Taking the Game in a Fundamentally Enjoyable Direction

TigerWhiskers

With all the furore that has occurred recently, now is the time to ask ourselves some fundamental questions. And surely for a game the most fundamental question of all is, What is fun? Kabam has got the addictive formula right. Didn't get the champ your heart was set on this time around? Well maybe the next pull you'll get him! It's easy to confuse a mechanism that feeds your addictive appetite with having fun but eventually it wears thin if the fun element is removed. And I'm talking with many players for whom this has worn thin. Game modes made increasingly difficult merely through "free damage" inflicted on your champs is not fun. Grinding through repetitive tasks is not fun. Champs or nodes that go too far in breaking the established rules are not fun. Games that make your skill set irrelevant are not fun.
However, just underneath the surface of this game is elements that can be better exploited for the fun factor. Here is a summary. I will make my comment on these points a separate post for those who are willing to read in more depth.

* Fun is mastering a new skill and being rewarded for using it.

* Fun is developing expert knowledge to successfully execute strategy.

* Fun is playing with a champ that fittingly interprets the qualities of the Marvel character it is supposed to be representing.

* Fun is cooperating with friends to achieve a task you couldn't achieve on your own.

* Fun is interacting with others over a shared passion.

* Fun is being engaged in a task that is challenging but is achievable for your skill level + current roster.

If you were able to design a game mode to play just for the fun of doing it even if there were no rewards what would it look like?

TigerWhiskers

Fun is mastering a new skill and being rewarded for using it. Now you know how to reliably parry/use dexterity to dodge tricky specials you succeed. Now you have developed one or three intercept techniques you succeed. (Kabam, characters that interfere with the skills we have worked hard to master kill our enjoyment of the game. Domino, I'm looking at you.)
Fun is developing expert knowledge to successfully execute strategy. Now the you can guess the likely defender you are about to fight you select the best champ available to counter that champ on that node. (This depends on there being a range of possible ideal to partial counters to all other champs and nodes.) Now you know your champs abilities you can choose which ability/buff/debuff to use at which time to counter what your opponent is doing. (Surely this is why utility champs like GR are especially fun and satisfying.)
Fun is playing with a champ that fittingly interprets the qualities of the Marvel character it is supposed to be representing. Aaah, Sparky! Your taunt is so suited to your smart mouth nature. (Kabam, you have designers who are sometimes inspired.)
Fun is cooperating with friends to achieve a task you couldn't achieve on your own. Certain dungeons were some of the best fun because I got to interact closely with some talented and fun mates. The risk with this point is to make the cooperative play so time demanding or repetitive it becomes a chore.
Fun is interacting with others over a shared passion. If you felt Kabam would dialogue with you about how your ideas for the game could be implemented how much more engaged would you be with the game?
Fun is being engaged in a task that is challenging but is achievable for your skill level + current roster. (Kabam, nodes and champs that inflict free damage make achievement merely a matter of how many potions I am willing to buy. Champs/nodes like this totally remove the challenge/achievable balance because skill is almost rendered irrelevant.)