Proposal for Updating/Revamping Champs
Shroud1969
Member Posts: 76 ★
TL;DR The process for updating champs is WAAAYYYY too slow. KABAM should plan on at least one champion update or tweak a month. This would go a long way to reinvigorating the game.
Love MCOC, but can we all agree that the last couple of weeks (months?) have been a bit of a train wreck for the game? Amongst all the issues, I was thinking about the SIX MONTH revamp process and ways to reinvigorate the game.
At it's core, the game is about collecting and ranking champions and fighting with these champions. I was invited to participate in a Summoner's Sanctum survey this week about, basically, "what would entice you to use more champs?" My short answer is - I would love to use more champs! Give me reasons to play and rank my favorites besides artificial gates and hard counters - and better access to the resources to do so. Higher rankups for me have some criteria: (1) They have to serve a purpose and add some value to my roster and/or (2) They have to be fun to play. (e.g., Warlock was both! New Colossus is great!)
My points:
1) SIX MONTHS is far too slow. Currently, you have a huge buildup and then massive disappointment (e.g., sorry OM Logan) if the champ doesn't measure up. Largely because you know they will likely NEVER be revisited again (e.g., sorry Sentry, sorry Juggernaut).
2) There are many fewer champs outside of 2015 (and maybe 2016) that need a full revamp (e.g., sorry you didn't win Daredevil - maybe next time). The VAST majority of "meh" champs actually have pretty solid basic design (kudos to the design team). However, due to "reasons" - they might lack damage output, crit chance, immunities, synergies, etc. These are easy fixes. Like, change a value in a spreadsheet fix.
3) Therefore, EVERY MONTH should have at least one positive (i.e., no nerfs) champ tweak or revamp. Full revamps can and should be on a longer schedule, but tweaks like Magik and Gamora can easily be implemented. I mean - you know what they need, right? Right? Like calendars, new EQs, new events, and new champs, this would go a long way to help individuals appreciate and enjoy the game and make use of their CURRENT rosters. It would greatly decrease RNG disappointment. Over time it would also make existing end game content more accessible to the masses.
4) You still could engage the community every month on what tweaks they would like to see next. Again, more community engagement and participation - more logins - more sales of rank up materials - more demand for gold - more grind for old champs - basically happy times.
5) Two final, but somewhat separate, points. Bug fixes on champions should take a much higher priority than they currently do. I need to have some faith that if a change to the game breaks a champ for some reason, that it's not going to take 8 months or a year (or longer to fix) (sorry Taskmaster, sorry Rogue, sorry Medusa). It is the game teams responsibility to test, replicate, and execute these fixes in a timely manner - not the players' responsibility to document in triplicate with video evidence. The "it's complicated" answer is tiresome. Especially since we have seen you implement other complicated fixes in record time.
6) Please stay away from "fixing" some of the errors that occur that make champs shine...if only accidentally. Yes, fix the game breakers - but if they don't really "game break" - just leave them to the "lore of the game"....please. (sorry Archangel stun, sorry Black Widow block break, sorry She-hulk heavy chain).
Food for thought:
What if Sentry's ramp up was faster?
What if AVs specials did more damage?
What if Vulture had a higher crit rate?
What if Hawkeye had a chance to trigger hemorrhage every SP? (Make an awesome old champ awesomer!)
What if IF and FlixDevil could still block break into negative armor?
What if Beast could bleed on any hit and be coldsnap immune (fur and all...ala Sabretooth...whatwhut?).
What if Falcon just caused more damage and had shorter cooldown?
What if Psylocke had regular, instead of slowed, power gain?
What if Dr. Strange...well you know....
Take it for what you will - but I hope for the sake of the game that you are taking feedback to heart -
Shroud
Love MCOC, but can we all agree that the last couple of weeks (months?) have been a bit of a train wreck for the game? Amongst all the issues, I was thinking about the SIX MONTH revamp process and ways to reinvigorate the game.
At it's core, the game is about collecting and ranking champions and fighting with these champions. I was invited to participate in a Summoner's Sanctum survey this week about, basically, "what would entice you to use more champs?" My short answer is - I would love to use more champs! Give me reasons to play and rank my favorites besides artificial gates and hard counters - and better access to the resources to do so. Higher rankups for me have some criteria: (1) They have to serve a purpose and add some value to my roster and/or (2) They have to be fun to play. (e.g., Warlock was both! New Colossus is great!)
My points:
1) SIX MONTHS is far too slow. Currently, you have a huge buildup and then massive disappointment (e.g., sorry OM Logan) if the champ doesn't measure up. Largely because you know they will likely NEVER be revisited again (e.g., sorry Sentry, sorry Juggernaut).
2) There are many fewer champs outside of 2015 (and maybe 2016) that need a full revamp (e.g., sorry you didn't win Daredevil - maybe next time). The VAST majority of "meh" champs actually have pretty solid basic design (kudos to the design team). However, due to "reasons" - they might lack damage output, crit chance, immunities, synergies, etc. These are easy fixes. Like, change a value in a spreadsheet fix.
3) Therefore, EVERY MONTH should have at least one positive (i.e., no nerfs) champ tweak or revamp. Full revamps can and should be on a longer schedule, but tweaks like Magik and Gamora can easily be implemented. I mean - you know what they need, right? Right? Like calendars, new EQs, new events, and new champs, this would go a long way to help individuals appreciate and enjoy the game and make use of their CURRENT rosters. It would greatly decrease RNG disappointment. Over time it would also make existing end game content more accessible to the masses.
4) You still could engage the community every month on what tweaks they would like to see next. Again, more community engagement and participation - more logins - more sales of rank up materials - more demand for gold - more grind for old champs - basically happy times.
5) Two final, but somewhat separate, points. Bug fixes on champions should take a much higher priority than they currently do. I need to have some faith that if a change to the game breaks a champ for some reason, that it's not going to take 8 months or a year (or longer to fix) (sorry Taskmaster, sorry Rogue, sorry Medusa). It is the game teams responsibility to test, replicate, and execute these fixes in a timely manner - not the players' responsibility to document in triplicate with video evidence. The "it's complicated" answer is tiresome. Especially since we have seen you implement other complicated fixes in record time.
6) Please stay away from "fixing" some of the errors that occur that make champs shine...if only accidentally. Yes, fix the game breakers - but if they don't really "game break" - just leave them to the "lore of the game"....please. (sorry Archangel stun, sorry Black Widow block break, sorry She-hulk heavy chain).
Food for thought:
What if Sentry's ramp up was faster?
What if AVs specials did more damage?
What if Vulture had a higher crit rate?
What if Hawkeye had a chance to trigger hemorrhage every SP? (Make an awesome old champ awesomer!)
What if IF and FlixDevil could still block break into negative armor?
What if Beast could bleed on any hit and be coldsnap immune (fur and all...ala Sabretooth...whatwhut?).
What if Falcon just caused more damage and had shorter cooldown?
What if Psylocke had regular, instead of slowed, power gain?
What if Dr. Strange...well you know....
Take it for what you will - but I hope for the sake of the game that you are taking feedback to heart -
Shroud
3
Comments
Not so long ago, I made a thread to group all tweaks and quick-wins.
https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/162377/champion-tweaks-quick-wins-suggestions-thread
There are a lot of meh champions who do not need grand reworks to become decent. I like Yondu, but I want two things: change the weakness debuff into a taunt (to aid the SP2), let him bleed and AB simultaneously (for better power control) and increase the chance to steal armor up buffs for something good (buffet anyone?).
Quick-wins and tweaks should be Kabam's priority for 2020.
They're constantly releasing new champs along the revamps. If they were to revamp that often, they would have to rush revamps and tests. Not only would the revamps have a larger chance of being flawed, the new champs would likely be of inferior quality due to the time/resources allocated towards revamps.
Also, the programmers are people that work for a company. They have both physical, legal, and financial limitations that keep them from working too many hours. If they kept ramping up production to meet our constantly-increasing demands, then SOMETHING; whether it's Kabam's pockets from lack of sales/overproduction, the company itself for breaking labor laws, or the exhausted programmers; will break.
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**Quick Updates**
I actually would LOVE to have quick monthly updates/tweaks/buffs. But besides Kabam's unwillingness, I see one potential issue:
Small updates would most likely affect mid-tier
champs -- thus increasing the power gap.
Champs like Iron Patriot, for example, would need a massive overhaul because his MECHANICS are lackluster and outdated. Therefore, simply increasing some base stats would feel inconsequential. However, average champs, especially with decent utilities like Punisher 2099, would need only quick tweaks (increase regen, stun duration, base stats + decrease time to gain charge, cost for power lock and stun + 1 new synergy + etc)
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* This comment was deleted and "waiting for approval" for a third time. I have no clue why, but here's my disclaimer. This exact comment may or may not appear three times in this thread after "approvals" (both were edits for small typos)
Agree - I’m certainly not advocating for rushed revamps. Do them right!
Patriot is definitely in the “do-over” bucket. AND the monthly frequency wouldn’t preclude an interim buff and then full revamp later.
I would say that most of the champs needing help are in the easier bucket. Great model - good abilities - just slightly off balance. Mary Poppins and P2099 are excellent examples (and poster children) for champs that are almost worth an R4 or R5 5* rank depending on if you enjoy the champ. (FWIW - Yondu still a good champ and probably R4 worthy barring better alternatives in Tech and I hate fighting P2099 on AWD).
You've mentioned vulture, I have 6 star and must admit he's really fun to play, additional crit chance or maybe mechanic that gives him more crit chance (and attack because why not) the more chitauri charges he have would make him a useful character
@Psy26 Love to play Vulture! He could be so awesome! Same with Red Skull!