MTGPQ Sneak Peek: September 2020 Edition *UPDATE 09/25/20

boopers

Oh, I get that balance is important, and agree fully that the rewards don’t match the effort. But running TE ONE TIME in a 10 month period is hardly going to change the grinding dynamic. 

Best thing would be for there to be good balance across all events. But pointing to a singular event, that almost never runs, to exemplify the problem doesn’t seem very logical. 

#runs of events Since last rotation:
raw: 9
hxb/ATV/titan: 11
Everything else: 20
———————
TE: 1/40

I don’t think I’m out of line pointing out that the event schedule is stale because 50% of it is one of two event formats.

I don’t think it’s crazy to ask for the LEAST run event to get on the schedule soon. 

ambrosio191

boopers said:

A large portion of TE has set specific objectives, so you really aren't playing with new cards. TE as designed is just demoralizing punishment. You build decks to meet objectives and then face decks and permanent supports specifically designed to make your experience as painful as possible. All for basically the same rewards as RAW. I don't want to play ~60% more fights than RAW for the same amount of rewards.

Wait... so the event is:
(1) challenging
(2) thematic

And the only reason that’s a problem is... you don’t get enough virtual money for your time?

So events like StD are too easy - such that there are too many perfects and ruining the rewards output. Events like TE are too hard and not worth the rewards. 

My favorite event at the moment is compensation for recent game issues. The prizes are great!

So... what I can gather is the only thing that makes an event “good” is If it is both easy and gives a big payout. 

And that is why every new event they make seems to be a Titan/HxB/ATV clone. Because y’all can’t stand a challenge and place a false sense of value on event rewards. This is a video game for Pete’s sake. Give me some variety and challenge! 

Personally, I don’t mind TE... it’s an actual challenge compared to virtually everything else. Yes, it could be a little shorter with fewer matches. But it’s an 8hr refresh on 4 nodes... so it’s not that out of line. 

I said TE has set specific objectives, meaning you dont really get to play with new cards (I was addressing opperstamper's comment about using new cards).  Where are you getting that the only reason being "thematic" is a problem is I dont get enough virtual money for my time?  Being "thematic" means you are stuck in the past using cards from a year ago to reach objectives that can only be reached with those cards, and that is a problem . Here is another reason "thematic" objectives are a problem, how is someone who has recently started supposed to achieve these objectives? 

Ive said it in the past, TE is not "challenging" it's punishing.  

Take 2.3 in The Elderspark for example.  Your secondaries are deal 12 damage with spells/cast 3 (used to be 4) cards with partner.  Your first thought is to bring some kind of burn to deal your 12 damage, but the fight has 2 vanguards that increase the cost of your spells, so you dont want to bring a lot of spells because it's going to be hard to play them.  Lets assume you get past those vanguards, either by matching them down your painstakingly casting your removal.  You also managed to get some creatures down and kept his thopters under control.  You think great, Ive got this.  But then Greg plays some of the removal he has, plays lavinia, and because of the permanent support, fetches and plays more of those vanguards.  You are now back to square one, with Greg using his ability to drain your hand every other turn.  Then, after 20-30 minutes, you lose.  So you've just spent 20-30 minutes being punished and miserable, only to have to do it again because you lost, with no real idea how to improve, because you dont know if you just got unlucky or if your deck is faulty.  Then, 8 hours later, you have to do it again.  The Elderspark is full of fights like this.

You can have long fights that dont feel grindy.  The fights have to have some progression to them where you feel like you are gaining the upper hand and eventually win.  I think back to the Tezz fight in RatC.  You start that fight at a disadvantage with his construct being so cheap.  You take some time but eventually get his construct under control as well as his many threats.  You get your side set up to finally start winning.  Nothing in his deck actively punishes you for going for the secondaries, but you do have to work around a few things to achieve them.  If I was going to lose one of those fights, I knew right away.  I was eager to try it again.  When I lose an Elderspark fight, im not eager to try again, im heartbroken.  Honestly, the first time the event ran, I was heartbroken when I won, because I knew there were 4 more fights x4 to clear just from that day.

You are right, this is a video game, why am I being punished for playing it?

Opperstamper

ambrosio191 said:

boopers said:

A large portion of TE has set specific objectives, so you really aren't playing with new cards. TE as designed is just demoralizing punishment. You build decks to meet objectives and then face decks and permanent supports specifically designed to make your experience as painful as possible. All for basically the same rewards as RAW. I don't want to play ~60% more fights than RAW for the same amount of rewards.

Wait... so the event is:
(1) challenging
(2) thematic

And the only reason that’s a problem is... you don’t get enough virtual money for your time?

So events like StD are too easy - such that there are too many perfects and ruining the rewards output. Events like TE are too hard and not worth the rewards. 

My favorite event at the moment is compensation for recent game issues. The prizes are great!

So... what I can gather is the only thing that makes an event “good” is If it is both easy and gives a big payout. 

And that is why every new event they make seems to be a Titan/HxB/ATV clone. Because y’all can’t stand a challenge and place a false sense of value on event rewards. This is a video game for Pete’s sake. Give me some variety and challenge! 

Personally, I don’t mind TE... it’s an actual challenge compared to virtually everything else. Yes, it could be a little shorter with fewer matches. But it’s an 8hr refresh on 4 nodes... so it’s not that out of line. 

Being "thematic" means you are stuck in the past using cards from a year ago to reach objectives that can only be reached with those cards, and that is a problem   

This is only true if 10/10 cards in the deck are there for those objectives. Partner may be a tough objective, but that doesn't mean a deck should have 10 cards with that keyword right? 

ambrosio191

I would say on average I dedicate 3-4 cards to obtaining objectives for any give fight.  I dont like any objective that requires cards from a specific set.  That is overly restrictive when you cant outright buy any given card like you can in paper. 

madwren

boopers said:

And that is why every new event they make seems to be a Titan/HxB/ATV clone. Because y’all can’t stand a challenge and place a false sense of value on event rewards. This is a video game for Pete’s sake. Give me some variety and challenge! 

 

I generally agree. I don't mind Elderspark as much as some people do, and would gladly play it instead of RaW for the 20th time.  However, I think the bolded part of your statement sells the situation a little short. 

It's easy for those of us with complete collections to not care about event rewards, but those are the lifeblood for people playing this game.  The acquisition model for new cards is terrible; duplicates are rampant and the only gratuity for purchasing a PP is a single guaranteed rare, which means players continually pour their resources down a very vast hole despite a significant amount of time and effort spent earning them.  

There's no need to condemn people for wanting rewards to actually feel like rewards..

Magic:PQ Support Team

(09/18/20) *Updated Image Overview, Single Player, and Multiplayer.

spellsmasher

Is trial of ambition changing to a Standard event? I thought that this was a Legacy event. It may be a little hard to do that embalm target.

Trial of Ambition 

• Deck Restriction: Standard 

• Opt-In Time: 09/24/2020 06:00 UTC

• Start Time: 09/24/2020 12:00 UTC

• End Time: 09/26/2020 10:00 UTC

Magic:PQ Support Team

spellsmasher said:

Is trial of ambition changing to a Standard event? I thought that this was a Legacy event. It may be a little hard to do that embalm target.

Trial of Ambition 

• Deck Restriction: Standard 

• Opt-In Time: 09/24/2020 06:00 UTC

• Start Time: 09/24/2020 12:00 UTC

• End Time: 09/26/2020 10:00 UTC

No, the event is Legacy. Thank you for catching that @spellsmasher ! Edited. 

Magic:PQ Support Team

(09/25/20) *Updated Image Overview, Single Player, and Multiplayer.