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

jgomes32

Finished 3.9 at #6 with 113138 points. Not bad for a 4* player but i went back to SCL8 for Unstable iso. 

I like the 5* node idea, but agree with some posts i've been seeing, keep the node as an "extra" that we can clear at any time. Adding that to clear/grind is what made me go back to 8.

WEBGAS

bluewolf said:

So far, it looks like SCL9 is becoming the ghost town. Uios8:  Slice 1 has flipped 3 times for 8, once for 9.  I'm in the third flip, t10 is full of 450+ 5's.

This thing is going to be shaking out for a while.

This is exactly the answer to the Devs.....The idea to open scl9 is great, the essential 5* node is good also, but the scaling for both is completely out of control.
No way a player that can do a complete clear in 30 minutes in scl7 or 50 minutes in scl8 will chose to spent 1h and15/30minutes to do the same in scl9 with the help of numerous kits and for basically the same poor rewards (few iso and cp are not worth it). 
So this change has been a completely bad move. Needs an instant fix!

Polares

I guess I am late to the party, but in my book SCL9 is another missed opportunity, as SCL8 was. With these rewards most people will continue SCL7 (which is a problem for newer players).

I guess there are not enough 5s to give one cover in progression for every PvE, but at least another Legendary token (not just for placement) would have been required to motivate players. Just the most hardcore players will choose SCL9 with the time requirements it has for the very few extra rewards.

Devs need to acknowledge that progression rewards are in general the main draw for PvE, so adding 2 or 4 LEs just for the top5 is like adding nothing for most players (obviously for the competitive players that are always top5 already this is great, but this are very few 5/1000). 

donnel

I'm surprised these changes went in without any communication or request for feedback. The addition of a 5* node drastically impacts competitiveness for CL7-9. While it's nice to have better rewards available for placing highly, there are almost as many drawbacks as to make me feel ambivalent.

- There are obvious issues with a 5* required node. The only ways of obtaining one are luck and more luck (i.e. spend). A very small percentage of the total playerbase will even have a single cover, let alone enough covers to make the character usable in a match against lvl 500s. So basically, you designed a node where it will be very common to have no assistance from the essential, and set it's difficulty to be harder than most pvp encounters. 

- Having done one event at cl9, it feels like the jump from 8 is roughly equivalent to double the amount of time needed to grind nodes down to 0. 25-30 min will now be 55-65 min. This change + the pvp tests indicate to me that there are no qualms about drastically increasing the amount of time spent in game to be at a competitive level. 

I like the fact that the dev's are looking for ways to improve the game, and the cosmic store is one truly good change without any drawbacks. In the big areas though, like how pvp and pve will be played at a high level, I have big concerns about where we're going. 

Nick441234

I've stayed in SCL8, despite my complaints in the previous event. I cannot clear that 5* node 6 times, so 4 will be my limit for the foreseeable future. Still glad SCL9 is here though. Clearly more people have returned to 8 in this event, but theres still a whole bunch of people who have stayed in 9 meaning they aren't competition for me in 8. 

Starfury

One thing people are kinda forgetting: If they didn't add the 5* essential into SCL 7, it would've screwed a lot of players out of a big chunk of points for their alliance.

Until last week, it didn't matter if someone played SCL 1 or SCL 8, as long as they played optimally, they got the same amount of points. Now a SCL 7 player will be worth more points than a SCL 6 player.

If that cut had happened in SCL 8, a lot of really dedicated newer players would've been in a precarious position. (if they aren't already due to having not lucked into every 5* released over the last two years)

animaniactoo

After the first event, which turned out to coincide with a last-minute getaway weekend with my in-laws, I came away feeling slogged. After dropping down to SCL7 because I didn't want to face higher on the 5 star node when my 5 star characters are 2/2/0 or 1/2/1 at best. With no leveling because I'm still working on 4* transition. 

Ultimately this meant that I spent about the same amount of time I would have if I'd been in SCL8, but it felt sloggier. To the point that I opened Unstable ISO-8 this morning, took a look at the essential nodes and put it back down. I don't know if I'm just taking a break today or I'll be taking off the entire event.

In figuring out what's gone wrong for me, I think a major key is the repetition times even more now. I don't care if I've found a combination that means getting through the 3 easy nodes in 2 moves max (even though I'm loving having found such a non-Thanos combo). I still don't want to play the game 40 times in a row. Every. Single. Day. 36 was already stretching it for me, and I'd pulled back a few events ago from doing 7 clears as part of rescuing my sanity and desire to continue to play and enjoy the game. Those last 4 clears to do the 5* essential are breaking this camel's back. Even if I can get all 40 done in an hour and 15 minutes. 41 if you're in an event with a feeder node.

Top that with playing 20 times in a row if you're finishing out one sub and then starting the other and ugh that's 61 times in a row.

I want the 5 star essential, I think it's a promising direction for the game. But the overall number of clears has tilted towards the overwhelming side for a daily play game. The getaway affected my experience somewhat but not as much as my growing need to reclaim my life on a daily basis.

I would like to qualify that I know I don't have to play them all at once. And I've been fine recently with dropping back to not clearing the very moment they open (particularly as the time slots really suck for my ability to do that). But I would like at least a shot at some decent placement (I'm happy with T50 at this point), and even playing non-optimally that does mean not waiting TOO long to get to it.

Edited to update numbers of clears because I can't add. Well, I can, but not when I don't total all the nodes properly.

Bloody_Marvel

I hope everybody abandons SCL9. They'll have data on how many tried it, and how many gave up on it right away.

I moved back down to SCL8, and I don't have a moment's worth of regret. I'm far happier clearing every node 7 times in SCL8 and accumulating points for my alliance than spending double the time in SCL9, and if I'm lucky beating the 5* node 3x.

Akari

I dropped to CL8 for Unstable ISO8 and my goodness, the 5* essential node is just worlds apart. It's seriously 1/3rd the total HP!!!

Yeah, not going back to CL9. The 2 LTs weren't worth the extra time spent, I can land t5 with no effort in CL8.

mpqr7

Hey, folks. I don't post much these days because I'm very busy working at an exciting new job. However I did want to drop by in order to take all of the credit for requesting the 5* required node 

https://forums.d3go.com/discussion/62865/5-required-node

BlackBoltRocks

mpqr7 said:

I'm very busy working at an exciting new job. 

Please tell us it's the dev department at MPQ, and y'all gonna implement 25% rates for 5* in LTs soon 

mpqr7

I'll be happy to tell you whatever you'd like to hear.

turbomoose

This will be the last time I do SCL9 the 4th round is almost impossible without a decent 5* to backup the main character 

ive champed most of the 4*s now so should have a good enough roster but the 5* node is ridiculously hard 

im only doing it this time for the iso but from next time I’ll be going back to 8

throughsilver

turbomoose said:

This will be the last time I do SCL9 the 4th round is almost impossible without a decent 5* to backup the main character 

ive champed most of the 4*s now so should have a good enough roster but the 5* node is ridiculously hard 

im only doing it this time for the iso but from next time I’ll be going back to 8

Yeah, I'm getting torn apart on the third clear of 5* essential on CL9. I start ok, I have a Surfer at about 390, but that Rocket Man just devastates him, and the other damage kills the rest of my team while he's in the air. 

JablesMc

Maybe I’m the only one here, but I’m loving scl9. Lazy 6 clears for top 50? One of the first times I’ve gotten a character in their release event, without playing optimal? You betcha, I’m staying in 9.

IMHO, marginal additional time, more challenge, better rewards due to scarcity of competition?

I’m in.

Quebbster

JablesMc said:

Maybe I’m the only one here, but I’m loving scl9. Lazy 6 clears for top 50? One of the first times I’ve gotten a character in their release event, without playing optimal? You betcha, I’m staying in 9.

IMHO, marginal additional time, more challenge, better rewards due to scarcity of competition?

I’m in.

You are not the only one. I did drop to SCL 8 for Deadpool vs MPQ, but that's mostly because my Grocket has 5 green covers already, so I couldn't really use the top 50 reward in SCL 9 for once. Might as well go for slightly easier nodes then.

Starfury

JablesMc said:

Maybe I’m the only one here, but I’m loving scl9. Lazy 6 clears for top 50? One of the first times I’ve gotten a character in their release event, without playing optimal? You betcha, I’m staying in 9.

IMHO, marginal additional time, more challenge, better rewards due to scarcity of competition?

I’m in.

I've played SCL9 four times now, solid 4* roster, always got into T50 even in the two events without the required 5* (though I needed 7 clears and a good bracket)

First time I ever got 4* covers from placement

astrp3

JablesMc said:

Maybe I’m the only one here, but I’m loving scl9. Lazy 6 clears for top 50? One of the first times I’ve gotten a character in their release event, without playing optimal? You betcha, I’m staying in 9.

IMHO, marginal additional time, more challenge, better rewards due to scarcity of competition?

I’m in.

How many clears do you do on the required 5* node?

I have been avoiding SCL9 for fears that I wouldn't be able to do a single clear on the 5* node (I'd like to do at least two) and that it would take a lot longer and cost me more health packs, but looking at your roster, it is comparable with mine, so maybe I should give it a try.

I've been sticking to SCL 7, where I only have to play optimally if I'm going for top 10, but if I can get the 4* cover in SCL 9 by playing suboptimally, I'd probably do it, since playing optimally is a real drag.