POLL: Special Supports???

mrixl2520

I would like them in some events.

Brigby said:

mrixl2520 said:

I dislike that you can't preview what the special supports do before you load into the match. I think it would be helpful to know about them in the deck selection screen where you can read the match objectives.

I think having an information button in the deck selection / pre-battle screen would certainly be helpful, but there are a couple of other avenues you can also turn to when looking up what special event supports do.

Event Rules
When you click on the information button containing the event rules, it should also list any unique event supports on each node. Taking Ravnica at War, for example, here is what you'd see in the Event Rules window:


Clicking on each one will bring up the Support details.

Event Details Sub-Forum
We have an Event Details section of the forum that lists key information for almost every event, such as node objectives, rewards, and special support details. For example, here is the Event Details page for Ravnica at War - Devastation

Thanks Brigby, I didn't know that was implemented. Complaints retracted!

jtwood

I would like them in some events.

bken1234 said:

@Brigby
I had no idea that even scrolled. 

It took me months before I found it the first time, too

Mburn7

I would like them in some events.

jtwood said:

bken1234 said:

@Brigby
I had no idea that even scrolled. 

It took me months before I found it the first time, too

Can we even trust the info button?  Last time I used it it had the wrong standard sets listed, although that was quite a while ago.  How do we know it has the correct information listed for the event?

(this lack of trust in competent coding is, I feel, the real issue behind a lot of our complaints)

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Mburn7

I would like them in some events.

starfall said:

Mburn7 said:

(this lack of trust in competent coding is, I feel, the real issue behind a lot of our complaints)

I'm intrigued by this statement, and I have to say my initial reaction to it is one of disagreement; I'd say the lack of competent coding is itself the major issue, and lack of trust is merely a byproduct. (As an example: I don't play the Fblthp card because I don't trust it'll work without lag, and I don't even test it to see if it's fixed because I don't trust the devs to have dealt with the issue yet, but the root of the whole issue is that I have played with it in the past and it caused ungodly amounts of lag)

Would you care to start a new thread to expound upon your thoughts?

I've mentioned it in a bunch of other threads as over the last couple weeks as I've thought about it, so I'll risk the ping and put it here for simplicity's sake.

It used to be (and should be) that cards, mechanics, events, and systems working properly was considered the norm, and any erroneous behavior was reported as a bug and fixed by the dev team.  When a new card or event is premiered, or a new mechanic is introduced, or a new system (like Mastery or crafting) is implemented we all trust that it will do what the release notes/ game info says it will do, and we trust that the new thing is being implemented because it is good for the game in some way.  We went through a phase back in Innistrad where there were several cards that would instantly crash the game if they were played, and I don't remember anyone really quitting over it.  Because we trusted that the devs were working on it an it would be fixed soon, even if it actually took several months (Prized Amalgam was the worst, man).

Now, the default assumption is that every new card, event, mechanic, and system is assumed to work differently than stated in the release notes, with stuff working properly being seen as unusual (see:  Finale of Revelation).  We don't believe that new systems are being implemented with the player's best interests in mind (like the XP system or the Vanguard Packs), and we assume the information being given to us is incorrect (why nobody ever checks the info button).  Since changes to things are being made and not communicated at all, we don't even trust that the cards we use every day will work the same way tomorrow (does anyone know if Ambuscade works again?  has anyone even checked in the last year?).

I feel like a lot of the general feeling of discontent we've all been seeing in our coalitions and on the forums is related to these feelings of distrust.  The original Avacyn's Madness, or worse yet Trial of Zeal, was much more difficult for the majority of players than The Elderspark is now, thanks to the surplus of packs and guaranteed non-dupe mythics we've been feasting on.  However there weren't nearly this many complaints back then, because we trusted that the devs put in the time and designed a fair event that we just needed to improve in order to master them.  We didn't file bug reports or complain much on the forums when Geir Reach Bandit cast Engulf the Shore, but when Fibbles casts a Ball Lightning everyone goes nuts.  There are currently forums complaining about every possible aspect of almost every event in the game right now because nobody trusts that the events are working properly and will be fixed.  Everything from a minor bracket size change to a spontaneous pricing change (neither of which were announced) are immediately met with angry forum posts and bug reports, because we don't trust that the change was done to benefit the players, or even done intentionally at all.

If we trusted the devs to communicate what they are working on and fix the things that are wrong, there would be a lot less complaining and a lot less people leaving the game.  Instead, every issue seems to get worse with every update while new issues keep getting added in, and nobody has heard a peep from Oktagon for literally months except for generic "we're looking into this" posts that never seem to resolve in a fix that lasts for longer than the time until the next update undoes everything (the start with 10 life bug, for instance).  

It started with literally every exclusive Ixalan mythic being bugged.
Then we got the repeated runs of BoFT that everyone hated (with buggy node supports that still probably aren't fixed after all this time)
Then we got no new events for several sets, even being told that new events "weren't a priority"
Then we got the XP system and all its failed glory and promise.
Then we got the VIP system and the general feeling of "pay to win" started kicking in
And now we have a ton of new events, an XP system that seems to be working out ok (despite not getting any of the follow up improvements we were promised with it), new sets more or less on time, literally every mythic in the game, and a Holiday Sale announcement a full day early, and yet were're still feeling miserable and people are quitting left and right.

Other than the outrageous loading times the game is better now than it literally has ever been by any objective analysis, and yet it feels like this might be the last holiday sale we ever get.  The only reason I can think of is that even though everything is better, we don't trust that it actually is better at all because of the lack of communication and general buggyness of everything.

Just my (very long) two cents on this.

Nalthazar

I like them in every event.

And now we have a ton of new events, an XP system that seems to be working out ok (despite not getting any of the follow up improvements we were promised with it), new sets more or less on time, literally every mythic in the game, and a Holiday Sale announcement a full day early, and yet were're still feeling miserable and people are quitting left and right.

I think this is more a byproduct of the reward structure for the events in conjunction with a series of other decisions that the community seems to view as "cash grabs". This has always been a game that has been pretty easy to play as a free to play player. If the reward structure for events continues as it has been set up for Coalitions during the Throne of Eldraine and War of the Spark sets, it will continue to make players feel like that have to spend money on a game that they enjoy and that they used to be able to play for free. Throw in that the Coalition events are high stress due to the competitive nature of the events, make people feel like they are mandatory to play so they can contribute for their friends and communities, take a significant amount of time over the weekend to participate fully in, and have largely nonexistent individual rewards and those players start to develop enmity for the game. They are no longer playing for themselves and their own enjoyment, but are playing for others and engaging in an activity that isn't fun for them. In my opinion, a game should be fun, so I find that I have the most fun by playing events that I find fun. Not everyone is able to do that. The game then becomes a chore. That is why people are still feeling miserable and people are quitting left and right.

If the Coalition events are reworked to have shorter durations and better rewards, I think many players would feel better. Some older players may continue to harbor resentment and maybe more players leave. This is an old game of sorts. It came out I think in 2015? I don't think we are getting the same amount of new players as the game got in its earlier days making it more difficult to replenish the number of people leaving easily. Furthermore, many of us have entrenched ourselves in communities of other players, so when someone leaves, it can feel like you are losing a friend. It isn't easy to replace a friend with a new random person that you're going to have to get to know. That is another element that makes it harder for those of us who have been around for a long time.

My suggestion is to assess if continuing to play this game is something that you personally want for yourself. It it is then find the elements of the game that you truly enjoy and focus on those while providing feedback for the things that you would like to see changed so that the game becomes more broadly fun for you and for your friends. Try to find ways to have fun with it again. After all, at the end of the day this is a game. 

Mburn7

I would like them in some events.

Nalthazar said:

And now we have a ton of new events, an XP system that seems to be working out ok (despite not getting any of the follow up improvements we were promised with it), new sets more or less on time, literally every mythic in the game, and a Holiday Sale announcement a full day early, and yet were're still feeling miserable and people are quitting left and right.

I think this is more a byproduct of the reward structure for the events in conjunction with a series of other decisions that the community seems to view as "cash grabs". This has always been a game that has been pretty easy to play as a free to play player. If the reward structure for events continues as it has been set up for Coalitions during the Throne of Eldraine and War of the Spark sets, it will continue to make players feel like that have to spend money on a game that they enjoy and that they used to be able to play for free. Throw in that the Coalition events are high stress due to the competitive nature of the events, make people feel like they are mandatory to play so they can contribute for their friends and communities, take a significant amount of time over the weekend to participate fully in, and have largely nonexistent individual rewards and those players start to develop enmity for the game. They are no longer playing for themselves and their own enjoyment, but are playing for others and engaging in an activity that isn't fun for them. In my opinion, a game should be fun, so I find that I have the most fun by playing events that I find fun. Not everyone is able to do that. The game then becomes a chore. That is why people are still feeling miserable and people are quitting left and right.

If the Coalition events are reworked to have shorter durations and better rewards, I think many players would feel better. Some older players may continue to harbor resentment and maybe more players leave. This is an old game of sorts. It came out I think in 2015? I don't think we are getting the same amount of new players as the game got in its earlier days making it more difficult to replenish the number of people leaving easily. Furthermore, many of us have entrenched ourselves in communities of other players, so when someone leaves, it can feel like you are losing a friend. It isn't easy to replace a friend with a new random person that you're going to have to get to know. That is another element that makes it harder for those of us who have been around for a long time.

My suggestion is to assess if continuing to play this game is something that you personally want for yourself. It it is then find the elements of the game that you truly enjoy and focus on those while providing feedback for the things that you would like to see changed so that the game becomes more broadly fun for you and for your friends. Try to find ways to have fun with it again. After all, at the end of the day this is a game. 

I think the issues are related.  This isn't the first time we've had reduced rewards, yet it is the first time I can remember so many people quitting the game at once.

You are correct that the reduction makes Coalition Events feel more like a job than a game for a lot of people, but I think the reason so many are quitting over it is because they don't trust that even the minuscule rewards they are getting are worth it anymore.

I mean, I haven't opened a new mythic in months (not counting release day of a new set).  Not because I don't open mythics (I mean, I don't open many but I do get them) but because between crafting and Elite Packs I have pretty much every pre-M20 mythic, and a large chunk of the M20 and ELD ones.  Why should I spend 30 hours over the weekend grinding a **** event if all I'm getting out of it are orbs and a handful of jewels?  And when the cards I do craft with those tiny rewards end up just not working anyway or not being useable in events because they don't fit the narrow Secondary Objectives?  Why bother?

FindingHeart8

I would like them in some events.

They add a nice dimension to the monotony of grindy battles, but it does become troublesome to keep track of which event, which node, which ability does what and to design a deck accordingly (if it's even worth bothering to).