Should essential 5* characters get level boosts?

GuntherBlobel

In the CL9 debut, the essential 5*, Star-Lord, isn't even getting the meager 10 level boost that 5*s sometimes get. Outside his essential node, I'm not using him.

Essential 5*s should be boosted to something substantial for PvE.

bluewolf

I agree, sounds good.  My belief is that there is a programming holdup, which would have the 5 boosted for all SCL's, which they don't want.  Maybe it will be addressed later.

It would also fly against the official statement that the 5E is not required for progression; that is, boosting the 5 makes them featured for the whole event, not just the "bonus node".

Milk Jugz

I said this one other time in an older thread. I believe there are enough 5* characters to put 2-3 on the weekly boost list. Make the boost 1 level per 11 actual levels (which is greater than normal, but not too much IMO). IE, a 255 5* would boost to 278, a 550 5* would boost to 600. The biggest reason I think it should happen is to try to destroy the Panthos meta that has taken over 5* Versus. I mean, why use your 455 Panther and Thanos, when you could use your 495 and 490 Bolt and Surfer.....

smkspy

My 255 starlord at 8 covers is essentially worthless for that node. Even at scl 8, I have to rely on either carndusa or Iceman/im40 to be able to clear it. Cosnidering that the node levels exceed what that clearance level dicates, the rewards should be better: higher iso, no standard token.

Jarvind

I'd be fine with the minor boost they sometimes get, where it's like 15-20 levels. That's enough at the 5* level to make a noticeable difference.

Milk Jugz

smkspy said:

My 255 starlord at 8 covers is essentially worthless for that node. Even at scl 8, I have to rely on either carndusa or Iceman/im40 to be able to clear it. Cosnidering that the node levels exceed what that clearance level dicates, the rewards should be better: higher iso, no standard token.

My SL5 is at 255 with 8 covers also- 3/3/2. I chose CL9, I have to rely on my 454 Phoenix and 382 Iceman. Her strikes and his stun and AoE were essential to win the first 2 subs. I'm not in the 3rd sub yet, but some of my alliance mates are, and I'm a little worried...... That one looks nasty...... 

Orion

With CL9 giving you level 515 enemies, a boost to the essential 5* is almost necessary.

Power_Stryke

There should be a boost for the essential 5* just like all the essential characters. It would be logical & obviously very helpful for us players. I don't think the situation is helped by having one of the newest 5*s as the essential character & in my opinion one of the weakest one at that.

DrDevilDinosaur

aesthetocyst said:

 Champ surfers must be making a joke out of SCL7.  

Yeah. I would have wanted the extra cover for Gambit that SCL 8/9 provides, but if this is going to be the new normal, then I'll be very tempted to just sit in SCL7 from here on out.

Orion

aesthetocyst said:

 Champ surfers must be making a joke out of CL7

Geez, what is champed Thanos going to do?  15 minute clears?  Even CL9 will be a joke with a 565 Thanos.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think they need to dial that boost back a bit.

Milk Jugz

I said before they should boost 11 levels per actual level of your character for 5*. That would boost a 255 to 278 and a 550 to 600. I think that is reasonable

Pants1000

Orion said:

aesthetocyst said:

 Champ surfers must be making a joke out of CL7

Geez, what is champed Thanos going to do?  15 minute clears?  Even CL9 will be a joke with a 565 Thanos.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think they need to dial that boost back a bit.

That will be a double-edged sword.  A 565 Thanos will destroy your own team too.

And while champed/boosted 5's will make a joke of CL7, weren't champed 5's already doing that?  Even the 5* essential in CL7 was no challenge for champed 5's.

Maybe this will get more players to move up to CL9, and it may make undercovered 5's useful.  

Still, the 110 level boost may be a bit much.  50-75 levels would have had a similar impact.

I'm also surprised by the lack of any official announcement, and only a couple posts.  This is a pretty significant change.

Orion

Just finished the first clears of PvE with my boosted level 567 Surfer.  It was stupid.  Only took me 35 minutes to clear CL9 and I was 6th.  Surfer made a joke out of every node including the 5* essential.  If you don't have the essential 5* champed, forget about top 10 in any CL.

broll

Pants1000 said:

Orion said:

aesthetocyst said:

 Champ surfers must be making a joke out of CL7

Geez, what is champed Thanos going to do?  15 minute clears?  Even CL9 will be a joke with a 565 Thanos.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think they need to dial that boost back a bit.

That will be a double-edged sword.  A 565 Thanos will destroy your own team too.

And while champed/boosted 5's will make a joke of CL7, weren't champed 5's already doing that?  Even the 5* essential in CL7 was no challenge for champed 5's.

Maybe this will get more players to move up to CL9, and it may make undercovered 5's useful.  

Still, the 110 level boost may be a bit much.  50-75 levels would have had a similar impact.

I'm also surprised by the lack of any official announcement, and only a couple posts.  This is a pretty significant change.

i think that’s the point. People who have 0 champed 5*s now have one as long as they have at least 1 cover for it. 1 cover might not be enough to be worth it but I certainly used my 6 covered L380 quite heavily this event. 

DrDevilDinosaur

I think it's also worth adding:

Any of the 5*'s that I have put ISO into, I have levelled to either Lv315 or Lv300. Getting a taste of Lv 410 Surfer has really made me consider siphoning some ISO away from being banked for 4*'s and pump it into some of my 5*'s. Even seeing the health and match damage on Gambit at Lv 345 and comparing that to my Lv315's was eye opening - and Lv345 is much more likely where I'd stop with the few 5*'s that I could take that far.

At the moment, there's not really a 5* progression - at least not in any sense of gradual growth. It's get 3+ 5*'s and champ them all at once. At the very least, 4*'s still have Clash of the Titans, which often requires that you've made a little bit of an investment into the character. I think it's pretty clear that Demiurge want to try and soften that progression, so that more people start taking those first steps out of 4 and into 5 (this benefits the 5* meta, as there will be more players, and benefits the players trying to progress out of 3 into 4* meta because there will be less people with jacked up 4* rosters that can sweep easily). SO, in a lot of ways, this boost feels like it's another way to try and entice 4* players to move on up.

BlackBoltRocks

Echoing @Orion. My Surfer - lv 551 after boost - made mincemeat of everyone in SCL9. Does help that literally all opponents are Symbiotes, and boosted 3* Strange speeds things up even more.

@DrDevilDinosaur: the devs could really speed that up by increasing the 5* rate to 25%. Just look at the stories here on the forums about people cashing in their stash during those "mistakes".

Bowgentle

That boost is fine in PVE.

But please lower it for PVP.

I don't want to see weekly boosted 610 Thanos.

Daiches

Pretty sure both the Gambit 80 level buff and he Surfer 110 level buff is a bug. Never before have new 5s gotten a flat level boost, not have boosted 5s gotten such an increase. They probably checked a flag wrongly somewhere like when they allowed 4star Gamora to be played in LRs.
We will have to see next PVE (since fixing the bug during the running PVE would be tinykitty)

Bowgentle

Daiches said:

(since fixing the bug during the running PVE would be tinykitty)

This is Demiurge we're talking about here.
Expect this to get fixed mid-sub.

And yeah I suspect a bug too, although there's precedent - Goblin was buffed 100 levels in a Nefarious Foes PVP way back when he was introduced.

Orion

Bowgentle said:

Daiches said:

(since fixing the bug during the running PVE would be tinykitty)

This is Demiurge we're talking about here.
Expect this to get fixed mid-sub.

And yeah I suspect a bug too, although there's precedent - Goblin was buffed 100 levels in a Nefarious Foes PVP way back when he was introduced.

I think the Gambit boost is intentional, but the Surfer boost may not be.  They have corrected an overboost before during a PvE if you vets remember this Guantlet run: https://forums.d3go.com/discussion/39179/hulkbuster-punches-the-marvel-universe

bluewolf

@Brigby   I know you are off today, but if you could check with the devs about the 5* boost, that would be awesome.  It seems that the design intent of SCL9 (difficulty increase correlating with rewards) is not being met with this boost.  Also, I rather enjoyed that difficulty was slightly tilting the game away from just scheduling your clears and a little more toward "can I beat this?".  And having more score spread is, I think, a good thing.  

Anyone with champed 5's will be in god mode if this boost stands, Aka bored after a few times of this.  We've all been there, right?  Beat a game.  Unlocked "god mode" and you think wow!  Now I can just play this and win!  Ha ha suckers!  20 minutes later, you're soooo bored and done with the game for good.  The placement rewards for this game change that, but still.

And oh!  The overgrinding that will happen.

I haven't even mentioned the poor players who can't champ a 5, feeling even more dejected now.  I know! They don't deserve placement etc etc.  But this boost is like taking your Ferrari to the Honda race.

This level of boost is actually probably detrimental to the health of the game.