4544545 (Release Schedule)

therightwaye

Looks like the 5 release schedule is ramping up. Could SCL10 be coming soon too?

Mod Edit: Clarified Title

pfarewell

Honestly, I’m disappointed that they didn’t take the opportunity to buff Phoenix given that a Phoenix movie is being released. They’ll probably drop two new 4* on us this season in addition to a new 5*. More dilution is not a good thing.

JHawkInc

It's really not a very good assessment to look at only a handful of releases and claim thing's are "ramping up." We get these "5/4/5" groupings pretty regularly. Several times we even get a following "4/4/4" grouping to balance one out (so two 5's come out closer together, but so it's not more 5's over a longer period).

It happened twice in 2017. Doc Ock, Sandman, Spidey. Gambit, Nightcrawler, Thor. But we also had Vulture, Mockingbird, Yondu to balance one of those out. So one "skipped 4" the entire year.

2018 gave us Infinty War Cap, Infinity War Widow, and Okoye. Then Kitty, Taskmaster, Cable. But then Domino, Bishop, Prowler to balance it out. Still only one "skipped 4" the entire year.

2019 is a tad different, in part because we had Kingpin, Spider-Ham, and Doom right at the turn of the year, so Doom skipped a 4 on the very first release of the year. Since then we've had Carol, Talos, and Hela. And then Rescue, Sabretooth, and now Storm. Which adds up to three total skipped 4's. And the setup for one of those happened the previous year (if you're looking at it as groups of 5/4/4, you could give half the credit for the Kp/Ham/Doom run to 2018)

So 3 "skipped 4's" (resulting in more frequent 5's) is definitely an increase over the previous two years, but we're also not even halfway through the year, and there's plenty of time to run groups of three 4's and balance it back out.

I wouldn't say it's impossible, by any means, but I don't think this 5/4/5 is any more an indicator that things are ramping up and SCL 10 is coming soon than any of the other several times it's happened over the past few years.

tupacboy

They just keep adding more and more but don't increase your ability to cover them all... Getting pointless to even try

Polares

I just got screwed with GED (opened 300 tokens and I just got 10 covers for him, f#@%$ RNG), and we already got ANOTHER 5? This is too fast! Most of us can keep up with this pace! For me this is a 5 I wont be able to get almost 100% sure.

We need MORE ways to COVER 5s! CPs, LTs and RNG should not be the only way! And feeders are too little!

Waddles_Pines

Polares said:

I just got screwed with GED (opened 300 tokens and I just got 10 covers for him, f#@%$ RNG), and we already got ANOTHER 5? This is too fast! Most of us can keep up with this pace! For me this is a 5 I wont be able to get almost 100% sure.

We need MORE ways to COVER 5s! CPs, LTs and RNG should not be the only way! And feeders are too little!

*Italicized/bolded your last sentence since i have no idea how to highlight*

The devs also stated that they've been releasing feeders too frequently.  So, that doesn't help matters at all...

Polares

Waddles_Pines said:

Polares said:

I just got screwed with GED (opened 300 tokens and I just got 10 covers for him, f#@%$ RNG), and we already got ANOTHER 5? This is too fast! Most of us can keep up with this pace! For me this is a 5 I wont be able to get almost 100% sure.

We need MORE ways to COVER 5s! CPs, LTs and RNG should not be the only way! And feeders are too little!

*Italicized/bolded your last sentence since i have no idea how to highlight*

The devs also stated that they've been releasing feeders too frequently.  So, that doesn't help matters at all...

That is ridiculous. Most players wont get most 4s over the 300 level for a long time (some older 4s yes, but definitely not the new ones, and some feeders are pretty 'new').

At this point in time, almost every 5 should have two feeders! Not one.

I get that new 5s should not get feeders for a while, but common, why OML, SS, IM, etc. don't have two feeders? This would help A LOT to get them usable, which would also help to give a bit more tools and maybe also by adding featured 5s it could help changing the meta!

pheregas

You'd think that they'd want to release a feeder for ever new 5*.  If they did that it would cause an instant need for a new roster slot rather than waiting for two weeks for the new 5 to hit latest.  You'd have to roster that character beforehand or risk the cover disappearing.

Tony_Foot

pheregas said:

You'd think that they'd want to release a feeder for ever new 5*.  If they did that it would cause an instant need for a new roster slot rather than waiting for two weeks for the new 5 to hit latest.  You'd have to roster that character beforehand or risk the cover disappearing.

Not really, if you have a certain character at 280 to get the feeder you aren’t likely to be worrying about HP to roster the 5*. Anyone newer where 14 days would be a nightmare, likely doesn’t have the four star at a point where it matters.

HoundofShadow

I think two main problems are:

1) some players expecting to champ every single 5* before they leave LT.

2) insatiable appetite for more rewards without increase in effort needed

Both have to do with meeting expectations set by themselves, which caused unnecessary stress and unhappiness.

When feeders for 5* was introduced somewhere around Oct 2017, a lot of appreciation was shown. Fast forward to today, every 5* is expected to have a feeder by now, or a second feeder should be made available by now.

As for rostering new 5* which comes with a feeder update, most 5* players who have played long enough won't have problem paying that extra 1000 or 2000 HP for roster slots. They are swimming in HP. Even if they don't have HP, they still have two weeks to earn the HP needed.

The one problem devs can never solve is problem 2. 

ThaRoadWarrior

The timescale involved in resource acquisition in this game is more like a social experiment that Vault-Tec would implement than a realistic game progression mechanic any sane person would agree to sign up for...

I've spent 5 actual human months with America Chavez as my sole bonus hero, and I just got to level 320 yesterday from 285 where I started in January. I still need 40 more covers to finish my Jessica Jones, so depending on what happens with 5* bonus heroes across this year(!) i should be done with JJ in....November? A second feeder won't necessarily help me get there any faster, because it just slows down the overall cover pull rate to bonus more than one character at a time. Once I get there, I'll then be faced with the decision to just move on to a different 5 for next year, or playing catch up on all the 4* releases I've not been able to fully cover due to dilution in that window of time. 

pheregas

HoundofShadow said:

I think two main problems are:

1) some players expecting to champ every single 5* before they leave LT.

I'd like to add my perspective to this.  Maybe I'm in the minority, but I'm certainly not alone.  I made it a goal to champ all my 4s.  During that time, it was pretty hit or miss if I'd champ a 5 or not.  With the advent of BH and some help from feeders, I was able to fill in the blanks later, but since I champed all my 4s, the last 5* that I did not champ out of latest was Hawkeye.

Up until recently, that is.  I failed on GE Doom at 3/3/5. I got way more Hela Green (she's now 1/8/0) and Marvels than I probably should have.  Of course this Doom problem could be fixed very easily with a feeder.  I already have Captain Marvel champed and am waiting for Storm to hit tokens before hitting those Latest again.

That all being said, the precedent existed for quite a while (at least for myself) that it was certainly achievable with my play style (and I've been a non spender for sometime now - you can get a lot accomplished in 1,917 days).  Sure, nobody got up too much above 455, but I wasn't (and still am not) looking for 500+ 5*s.  My goal has always been to champ everyone.  Alas, BSSM, Banner, CW Cap, and Goblin may be forever beyond me with my abysmal BH rate and the increasingly relentless 5* releases...

I realize I'm an exception here, like I said.  I think you may be on to something that there are probably more people that think they deserve it, even when they may not.  RNG is a cruel mistress and if we take my situation for example, the only cure for RNG is time played.

crackninja

HoundofShadow said:

2) insatiable appetite for more rewards without increase in effort needed

You're entitled to your opinion, but...
Who for example is asking for SCL10 but expects it to be easier?  We're willing to put in more effort for more stuff (see the support circuit that we want back).  And how does that apply here?  I'd try to beat a gauntlet if that allowed me to get access to a new feeder (gauntlet being another thing many want back so we can out in more effort, not less), but that's not being offered.
I don't think we should expect every 5* to have a feeder because they are always releasing new ones.  But we're approaching 2 years since this was released and not all of the 5's that existed at that time have a feeder, which I think was a reasonable hope.
Sure, we could kiss the pinky ring every time we get anything "for free", but I'll pass.  This was a feature they released, to address holes in the mechanics the devs created.
Personally, I actually hope they do shift to a release schedule containing more 5's.  I don't champ everybody, mainly the characters I want, and more 5's released means a higher chance I'll have a reason to pull break the hoard sometime, oh I don't know, this year would be nice.

bluewolf

SCL 10 is never coming....get over it.

The trend over the past 6 months is close to 40% 5's, vs 33%.  A subtle but significant shift. 

Believing this is some temporary blip is in my opinion foolish.  We have complained and complained about too many 4's and how they don't matter.  Many players with developed rosters complete 5's with ease and hoard past the oldest champed mediocre 5.

What other response do you think the devs should have to this situation?  Releasing 5's at a faster rate is a completely logical response if your goal is to make players feel pressured to complete characters, and of course hopefully cause them to spend money.

There's no going back to a consistent 445 pattern moving forward, in my opinion.  We may get strings of 445 but I don't see them caring about balancing it out anymore.

Projectus2501

tupacboy said:

They just keep adding more and more but don't increase your ability to cover them all... Getting pointless to even try

This.

I sick and tired of getting new characters I don't play with. They release forgettable heroes way to fast

Projectus2501

bluewolf said:

 
Releasing5's at a faster rate is a completely logical response if your goal is to make players feel pressured to complete characters, and of course hopefully cause them to spend money.

But won't that scare new players away? I mean, it's hard to progress in an environment going to 100+ 4* heroes for instance.
Also, why should I spend money to get a drop in the ocean? 

pheregas

 Projectus2501 said:

bluewolf said:

 
Releasing5's at a faster rate is a completely logical response if your goal is to make players feel pressured to complete characters, and of course hopefully cause them to spend money.

But won't that scare new players away? I mean, it's hard to progress in an environment going to 100+ 4* heroes for instance.
Also, why should I spend money to get a drop in the ocean? 

I got my son playing as soon as he got his first phone.  He played every day for a week.  It's been two months and he barely plays at all anymore.

bluewolf

Projectus2501 said:

bluewolf said:

 
Releasing5's at a faster rate is a completely logical response if your goal is to make players feel pressured to complete characters, and of course hopefully cause them to spend money.

But won't that scare new players away? I mean, it's hard to progress in an environment going to 100+ 4* heroes for instance.
Also, why should I spend money to get a drop in the ocean? 

Maybe.  At least, it is hard to recommend to those who are looking at going hard in the top tiers.  I definitely would not recommend that a new person come in and start trying to spend their way to competitiveness without some very realistic (low) goals and a lot of money to throw around.

It's not entirely wrong to think that making more 5's won't necessarily dissuade newer people who probably consider the 5 tier a pipe dream anyway (I did, for quite a long time, but now have over half champed).  The problem is how to do this (increase the 5 rate) without pushing away vets who are already feeling burned out and long for a reduction in pressure.

That may not be possible, but if spending is not moving in the direction they want, the devs will be (have been?) forced to take action to try to improve that.

crackninja

bluewolf said:

SCL 10 is never coming....get over it.

If this was directed at my post, then I'm not sure you got the point...it was in direct response to the idea that we are all just here to get stuff for free, demand more more more for less less less.  Many are willing to put in more time or effort, otherwise why would anybody want SCL10 in the first place.

bluewolf

crackninja said:

bluewolf said:

SCL 10 is never coming....get over it.

If this was directed at my post, then I'm not sure you got the point...it was in direct response to the idea that we are all just here to get stuff for free, demand more more more for less less less.  Many are willing to put in more time or effort, otherwise why would anybody want SCL10 in the first place.

It wasn't directed at you...I apologize if it seemed that way.

I am 100% in agreement that most of the players (at least the ones who care enough to come here and comment seriously on the game) recognize and accept the tradeoff involved in getting more rewards vs spending more time/effort on the game.

I admit that I just don't believe that SCL 10 will ever come to pass, and if it did, I believe the rewards would not represent a leap forward but a small increase that the playerbase would find somewhat insulting.  One reason I don't think it will be a thing is that any events with increased challenge are avoided by many players.  The minority who are looking for that doesn't seem to be enough to make the effort in developing SCL10 worthwhile.

crackninja

No worries 

Totally agree scl 10 is probably a lost cause, though it could be used to fuel an increase in potential rewards that may help with our ability to cope with a faster 5* release schedule.

It looks like we would simply have to make more choices on how to spend our CP, and maybe that's a good thing overall.  I do agree that just because we think we should have it all doesn't mean that's true.