How satisfied are you with the current pace of 5* character release ?

axmoss

1

helix72 said:

axmoss said:

I play other mobile games where pace of new characters are much better (~1/month) and whales still spend money like crazy. 

How do you have any time left over after MPQ to play anything else?

If there's a will, there's a way? 

Daredevil217

1

HoundofShadow said:

It seems like some are really miserable playing MPQ. Time to hang up your boots, instead of spreading your miseries around? 

Seems like that’s exactly what a lot have been doing lately. 

HoundofShadow

It's a good thing they have been released from their sufferings.

If the current schedule (4/5/4/5) doesn't change, the only way the dev can make them happy is to reduce the playtime in SCL 10 to 30 mins and rain down HP and CPs for them so that they can catch up.

jp1

1

Yeah, probably best all these paying customers leave so the F2P folks don’t have to hear complaining. 

The Devs (TM) prefer that I’m sure.

bluewolf

1

No one ever said they wanted everything perfect or they would quit. 

The laundry list of complaints:

1.  SCL10 has SIGNIFICANTLY higher play time over SCL9

2. Reducing HP and CP in game as a shard tax

3.  No interest in addressing dilution besides the targeting mechanic

4. Ramping up the speed of 5* releases 

5.  Moving the CP in PvP back

Not to mention a near total communication blackout......

These are additive as pressures on players who have been performing at a certain level due to personal and alliance goals and who have been enjoying the game under a certain set of conditions that have changed. 

So reversing or changing one of them would be a step to acknowledging the community’s mounting frustration and could improve morale. 

I don’t think (many) would expect them to address all of these things but surely an improvement in one or more would help morale. 

——-

 Idea:  Wouldn’t it be neat if the targeting mechanic has variable rates somehow?  Like imagine if you could target a character and get a higher ROI for the first, say, 3 covers so you could roster that person and have a 1/1/1 build - assuming you want that - at say a 33% higher shard rate that dropped down to the normal rate after that. Maybe they would lock out certain highly sought covers. Maybe not. But shards are not really any solution to dilution, especially given the extremely long reward cycles and so very many characters in the game. Something that would make players more likely to recommend it to new players. Just an idea. 

bluewolf

1

@OJSP

I of course realize all that. And the devs have a basic obligation as a for-profit business to find a way to not just maintain, but grow their business. I mean it’s completely understandable. I am sure the salaries of the various devs as well as the contract with Marvel has certain expectations of increased revenue to allow for raises (everyone wants those) and probably to allow the contract to continue to be renewed, or at minimum to have it make sense for the publisher to continue to do so. 

The main point I was making was that I don’t think players are demanding that everything be fixed but that many are feeling like the frog who has been sitting in a pot of heating water and it’s finally at the boiling point. 

The devs have always been very rigid in their exploration of ways to increase revenue. I find it somewhat curious - and always have - that they are not more experimental. 

For example. The 3 4* covers for $19.99 continues to be a thing even as they have started offering much better deals on other days, and dilution makes even 3 covers for a 4 have less and less value when there are 94 of them.  (I realize this is an “anchoring” deal but it seems like a worse and worse deal as time goes on.)

An idea. Have one day a week where you have a 24 hour (or less) deal where you get one single cover for a 4 (could be a less interesting 4 or whatever) for 0.99 or 1.99 or some small impulse buy price.  You need 1,222 covers to cover 94 characters to 13 covers and 4’s are basically what 3s used to be now, except there are twice as many of them.  Anyway, you have to figure there would be a decent number of players who would impulse buy a 4* cover that they needed. 

VIP tiers or increasing the value of VIP
itself could also lead to more players signing up or renewing their membership. Many mention letting it drop, and if that’s the case it seems like there is a significant opportunity to try to bring them back to the program somehow. 

They call IAPs micro transactions, but the game actually has no such thing except buying a very small amount of currency which is only at all worthwhile to keep bonus rewards going. 

I have to imagine that they could increase revenue in ways they are unwilling or unable to explore that don’t involve making players feel shut out of the progress they used to enjoy. 

HoundofShadow

Regarding SCL 10 playtime increasing significantly:

Latest 5* cost 500 CP in HfH. A specific latest 5* that you want cost you ~21 pulls or 525 CP. If you want a specific colour, it cost you ~63 pulls. 250 5* shards is equivalent to 84 LT pulls or spending 28 40x packs in 5* HP store (Total cost: 336,000 HP). 250 5* shards is worth at least 250 CP. 

If players find that the extra time commitment to gain half a latest 5* cover is not worth it and they are not willing to go back to SCL 9 to get 50 5* shards, I think there's another way out. Let's use players who can finish SCL 9 in 25 minutes as a guide. Simply increased the playtime by another 10-15 mins in SCL 10, based on the fastest teams that can do optimal clear. However, reduce the number of 5* progression shards from 250 to 125. Then distribute the 250 shards to top 5 placements. Currently placement rewards in SCL 10 gives 150 5* shard to top 1 placement and 125 shards for top 10 placement. So top 1 player get 350 5* shards while top 5 players get 175 shards. 

As for dilution, I don't think dilution will ever be solved simply because it is the worst business decision ever. In sales, customers buy when there's a need. When dilution is solved, there isn't any need for players to buy covers because they know they will be able to catch up. Based on the last known HP usage (pre-shards), 30% of HP usage goes to comic pack and 60% goes to roster slots. Also, if the majority is not focus on champing all characters, then the priority to solve dilution (due to wanting to champ all characters) is way down the list. Look back at the shards and feeders threads and re-read what made them implement this. Players said this and that; therefore, they did this and that.

As for "reduction" of rewards, they did mention they spent a long time to balance the update and they did all the changes so that the majority of the players can benefit from the changes. 

As for 5* release schedule change, I believe some changes are coming. Remember, they have certain KPIs/milestones to meet. Remember that they said they released feeders too quickly? By speeding up 5*, it might help them to speed up the implementation of another project.

Bubba3210

1

If you do not have the roster, time or desire to play SCL 10 you are falling behind even faster. If you can play SCL 10, you are still falling behind but at a slower rate. 

I agree with @bluewolf 100% that the recent changes have had a huge impact on the game. Less cp, the higher pvp threshold and faster release schedule are reasons many are leaving.

I am hanging it up as soon as my alliance can find a replacement. I have played for 4 years and 273 days straight. I love this game more than any other game I have played. My three kids have loved opening tokens but the grind is no longer worth it.

HoundofShadow

I think they probably want most players playing in SCL 10 to play as if it's pure progression, and treat placement rewards as bonus. Typically, the best rewards go to top placements. So, I found it strange that placement rewards, as far as 5* shards is concerned, is fewer than the one in progression rewards: 150/125 for placement rewards and 250 5* shards as progression.

I suspect, due to alliance competitiveness and 5* shards, they are forcing themselves to 4+3 every nodes if possible. I think 5 clears of every nodes excluding challenge nodes should enable players to hit full progression.

HoundofShadow

Seeing how there's a trend of significant (subjective) changes happening somewhere in the middle of the year (June-July), I'm expecting something. Also, the fact that devs are working on a few features now seem to point towards changes. I'm looking forward to them in the next one or two months. 

Feliz

1

HoundofShadow said:

Seeing how there's a trend of significant (subjective) changes happening somewhere in the middle of the year (June-July), I'm expecting something. Also, the fact that devs are working on a few features now seem to point towards changes. I'm looking forward to them in the next one or two months. 

Here here

Warbringa

1

HoundofShadow said:

Marvel Contest of Champion releases two characters every month and players are still dumping over $100 millions on the game every year. It's an even bigger grindfest over there, if you think MPQ is bad.

It seems like some are really miserable playing MPQ. Time to hang up your boots, instead of spreading your miseries around? 

I can imagine how happy of a place MPQ would be with tens of thousands of clone Hounds playing the game.  

HoundofShadow

I won't say they would be 100% happy if they were me. I would say they are less likely to be always dissatisfied or unhappy with 95% of the changes the dev make or the freebies that they give if they are not perfectionists.

However, it depends on what type of perfectionists they are. Here are the three types:

1) “Self-oriented” perfectionists have exceedingly high personal standards, strive for perfection and expect themselves to be perfect.

2) “socially prescribed” perfectionists believe that being perfect is important to others and therefore strive to be flawless. People who have one of these tendencies all tend to be highly critical of themselves.

3) "other-oriented” perfectionists are only disparaging and judgmental about others. Not only do they expect other people to be perfect, but they can also be highly critical of those who fail to meet their expectations.

Rhipf

2

Xair said:

@Rhipf Disregarding the fact that your statements are inaccurate (my previous statements don't imply your conclusion).

It sounds to me like you don’t like this game very much.

Complaining about a competitive progression game dulling out the best gear only to the best players, is like complaining about water being wet.

Competitive progression is what this game is all about.

Every other game of this genera does the exact same thing, and that is the reason I like the game.

I want a sense of achievement when I earn the best rewards, because I put in the time and effort needed to get them.

I wasn't complaining about the game only giving out top gear to top players just that that top gear is a limited resource. It really doesn't do players much good to say that all they need to do to get the top rewards is to try harder. For every player that tries harder and makes it to one of the top spots someone has to move out of one of the top spots and not get those rewards.

You stated that "So the release rate aren’t too fast, just most of the players are too slow." I am assumed this was in reference to players not being fast enough in game play to get one of the top spots that reward a cover/shards for the new 5* characters. I was pointing out that ultimately it isn't speed of play that is limiting these players from earning the best rewards but the fact that there is a limited number of those top rewards. Even if every player played at exactly the same speed there would still be only 10-100 players (per 10000 slice) that would get those new character covers/shards.

turbomoose

3

They need a new level or sub level for characters as 4* is too full and 5s are heading that way 

I hope the game is not winding down as it’s fun and I haven’t missed a day of game play since I started 

Xair

10

Rhipf said:

Xair said:

@Rhipf Disregarding the fact that your statements are inaccurate (my previous statements don't imply your conclusion).

It sounds to me like you don’t like this game very much.

Complaining about a competitive progression game dulling out the best gear only to the best players, is like complaining about water being wet.

Competitive progression is what this game is all about.

Every other game of this genera does the exact same thing, and that is the reason I like the game.

I want a sense of achievement when I earn the best rewards, because I put in the time and effort needed to get them.

I wasn't complaining about the game only giving out top gear to top players just that that top gear is a limited resource. It really doesn't do players much good to say that all they need to do to get the top rewards is to try harder. For every player that tries harder and makes it to one of the top spots someone has to move out of one of the top spots and not get those rewards.

You stated that "So the release rate aren’t too fast, just most of the players are too slow." I am assumed this was in reference to players not being fast enough in game play to get one of the top spots that reward a cover/shards for the new 5* characters. I was pointing out that ultimately it isn't speed of play that is limiting these players from earning the best rewards but the fact that there is a limited number of those top rewards. Even if every player played at exactly the same speed there would still be only 10-100 players (per 10000 slice) that would get those new character covers/shards.

 

i deduce from your assumptions that you never player scl10 or scl9 to completion, because if you had, you would see that most players don't bother completing the 6 nodes available that allow a player to collect all the rewards from the story.

Thus although in theory you conclusion might have been correct, in fact it is not. 
What happens in the game is that just completing all 6 nodes at any time will give you a top 100 rank in scl10 and scl9.
as for my phrasing "too slow", it was rather lazy of me to phrase it that way, and probably my fault that a newbie player wouldn't understand that i only meant to propose the opposite of too fast. What i actually meant was players not having the right tools to handle higher level content, or not having the will or time to complete that content. 

Just to be clear, the t100 rewards aren't really necessary to champ recent 5*, although you would get it if you complete the story. And it only takes a player to complete scl9 story to get enough CP to get all the recent champions to 13 skins.

BlackBoltRocks

1

Xair said:

Just to be clear, the t100 rewards aren't really necessary to champ recent 5*, although you would get it if you complete the story. And it only takes a player to complete scl9 story to get enough CP to get all the recent champions to 13 skins.

Again. Time for some qualifications, because this sentence is grossly inaccurate.

As I mentioned in my previous post, currently one gets 45CP total from a 3-day PvE event in CL9. Let's use this as the measuring stick. So that's an average of 15CP per day, excluding champion rewards, pvp, DDQ, etc (see how important it is to make qualifications?).

Currently, let's take it that every 5* will spend 12 weeks in Latests. That's 84 days.

84 days x 15CP = 1260CP.

There's a 5% chance of getting one cover for a specific 5*. Let's take it that RNG is merciful, and gives 13 covers for one 5* without any dupes. That would require, on average, 6500CP.

1260CP vs 6500CP. You do the math. Even if I factor in all the other areas of generating CP, like pvp events, champ rewards, the former would still be around 1500-1600CP.

Oh and I didn't include sharts. CL9 gives 50 sharts for every essential 5*. The 5* that are in Latests will be essential for let's say 4-5 times. That's 200-250 sharts. Not more than half a cover.

Xair

10

BlackBoltRocks said:

Xair said:

Just to be clear, the t100 rewards aren't really necessary to champ recent 5*, although you would get it if you complete the story. And it only takes a player to complete scl9 story to get enough CP to get all the recent champions to 13 skins.

Again. Time for some qualifications, because this sentence is grossly inaccurate.

As I mentioned in my previous post, currently one gets 45CP total from a 3-day PvE event in CL9. Let's use this as the measuring stick. So that's an average of 15CP per day, excluding champion rewards, pvp, DDQ, etc (see how important it is to make qualifications?).

Currently, let's take it that every 5* will spend 12 weeks in Latests. That's 84 days.

84 days x 15CP = 1260CP.

There's a 5% chance of getting one cover for a specific 5*. Let's take it that RNG is merciful, and gives 13 covers for one 5* without any dupes. That would require, on average, 6500CP.

1260CP vs 6500CP. You do the math. Even if I factor in all the other areas of generating CP, like pvp events, champ rewards, the former would still be around 1500-1600CP.

Oh and I didn't include sharts. CL9 gives 50 sharts for every essential 5*. The 5* that are in Latests will be essential for let's say 4-5 times. That's 200-250 sharts. Not more than half a cover.

I think your math is wrong, cause you don’t need a specific 5* you just need a 5* and the even distribution will eventually fill the required quota.

Meaning you need to make the math of getting all 3 champs at once which means, 7*25 for 1, and *3 for all 3 champs, and * 13 for 13 skins. Meaning 6825 for all 3, and that brings us to 2275 for just one.

Also I am pretty sure you are missing cp earned from other sources, although I didn’t count it exactly, the actual number earned from just playing rank 9 to completion is closer to 50 cp per day, meaning around 4000 cp per the time period mentioned thus bringing us to 1.5 times more than the cp needed to champ a latest legend.

Reecoh

1

Xair said:

BlackBoltRocks said:

Xair said:

Just to be clear, the t100 rewards aren't really necessary to champ recent 5*, although you would get it if you complete the story. And it only takes a player to complete scl9 story to get enough CP to get all the recent champions to 13 skins.

Again. Time for some qualifications, because this sentence is grossly inaccurate.

As I mentioned in my previous post, currently one gets 45CP total from a 3-day PvE event in CL9. Let's use this as the measuring stick. So that's an average of 15CP per day, excluding champion rewards, pvp, DDQ, etc (see how important it is to make qualifications?).

Currently, let's take it that every 5* will spend 12 weeks in Latests. That's 84 days.

84 days x 15CP = 1260CP.

There's a 5% chance of getting one cover for a specific 5*. Let's take it that RNG is merciful, and gives 13 covers for one 5* without any dupes. That would require, on average, 6500CP.

1260CP vs 6500CP. You do the math. Even if I factor in all the other areas of generating CP, like pvp events, champ rewards, the former would still be around 1500-1600CP.

Oh and I didn't include sharts. CL9 gives 50 sharts for every essential 5*. The 5* that are in Latests will be essential for let's say 4-5 times. That's 200-250 sharts. Not more than half a cover.

I think your math is wrong, cause you don’t need a specific 5* you just need a 5* and the even distribution will eventually fill the required quota.

Meaning you need to make the math of getting all 3 champs at once which means, 7*25 for 1, and *3 for all 3 champs, and * 13 for 13 skins. Meaning 6825 for all 3, and that brings us to 2275 for just one.

Also I am pretty sure you are missing cp earned from other sources, although I didn’t count it exactly, the actual number earned from just playing rank 9 to completion is closer to 50 cp per day, meaning around 4000 cp per the time period mentioned thus bringing us to 1.5 times more than the cp needed to champ a latest legend.

The problem is that you cannot calculate the CP needed for just 1 5* when you will have equal odds of pulling any of the 3 available. You even mention even distribution then ignore it.

Using your math of 6825 CP to cover all 3 means that for the 84 days those 3 particular characters are in LL you need to generate on average 81.25 CP per day, or 3.25 LL pulls per day.

If you can generate 2 covers from shards during this time frame playing CL10 (or maybe waiting for the first classic rotation in CL10) then this changes to needing 5775 CP for 11 covers on all 3 characters. Over 84 days that's 68.75 CP per day, or 2.75 pulls per day.

All that assumes even distribution & you never need to save a 6th+ cover as well. not a safe bet in my experience.

BlackBoltRocks

1

Xair said:

I think your math is wrong, cause you don’t need a specific 5* you just need a 5* and the even distribution will eventually fill the required quota.

Meaning you need to make the math of getting all 3 champs at once which means, 7*25 for 1, and *3 for all 3 champs, and * 13 for 13 skins. Meaning 6825 for all 3, and that brings us to 2275 for just one.

Also I am pretty sure you are missing cp earned from other sources, although I didn’t count it exactly, the actual number earned from just playing rank 9 to completion is closer to 50 cp per day, meaning around 4000 cp per the time period mentioned thus bringing us to 1.5 times more than the cp needed to champ a latest legend.

You obviously didn't read what I wrote. And you're obviously playing a totally different game. I have no idea where you got 50CP per day from playing CL9.

Either way, continue with your skewed perspective.