There is nothing wrong with putting the elders mark as a way to keep people from just playing matches to lose. My compliant is we get 0 to start unless we spend units or money for units. The dumbest thing they could have done. Start us with 300 elders mark and then we work our way through. If we don’t progress with the 300 then that’s on us to but with money or units. Not start us at 0
Let's try and move this conversation back into a more constructive place. To be really honest, it's getting difficult to distil feedback because I'm getting a lot of... well... above. If we want to address feedback, we need to know WHY you're feeling the way you do, not just HOW you feel.
So, let's try this again. I know this launch didn't go the way many of you expected, but Why? What is the thing that you don't like.
Here's what I've been able to gather:
Elder's Marks currency is a necessity to gain rewards in Solo and Alliance Events
Elder's Marks are difficult to obtain without spending Units
Biggest rewards in the mode are still somewhat based on participation and not competitive play - Wins are more valuable after recent changes but are still not the only way to progress in Solo/Alliance event.
Without Relics, Gladiator's Circuit and Victory track are still not as enticing as the Solo and Alliance Event rewards
Solo and Alliance Event Rewards are not enticing for the participation required(I know these two contradict each other, but different players will have different feedback)
Trophy Tokens seem more difficult to come across than they used to be in the Beta
If you have more to add, please do. We are going to start cleaning up posts that are not constructive because it makes finding constructive feedback or continuing constructive conversations more difficult.
Not sure what you mean by "above." As to WHY I feel so disappointed and disheartened is because the game mode y'all rolled out is completely different than the one in the betas, at least economically. In the betas the only cost was Energy (which is STILL an outrageous expense in my opinion) and champ refreshes. Y'all got the feedback that everyone hated the champ refresh cost and removed it, which was a step in the right direction, but now with the mode live, y'all have decided that it still must be so heavily monetized that free to play players are left out. It's not possible to even get all the milestones without spending, let alone have any hope for ranked rewards.
I understand that you're in business to make money, And the spenders are how you make that money, but I just wish Y'ALL would understand that without free to play players, your player base is (just guessing here IDK the numbers) 1/4 or what it is? 1/5? 1/10? Point being that without the free to play players, there is no game. Please recognize that as a fact. You don't need to monetize EVERYTHING. Let the whales buy their cav crystals. Heck, I'm fine with whales having an advantage in battlegrounds as well, but to make it impossible for non spenders to even complete the milestones? I have to ask, what is the point of playing the mode as a free to play player?
Let's try and move this conversation back into a more constructive place. To be really honest, it's getting difficult to distil feedback because I'm getting a lot of... well... above. If we want to address feedback, we need to know WHY you're feeling the way you do, not just HOW you feel.
So, let's try this again. I know this launch didn't go the way many of you expected, but Why? What is the thing that you don't like.
Here's what I've been able to gather:
Elder's Marks currency is a necessity to gain rewards in Solo and Alliance Events
Elder's Marks are difficult to obtain without spending Units
Biggest rewards in the mode are still somewhat based on participation and not competitive play - Wins are more valuable after recent changes but are still not the only way to progress in Solo/Alliance event.
Without Relics, Gladiator's Circuit and Victory track are still not as enticing as the Solo and Alliance Event rewards
Solo and Alliance Event Rewards are not enticing for the participation required(I know these two contradict each other, but different players will have different feedback)
Trophy Tokens seem more difficult to come across than they used to be in the Beta
If you have more to add, please do. We are going to start cleaning up posts that are not constructive because it makes finding constructive feedback or continuing constructive conversations more difficult.
The issue I have with this, and I’m sure everything I’m about to say has been shared here already, is that this wasn’t tested. What was the point of the beta and feedback when this new system and these gladiator coins were never mentioned besides we’d get some rank system. If this was tested like everything else in the beta, this would have never been launched the way it was.
We all knew there would be monetizing, and that’s fine. The way it has been laid out those is near 100% pay to play. There’s no easy way to get the coins that actually all you to acquire points, besides burning energy or dumping funds. Neither of which are a good system.
Players asked for a different currency to enter the mode besides energy, a valid request. The team heard that and gave it but made it so that only that currency works for solo and alliance rewards, other than that it is still energy.
The current unit cost for unlocking decks is also ridiculous and conveniently left out of the announcement. That’s all I have to say in that point.
Right now, only the friendly mode is worth anything to me and the only fun I can get from this. Other than that, this mode wasn’t designed for me, a player who still has other modes to completely and conqueror. For people who have done everything and have the units, money, and energy to spend, this is for them, but this wasn’t designed in mine or others.
Also as has been pointed out elsewhere, this means relics are also heavily pay to gain. Once again, monetization is fine and understandable, but this is a spend and grind fest and does not set a good picture of upcoming updates, communication, and understand of the players wants and needs.
The mode itself has come a long way, and the devs should be proud, but with all that has happened this past year game wise, and then how this was dropped on us, it overshadows how well done the mode was.
Seems like kabam's main mission is to make game as complicated as it can be, monetization comes second..
Simple is the keyword, mcoc is already a complex game, people already spend hours in lectures whenever a new story act, aw or aq rework come by, we have countless items, stores, materials, currencies.. Why, oh why did you have to add more? Let people focus on playing and spending, not search forums or spam line chats with confused and confusing questions. If you'd add up the time people spent on reading and writing only in this thread you'd realize that's wasted money, all these people could grind BG, achieve some stuff and look up for more, spend to get that more, some, not all, but still..
It would've been soooo simple to make money out of this release still make everybody happy that i really don't get it.. Participation upon energy spending was the starting point. Champions refresh timers was 2nd. Add solo events that award points for participation and wins with prohibitive milestones for cheap peasants but appealing for hard grinders/whales. Weekly rank rewards. If you wanna add an ally event which i believe is only stressful, nothing else, make it an extra, no rank rewards, just a few decent prizes, like nexus cavs or something.. On top of that add monthly rankings if you wish. Put out offers with ⚡ and refresh tokens. You'd make more money out of it than any other area of the game.
Reward structure i'm talking about is somewhat similar to arena, i know, but this is different, people are not willing to grind arena cause it's boring af, this is something else, best content in 8 years, community would actually have fun grinding this mode rather than arena because they have to (for prestige, to get a new defender no one has or a counter to a node that stops their progress, whatever)..
There's nothing wrong in copying rewards structures from other areas, content is new, why would everything related to it be the same?! Keep it simple!
It's so dissapointing that you get absolutely nothing for just playing casually with energy.
Also, I'm a huge fan on the bug that after winning the first fight I was given a match lost screen only to see the results of my last match 8 hours ago, then go back to the fight I just won but with 60 seconds left. Fun.
It's kinda funny how beta iterations were so much better then the mode is atm. I couldn't even care to figure out what where should I do in that overcomplicated pay to play hole. Also looks like the rewards are not worth it anyway The mode itself was nice, with previous rank system being a lot more transparent at very least: you win, you go up, you lose — go down, get rewards based on your placing
Well if you are free to play this mode suck. Its supposed to be solo game mode and a very big chunk of rewards are on alliance event and its rank rewards. To little eldens mark are free(you have to grind for them) and if you lose those matches you may not even make it to the last milestone. Huge disappointed😞😞😞😞. Way to go kabam.
I don’t understand how you expect to retain new players with all this over complicated design and obvious paywall structures, Looks like your business model is now just focusing on milking the addicted whales. I don’t see it as sustainable. Must be hard enough for new players to try and learn the intricacies of all of these champs and their immunities. Let alone trying to navigate so many overly complicated game and reward structures. this release has me secretly just wishing the game would just self combust, blocks are still dropping all over the place, I have no will to play anymore. It’s more of a kick in the teeth because the beta versions were actually refreshing for the game, fun short games that required skill and planning and paid off with 6* shards rewarding fights that we could check in for 5-10 minutes regularly. Simplify it guys, seriously
I just don't know who this rewards system was designed for and as @nilaebran mentioned there are myriad ways in which Kabam could have made money from this game mode.
Elders Marks & the alliance/solo event structure disincentives F2P, progressing players, and minimal spenders (your money is better spent on Cyber weekend or Daily Cards), whilst the rewards are not sufficient for big spenders.
Why would a whale alliance demand that all 30 of its members spend multiple Odin's and the time it takes to do 600+ BG matches- for a chance of mats (alliance event) that they can buy cheaper in other offers?
Which whale is going to go ham (money and time) on the solo event for 6* shards and an AG they probably don't really need when it's quicker to buy cavs?
I understand that the game has to make money but this just seems poorly thought out all around and surely it would be more profitable to cast a wider net and encourage participation than the current system.
My suggestions would be: - Make scoring for the alliance event energy based. That means everyone can participate and get something back for contributing. The EM earned from that can then be used for the solo event. - Up the number of Elders Marks available through playing (Alliance Event or BG ranks) to cover hitting the solo event milestones.
That doesn't stop people spending to go beyond that and would give a reason for the rest of the player base to participate.
Copying this over from a post in News and Announcements:
Hey Summoners,
Thank you for your patience with the implementation of Battlegrounds.
We have been keeping many watchful eyes on the reception of the newest game mode. Conversations have been continuing behind the scenes about what changes need to be made. Currently, we're running ideas by a select group of players to see what the reception is like.
We don't have any details at this exact moment, but we will have more information early next week.
As of right now y’all have lost me. I played the hell out of the beta versions. Now with the removal of objectives just for playing and the pay for prize method of only getting milestone points for using elder marks, I played 3 matches and feel like it’s pointless. I loved it and was excited for it to refresh my love of the game and now on release I hate it more than incursions and i haven’t done those in almost a year.
Remove elder’s mark. Problem solved. That seems to be the biggest problem. We’re all tired of everything good in the game being behind a pay wall. And to get any objectives u have to have elders marks which cost. Do away with them.
One other thing I’ll throw in. I realize the point was to try to minimize players from throwing matches however by making the milestones basically only available to those who use elder marks you’ve turned battlegrounds into a year long gifting event. One of the biggest gripes in gifting was the fact that those with the highest bank accounts always got everything; top solo rankings, top alliance rankings, and because of the vast more crystals by default more resources. Battlegrounds was supposed to be more skill based but instead, yet again those with the largest bank accounts will get the top solo rankings, top alliance rankings, and by default way more resources just for playing while everyone else who doesn’t pay for the elder marks won’t even have the possibility for anything.
Copying this over from a post in News and Announcements:
Hey Summoners,
Thank you for your patience with the implementation of Battlegrounds.
We have been keeping many watchful eyes on the reception of the newest game mode. Conversations have been continuing behind the scenes about what changes need to be made. Currently, we're running ideas by a select group of players to see what the reception is like.
We don't have any details at this exact moment, but we will have more information early next week.
They're not gonna get rid of EMs so let's do away with the entry via energy. Give everyone 75 EMs a day (5 free plays a day). Add EMs as a reward for every win. Add EMs to every time you tier up. Add EMs to the 2-day objectives.
Basically, incentivize people to get into BGs then they'll spend to hit the highest levels. As of right now, there is no point in even trying to get into them.
@Kabam Miike The two things that have to be changed in battle ground in my opinion are: 1. Set a daily limit for rank matches( 3 matches for example) and make it more like AW season with a certain number of matches which will make BG avoid the grind feel and make it more competitive and skill and roster reliant (I have already suggested that during the battlegrounds beta survey). 2. allow regular energy usage to get points towards the solo and alliance event alongside elder's marks.
I don't know how I feel about the serious pay wall to compete in solo and alliance event. Not a single player in my alliance can be bothered with it and I can't blame them. If you could at least earn some elder whatever from solo rewards to be able to do alliance obviously with solo not depending on this elder thing. Or if you could at least exchange tokens for elder stuff. And who came up with the numbers in store? I can buy a number of elder thing that can't be divided by 15... Lol! Hard pass.
Comments
As to WHY I feel so disappointed and disheartened is because the game mode y'all rolled out is completely different than the one in the betas, at least economically. In the betas the only cost was Energy (which is STILL an outrageous expense in my opinion) and champ refreshes. Y'all got the feedback that everyone hated the champ refresh cost and removed it, which was a step in the right direction, but now with the mode live, y'all have decided that it still must be so heavily monetized that free to play players are left out. It's not possible to even get all the milestones without spending, let alone have any hope for ranked rewards.
I understand that you're in business to make money, And the spenders are how you make that money, but I just wish Y'ALL would understand that without free to play players, your player base is (just guessing here IDK the numbers) 1/4 or what it is? 1/5? 1/10? Point being that without the free to play players, there is no game. Please recognize that as a fact. You don't need to monetize EVERYTHING. Let the whales buy their cav crystals. Heck, I'm fine with whales having an advantage in battlegrounds as well, but to make it impossible for non spenders to even complete the milestones? I have to ask, what is the point of playing the mode as a free to play player?
We all knew there would be monetizing, and that’s fine. The way it has been laid out those is near 100% pay to play. There’s no easy way to get the coins that actually all you to acquire points, besides burning energy or dumping funds. Neither of which are a good system.
Players asked for a different currency to enter the mode besides energy, a valid request. The team heard that and gave it but made it so that only that currency works for solo and alliance rewards, other than that it is still energy.
The current unit cost for unlocking decks is also ridiculous and conveniently left out of the announcement. That’s all I have to say in that point.
Right now, only the friendly mode is worth anything to me and the only fun I can get from this. Other than that, this mode wasn’t designed for me, a player who still has other modes to completely and conqueror. For people who have done everything and have the units, money, and energy to spend, this is for them, but this wasn’t designed in mine or others.
Also as has been pointed out elsewhere, this means relics are also heavily pay to gain. Once again, monetization is fine and understandable, but this is a spend and grind fest and does not set a good picture of upcoming updates, communication, and understand of the players wants and needs.
The mode itself has come a long way, and the devs should be proud, but with all that has happened this past year game wise, and then how this was dropped on us, it overshadows how well done the mode was.
Simple is the keyword, mcoc is already a complex game, people already spend hours in lectures whenever a new story act, aw or aq rework come by, we have countless items, stores, materials, currencies.. Why, oh why did you have to add more? Let people focus on playing and spending, not search forums or spam line chats with confused and confusing questions. If you'd add up the time people spent on reading and writing only in this thread you'd realize that's wasted money, all these people could grind BG, achieve some stuff and look up for more, spend to get that more, some, not all, but still..
It would've been soooo simple to make money out of this release still make everybody happy that i really don't get it.. Participation upon energy spending was the starting point. Champions refresh timers was 2nd. Add solo events that award points for participation and wins with prohibitive milestones for cheap peasants but appealing for hard grinders/whales. Weekly rank rewards. If you wanna add an ally event which i believe is only stressful, nothing else, make it an extra, no rank rewards, just a few decent prizes, like nexus cavs or something.. On top of that add monthly rankings if you wish. Put out offers with ⚡ and refresh tokens. You'd make more money out of it than any other area of the game.
Reward structure i'm talking about is somewhat similar to arena, i know, but this is different, people are not willing to grind arena cause it's boring af, this is something else, best content in 8 years, community would actually have fun grinding this mode rather than arena because they have to (for prestige, to get a new defender no one has or a counter to a node that stops their progress, whatever)..
There's nothing wrong in copying rewards structures from other areas, content is new, why would everything related to it be the same?! Keep it simple!
Also, I'm a huge fan on the bug that after winning the first fight I was given a match lost screen only to see the results of my last match 8 hours ago, then go back to the fight I just won but with 60 seconds left. Fun.
The mode itself was nice, with previous rank system being a lot more transparent at very least: you win, you go up, you lose — go down, get rewards based on your placing
Elders Marks & the alliance/solo event structure disincentives F2P, progressing players, and minimal spenders (your money is better spent on Cyber weekend or Daily Cards), whilst the rewards are not sufficient for big spenders.
Why would a whale alliance demand that all 30 of its members spend multiple Odin's and the time it takes to do 600+ BG matches- for a chance of mats (alliance event) that they can buy cheaper in other offers?
Which whale is going to go ham (money and time) on the solo event for 6* shards and an AG they probably don't really need when it's quicker to buy cavs?
I understand that the game has to make money but this just seems poorly thought out all around and surely it would be more profitable to cast a wider net and encourage participation than the current system.
My suggestions would be:
- Make scoring for the alliance event energy based. That means everyone can participate and get something back for contributing. The EM earned from that can then be used for the solo event.
- Up the number of Elders Marks available through playing (Alliance Event or BG ranks) to cover hitting the solo event milestones.
That doesn't stop people spending to go beyond that and would give a reason for the rest of the player base to participate.
Hey Summoners,
Thank you for your patience with the implementation of Battlegrounds.
We have been keeping many watchful eyes on the reception of the newest game mode. Conversations have been continuing behind the scenes about what changes need to be made. Currently, we're running ideas by a select group of players to see what the reception is like.
We don't have any details at this exact moment, but we will have more information early next week.
Stay tuned for more.
- MCoC Community Team
Battlegrounds was supposed to be more skill based but instead, yet again those with the largest bank accounts will get the top solo rankings, top alliance rankings, and by default way more resources just for playing while everyone else who doesn’t pay for the elder marks won’t even have the possibility for anything.
Ok we see about this next week
Basically, incentivize people to get into BGs then they'll spend to hit the highest levels. As of right now, there is no point in even trying to get into them.
1. Set a daily limit for rank matches( 3 matches for example) and make it more like AW season with a certain number of matches which will make BG avoid the grind feel and make it more competitive and skill and roster reliant (I have already suggested that during the battlegrounds beta survey).
2. allow regular energy usage to get points towards the solo and alliance event alongside elder's marks.