Introducing the All-New Cover Exchange System!

Borstock

@Theghouse said:

@Borstock said:
Do you have the 1*s at 550? You say it like dupes will be raining down from that tier. I've never purchased one of the $ deal for an ascended 1, but I am very active, and I only have one or two from that tier even in 5 land. If you do it the natural way, we are a long ways off from the problem described.

I'd assume your response was to me.

And if it was, and you don't have any 1★ at 550 yet, just another reason to ask why would you ever swap a 1★ cover, when the obvious best use it is to keep building to 550?

You didn't answer my question, but I will answer yours.... Because some 1a5's are awesome. Why wouldn't I want to max out my Juggernaut and Spider-Man as fast as possible if I can do it without spending real world money?

Codex

@BriMan2222 said:

@Tiger_Wong said:
I like it so far. I’ve been trying to ascend my 2* and 3* storm to 5* and it’s been taking FOR. EVER. Sharding being the only way is ok but it was just a slow sandwich we had to eat and it was gonna take half a year to make and eat.

But I IMMEDIATELY see the difference with the cover swap. RNG had been giving me squirrel girl and 2* captain America covers by the bunches for a long time. I’m NEVER gonna use those characters. They’re just bad and unfun to me. Being able to throw them at my storms has been great as I’m literally going up a level a day when before, i was advancing 1 level every 10 days.

The cost is hp but if it weren’t for the advanced Lightning Vaults I was NEVER using them. And HP comes and goes when you’re post-game so it’s not a big deal to me.

So yeah….. I like it. 👍🏿

This is a similar situation for me. I already had all the 2* ascended to 4 star and most of them in the level 340 range. I managed to pull a bunch of the ascended 2* from vaults, so I'm exchanging to get some of the better ones upgraded quicker. I don't mind slowing down the progress on human torch, moonstone, and cap and spending some HP if it means I'll get electro, war machine, Daken,and storm to 5 star faster.

Concentrating on War machine, I've already added 10 levels to him since exchanges became available. Previously the game was being stingy with his covers and I was adding a level once every few days.

Are you concentrating on war machine so you can use in pve?pvp? Your favorite character? Fun to play with?

From my perspective, I will naturally level them up because they have very little impact on the meta in pve or pvp. I have other/better options, so i am not be willing to sacrifice the hp.

Since they are releasing 2* more frequently, it is only a matter of time and their best interest to make a 2a5 meta character for pvp and pve. This can be a viable revenue stream and i am pretty sure hardcore pve/pvp player will pay to speed up the process. Only my opinion, I am not a psychic.

If I was whale in this game then I think it also makes sense to swaps cover to those featured in LR to make them beefier and less prone to hits.

entrailbucket

@Codex said:

@BriMan2222 said:

@Tiger_Wong said:
I like it so far. I’ve been trying to ascend my 2* and 3* storm to 5* and it’s been taking FOR. EVER. Sharding being the only way is ok but it was just a slow sandwich we had to eat and it was gonna take half a year to make and eat.

But I IMMEDIATELY see the difference with the cover swap. RNG had been giving me squirrel girl and 2* captain America covers by the bunches for a long time. I’m NEVER gonna use those characters. They’re just bad and unfun to me. Being able to throw them at my storms has been great as I’m literally going up a level a day when before, i was advancing 1 level every 10 days.

The cost is hp but if it weren’t for the advanced Lightning Vaults I was NEVER using them. And HP comes and goes when you’re post-game so it’s not a big deal to me.

So yeah….. I like it. 👍🏿

This is a similar situation for me. I already had all the 2* ascended to 4 star and most of them in the level 340 range. I managed to pull a bunch of the ascended 2* from vaults, so I'm exchanging to get some of the better ones upgraded quicker. I don't mind slowing down the progress on human torch, moonstone, and cap and spending some HP if it means I'll get electro, war machine, Daken,and storm to 5 star faster.

Concentrating on War machine, I've already added 10 levels to him since exchanges became available. Previously the game was being stingy with his covers and I was adding a level once every few days.

Are you concentrating on war machine so you can use in pve?pvp? Your favorite character? Fun to play with?

From my perspective, I will naturally level them up because they have very little impact on the meta in pve or pvp. I have other/better options, so i am not be willing to sacrifice the hp.

Since they are releasing 2* more frequently, it is only a matter of time and their best interest to make a 2a5 meta character for pvp and pve. This can be a viable revenue stream and pretty and hardcore pve/pvp player will pay to speed up the process. Only my opinion, I am not a psychic.

If I was whale in this game than I think it also makes sense to swaps cover to those featured in LR to make them beefier and less prone to hits.

I'm matched with 550 players (I have like 70something 550s) and I run 2* and 1* at 672 almost every event now. I can't wait until I get more 3* and 4* into that range.

I don't know what "meta" means if it's not that. Boosted characters are absolutely usable in the current metagame, and often my best option over 672 5*s.

BriMan2222

@Codex said:

@BriMan2222 said:

@Tiger_Wong said:
I like it so far. I’ve been trying to ascend my 2* and 3* storm to 5* and it’s been taking FOR. EVER. Sharding being the only way is ok but it was just a slow sandwich we had to eat and it was gonna take half a year to make and eat.

But I IMMEDIATELY see the difference with the cover swap. RNG had been giving me squirrel girl and 2* captain America covers by the bunches for a long time. I’m NEVER gonna use those characters. They’re just bad and unfun to me. Being able to throw them at my storms has been great as I’m literally going up a level a day when before, i was advancing 1 level every 10 days.

The cost is hp but if it weren’t for the advanced Lightning Vaults I was NEVER using them. And HP comes and goes when you’re post-game so it’s not a big deal to me.

So yeah….. I like it. 👍🏿

This is a similar situation for me. I already had all the 2* ascended to 4 star and most of them in the level 340 range. I managed to pull a bunch of the ascended 2* from vaults, so I'm exchanging to get some of the better ones upgraded quicker. I don't mind slowing down the progress on human torch, moonstone, and cap and spending some HP if it means I'll get electro, war machine, Daken,and storm to 5 star faster.

Concentrating on War machine, I've already added 10 levels to him since exchanges became available. Previously the game was being stingy with his covers and I was adding a level once every few days.

Are you concentrating on war machine so you can use in pve?pvp? Your favorite character? Fun to play with?

From my perspective, I will naturally level them up because they have very little impact on the meta in pve or pvp. I have other/better options, so i am not be willing to sacrifice the hp.

Since they are releasing 2* more frequently, it is only a matter of time and their best interest to make a 2a5 meta character for pvp and pve. This can be a viable revenue stream and pretty and hardcore pve/pvp player will pay to speed up the process. Only my opinion, I am not a psychic.

If I was whale in this game than I think it also makes sense to swaps cover to those featured in LR to make them beefier and less prone to hits.

For PVP use, and I chose to focus on him first because he's fun to play. The 1 stars and 2 stars get very strong ascended to 5 star and as a 550 player (I don't have 70 like EB, only 15) I am matched up against teams of 672's all the time so I'm always looking for strong options. I'm running at least one 672 1a5 in every pvp now, they're just so much stronger than most of my other options and they are boosted often with how few of them there are. There are more 2's, but still few enough to be boosted frequently.

The 2a5's also get very strong. I've seen lvl 672 Daken, black widow, and ares being run a few times and they get very dangerous. I just saw a couple videos the other day of a lvl 450 ascended 2 star storm wiping out teams of 550's in sim with her yellow passive. My goal is also to ascend every character to 5 star. I have all the 1's except hawkeye, most of my 2's are getting close, only have one 3a5 (thor), and only have a handful of 4's that aren't ascended yet.

bluewolf

Just a reminder that the devs are apparently actively working on adjust the swap costs.

I believe the plan is to refund any differences between what you pay now and the cost once they update it.

I do not know, nor does anyone know, if all tiers will be adjusted, or just some, or what. But it won't happen until the new year, per Discord

As far as paying to swap.... I would rather see rewards bumped or shards increased again vs using HP on swaps but that's just me.

Also, occasionally they offer supports and support shards in vaults which are likely to be more interesting to me for using HP on.

Essentially this whole system seems mostly designed to appeal to very long term vets. Which is fine but it's uninteresting to me.

entrailbucket

@bluewolf said:
Just a reminder that the devs are apparently actively working on adjust the swap costs.

I believe the plan is to refund any differences between what you pay now and the cost once they update it.

I do not know, nor does anyone know, if all tiers will be adjusted, or just some, or what. But it won't happen until the new year, per Discord

As far as paying to swap.... I would rather see rewards bumped or shards increased again vs using HP on swaps but that's just me.

Also, occasionally they offer supports and support shards in vaults which are likely to be more interesting to me for using HP on.

Essentially this whole system seems mostly designed to appeal to very long term vets. Which is fine but it's uninteresting to me.

Can you elaborate on how it's only meant to appeal to very long term vets? There are a lot of very long term vets who seem to hate it!

revskip

It

@entrailbucket said:

@bluewolf said:
Just a reminder that the devs are apparently actively working on adjust the swap costs.

I believe the plan is to refund any differences between what you pay now and the cost once they update it.

I do not know, nor does anyone know, if all tiers will be adjusted, or just some, or what. But it won't happen until the new year, per Discord

As far as paying to swap.... I would rather see rewards bumped or shards increased again vs using HP on swaps but that's just me.

Also, occasionally they offer supports and support shards in vaults which are likely to be more interesting to me for using HP on.

Essentially this whole system seems mostly designed to appeal to very long term vets. Which is fine but it's uninteresting to me.

Can you elaborate on how it's only meant to appeal to very long term vets? There are a lot of very long term vets who seem to hate it!

The main sticking point for most of the top end vets I interact with is that this closes them off from being to use the new characters at launch. Since they are running 550 MMR the early boost period is the ONLY time some of the new characters see use during the period where they get the "new" boost. They already have everything else at 550 and they have the resources to take the new characters there too and this gates them from using those new characters. Which is a bummer for them as most of them have played for 10+ years and also SPENT. Using the new characters was the one thing that kept things fresh for them and now that is going away. I understand why they are non-plussed.

That is not my situation, I actually benefit from the new system in multiple ways but only because I am living in the sweet spot where I have just enough 550s and this system lets me pull a lot from classics with the CP I had hoarded without having to roster too many dupes. Which feeds the HP loop lessening the blow.

entrailbucket

@revskip said:
It

@entrailbucket said:

@bluewolf said:
Just a reminder that the devs are apparently actively working on adjust the swap costs.

I believe the plan is to refund any differences between what you pay now and the cost once they update it.

I do not know, nor does anyone know, if all tiers will be adjusted, or just some, or what. But it won't happen until the new year, per Discord

As far as paying to swap.... I would rather see rewards bumped or shards increased again vs using HP on swaps but that's just me.

Also, occasionally they offer supports and support shards in vaults which are likely to be more interesting to me for using HP on.

Essentially this whole system seems mostly designed to appeal to very long term vets. Which is fine but it's uninteresting to me.

Can you elaborate on how it's only meant to appeal to very long term vets? There are a lot of very long term vets who seem to hate it!

The main sticking point for most of the top end vets I interact with is that this closes them off from being to use the new characters at launch. Since they are running 550 MMR the early boost period is the ONLY time some of the new characters see use during the period where they get the "new" boost. They already have everything else at 550 and they have the resources to take the new characters there too and this gates them from using those new characters. Which is a bummer for them as most of them have played for 10+ years and also SPENT. Using the new characters was the one thing that kept things fresh for them and now that is going away. I understand why they are non-plussed.

That is not my situation, I actually benefit from the new system in multiple ways but only because I am living in the sweet spot where I have just enough 550s and this system lets me pull a lot from classics with the CP I had hoarded without having to roster too many dupes. Which feeds the HP loop lessening the blow.

Right, I get why those folks are mad. I'd argue that this system allows them to go "all in" much more easily on lower tier characters, though, and a lot of those guys are great when they're boosted too! So you lose 5* Namor during his boost period, but gain, say, 672 2* Nightcrawler every few weeks, or 672 3* Luke Cage.

But the other poster seemed to imply that the system is actually "specifically tailored* to the players who seem to be upset, and somehow isn't meant for others.

Daredevil217

I guess it depends on what you mean by long term vet. You have to have the characters maxed out and a HP surplus to spend. I think you have to be playing hardcore or for awhile for those things to be true.

I consider myself at 9 or 10 years a long term vet and I can’t see myself making much use of this at the price points they set. I’m so glad they are taking our feedback in and looking at adjusting costs.

One thing that’s interesting is people are swapping because they know the prices will be adjusted later and they’ll get the refund. Others are holding tight (myself included) because the more people swap at these high costs the more devs will think it’s okay to charge these amounts (which I personally find too rich but to each their own). Just something to consider.

entrailbucket

Yeah, to be clear, I won't use this more than a handful of times. I want every character, and I'm happy to let RNG give me whatever it wants. I might swap a couple to get a guy to 370 or 266 or whatever to ascend, if I'm impatient.

I just don't get why the "all in" optimizing spreadsheet people aren't jumping for joy now that they can turn all their 4* into Polaris or Juggernaut or whatever, or turn all their 3* into, I dunno, Luke Cage (who's crazy!).

entrailbucket

Ohhhhh wait...is it because those players would like a feature where you can swap every single 4* cover to Polaris or whatever, but don't want to pay for it, and also don't want others to be able to pay for it?

Godzillafan67

Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

entrailbucket

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

Godzillafan67

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

entrailbucket

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

Godzillafan67

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

From noobs to vets, I know nothing of anyone's income or financial status. As such, by "afford it", I'm talking about in-game earned currency.

What I do know is that HP is a premium for players when they want to slot more characters. That's the group I'm talking about as they could have max-champed 2⭐ or 3⭐ characters that would allow them to level up their other characters.

entrailbucket

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

From noobs to vets, I know nothing of anyone's income or financial status. As such, by "afford it", I'm talking about in-game earned currency.

What I do know is that HP is a premium for players when they want to slot more characters. That's the group I'm talking about as they could have max-champed 2⭐ or 3⭐ characters that would allow them to level up their other characters.

HP is at a premium for everybody though. It's by design -- that's how they make money. And any player, at any stage of the game, can buy HP with money! It's the great equalizer.

A game like this needs to continuously make money to survive, and lots of it. The Marvel license is really expensive. I want to see the game survive for many more years, and that'll only happen if they're making money. Yes, they put pressure on all of us to spend, in all sorts of ways, and yes, that can feel unfair or gross. But that's just what kind of game this is.

Godzillafan67

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

From noobs to vets, I know nothing of anyone's income or financial status. As such, by "afford it", I'm talking about in-game earned currency.

What I do know is that HP is a premium for players when they want to slot more characters. That's the group I'm talking about as they could have max-champed 2⭐ or 3⭐ characters that would allow them to level up their other characters.

HP is at a premium for everybody though. It's by design -- that's how they make money. And any player, at any stage of the game, can buy HP with money! It's the great equalizer.

A game like this needs to continuously make money to survive, and lots of it. The Marvel license is really expensive. I want to see the game survive for many more years, and that'll only happen if they're making money. Yes, they put pressure on all of us to spend, in all sorts of ways, and yes, that can feel unfair or gross. But that's just what kind of game this is.

Good. I'm glad that we agree.

entrailbucket

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

From noobs to vets, I know nothing of anyone's income or financial status. As such, by "afford it", I'm talking about in-game earned currency.

What I do know is that HP is a premium for players when they want to slot more characters. That's the group I'm talking about as they could have max-champed 2⭐ or 3⭐ characters that would allow them to level up their other characters.

HP is at a premium for everybody though. It's by design -- that's how they make money. And any player, at any stage of the game, can buy HP with money! It's the great equalizer.

A game like this needs to continuously make money to survive, and lots of it. The Marvel license is really expensive. I want to see the game survive for many more years, and that'll only happen if they're making money. Yes, they put pressure on all of us to spend, in all sorts of ways, and yes, that can feel unfair or gross. But that's just what kind of game this is.

Good. I'm glad that we agree.

I can't tell if you're being serious! I try to make this point all the time, and probably make it quite badly. It comes off as elitist or something, I dunno.

I want them to keep making a ton of money, so I can keep playing their game. And the only way that's gonna happen, at this point, is if they sell stuff that offers an actual advantage, or they put us in uncomfortable situations and offer a way out for real money.

If there's some way to spend nothing, or spend very very little, and painlessly coast at the very top of the game forever, that's really bad, because of course everyone will do that (why on earth wouldn't you!), and then the game dies.

Godzillafan67

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:

@entrailbucket said:

@Godzillafan67 said:
Well, I am a player who would like swaps to be free when one has a version of the character max-champed or ascended. This would be a great benefit for folks trying to gain more 2a5 and 3a5 characters.

Of course! As players, we shouldn't want to pay for any of this stuff! But I think some folks will pay, to get an advantage.

To me, this cover exchange is an answer to dilution. And if you're answering a problem, then you don't make people pay for it. The people who would benefit the most from this are the people who can least afford to pay the premiums.

Now, if we're talking about people spending HP and cash directly for rewards to get an advantage, I'm cool with that too. If someone wants the cover exchange to cost HP just to throttle other players, I'm not at all keen to that kind of thinking.

In fact, I want people to be able to play. I remember when I couldn't actively participate in the Welcome to SHIELD event because my characters weren't leveled enough. When I finally had stronger characters is when they removed that requirement, and I was glad that newer players could join when I couldn't.

Cover dilution is how they make money, though. It's only a problem for us -- for them it's a feature.

Also...how do you know that the players most in need of this are least able to afford it? I don't think we can say anything about player's incomes or financial status based on where they're at in the game.

From noobs to vets, I know nothing of anyone's income or financial status. As such, by "afford it", I'm talking about in-game earned currency.

What I do know is that HP is a premium for players when they want to slot more characters. That's the group I'm talking about as they could have max-champed 2⭐ or 3⭐ characters that would allow them to level up their other characters.

HP is at a premium for everybody though. It's by design -- that's how they make money. And any player, at any stage of the game, can buy HP with money! It's the great equalizer.

A game like this needs to continuously make money to survive, and lots of it. The Marvel license is really expensive. I want to see the game survive for many more years, and that'll only happen if they're making money. Yes, they put pressure on all of us to spend, in all sorts of ways, and yes, that can feel unfair or gross. But that's just what kind of game this is.

Good. I'm glad that we agree.

I can't tell if you're being serious! I try to make this point all the time, and probably make it quite badly. It comes off as elitist or something, I dunno.

I want them to keep making a ton of money, so I can keep playing their game. And the only way that's gonna happen, at this point, is if they sell stuff that offers an actual advantage, or they put us in uncomfortable situations and offer a way out for real money.

If there's some way to spend nothing, or spend very very little, and painlessly coast at the very top of the game forever, that's really bad, because of course everyone will do that (why on earth wouldn't you!), and then the game dies.

Totally serious. We may be disagreeing on where pinch points should be in order to elicit cash from the player base, but we agree that the devs gotta get paid. One could make an argument that PvE and PvP should require an HP entry, perhaps at different tiers that would award different prizes.

I just think that this feature is one that should be 0-cost because it is an answer to dilution (the leveling part, not the roster slot part, which likely does get cash for coins). When people are able to power up their roster, that increases their engagement with the game, and greater engagement can equal spending when there is the illusion of progress.