevil so my pain will be minimal in terms of the required 5* node. 

I am finding there is a big spread of points though in SCL8 for this event. Whether that changes in the next event when people who went to 9 decide they cant hack it, will be interesting to see. Interestingly though, theres a 20k difference between me in 5th and 20th spot. I really thought not being able to clear the 5* node would kill me for placement, but right now, seems everyone else is being killed by that node too. 

Tony_Foot

mexus said:

So, one event without the required 5* done.
I played in CL7 and can honestly say that top 50 is impossible even on optimal play.

Let it settle down, as I say I'm not optimal and 6 cleared not 7 and don't have SL and I'm firmly in T20 in CL1.8. Next event will change again because people will move down from 9. Give it time, you could have just had an unlucky slice.

KGB

mexus said:

Tony Foot said:

mexus said:

So, one event without the required 5* done.
I played in CL7 and can honestly say that top 50 is impossible even on optimal play.

Let it settle down, as I say I'm not optimal and 6 cleared not 7 and don't have SL and I'm firmly in T20 in CL1.8. Next event will change again because people will move down from 9. Give it time, you could have just had an unlucky slice.

Then definitely an unlucky slice!
Usually top 20-50 is not a problem for me in CL7 but now I'm more like 80-100.

I'm normally T20 and often T10 (every 2,3&4 rostered with 8 4* champs). Without Starlord I'm sitting in the mid 60's and that's clearing all the other nodes 7 times (and I started day 1 late just after a flip so I was in the first 200 in the bracket just like I normally do).

Without the 5* it will be impossible to finish T50 in CL7 unless you get a very lucky sniper bracket.

The 5* has no business being in CL7 and removing it will be an incentive to play CL8/9 for players who want the rewards especially if those rewards make sense (say 500,CP,Event Token/CP/1000/1000) in CL8 so you can earn and extra 2500 ISO, 2 CP and an Event Token per day over CL7.

KGB

SkadenFrudee

DarthDeVo said:

It will sting a bit when we get to the first event I don't have the required 5*. I've got a little over half of them at least rostered, so it's only a matter of time. It's been a long time since I haven't been able to play a required node, and I pushed pretty hard to fill out my roster for that very reason. I'd be lying if I said that doesn't feel like a bit of a step back in my progress, which is somewhat demoralizing. 

I know how you feel. I just sold 5tarlord, BSSM and 5* Hulk a couple of weeks ago, in order to roster the last three 4*s I was missing. I did that so I'd never be locked out of a required node or Behemoth Burrito again. Then required 5* nodes drop, starting with Pete. 

shardwick

So I manage around a top 5-10 finish in CL7 in every event. I play optimally. I came into this, without a 5* SL, thinking that I won't get top 10 but hey maybe my play will still get me a top 20 finish in the event. Haha. Wrong. Finished in 58th on sub one and 59th on sub 2. This has got to be one of the dumbest decisions that has ever gotten the green light.

The new 5* essential node when I don't have it in four day events costs me 1-2 4*s, 450hp, 2k iso, three 3*s and a heroic.

What. A. Joke. Do you know what my favorite event is right now? Nope, not Strange Sights. It's Webbed Wonder. Why? Short event, plenty of goons, 5* boss fight and it rewards a 4*. WHY would you not want to emulate that across all events? Outside of the length of the event anyway because I'm not opposed to seven day events. You don't even need to reward a 4* either. Howard for Webbed Wonder. Hulk for The Hulk. Sentry for Prodigal Son. Deadpool or Devil Dino for Deadpool vs MPQ. Dr. Strange for Strange Sights, etc.

Boss fights? Kaecilius (Strange Sights), Doc Ock (Webbed Wonder), 5* Venom (Venom Bomb), Bruce Banner (The Hulk). Winning the boss fight on the last sub of an event rewards iso and/or an event token. No points. One time wave node would give the cover and points. This is such an easy slam dunk and needs to be implemented immediately. And if you're going to do an essential 5* node then just put it up on CL9 to encourage more people to move UP. 

TheHungryPet

mexus said:

So, one event without the required 5* done.
I played in CL7 and can honestly say that top 50 is impossible even on optimal play.

What's best:
Going down to CL6 to secure a good placement?
Going up to CL8/9 for the progression rewards?

Since top 50 seem rough without the required 5* my eventual play in CL9 would be a bit more laid back, maybe aiming for top 100 on a play style that doesn't force me into a 1 hour sitting. I'd take  node here and another node there.
In CL6 I'd compete for placement which would require scheduled play.

What sounds like the better alternative?

Same situation here. I guess the answer depends on your roster situationl. I'm still missing 20+ 4* characters, so HP are the key resource for me at this point. I'll hoard CP in the meantime and the difference among CLs is negligible for me. 

Missing out those 100HP for not placing T50 in each sub due to missing the required 5* is just frustrating. I decided to go SL7 since I love 4Carol but looking back I regret it. Don't have Peter Parker for the next event so will drop down to CL6 and frustrate other players since I have no business in that CL normally.

If you already have all characters rostered, I would assume HP are less relevant for you and the guaranteed 4* cover in progression rewards is more valuable to boost your roster.

Rick_OShay

I just noticed that CL8 still only has 884 players in my bracket. I joined on day one, soon after the 1st flip.
That seems to prove that everyone left CL8 as the ghost town, many must have went up a CL, and very many went down to CL7. I can't remember an event where we still had less than 1000 players with about 1 day left to go.

jgomes32

After final sub clear i'm sitting at #4 in my 3.9 bracket. I'm in 4* land (44 champ) and while i have all 5*, they are at 255 or 270 (PHX and SS, early mistake). The 5* nodes are doable and looks like i'm finishing t10, maybe even t5 but i'm going back to SCL8 for Unstable Iso...

The 5* nodes are insanely tough for me. Had to buy health packs for sub 3 grind and final sub took 1h and 40min. 

bluewolf

Rick OShay said:

I just noticed that CL8 still only has 884 players in my bracket. I joined on day one, soon after the 1st flip.
That seems to prove that everyone left CL8 as the ghost town, many must have went up a CL, and very many went down to CL7. I can't remember an event where we still had less than 1000 players with about 1 day left to go.

The current bracket spreadsheet among all slices shows 13 flips total for scl 8 and 9 (each scl) and 15 for scl 7.  So pretty even distribution.  I would speculate that there may be fewer people playing without the 5 rostered.  Also, the difficulty may be scaring them off.  There also may be fewer late joiners due to extra cp from the 5, and not wanting to miss those by waiting out the flips.

shardwick

Rick OShay said:

I just noticed that CL8 still only has 884 players in my bracket. I joined on day one, soon after the 1st flip.
That seems to prove that everyone left CL8 as the ghost town, many must have went up a CL, and very many went down to CL7. I can't remember an event where we still had less than 1000 players with about 1 day left to go.

I knew it would happen when I saw that they had tons of info on 9 but virtually nothing for 8. I thought "Ok well they will at least up the placement rewards for 8 and give out a 4* for top 20 because it just makes sense. Give people a reason to go up to 8 or at least stay there." A whole lot of nada. I'm sure they'll just shrug it off too, instead of fix things, then go back to focusing on Anniversary or post Anniversary content.

Tiger_Wong

Look, if you're gonna pump the difficulty/enemy levels up..... you can't just let the goons feed the villains so they can fire their powers off every 2 turns. 

Phumade

I think they kept the 5* node in scl 7, because they wanted to force 4* rosters to build their 5* bench.  If you aren't willing to roster the 5*, you have no shot at placement in scl7.

WEBGAS

IF they want the scl9 be appealing for those with higher roster, they must scale-down difficulty , especially on the essential 5* node a bit. Otherwise nobody will chose scl9 again. Who wants to spent 1 hour more of gameplay and a lot of kits for the same poor rewards? ..... Good intentions but BAD designing on devs part. Hope they will fix soon

Tony_Foot

I want them to give carnage his teeth back now. That final node is so easy with the newer characters, the devs should give him his red back and it would still be easy enough. I leave him until last with medusa carol and wasp and always finish with no hint of needing a pack. That node needs to be scary again!

Bowgentle

Tony Foot said:

I want them to give carnage his teeth back now. That final node is so easy with the newer characters, the devs should give him his red back and it would still be easy enough. I leave him until last with medusa carol and wasp and always finish with no hint of needing a pack. That node needs to be scary again!

Go CL9 if you want scary.
Boobstone at 515 has 117K health.
11K on purple.
3500 plus 1600 per red tile.