I'm Back.........and I'm Starting Over

CharlieCroker

JHawkInc said:

Sm0keyJ0e said:

Qubort said:

Rod5 said:

No, the 5* version completely rules the PvP meta

But Thor rules PVE and you don't seem to have an issue with that. I guess your beef with Gambit is personal bias for the format you prefer to play.

Well, no, Thor doesn't rule PVE. Thanos does. So I guess Thor is your personal bias for the format you prefer to play.

As far as Gambit, 99% of the player base that is in the 5* tier wants him nerfed. He is overpowered. That's all there is to it and there's no defending he's not. 

I think fewer people want him nerfed than forumites like to claim. I also think they keep quiet because they recognize the futility of trying to have a meaningful conversation with people that say things like "there's no defending he's not" as if it were concrete fact.

I freely admit that there are 5* players who don't want Gambit nerfed.  But the reason for that is they love (and have fun) exploiting such an overpowered character and often have him at a much higher level than the rest of their 5* roster.  

Quite simply Gambit is overpowered and there's no rational argument that he's not.  Fact.

JackTenrec

The real upside to the game is that we've gotten some really entertaining characters to broaden the 4* meta (Mockingbird and America Chavez are probably my favorites), but the same design decisions that drove you away from the game are probably going to make it tough to get back there.  Good luck (which is probably the best advice I can give since RNG still rules all).

Punisher5784

bbigler said:

 

Well, after a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that it would be more fun to start over than to pick up where I left off. 

Have fun buying roster slots.. you'll need ALOT

I don't even want to think about what it would be like to start over. I've quit many long RPG's when my data was erased. Nonetheless, welcome back and good luck

LavaManLee

Welcome back but, if I were you, I would look for a different game.  MPQ is really not designed for a new player right now and that, in my opinion, is a sign that the end may come soon.  This is a very fun game to play but a very hard game to get a decent roster up quickly.  There are too many 3 and 4*s for a new player and it takes too long to collect them, let alone get them all maxed.  Just way too long.

I compare this to Marvel Strike Force which, I know, is very polarizing for this group.  I started playing it on May 1 so have played for 31 days.  Going from nothing, I can hold my own now in the medium matches.  I don't have every player but you don't feel the need to have every player that you do in MPQ.  It can be played at my own leisure and don't have to worry about scaling or seeing Gambit everywhere.

I know Strike Force isn't for everyone but that is just one example.  MPQ is horrible for a new player to pick up and start playing, IMHO, because of the sheer amount of time it would take to get a halfway fun roster.

SymmeTrey

I came back a few months ago, I've enjoyed it. When I played the first time around and I spent so much time, I became like many of the players who are most upset about the state of the game - I was burned out, tired of the game, frustrated about all manner of things. The game also never "ends" so you reach a point where you've kind of exhausted the content many times over, but, you're still playing due to "sunk costs" in your mind or habit and that's not fun.

But, these days, I just play the game and it's fun. I don't stress about trying to be the best or get stuff first. I tried lots of other match-3 games and this one is one I prefer. I'm into the 4-star tier now (I started over because I sold off my whole roster when I quit last time) and that's been fun.

Will I still enjoy the game when/if I reach the 5-star tier or when the 4-star tier ends for me? I'm not sure.

But, games aren't meant to be games that we play for the rest of our lives... I count a few fun months or years in a given game as a pretty good experience. The fact that the 5-star meta maybe isn't that rewarding isn't a reason for me to stop playing right now any more than the fact that God of War has an end is a reason to not play it. When what I'm doing stops being fun, there are lots of other things out there to do, I consider that an "end point" for a given game... regardless of whether that game has a definitive end point or not.

Most of the loudest complaints come from the veteran players who are frustrated over staleness of the 5* meta or the fact that they have been playing mostly the same content for 2-3+ years... both very valid complaints, but, they really have no bearing on someone returning to the game or someone new to the game.

Supports are also largely useless, but, the complaints there also stem from long time players wanting something new (again, very valid)... but, new or returning players can basically ignore Supports and just enjoy the content already there. Maybe by the time a new player exhausts current content, Supports might even worth playing with.

broll

Punisher5784 said:

bbigler said:

 

Well, after a lot of thought, I came to the conclusion that it would be more fun to start over than to pick up where I left off. 

Have fun buying roster slots.. you'll need ALOT

I don't even want to think about what it would be like to start over. I've quit many long RPG's when my data was erased. Nonetheless, welcome back and good luck

Depends on what he means by starting over.  If he means a brand new account... yeah no thanks...  If he means deleting all/most characters and starting over, then he'd keep all his roster slots. 

LavaManLee said:

Welcome back but, if I were you, I would look for a different game.  MPQ is really not designed for a new player right now and that, in my opinion, is a sign that the end may come soon.  

I've said this game isn't friendly to new players since I started 2 years ago...  It still seems to be running OK and I don't see it as worst to them now then when I started, in fact it's better in a several places:
- 5*s breaking PvE fixed (PvP still arguably problematic till 3* champs start coming)
- Supports will probably help accelerating characters.
- SCLs improve ability to play at your pace and choose your rewards.
- The SCL pack deals are a huge value if you're willing to open your wallet that far, would be great for those into roster slot needs.
- While dilution is bad 4* is helped by the Featured/Vintage system, hoarding up should allow someone new to breaking into 4* fairly easy (without hoarding it's probably a train wreck though)

crackninja

There is no way I would start the game over, I've already met rocket and groot 50 times in the last 2.5 years, defeated the dark avengers in 1000's of battles, etc.  But if I were new to the game I think it would be a better experience now.
The elite tokens raining constantly really changed the early game.  Bonus heroes are particularly beneficial there as well, particularly with those standard tokens everybody makes fun.
4* covers for the following event now being available through progression to those at a high enough scl is huge.
Supports would matter a lot to someone that is new to the game.
Yes, the roster slot demand is huge, and tackling the 4* tier in general would be daunting, but it felt daunting before, too, and the mechanisms weren't as friendly for getting through it.
What would scare me more than anything is that starting from scratch you have to be nervous that by the time you do get to 5* land, the game may shut down.

Dragon_Nexus

Qubort said:

Rod5 said:

No, the 5* version completely rules the PvP meta

But Thor rules PVE and you don't seem to have an issue with that. I guess your beef with Gambit is personal bias for the format you prefer to play.

yeah, cos we don't have to fight 5* Thor for every node in PvE...

I'm puzzled why this needs explaining.

bbigler

Thanks everyone for all the great responses and advice, particularly to HoundofShadow and Jarvind.  To answer a previous question about me, I am starting over from scratch without my roster slots.  Basically, the brand new player experience except with the wisdom of a veteran. So, YES, I've decided to lose everything!  I realize it's totally crazy, I had an account I had been building up since 2013, but I came to realize that the fun of the game is not reaching 5* land (especially after hearing that Gambit is the new OML).  On a side note, I was expecting an eventual 5* "Hood" character though. 

My goal is to progress as fast as possible through the tiers (within reason) while playing old characters that I've ignored and discovering the new ones too.  I realize that I probably need around 150 roster slots for everyone, but I don't mind the RNG (believe it or not).  The RNG forces me to play not-the-best characters, which honestly adds variety to the game.  I think it will be an interesting ride to 5* land (if I endure) but I expect to quit again after that.  I'm very interested in seeing how fast I can do it.  Here's my past experience and current expectations:

2013 - 2017 History
Max/Champ my first 2* = 1 month
Max/Champ my first 3* = + 12 months
Max/Champ my first 4* = + 12 months

NOW - expectations
Max/Champ my first 2* = 2 weeks
Max/Champ my first 3* = + 1 month
Max/Champ my first 4* = + 3 months
Max/Champ my first 5* = + 8 months

I'm being conservative with these goals as I'm hoping to surpass them.  So far, after 5 days of playing from the very beginning (Iron Man level 1), and buying the $8 Starter Pack and $20 SCL4 Pack, I have this:

3* Black Panther (8 covers) - level 90
3* Thanos (7 covers) - level 75
3* Daredevil (7 covers) - level 75
2* Wolverine (10 covers) - level 65
2* Moonstone (9 covers) - level 60
2* Storm (10 covers) - level 50

Rank 19
Roster Slots 26
ISO saved 55,000
Heroic Tokens saved 13
Hero Points 1750
Command Points 7

So, I think this is very fast progress after 5 days.  Roster slots are my biggest problem.  My daily ISO take is surprisingly high (around 25K), excluding the Pack purchases.  I'm thinking about purchasing some HP while there's a good sale on it.  I suppose I could open my HTs and spend all my saved ISO, but I like to build up my resources for emergencies.

bbigler

Here's a list of the new characters I'm unfamiliar with (excluding 5*s) - could you all tell me which ones are the best and why?

America Chavez
4* Black Panther
4* Black Widow
Jubilee
Kraven the Hunter
Lockjaw
Mockingbird
Nico Minoru
Nightcrawler
Rogue
Sandman
Shuri
4* Hulk
Valkyrie
Vulture
Yondu
Angel
3* Gambit

Thanks

broll

bbigler said:

NOW - expectations
Max/Champ my first 2* = 2 weeks
Max/Champ my first 3* = + 1 month
Max/Champ my first 4* = + 3 months
Max/Champ my first 5* = + 8 months

That seems very overly optimistic to me (unless you're gonna drop a fortune on roster slots out the gate, and frankly even then).  What's your strategy to do this?  I'll be curious to see how this plays out for you.

MrCroaker64

@bbigler

I will not say that these are the best, but definitely some of my favorites:

bbigler said:

Here's a list of the new characters I'm unfamiliar with (excluding 5*s) - could you all tell me which ones are the best and why?

America Chavez  -  Fantastic passive damage. Does require some thought to keep your AP right.
4* Black Panther
4* Black Widow
Jubilee
Kraven the Hunter
Lockjaw
Mockingbird
Nico Minoru 
Nightcrawler
Rogue - Very good shield. Reduced damage when in front and gets put in front for certain color matches
Sandman - Usually under-rated. Damage is so-so, but his stun can be very effective.
Shuri
4* Hulk
Valkyrie
Vulture - Great battery. The 4* IM40. Also, Blue does damage and removes enemy tiles.
Yondu
Angel
3* Gambit

Thanks

  As has always been the case, you can usually find a reason to use any of the characters. It is still very situational. But the one's I commented on are the characters that I tend to look for first.

-Croak.

Warbringa

bbigler said:

Here's a list of the new characters I'm unfamiliar with (excluding 5*s) - could you all tell me which ones are the best and why?

America Chavez
4* Black Panther
4* Black Widow
Jubilee
Kraven the Hunter
Lockjaw
Mockingbird
Nico Minoru
Nightcrawler
Rogue
Sandman
Shuri
4* Hulk
Valkyrie
Vulture
Yondu
Angel
3* Gambit

Thanks

Vulture is probably the best of those. He is the 4* equivalent to IM40.  Rogue and America Chavez are both really good too.  The rest are mid tier to bad.  I personally like Nightcrawler and Mockingbird out of the rest.  3* Gambit is perhaps one of the worst 3* since his nerf.  He isn't even really worth rostering at his current build.  

Tee

bbigler said:

Here's a list of the new characters I'm unfamiliar with (excluding 5*s) - could you all tell me which ones are the best and why?

America Chavez
4* Black Panther
4* Black Widow
Jubilee
Kraven the Hunter
Lockjaw
Mockingbird
Nico Minoru
Nightcrawler
Rogue
Sandman
Shuri
4* Hulk
Valkyrie
Vulture
Yondu
Angel
3* Gambit

Thanks

Chaves: Very good. No active abilities but just take a glance at the passives and you'll understand why she's so good. Works exceptionally well when paired with an AP generator that doesn't use her colors.

Mockingbird: I find her to be a good character but that's mainly for her passive which can be played around by opponents in PvP. Her red is solid and her purple is just a nice touch that you'll mainly use for its passive component.

Vulture: Insane. Scary good at making AP and being evasive as all hell. Probably the best 4* in the game currently.

Yondu: A high damage dealer that takes too long to get going to be very useful in PvP. Still a good character but just be wary.

3* Gambit: Over-nerfed. He was the best 3* in the game and even put on 5* teams because his abilities were almost exactly like the 5* version. (Which means he had insane AP generation.) Now his best ability hurts your teammates. He's alright but nowhere near his glory days and I typically avoid characters who hurt teammates anyway.


These are mostly just my opinions and the ones I left out are ones I don't have experience playing with or against.

SymmeTrey

Vulture is probably best of those. His ability to generate AP makes him make almost any team better and his other powers are not bad at all. His ability to go Airborne while making AP means that he can often solo even very difficult nodes... he's untouchable while in the air, so, he can hit way above his weight class if you get him enough black AP... even if the enemy team is dropping big AOE damage, Vulture can avoid it.

America Chavez is super good. You will, however, get some advice on how great she is based on the fact that she teams so well with 5-stars, which you will be less concerned about right now. She is one of the best, if not the best, 4-star character for players transitioning to 5-star land.

Nico is often underrated. Her tile buff multiplies across all special tiles on the board and it happens every single turn... I think many players miss out on how good she is because the power doesn't sound that impressive just to read it. But, team with her 4-star Rocket and Groot, Carnage, or even 3-star Storm's black power, and things get crazy quickly. However, she is not very good outside of the right teams... the current meta really revolves heavily around special tiles - 4-star Rocket, Medusa, etc. so she fits very well into the current meta.

Vulture is hard to draw now that he is Vintage, but, I would think really seriously about setting him as a bonus hero. Nico and America you will probably draw naturally since they are both in Latest and will be for a while.

Mockingbird, Shuri, and Rogue are probably the best/most interesting of the rest your "new" list. Some other good ones on there, too, most of the others are more niche and less general use.

broll

Warbringa said:

bbigler said:

Here's a list of the new characters I'm unfamiliar with (excluding 5*s) - could you all tell me which ones are the best and why?

America Chavez
4* Black Panther
4* Black Widow
Jubilee
Kraven the Hunter
Lockjaw
Mockingbird
Nico Minoru
Nightcrawler
Rogue
Sandman
Shuri
4* Hulk
Valkyrie
Vulture
Yondu
Angel
3* Gambit

Thanks

Vulture is probably the best of those. He is the 4* equivalent to IM40.  Rogue and America Chavez are both really good too.  The rest are mid tier to bad.  I personally like Nightcrawler and Mockingbird out of the rest.  3* Gambit is perhaps one of the worst 3* since his nerf.  He isn't even really worth rostering at his current build.  

I concur on Vulture, but would add that on top of great AP generation he also has outstanding damage avoidance as well.

bbigler

broll said:

bbigler said:

NOW - expectations
Max/Champ my first 2* = 2 weeks
Max/Champ my first 3* = + 1 month
Max/Champ my first 4* = + 3 months
Max/Champ my first 5* = + 8 months

That seems very overly optimistic to me (unless you're gonna drop a fortune on roster slots out the gate, and frankly even then).  What's your strategy to do this?  I'll be curious to see how this plays out for you.

Perhaps my abbreviation was confusing, Max/Champ meant Max cover OR Champ, not going to the maximum champion level.

Tee

bbigler said:

Perhaps my abbreviation was confusing, Max/Champ meant Max cover OR Champ, not going to the maximum champion level.

With the amount of characters in the game, Max/Champing a 5* in 8 months is very very difficult. Bonus heroes help but they're incredibly rare for the 5* lot. The others are... possible.

Jabrony_Geoff

Let's not forget the woeful Infinity war tie in. 11 years in the making and MPQ give us another captain America and another Black Widow.

Every other marvel game made certain we got Thanos in some form.
 It wouldn't have broken the game.

broll

bbigler said:

broll said:

bbigler said:

NOW - expectations
Max/Champ my first 2* = 2 weeks
Max/Champ my first 3* = + 1 month
Max/Champ my first 4* = + 3 months
Max/Champ my first 5* = + 8 months

That seems very overly optimistic to me (unless you're gonna drop a fortune on roster slots out the gate, and frankly even then).  What's your strategy to do this?  I'll be curious to see how this plays out for you.

Perhaps my abbreviation was confusing, Max/Champ meant Max cover OR Champ, not going to the maximum champion level.

Rereading I see what you mean now. For some reason even though you wrote “Max/Champ my first” my broken brain read “Max/Champ all”. Yeah if you hoard I’d say that probably doable. Though I would think 4.5 months for first 4* or 8 months for first 5* is either or. I don’t think you could save up enough pulls for a first 5* unless you hoard all and hoarding all makes the 4* estimate unlikely. Conversely 4* is probably doable in 4.5 months but probably not while hoarding and in low SCLs (but then again the rank requirements are staggeringly low so maybe not).