The 4-Star transition

Marvel Puzzle Quest MPQ General Discussion
1

TL;DR - The cover- and ISO-flow have to increase for veteran players. After a certain point there is no sense of progression anymore and the joy of the game is diminished because of it.

I recently got my last Bullseye cover which completed the current set of 3-star heroes in the game. After leveling all of them to 120 or more I started to realize that I really don’t have any one of them I want to max out. I got all the essential ones at 166 and leveling Colossus or Quick Silver just feels stupid at this point.

So, I guess I’m focusing on 4 stars now, Lets see who I have fully covered

Thora - Done
Xforce - Nah I’m good until you fix his green again, or return either AP generation/destruction to black.
Fury - Meh-ish
Electra - Sigh
IW - Still DOA
Devil Dini - Maybe if his red and green cost 6 AP instead of 7.

Then its the rest
Professor X - Cant take beyond 175 since he will start to tank when boosted.
Starlord - DOA

IMHB - Need covers
Carnage - Need covers
Kingpin - Need covers
Ant Man - Need covers but meh
Dead Pool - Need covers
Jean Grey - Need covers
Thing - Need covers
FalCap - Need covers.

Well, I guess I’m just accumulating ISO then and while doing so keep stealing top5-10 spots from players who actually need the 3-star covers that I pour into the ISO mill. The worst events are the ones where I don’t even need the 1k and 1300 cover and just push for the sake of pushing.

There just isn’t a sense of progression any more. When you lowered the cost of leveling characters, 3 stars got cut by 30% but 4 stars got cut only 15%. It is still about a month of grinding to level a single 4 star, and months and months of hitting 1000 and 1300 respectively to earn the covers.

Personally I don’t think the normal PVP needs more 4 star prices, maybe go from Top 1 to Top 5 but I seriously believe that we need a new type of high level event where 4 stars are the progression rewards. I can even see a tiered PVP setup of the same event, where the different power versions are locked out, so the 2 star event you can only use 1 and 2 stars, the 3 star event (current one) you can only use 1-2-3 star heroes and then a 4 star event where everyone goes. If there was a 4 star cover as the 800 reward there I can even see a 500 HP buy-in or something to further gate it a little bit from the newbies

Also PVE has to change, I want more Gauntlet style events, you know where you actually fight the environment. Not another grind fest every 8 hours, its ridiculous. I hope you understand that us mid-30s players with jobs are the ones with the most disposable cash to spend on the game as well right?

I just hope we see some change to this before its too late, if you don’t believe me just have a look in the recruitment rooms on LINE after a season ends. The burnout is real and it is not unheard of to replace 25% of any single top100 alliance between seasons.

2

I’m nearly at the same place. Iron Fist and Bullseye are the only ones I’ve not got fully covered. I have three or four characters that are a cover short of ideal but are level 166. My 3*s aren’t all level 166 or anything, but most of the ones I want up there are.

I’d love to get more 4* covers, especially Thor (I just love the character, regardless of how viable she is) and Professor X. But I find it difficult hitting 1000 in PvP. Often times I get really close and then smacked down by 4 people hitting me at once. Then I just end up treading water. Sometimes I’m lucky to get past 1000 though and that feels good.

But I’ve been going for about 570 days and I haven’t even fully covered Invisible Woman or X-Force Wolvie yet despite them being the oldest 4*s. My best character is Nick Fury at 12 covers.

I understand they can’t give 4s away like candy, but considering most PvE events end with everyone getting sometimes double the final progression reward score I think there’s scope for a 4 progression reward for the high scorers at the very least.

3

Only missing covers for Beast, She-Hulk, and Colossus.. none of which are a priority.. less than 10 covers in total.

3* Bullseye is worth leveling, way fun.

I have each 4*, and none are single covered, but none are especially usable.. i keep getting the wrong ones.. PX is 4/5/2, XFW is 5/3/1, IMHB is 1/5/3..

They have to add new ways to earn 4*s soon, and with the anniversary coming up, i think we will be getting it.

4

If they added a sixth day of Deadpool Daily that was for a 4*, I’d be pretty satisfied. Or better yet, made the 5th day the 4* one.

The ISO flow is reasonable to me. Levelling a 4* to 270 is too expensive, and is, frankly, an activity for whales. Most players deep enough into the game that they have 13 of a 4*'s covers know that levelling past 250 is pretty much a waste: little improvement for super high cost. A 270 (or boosted 350) 4* is mainly a psychological scarecrow for players who don’t know that 50 levels doesn’t make the difference between a win and a loss a majority of the time.

I didn’t time it, but the last 4* I raised to 250 took in the neighbourhood of two to three weeks. Not overnight, but not unreasonable when I’m reaching a year and a half of play. And it didn’t cost me any money either.

5

I dont need 3* either, and have few fully covered 4* and few other that need just few covers to be fully covered. The thing is that I believe the reward structure for pvp needs to be changed. I go for 1000 or 1300 progression reward depending on the need for the cover. In the same time I am rewarded with 3* placement reward that i dont need, but that someone else really could use. I always feel bad for taking placement rewards from those who need it, but i cant just drop my score as i need it for alliance. The only way i think this can be fixed is to change placement rewards. Make it something similar to this:
1: 4 4* covers
2-5: 3 4* covers
5-10: 2 4* covers
11-25: 1 4* cover
26-50: 3 3* covers
51-100: 2 3* covers
100-150(200) 1 3* cover
after that just tokens and iso

I think this would make it more fair for everyone. People who are in 4* transition would be fighting for 4* prizes, and those who are in 3* transition would fight for 3* rewards.

6

I think the transition and increased availability of 4* cover has to be outside of any competitive event. In your scenario, the players currently winning will continue to win, only now, they’ll win bigger rewards and create an even greater distance between themselves and the transitioners. There needs to be more Antman style events, maybe week long, weekly challenges to earn a rotating 4*. But as long as the its tied directly to competitive placement, I don’t think we solve any problems.

7

Been hearing a lot of players complain about how futile it can be going after 4* covers, granted I am a newer player and I am still a ways away from even contemplating a 4* transition but my question would be:

How viable is it just to save up your HP and spend them on 4 star covers? On a good week I can clear up to 1200 hp, provided I’m not spending any on roster spots or shielding. Why don’t more players attempt this strategy instead of trying spending HP to shield themselves in PVE, where they will only get a cover that they most likely already have?

8

Because good season placement = more 10 packs. Plus, if I shield, I can get 2 4*s every 3 days vs. 1 specific cover every 2 weeks (give or take). Those going for placement above 1300 another story.

The people that have it the worst are the 2*->3* transitioners. Huge pool of 3*s, horrible draw rates, and with everyone going for the 1300 covers, generally poor placement in PvPs. I’ve had a few brackets where 1300 barely got me top 25

9

While I think this is good in theory the problem is going to be for the new players, where a 2 star rooster can actually earn you 4 star covers, until you get bumped up to the big boys/girls. This is why I think a tiered approach is a better solution.

Also, a 4 star every x days in DDQ sounds awesome

10

2 star rooster just made me laugh much harder than I probably should have in the middle of the work day. As far as typos go, that’s the best one I’ve seen in a while. Well done.

11

400×600 67 KB

Yeah. Here comes the rooster. He ain’t gonna die.

Until he swipes that 4* cover on the cheap.

12

“I say..I say…I say…son, is that a 2 star Foghorn Leghorn?”

13

The recourse for the 2* to 3* transition players is DDQ. 3* to 4* transition players (myself included) is __________. PVP has been turned on it’s head with the inclusion of 1k and 1300 4* cover rewards, meaning the best of the best will be taking part in every PVP, essentially keeping the weaker players from reaching 1k and out of the top 100. Growth Industry, which was a GREAT idea, came and went without any further mention or apparent plans for the future. The only hope for players like me is the 4k 10-pack, but that’s once a season. PVE has become ultra competitive as well. This leaves four options: Daily rewards, token pulls, The Vault, and Anniversary Week. These are FAR from guaranteeing a completed 4* anytime soon. I believe the only way to truly move into 4* transition is build a STRONG 3* roster and hope 5* characters are WAY off!

14

4* transition? Why would we need a 4 star transition?

It’ll only be…

looks at calendar from my life-support bed 82 years from now

3 more months until I get Mr. Fantastic playable!

I don’t see the big deal!