MPQ Developer Q&A January 2023 (ANSWERS)

S0kun · February 2023

Thank you all once again for submitting your questions in our January 2023 Q&A! As you can see, we tried to answer as many as we could and glad to see that the new rules didn't slow down the flow of inquiries from the community!

@_TrashPanda [Forums]
Question: Can you start showing : (1) Bracket Count on front of PvP events like do for PvE, (2) 550 info on forum posts for new 5* releases along with 270/450 info?

Answer: 1. A valid bit of info that we'll try and factor in amidst the other UI updates coming in the future.
Will chat with the character / marketing teams on this.
@Mrcl25 [Forums]
Question: It makes sense to max champ 2*, 3* and 4* and build dupes to farm rewards, but not 5*, those just too long. Any chance that we can swap shards/covers of our max champed 5* for other 5s, even if it's at a reduced value, like two for one?

Answer: 5 Champ rewards are already much more highly valued per level compared to 2/3/4 rewards. We could do cover swaps, but these rewards would be reduced as a result, since they'd be more easily gained. So yes, it could be done, but I don't know that the economy change as a result would be worth losing the feeling of pulling 1000 HP or 25 CP from a single cover reward.
@Vader614 [Forums]
Question: Why are event start/end times so clustered? I'm in the Eastern time zone, and most events start/end at 6 AM, noon, and 5pm, during the work day for many. There are 24 hours in a day, why not space them 8 hrs apart? And make one time 9-10 PM?

Answer: Alot of our effort concerning events timing since taking over development has been to achieve some level of parity with what the previous developer set in motion. There are a couple of drafts of making improvements, but presently the priority of this is low and something we want to make sure to take great care in deciding upon.
@CASSIDYFROST [Forums]
Question: How do you choose which MCU characters to add? As you already have the 2023 character list ready, do you see what MCU projects will have and choose a confirmed character or is it the other way around? What about old characters? (as it was with Wong)

Answer: Alot of this really depends on how much we know about the characters. Sometimes we have tons of notice, but sometimes we are just as surprised as all of you and don't find things out until the movie or show releases! From there it is a matter of establishing how that character might fit into the game. Wong was sort of a different situation, in that Wong's existence in the game as a support created some narrative challenges.
@Codex [Forums]
Question: Can you confirm no nerf to chasm is coming? Based on the lackluster counters for him, it makes sense to try and get chasm to 550.

Answer: Although we do try and avoid them, we'll always in the end do what is best for the game.
@Akiramarco [Forums]
Question: I would like to ask if you intend to expand with new events/stories to remove the monotony that is always the same by now. if you plan to put others under games to win supports. thank you

Answer: First up on the list is to resurrect some of the MPQ events that have fallen out of rotation. Once we get many of those online, our next goal is to get into the swing of creating new events regularly.
@Omegased [Forums]
Question: With the generous rewards you changed, I'm worried the value of 5stars is dropping. I also understand that I'm not an average player (top X%). can you share stats on how much the average player typically plays, and how their rewards have changed?

Answer: For the most part the reward structure and accessibility surrounding 5* characters has not changed so as to impact the value of 5*s. We have made them much more available during Boss events, and the feeder updates certainly worked positively in the favor of the player base. As for the latter part of your question, that's a bigger ask that I can have our analytics team work on and possibly turn into a blog post.
@Darken_rahl03 [Forums]
Question: As long as this game has been around why have we got one of the original villains in the game yet and I’m talking about Red Skull?

Answer: He is in game! Or did you forget about Dell Rusk?
@Nero [Forums]
Question: Are you planing to release others members of the Gardian of the galaxy in 5* land to complete the team with the upcoming movie ?

Answer: I can neither confirm nor deny this.
@Turbomoose [Forums]
Question: When you first started these Q and A’s there were a lot of things asked about and the news was very positive. Changes to supports and DDQ to name a couple. Could one of the team put out a monthly timeline and ETA for upcoming changes?

Answer: I'll chat with our friends in marketing to see what can be done about vocalizing some of our upcoming changes and we'll see if we can't keep that going!
@GAMBITKING [Forums]
Question: WHERE ARE THE BLACK PANTHER (SHURI) AND NAMOR (WAKANDA FOREVER)??? 😭😭😭😭😭

Answer: I'm confident they'll make their way into the game sooner or later!
@TexasTim65 [Forums]
Question: In addition to adding boosts pre-battle, could an option be added to buy boosts in battle itself? I don't care if it costs way more to do so because now I'm buying when I really need it.

Answer: I'm unsure, but I'll bring up this ask with the design folks!
@Daz0273 [Forums]
Question: Champing 4* characters takes a lot of iso and given how many there are has there been any consideration to reducing these costs?

Answer: ISO and its place in the economy is presently under review.
@fractalvisions [Forums]
Question: Will we again have issues with some characters spending longer in latest than others around next anniversary/Christmas due to the introduction of characters into LL no longer being synchronised with the release of new characters?

Answer: It is entirely possible, yes. It's a time of the year that is jam-packed with things going on, and we plan on this year being the biggest yet. While our goal is to keep things on-track with the calendar, deviations like what you describe may be necessary. If we do change things up, we'll get them back under control in short order, though.
@Bri-Man2222 [Forums]
Question: This has been an issue for years and years, but it seems like something that should be very simple to avoid. Can you please not have a 3 star character featured in pvp during the boost week of their 4 or 5 star counter part?

Answer: It's true that you can't use the boosted 4 or 5 during a 3 event (or vice versa), but this character is still used in all other events during their boosted week.
@Daredevil217 [Forums]
Question: Way back in the day, the developers would run “roster slot sales”- a 20% decrease in the cost of slots for a limited time. Any thoughts on bringing these back occasionally?

Answer: Let me investigate to see how this is achieved. I don't think we'd be opposed to giving it another run!
Jffdougan [Discord and Reddit, in charge both places]
Question: Will we ever see a return of the 7-day PVE events?

Answer: Never say never, though at the moment there aren't plans for any in the near term.
@NIGHTMPQCRAWLER [Forums]
Question: Since the characters in Big Hero 6 are from Marvel, even the comics, do you have any plans to add the characters to the game? (but with the costumes from the movie, of course)

Answer: No plans but it's sure worth asking the Marvel team about!
@KamenDariell [Forums]
Question: Is there a plan for 5 star version of Rogue, Psylocke and Polaris?

Answer: Not at the moment, but if you ask me it's only a matter of time!
mpqmaster24 [Discord]
Question: Could a feature be added to gain shards (even if only a very small amount) of opponent characters as you defeat them? This could be PVE or PVP, or both. Defeat 3* Magneto = get x shards for 3* Magneto.

Answer: The idea of incremental sorts of rewards like this has been floated a few times and one that we are interested in. No big plans have been put in place, but it has changed the way that we think about the reward structure for the game. The seed is planted and we'll see what grows!
@ThaRoadWarrior [Forums]
Question: Event Quests made a surprise return with the 12 days, then went away again. Can we expect a more consistent rollout of those this year?

Answer: The short answer to this is: probably. We really like what they make possible, and are actively trying things out with them. The results are proving positive, and these may very well become a more standard part of MPQ.
@Karass [Forums]
Question: Will you implement on Steam the feature of SAP strength indicator that is already part of the mobile version of the game?

Answer: There is a big UI overhaul that is underway and in early stages. One of the many goals of this overhaul is better play parity between platforms (Steam included). I'll make sure this is in the notes for improvement on the PC side.
@Grizwald [Forums]
Question: Back in 2015, Kitty Pryde, The Thing, and Agent Venom were part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Is adding a faction something that could be added through costumes?

Answer: This is a really cool idea and one I hadn't considered. Let me bring it up with the team and see if it makes sense to put on the roadmap.
@Tony_Foot [Forums]
Question: Can you explain to me why vaults like the rabbit one don't allow you to buy a 40 pack if you mistakenly bought 2 daily single pulls. Why not let me buy a 40 pack and roll into the next vault. It is a barrier to spending HP.

Answer: This is a simple limitation in how they are constructed. We'll see about improving them so it is less cumbersome when you've already pulled a lesser number.
Thisone [Discord]
Question: Are there any plans to introduce an overarching story line to mpq? Like with dark reign? Events are feeling very stale. With lots of repeat events lately. What storyline would the team most be interested in adapting? Secret wars for example.

Answer: This is absolutely an idea we love and are actively talking about and planning. What currently makes this difficult is the toolchain; presently events take a long long time to create. We're working on a number of improvements to make MPQ event creation much more fluid and to allow for an original MPQ story of sorts.
@Scofie [Forums]
Question: There's a great amount of in-game content, such as PvE stories and power animations that it would be good to watch when not "on the clock". Are there plans for an in-game library for these? And possibly some milestones for watching them all...

Answer: This is an interesting idea! I'll bring it up with the team!
@liminal_lad [Forums]
Question: The forum has noticed that some 5 Stars have been stealth updated. Are there plans to address this in official forum posts? Are there plans to share who's up next?

Answer: This may be referring to 5 Star Gambit? If so, this was largely due to the timing of the holidays. We are working to be more vocal about our rebalancing in general, though.
@fight4thedream [Forums]
Question: I know the new team has designed a couple of new boss events; any chance you will be taking a crack at a normal type PvE event or a totally new type of PvE this year?

Answer: This year? Maybe. Next year? Definitely.
@trenchdigger [Forums]
Question: The upcoming calendar shows a number of PVEs ending on Wednesday, with new PVE or boss events still starting on Thursdays, and therefore leaving a free day. Will this gap in PVEs become more regular and if so, why?

Answer: Upon review these events don't leave a gap. Gaps in scheduling are almost always unintentional or some deviation from the norm to account for something else. We don't have any plans whatsoever for gaps to be regular.
@samael64 [Forums]
Question: May not be your call, however I've noticed that there have been no MPQ tie ins to earn Marvel Insider points for a month or more, nor is there a new cover redemption option this month. Is this intentional and will it continue?

Answer: We answered in the thread, but this was due to holiday delays and was not intentional. We generally aim to have at least 1 Soul Season activity, 2 - 3 other PVP/PVE activities, and 1 character reward monthly.
@turtlerad17 [Forums]
Question: Can you reuse some of the old PVE events, especially the week long Hulk PVE?

Answer: We are looking at bringing many of the old PVE events back. We'll have to wait and see if this one is among them!
@Pezza80 [Forums]
Question: Can you clarify the reasons why Omega Red is such a difficult character to bring to the game? Is it rights related? Ie the fox/ marvel characters or is it clearance from marvel themselves?

Answer: We definitely see the clamor of excitement for him and while we can't confirm/deny anything around Omega Red, the short answer to ANY character difficulties is "yes". Clearances go down a very thorough rabbit hole of different stakeholders that can surprisingly make inclusion difficult for even characters that we initially thought would be an easy addition.
@DyingLegend [Forums]
Question: Is the ISO economy at a spot where the Devs are happy with it? Personally i think double ISO should be the standard.

Answer: We don't consider the ISO part of the economy as one that is solved by any means. It's a complex issue that impacts players differently depending on where they are in the game, but we have some economy tweaks we are looking to try out soon to help things trend in the direction we think they should go.
@Illusionist-KA [Forums]
Question: Why does the devlopers dislike pvp so much? They have slowed down pvp with 110 level boosts, characters that dont die, characters who slow the game down with complicated powers that we need a Bible to translate it. Pvp is no longer enjoyable

Answer: We don't dislike PVP. Our goal surrounding PVP is more to create interesting dynamics rather than focus on speed to completion. MPQ is a puzzle game, and we believe that part of keeping the game interesting is presenting challenges to players and providing tools with which to solve those challenges.
@Pantera236 [Forums]
Question: Trap tiles have always been bad design to me in that they can be overwritten, but with Arcade it makes what could actually be a good character worthless. Any chance you guys could rework trap tiles to not be overwritten?

Answer: We have some ideas for trap tiles that we'd like to try (and your suggestions is among them). Will share more if we move forward with an official change.
Sleep Token [Reddit]
Question: I know you've improved PVP already with the reduced amount of wins, but any chance of keeping the improved ISO rewards which were given in the off season? This would really help the 4* land ISO debt!

Answer: We know that was a popular change with our players, and we have heard the voices of our players who are in an ISO poor spot in their play. No decisions at this time, but the conversation is ongoing.
Waywreth [Discord]
Question: Can you give us a timeline on the support revamp and any plans?

Answer: We plan on making an announcement very soon (likely within the next month or so) on the rollout plan for this. Stay tuned!
@Punisher5784 [Forums]
Question: Are there any plans to further revamp DDQ, such as, adding SCL? There's no reason for 4/5 players to have 1/2/3* only nodes. It is very boring and redundant. Auto-complete DDQ for VIP players would also be a nice perk.

Answer: We're observing the current state of DDQs post our last overhaul while we tend to other aspects of the game. We're not done with DDQs though....
@Bzhai [Forums]
Question: As players yourselves I'm curious what the team thinks of the overemphasis of speed for rewards in PvE? Feels like it goes against the spirit of the game which is about recruiting, yet we're being penalised for trying new combinations.

Answer: We've got some plans to alleviate this somewhat, but since it's a built-in part of the game, we have to VERY carefully consider and test any adjustments to this mechanic.
@Atiu [Forums]
Question: Can you increase the amount of saved teams available? For instance have 4 teams available for PvP and 4 teams available for PvE.

Answer: Yes, this is planned!
Shion [Discord]
Question: Can we get a new set of daily missions, "using an affiliation 3x" for a not-iso reward? Some 4* shards like the holiday event missions or tokens (increasing rarity per shield ranks). If possible on top of the existing ones, +1 to total dailies.

Answer: Yes, we do have plans to add more daily missions, and while we're at it we're addressing and updating economy as we go.
@NBPerp [Forums]
Question: Can we get more quests? Season quests, weekly quests, etc.

Answer: Yes, we're actively planning this sort of content.
@Jkenn58 [Forums]
Question: The game has become boring with the same retread pve over and over again. Any plans for new events.

Answer: Yes! We'll start by bringing back some long lost favorites and then look to creating original events on a steady cadence.
leviticuschoms [Reddit]
Question: Has BCS considered an option where each animation is displayed once per match? No animations is boring - every animation is too much delay for my taste, please consider this third option, thanks.

Answer: Yes! We're at the early stages of a major overhaul to grant players this sort of control (in addition to those pesky passive banners).
@None [Forums]
Question: As there is hidden vault, could it be possible to see the content ?

Answer: You might be referring to vaults that appear when you possess a token but the vault is not scheduled as active. If it's not an expired Vault, this is usually due to an error on the part of the dev team, and not typical behavior. There are no official "hidden" vaults.

HoundofShadow · February 2023

A lot of questions about pves and rewards being answered. Here are the more interesting answers to questions being answered to me and answers that are more interesting to me bolded:

About PvP
We don't dislike PVP. Our goal surrounding PVP is more to create interesting dynamics rather than focus on speed to completion. MPQ is a puzzle game, and we believe that part of keeping the game interesting is presenting challenges to players and providing tools with which to solve those challenges.

About emphasis of speed in pve
Answer: We've got some plans to alleviate this somewhat, but since it's a built-in part of the game, we have to VERY carefully consider and test any adjustments to this mechanic.

Also, there could be control of banners and possibly removal of them in the future. PvEs in 10 minutes seem possible in the future.

entrailbucket · February 2023

Question: Can you confirm no nerf to chasm is coming? Based on the lackluster counters for him, it makes sense to try and get chasm to 550.

Answer: Although we do try and avoid them, we'll always in the end do what is best for the game.

Chasm nerf confirmed!!!!!

HoundofShadow · February 2023

Compensations incoming!

ThaRoadWarrior · February 2023

I’m not sure how I feel about that PVP speed answer. I hope that whatever these new MMR changes mentioned in previous Q&A threads are considered holistically.

HoundofShadow · February 2023

I think it's difficult to balance speed and challenge. On one hand, players talk about how the game is all about speed and want things to be shaken up by making things less about speed. On the other hand, players want to deal with challenging things once per unique challenge.

The next important focus are these two:

1) Supports coming out this month or next.

2) The potential buff(?) to (future) trap tiles.

I'm looking forward to 1) trap tiles that can't be overwritten or 2) trap tiles that destroy themselves along with whatever tiles replaced them.

helix72 · February 2023

I don’t have a problem with them slowing down PvP matches IF I need fewer matches to get full progression. If I have an hour to play I don’t care if I get full progression in 30 quick matches of 2 min each or 12 matches of 5 min each, as long as I get full progression in the same amount of time. The issue is the new meta now gets me 12 matches of 5 min each but leaves me at 12/30ths of progression.

ThaRoadWarrior · February 2023

That was my angle too - quality of life changes definitely need to be considered with any attempt to slow down the game in my opinion. There is only so much time in a day.

Codex · February 2023

@HoundofShadow said:
I think it's difficult to balance speed and challenge. On one hand, players talk about how the game is all about speed and want things to be shaken up by making things less about speed. On the other hand, players want to deal with challenging things once per unique challenge.

The next important focus are these two:

1) Supports coming out this month or next.

2) The potential buff(?) to (future) trap tiles.

I'm looking forward to 1) trap tiles that can't be overwritten or 2) trap tiles that destroy themselves along with whatever tiles replaced them.

To further develop this, maybe trap users wording needs to change. If matched does x damage, if overwritten/destroyed by other means does x damage. This can also lend it way to a new ability a character neutralize a trap and not activates its trigger.

HoundofShadow · February 2023

I'm sure they can do it. However, they can't ensure that their QOL change will benefit each individual player. Realistically, it's impossible to do that. For 550 players, it's likely not going to be easy because most 550 players would always go for meta, and since it takes about 1 year or so for them to hoard for another 550, it's either nerf or overpowered 450 5* release to give them QOL.

Edit: is there anyone who remembers the survey about pvp opponents a few years back? I think one question was about selecting difficulty or range of opponents. Probably this would be the change that can benefit all players. However, this would be like simulator in pve, but players can pick choose their opponents.

As for the trap tile suggestion, I'm not sure if it would be overpowered. If it can't be replaced, and it triggers regardless of what happens, it means players can only look for characters with trap removing ability like 5* Strange or bring damage reduction specialist.

Bad · February 2023

If they slow down pvp then the rewards system must be changed.
With chasm teams to get 1200 points is already a struggle.
Are these answers ok?. There are a lot of unknown nicknames on forum and also I'd say there are questions missing.

entrailbucket · February 2023

Eh, I'd take that PvP speed answer with a pretty massive grain of salt. Could be something as simple as lowering the wins thresholds again. I really doubt they'll screw around with PvP too much at this point.

Bowgentle · February 2023

So since 7 day events are not coming back (weird conflicting answers there), this means Simulator, Deadpool VS MPQ and the Heroics are.
Can't say I missed the stupid two day subs of DP running after every new character release like clockwork, but I'm looking forward to Simulator returning.
We need more PVEs with at least a tiny bit of challenge.

Phumade · February 2023

Can we get a character refresh of the lighting rounds. Could be tier for tier replacements, but at least mix up the characters

Bowgentle · February 2023

@Phumade said:
Can we get a character refresh of the lighting rounds. Could be tier for tier replacements, but at least mix up the characters

I asked that a few months back.
Answer was "yes but it's not on the immediate schedule ".

Sekilicious · February 2023

@Bowgentle said:
So since 7 day events are not coming back (weird conflicting answers there), this means Simulator, Deadpool VS MPQ and the Heroics are.
Can't say I missed the stupid two day subs of DP running after every new character release like clockwork, but I'm looking forward to Simulator returning.
We need more PVEs with at least a tiny bit of challenge.

I’m curious if the 7 days are being reworked. I wonder how difficult or time consuming it would be to split them into two events and just run them consecutively. Whatever, at least new PvEs are being teased.

ThaRoadWarrior · February 2023

how many 7 day events were there? I feel like there were maybe 3?

I wonder if un-nerfing Fight For Wakanda would be fun with the current state of the character list or if it would still feel like a punishing experience?

rainkingucd · February 2023

@ThaRoadWarrior said:
how many 7 day events were there? I feel like there were maybe 3?

I wonder if un-nerfing Fight For Wakanda would be fun with the current state of the character list or if it would still feel like a punishing experience?

Prodigal Sun, The Hulk, Enemy of the State, & ISO-8 Brotherhood

ThaRoadWarrior · February 2023

Man, I completely forgot about iso-8 Brotherhood even existing. Wasn't there a 7-day version of The Hunt as well?

Bowgentle · February 2023

@ThaRoadWarrior said:
Man, I completely forgot about iso-8 Brotherhood even existing. Wasn't there a 7-day version of The Hunt as well?

No.
No no no no.
Don't give them ideas.
You're thinking of The Hulk, where we are hunting... The Hulk.

Captain_Trips88 · February 2023

I'd still love some variant on the gauntlet coming back, but it would need some serious roster handicaps coming in to make it challenging like it used to be.

MPQ Developer Q&A January 2023 (ANSWERS)

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