Maybe it's the tequila talking....

...but there are things to learn from this.

*hiccup*

And since we've now hit a lull in the party, i'm going to speak my mind.

Devs, i love your game. it's fun. i want to play it for a reallllllllyyyyy looooooooonnnnnggggggg tiiiiiiiiimmimmmmmmmeeeeeee.

*hiccup*

i think most of your player base shares the same sentiments. sometimes you make mistakes, which of course will lead to complaints. some of us are more forgiving than others, but i think you will agree that people have the right to complain if they are not satisfied with your product. being able to discern which complaints address significant problems with the product will be key to your long term success.

i am one of those who believe you do take complaints and suggestions brought up in this forum into consideration so hopefully this turn of events will be a learning lesson. There has been improvement in communication, thanks in large part to our guy Hi-Fi. However, there continues to be a serious problem with mismanagement of information.

Currently, the pop up screen states that "Devil Dinosaur is in special Anniversary events all week long!" Now unless you want to stretch that to include the Anniversary Season 2400 point reward, it just comes off as being misleading at best and just plain patooey at worst. A player cannot use Devil Dinosaur for the current Combined Arms pVp or the Heroic pVe. To be honest, i was hoping that we would get a Devil Dino pVe where all players get a loaner Dino to run around and eat every character in the game but i admit i have an over-active imagination which tends to fantasize about new content and events.

Anywhoo, i think there are two major issues that need to be addressed in order to improve the overall experience of the game:

1. Better management of expectations
2. New game content (let me be clear here: not just new characters. New game modes, new prizes, etc)

As has been pointed out eloquently and not so eloquently by members of this great forum, the main issue that seems to be plaguing our celebrations has been miscommunication. Many have stated they would have been totally happy and content with just a weekend Anniversary party but because they were led to expect more and got "not more" they feel disappointed. It reminds me of the Youtube video "Man dives into Exploding Volcano (which has finally been edited to "Man Descends into an Exploding Volcano") where the expectation of the viewer is that the dude is going to dive into the hot magma but instead he just stands there...and that's it. The view of the volcano is breathtaking and beautiful and the feat of a person standing so close to its raw power is amazing in itself but that is all undercut by the sense of disappointment of that the dude didn't jump in. <still is a beautiful, amazing video though>

The other big issue is, of course, new game content. i listened to the This Week in Marvel- Podcast about MPQ and it was good to hear the acknowledgement from DW and that other dude whose name i always forget that they are trying to improve the game for both older and new players. Listening to DW talk, you can understand that dude loves making new characters and is very excited about the possibilities for future characters in the game. However, i am a bit concerned that too much focus is being applied to new characters and not new content like game modes, skins, more features for alliances, etc.

Don't get me wrong, i understand that new characters are the life blood of the game but i believe new game modes and content are the oxygen of the game. Running one of the most hated pVe's on the back of the most beloved one seems rather silly. Frankly, i agree with the sentiment that Heroics smack of laziness on the devs side since it offers nothing new in terms of game experience for either new players or older players, and i believe they should be phased out of the game.

So amigos/amigas, basically in a nutshell:

*communication has improved but the devs need to be more careful on how information is communicated to better manage expectations
*there needs to be a balance between new characters and new content
* Heroics should be phased out of the game entirely

*hiccup hiccup*

With that being said, now it's time to look at ourselves as a forum community. [you thought he was done, didn't you?] <lol>

Yes, we were hoodwinked a bit but i don't think it was intentional. The devs are great game makers but not the best communicators. i mean even when they post information on here about character changes it's usually Nonce or someone else that points out the inaccuracies or vague statements in officially released statements.

But they are making steps to improve the overall experience of the game. The reason for that stems in part from the feedack they receive from us.

Yes, you have the right to complain and to express your dissatisfaction. But i ask you to think carefully on what it is you are complaining about and how you decide to express yourself.

As a person, i would be more apt to listen and take seriously someone with a calm, reasonable argument than someone yelling and cursing at me. Also understand that different people from different walks of life are playing the game so issues that you find significant (e.g. luck with token pulls, event end times, shield hopping) may not seem so significant to someone else so it is in your best interest to provide a compelling argument for your case.

Ideally, if you can offer a suggestion that can remedy what ails you, that would be the icing on the cake. Of course, i know it's not your job to think of solutions but the forum as it was originally conceived was a place where ideas were to be exchanged so don't be afraid to do so. And of course, don't be insulted if the devs don't take up your master plan either.

But remember you, me, the devs. We are in this together. The devs aren't perfect, and as a customer you have a right to complain about bad service. But let's try to keep it civil and polite. The devs are not the quickest responders, that's something we have known for a long time now, but they do listen to what is being said and try to improve things.

So with that being said, there is still plenty of time to party! The lovely Thor LRs are right around the corner and since no one has her on their roster yet to do some major p0wnage it should be interesting and fun!

Oh boy, i think i've sobered up a bit! Time to go spike the punch! d(@^∇ﾟ)/ヘヘ♪

tldr: the devs make mistakes, nothing new. there is room to improve. if you're going to complain, try to bring your A-game. And don't forget to try the punch!