Quality of Life changes to benefit us all

Matthew
Matthew Posts: 605 Critical Contributor
in MtGPQ General Discussion
I wanted to post this in another thread, but as it got lengthier, I realized I probably needed a new one. That and there was just too much name-calling, which just served as another refresher on why I take such lengthy breaks from this place. Too much vitriol. Anyway, what I really came here to say was the following....


I enjoy the occasional throwback event, even if I do already have basically every card from these sets. To be honest, I don't really understand why they don't just run one each week. Unless maybe that's due to some computery hardware type issue about which I know diddly squat...

But anyway the more salient point I came here to discuss is the rewards system. I think the fact that the rewarded boosters from the current set are coming at an abysmally low rate, and that is why people are upset about the Legacy events. It's a problem I've noticed lately, and I know others have as well because I've seen it mentioned here and on the chat servers. Oktagon has essentially made it so that we are now required to empty our in-game currency reserves if we want even the slightest chance of getting new cards, because there are almost zero events that offer boosters from the current set. And of course there's the ridiculous decision to completely cut off rare rewards. They have basically strangled the average player, and because in-game resources have slowed to a trickle, those of us in the top tier of coalitions are next. We are being set up for an epic fleecing for real, actual money. Now I'm not against spending money on a game I enjoy, especially if it means that game will continue to do well. But what I am against is feeling like my hand is forced. I want to spend money of my own volition. I don't want to spend money just to remain competitive.

Here are some suggestions for making this game feel less like it's taking advantage of me:

1) Bring back the event rare card rewards, one for progression and one for placement. The old system distributed those cards fairly deep into the placement tiers, if I recall correctly. That meant more orbs for more players, and more chances at getting cards that can go a long way to help a player progress through the game. Meaningful and foreseeable progression through the metagame (i.e. not something that will take years to accomplish) is what will encourage people to invest more of their time and money in this game. If you make us feel like we have no choice but to spend money, there will be a backlash. We have proven this in the past. I don't recommend testing us again.

2) Allow us to choose which set our rewards boosters come from. This would be amazing for a number of reasons:
- It would afford newer players a non-crafting method to collect cards from old sets that they might not want to spend orbs on.
- It would allow virtually everyone to have an easier time collecting the common and uncommon cards from Standard sets (which, to Oktagon's great credit, have become a lot more useful of late).
- It would give people more chances to collect more orbs. Now, I'm not silly enough to overlook the fact that that's probably why they have gone to this distribution model in the first place (the one where we don't get current boosters), to cut the flow of free orbs to us.
- It would grant players more choice, which is one of the greatest things about Magic.

What do you guys think? Oh, also, @Oktagon_Daiane, for awareness...

Comments

  • Laeuftbeidir
    Laeuftbeidir Posts: 1,841 Chairperson of the Boards
    I like this. The problem pointed out fits to what I heard several times in our Slack channel and feel as well. No more rares, barely any RIX boosters to win.. It feels like they don't want us to play with the new toys.
    1.) would be necessary for many players not to give up on the game. The nerf of mythic rewards was tough, but necessary. The nerf of rare rewards is annoying and IMO contraproductive.
    2.) would be really cool. Maybe not as necessary as 1.),but I'd love to have the choice..
  • Sirchombli
    Sirchombli Posts: 322 Mover and Shaker
    The rares going away was something I didn't really expect to happen. While taking away mythic rewards was the most noticeable change, the game has been steadily rewarding us less and less for an amount of effort that has increased steadily. Both RIX events have 5 nodes ,in spite of the fact that we have repeatedly spoken out against them . If there was a new set rare available, it would be easier to swallow. Events scheduling is super inconsistent , prices went up on the newest set in the vault . Instead of fixing the price on jace in the vault we get a woopsies note in our inbox and a put in a ticket. I was holding judgment because of the giant mess hibernum left for oktagon. However , we're way past the grace period and it feels like things are getting worse faster than things are being fixed. People are starting to leave again. It can't keep going like this. I know that oktagon is working hard, but I can't keep giving them a pass based on their intentions 
  • FindingHeart8
    FindingHeart8 Posts: 2,731 Chairperson of the Boards
    Definitely agree with this, for extra crystals I've actually had to dip into the reservoir of incomplete story-mode objectives I've been holding onto in case of a mtgpq drought.  I always thought I was just being paranoid for doing this and never thought it would become an actual necessity.

    IDEA: I mentioned this before in a previous thread: if D3/Octagon's revenue from this game is slowing and they're looking for ways to catch up, one thing I'd suggest is creating optional in-game ads for extra rewards.  Example: You can watch 3 ads per day at the reward of 50 runes each, but if you complete watching 3 ads you get an additional bonus of 15 crystals.  This would both generate an extra stream of revenue and solve the minimum-rewards crisis that has players so dissatisfied at the current time.  If cards are no longer D3/Octagon's only source of revenue, hopefully they would also be more generous game earnings like the event-reward rares of the past.

    However, I cannot stress enough that the participation in watching ads must be voluntary.  Mandatory ads for gameplay participation or for rewards that were free prior will only further the frustration of the player-base.
  • bk1234
    bk1234 Posts: 2,924 Chairperson of the Boards
    The removal of rares was just a terrible decision for newer players. 

    When coalitions are going out of their way to be welcoming to newer players and help engage them, it feels like a big slap in the face. It's not easy to balance a top 50 or even 100 team with players in their first week or month -- but I've seen since last summer, week after week, top 100, 50, 25 and even top 10 teams take in brand new players -- and these players succeed because their teams give them the knowledge and the rewards give them the tools. 

  • wereotter
    wereotter Posts: 2,070 Chairperson of the Boards
    bken1234 said:
    The removal of rares was just a terrible decision for newer players. 

    When coalitions are going out of their way to be welcoming to newer players and help engage them, it feels like a big slap in the face. It's not easy to balance a top 50 or even 100 team with players in their first week or month -- but I've seen since last summer, week after week, top 100, 50, 25 and even top 10 teams take in brand new players -- and these players succeed because their teams give them the knowledge and the rewards give them the tools. 

    It wasn't a great decision for established players either. I was able to pull the majority of rares from Kaladesh from event rewards and got every Aether Revolt rare, most Amonkhet rares, and every Eldritch Moon rare except for Thalia through the events. It made it feel like there was a reason to keep playing if I knew I could earn a chance at a new, rare card.

    It seems like a move made to try and sell more crystals for packs. Granted the game likely went through a dry spell on incoming revenue as a result of the long delay between Hour of Devestation and Ixalan, so I understand them wanting to make that money back. So it's my hope that they will reverse course on that decision after this set rather than take it forward as the new normal. The lack of rare card rewards, and every event being PvP has been causing me to start to feel like there's not much point to even playing the game, and that's disappointing.
  • Toodles
    Toodles Posts: 31 Just Dropped In
    TL;DR but I skimmed and in summary you are saying “I want more stuff for free.” You aren’t entitled to anything simply because you play a free game.

    I wish they would go the other way and offer micro transaction events and possibly a token or something included with purchases that doubled drop rates for a limited time. Imagine $1.99 sealed deck event with the newest sets and early accessibility to the unreleased pw’s from that set. They have huge untapped revenue streams with limited format if they keep the cost low enough. 
  • bk1234
    bk1234 Posts: 2,924 Chairperson of the Boards
    ZW2007- said:
    They themselves set the precedent for rewards expectations. They decided to give Rares as rewards for over a year. They suddenly removed Rares as rewards without an explanation as to why. It isn't asking for more free stuff. It's asking to get the same free stuff they made us accustomed to receiving.
    This pretty much sums it up -- I honestly could care less about the free rares. I pulled more than half of them in my initial RIX haul and have accumulated more through packs since --and will continue to pull them with the massive amount of crystals I pull in every week through simply being in Platinum, being on a top 10 coalition and finishing well in events. 

    However a casual or new player will do the same amount of work as me and get a fraction of the awards. 

    I'm not asking for more free stuff -- I'm asking for the same free stuff that means so much more to people other than me. I love casual players -- they don't take things crazy serious and make the game constantly fun and interesting -- and I love new players -- they do so much with so little and are my future teammates. 

    I don't want to see either group leave because there is no avenue for them to move forward and engage. 

    No matter how long we've been in the game, how much time we play, or what team we play for -- we're all here because we love this game, and we learn and take things from players of all levels -- and avenues for engagement (like top 100 rare rewards) shouldn't be cut. 
  • Aeroplane
    Aeroplane Posts: 314 Mover and Shaker
    Even if you pay there is no satisfaction. I splurged on 5 premium packs and got 1 mythic total. Yeah! Great game, poor iap.

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