I wondered why they would do it but it makes sense, sell the HDB at a reduced price so more people will make new accounts / new players buy it so they can gain an advantage in their arena shard.
Then, make squad arena absolutely useless and let all the HDB users lose any competitive advantage gained by making it so matchmaking pairs them up against other HDB buyers.
They said they'd be doing this to GAC years ago, adding crystal income as an incentive to give a !@#$.
Mods locked in for 4 weeks, characters, relic levels, any progression, and if you are down a GL you can't win (since the non-GL counters got benched). Sounds like a super smart idea.
The fact you're at the whim of the least reliable matchmaker that is 90% of the reason nobody but whales care about this mode in the first place after the non-GL GL counters nerf.
Even if you're perfectly evenly matched GL count wise, if you mirror something out of necessity and the other squad is faster, you're still SOL.
All so you can try hard and hate the game even more for 75% of the daily crystals you were earning before this upcoming patch.
Locks are 1 week, not 4.
MM won't exist anymore as it does now. It's based on your rank, so over time, you should get even matches.
I hated the nerf as much as the next guy, but there are still counters and 2-shot options.
Disagree that squad is faster. Depends on how active your shard is.
Could have made everybody happy saying "GAC WILL NOW REWARD CRYSTALS" but no... CG had to go and ruin one of the only things that still worked in this game experience.
It really feels like an abusive relationship and at this point I honestly hope it turns out as I feel it will so I can finally see myself free from this game. Just makes the decision to quit easier.
All these years we've been asking for sandbox mode? no time for that.
GAC with friends/allies? no time for that.
But they got time to nerf half the counters we worked hard and then remove the crystals from everybody lying to everybody's faces saying it will be roughly the same. It's not like ~800 crystals a day was enough to get Starkiller anytime soon btw.
Also, announcing the most horrendous change in the history of the game after a whole month with no GAC helps with the trust issues we already have with CG a whole lot.
I don't understand this +10 points for your first attack. Why?
The way it reads suggests it is for both players, which seems pointless (both players just get a free 10 points unless they don't attack at all).
If it's *just* for the first player to attack, then it would be horribly unfair to anyone who is asleep when GAC rounds start (Middle East through to India).
Not sure if pointless or ill-conceived.
It's +10 points for each player the first time they attack. It may seem pointless, but if you pay atention, to get rewards you have to get at least 10 points, I guess to prevent people from just joining the GAC, do nothing and still get the rewards. So that way, if you attack, even if you fail you get the minnimum points to get the rewards.
Still the minimum requirements for prices feel a little pointless, so much hassle only to prevent no-shows to get some low end prices...
I’m liking the changes - assuming CG has the matchmaking figured out
MM will be based on rank now. If you are outclassed, your rank will decrease, and you'll get easier opponents.
I think you mean when you are out GL'ed... not really outclassing.
It will turn into who has the most GLs and better roster, not who can use their roster the best.
I cannot see if benefiting anyone but the whales over long term, before people could chase the meta team FTP and climb higher, now they'd still be stuck behind another 5 GL's. No way to climb above a certain level based on GP. And they removed all the GL counter characters to really make the point.
I’m liking the changes - assuming CG has the matchmaking figured out
MM will be based on rank now. If you are outclassed, your rank will decrease, and you'll get easier opponents.
I think you mean when you are out GL'ed... not really outclassing.
It will turn into who has the most GLs and better roster, not who can use their roster the best.
There is even a bigger incentive in scoring high to get juicy daily rewards, so not putting all you gls on D to be able to clear the opponent seems an even wiser strategy.
Still, i kinda agree with your last point, with the exception of very high gp rosters who already have 25 relic teams anyway.
I don't mind the changes for GAC at least I'll have an incentive to play it. Don't really enjoy it due to match making and how tight the margins are to win or lose. If you wait 24 hours to play and mess up your first attack very demoralising but I really enjoy the streams.
I hope they don't overcook the golden goose and over complicate it. The fear with changes is that its just the beginning.
Huge concerns over fleet arena - the fact they didn't mention it, 100% means their planning something. Unless they want to clarify that?
I'm sure they have the data to suggest that squad arena isn't that active, just wish it wasn't an either or - 500 crystals if you're lucky enough to max it out really don't go that far. Most players I imagine earn under 100 a day.
I've been playing for about 18 months so at the point where I'm not good enough to seriously climb but also don't really need squad currency. However for new players climbing to unlock characters and get a few crystals is such an exciting part of the game which for me was one of the main hooks to play which I think is sadly lost.
Please add auto join…. in Arena i can still get crystals even if i forget to attack for the day based on my rank. It would be great to have an auto join so we don’t completely miss out on crystals.
Oh just noticed CG already calculated it. So at the very best, highest end they are paying players 350 crystals=%40 less...and only a few players will be kyber 5 (or 1 however this is calculated). Others will be getting half or less if they were previously arena toppers, but with more effort (I hate arena and love gac, it's still like this if you are heading for the very top with arena vs. new gac)
I’m a mid level ftp player and as someone who is boxed out of the squad arena shard I’m excited for this change. More consistent rewards, no getting boxed out, the payout will equal my effort and skill.
So I am set against other HDB buyers, ok. Even ignoring the strategy in which squads I have worked up or left at base, won't whether I win depend mostly on if I make better choices than the AI in how I apply the abilities of my team? Like learning to play chess better?
Or am I missing something because I wasn't high enough in level to play GAC before?
As someone who only kept playing this game due to how engaging GAC is, this feels like an amazing change. Reading through all these comments I'm surprised to see how many players don't like GAC and I really don't get it. What is the point of playing this game for so long and develop so many teams if you get to only use one team for Squad Arena and it's the same boring battles against the same teams day by day? GAC encourages you to really build up a strategy and honestly this is the game mode where you get to test your entire roster not Conquest. The ladder system kind of reminds me of Star Wars Force Arena which I enjoyed so much playing.
How will newer players build their rosters now? Now, everyone competes on a shard where everyone joined within some window of time. In the new system, players who just get to level 85 are competing with people who have been playing for years. The best a new player in Carbonite will be earning less than 200 crystals a day. So, new players have to whale or advance slowly? Could this just lead to most new players quitting shortly after reaching level 85?
Hopefully, fleet arena continues as it nows. This at least gives newer players a chance at competing for a source of significant crystal income.
I do not like this change. Not one little bit. GAC is by far my least favorite part of the game and now it will be the game's focus. A terrible move, in my opinion. I know of so few people who like GAC and so many who dislike it--I just cannot imagine how this can possibly be perceived as a positive change by the overwhelming majority of committed SWGOH players. This is a sad day indeed.
Replies
Then, make squad arena absolutely useless and let all the HDB users lose any competitive advantage gained by making it so matchmaking pairs them up against other HDB buyers.
Quite genius ngl
Locks are 1 week, not 4.
MM won't exist anymore as it does now. It's based on your rank, so over time, you should get even matches.
I hated the nerf as much as the next guy, but there are still counters and 2-shot options.
Disagree that squad is faster. Depends on how active your shard is.
It really feels like an abusive relationship and at this point I honestly hope it turns out as I feel it will so I can finally see myself free from this game. Just makes the decision to quit easier.
All these years we've been asking for sandbox mode? no time for that.
GAC with friends/allies? no time for that.
But they got time to nerf half the counters we worked hard and then remove the crystals from everybody lying to everybody's faces saying it will be roughly the same. It's not like ~800 crystals a day was enough to get Starkiller anytime soon btw.
It's +10 points for each player the first time they attack. It may seem pointless, but if you pay atention, to get rewards you have to get at least 10 points, I guess to prevent people from just joining the GAC, do nothing and still get the rewards. So that way, if you attack, even if you fail you get the minnimum points to get the rewards.
Still the minimum requirements for prices feel a little pointless, so much hassle only to prevent no-shows to get some low end prices...
I think you mean when you are out GL'ed... not really outclassing.
It will turn into who has the most GLs and better roster, not who can use their roster the best.
I cannot see if benefiting anyone but the whales over long term, before people could chase the meta team FTP and climb higher, now they'd still be stuck behind another 5 GL's. No way to climb above a certain level based on GP. And they removed all the GL counter characters to really make the point.
Seriously, who asked for this?
There is even a bigger incentive in scoring high to get juicy daily rewards, so not putting all you gls on D to be able to clear the opponent seems an even wiser strategy.
Still, i kinda agree with your last point, with the exception of very high gp rosters who already have 25 relic teams anyway.
More GP is not skill-based matchmaking.
I hope they don't overcook the golden goose and over complicate it. The fear with changes is that its just the beginning.
Huge concerns over fleet arena - the fact they didn't mention it, 100% means their planning something. Unless they want to clarify that?
I'm sure they have the data to suggest that squad arena isn't that active, just wish it wasn't an either or - 500 crystals if you're lucky enough to max it out really don't go that far. Most players I imagine earn under 100 a day.
I've been playing for about 18 months so at the point where I'm not good enough to seriously climb but also don't really need squad currency. However for new players climbing to unlock characters and get a few crystals is such an exciting part of the game which for me was one of the main hooks to play which I think is sadly lost.
Literally 3 game modes of the same ****. TW, GAC, and Arena, except only one wasn't a time sink.
Phenomenal choice guys. I'm glad you guys know exactly what your players want and are willing to implement these things. /s
Person 1 ‘So, how can we make the long time player base want to quit?’
Person 2 ‘I got it, let’s focus on an area that many don’t like and make it the mainstay.’
Rest of the room ‘Brilliant!’
Does this "current average " include all dead accounts in 1000+ ?
EDIT: this comment made more sense before it was merged
Or am I missing something because I wasn't high enough in level to play GAC before?
But then you'd move right up again...
Hopefully, fleet arena continues as it nows. This at least gives newer players a chance at competing for a source of significant crystal income.
Most of my opponents and I do as well, considering all the auto-d