Simulator (PVE) Appreciation Thread

ThaRoadWarrior
ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,456 Chairperson of the Boards
in MPQ General Discussion
I just wanted to give a shoutout to whoever is in charge of adding new release characters/teams into the nodes in the simulator. It doesn't necessarily  make for fast, easy clears, but it seems to be one of the only events that is regularly updated to feature fresh new challenges. Some of these teams are pretty tough lol.

Comments

  • HoundofShadow
    HoundofShadow Posts: 8,004 Chairperson of the Boards
    I used to find Simulator a dread, especially when 5* Gambit and Rogue was around. 

    Now, I love it. The characters are updated frequently and some nodes are difficult. It forces me to think up of new teams to clear the nodes.

    I find this a good event to test out new teams and to find out how much progress my roster has made.

    I used to clear Simulator in 1.5 hours. Now I clear it within 45 mins.  B)
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,456 Chairperson of the Boards
    Same. I play to progression in PVE, so I don't really care about finishing it quickly. This go-around, with Kitty boosted, i opted for SCL 9 even though I fully expected it to be a nightmare for my 1/1/0 Kitty. It's actually been really fun and doable, though I'm having trouble doing more than 2 clears on the 5e nodes as they ramp up. I've just gone back around for a 5th clear on most of the easy nodes until I recoup the missing points to stay on progression.
  • Jwallyr
    Jwallyr Posts: 165 Tile Toppler
    I try to play for placement, and in SCL7 there were a couple of annoying teams (Loki *and* Hood while hamstrung with a 2star? c'mon.) but generally speaking, I don't have time to try out different teams or do much more than consider the broad strokes of the few, known, good enemies that are likely to be present.

    Fix "speed at all costs" placement requirements in Story mode and I'll be able to afford to care about what's going on with Sim. Meanwhile.... shrug. It's another event, gotta figure out the quickest brute force option.
  • bbigler
    bbigler Posts: 2,111 Chairperson of the Boards
    I've been playing PVE for placement, so enemy team synergy isn't even a consideration.  I do prioritize certain characters to kill first, but I don't change the teams I use.  For this event where Kitty is boosted, my clears are down to a super fast 30 minutes (but an alliance friend with a similar roster did it in 20 minutes).  This certainly felt like a tapping fest, with no time to think, just tap-tap-tap, match a few tiles, wait for Victory banner and repeat.  It was mind-numbing, but I did like ranking #5. So, I appreciate that Kitty's boosted and there's no wave nodes, but it's a mindless tapping game for rewards. 
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 10,283 Chairperson of the Boards
    I hate PvE. Hate it. Can barely motivate myself to get the 4* cover sometimes. The pointless grind sucks and it is boring.

    I loved Simulator. I already have full progression. Wasn't the hardest this time around but great to fight different teams.
  • Persephone
    Persephone Posts: 201 Tile Toppler
    Wrong thread for me.  I don't like Simulator.  Eats too many health packs.  I purposefully drop down two SCL levels just to save on healthpacks.  
    Maybe I'll like it once I get more than one champed 4* and a champed 5*.  
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 10,283 Chairperson of the Boards
    Persephone said:
    Wrong thread for me.  I don't like Simulator.  Eats too many health packs.  I purposefully drop down two SCL levels just to save on healthpacks.  
    Maybe I'll like it once I get more than one champed 4* and a champed 5*.  
    To be fair having a champed Cloak & Dagger, X-23 and Blade all who have healing abilities was a massive help. Without those my badly covered Bishop and Kitty would have struggled no doubt.
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,456 Chairperson of the Boards
    I just have C&D and X-23 champed from the boost list, but I'm not even using them. I was wishing my Prowler was better on the Gho5t Rider/P4nther/Shuri node - I wanted to use MEHulk to auto-swap all their fortified specials and steal them, but my 2/1/2 Prowler just couldn't stay alive in SCL9. I was able to mirror-match it with Kitty in the middle for 2X clears, but then they got the better of me.
  • AardvarkPepper
    AardvarkPepper Posts: 239 Tile Toppler
    Persephone said:
    Wrong thread for me.  I don't like Simulator.  Eats too many health packs.  I purposefully drop down two SCL levels just to save on healthpacks.  
    Maybe I'll like it once I get more than one champed 4* and a champed 5*.  
    Speaking for Simulators past -

    The challenge level is too uneven.  There's a difference between facing level X non-character minions that you can punish with 3* Hawkeye's AP gain when matching specials, or 3* Doctor Strange's yellow that fires when enemies fire powers (which minions do, creating countdowns that have no immediate effect, but which they are punished for) - a difference between that, and facing level X characters that fire powers with immediate effect that can't be punished nearly so easily.

    If you're used to fighting non-character minions with a 3* roster at SCL 7, then you fight 4*+ characters in Simulator at SCL 7, it's a big difference.  The level and damage of 4*s is right around their "sweet spot" - they're not underleveled, and though they're not overleveled either, 4* damage and hit points against 3* lineup?  Not nice to face.

    Same true for Hearts of Darkness last day.

    Also I note that those that are speaking favorably of the event seem to have developed rosters - referring to 45 minute clear times or 30 minute clear times &c.

    Personally I'm handling Simulator without much difficulty.  But I remember when my roster wasn't as developed, I really didn't like Simulator at all.  Ate more time, don't know what you're facing, ugh.

    I get that veterans like switching things up, and I agree that's a good thing.  But having Simulator as a regularly run PvE event that's harsh for those with developing 3* rosters is a bad thing.
  • JackTenrec
    JackTenrec Posts: 808 Critical Contributor
    DAZ0273 said:
    To be fair having a champed Cloak & Dagger, X-23 and Blade all who have healing abilities was a massive help. Without those my badly covered Bishop and Kitty would have struggled no doubt.
    Champed and boosted Cloak and Dagger alone does a ton of heavy lifting in this event.  The actual danger (at SCL7) is that the attack tile damage ramps so quickly that you might not be able to switch over and get enough yellow on the board to heal before all your enemies are down.
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,456 Chairperson of the Boards
    AardvarkPepper said:
    Persephone said:
    Wrong thread for me.  I don't like Simulator.  Eats too many health packs.  I purposefully drop down two SCL levels just to save on healthpacks.  
    Maybe I'll like it once I get more than one champed 4* and a champed 5*.  

    If you're used to fighting non-character minions with a 3* roster at SCL 7, then you fight 4*+ characters in Simulator at SCL 7, it's a big difference.  

    https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/2ed4c5c3-6a16-4bef-aa30-b5230213f393
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 10,283 Chairperson of the Boards
    JackTenrec said:
    DAZ0273 said:
    To be fair having a champed Cloak & Dagger, X-23 and Blade all who have healing abilities was a massive help. Without those my badly covered Bishop and Kitty would have struggled no doubt.
    Champed and boosted Cloak and Dagger alone does a ton of heavy lifting in this event.  The actual danger (at SCL7) is that the attack tile damage ramps so quickly that you might not be able to switch over and get enough yellow on the board to heal before all your enemies are down.
    Agreed. Add in Blade who is either dishing out strike tiles or going vamp on the enemy and it was a literal bloodbath.
  • Persephone
    Persephone Posts: 201 Tile Toppler
    @DAZ0273 & @AardvarkPepper, you're both right in regards to my roster not being where it will be for Simulator to be fun.

    I did try Hearth of Darkness at SCL 7 the last time it ran because whatever the boost list was, I decided my roster could try it.  My only goal was complete progression.  That last day was hard but not as brutal as I'd thought.  I think I lucked out and got 15 healthpacks from DDQ vault that day (I'm sure I used them all).  I did make complete progression and barely made Top 50 overall.  I was shocked and happy.   

    Maybe next time Simulator rolls around, I can try it at SCL 7 .... not counting on it, though.  

  • Dormammu
    Dormammu Posts: 3,531 Chairperson of the Boards
    I didn't even realize the event was the Simulator. It really doesn't matter to me what the event is, anymore. I just boot up Okoye/Medusa/Thanos and get my grind on for 25 minutes while I watch TV and match TU tiles. Whatever team the AI is fielding, be it goons or tile matchers, is of little consequence.
  • Dogface
    Dogface Posts: 999 Critical Contributor
    I use Grockitty for all nodes, even though i only have one cover for Kitty (but luckily it's yellow). A character that can do so much at just one cover borders on game redefining. Similiar to Okoye's black.
  • maguirenumber6
    maguirenumber6 Posts: 457 Mover and Shaker
    My champed JJ and Phoenix with R4G is making this fairly straightforward. I only play for progression in PvE these days though. Makes things a lot less stressful.
  • Vins2
    Vins2 Posts: 183 Tile Toppler

    Dormammu said:
    I didn't even realize the event was the Simulator. It really doesn't matter to me what the event is, anymore. I just boot up Okoye/Medusa/Thanos and get my grind on for 25 minutes while I watch TV and match TU tiles. Whatever team the AI is fielding, be it goons or tile matchers, is of little consequence.
    Who would've guessed that 3 star Thanos would one day be preferred over his 5 star brother.

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