Suggestion: PvE Lightning Rounds!

DrDoMe

I have an idea for a PvE "lightning round" that allows you to re-use the existing events, just repackaging them in a faster-paced format.  Assume you start with an existing PvE event, then my suggestion consists of the following changes:

1) Give the entire event a duration of between 1 and 4 hours depending on what makes the most fun and gets a decent amount of competition in a single event.  If you wanted, you could run the event 6 times in consecutive 4-hour periods and restrict each player to only playing in one of those brackets.  Or do something else if it makes more sense.  The point is, these would be short events you could complete in a sitting if you wanted.

2) Limit each node in each sub-event to being beaten exactly once.

3) Raise the difficulty significantly. The reason for this is because, with every node only being able to be completed once, placement rankings are going to come from people not being able to finish all the nodes in an event.  Difficulty is a factor here, but you could also use time limits to help add to the pressure without creating a frustrating series of total party wipes.

Just a gut guess on my part, but I think you'd have to increase the difficulty significantly if the goal is that not everyone clears every node.  I'd make the first "easy" node roughly as hard as a "hard" node currently is the first time you play it.  From there, I'd have each node after that go up steeply.  So for example, for CL 8, the 6 standard nodes might look like:

Node 1 - Level 200 enemies.
Node 2 - Level 250
Node 3 - Level 300
Node 4 - Level 340
Node 5 - Level 380
Node 6 - Level 420

For essential nodes, I'd at least put the difficulty at the top of where the current CL difficulty stops, but maybe bump it up even higher.

4) Allow sub-events to be unlocked at the player's own pace instead of on a schedule.  This is essential, because you don't want someone waiting eagerly for the next stage to unlock because they finished the last one 15 minutes before the time was up.  So instead, I'd suggest just allowing all sub-events to be unlocked at the same time.  A perhaps more interesting alternative would be to have each sub-event unlock the next when it is fully completed.  This could create a gauntlet-like experience.

Why I'm Proposing This

I doubt I'm alone in being frustrated with the grind of PvE.  I'd like to see an experience that is more challenging and less time consuming.  Adding PvE Lightning Rounds allows you to experiment with that format in addition to your current PvE format.  Adding more events adds more rewards and player engagement and the added difficulty would almost certainly sell more health packs.

The format I described above would take roughly 1/6 the number of fights a normal event would, but with increased difficulty that could slow things down.  Still, I think the whole event could be completed roughly as quickly as people currently finish the 4x clears of a single sub.  Plus, the hard nodes of the Gauntlet were the most satisfying challenge this game has produced, so I'd love to see a format that captures that.

abmoraz

I like the idea, but to achieve what you want, you are going to have to raise the levels of enemies MUCH faster.  Level 420 teams are pretty insignificant to players with level 550 5* characters.

You also have to account for teams where the level increase is probably inconsequential (like Goon squads whose countdown tiles can be completely negated with a plethora of character combos or stun-lock teams that don't have to worry about taking damage at all).

abmoraz

DrDoMe said:

...
Plus, the hard nodes of the Gauntlet were the most satisfying challenge this game has produced, so I'd love to see a format that captures that.

Preach on, brother!  I know a lot of people hated the Gauntlet, but it was my favorite non-boss PVE.

hunky_funky

abmoraz said:

DrDoMe said:

...
Plus, the hard nodes of the Gauntlet were the most satisfying challenge this game has produced, so I'd love to see a format that captures that.

Preach on, brother!  I know a lot of people hated the Gauntlet, but it was my favorite non-boss PVE.

Mmmm...I'd be glad to clear the Gauntlet now, when I have 5* on board. Why devs refused to run it again?

broll

Another reason to feel like I have to play this game 24/7 or I'm falling behind?  Hard no from me. 

I'm still annoyed that Lightning Rounds for PvP are only run during the work week where they feel walled off vs the weekend where I wish I had more to do in the game...