mom i frew up
It just boggles me (actually it doesn't, it's quite obvious) why Kabam locks the final Blade piece behind a competitive game mode. This isn't even about this BG season's ~unique~ modifiers - simply the concept that you can grind for all the other pieces simply by having a good questing roster, and this final one rests within a mode that I know a lot of the player base avoids feels a little icky to me.
I understand these are supposed to be difficult to obtain and are geared more towards endgame players, but I'd consider myself an endgame player with a pretty darn good roster. I just don't really participate in competitive game modes, so my defensive roster is lacking. I've already ranked a few of the nasty BG defenders to try and get an edge up, but you only get so far without having to decide if you really want to invest in ranking defenders that you know you'll never use anywhere else (until Kabam decides to put another shiny prize in the Torture Pit.)
If this final piece was locked behind a quest with a difficulty completely disproportionate to the quests/challenges for the other pieces, that would be a bummer but that would be a DIFFERENT conversation. Questing is the core focus of the game, everyone can assess and take a stab at it - the only thing between you and that piece is a quest that's the same for everyone. Coliseum is a bit different, yes, but if you've got a good questing roster, you've got a good enough Coliseum roster to reach the reward tiers these pieces are in. In BGs, your experience is entirely dependent on other players' rosters - and you need to reach the HIGHEST tier of the Victory Track and promote to Gladiator's Circuit. Both Coliseum pieces were at VERY achievable tiers for most players engaging in those game modes.
I don't know where I'm going with this rant - and I know we've seen so many of these posts - but after having such a fun time going through AW Showcase, Act 9.4, and the Apex and Alliance Coliseums (yes, I enjoy Alliance Coliseum just for solo rewards), it feels so defeating seeing this final piece waving at me from the murky depths of Battlegrounds. I'm fortunate enough to be a F2P player that loves to hoard units so sure, I could buy the piece when it comes out, but based on the Stellar-Forged pieces pattern so far, am I going to have to do that every time? It's looking like it. But I got the Star-Lord piece in BGs so I'll probably hunker down and suffer through it again - I'm just not a big fan of suffering.
The funny thing is I think BGs CAN be fun when I randomly decide to pick up a match or two. And players who always grind competitive: love that for you, go for it. But having to grind Gladiator's Circuit is just not fun to me in the slightest, and believe it or not, I play this game to have fun.
I really do love this game. After all, I've played it for a decade. But I feel like I'm being punished for not playing 1 out of the 12 (or something) game modes in this game. Also, I have a job - am I supposed to come home from work and unwind with THIS? Because I'm F2P, I don't feel entitled to anything - I'm not paying anyone's salaries here; the only thing I've invested in this game is time - so I understand how little impact I have on the game and that's totally fine with me. I might actually be mad if I was a big spender (but then maybe this piece wouldn't be such a challenge for me *side eye*). There's not much to be done here, and I'm honestly not asking for anything; I'm just having a bummed-out rant. Hopefully some people can relate, or maybe this was entertaining to someone. If so, mission accomplished.
Love the game. Hate the Slayer Sword. Mwah.
