**Mastery Loadouts**
Due to issues related to the release of Mastery Loadouts, the "free swap" period will be extended.
The new end date will be May 1st.
Due to issues related to the release of Mastery Loadouts, the "free swap" period will be extended.
The new end date will be May 1st.
Comments
Actually, now that you mentioned it, I can see how this can be done on the current map too. Ridiculous. I get that things are frustrating in AW, but it is this type of nonsense that ends up screwing the honest players that give it their all. Too often people are so concerned with their own selfish desires, never once thinking of the blowback. Eh, such is life.
If these new war changes are going to be kept for next season in their current form, I think you're going to see a LOT of people leaving the game. I've tried to follow the back and forth on here and read everyone's points, but I haven't seen a lot of similar alliance members share their current experiences during the off season while testing this new set up. Here's ours:
At the end of last season we won 8 wars in a row in a streak leading up to the end rewards. We are not a group who requires anyone to spend or max out items, we pride ourselves on being a good mix of laid back enough and wanting to keep the fun aspect of winning in perspective. Here's a breakdown of our wins and losses, currently, as they show in the game history for the war mode:
Losing current war.
1 Day ago: Loss
3 days ago: Loss
6 days ago: Loss
8 days ago: Loss
10 days ago: Loss
13 days ago: Win
15 days ago: Win
17 days ago: Win
20 days ago: Win
22 days ago: Win
I don't have to point out to anyone the pattern here. I know in the past the game team has relayed the desire to not have people finish these maps in war. This would seem to be the ultimate goal that was accomplished with this new set up. As a player of this game for years now, it's so disheartening to have seen the movements over the years to make this mode better and improve it, and yet have this be the end result. No one plays a game because they are guaranteed to lose by design. That defeats the entire purpose. I may not be the best player in the world but I have my moments, but I will argue some others in my alliance are AMAZING and super skilled and we wouldn't have made it to platinum level for multiple seasons otherwise. Once the change happened in the maps, we went from a few kills to wiped out across the board in the first sections. Our opponents had similar experiences. I could click on defense and check the kill count for most wars and see maybe 4-5 total on the map before they had made it to the mini bosses. Now its double digits.
This was designed for maximum punishment and I would hope we are past the point where anyone could argue the difficulty wasn't increased - it absolutely was increased. Or else the logical next explanation is that 30 platinum level players with stacked profiles and skills suddenly all got really bad at the game overnight and started suiciding on the first few fights.
I hope that Kabam reads the feedback here and takes my comment in with them as well. Some may have found some good counters to the new nodes, and that's great. But this was a necessary game mode to get rewards and those of us who have been begging for years now for a logical, fun and FAIR update did not ask for this. And if this is the new norm, it may be time for me to hang it up - and I know i'm not alone in my group. We're not spending any items or dollars if this stays in its current form and most likely will concentrate on AQ and drop down to gold one again. Would really hate to see that all happen, but the next steps really depend on Kabam.
One of the good things about the previous map was the relative lack of node interdependencies. The new map feels too long and with too many links.
Some of the nodes need scaling back too. The ramp up in difficulty feels way too much.
We’ve gone from nearly always taking all 3 bosses (without necessarily clearing 100%) to wondering how many players will make it to the final section.
I appreciate there is an adjustment period but the new map feels like it’s a step too far.
If there was some intention to increase item use on the new map, I think it might have the opposite affect. Our ally will still do war but likely only use limited or no items at all because the cost vs rewards ratio seems way out of sync.
As for me, i tried several champions during these two weeks and ranked up some just to be able to do some new lines without too much problems.
Matches for those that are going to attempt to go at it, will very likely be messy. The many that would've been there either will be reducing BGs, or not joining at all. This likely will lead to odd matches. If this is heavily unbalanced, it will cause an even bigger uproar. Those that constantly get an unfair match they couldn't possibly finish, let alone win are gonna go postal.
Imagine giving this the benefit of the doubt, knowing full well it's gonna be tough, and then getting something next to impossible. This will only add fuel to the already spreading fire. Personally, I want to play AW and have fun. My Alliance mates and I are getting ready to try and do this. We MAY end up doing well as a result of being that unfair match for some. Which, yes, nice for points but at the same time, I like a fair match. Being that would be goliath isn't fun. It's a slaughter. That's not a war.
Situations like the aforementioned may end up being commonplace this season as a result in the reduction of Alliances participating. I can't see that being a good thing for anyone. So, unless we get a message last minute in the afternoon prior to the Season kick off... I guess this will be what we have to work with. I can only hope this situation is taken into consideration. It's very likely to be a common outcome. Then again, maybe not. We shall see soon enough I guess.
We will be pushing the following changes to Alliance Wars Maps today. These will be in effect when Season 10 commences during Defence Phase.
Link Node Adjustments
We are removing the Linked Nodes to the first Minibosses to alleviate bottlenecks in the first section of the map due to one Member being unavailable.
Intermediate, Hard, Challenger & Expert - Remove Links to Nodes 22 and 23 from Nodes 15, 18, and 20.
Easy & Normal - Remove Link to Node 22 from Nodes 15, 18, and 20.
Local Node Adjustments
Based on our Data and your Feedback, before the start of Season 10, we wanted to address the difficulty of the following Nodes, and implement these changes:
Expert:
Node 2
- Remove Confusion
- Add Aegis Heavy 3
Node 13
- Remove Aegis Heavy
Node 16
- Changing Heal Block from Permanent to a duration that activates after the Opponent uses a Special Attack
Node 18
- Remove Confusion
- Add Aegis Heavy 3
Node 32
- Remove Greater Confusion
- Add Confusion
Node 37
- Remove No Retreat
- Add Limited Immunity
Node 42
- Remove Lazarus
- Add Buffet
Node 43
- Remove Lazarus
- Remove Biohazard
- Remove Backup Recovery
- Add Buffet
- Add Best Defense
- Add Empowered Immunity
Node 45
- Remove Prove Yourself
- Add Greater Confusion
Challenger
Node 2
- Remove Confusion
- Add Aegis Heavy 2
Node 13
- Remove Aegis Intercept 2
Node 18
- Add Aegis Heavy 2
- Remove Confusion
Node 37
- Remove No Retreat
- Add Limited Immunity
Node 43
- Remove Shank
- Remove Backup Recovery
- Add Empowered Immunity
- Add Best Defence
Node 45
- Remove Resistor
- Add Confusion
Hard
Node 2
- Remove Confusion
- Add Aegis Heavy 1
Node 43
- Remove Shank
- Remove Backup Recovery
- Add Buffet
- Add Empowered Immunity
Node 45
- Remove Resistor
- Add Confusion
Intermediate
Node 43
- Remove Backup Recovery
- Add Empowered Immunity
Node 45
- Remove Resistor
- Add Confusion
Good Luck to all Alliances in this Season! Season 10 kicks off later today!
Or will we see another season of 2 low prestige teams win top 3 because they didn’t fight anyone else at the top.
This will mean that alliances will be going into the new season with new nodes and 0 practice and having to change tactics with very short notice. For future changes could a one week delay be considered? Just so alliances can adjust. Thanks.
Like node 46 linked to 53, 41 linked to 51, and 47 linked to 55. This way if 1 section messes up they still need to fight thru a linked node as in the previous war map.
Could have sworn it was the place system, where there are elimination, semi final and final rounds, that allowed for that, not points.
Here is what happens
A1 - 10k prestige, 25m rating, 2500 AW rating
A2 - 10k prestige, 25m rating, 2500 AW rating
A3 - 8k prestige, 20m rating, 2500 AW rating
A4 - 8k prestige, 20m rating, 2500 AW rating
A1 vs A2 - A1 wins 200k points, A2 loses and gets 150k points
A3 vs A4 - A4 wins 200k points, A3 loses and gets 150k points
in reality A2 would win over A4 any day, but using this system, the weaker alliance can get ahead of the stronger one with out actually facing a strong matchup... at the end, the top 100 will be a mix of various alliances good in their prestige range.... not a true ranking of alliance strength.