@Tony_Foot
You make a solid argument that it is fairly easy for high end players to cover a 5 in Latest. However, I am in the same range as you and don’t finish everyone. The ones I do finish are often just barely getting covered. Ghost Rider and Gambit are two that I came close on in the past 6-8 months but didn’t complete. So it’s not a 100% done deal. (On the other hand, my Thor is 458 and JJ is 454, so obviously some covers went elsewhere and it’s just randomness at work.)
From the developer’s point of view, I think that the people who aren’t paying much but succeed by playing a lot is kind of a good thing. There are a lot of players who fit that profile, and hearing that just sticking it out can get you to high end 5* play can be motivating. High playing players with 5’s are also good because they give the whales someone to dominate.
Doubling the rate of 5 releases would be somewhat acceptable for hoarders, who could still get a group of 5’s, but would miss out on more of them along the way. However, the play and pull crowd would suddenly have a bunch of half-covered 5’s since you never know which covers you’d get and you’d have less time to complete them, and they’d probably just start giving up. Honestly, I probably would. (Just like I am worried the 4* players are looking at the new megadilution era we are entering.)
The majority of players are in the 3* or lower tier, and a lot of players are in the 4 tier. Keeping the 4* hamster wheel spinning is a huge part of the “keep playing” model. The 4’s are interesting for those players, so that is where most of the development lies. And someone who’s playing will sometimes become someone who’s paying.
The other portion of the $ made is the whales (most assume the majority of $) who of course chase 5’s and ignore 4’s (spending wise) by and large at this point, especially post-Gambit. I think that the devs are leery of pushing them too hard with spending pressure because (at least some of) those whales probably have a budget, and doubling the rate of 5 releases would probably turn some of them off the game entirely. Their past spending level would no longer allow them to keep up with 5’s and some (more than now) would likely look to find new games they could dominate or enjoy.
Does the current number of characters feel too large? Unwieldy? Yes, under current conditions. But there’s probably a different solution, or there isn’t one and the game will just collapse eventually. As many have predicted, but sometimes I wonder if we are now starting to get close with stories of players leaving for various reasons (new games to play that offer better team mechanics, Gambit’s eternal domination, Supports being largely uninteresting for top end players).
A final thought: A 5 is supposed to be a special thing and I assume the design work is reflected in that to some degree (at least what’s put in). Increasing that release schedule might result in more Doc Ock-level 5’s, which would not be good for the game either.