2 events after the release of CL9 and......

I wonder if the word is out about CL9 and its 5-Star node, and most CL9 eligible players are purposefully avoiding it because the top end nodes get too hard too quickly for most rosters? 

I am avoiding it because of the time investment VS rewards issue.  The extra time it takes for full clears is not worth the slight uptick in rewards to me.

I mean, CL9 opens up at a pretty low CL Requirement to begin with.  It could easily be almost double and it still might be too low.  Just because someone has a high CL doesn't mean they have usable 5-Stars or numerous Champed 4-Stars.  Cover acquisition is almost totally RNG (and it is for 5-Stars), so two player with the same mid to high CL will have noticeably different rosters.

For me, the time breaks down like this:

CL7 - 25 minute initial and final clears
CL8 - 45 minute initial and final clears
CL9 - 75 minute initial and final clears - and that's if I don't run out of health packs for the 5* node

So I can do CL9, but I don't want to do it competitively.  I don't have that kind of time each night.  So I'll drop down to CL7 or CL8 depending on availability.

Orion said:

For me, the time breaks down like this:

CL7 - 25 minute initial and final clears
CL8 - 45 minute initial and final clears
CL9 - 75 minute initial and final clears - and that's if I don't run out of health packs for the 5* node

So I can do CL9, but I don't want to do it competitively.  I don't have that kind of time each night.  So I'll drop down to CL7 or CL8 depending on availability.

That's a pretty good rundown really.  

25 minutes per final & initial clear sounds like a reasonable investment just in general.  After all, there is still DDQ, PVP, and Season Sim to spend time in if for some reason a player does a clear "too quickly".  So it's not like there isn't enough other things to do.

I did attempt CL9 when Spider-Man was the 5-Star, and it probably took me more than 75 min cause he is nowhere near usable, so I spent a ton of time on those nodes.
Maybe that's why I don't think I'll play CL9 for a long time.

CT1888 said:

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Hadronic said:

aesthetocyst said:

Hadronic said:

Or, alternatively once you get first in a given SCL you have officially beat it and the game locks you out from that point on and forces you to go higher

One of the worst ideas ever posted.

Youre assuming everyone who finishes first, in all brackets, in all scls, is qualified for a higher scl. Sorry unwary 3* player, the prize for having worked your tinykitty off is being locked out of your highest available scl. Winning!

Also, this is the equivalent of saying, slum all you want, just dont take first. Or second, or whatever, wherever you set a line.

This would be a band-aid. Need prevention, not afterthoughts.

Has anyone ever told you that you over analyse things? hahaha

You've seen his frankly awesome graphs, right? Of course he over analyses stuff.

That was the joke man. I've seen his posts.

Xenoberyll said:

The 5star node is a good team composition at lvl 515. multiple 5star Champs isn't enough to beat that at a comfortable rate unless you added another 50 or so covers in champ levels.
They're beatable with combos sometimes but the level is still a good amount too high for my taste.

They aren't beatable with combos just some of the time, Hawkeye/Coulson beat them virtually every time.  Yeah, it's slow, but I'll take slow over wiping 3 times every day of the week.  If the node is extra hard, like the royal family one, then boost red/blue/all AP to jumpstart Hawkeye.

aesthetocyst said:

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Omega Red said:

On principle, there's no reason why top players with champed five stars should play anything but scl 8/9. Of course, the meta doesn't follow that principle. 

Would that be a moral or ethical principle? Some other kind?

The only guiding principle I follow in MPQ is efficiency. RoTI.

The game's design and the SCL scheme fail to conspire to make time spent in SCL 9 the most lucrative use of my time.

Until it does, I won't be there much.

The principle of RPG games where the point is to level up your characters to take on bigger challenges and win better rewards. Not to go back and keep crushing/farming on the same low-level enemies.

Of course, since the rewards don't scale accordingly, most of us end up playing pve below our level.

SCL9 made me actually enjoy PVE!!!!  i dont have to compete and just play for progression, but still the rewards are worth it.  challenge beating the 5* node with a 1 cover essential put the puzzle back in puzzle quest (while waiting for gauntlet n simulator)

every day is potential 5 cp just by winning 2x in the 5 * Essential, and 4x each in the 4essntial n final non-essential nodes.