First off, I love this game. I like the idea behind it, I like the graphics, I like that you add story elements in. My complaint concerns only part of it.
So, the PvP. There was a time when you could compete unshielded, work your way up to the Top 20, then slap a shield on, work your way into the Top 10, maybe shield for the final hour. Now I constantly have to keep a shield on once I reach Top 50 or so, or else I have a hundred points taken from me in one go. After that, match-ups don’t get much easier either (it’s screwed that I, with a roster with 7 lvl-100 characters but nothing higher than that, keep getting opposing teams with two lvl 141 constantly, but that’s beside the point here), or if they get easier, you’re offered only a lousy 15 points or so. So, I tried to retaliate and regain my losses, and what happens? I play two rounds and score some 45 points, but at the same time, someone attacks me again and I lose 30. I keep playing, same thing happens. So in the end, all the progress I made after tons of matches are some lame 20 or 30 points, because as soon as I start playing, opponents (yes, with way higher character levels than mine) descend on me like vultures. If I just play one match and then shield again, I’m obviously getting nowhere ranking-wise.
You know what? This has happened to me in every single PvP ever since this got changed (must have been in the middle of the second Torch tournament a while ago). At a certain point I can try as hard as I like, I still get stuck somewhere because whenever I unshield, I get thrashed by a parade of maxed-out characters faster than I can score points. And it really takes the fun out of the game.
Yes, I know, the old system had flaws too, but a lot less than this one. The old system at least rewarded players for playing well. Now I more and more feel successful players get punished, both by ending up with opponents nearly impossible to beat and by getting jumped by tons of opponents at once while playing from a certain point on. And I’m really starting to get sick of having to buy shields constantly. The game was so much fun, but by now this is starting to turn sour for me.
I’ve played every day since Dec 31st, and I’ve also invested quite a bit of money in my roster. It would be nice if the voice of a dedicated player and also paying customer got heard (and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one).