The 5 stages of MPQ

simonsez · April 2015

I thought maybe it was time for an on-line support group. See where you currently are in the 5 stages, and godspeed on your journey towards acceptance.

Denial: "I'm looking forward to these changes. I think this will make for a much better playing experience!"

Anger: "****?! You ruined the game! This totally sucks! Don't you people care about alienating your most hardcore players?!"

Bargaining: "Ok, if you put back matchmaking the way it used to be, what if we separated players by tiers? Or what if we had amnesty for transitioners so they don't lose points? Or what if you limited how many times you could be attacked? Or what if, what it, what if... "

Depression: "I can't deal with this **** anymore. There's no longer any reason to play anymore. It's all pointless."

Acceptance: It's time to face reality. No, the devs do NOT care about alienating hardcore players. We are an impediment that needs to be removed. The play of hardcore players is mostly self-sustaining. We are not a source of revenue. We are a frustration to those who potentially ARE paying customers. They're trying to dangle a carrot in front of the face of new players, and we come along and smack it out of their hand. Basically, the answer to most of the complaints and arguments that have been expressed around here, is simply, "No... we do NOT matter"

SnowcaTT · April 2015

Very well developed! I've been in optimistic Bargaining for a long time: lets have cheaper roster slots! Maybe 4* transition somehow! Maybe I can just stop playing PVE with the crazy grind!

This back-to-back-to-back PVE new character release moved me into the next stage. I think Depression won't last that long, on to acceptance quickly I hope!

I think you can move through these stages in various * levels in the game. In 2* I was thinking I could get to 4* land, but once I hit 3* land I quickly moved into acceptance that I wasn't willing to pay huge cash or huge time to get there. Acceptance! In 3* land I was thinking I would have every character, but I realize how rarely I use 2*'s and how much roster spots cost, time to get rid of those little ones. Acceptance!

I guess that's what the devs want, folks just accepting their place in at a certain star level? Is it denial or bargaining when you buy your 4*'s?

Unknown · April 2015

Yeah i've been in bargaining a while, and your acceptance still sounds like a second form of anger

simonsez wrote:

Acceptance: It's time to face reality. No, the devs do NOT care about alienating hardcore players. No... we do NOT matter" any more or less than any other individual player

MarvelMan · April 2015

My name is Marvel, and Im an MPQ-aholic.

orbitalint · April 2015

Good post, Simon. Looks like we agree so don't down vote me

.

Kingpin release got me to anger. Quicksilver got me to resigned depression. Can't wait for Ultron and Scarlet Witch in b2b weeks closer to Avengers 2 (sarcasm)...

Any suggestions for another time waster? I'm beginning to consider new options...

Varg138 · April 2015

I've all but given up voicing my concerns here on the forum about D3's lack of concern and seemingly forcing out of veteran players (D3 probably finds someone like me the most irksome of all, day 530 and completely F2P). I've instead rated this game (1

) on the iTunes store and enlisted people in my alliance to rate the game as well. Had I rated this game one year (or even 6 month) ago, it would have been vastly different. You asked for my rating D3, and instead of saying "No Thanks," I opted to "help" you.

simonsez · April 2015

Cryptobrancus wrote:

any more or less than any other individual player

I wouldn't agree. If they're operating like any other business, their level of caring is proportional to the likelihood of that group of people spending money on the game. Once your gameplay makes your personal economy self-sustaining, you're not relevant. Sucks to be us, but they're just being rational.

simonsez · April 2015

orbitalint wrote:

Any suggestions for another time waster? I'm beginning to consider new options...

People are telling me Puzzles and Dragons. Will definitely check it out now that we're in a PvE I don't have to grind. And yes, this is the first event ever that's offered a new character, where I've decided to take a pass. I was debating it based on the spoiler abilities, but after the double-nerf, it's a no-brainer.

Bowgentle · April 2015

I'm oscillating between depression and acceptance.
With one foot out the door because I'm starting to wonder what I'm doing here still.

Unknown · April 2015

orbitalint wrote:

Any suggestions for another time waster? I'm beginning to consider new options...

Terra Battle by MistWalker Studios. Very player friendly. You can be 100% FTP. And most importantly...a very competent and communicative Dev team.

easy...marc

Malcrof · April 2015

simonsez wrote:

Acceptance: It's time to face reality. No, the devs do NOT care about alienating hardcore players. We are an impediment that needs to be removed. The play of hardcore players is mostly self-sustaining. We are not a source of revenue. We are a frustration to those who potentially ARE paying customers. They're trying to dangle a carrot in front of the face of new players, and we come along and smack it out of their hand. Basically, the answer to most of the complaints and arguments that have been expressed around here, is simply, "No... we do NOT matter"

Kinda torn on this. When i first started playing, hitting the wall of the hardcore elite in PVP and in trying to get rewards in PVE was frustrating, AND the reason i spent my first money, to try and boost my roster. Now as a transition player, and head of a full alliance of mostly lower/newer players, including my wife/RL friends, etc.. , i joined the forums for tips, help, and anything i could pass on to them, what i found, was alot of complaints and arguments, a good many of them valid.

What they need is simple. 2 separate games inside of the game, sorta the way netflix vs netflix kids does it. Once you reach a certain point, it has to be frustrating to not be able to go any further. I say:

Game 1 is for 1-3*, so all new players to transitioning players can work on our stuff, have PVP's, PVE's that we stand a chance at winning, and reachable goals. 4 star chars would not be usable in this mode.
Game 2 is for the 3* and up players. Once you have solid 3 star rosters, or set other guidelines, this part would be for 4* and up transitioning. Higher rewards, different rewards, add 5* chars (like Celestials etc...) Let you rid yourself of your 1 and 2 star chars to free up roster space, which gets limited fast, and give the hardcore players the hardcore experience they want and deserve, and a reason for them to possibly spend again!

thoughts?

Wonko33 · April 2015

so much drama, just say your point (which is a valid one imo)

simonsez · April 2015

Malcrof wrote:

What they need is simple. 2 separate games inside of the game

The only way that's going to work is if there is some reason for the people in the veteran's game to spend money. Otherwise, the devs would never spend the resources to recode the game and segregate us. It's a far more cost-effective solution to just make us "opt out", so to speak.

The question then is, what would make us spend money? It would have to be some radical new content, since we're past the point where we *need* to buy in-game currency to finance our gameplay. What could they add to the game that would make me want to spend money? Definitely not "buy-in" tournaments. Those never interested me, and their sporadic appearances suggests I'm not alone. But if they added a heavily story-driven semi-casual gameplay mode, with tons of ISO awarded, plus wild-card tokens, I think they'd get me.

M1Lance · April 2015

Since the Spiderman nerf almost a year ago I've been cycling through stages 1-3. Finally hit stage 4 and 5 this weekend. It's been great, I don't care that I'm not getting Kingpin or Quicksilver or whatever the next 8 characters they release in succession are. DDQ has been mostly enough to satisfy my MPQ craving and I have free time on my hands again. Feel bad leaving my alliance mates in the dust but that's really the only regret I have.

Malcrof · April 2015

simonsez wrote:

Malcrof wrote:

What they need is simple. 2 separate games inside of the game

The only way that's going to work is if there is some reason for the people in the veteran's game to spend money. Otherwise, the devs would never spend the resources to recode the game and segregate us. It's a far more cost-effective solution to just make us "opt out", so to speak.

The question then is, what would make us spend money? It would have to be some radical new content, since we're past the point where we *need* to buy in-game currency to finance our gameplay. What could they add to the game that would make me want to spend money? Definitely not "buy-in" tournaments. Those never interested me, and their sporadic appearances suggests I'm not alone. But if they added a heavily story-driven semi-casual gameplay mode, with tons of ISO awarded, plus wild-card tokens, I think they'd get me.

In a hardcore mode, there would loads of opportunity for them to offer things and gain revenue. By freeing up slots and ridding yourself of older characters, they have room to add new levels of characters, and some interesting content. Pay to play "instanced" PVE's, just you against the clock, 24 hours to hit X points, gauntlet style, and get a major reward. Put in a gambling side, slot machine style, let you use up HP on the chance at characters only available in specific content like that.

Remove shields in PVP (watch the chaos!) but add in unique buffs that cost HP.. like "hold an infinity gem for X hours" each color gem has a different buff you carry with you the entire X hours you spent for it.

Also, making sure there is a way for those who cannot spend real money, but have been playing 400+ days for instance, to earn HP (along with everyone else), so they can get some random access to these special features.

Unknown · April 2015

The 2 stages of MPQ.

Enjyoment
"I'm having fun, playing a match 3 game with charachters I enjoy and a semblance of story, even if not a deep one really. "

Deleting
"That was fun for a while, but I'm not happy with this game anymore. I'll delete it from my phone/uninstall from steam and move on with my life"

Unknown · April 2015

Duplicate entry - sorry

Unknown · April 2015

simonsez wrote:

I thought maybe it was time for an on-line support group. See where you currently are in the 5 stages, and godspeed on your journey towards acceptance.

Denial: "I'm looking forward to these changes. I think this will make for a much better playing experience!"

Anger: "****?! You ruined the game! This totally sucks! Don't you people care about alienating your most hardcore players?!"

Bargaining: "Ok, if you put back matchmaking the way it used to be, what if we separated players by tiers? Or what if we had amnesty for transitioners so they don't lose points? Or what if you limited how many times you could be attacked? Or what if, what it, what if... "

Depression: "I can't deal with this **** anymore. There's no longer any reason to play anymore. It's all pointless."

Acceptance: It's time to face reality. No, the devs do NOT care about alienating hardcore players. We are an impediment that needs to be removed. The play of hardcore players is mostly self-sustaining. We are not a source of revenue. We are a frustration to those who potentially ARE paying customers. They're trying to dangle a carrot in front of the face of new players, and we come along and smack it out of their hand. Basically, the answer to most of the complaints and arguments that have been expressed around here, is simply, "No... we do NOT matter"

Thing is, you go through these stages with each jaw-dropping change. I first went through those stages last year and took a nice break from the game. I ended up coming back to MPQ 3-4 months later. Thankfully, I have learned to let go and play casually, at my own pace, no matter what dumb change, testing or errors occur.

I'm seeing a lot of complaints about PvP & MMR right now and this was the big problem I had a year ago: Log into an event, no seed teams and immediately face fully maxed characters. MPQ just isn't worth the time or effort if it is reverting back to such rubbish.

Unknown · April 2015

What if they had mass sandboxing of whole classes of players.

Hear me out. A sandboxed player still can fight anyone they want, but simply doesn't show up on anyone else's radar. What if you could half-sandbox people so they can still be in alliances and earn points and fight matches as normal, but if someone from the other side of the sandbox hits you you simply don't notice, it does not affect you at all. Can't be easy to organize but it could work.

Vets could hit newbs, but the newbs would never even notice, everyone is happy.

Kiamodo · April 2015

So who's looking forward to April Q&A!!?

simonsez · April 2015

Cryptobrancus wrote:

What if they had mass sandboxing of whole classes of players.

Hear me out. A sandboxed player still can fight anyone they want, but simply doesn't show up on anyone else's radar. What if you could half-sandbox people so they can still be in alliances and earn points and fight matches as normal, but if someone from the other side of the sandbox hits you you simply don't notice, it does not affect you at all. Can't be easy to organize but it could work.

Except for the "not noticing" part, this actually would be easy to implement. In the calculation that computes points lost after a battle, just add a check for the difference in average level of the two teams, and if it exceeds a certain number, no negative points are applied. This is basically the "amnesty" idea that's been floated, and it'd be far preferable to what we have now.

The 5 stages of MPQ

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