Past Marquee Toons & New Players

RufusDogbreath

I’m not on the “hate marquees” train, but I do think there’s a serious issue CG is overlooking regarding PAST marquees and their effect on new players.

A new player who starts after a marquee event ends is forever significantly behind. The early game already evolves at a glacial pace, but think how discouraging past marquees are for new players. They can’t even get the 3* versions of the marquees AND it’ll be FOREVER before they can even start the hard node grind to get them. When they do work their way up to the proper node, they start from zero.

Meanwhile other players who may have only started few weeks prior have devastating 3* toons like Bastila or Jango. Trying facing them in GW with your hamstrung, low-level toons... not pretty and certainly not fun.

This is one one of the things that, IMHO, has got be addressed if CG is going to replace the players that drop off with new blood. The early game is already a demoralizing slog- not having the opportunity to get past marquees is making it worse.

tanki60o

It's a good point, but how would they POSSIBLY be able to do anything about it? There's no way they're going to make marquees repeatable. Also, part of the point of a marquee is to get a player into the game.
"Jango Fett is coming to Galaxy of Heroes! Sign up now to be able to unlock this limited access character for free!"

Dralkyr

I've thought about this, but don't see a good way around it. You could make marquees always available until complete, but that would be a complete reframing of the rush farming. Or as players unlock levels, different marquees become available, but how do you decide which marquee with which level without making some seem more useful, or flood newer shards. I don't think there's anything to be done.

BucMan55

tanki60o wrote: »

It's a good point, but how would they POSSIBLY be able to do anything about it? There's no way they're going to make marquees repeatable. Also, part of the point of a marquee is to get a player into the game.
"Jango Fett is coming to Galaxy of Heroes! Sign up now to be able to unlock this limited access character for free!"

You have to be level 20 to be able to do the event, so that would have to be taken into account. Now for a seasoned player, getting to level 20 on a new account would be pretty quick but a new person might take a few days.

RufusDogbreath

I don’t see a reason why they cant set a past marquee toon event to trigger at 5-level intervals (e.g. 20, 25, 30...). They do it with ships and faction training.

This would let new players obtain what everyone else got, and it would be a good incentive to keep the new players grinding through the early game.

If CG doesn’t work on new player retention, especially F2P new player retention, there is going to be a dearth of F2P players as more people matriculate out of the game. Right now, the early game is a problem. Unless CG has given up on continuing to draw and retain new players.

Arkhelyi

quests that reward the marquee shards on winning a easy number of fights or low-gearing toons related to the marquee.

They have all the infrastructure to do it.

Only issue I see is to flag the quest as done for players that completed the marquee. If they didn't record that info, then it's impossible to implement for past marquee (that condition would be necessary for any such system anyway)

Kyno

RufusDogbreath wrote: »

I don’t see a reason why they cant set a past marquee toon event to trigger at 5-level intervals (e.g. 20, 25, 30...). They do it with ships and faction training.

This would let new players obtain what everyone else got, and it would be a good incentive to keep the new players grinding through the early game.

If CG doesn’t work on new player retention, especially F2P new player retention, there is going to be a dearth of F2P players as more people matriculate out of the game. Right now, the early game is a problem. Unless CG has given up on continuing to draw and retain new players.

There is the flip side of that, marquee toons are the reward a new player gets for being here when they dropped. They may not have the older ones but they get the new one and that's an advantage over anyone joining after them.

It is unfortunate that marquees are a single direction, event --> farmable but that helps them keep the hype going about getting the free toon.

ASA1_Lmbsteam

I agree with Kyno....and I would also add that for those of us that have been playing for a long.....long time...personally i think we "earned" the marquees we got. We waited, studied, and prepared for them. It will be like that for you newer players as well. I dont see why the newer players shouldn't do their due diligance. Just like when you become a 2 mil gp player, you will have earned all the extras from many marquees. Why would a brand new player get it for free?...by the time the new player learns the game and grinds properly...when those marquee toons hit hard node, cantona, or stores...they will be able to farm them as they see fit.....no need to just GIVE events retro actively to new players....imo

Tarah

a solution would be insert old marquee toons in shops....cantina, arena, gw....

Yerff_Caasi

Most every meta-defining marquee that's come around while I've been playing (and there haven't been that many) has eventually been answered with another. Even some from before my time (like Nihilus) haven't hurt me, because other marquees have helped me to overcome. I doubt that will change.
Yes, you may be behind for a little while, but if you do your research and keep track of which marquees are best, then eventually a good new one will come out and you'll be able to jump onto the front of the train. Just needs patience.
Sion was very meta-defining, and he was in March. In May we got Nest, and in July we got Bastila, and now he's easy to beat. In other words, though the marquee system is a slog-fest, a really good one comes really often. 2 months really isn't that long in the course of this game. Just sit tight.

Waqui

RufusDogbreath wrote: »

A new player who starts after a marquee event ends is forever significantly behind.

All new players are significantly behind in all aspects of the game. However, they have far many more sources for farming gear and shards than veteran players had, when they started out. New players still develop their roster faster.

Altazarus

To be honest, I have regretted not being here for some of them (notably Bastila and Nihilus), since I have had to actually pay cash to buy shards from those through crystals - Nihilus was not available at my level through farming and Bastila only recently became farmable. I was a late entrant to my gameshard, so everyone except me had Bastila - and I would have been too far behind by not getting her early on.

I was thinking that adding back marquees as once-per-player event would not really hurt old players. Lets be honest, a total of 25 or 30 shards for someone playing over 2 years makes little difference, but for new players a farm at level 9 nodes is not a *fair play* vs. someone who got it from marquee. Now imagine us getting Jango from a marquee or him being added as shards on ... say something like STR epic mode. Sounds fair?

BobaFetaCheese

I think some shard could be added at certain levels when leveling up, missing out on the Vets marquee is a significant increase in the time to be JTR ready when both marquees are combined. If the solo/Kotor toons are all needed in a team of 5 that an additional 250 shards that have to be farmed by a newer player which is very significant.

IntrepidFox

BobaFetaCheese wrote: »

I think some shard could be added at certain levels when leveling up, missing out on the Vets marquee is a significant increase in the time to be JTR ready when both marquees are combined. If the solo/Kotor toons are all needed in a team of 5 that an additional 250 shards that have to be farmed by a newer player which is very significant.

Totally agree. I missed out on the vets marquee and we all know how much of a git they are to farm. They are literally the only marquee's I missed that I feel have significantly buggered me up (not because of missing the events so much as the out and out intentional stupidity of the farm locations) - it would be a huge boon to me right now if we could see those come back.

Others would be a nice to have, and would give me something to do in game (I've progressed far enough in the game now that content is getting real shallow). It would be very welcome, even if it's just for something else to do.

RufusDogbreath

ASA1_Lmbsteam wrote: »

I agree with Kyno....and I would also add that for those of us that have been playing for a long.....long time...personally i think we "earned" the marquees we got. We waited, studied, and prepared for them. It will be like that for you newer players as well. I dont see why the newer players shouldn't do their due diligance. Just like when you become a 2 mil gp player, you will have earned all the extras from many marquees. Why would a brand new player get it for free?...by the time the new player learns the game and grinds properly...when those marquee toons hit hard node, cantona, or stores...they will be able to farm them as they see fit.....no need to just GIVE events retro actively to new players....imo

For the record, I’m not a new player. My post is aimed at new player retention.

It’s funny how everyone gripes about marquees even though they get the 3* for free, but they’re perfectly fine with the marquee toon situation being even worse on new players.

You didn’t “earn” the marquee 3*s. You got them for free. You didn’t have do any “due diligence” (I think you meant “paying your dues”). We all logged on and auto ran the marquee events. Players who joined a week before the event got the same thing we did.

Personally, I don’t see why we anyone would be opposed to any system that helps retain new players and thus grow the player base. Newbies accessing the 3* marquee toons as incentives for leveling up doesn’t threaten established players in the least.

But telling new guys “you gotta pay your dues- start at zero and go grind for six months to reach Nest’s node, and then you can then start grinding for Nest” is not the way to attract new long term players. Not when they’re facing Sion, Nest, Bossk, Bastila, et al in TW or need them for raids.

As I’ve said before, Ive got these toons and can farm any of them. I’m thinking about the new players and the long term health of the game. You need to bring in new players at a rate AT LEAST equal to the rate at which players matriculate out. Otherwise, you’re eventually going to bleed out.

If any of us actually had to work for these 3* marquees, I’d feel completely different.

Fakir

Players who weren't playing during last year's christmas didn't receive the 20 zeta materials christmas gift.
Players who weren't playing during last year's Kylo Ren give-away didn't receive the unlocked Kylo Ren character.

They didn't receive those gifts later. That's all good. I don't see marquee events as any different in this regard. If you missed the event, you miss the rewards. You still have all quests. Those are available for everyone until it has been completed once.

BubbaFett

RufusDogbreath wrote: »

ASA1_Lmbsteam wrote: »

I agree with Kyno....and I would also add that for those of us that have been playing for a long.....long time...personally i think we "earned" the marquees we got. We waited, studied, and prepared for them. It will be like that for you newer players as well. I dont see why the newer players shouldn't do their due diligance. Just like when you become a 2 mil gp player, you will have earned all the extras from many marquees. Why would a brand new player get it for free?...by the time the new player learns the game and grinds properly...when those marquee toons hit hard node, cantona, or stores...they will be able to farm them as they see fit.....no need to just GIVE events retro actively to new players....imo

For the record, I’m not a new player. My post is aimed at new player retention.

It’s funny how everyone gripes about marquees even though they get the 3* for free, but they’re perfectly fine with the marquee toon situation being even worse on new players.

You didn’t “earn” the marquee 3*s. You got them for free. You didn’t have do any “due diligence” (I think you meant “paying your dues”). We all logged on and auto ran the marquee events. Players who joined a week before the event got the same thing we did.

Personally, I don’t see why we anyone would be opposed to any system that helps retain new players and thus grow the player base. Newbies accessing the 3* marquee toons as incentives for leveling up doesn’t threaten established players in the least.

But telling new guys “you gotta pay your dues- start at zero and go grind for six months to reach Nest’s node, and then you can then start grinding for Nest” is not the way to attract new long term players. Not when they’re facing Sion, Nest, Bossk, Bastila, et al in TW or need them for raids.

As I’ve said before, Ive got these toons and can farm any of them. I’m thinking about the new players and the long term health of the game. You need to bring in new players at a rate AT LEAST equal to the rate at which players matriculate out. Otherwise, you’re eventually going to bleed out.

If any of us actually had to work for these 3* marquees, I’d feel completely different.

I completely agree with this, how a player could think they did anything to earn a marquee is beyond me....

I have put a bit of thought into this, and I think there is an easier solution...

1- Any marquee that was ran within the timeframe of the creation of the player shard should be available to any player in that shard, even if the marquee event is over. This puts everyone in the shard on a level playing field..... You would still have P2P paying to get ahead by buying bundles and chromiums, and that's fine. .....

2- Any older marquee released that was missed could see new players get the same amount of shards as was given by the marquee event when they complete the node for the character in question. Ie, first time reward for unlocking Sion's node gives xx shards and gets him unlocked.....

RufusDogbreath

BubbaFett wrote: »

RufusDogbreath wrote: »

ASA1_Lmbsteam wrote: »

I agree with Kyno....and I would also add that for those of us that have been playing for a long.....long time...personally i think we "earned" the marquees we got. We waited, studied, and prepared for them. It will be like that for you newer players as well. I dont see why the newer players shouldn't do their due diligance. Just like when you become a 2 mil gp player, you will have earned all the extras from many marquees. Why would a brand new player get it for free?...by the time the new player learns the game and grinds properly...when those marquee toons hit hard node, cantona, or stores...they will be able to farm them as they see fit.....no need to just GIVE events retro actively to new players....imo

For the record, I’m not a new player. My post is aimed at new player retention.

It’s funny how everyone gripes about marquees even though they get the 3* for free, but they’re perfectly fine with the marquee toon situation being even worse on new players.

You didn’t “earn” the marquee 3*s. You got them for free. You didn’t have do any “due diligence” (I think you meant “paying your dues”). We all logged on and auto ran the marquee events. Players who joined a week before the event got the same thing we did.

Personally, I don’t see why we anyone would be opposed to any system that helps retain new players and thus grow the player base. Newbies accessing the 3* marquee toons as incentives for leveling up doesn’t threaten established players in the least.

But telling new guys “you gotta pay your dues- start at zero and go grind for six months to reach Nest’s node, and then you can then start grinding for Nest” is not the way to attract new long term players. Not when they’re facing Sion, Nest, Bossk, Bastila, et al in TW or need them for raids.

As I’ve said before, Ive got these toons and can farm any of them. I’m thinking about the new players and the long term health of the game. You need to bring in new players at a rate AT LEAST equal to the rate at which players matriculate out. Otherwise, you’re eventually going to bleed out.

If any of us actually had to work for these 3* marquees, I’d feel completely different.

I completely agree with this, how a player could think they did anything to earn a marquee is beyond me....

I have put a bit of thought into this, and I think there is an easier solution...

1- Any marquee that was ran within the timeframe of the creation of the player shard should be available to any player in that shard, even if the marquee event is over. This puts everyone in the shard on a level playing field..... You would still have P2P paying to get ahead by buying bundles and chromiums, and that's fine. .....

2- Any older marquee released that was missed could see new players get the same amount of shards as was given by the marquee event when they complete the node for the character in question. Ie, first time reward for unlocking Sion's node gives xx shards and gets him unlocked.....

That sounds like a really good format

GuanIsHere

Adding marquee events to a cadence would make a lot of sense. Once the marquee is 6 months old, release it as a once per account event. This would even the playing field, and give newer players the same kind of tutorial experience older players had with the marquees. A 6 month "loyalty bonus" for playing the game earlier is more than enough, and is akin to the advantage p2p have over f2p. On the same note, ad older toons from hard nodes into shipments. This would allow players to use excess currency, and would free up node for new toons.

JohnLove11

Maybe a pack that would get you the marquee to 3 stars available to newer players who missed out, but at a slightly cheaper rate than normal packs. Then the older player would have the advantage of getting the marquee for free but the new player could still obtain the hero if they wanted. At the moment i think if the new player brought the pack then they would get them unlocked at 2*(?) which i don't feel is very worth while on its own but if they could but a pack to get them to 3* and then this on top to get to 4* then it would be a way to not miss out for signing up later at a small price

I know this is P2P and you could just buy shards with crystals if you were P2P but it could be an idea for a 1 off cheaper pack to get what everybody before you has got for free if you were desperate for that hero, or if you are not bothered and want to wait for it to go on farm you can not buy the pack