R192: Champion Rewards Updates

Markot

For me personaly it's negative change.

Positive: new 5* feeders (but worse than old feeders were)

Neutral: Shards instead of covers. Since saved covers, colorless covers have for me minimal significance. It can help to champ character few weeks earlier, but this has minimal impact on gameplay. To be able to play PVE nodes, it is important just to have character rostered and there colorless covers doesn't help. Champed character speeds my play just by minimal amount which can not help me to place significantly better. 

Negative: Loss of HP and CP. Each roster slot costs 2000 HP, CP help me to get levels of 4* and cover 5*. This loss will cause slower progression for me. 


I would welcome new feeders, if they were implemented the same way as old feeders were. I wouldn't mind shards if just enough shard for one cover were rewarded instead of a cover. But I can not be glad when the changes will cause me slower progression.

And one plea at the end: When I see how bonus heroes were replaced, how champion rewards were changed, please, don't change PVP and PVE rewards. It would be welcome if you just added some shards to existing rewards, but I don't see it likely and I don't wan't to lose more resources. 

abenness

Freelancer said:

@abenness I didn't read it that way at all. I read it as, 4* with new 5* rewards will give out the cover from 280 and every Shard you would have earned up to the current level PLUS 100 bonus Shards for every milestone you've reached. So, by my understanding, my 344 Rogue will give me 1 Gambit cover, 1500 progression based Shards and 300 milestone bonus Shards.
4* with existing 5* rewards will only give you Shards if you have passed an XX6 or XX8 milestone without reaching the next cover milestone. So, my 348 Sandman,318 Wolverine and 318 Drax should all earn me 250 Shards towards their 5*.

From the announcement (not sure how to double-quote):

“In addition, you will gain 100 Shards per 250 Shard milestone you have passed. Meaning that if you have a level 317 Professor X (Charles Xavier), you will gain the 280 Cover, 100 Shards from having passed 315 where you are currently working towards a cover, and a bonus 100 Shards from having passed 300.”

The 250 share milestones mentioned are at the levels 300, 320, 340, 350, 360 where a “traditional” 5* cover would have been awarded. So you get 100 shards bonus at those levels.

344 Rogue will give you 1 cover and 3x100 shards for Gambit.

This is better than what I first thought, but not as generous as what you describe. Equivalent of 2 covers (1 cover and 500 shards) for a max-champ 4*

AXP_isme

I’m quite disappointed with the way shards are being rewarded retroactively. I assumed my level 310ish cyclops would award 1 cable cover and 500 shards (to make up for the cover I would have got at 300). It seems I’ll actually get 1 cover (presumably a blue, which by chance is unusable) and 100 shards. That seems a bit stingy to me. 

I was expecting this to be a hit of a bonanza where shards rained down, like snow, at Christmas time giving the player base that warm seasonal feeling. That would have looked generous, engendered goodwill from a (seemingly jaded) forum and created the conditions under which people would spend more HP on filling their partially filled character shard bars. It feels like a missed opportunity if I’m honest. There are enough slightly OCD types (myself included) around here who would be looking for a chance to acquire these shards or those shards for another level or a nice round number of shards. That would have let them push out targeted holiday bundles and monetised the shard shop even more. Everyone’s a winner, or not. Not, clearly. 

marshall

So basically we're getting a lot less covers than previous feeder announcements. Why?

To save some veterans getting an extra cover or two? How petty.

We're basically being punished for having a character at high levels. Bring denied some paltry reward like a LL or some HP.

To whomever designed this change congrats on finding a way to lose the goodwill it's supposed to bring. Jeez.

Freelancer

Also from the announcement.

IceIX said:

At the same time, for 4-Star characters that are receiving all-new rewards, we want to ensure that players receive those rewards for the level they have reached.

I'll agree it does seem to contradict the example you quoted. Hopefully it was just a tired @IceIX mistake, as I'm sure the 315 in their example should be a 316 too.

DAZ0273

From what I understand there are also no retroactive secondary shard payouts for 3* either, so you wont be getting anything towards the new 4's fed by 3's for all your max champed 3's. So for those who were hoping they would also get enough shards to complete one 4* cover for the new secondary feeders (and be on the way to the next one) from retroactive rewards sadly not gonna be the case.

Tony_Foot

They have gone full on Christmas Scrooge. I might have to request a name change to Tiny Tim.

marshall

We're getting 2 5* covers for a 360 level 4*...

... while also losing out on heaps of rewards for other characters. All this in order to screw over, what, 1% of the player base?

DrNitroman

I read things like @Freelancer

Maybe IceX's quotes were a bit confusing but I think for a new feeder we'll get all the previous progression shards plus the small shard bonus for passing levels 300, 320, 340, 350, 360.

For a new feeder like Prof. X, I understand that a 340 level Prof X should give you 1 cover (for lv 280) + enough progression shards for 3 covers (1500 shards) + 300 bonus shards (for levels 300, 320 and 340)

For an old feeder, when we already got the covers, we should only receive the smal shard bonus

Anyway, the update should happen soon now and will end this uncertainty!

jamesh

I'm trying to parse the example for what would happen for the hypothetical level 317 Professor X.  If I'm understanding it right, the retroactive rewards would be:

1. Level 280: 5* cover
2. Level 296: 100 shards
3. Level 298: 150 shards
4. Level 300: 250 shards
5. Level 316: 100 shards
6. 100 bonus shards for passing level 300
   

... for a total of 1 cover and 700 shards for 5* Prof X.

If I'm understanding things right, it would be a bit different for a character that already rewarded 5* covers.  If we were instead talking about a level 317 Vulture, we'd instead receive:

1. Level 316: 100 shards
2. 100 bonus shards for passing level 300
   

... for a total of 200 shards.  No retroactive rewards would be given out for levels 280-300 since the equivalent covers from the old scheme have already been redeemed.  We'd still get the 100 shard bonus though because we'd passed a 250 shard milestone.

If that's an accurate description of what happens, then it seems fair.  I am kind of curious what will happen with max champed 3* characters that now secondary 4* rewards: would we receive the 600 shards for the secondary character?

DAZ0273

jamesh said:

If that's an accurate description of what happens, then it seems fair.  I am kind of curious what will happen with max champed 3* characters that now secondary 4* rewards: would we receive the 600 shards for the secondary character?

Jungle drum beats to the sound of "No" from what I hear.

Vins2

I await to see which is the actual reward path they take.  Thank goodness it's the offseason, because I feel like that stingy option may just break my will. 

Razuhlui

IceIX said:

Retroactive Updates

Update! I promised you information on how the retroactive rewards would work, and I’m here to deliver! For those of whom are familiar with the normal process when we change Champion rewards, the rewards are going to be done a bit differently this time around. We would like to ensure that players who are progressing towards a power level will continue to have that progress. At the same time, for 4-Star characters that are receiving all-new rewards, we want to ensure that players receive those rewards for the level they have reached.

[...]

Now we have an exception! Some 4-Stars gained a new Champion reward! For these characters, you will gain the Cover reward at 280 if it has been reached. Then, you will gain the same rewards as detailed above for the current level of your Champion. 

Seams to be all new 4* Feeders, would gain their full Shards.

In addition, you will gain 100 Shards per 250 Shard milestone you have passed. Meaning that if you have a level 317 Professor X (Charles Xavier), you will gain the 280 Cover, 100 Shards from having passed 315 where you are currently working towards a cover, and a bonus 100 Shards from having passed 300.

All 4* Feeders will gain in addition 100 Shards per 250 milestone
This example is mabye a bad one, cause ProfX is yet to become a feeder.

TLDR, if you would have missed Shards towards a cover but *haven’t yet received that cover in full*, you’ll get those Shards. So if you would have been working towards a cover before and now you’re working toward Shards, you’ll have the Shards up till then to equal the cover. As before, this also means that if you’ve gotten Shards from elsewhere, you’ll be even further on with snagging another cover!

Here is written in short all new ones will get their full shards

Reecoh

maltyo9 said:

While it may pain some to see so many of us point out the flaws in this new system, there is only one way for us to voice our displeasure (or praise, in the case of some), and it is on this forum.

The other way is with your wallet.

wade9633

In addition, you will gain 100 Shards per 250 Shard milestone you have passed. Meaning that if you have a level 317 Professor X (Charles Xavier), you will gain the 280 Cover, 100 Shards from having passed 315 where you are currently working towards a cover, and a bonus 100 Shards from having passed 300.

IceIX

Are 3* characters same as 4*s? For example, a player has a level 225 Blade will gain a bonus 100 Shards from having passed 223.

shardwick

I feel like Clark Griswold when he got that jelly of the month club membership.

pheregas

So my 317 4* Prof X will only payout a single 5* chuck cover and 100 shards instead of 500 shards?

Even though 5* Chuck may not have even existed when I got the LT at level 300?

Seems like my “more advanced” roster is being punished in comparison to those that will get the full shard amount once reaching the same level.

Loosie

jamesh said:

I'm trying to parse the example for what would happen for the hypothetical level 317 Professor X.  If I'm understanding it right, the retroactive rewards would be:

1. Level 280: 5* cover
2. Level 296: 100 shards
3. Level 298: 150 shards
4. Level 300: 250 shards
5. Level 316: 100 shards
6. 100 bonus shards for passing level 300
   

... for a total of 1 cover and 700 shards for 5* Prof X.

If I'm understanding things right, it would be a bit different for a character that already rewarded 5* covers.  If we were instead talking about a level 317 Vulture, we'd instead receive:

1. Level 316: 100 shards
2. 100 bonus shards for passing level 300
   

... for a total of 200 shards.  No retroactive rewards would be given out for levels 280-300 since the equivalent covers from the old scheme have already been redeemed.  We'd still get the 100 shard bonus though because we'd passed a 250 shard milestone.

If that's an accurate description of what happens, then it seems fair.  I am kind of curious what will happen with max champed 3* characters that now secondary 4* rewards: would we receive the 600 shards for the secondary character?

This is my understanding as well. And from the 2* examples they used you get all the shards retroactively just not covers if they were already rewarded.

Vhailorx

So demi/d3 rolled out the best news first (there would be retroactive rewards!), basked in the glory for several days (think about the HUGE windfall you are about to get!), and then dropped the actual details of this extremely miserly, compared to prior systems, retroactive reward system a few hours before it goes live (well, actually, a 360 4* feeder will give you ~2 covers.  But shards!!)?

Huh, who would have predicted something like this?

(Answer: me and the other skeptics here.  This change is mostly just a resource nerf disguised as some great new feature for the players.  I really wish that the collective MPQ playerbase would learn the key lesson of modern economic systems: complexity is used to disguise changes that benefit the powerful at the expense of the masses.  That's true in finance, software licensing, and tax law, and it's also true in freemium game economies.  When we see a big announcement that is extremely specific about the best news, but quite vague about any potential drawbacks, we should be skeptical.

If the entire playerbase was outraged by this, demi/d3 would probably change it.  Instead we squabble amongst ourselves here on the forums, while demi/d3 tighten the screws on HP/cp, and the other most valuable resources in the game.)

DarthDeVo

I took back my "Like" on the initial post.

I *knew* I shouldn't have been optimistic, I *knew* I should have managed my expectations, yet y'all
*still* managed to underdeliver.

First I heard rumblings that there would be no Mighty Tokens handed out. Just shards. Annoying and disappointing, but fine. 

So long as retroactive shards worked the same way as current champ reward updates, I was still OK with it, as I would have been in position to champ six 5*s at 11 or 12 covers. 

But of course it's gonna work differently. 

Just going off your given example under the old system, a 317 4* PX would have given two fixed covers upon update. Now we get one fixed cover and 40 percent of a cover of our choice. 😐

I finally have a nicely developed roster that I was looking to benefit nicely from retroactive rewards for once. 

I guess the only joy I'm gonna get out of this update is to see how some will still desperately try to spin this as a net positive. 

EDIT: Just went back and read the post over again more carefully. For brand new 4*s feeding 5*s (PX, Nightcrawler, Cyclops, etc.) it sounds like we'll get the fixed cover at 280, then any shards we would have received, plus 100 for every 250 shard milestone. 

FYI, that example with PX could have been better broken down as:
280: fixed cover
296: 100 shards 
298: 150 shards
300: 250 shards + 100 bonus shards
316: 100 shards

So your 317 4* PX will get you 1 fixed 5* PX cover and a total of 700 shards. 

We had a principle in one of the newsrooms I worked in. Write like your intended audience has a 5th grade comprehension level. Condescending and insulting? Probably. But the point was clarity and simplicity. Make your story as simple and clear as you possibly can so no one is confused. 

And it's a bummer current 4* feeders don't seem to be getting full retroactive shards. I suppose 100 shards for every 250 shard milestone is better than a kick in the teeth, but now I'll have several 5*s at 12 and 11 covers with 200-300 shards instead of being finished like I was thinking/hoping. Le sigh.

EDIT 2: Nope, looks like my first reading of how retroactive rewards would work (i.e., the much less player-friendly way) was correct after all. Figures. 

And my understanding of how current 4* feeders would reward 5* shards was *also* wrong. Most of mine got zip, zero, zilch, nada.