PvE on a Schedule - What’s the fix?

First, I want to thank @ZeroKarma for taking the initiative to start this discussion as I think it is an important one. Now on to the problem at hand: the current PvE format. While I have quite a few ideas on how to improve the overall PvE experience for the player base, in keeping with the OP's third concern I will try to limit myself to the tools already available in-game (although ideally I would love to start from square one).

The Problem with PvE

Before I begin, it is essential that we understand the flaws with the current system. Mainly:

*time slices limit the amount of participants who are able to play optimally and therefore competitively. 

*the emphasis of speed above all else severely devalues a majority of characters and skill sets and goes against the dev team's stated goal of roster diversity. 

*bracket sniping. Gives players "in the know" an unfair advantage to gain better rewards than those players who have put in more time and effort,  and perhaps performed better in an event.

*emphasis on competition alienates the casual player and does little to encourage them to spend money on the game.

While the current PvE test is certainly a step in the right direction, I think we can all agree that the design fundamentals of the PvE are still rather flawed. For those of you, which includes myself, that can usually play optimally I ask that you consider how enjoyable an experience PvE would be if you could not find a time that worked with your schedule and how it would affect your overall enjoyment of the game.

I think asking "Why limit user engagement to six time slices?" and consider its potential financial disadvantages is a legitimate question and criticism of the current system. 

I can't speak for everyone but if I were aware that I couldn't compete for top rewards simply because the start/end times didn't match my lifestyle, I know I would be much less inclined to spend a lot of money. 

Fight's Proposed Solution

The most obvious solution, at least to me, is to make PvE non-competitive. In the Story Event Trial Run thread, I made suggestion on how to achieve these.  In short, I would like to see them adopt a skill-based personal progression point system. Under such a system, you are not competing with anyone but yourself. Instead of speed, your point totals are determined by a base factor and then increased by various multipliers.  Here's the full spiel for those that are unfamiliar and curious:



But to be brief, basically instead of speed, the devs find a base point level, I chose overall team health + node point value, and then apply bonus points (+) and multipliers (x) to the base score to achieve a final score point total. I think shifting to this skill-based multiplier system will add value to certain skills that tend to get undervalued such as shields and burst health and can be utilized in a way that encourages players to think about winning in different ways besides simply downing the enemy quickly. 


Now there are those that have voiced opposition to the notion of non-competitive PvE based mainly on three arguments:


1. That such a move would necessitate a reduction in rewards

2. That everyone wins the same rewards 

3. There is no financial incentive to make PvE non-competitive

I disagree and believe there is a way to make the shift while keeping rewards distribution relatively similar to the current distribution system. Currently there are four reward channels tied to PvE (not including the shield agent rewards triggered when you spend money on the game):

1. Node rewards
2. Personal Progression rewards
3. Rank rewards
4. Alliance rewards

Under a skill-based multiplier system, we can basically keep the first two reward channels as they are but we will have to replace the second two with something comparable. Under my current train of thought, I think this can be achieved by either extending personal progression rewards or introducing skill points progression path and by introducing a node performance evaluation reward system. So basically:

1. Node rewards
2. Node performance evaluation reward system
3. Extending Personal Progression rewards (base level + skill based performance points)
4. or separate skill points progression path

The Node Performance Evaluation Reward System

After completion of a node, we get a screen that shows our points being added to our overall score. With the new system, this screen will also show your overall performance evaluation by first showing the node score added with your overall team's health at the end of the match. Then bonus points for reaching certain criteria, say like using only X-men or an essential character for the event, are added to the score and then multipliers are applied, say having a non-downed 2* character on the team gives your score a x3 multiplier. After everything is calculated, you are given rewards by hitting a certain point threshold, for example every 1,000 points generates a node reward up to a limit of 6. 

These rewards are all RNG based, and the quality of rewards available will be based on the difficulty of the node.

So for example
Easy nodes drop rate: Standard tokens 50%, 70 Iso 25%, 10HP 10%, 100 Iso 10%, Elite tokens 5%
Medium nodes drop rate: ST 45%, 10HP 20%, 70 Iso 10%, Elite tokens 10%, 250 Iso 10%, Event token 5%
Hard nodes drop rate: 10 HP 20%, Elite tokens 20%,, Iso 250 20%, Event token 10%, Heroic tokens 20%, 50 HP 5%, 1 CP 5%

"Boss" nodes drop rate: Event tokens 20%, Heroic tokens 20%, 50 HP 20%, 500 Iso 20%, 100 HP 10%, 4* cover for event 5%, 3 CP 4%, 1 LT 1%

Additionally, to prevent farming, a player will only be permitted to attempt a node 7 times. The first 4 attempts are "on the house". The last three the player will have to spend HP to unlock the node. 

By completing all the nodes 4 times, a player should be able to acquire base Progression rewards just as they can now and also the node rewards and perhaps even further depending on their ability to maximize points. 

The Node Performance Evaluation Reward System, along with the extension of Personal Progression awards, should help compensate for the loss of alliance and rank rewards and additionally entice players to use their HP to continue to unlock nodes and try for better rewards since they should see a steady HP flow. 

Since health points are one of the factors to determine base score, players will also feel compelled to heal up their team after each hard node attempt to maximize possible rewards so HP should also see an increase in sales.

Obviously rewards should be adjusted for each CL, meaning 1-3 offers lower level rewards, 4-6 mid level rewards and 7-9 high level rewards. And of course, difficulty should increase with each CL and with each completion of node.


The "Boss" Node

Is the ultimate node of the event where the player faces off against a boss/or bosses for the best rewards. The difficulty of the boss is dependent mainly on 2 factors: 

1. Clearance Level
2. The number of times the player has completed the node

Take for example, Carnage. 

At CL 1-3. His red power is deactivated, low health. Still somewhat challenging for newer players but relatively manageable.

At CL 4-6. His red power is active but does reduced damage, mid level health. 

At CL 7-9. His red power is fully active, high health. Similar to 5* Thor after going below 50% health, he destroys red, green and black tiles. At CL 7, he destroys 2 tiles, At CL 8 3 tiles, At CL 9 5 tiles. Additionally, he has a stun counter condition. If stunned, Carnage's symbiote automatically one shots a random member of your team.

We already have something akin to this for Webbed Wonder and Strange Sights. Ultimately, every event should have a boss battle and each boss should have a different kind of counter-stun condition. 

Thanos for GotG events: Counter stun condition, halves the health of your team/or does 20,000 AOE damage

Dr. Octopus: Stuns your team for one turn and places four tentacle tiles on the board. 2 of this tentacle tiles make matches while he his stunned, while two other tentacle tiles blocks damage from matches you make.

Green Goblin: Places six different bombs over the board when stunned. The CDs are not affected by his being stunned and countdown to three.

And so on.

I have never been a fan of the stun immunity that Boss characters automatically get and under this system I do believe it would be unnecessary. I guess they could keep it for a couple of bosses if they feel it necessary but the ultimate design goal should be something akin to BSSM and Kaecilius. Not every 5* character will be a meta character but under this system you can create value by giving a 5* character an ability to counter a boss type counter so a player can better maximize points. 

Since stunning a boss will come at a cost, characters with AP denial abilities like Archangel might see a rise in value. 

I guess it's perhaps best to illustrate what I am talking about:

CL9 Boss node 1,000 points: Carnage

Carnage lvl 450 ~ 

1st attempt
Team: 5* Thor, 5* Archangel (Boosted), 1* Hawkeye

Strategy: The goal here is to make sure Carnage doesn't use his red to down 1* Hawkeye since 1* characters will net your team 4x multiplier. Arch will tank most colors except yellow. Chase red, black and green and yellow. Once you have enough black, wait until 1. Carnage is close getting enough red, or 2. Carnage is about to go below 50% health. 

Complete node with all members active, 9 friendly tiles on the board (Arch's 1 black CD and the rest thanks to Carnage) , highest attack 32,000. 
Number of turns to complete match: 13
Total team health at end of match: 138,000
Value of node: 1,000
Base total value: 139,000
Boosted character x 2
6 or more friendly tiles at end of match: x 3
Damage: x 1.5
1* character: x 4
Total points: 5,004,000

At CL9 node performance rewards are distributed for everyone 1,000,000 points so this first go around, the player nets 5 rewards, earning: Event Token, Event Token, 50HP, Heroic Token, 100 HP,  Heroic Token

Now let's take it up to the final attempt

Carnage lvl 650

Team: 5* Thor, 5* Archangel (Boosted), 4* America Chavez

Strategy: At this point, the player realizes that keeping a 1* on the team isn't viable as Carnage is likely to get enough red at least once two down not only the 1* but potentially the whole team. Instead the player opts to use 4* America Chavez to generate critical tiles to speed up downing Carnage before he can get enough red.

Complete node with all members active, 10 friendly tiles (Arch's 1 black CD, Thor's 3 protect tiles and 6 friendly tiles generated by Carnage), highest attack 32,000.
Number of turns to complete match: 11
Total team health at end of match: 112,000
Value of node: 1,000
Base total value: 113,000
Boosted character 2x
6 or more friendly tiles at end of match: x 3
Damage: x 1.5
4* character: x 1.5

Total points: 1,525,500

Reward: Event token

Ideally, a roster running just 450 characters without the boosted character should be able to get 4~5 rewards the first 3 goes, 2~3 the next 2 attempts and 1~2 the final attempt. 

The New Progression Rewards system

My idea is to just extend the current progression rewards but factor in the potentially point earnings of a CL 9 roster. Obviously, with multiplier in effect the old progression system will be a piece of cake for those that know how to use the system but at least in the beginning the dev team should keep the current progression model as it is until people have adjusted to the new point system. 

With the new system, it will be possible to earn: 1 event 10 pack, 10 CP, 1 featured 4* character cover and 1 LT. The event 10 pack should placed at a point progression that covers two types of players, :

1. The casual player will have just completed all 4 free node clears in each sub and the boss battle and realize if they just play a few more nodes they will be able to get the 10 pack to encourage them to use HP to unlock nodes

2. The optimal player will have reached the 10 pack midway through the event and is making progress toward the 4* character cover and possibly the LT.

Obviously ISO and HP will be sprinkled between these 4 new goal posts. The LT should only be reachable by the most dedicated who have to the roster to rise to the challenge, basically meaning most player will need the 5* essential character for the HP boost and essential multiplier, although there is a small window for those creative enough and willing to take the risk.

The Financial Stakes

I think I have demonstrated how this non-competitive PvE model is just as likely, if not more so, to encourage players to spend hero points and hopefully invest a little here and there in the game. The devs will have to open up the HP flow just a bit to make sure the new format is not too HP restrictive and to avert being accused of going to P2W model. 

The goal is to get casual players in the habit of spending just enough HP that there are almost close to the goal and just a little more HP will help them reach that. 

Additionally under the current model, only a handful of players actually have a shot for the best rewards. With this PvE format, everyone has a chance. 

Perhaps the biggest criticism will be "I don't want more RNG" in the game and that is understandable. But as the OP stated, the devs need to make money somehow, and I feel the model I propose accomplishes this and helps resolves a lot of the outstanding issues with current PvE format. There are plenty of other successful puzzle games that are non-competitive, I don't see why MPQ should be any different.

Finally, I would like to just state for the record that these are not original ideas but based of my experience playing other mobile games, mainly Duel Links and Puzzles & Dragons. 

Also, since I didn't get a chance to respond to @entrailbucket, it's true that any model proposed will have an optimal method that will eventually be discovered and become the meta. But it's my hope that by mixing up a variety of factors like boosted characters, boss battle types and what not, we can gain a greater semblance of variety than the one we currently lack at the top end of the player base.

If you are still with me, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts on the issue. I look forward to reading your comments and critiques.