A character is released.
We get a few covers from progression and other rewards.
When we have to wait almost a month before we can start claiming more covers from the token pool.
What do you think about this?
I guess there is some profit interest behind this incubation period. But to be honest, I’d probably spend a bit for a 40-pack right now if I could set Nightcrawler as bonus hero already.
By the time he enters the token pool I’ll probably have enough resources (CP, tokens, HP) to fully cover him - so doesn’t this incubation actually make for the opposite of profit?
While I always get eager to cover a new character I’m also glad for this preventing me from going on a spending spree as soon as they’re released.
You are not considering the bragging factor. Part of the reason that the initial offering is at abysmal odds, I think, is so that only those who will spend a lot of money can get it. And then they have exclusivity through rarity and a “competitive advantage”. (For those rare 4’s that give a competitive advantage to people who spend enough to get them early. As opposed to the stable of champed 5’s.)
If the riff-raff who would spend $50 to $100 on a 40 pack could just make significant progress on a new character, then the whales don’t get to be ahead of the pack.
Also, part of the game is the long tail of completing anyone. If you have a goal (Nightcrawler) and can quickly meet it, you might say “I did that. Now I will stop playing/spending.” In this sense, playing the game is akin to buying comics. They never finish a story - the adventure always continues. Similarly, the game is designed so that you are always chasing a new thing (2 week release schedule) and never fully catch up.
I’ve never changed my spending habits to acquire a new character - unless you count hoarding but that’s token opening, not spending. I know I’ll get them eventually. So I don’t really care.