MPQ Sneak Peek: March 2020 (Updated 3/17/20)

12467…11

Comments

  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,470 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited March 2020
    In some ways I feel like SCL10 is for me - basically I have a handful of 5* champs that I spent last year grinding up to completion via bonus heroes and parking on feeders for the whole year, primarily Okoye. So I can get through it to progression completion. The grind really does take just SOOOOOO long to complete though. It's doable, but not fun. I wish that i could hit progression with less than 4x clears of all nodes. It's making (via shards and accelerated 4* covers in progression) it possible for me to advance my roster a bit faster, but it's taking a toll. 
  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,847 Chairperson of the Boards
    Tony_Foot said:
    bluewolf said:
    Tony_Foot said:
    I’m still waiting for any of this to be a cure for dilution.
    To be fair, we saw last time (Karnak) how many covers you can get for a new 4.  If you play up in 10 you get a lot in progression, in both the PVE and PVP.  Placing is a bit tougher but you can probably get at least one from PVE if you are the type of person who is reading a forum about MPQ, lol.  Anyway I ended up with 12 covers, personally, and he's not even in tokens yet.

    Also, in general we are getting more covers for 4's.  It's not a true fix for dilution, but now you earn more covers than before via shards and such. 
    Yes but our level isn’t where the fix was needed, how many three star or early four star players are doing CL10. This fix does nothing to help dilution for those that really needed it.
    That's a good point.  I started a thread for people to discuss the experience of playing below SCL10, but I think most of the commenters who hang around the forum are playing up.  Anyway, it's still open.

    https://forums.d3go.com/discussion/81594/scl9-and-below-rewards-are-they-good-enough#latest

    I agree that players in lower SCLs  lost a good amount of stuff but even in 9 you get more 4's than before.  I haven't tried to figure it out in, say, 7 which is where you would hope things really picked up to help people moving into the 4 tier.
  • StormDragonE55
    StormDragonE55 Posts: 35 Just Dropped In
    bluewolf said:
    Looking at the prejoin pane I see that the Spring Forward change will have a different effect than I expected.

    You don't need to get up any earlier or whatever since the event will end 1 hour later in the day in terms of what time your clock says.

    However....that also means that SS ends at (for me in Slice 1) 8 AM EST, but that DP v MPQ will start at 7 AM EST.  Now....all players in the same slice will have the same problem, which will be your end grind (if you're trying to be optimal) will overlap with an opening grind (again, trying to be optimal).  So every player will have to figure out what their priority will be - grind early or open late.

    Well, given that I don't do too well with Deadpool vs MPQ, I can handle a late start.


  • MrPlow
    MrPlow Posts: 240 Tile Toppler
    My Deadpool vs MPQ token is stockpiled in a post event vault even though there is an actual vault.

  • bluewolf
    bluewolf Posts: 5,847 Chairperson of the Boards
    MrPlow said:
    My Deadpool vs MPQ token is stockpiled in a post event vault even though there is an actual vault.

    Same.  I posted a bug report.

    https://forums.d3go.com/discussion/81753/dp-v-mpq-event-token-from-the-5e-3-8-20-event#latest
  • Jl_58
    Jl_58 Posts: 2 Just Dropped In
    MrPlow said:
    Also they should've run an alliance boss event like they usually would've instead of Strange Sights so we wouldn't have this messed up overlap of events.  Not very well thought out.

    Will there be no alliance event to welcome Havok?  That seems like a mistake.
  • broll
    broll Posts: 4,732 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited March 2020
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
  • JHawkInc
    JHawkInc Posts: 2,605 Chairperson of the Boards
    Jl_58 said:
    MrPlow said:
    Also they should've run an alliance boss event like they usually would've instead of Strange Sights so we wouldn't have this messed up overlap of events.  Not very well thought out.

    Will there be no alliance event to welcome Havok?  That seems like a mistake.
    I think the mistake here is expectation. There has never been a guarantee of a boss event for a 5-star character release, so it is not an error that Havok doesn't have an associated boss event.
  • ThaRoadWarrior
    ThaRoadWarrior Posts: 9,470 Chairperson of the Boards
    There are a few SCL10 unanswered questions for me, and Alliance Event rewards are one of them. Have we seen one since 10 went live? it's possible that structure is still under review. The other is the 7-day events - with rewards generally doubled, does that mean a 7 day event will give out a full 5* cover worth of shards?
  • DAZ0273
    DAZ0273 Posts: 10,342 Chairperson of the Boards
    I believe SCL10 launched on or about 9th February and X-Men v Apocalypse was the last Boss Event which ran around the 6th Feb - so no, No Boss Events since change. That said, Boss Event do not have SCL do they? So they could claim that Boss Events don't count and there is no need to update them (or us).
  • RickOShay
    RickOShay Posts: 452 Mover and Shaker
    ThaRoadWarrior said:
    There are a few SCL10 unanswered questions for me, and Alliance Event rewards are one of them. Have we seen one since 10 went live? it's possible that structure is still under review. The other is the 7-day events - with rewards generally doubled, does that mean a 7 day event will give out a full 5* cover worth of shards?
    That would be great to see in a 7-day and I hope so. However, I would almost expect that we would see shards of two separate 5* characters, equaling 250 of each (perhaps). 
  • DarthDeVo
    DarthDeVo Posts: 2,178 Chairperson of the Boards
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,654 Chairperson of the Boards
    DarthDeVo said:
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
    What's your highest leveled classic? For me I prefer to pull classics and just kind of let the latest fall where they may. That way my classics will eventually reach higher levels instead of everyone just stagnating at barely above champ status. Plus I get 20% more pulls doing this, which is significant.

    But that's what works for me. I know everybody has differing preferences.
  • broll
    broll Posts: 4,732 Chairperson of the Boards
    DarthDeVo said:
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
    Sounds like you and are in a similar boat, but your farther along (I'd probably next to you or close without my yearish hiatus).

    I used to pull LTs as I went (until I had the one just about to leave champed) and used CP on classics, occasionally the special stores, but mostly classics to get more pulls overall.  Key word used to.  The change in the way the game is has changed my strategy to beating it.  I've switched to pulling exclusively Latest with both LT and CP and hoarding again.  I'm also planning to only hoard after all 3 are champed in most cases (I made an exception on Sinister since he's so meh and Havok looks so good).  Shards makes finishing my 20ish classic 5*s more more of a reality than before so this change-up doesn't bother me all that much.  It's gonna take time to see if and how I can keep pace with the new changes, but so far this seems like it could be a workable strategy.

    My point is that you say it sounds like an impossible task for how you currently play.  I'd agree, the game changes, you either change with it or you don't and fall behind (or choose to stop playing as you suggested).  That choice is up to you, but that's the choice in front of you.  

    This will probably be the 6-8th somewhere major strategy shift to respond to game changes and I doubt it will be the last.  IMO it keeps the game interesting vs continually running on the same treadmill at the same pace everyday.  Will I be annoyed if I determine I can't keep up, yeah probably, but I'd still rather something shake up before I fall asleep, slam my face on the treadmill, and get hurled backwards at the wall.  (which happened in early 2019 lol)
  • DarthDeVo
    DarthDeVo Posts: 2,178 Chairperson of the Boards
    tiomono said:
    DarthDeVo said:
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
    What's your highest leveled classic? For me I prefer to pull classics and just kind of let the latest fall where they may. That way my classics will eventually reach higher levels instead of everyone just stagnating at barely above champ status. Plus I get 20% more pulls doing this, which is significant.

    But that's what works for me. I know everybody has differing preferences.
    It's not that I've never pulled from Classics, it's just that I've found way more success focusing my fire on particular characters when they show up in new release or special release stores, especially as Classics get evermore diluted.

    Sure, I'm saving 5 CP per pull, but probably a solid 80 percent (or more) of any cover I'd pull from Classics would go toward an already champed character when my goal is to cover/finish the unchamped ones. That's not a wise investment in my opinion, but that's just me. 
  • DarthDeVo
    DarthDeVo Posts: 2,178 Chairperson of the Boards
    broll said:
    DarthDeVo said:
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
    Sounds like you and are in a similar boat, but your farther along (I'd probably next to you or close without my yearish hiatus).

    I used to pull LTs as I went (until I had the one just about to leave champed) and used CP on classics, occasionally the special stores, but mostly classics to get more pulls overall.  Key word used to.  The change in the way the game is has changed my strategy to beating it.  I've switched to pulling exclusively Latest with both LT and CP and hoarding again.  I'm also planning to only hoard after all 3 are champed in most cases (I made an exception on Sinister since he's so meh and Havok looks so good).  Shards makes finishing my 20ish classic 5*s more more of a reality than before so this change-up doesn't bother me all that much.  It's gonna take time to see if and how I can keep pace with the new changes, but so far this seems like it could be a workable strategy.

    My point is that you say it sounds like an impossible task for how you currently play.  I'd agree, the game changes, you either change with it or you don't and fall behind (or choose to stop playing as you suggested).  That choice is up to you, but that's the choice in front of you.  

    This will probably be the 6-8th somewhere major strategy shift to respond to game changes and I doubt it will be the last.  IMO it keeps the game interesting vs continually running on the same treadmill at the same pace everyday.  Will I be annoyed if I determine I can't keep up, yeah probably, but I'd still rather something shake up before I fall asleep, slam my face on the treadmill, and get hurled backwards at the wall.  (which happened in early 2019 lol)
    Yes, I made sure to qualify this is for how I currently play. Others will certainly see it differently. 

    I think you have a much more optimistic view of how much you'll be able to cover characters through shards. They do allow for a great deal of flexibility, but just come very infrequently, and I have this nagging feeling it won't be sustainable, especially as 5*s are potentially released more often. Whatever pattern they decide on for PvE, the cycle will only get that much longer before each 5* comes around again for the opportunity to earn shards. 

    I could handle the reduction of HP/CP/ISO from all rewards streams. I might have been able to swing 4/5/4/5 every two weeks on a L/L/L/C/C schedule, or every three weeks on some variation of a L/L/C/C. But not all those things at the same time. 

    To be fair, we don't know what the new normal is right now. I just can't help but feel it won't be favorable for the players. 

    Bottom line, I'm looking at going from playing a barely reasonable amount of time but keeping up with Latest (even catching up on my Classics) to playing more, but likely falling behind on Latest. Or maybe keeping up with Latest but likely sacrificing my most reliable method of catching up on my Classics.

    Neither option feels great, but that's my two cents. 
  • tiomono
    tiomono Posts: 1,654 Chairperson of the Boards
    DarthDeVo said:
    tiomono said:
    DarthDeVo said:
    broll said:
    I suspect 4/5/4/5 is the new norm and I'm not overly surprised or concerned.  The changes brought forth from SCL 10 means that players who regularly play SCL 10 get half a cover for latest characters every time they are featured, making it easier to finish them before they leave.  I figured there would be something changed to counter-act that and this appears to be the change.  Compensating for the easier ability to champ latest 5s by decreasing the time they are in latest.

    This is a trade off I'm personally OK with as IMO the benefits added from he SCL 10 and shards changes far out weight the negative of the release frequency change.  I understand this is a much larger negative for those that can't (or choose not to) play SCL 10 PvE regularly.  However, how much does it really change for them?  The goal to get into 5* land doesn't change, it's still gonna be hoard until you can get all/most  of the 5*s in latest while most of them are good.  The only difference is that the longer it takes the more characters will fall into classics.  However, once you get up to SCL 10 you'll be able to get shards for those characters easier.  Will these classic characters be features often enough to balance out this change, probably not, but I don't think the situation is nearly as dire as people feel it is.

    This also acts as far too little, far too late, attempt to slow 4* over-saturation, but I don't see much benefit form this this late in the game.

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.
    If they go to 4/5/4/5 with two weeks between each release, I'm probably done, even with shards in placement/progression. If it's three weeks in between releases, then maybe I could foresee sticking around. But even with shards, there's no way I can see keeping up with such an accelerated release schedule. 

    For context, I've been able to champ every 5* before leaving Latest since Daredevil, with the exception of Wasp. I had tried switching to pulling LTs and hoarding CP while she was in Latest, and I wasn't with an alliance that was consistently getting T10 at that point, so my LT generation wasn't enough to cover her, though she's since been champed.

    I've been pulling LTs as I go while hoarding CP to use on new release or special stores for awhile now, probably a year at least. Most of my champs leave Latest at Level 460 or less. I'm at the point where I only have six Classic 5*s left to champ. But I've been playing this game at, frankly, unhealthy levels for the past 2-3.5 years or so in order to do this.

    Shards have been a very nice addition, and my 4*s have been seeing a nice increase in coverage since CL10 rolled around, but its definitely taking its toll. I used to carve out about an hour for CL9 PvE grind and clear. CL10 is typically double that. CL9 PvP placement was almost guaranteed T5 each event, with the occasional T10. CL10 has so many players crammed in so few brackets that I'm usually fighting tooth and nail just for T10.

    So an increased release schedule of 4/5/4/5 sounds like an impossible task to me for how I currently play, especially when it appears they're altering the PvE order of 5*s as well. It used to be rather reliably L/L/L/C/C. But since CL10 launched exactly a month ago today, we've had L/L/L/C/C/C/L/L/C/C/L (?)(PX, BRB, Carnage, Widow, 5trange, Phoenix, Sinister required/Havok rewards, BRB, IW Cap, Doom, and Carnage is at least the rewards for next event, so I'm assuming he's required).

    It's still too early to know what the pattern will be for PvE, but it seems we're getting at least as many Classic events as we are Latest right now. So now we're potentially losing roughly 6 weeks for each character to be in Latest, AND they're possibly being featured less while they're in Latest, so there are fewer opportunities to get shards for them in the shortened window they're in Latest. 

    I *might* be able to keep up if I switch to only pulling everything from Latest, but then I'm basically kissing goodbye all opportunities for advancing any of my Classic characters in a meaningful way. 

    You may be happy with that, and that's fine, but from my perspective, it feels like I'm being squeezed out, like they're gradually increasing the speed on a treadmill until my legs give out completely and I get spun out into the wall behind me.

    At least it might make for a nice viral video. 
    What's your highest leveled classic? For me I prefer to pull classics and just kind of let the latest fall where they may. That way my classics will eventually reach higher levels instead of everyone just stagnating at barely above champ status. Plus I get 20% more pulls doing this, which is significant.

    But that's what works for me. I know everybody has differing preferences.
    It's not that I've never pulled from Classics, it's just that I've found way more success focusing my fire on particular characters when they show up in new release or special release stores, especially as Classics get evermore diluted.

    Sure, I'm saving 5 CP per pull, but probably a solid 80 percent (or more) of any cover I'd pull from Classics would go toward an already champed character when my goal is to cover/finish the unchamped ones. That's not a wise investment in my opinion, but that's just me. 
    Yeah I get it. For me the neverending treadmill of release is less daunting when I dont pay attention to it. And every other champ level on a 5* character is another pull. The value of champ rewards and 20% more pulls outweighs the new shines for me. And higher levels will make scl 10 progressively easier. So its progress "up" in my view and not just progress "sideways" by having more characters champed but all sitting at 260 or less. 

    I know I'm in the minority with this view. But it makes sense for me. It keeps the pressure for getting the new shiny irrelevant for me. I'm one of those odd people that do not mind dillution.
  • TPF Alexis
    TPF Alexis Posts: 3,826 Chairperson of the Boards
    broll said:

    TPF Alexis said:
    I'm not at the point of quitting yet, but all of the changes for quite some time now have felt like net negatives. I don't know how much more it's going to be before the straw that breaks this camel's back, but it seems to be on the way.
    I'd be curious to hear you elaborate more on why you feel all of the recent changes have been negative.  I'm 120% in the opposite camp.  I quit in early 2018 due to burn-out and frustration with the stagnation of the game.  The shards change was interesting enough to bring me back and I've found it to be a huge positive.  The introduction of SCL 10 was a huge positive for me and long overdue IMO.  I understand the shift in rewards to take away more HP isn't great, but the trade off is the ability to roster/complete characters more quickly (with the caveat that is if you can keep up with roster slots), which at the end of the day is what the game is all about.  My roster is growing much faster than before with much more granular control.

    So I'd be curious to hear why you think these changes are so negative?  IMO I'm wondering if your views are tainted by burn out as mine were in the tail end of 2017 and the beginning of 2018, when I felt every change was terrible.  This game isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.  While taking a break will set you back, it can also help make the game new and exciting again when you do come back.  Obviously I'm not telling you what you should do, but just sharing my experience for your consideration.

    That's entirely possible. The more I think about it, the more I come to the conclusion that the "net negatives" are really in the effort-to-reward ratio. Yes, I'm getting better stuff, but I'm also having to play something like twice as much, and more of that play time feels pointlessly grindy, just chipping through six-figure health pools, with no real risk or thought needed, but it takes ages.
    Also, for me at least, the line between "challenging" and "frustrating" is very fine indeed. Without a usable Hawkeye, some of the 5Es and Challenge Nodes are really falling on the "frustrating" side, which leaves little in an event that's not either boring or frustrating.

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