Well since the game is dying, your shard will keep getting easier each day!
Ha, I rarely agree with you, but this one is on point.
Moving up in shard is a lot easier when people that have played for years are quitting left and right.
If you wait out all the others in your arena shard eventually it will be easier to get lots of free gems...
I don’t know if it’s a good thing to me or not but in my shards I never saw a top player quit if the game is dying because people are quitting, my shard is an exception.
I guess it depends on how old your shard is, and on how commited the players there are. I've had many players quit in mine already, but it's a launch hard. We still have many active players but I've seen lots of players go over the years. I think that's the natural flow of things once shards get really old.
Mine is from 2015 but I wasn’t playing it everyday until 2018, yeah lots of people have quit the game in the mean time in my shard I’m sure but I never saw a player that stays top 50 or higher quit maybe because I wasn’t in it until jkr(?). I made a bad post, what I should’ve said is “the game isn’t dying”. People claim it is dying since it launched (hyperbole). The devs are launching a new game mode or at least making it. Why would they do it if the game was dying?
Top 50 makeup in my shards changed a lot across the years. Only a few from 2016 is still around. People sometimes manage to catch up to new metas or buy into it and try their hand at top 10. I have no experience of 100-200 range. I imagine it gets weaker over time, but top 50 doesn't change much since previously lower standing players try to push towards it. Shard chats also get influenced by these changes as those that are aware of the climb structure are accepted in upto the point that density isn't too high.
I'm a relatively new player, and I was talking with a friend of mine who made some really good points about this game. He told me how hard it is to farm other teams/players, and still make progress gearing up your main team.
He said it's better to put all your gear into your main team even if you can't really farm other teams/toons, than to farm multiple teams over time, since it's too hard to get your main team to high enough gear to be viable.
Anyone have any thoughts/ideas about this? (Specifically high level f2p players)
I wrote several "year in" posts which will really provide the insight you're looking for as well as a beginner's guide. Click on my name and it should show all my posts, relatively easy to find em. Feel free to DM me or message me on discord if you have any specific questions.
I just picked a few factions and wrote them off as never happening, so Resistance, first order, jaws, and a few others are never getting touched. I have no Sith but I'd like to get to them.
I'll go for GL characters if we see rebel or empire (or nightsisters) but it will take a while. I went hard for clones and GAS and am just about to relic him, things are slow as I hover around 200 in arena, everything above me is Drevan and GAS with GLs as the top 50 so hopefully I can climb higher once I get him to 7* I have gear ready to take him straight to relic 6 and all the clones are relic 5.
Fleet is a good area to focus on as many players dont bother with it. Once I get my hands on the negotiator I suspect top 50 should be easy (given almost every republic ship I have has relic crew).
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
"it may just push the timetable out farther"
This.
again this game is not P2W, you can't buy something now and just keep the same advantage throughout. players will always catch up because everything in the game is free and just cost time.
I strongly disagree here. The game IS P2W. You need crystals to win, and you need easily more than you can get for a f2p player like me. The most crystals I get a day is probably 175. That is not much. You need crystals to advance your roster faster. Yes, eventually I might get GL, but by the time I get that as a F2P, the meta will have changed. So yes, to be a top player and "win" it's f2p. But it's a mobile game so whatcha gonna do about it
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
"it may just push the timetable out farther"
This.
again this game is not P2W, you can't buy something now and just keep the same advantage throughout. players will always catch up because everything in the game is free and just cost time.
I strongly disagree here. The game IS P2W. You need crystals to win, and you need easily more than you can get for a f2p player like me. The most crystals I get a day is probably 175. That is not much. You need crystals to advance your roster faster. Yes, eventually I might get GL, but by the time I get that as a F2P, the meta will have changed. So yes, to be a top player and "win" it's f2p. But it's a mobile game so whatcha gonna do about it
The easiest way to win is to pay. But it is still possible to be good even if you don’t pay.
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
I’m curious how easy it is for a f2p now vs before the Hyperdrive bundle. Before, a player could laser focus on a team, use that to climb in arena, and then use the crystal income to keep up from there. Laser focusing on a team no longer means climbing in arena for early gamers. Can a f2p player keep up with low crystal income from arenas?
I was f2p for a long time and i was able to catch up despite hovering in the 300s in arena until I started getting serious. Focus should still work, it may just push the timetable out farther with the HDB.
I meant for new players starting now vs paying players. You got high in arena before the Hyperdrive bundle was a thing.
"it may just push the timetable out farther"
This.
again this game is not P2W, you can't buy something now and just keep the same advantage throughout. players will always catch up because everything in the game is free and just cost time.
I strongly disagree here. The game IS P2W. You need crystals to win, and you need easily more than you can get for a f2p player like me. The most crystals I get a day is probably 175. That is not much. You need crystals to advance your roster faster. Yes, eventually I might get GL, but by the time I get that as a F2P, the meta will have changed. So yes, to be a top player and "win" it's f2p. But it's a mobile game so whatcha gonna do about it
You use crystals to progress faster, which gives you an advantage. That advantage diminishes over time, which makes this P2P. P2W, implies there is something that cannot be achieved without paying, there is nothing in this game that cannot be done for free, and with a little planning can be done rather quickly without any $$. (GLs are a good example)
is it harder to be F2P, yes. will you be less flexible, yes. That is the nature of any game that offers in game advantages to spending, but they are not insurmountable with good planning and patience.
The hardest part about a lot of things that go on in a game like this is "the mindset", players will always have preconceived notions and will allow that to affect how they play and what they see as the roadblocks. This is not always the case and sometimes letting those things go and making a plan and working the plan can really pay off.
an interesting example of this: Players dont always want to refresh and will look at the cost as too high for all the climbing they have to do already. Some times though a refresh can help you climb past a zone of higher battle count due to the location and prize zones. This means that in the long run if evaluated and planned correctly, that extra refresh can help you fall less and make the climb easier and work out to have a net increase in income.
Having a diverse roster is helpful in various game modes (GAC, TW, TB, Raids). The problem however, is that as much as CG wants GAC to be a primary game mode and drive our rosters, they've set it up so that it has trash rewards. Arena and fleet arena are still the primary source of crystal income in the game, which you're going to need to buy gear for your characters (let's just admit drop rates on stun guns, stun cuffs, carbantis, etc.. are not great).
I'd focus on getting one or two teams to g12. Once they are there, they won't have a ton of overlapping gear while you work towards g13 with the next set of teams you want to work on. Yes some characters need implants and stun guns at g12, but not all of them.
I have a lot of characters still mired at g10 and 11 (most of my nightsisters) because there's just no reason to invest in them, or there's always something else that takes priority (gearing charcters for legendaries, gl, epic confrontations,e tc...)
Having a diverse roster is helpful in various game modes (GAC, TW, TB, Raids). The problem however, is that as much as CG wants GAC to be a primary game mode and drive our rosters, they've set it up so that it has trash rewards. Arena and fleet arena are still the primary source of crystal income in the game, which you're going to need to buy gear for your characters (let's just admit drop rates on stun guns, stun cuffs, carbantis, etc.. are not great).
I'd focus on getting one or two teams to g12. Once they are there, they won't have a ton of overlapping gear while you work towards g13 with the next set of teams you want to work on. Yes some characters need implants and stun guns at g12, but not all of them.
I have a lot of characters still mired at g10 and 11 (most of my nightsisters) because there's just no reason to invest in them, or there's always something else that takes priority (gearing charcters for legendaries, gl, epic confrontations,e tc...)
GAC would be more of a gearing priority for many, if the matchmaking didn't adjust for it.
For example if you get a GL for GAC, you get matched based on your top 80 which is relic heavy and you more likely than not face others that did the same.
So you really don't get an edge in GL for whaling or grinding (at least once you're in the top tier). But even the tiers aren't enough since the rewards aren't that better.
If they want people to build rosters of GAC, they'd need to either base matchmaking on a metric like time in the game (like arena) where you'd have to spend to keep up. And I'm not suggesting that since that would be a nightmare for ftp.
Or they need more divisions and have much better rewards for reaching the new divisions
I think the one thing they should help with newer players is ease the character shard farming process. I think the amount of time it takes to farm characters in hard nodes of light side/dark side/ship battles takes waaay too long. I think having a diverse roster makes the game more fun and it just feels very limiting, especially at the beginning, when you are forced to farm like a single character on that node and it takes like 4-6 months just to get them to 7 stars. Newer players i feel will never catch up in this regard which is why i think they should make shard farming faster at this point in the game.
I think the one thing they should help with newer players is ease the character shard farming process. I think the amount of time it takes to farm characters in hard nodes of light side/dark side/ship battles takes waaay too long. I think having a diverse roster makes the game more fun and it just feels very limiting, especially at the beginning, when you are forced to farm like a single character on that node and it takes like 4-6 months just to get them to 7 stars. Newer players i feel will never catch up in this regard which is why i think they should make shard farming faster at this point in the game.
That is what the hyperdrive bundle if for. I've been playing almost from the beginning, and have an alt. I know what you're talking about. It would be nice to make the farms quicker.
I think the one thing they should help with newer players is ease the character shard farming process. I think the amount of time it takes to farm characters in hard nodes of light side/dark side/ship battles takes waaay too long. I think having a diverse roster makes the game more fun and it just feels very limiting, especially at the beginning, when you are forced to farm like a single character on that node and it takes like 4-6 months just to get them to 7 stars. Newer players i feel will never catch up in this regard which is why i think they should make shard farming faster at this point in the game.
That is what the hyperdrive bundle if for. I've been playing almost from the beginning, and have an alt. I know what you're talking about. It would be nice to make the farms quicker.
You realize you’re posting on a thread about f2p players, right? Paying $100 kinda negates the f2p part lol.
I think the one thing they should help with newer players is ease the character shard farming process. I think the amount of time it takes to farm characters in hard nodes of light side/dark side/ship battles takes waaay too long. I think having a diverse roster makes the game more fun and it just feels very limiting, especially at the beginning, when you are forced to farm like a single character on that node and it takes like 4-6 months just to get them to 7 stars. Newer players i feel will never catch up in this regard which is why i think they should make shard farming faster at this point in the game.
That is what the hyperdrive bundle if for. I've been playing almost from the beginning, and have an alt. I know what you're talking about. It would be nice to make the farms quicker.
You realize you’re posting on a thread about f2p players, right? Paying $100 kinda negates the f2p part lol.
I was pointing out that the devs are most likely not going to change things because they have the hyperdrive bundle and that's how the game has been from the beginning.
I don’t have a lot to comment on being F2P post hyperdrive. As a F2P from Dec 2015, the pace of game is pretty fine with me. As long as one can claim #1 rewards in both arena I have resources to maintain main arena team while build up a broad roster. When meta switch, there might be a few days of hardship in climbing, but usually a f2p arena climbing team quickly show up. In general, I can usually keep up my main team with the meta (within 0 days to 2months), while have enough resources to build up other teams. I am 100% F2P, and the only toon I don’t have now is JKL and fully expect to unlock it when the event return.
It helps to have a crystal ball in this game to divine what will happen next. JKL seemed to come out of nowhere, but also seems quite disappointing at the current time. I don't seem him being used much and is not the character most of us have been expecting.
I would say there is a large PTW aspect. I starter playing about a month after launch. Both my arenas are highly competitive. If I were willing to spend crystals, I could probably top ten ships just because Malevolence is such a good ship. With squad arena, no way am I ever cracking top ten without spending loads of cash. I have spent most of game in the top 50, but less than top 20. Once I got GL Rey, I have cracked top 20 a few times, but mainly stay around rank 25. I run Rey, Hero Finn, General Skywalker, General Kenobi, and Revan. GAS and Revan are still G12 because all my resources are going towards FO. If I had gone GL Kylo first, I may have been more steady ranking between 10 and 20.
The resource grind is what kills progress. I have many toons I would prefer to work on besides JKL and FO toons. My Padme team could use the G13 treatment. My clones and GAS also could. The Geonosians need G13 so I can finally beat that stupid TB level.
When TW first came out, a high GP was a good thing. I spent time getting my entire roster to G8 at a minimum and also tried to max out abilities minus zeta abilities. At this point, I'm up to 101 zetas, and 195 omegas for normal abilities. If I could magically get GL Kylo today, I have enough zetas and omegas saved to give him his six zetas, so I'm hoarding a bit. My GP has cost me in GAC, because I have a lot of mediocre toons that don't help me and I have "wasted" countless stun guns that could have gone elsewhere.
G8 is really the first stumbling block. I am only missing GL Kylo, JKL, and Ki Adi Mundi for unlocks. I have 47 G8 toons. G9 and G10 are no big deal, I have 15 between those two levels. Then G11, G12, and G13 are all stumbling blocks in terms of gear. I have 44 G11, 55 G12, and 27 G13. I have one last FO toon to get to G12, and only have KRU finished at this point. Palps and Hux are G13 but not at the relic levels they need. I almost have GL Rey to R6 so I plan to get her to R7 before giving relics to FO. I am betting I still have three months until I can try the Kylo event. Overall, this game is a lot of grinding, especially for FTP like me.
Yeah I’ve put off the GL Rey farming as I really need to put the rest of my roster up to reasonable levels for GAC and the grinding for GL SLKR put it into perspective. Just 5 more ability mats and 1 zeta then he’s done.
The below I really need to bring up to reasonable levels:
2 more Geos to get to G12 for Wat.
The Mando, Greef and Jango Fett for my BH team
Sith Trio plus two Sith to go with them.
Malak
Clones
Nightsisters (purely for Assault Battles)
Nearly finished with the GR side for GAS
The seps needed for GAS
I dont really think this idea has anything to do with f2p or $$$.
Unless you are a kraken who just has it all, you should always be focused on one goal. This goal is dependent on your larger direction you want to take.
Usually this goal is a team for an event or game mode.
You absolutely should always keep a laser focus while working towards a goal, one toon at a time, which leads to one team, which leads to a goal.
There is also some merit to holding on gearing a toon until you are closer to the sub goal of a useful team, unless the toon you are gearing will provide other useful benefits until the rest is ready.
Some Merit in hoarding gear instead of equipping it... just a shame how awful the gear inventory system is.
Replies
Top 50 makeup in my shards changed a lot across the years. Only a few from 2016 is still around. People sometimes manage to catch up to new metas or buy into it and try their hand at top 10. I have no experience of 100-200 range. I imagine it gets weaker over time, but top 50 doesn't change much since previously lower standing players try to push towards it. Shard chats also get influenced by these changes as those that are aware of the climb structure are accepted in upto the point that density isn't too high.
I wrote several "year in" posts which will really provide the insight you're looking for as well as a beginner's guide. Click on my name and it should show all my posts, relatively easy to find em. Feel free to DM me or message me on discord if you have any specific questions.
I'll go for GL characters if we see rebel or empire (or nightsisters) but it will take a while. I went hard for clones and GAS and am just about to relic him, things are slow as I hover around 200 in arena, everything above me is Drevan and GAS with GLs as the top 50 so hopefully I can climb higher once I get him to 7* I have gear ready to take him straight to relic 6 and all the clones are relic 5.
Fleet is a good area to focus on as many players dont bother with it. Once I get my hands on the negotiator I suspect top 50 should be easy (given almost every republic ship I have has relic crew).
I strongly disagree here. The game IS P2W. You need crystals to win, and you need easily more than you can get for a f2p player like me. The most crystals I get a day is probably 175. That is not much. You need crystals to advance your roster faster. Yes, eventually I might get GL, but by the time I get that as a F2P, the meta will have changed. So yes, to be a top player and "win" it's f2p. But it's a mobile game so whatcha gonna do about it
The easiest way to win is to pay. But it is still possible to be good even if you don’t pay.
You use crystals to progress faster, which gives you an advantage. That advantage diminishes over time, which makes this P2P. P2W, implies there is something that cannot be achieved without paying, there is nothing in this game that cannot be done for free, and with a little planning can be done rather quickly without any $$. (GLs are a good example)
is it harder to be F2P, yes. will you be less flexible, yes. That is the nature of any game that offers in game advantages to spending, but they are not insurmountable with good planning and patience.
The hardest part about a lot of things that go on in a game like this is "the mindset", players will always have preconceived notions and will allow that to affect how they play and what they see as the roadblocks. This is not always the case and sometimes letting those things go and making a plan and working the plan can really pay off.
an interesting example of this: Players dont always want to refresh and will look at the cost as too high for all the climbing they have to do already. Some times though a refresh can help you climb past a zone of higher battle count due to the location and prize zones. This means that in the long run if evaluated and planned correctly, that extra refresh can help you fall less and make the climb easier and work out to have a net increase in income.
I'd focus on getting one or two teams to g12. Once they are there, they won't have a ton of overlapping gear while you work towards g13 with the next set of teams you want to work on. Yes some characters need implants and stun guns at g12, but not all of them.
I have a lot of characters still mired at g10 and 11 (most of my nightsisters) because there's just no reason to invest in them, or there's always something else that takes priority (gearing charcters for legendaries, gl, epic confrontations,e tc...)
GAC would be more of a gearing priority for many, if the matchmaking didn't adjust for it.
For example if you get a GL for GAC, you get matched based on your top 80 which is relic heavy and you more likely than not face others that did the same.
So you really don't get an edge in GL for whaling or grinding (at least once you're in the top tier). But even the tiers aren't enough since the rewards aren't that better.
If they want people to build rosters of GAC, they'd need to either base matchmaking on a metric like time in the game (like arena) where you'd have to spend to keep up. And I'm not suggesting that since that would be a nightmare for ftp.
Or they need more divisions and have much better rewards for reaching the new divisions
That is what the hyperdrive bundle if for. I've been playing almost from the beginning, and have an alt. I know what you're talking about. It would be nice to make the farms quicker.
You realize you’re posting on a thread about f2p players, right? Paying $100 kinda negates the f2p part lol.
I was pointing out that the devs are most likely not going to change things because they have the hyperdrive bundle and that's how the game has been from the beginning.
I would say there is a large PTW aspect. I starter playing about a month after launch. Both my arenas are highly competitive. If I were willing to spend crystals, I could probably top ten ships just because Malevolence is such a good ship. With squad arena, no way am I ever cracking top ten without spending loads of cash. I have spent most of game in the top 50, but less than top 20. Once I got GL Rey, I have cracked top 20 a few times, but mainly stay around rank 25. I run Rey, Hero Finn, General Skywalker, General Kenobi, and Revan. GAS and Revan are still G12 because all my resources are going towards FO. If I had gone GL Kylo first, I may have been more steady ranking between 10 and 20.
The resource grind is what kills progress. I have many toons I would prefer to work on besides JKL and FO toons. My Padme team could use the G13 treatment. My clones and GAS also could. The Geonosians need G13 so I can finally beat that stupid TB level.
When TW first came out, a high GP was a good thing. I spent time getting my entire roster to G8 at a minimum and also tried to max out abilities minus zeta abilities. At this point, I'm up to 101 zetas, and 195 omegas for normal abilities. If I could magically get GL Kylo today, I have enough zetas and omegas saved to give him his six zetas, so I'm hoarding a bit. My GP has cost me in GAC, because I have a lot of mediocre toons that don't help me and I have "wasted" countless stun guns that could have gone elsewhere.
G8 is really the first stumbling block. I am only missing GL Kylo, JKL, and Ki Adi Mundi for unlocks. I have 47 G8 toons. G9 and G10 are no big deal, I have 15 between those two levels. Then G11, G12, and G13 are all stumbling blocks in terms of gear. I have 44 G11, 55 G12, and 27 G13. I have one last FO toon to get to G12, and only have KRU finished at this point. Palps and Hux are G13 but not at the relic levels they need. I almost have GL Rey to R6 so I plan to get her to R7 before giving relics to FO. I am betting I still have three months until I can try the Kylo event. Overall, this game is a lot of grinding, especially for FTP like me.
The below I really need to bring up to reasonable levels:
2 more Geos to get to G12 for Wat.
The Mando, Greef and Jango Fett for my BH team
Sith Trio plus two Sith to go with them.
Malak
Clones
Nightsisters (purely for Assault Battles)
Nearly finished with the GR side for GAS
The seps needed for GAS
After that’s all done I still need to get JKL.
So Yeah, GL Rey’ll have to wait.
finish off Padme to 7*(just need a little more gear)
JKR (have those guys 3-4*)
7* some phoenix for palp and thrawn
Darth Revan
Get R2D2
Farm GAS and Malak
CLS
Then maybe I can farm a GL if there's one I like. maybe.
(I probably forgot something but you get the point. It's a long grind for new players nowadays I guess)
Some Merit in hoarding gear instead of equipping it... just a shame how awful the gear inventory system is.