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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
DarthDeVo said: 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.
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)
bluewolf said: It's kind of funny, or something, how many comments are on this thread which are fairly unrelated to the actual events vs just the general state of the game, releases etc.In any case, I hope we get an update soon as the last events listed start in 2 days. And the boost list doesn't extend past tomorrow.I'm sure they are waiting to post info about the new character, hopefully after that.
Godzillafan67 said: “You knew the news of gnus was new!”“No, I knew of no new gnu news.”
krakenoon said: So, just to clarify, we are expecting Carbage to rotate out on the 23rd?I know the was a separate post on this, but it seems the rotation of 5* is a large part of this post and I'm a weirdo chasing those covers.
ThaRoadWarrior said: I'm also chasing Carbage, I like him actually. Mine is 4/2/4 with half a cover worth of shards, so I'd hope to get him at least a bit closer to 13 before he falls into the abyss
DarthDeVo said: bluewolf said: ThaRoadWarrior said: So 5/4/5/4/5 is the new normal? Run away and hide? This is what we get when we get 1/2 a 5 in progression, I guess. DAZ0273 said: No Boss Events? Sad days, if so.......I hear that MPQ retirement home calling my name.... You and me both. Make no mistake, I play this game *WAY* too much, and have been for the last 2-3 years I've been really competitive (first in PvE, then PvP). But I was playing that hard because I was trying to catch up, and I was getting caught up, slowly but surely. And that was enough to keep driving me forward. For all my playing, it's been barely enough to stay current with 5*s while making some headway on getting all my classic 5*s champed. I've been able to do that largely by pulling LTs and saving CP for new or special release stores. Most of my 5*s leave Latest at 460 or less, so it's not like they're getting pumped up to crazy levels or anything, but it was good enough for me. After almost 4 years of playing and nearly 2.5 after starting the 5* transition, I still don't have Hawkeye, Iron Man, Phoenix, Black Widow, FA Cap, or Doc Ock finished. Some are close, the last two really still aren't. If we're really going 4/5/4/5, there's no way that method will keep up. Mayyyyybe if you spent every last resource in Latest you could make it work, but even then RNG would need to be favorable. But then you'll never have any spare CP to use on new/special release stores. So if you don't get a character finished during the brief window they're in Latest, you'll have to wait for a feeder announcement or to come around again for placement/progression shards, or target them in the meantime to try to finish them off. Any which way you slice it, not exactly great options. Who knows, maybe this is for the best in the end run. I figured I'd be here until they shut the servers off because I'm too stubborn to quit (and maybe a little too addicted), but if they alter the conditions of the game such that it becomes an impossible burden to keep up without forking over a ton of cash, then they're effectively cutting me off and making the decision for me which I was too weak to make myself.
bluewolf said: ThaRoadWarrior said: So 5/4/5/4/5 is the new normal? Run away and hide? This is what we get when we get 1/2 a 5 in progression, I guess. DAZ0273 said: No Boss Events? Sad days, if so.......I hear that MPQ retirement home calling my name....
ThaRoadWarrior said: So 5/4/5/4/5 is the new normal?
DAZ0273 said: No Boss Events?
DAZ0273 said: So who we got boosted this week, fellow Community Managers?
DarthDeVo said: DAZ0273 said: So who we got boosted this week, fellow Community Managers? D3, I take cash or Venmo. No personal checks, please.