Reality Stone Season Updates (5/1/18)

189101214

Comments

  • Quebbster
    Quebbster Posts: 8,070 Chairperson of the Boards
    jackstar0 said:
    Following up to say that they've now created a system whereby the best chances for success are not to play in PvP until you can jump into a fresh bracket and grind it out against the other nutjobs. Yep, a system that incentivizes not playing for singularly absurd rewards (looking ahead to power gem season) will surely encourage more spending in the game... no wait, it's the opposite!

    [insert WarGames quote]

    To be fair, getting top rewards have Always meant being crazier than everyone else. It's just that some people go a lot crazier than expected...
  • mexus
    mexus Posts: 12 Just Dropped In
    As an observer - not a player, I have collected evidence from threads throughout the forum but this one in particular that proves that supports are something no one really needs or even wants, until they release one particular support item that no one can even get; then suddenly everyone is desperate to get it.
  • Wumpushunter
    Wumpushunter Posts: 627 Critical Contributor
    I just don't see how anyone could support the powers that be in this case, it's indefensible what they are doing. If the game needs money this badly just charge for the app. Creating PVP only content for the top 1% just hurts any good will you might have accumulated. Shame.
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,667 Chairperson of the Boards
    It gets even better re: monetization.  Because in about 10 hours, the HaT vault closes.  Then there will be no token available for purchase for about 5 1/2 days.  “And Friends” won’t have a Support token.

    So you won’t be able to say “they just want money” because a Support token literally won’t be for sale.

    There may be an HfH offer, which is unknown.

    It’s just strange to me.
  • Yepyep
    Yepyep Posts: 952 Critical Contributor
    Anyway, it is certainly the definition of "slow rollout."
  • PenniesForEveryone
    PenniesForEveryone Posts: 294 Mover and Shaker
    Would be 1000x better if instead of auto-selling duplicates I could use a number of them to increase the support to the next rank.  Just like champ rewards - 50x 2* supports will grant you three 3* supports, 100x 3* gets you three 4*s, 100x 4* gets you six 5*.  Then just give out the lower tier ones like candy.  At least then people feel like they are always making progress and able to actually use this new feature.
  • ZeiramMR
    ZeiramMR Posts: 1,357 Chairperson of the Boards
    bluewolf said:
    It gets even better re: monetization.  Because in about 10 hours, the HaT vault closes.  Then there will be no token available for purchase for about 5 1/2 days.  “And Friends” won’t have a Support token.

    So you won’t be able to say “they just want money” because a Support token literally won’t be for sale.

    There may be an HfH offer, which is unknown.

    It’s just strange to me.
    There is a good chance of a SCL 9 HfH coming with next release (early next week?).
  • DrDoMe
    DrDoMe Posts: 97 Match Maker
    edited May 2018
    I have the perfect solution to the screw up: Make SCL 10 with a high minimum level, and put reasonable max levels on SCL 7-9.  That way the whales can keep fighting for top tier rewards and the rest of us will actually have a chance at winning something.

    And because of your messed-up progression, even those of us who win the lower tiers will never get a 5* infinity stone so...  win-win?
  • GrimSkald
    GrimSkald Posts: 2,550 Chairperson of the Boards
    mexus said:
    As an observer - not a player, I have collected evidence from threads throughout the forum but this one in particular that proves that supports are something no one really needs or even wants, until they release one particular support item that no one can even get; then suddenly everyone is desperate to get it.
    I think you need to do a little more observing.  Much of the outrage over supports has been over their lack of availability.  Many players were withholding judgement until they announced how supports would be earned with this coming season.  Now that it's been announced we see that supports are going to be FAR less common than ANYONE predicted.
    Yeah, this is definitely the crux of it.

    I'd forgotten what the start of this thread said by the time the season started so I scrolled through the progression rewards to see how many tokens you'd get.

    None.

    I checked again.

    Still none.

    Well, they must have put some in Shield Sim at least.

    None.

    I mean...just...why? I figured there'd be some red iso and such but I also assumed there'd be a silver support token or two along the way. But...nothing? I don't get it. Even if thi is one of those "Management told us to do this" things I don't even understand from that angle either. How does this make money? I can't spend money to earn these things. and even if I was crazy enough to buy enough HP to empty a vault until I got the support there...I'd get at best a 3*? Or is it a 2* maximum from a silver one? I don't even remember.

    The sheer miserly nature of these things doesn't even make the company money...so why are they being handled like they're some precious, wonderous thing that us filthy peasents are not worthy enough to so much as gaze upon?

    I'm going to chime in my agreement here - Supports aren't really a moneymaking scheme since there's no real way to buy them other than the occasional HfH offer.  The tokens simply cannot be had for love nor money  As of right now, you can get a token in one of two ways

    Basic support tokens exist one to a vault - essentially about as likely as pulling a LT from a PVE vault (that is to say, pretty tinykitty unlikely.)  They're also available to those who place top 25 or above for the season in certain clearance levels.

    Advanced tokens are available once per season so long as you place above top 25 in certain high level brackets.

    Master tokens aren't available at this time - they seem to be special offer only.

    So, your average player will essentially see a basic token once in a great while through normal play.  More dedicated players will get one per season if they're the sort of player who kicks tinykitty in PVP.

    The only way to "buy" them is to empty out a PVE vault.  That's... not efficient.  Particularly since they don't do much.  If you're going to spend money, buy HP in a buy club, buy 40 packs, get LTs and CP.  That will affect your game.

    Now they have thrown a fair number of tokens at us lately via various means - HP expenditures in HfH and free tokens, but I'm going to assume they're not going to keep doing that.

    Speaking for myself, I'm going to fool around with my supports for a bit then pretty much ignore them.  They don't really change my game.

  • Wumpushunter
    Wumpushunter Posts: 627 Critical Contributor
    Those saying it's not just for money because none will be purchasable for a few days aren't playing the long game. Supports will be sold soon enough.
  • HoundofShadow
    HoundofShadow Posts: 8,004 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited May 2018
    They are running a business. Naturally, how supports are implemented now and in the future will be made based on business decision and data. 

    If they are not doing it for money right now, then logically, they are analysing how it affects gameplay beginning from the lower level. They already mentioned that they will be making changes to support after gathering data in the first few weeks or months. if they decided to  "nerf" support that 4* or 5* players love to use, another storm will brew up anyway.
  • Nick441234
    Nick441234 Posts: 1,496 Chairperson of the Boards
    Yeah, I can safely say I haven't moved my supports at all. I have my Wong on my R&G, and it hasn't moved since I placed it. I haven't even added any of the other supports I've picked up. 

    I'm not sure what data they will gain from me. 
  • Lopan15
    Lopan15 Posts: 225 Tile Toppler
    They already mentioned that they will be making changes to support after gathering data in the first few weeks or months.
    That's another part that confuses me.

    Are they getting much data? A lot of people have, at best, gathered a handful of supports, poured some RISO into one of them...and then left the thing alone. Maybe topping up that one support with what little RISO comes their way.

    How much data are they actually gathering when they're so precious no-one can get them and play with them?
    I've pulled 2 4* black order supports.  As you said, I'm not using them so what will they do with this data?  Will they make them stronger so I use them?  That won't help as there are few villains and even fewer "good" villains.  Wait, isn't more villains something we've been asking for since.....?  Instead, they give us villain supports to equip to villians I never use.
  • Smart80
    Smart80 Posts: 748 Critical Contributor
    Lopan15 said:
    They already mentioned that they will be making changes to support after gathering data in the first few weeks or months.
    That's another part that confuses me.

    Are they getting much data? A lot of people have, at best, gathered a handful of supports, poured some RISO into one of them...and then left the thing alone. Maybe topping up that one support with what little RISO comes their way.

    How much data are they actually gathering when they're so precious no-one can get them and play with them?
    I've pulled 2 4* black order supports.  As you said, I'm not using them so what will they do with this data?  Will they make them stronger so I use them?  That won't help as there are few villains and even fewer "good" villains.  Wait, isn't more villains something we've been asking for since.....?  Instead, they give us villain supports to equip to villians I never use.
    At most they find out which villain support is best (put on Thano5) and second best (Thano3) and which 3 will never be used... 
  • HoundofShadow
    HoundofShadow Posts: 8,004 Chairperson of the Boards
    This game is not only about the 4* and 5* players. 1*, 2* and 3* players do exist in MPQ. Even though they might not get any data from you, it doesn't mean that the rest of many ten thousand players are not generating any data for them as well. I need to clarify my earlier statement. Let me paste the exact wordings from them:

    "What’s Coming Next For Supports?
    Supports only work in Story missions right now, so that you have a chance to collect and explore them, and we have a chance to respond to your feedback, before we add them to Versus events.
     
    We expect that we might need to make balance adjustments to this first batch of Supports in response to your feedback. We’ll also be experimenting with different ways to get Supports and Red Iso-8. Let us know what you think!"