5-Star Featured Crystal Change Discussion Thread

Summoners!

We've just released some more information on the future of the 5-Star Featured Crystal here: https://forums.playcontestofchampions.com/en/discussion/43300/upcoming-changes-to-5-star-featured-crystal

We know you've got questions, and this is the place to ask and discuss!

FAQ

Will you announce the pool of 18 each time it changes?
We do plan on sharing the list every time the crystal is updated.

Can you buy the 5 star featured crystal with units or only shards?
This crystal is replacing the currently available 15,000 Shard Featured Hero Crystals.

So does it means that if a new champ comes to the Battle Realm we won't be able to get them as a 5* right away?
You will still be able to get them in the Grandmaster Featured Crystal, but they will not be available in a featured 5-Star Hero Shard Crystal until they are added to this new Crystal. So, this might mean having to wait a little while to get some Champions, but it also gives you a shot at 6 New Champions at a time, as well as a smaller Basic pool.

Comments

SpiritOfVengeance

So it's ok that other people could get their most wanted featured champ and save up for them and now the rest of us are gonna have such a hard time trying for ours. This is really upsetting and demotivating.

unknown

This content has been removed.

sfu_korax

Kabam Miike wrote: »

phiguy721 wrote: »

Simple question for @Kabam Miike:

Will Void have his own feature crystal? Or, will we have to wait until February to have a chance at him?

Yes he will. Any champion released before February 13th will still have the old style Featured Hero Crystal. So that means Void, and the new Champion on February 1st, but neither of them will have a re-run of their Crystal. Any Champion released after February 13th will not have a specific Featured Hero Crystal.

Kabam Miike I'm begging you release gladiator hulk on february 1st instead of killmonger. We already have enough great skill champions while science is still weak after the release of modok and sentry. Let us have a greater chance at pulling a probably useful science champion...

Darth_Kaladinn

Themis_xwsths wrote: »

Kabam Miike wrote: »

phiguy721 wrote: »

Simple question for @Kabam Miike:

Will Void have his own feature crystal? Or, will we have to wait until February to have a chance at him?

Yes he will. Any champion released before February 13th will still have the old style Featured Hero Crystal. So that means Void, and the new Champion on February 1st, but neither of them will have a re-run of their Crystal. Any Champion released after February 13th will not have a specific Featured Hero Crystal.

Kabam Miike I'm begging you release gladiator hulk on february 1st instead of killmonger. We already have enough great skill champions while science is still weak after the release of modok and sentry. Let us have a greater chance at pulling a probably useful science champion...

Gladiator Hulk will be before Killmonger

unknown

This content has been removed.

NightCracker

So do we have a 5* arena starting at the same time? If we are following suit with the release of 4*, we are able to get the champion grinding arena the first 3 days as a 4* instead of waiting several be weeks .

Jayjay7

I think you should give the new featured champ an increased chance in the new crystal but an equal chance for the other 23 that would make the community feel better about these new crystals and is a better idea overall, or how about you just stay with the old system

unknown

This content has been removed.

DNA3000

khehmist wrote: »

DNA3000 wrote: »

Thatweirdguy wrote: »

DNA3000 wrote: »

khehmist wrote: »

beyonder8421 wrote: »

khehmist wrote: »

Too bad Apple didn't start requiring transparency in communications, maybe the announcement would have looked more something more like...

Due to Apple's new transparency mandate we're changing the feature crystal drop rate (for the champ you were hoping to get) to the worst of our old manipulated drop rates, for everyone, no matter how much you spend.

Let it be known to all app stores that we will respond to any attempt to influence our business to the benefit of their customers in a way that will continue to make our revenue a priority far above all others.

Forget about apple already, you cannot buy 5 star crystals with money. You can buy units and use them for crystals, but I can see the legal loophole.

Nope. Apple mandated transparency, then Kabam changed the system and confirmed feature crystal drop rates for the first time in history. No chance that's a coincidence.

Kabam has said nothing in this thread they haven't said before many times.

They have never given a drop rate. Here for the first time ever we have been provided a drop rate. Unprecedented and not a coincidence.

This is absolutely and unambiguously objectively false. They've always said that the odds of pulling any particular champion from the basic crystal were identical, that the odds of pulling any particular champion from the basic pool from the featured crystal is identical, and that in general the odds of pulling any particular champion of the same type from a crystal is identical. They are saying the exact same thing here: the odds of pulling any particular champion from the new featured crystal is identical. Because the number of champions in the new crystal is fixed at 24, that means the odds are approximately 4.2%. They can't quote a number like that in most other crystals because the number of champions is different at different times, but that number is zero additional information for anyone capable of doing basic elementary school math.

Maybe I'm speaking only for myself but I don't think that many people care about basic crystal drop rates and they are not the topic of this thread. There's never been any need for basic crystals to have rates lower than straight odds. So many champs, so few are better than average.

The odds that were being referred to were the *feature 5* crystal* drop rates in the old system, which Kabam was very clear is something that they would not discuss (I think that last part is pretty much a Kabam mod quote). They force-closed many threads on the discussion and have handed out forum penalties for people guessing about it etc. There is no question that the new system is related to Apple's transparency mandate.

As I previously stated, Kabam repeatedly stated that the odds of pulling any particular basic champion from the basic pool of the featured crystal was identical, and the odds of pulling any particular subfeatured champion from the subfeatured pool was also identical. They are now saying the odds of pulling any champion from the crystal is identical. The difference is that now there are no pools, and therefore no explicit pool table odds. They never before said what the odds of pulling the featured table was relative to the subfeatured table or the basic table, but those are odds they literally cannot specify for the new crystal because it doesn't have more than one table.

And I don't know why you think they've handed out penalties for attempting to guess the pool odds, because I've never been hit with that penalty before and I've been among the most vocal players stating featured crystal estimated odds. I've never been penalized for doing so, nor have any of my posts stating those estimated odds ever been removed.

It is possible that collapsing the tables was influenced by Apple's new disclosure policy, but that doesn't seem likely to me. Kabam knows that we know the odds of pulling featured are approximately 20% and the odds of pulling subfeatured are about 5%-ish, and the odds of pulling basic are the rest (i.e. about 75%).

Also, people keep talking about coincidences. The new featured crystal meshes perfectly with Kabam finally catching up with adding all of the previous 5* champs into basic, making the subfeatured pool almost moot. The current 5* featured crystal would have had to change in some way once we reached that mark, and Kabam even hinted that once everything was "caught up" the system for adding 5* champions would have to be modified at least slightly. So if people don't believe in coincidences and that "proves" the changes must have been influenced by Apple's policy change, then it should also prove that Kabam somehow knew way back when they changed the 5* featured crystal that this policy change from Apple was coming. That change predates Apple's policy change, the controversy sparked by EA, and the Chinese regulation changes. What theory explains how Kabam could arrange the 5* featured crystal in such a way that exactly when they need it to, the champions catch up and force a change to methodology that they can conveniently use as an excuse to comply with Apple? Time travel?

TKal

Kabam Miike wrote: »

Just talked to the team, and they are comfortable with sharing the list of Champions we plan to include in the first Featured Champion Crystal. It's important to note that this list could still potentially change a little before the release, but the selected Champions are based on empirical data showing their effectiveness as 5-Star Champions in both Alliance Quests and Alliance Wars.

Beast
Storm
Cable
Cyclops (New Xavier School)
Thor (Ragnarok)
Taskmaster
Agent Venom
Hawkeye
Modok
Sentry
Void
Ant-Man
Mordo
Thor (Jane Foster)
Loki
Juggernaut
Hela
Phoenix
Ronan
Venompool
Nebula
Punisher (2099)
Civil Warrior
Doctor Octopus

Bold Text denotes Featured Champions.

You really picked the best mystics, I like it ! Would love to see what your data shows about effectiveniss in AW et AQ about those amazing god tier mystic champs

unknown

This content has been removed.

unknown

This content has been removed.

Hulk_77

Kabam Miike wrote: »

LiquidButt wrote: »

@Kabam Miike

Maybe i missed it but how often does this crystal get "refreshed" ? like how often do the 18 champs get changed?

There will be a New Crystal every 3 Months. This Crystal will feature the 6 newest Champions, and another pool of 18 Champions as the Base Pool.

If you keep cycling the 18 champs, eventually you're going to create a completely STACKED 15K crystal if the next couple are as underwhelming as this one.

Kabam Miike

TKal wrote: »

Kabam Miike wrote: »

Just talked to the team, and they are comfortable with sharing the list of Champions we plan to include in the first Featured Champion Crystal. It's important to note that this list could still potentially change a little before the release, but the selected Champions are based on empirical data showing their effectiveness as 5-Star Champions in both Alliance Quests and Alliance Wars.

Beast
Storm
Cable
Cyclops (New Xavier School)
Thor (Ragnarok)
Taskmaster
Agent Venom
Hawkeye
Modok
Sentry
Void
Ant-Man
Mordo
Thor (Jane Foster)
Loki
Juggernaut
Hela
Phoenix
Ronan
Venompool
Nebula
Punisher (2099)
Civil Warrior
Doctor Octopus

Bold Text denotes Featured Champions.

You really picked the best mystics, I like it ! Would love to see what your data shows about effectiveniss in AW et AQ about those amazing god tier mystic champs

Again, we never said that they were the best performing. It is also important to keep in mind that what may be desirable at your level of play may differ from other players as well. A lot of players could use a Champ that hits as hard as Storm with her Special Attacks, or the ability to shrug off debuffs like Agent Venom, or Stun like Jane Foster.

Kabam Miike

Hulk_77 wrote: »

Kabam Miike wrote: »

LiquidButt wrote: »

@Kabam Miike

Maybe i missed it but how often does this crystal get "refreshed" ? like how often do the 18 champs get changed?

There will be a New Crystal every 3 Months. This Crystal will feature the 6 newest Champions, and another pool of 18 Champions as the Base Pool.

If you keep cycling the 18 champs, eventually you're going to create a completely STACKED 15K crystal if the next couple are as underwhelming as this one.

Champions will repeat, but will not appear twice in a row.

DNA3000

Mixalis wrote: »

beyonder8421 wrote: »

Mixalis wrote: »

I didn't say to put all 24 Troll, my argument was where are some of thr better champs!

Please be a bit more respectful. I am a real-life human being.

My point is you have to put more attention to the 6 new champions. So the rest are there to make sure the chances are balanced. So the other 18 champions, shouldn't be more exciting to get than the "featured" ones. In that way, they make sure you keep trying to get the champions.

Now given that only 6 of 24 are new, I can understand the disagreement with the chances.
I think people are overreacting to these news. How many players actually buy the featured crystal anyway?

I'm in a 15 mill alliance, while you're in a 6mil alliance. Of course you don't mind winning antman as a featured. Try fighting a 50k Majik in war with antman or the other trash champions they have.

So when you say:

Kabam likes to mess with the hand that feeds them. I'll remind you, the hand is the players! What is your argument about the other great champs not being brought in? Are they not used in aq/aq??!! There is noooo way the players will go for this ****!

You mean a very specific subset of players, not all players. A subset that includes you, and doesn't include him.

GroundedWisdom

Dagonelle wrote: »

Kabam Miike wrote: »

BitterSteel wrote: »

So the new featured crystal is just a new version of the basic crystal that costs 5000 shards more?

What’s the point? The only way that the new featured crystal is better than the old one is if the old featured crystal had odds worse than 1 in 18 which is what the new one is. I’ve got to say I’m disappointed

The original Featured Hero Crystal had one purpose, and that was because it was originally the only chance you had at a 5-Star Champion, and potentially meant that the Champion would never come around again. This has changed, and that means that this Crystal has run its course.

5-Star Champions are coming to a place where they are now added to the regular Champion pool at the same consistency as other rarities.

Riiiiiiiggghhhtttt.....

And it has zero to do with Apple's new rule on disclosing rates in drop boxes...

Not really. The rate of the Featured has always been in favor of the Players. Estimated around 20%. Now it's about a 4% chance. There is no logic that supports the connection.

unknown

This content has been removed.

Thecrusher_9756

The problem is once you get past a certain point a lot of the champions on that list become useless. For example, against mystic dispersion you’re not going to use a venompool? All a lot of us are asking is that you put in champions that are used a lot at the top end as well as the lower end of the game to make it fair for everyone...

LocoMotives

Oh Miike, I don’t envy you man. They stick you out here taking bullets, this should’ve been a Friday announcement so you could hide over the weekend.

The 5* feature crystal is my favorite part of the game. It gives me a chance to chase my favorite champions (Crossbones, cable, carnage) and have some small semblance of control over my roster and acquiring great champs (voodoo, Stark spidey). It also allows us to more effectively use our awakening gems, which Kabam has situated as some of the most valuable items in the game. The fact that we paid extra for an increased chance at someone we wanted is what makes this great. We willingly give more of our hard-earned shards for this risk, and it’s exciting! I have a cosmic gem and I’m excited to open Medusa crystals this week!

The basic pool chosen to accompany the first new features is extremely disappointing. There are no desirable champs included, no older champs that a player would chase as a standalone feature themselves. I really wish you would’ve asked us what makes 5* feature crystals great before destroying them, we would be glad to assist in designing something both game and user-friendly. And no increased chance anymore? 4% is pretty bad odds to get what I want for something that takes so much gameplay to purchase.

Just because the chance to get a specific champ doesn’t exist anywhere else in the game...does not mean that it SHOULD not exist in the game. Disappointed in the direction of this.

Mhykke

This idea tastes like burning.

Thatweirdguy

LocoMotives wrote: »

Oh Miike, I don’t envy you man. They stick you out here taking bullets, this should’ve been a Friday announcement so you could hide over the weekend.

Mike is a big boy who is on the clock getting paid. He knows what his job is every morning. I'll bet he loves this job. Being a forum mod for a mobile gaming sounds pretty easy and laid back. He gets his script from the game team and eats it. Maybe he cringed when he saw the in game message from the Grandmaster stating that this was an improvement but his job is to sell the stuff that the game team gives him no matter how nonsensical. Easy job. IMO

BooshiBooshi

Here's a suggestion: instead of last 6 featured and 18 "carefully curated" champs, why not use the last 24 featured champs. And every 3 months 6 champs cycle.??????

Or introduce a grandmaster 5* crystal for 20k shards and give a good champ pool????

Since not all featured champs are great, it will balance out. Players are anyways spending 15k, it's worth to get something better. Also now that the game is moving towards getting 6* champs, this would be kinda nice. In a smaller group we will have higher chance of getting duplicate champ and earning 6* shards.

LocoMotives

Thatweirdguy wrote: »

LocoMotives wrote: »

Oh Miike, I don’t envy you man. They stick you out here taking bullets, this should’ve been a Friday announcement so you could hide over the weekend.

Mike is a big boy who is on the clock getting paid. He knows what his job is every morning. I'll bet he loves this job. Being a forum mod for a mobile gaming sounds pretty easy and laid back. He gets his script from the game team and eats it. Maybe he cringed when he saw the in game message from the Grandmaster stating that this was an improvement but his job is to sell the stuff that the game team gives him no matter how nonsensical. Easy job. IMO

I work in customer service, even online complaints get annoying when you have to just eat them or deflect constantly. He probably has more to it, but I wouldn’t call it easy to try to answer some questions without giving too much info and to sound positive about it even when you know the real reasoning for changes.

Buck_Bleedstone

Please give some consideration to revising the list of champs in this crystal. The 8 basic champs from the mutant and mystic classes are enough to scare people away from going for this. At least include one elite champ from each class and the crystal will be more attractive.

Thatweirdguy

LocoMotives wrote: »

Thatweirdguy wrote: »

LocoMotives wrote: »

Oh Miike, I don’t envy you man. They stick you out here taking bullets, this should’ve been a Friday announcement so you could hide over the weekend.

Mike is a big boy who is on the clock getting paid. He knows what his job is every morning. I'll bet he loves this job. Being a forum mod for a mobile gaming sounds pretty easy and laid back. He gets his script from the game team and eats it. Maybe he cringed when he saw the in game message from the Grandmaster stating that this was an improvement but his job is to sell the stuff that the game team gives him no matter how nonsensical. Easy job. IMO

I work in customer service, even online complaints get annoying when you have to just eat them or deflect constantly. He probably has more to it, but I wouldn’t call it easy to try to answer some questions without giving too much info and to sound positive about it even when you know the real reasoning for changes.

I've worked in customer service before. I still say a forum mod is a pretty easy stress free job. Way easier than my job ( pays less) but way easier. He knows who he works for and what he has to defend. Just like the people who give parking tickets out for a living...they choose their jobs.

Grub

This is just the logical next step in Kabam master plan. The next will be the announcement that 6* playable champions are coming in March so you can use up those 6* shards we gave you burning a hole in your pocket.

Then either with or following that announcement will come the news that 5* arenas are coming so that you can spend tons of units refreshing your 5* champs (as they will be the only ones useable in the arena). This arena will offer you a chance to gain 6* shards and champs you desire but only **** champs will be in arena with a few decent sprinkled in.

Then after a few months and everyone is starving for more 6* shards and Kabam has milked the 5* arena via unit refreshes they will announce that we have heard our loyal customers and are bringing back featured hero crystals again but only in a 6* version. Then a offer for their customers a bunch of overpriced 6* shard offers will magically appear. Then announce 7* and let the milking cycle commence again.

Not very hard to figure out but none the less devious.

MrcMumble

Just when I think kabam can't get any scummier, way to circumvent Apple's requirement on requiring odds... and you are seriously delusional if you honestly think cyclops, antman, Jane foster are highly rated in AW or AQ. The same people on your payroll why said that are the ones that say there's nothing wrong with server stability.... kabam is such a joke

BitterSteel

GroundedWisdom wrote: »

Dagonelle wrote: »

Kabam Miike wrote: »

BitterSteel wrote: »

So the new featured crystal is just a new version of the basic crystal that costs 5000 shards more?

What’s the point? The only way that the new featured crystal is better than the old one is if the old featured crystal had odds worse than 1 in 18 which is what the new one is. I’ve got to say I’m disappointed

The original Featured Hero Crystal had one purpose, and that was because it was originally the only chance you had at a 5-Star Champion, and potentially meant that the Champion would never come around again. This has changed, and that means that this Crystal has run its course.

5-Star Champions are coming to a place where they are now added to the regular Champion pool at the same consistency as other rarities.

Riiiiiiiggghhhtttt.....

And it has zero to do with Apple's new rule on disclosing rates in drop boxes...

Not really. The rate of the Featured has always been in favor of the Players. Estimated around 20%. Now it's about a 4% chance. There is no logic that supports the connection.

What’s your opinion on this?

MrcMumble

I can't wait for the day you go bankrupt for driving your customer base away....