4.0 Packs Changes

mayor

I really regret buying all those vanguards. Most are completely useless. Extremely bad design.

Pantagruel

mayor said:

I really regret buying all those vanguards. Most are completely useless. Extremely bad design.

I think Oktagon have taught us with this change in the system that buying cosmetic items may have hidden costs in the future.

ambrosio191

Pantagruel said:

mayor said:

I really regret buying all those vanguards. Most are completely useless. Extremely bad design.

I think Oktagon have taught us with this change in the system that buying cosmetic items may have hidden costs in the future.

Just wanted to point out the alternate art vanguard's aren't just a cosmetic change. They function different than normal vanguards in that using their abilities across the bottom doesn't require a confirmation prompt. For someone like me who wants things to resolve as fast as possible this is the difference between using a vanguard over something else. I will only ever buy this version of vanguard, the user interface is just better. 

Pantagruel

ambrosio191 said:

Pantagruel said:

mayor said:

I really regret buying all those vanguards. Most are completely useless. Extremely bad design.

I think Oktagon have taught us with this change in the system that buying cosmetic items may have hidden costs in the future.

Just wanted to point out the alternate art vanguard's aren't just a cosmetic change. They function different than normal vanguards in that using their abilities across the bottom doesn't require a confirmation prompt. For someone like me who wants things to resolve as fast as possible this is the difference between using a vanguard over something else. I will only ever buy this version of vanguard, the user interface is just better. 

Good point, although, for a player who wants everything to resolve as fast as possible, I'm surprised you're playing with Vanguards at all.

Maybe you're an iPhone player and don't have all those extra levels of lag which Android players have to put up with.

ambrosio191

Vanguards only cause lag when Greg uses them, at least for me.  They have never caused lag on my turn for my own vanguards.  The lag is a result of Greg not knowing what to do with a vanguard when it doesn't have a legal move, such as the uncommon/rares ones only have minus abilities that aren't usable at that moment.  I play on a 3-4 year old android tablet, with battery saver on and card visualization turned off as much as possible.

Kinesia

It'd be nice if the non-full art vanguards had the same buttons underneath

Pantagruel

So: stored Standard non-dupe packs will no longer change which sets they contain as new sets are released.

Logically, therefore, the best course of action for those of us with stored packs is to crack them all as soon as the next set is released to complete the set and get an early advantage over other players.

That is... unless the rules about Standard packs change *again*, at some point in the future.

Now, you promise not to do that, right?

Pantagruel

All of what's been happening recently has had interesting repercussions on my alt account.

For a while now, I've been saving up Standard packs to open just before THB released. This would be the time at which the Standard pool is the smallest (at least, for a year), and that would hopefully let me save up enough orbs to craft all the commons and uncommons in Standard so that I'd only get rares or better for each card in the packs I opened.

The change to the packs would actually have helped my alt (and, other low level players!) because it would have given me an indefinite amount of time to buy all the commenest cards in this smaller Standard pool.

Alas, the forum complained, because too many high level players (like me and my main account) were concerned that the large number of packs they had saved up already would not allow them to collect all the cards in the game for free for the next X years.

Nyarlathotep

Pantagruel said:

All of what's been happening recently has had interesting repercussions on my alt account.

For a while now, I've been saving up Standard packs to open just before THB released. This would be the time at which the Standard pool is the smallest (at least, for a year), and that would hopefully let me save up enough orbs to craft all the commons and uncommons in Standard so that I'd only get rares or better for each card in the packs I opened.

The change to the packs would actually have helped my alt (and, other low level players!) because it would have given me an indefinite amount of time to buy all the commenest cards in this smaller Standard pool.

Alas, the forum complained, because too many high level players (like me and my main account) were concerned that the large number of packs they had saved up already would not allow them to collect all the cards in the game for free for the next X years.

It's a bit more complicated than that.
If you are a subbed, there are different exclusive bundles available. One of those had like 10 or 12 or 15 non-dupe standard packs.
And a lot of ppl bought that to get enough packs to finish all of standard and have some saved up for later. 
So we could say those are standard non-dupe packs bought for money.
They are exactly identical to the ones we can get from the vip sub itself and also from leveling up via card mastery. And they are defined as 'will include cards from standard sets' 
And changing the terms of a purchase after it has already been payed for is not fair to anyone. 
If the changes were only affecting packs that we can get from simply playing the game they could change back and forth as much as they like to, but since you can simply buy the packs, it is different. This is business and there have to be clear rules. 

I can see the need for changes, i really do. And i agree to their second iteration of charges to the packs after TBD. But there are still issues. 

Here is an example: For me it's actually a bit dumb to be subbed while TBD will be the newest set. 
At least i think it will, if i did understand everything and here is why.

I will get vip and standard packs that will only include standard set cards up to TBD, but right now, i already have enough of those saved up to easily finish the whole set (except vanguards and exclusives of cause) on release day without spending any crystals at all. 
So what am i supposed to do? 
Cancel the vip sub for the time of whole TBD and play without the additional deck slots? Which were initially the whole reason for me to subscribe. 
Because back than, i had no idea how good the packs are going to be. Sure now i also enjoy the packs, i won't deny that. But aside the few exclusives those packs will be useless for me. 

As i said i can agree to changes, but it somehow does not feel right. 

Wow, that is a wall of text. Sorry about that. 😂 

Quantius

Welp, and there you have it, I've never spent less on a set launch. Instead of buying a couple hundred dollars of crystals to make sure I got all the Commons-Rares out of the way to save my non-dupe packs for mythic+ cards, I just cracked all my VIP packs. Sure, I'm missing a couple rares and a few mythics now, but w/e. I'll get another few VIP packs in a week and then VIP can be cancelled because there's no reason to sub until the next set.

Now the question is, which sneakers should I get with the money I previously had earmarked for MTGPQ?

DragonSorcerer

Spent 900 gold on some packs then used vip boosters to complete the set (excluding the exclusives). Vip will not be renewed once it runs out until the next set is released and then pro rather than master. New camera lens next month !

Azerack

Ahh, so I thought the VIP content was NOT going to be THB inclusive until the NEXT launch...

VIP/Standard Booster

We have decided to postpone the change to the VIP/Standard Boosters to the 4.x release, when the next set after THB will be released.

... and then what do I see on the "VIP CONTENT" header in the Vault?...

"Content available: THB".

@Oktagon_Support - Why did you bother to say you would wait until the next expansion to do this only to forget (?) to not do it this time?

That's pretty much lazy or inconsiderate and I don't really appreciate it. 

Yeah, I think next month's $29.99 will be going somewhere else.

Tremayne

@Azerack - not sure I follow your post. The changes to packs was suppose to be now but have been postponed due to feedback from players, but perhaps you are complaining about something else?

Smokincookz

So many cards bugged / not working as intended makes ANY $ spent on this game feel like a rip-off. If something acquired thru VIP (or any real $) does not work correctly, are we not entitled to extra compensation or a refund? This is a can of worms now, borderline false advertising if you ask me. Even worse when it comes to exclusive cards for cash that don’t work. Getting close to being illegal if not already there.

It’s making me want to reclaim as much $ as possible , though I likely won’t. I cancelled VIP for good, and this is the first time I have not bought any crystals for a new set release. I do not mind the changes to VIP as much as crafting being nerfed, and the presence of dupe vanguard packs designed only to drain our pink jewels, which we also get fewer of now... 

They keep on hurting their own game in the long-term with this. The fact that time is taken to implement more restrictions and nerfs and not to address the rip-off IAP’s and bugs is appalling. Downright greedy.

You won’t see another dime from me until some big changes are made to redeem these gluttonous policies. I hope others join in boycotting spending on this app. As much as I justified it as supporting the game, it has become a money pit. Our funds do not seem to be improving the game... actions over words will win out.

Azerack

Tremayne said:

@Azerack - not sure I follow your post. The changes to packs was suppose to be now but have been postponed due to feedback from players, but perhaps you are complaining about something else?

If you have a VIP booster, check the banner for it. Then you will see. Maybe read my post again afterwards..

soultwist

Azerack said:

Tremayne said:

@Azerack - not sure I follow your post. The changes to packs was suppose to be now but have been postponed due to feedback from players, but perhaps you are complaining about something else?

If you have a VIP booster, check the banner for it. Then you will see. Maybe read my post again afterwards..

I have a booster, I see what I would have expected.  A helpful banner that lists what card sets are included.  Mine lists a lot more then THB because I don't have finished sets.  I think the huge worry was that THB would NOT be included in these booster and they would basically be empty forever.  The change moved to the next set means that set will not be in this booster if you still have it.

How did you expect it to look?

Azerack

soultwist said:

Azerack said:

Tremayne said:

@Azerack - not sure I follow your post. The changes to packs was suppose to be now but have been postponed due to feedback from players, but perhaps you are complaining about something else?

If you have a VIP booster, check the banner for it. Then you will see. Maybe read my post again afterwards..

I have a booster, I see what I would have expected.  A helpful banner that lists what card sets are included.  Mine lists a lot more then THB because I don't have finished sets.  I think the huge worry was that THB would NOT be included in these booster and they would basically be empty forever.  The change moved to the next set means that set will not be in this booster if you still have it.

How did you expect it to look?

The generic booster lists multiple sets available.  The gold banner only lists THB and according to my booster crafting I am missing some of the previous expansion which is still standard.


So, if they said they would delay it,  why have the change even visible in presentation?

I mean, you keep your VIP, certainly I'm not saying anyone else should quit, but I'm done.

Azerack

Did VIP's get your THB Rare card as part of your membership rewards, yet?

Funny, I thought it would have just been a "Standard" Rare card, right? If they're holding off the change till next expansion... 

Quantius

Well, my VIP was set to renew in 3 days and I had to make a decision and it got me thinking about how this would all play out. If I renewed, I'd just accrue packs for nothing but some orbs which I don't need and keep deck slots . . . but are deck slots worth $30/mo? Not for me.

Otherwise, I resub in 3-4 months with the next set and spend that entire set's duration slowly getting cards that I don't get to enjoy before a new set rolls out and all my packs transfer to that set. Buying packs devalues my VIP packs, so it's also not worth buying crystals to crack packs, so I'm left playing mostly a set behind, having less fun, and ultimately unable to collect all the cards (which isn't important to some people, but I do like to collect).

So I had to make a choice, and my choice is to quit. The good news is that I save a ton of money (probably close to $1k/yr after factoring in extra crystal purchases and exclusives), the bad news is that I'm bailing on my coalition and won't get to have fun brewing up new ideas with new sets.

Ultimately, it's a bit insane that an MTG Match-3 game is more expensive than just playing MTG, but them's the breaks.

Azerack

I just cancelled, too.
Will I miss the VIP deck slots? No, I don't play half as much as I used to. Certain events are just a slog, now, the new events I'll make event decks for..
Will I miss the extra crystals/jewels? Not really.. If I wanted to, I could play the weekly/daily games to get those crystals/jewels, so if I really want them, I'll make the effort.@Oktagon_Support : Perhaps you should pay attention to this when the D3 business team (or Oktagon team) think they need to squeeze out more money from their customers.