What changed?

Timitock

Normally I place between 50 and 20 in arena, and that is the range, has been that way for months. I fight the same teams that I know I can win against.

Over the last two days I have lost 5 attacks, and my rating has dropped over 100 points at night. People are not outracing me with levels really either, I am nearly 73 and most my opponents are 71-72.

Has something changed about two days ago?

Sirjam

Whats your team?

Timitock

Same team as always. QGJ(L), Luminara, Yoda, Ahsoka, Eeth

Alexone

Were you fighting Dooku lead teams? Even if not, losing 5 attacks is not a big deal. I lose at least 4 every day but i fight Dooku mostly.

Timitock

Thats the thing, I dont lose more than 1 attack per week...

I intentionally attack Dooku teams, my team handles them fine, its Droid teams that give me trouble. It wasnt RNG either, at least not in a stupid obvious way. It just seemed like people were targeting me specifically on purpose, and on attack the AI learned how to focus.

Timitock

The AI is making way better decisions all of a sudden, no doubt about it.
I like the challenge, but a heads up would have been nice.

There are other reports of irregular massive overnight drops, this is not casual observation.

I have been beaten twice on offense by a team nearly identical to my own: Jedi.

Would be nice to know what is going on.

Eaywen

Not to be contrary but I've gone from dropping to 40s to dropping to the teens.

thecuriousocelot

If the AI is starting to make better decisions... good! It'll be necessary for the next meta: fewer OHKOs + longer exchanges mean exponentially more choices available to the AI. Learn to focus, it must.

JSnow54

I finished at 54 yesterday. 142 right now.

medetec

Timitock wrote: »

Same team as always. QGJ(L), Luminara, Yoda, Ahsoka, Eeth

Regardless of how effective they are, Ahsoka and Eeth likely make to look like a juicy target. Dooku and RG replacing them (I know, meta hurdurrr) would probably help your visual deterrence factor.

ChooChoobacca

AI is working better. I have faced 3 Yoda teams today (easy pickings) and he starts with immunity team buff. Now I avoid him.

Rendragon84

@medetec is correct.
An all jedi team looks like easy prey to a dooku team, and as a player controlled dooku team vs. an ai jedi team, you are easy prey.
More and more players are reaching top tiers because it is way faster to get to lvl 70 then from 70 to 80.

Timitock

The AI has been changed, no doubt in my mind anymore.

I have looked like a soft target since launch, this is not a variable.

Alexone

Yea i won 4 out of 10 fights with 3/3 losses against Dooku teams. Funny thing is, i tried what most people here are bragging they beat Dooku with every day. QGJ lead with 'speed team', the infamous 'speed meta'. In the 3rd and final experience with my speed team, after 4 consecutive dodges and all 5 enemies standing at the end, i've decided once and for all, that Dooku is the most balanced guy in the whole game, he makes Arena a real treat and QGJ wins 95% of the time against him. Like most people here say, after they call you nub, of course. Obviously after this great success, i switched back to my original team immediately.

Don't think the AI was smarter. Apart from the Dooku teams, which almost make me barf right now and are killing all of my fun experiences in Arena, everyone else simply just didn't do any normal auto damage. Only crits! Maybe the same thing happened to you.

Have to make this note in my agenda 'Monday is crit day - just not for you' There...done!

Carth_Onassi1973

Only with refreshes can I make it to the top ten, only to get knocked backwards. I typically run within the top 50-100, but there are times I'll wake up and I'm 183. Best I ever did? #1! But, that was about 11 hours before payout while everyone was sleeping, haha!! Payout best : 8th.

The more teams at the top gear up to 74 and higher (seeing 74's all over the place now and the #1 on my shard is 75), the harder I'm going to get knocked back, and more frequently.

And the grind continues!

fudgra

How can AI getting smarter cause your rank to drop? Real people cause rank to drop.

It is getting smarter because it targets single characters more often until they're dead

Alexone

Also have to make a note, if they ever make the AI a lot better and teach it to 'focus fire', most people will just quit! There would be no way to beat the toughest opponents anymore, unless you put money/invest time in the game till you catch up to their power level. So i don't think they're doing that ever.

Timitock

The target selection was different than normal. My team doesnt change, and the meta is identical teams. Matches are predictable. Something has changed.

Timitock

Come to think of it, I havent noticed that weird pervasive bug lately. Maybe they are making changes behind the scenes.

Alexone

@Timitock That was probably just bad RNG i haven't experienced that. Only the mandatory x dodges and a heaven of a lot of crits. Does this forum also ban the word 'heaven' since you ban the other one? There fixed my post

Timitock

Alexone wrote: »

@Timitock That was probably just bad RNG i haven't experienced that. Only the mandatory x dodges and a hell of a lot of crits.

Oh I had that as well, but not any worse than normal...

thecuriousocelot

Alexone wrote: »

Also have to make a note, if they ever make the AI a lot better and teach it to 'focus fire', most people will just quit! There would be no way to beat the toughest opponents anymore, unless you put money/invest time in the game till you catch up to their power level. So i don't think they're doing that ever.

Hmm not quite... RNG would still have a role to play. But I take your point.

Personally, I love the idea of AI learning how to play by watching zillions of games played by us. Not so that it learns the best moves to win, but so it imitates the most likely move a human would take - including all the stoopid decisions ones

Goose

On more mature shards more and most have "caught" the meta. As others have said all those newly minted and *ed prancing ponies know your defending squad is one opening move stun from GG. Over the last week or so if your shard is anything like mine- there are just that many more of them.

Timitock

Goose wrote: »

On more mature shards more and most have "caught" the meta. As others have said all those newly minted and *ed prancing ponies know your defending squad is one opening move stun from GG. Over the last week or so if your shard is anything like mine- there are just that many more of them.

My defending squad swaps QGJ lead for Luminara lead. I use RNG too.

MoBlaq

Nothing has changed

RNG is still > Skill

ioniancat21

Timitock wrote: »

Same team as always. QGJ(L), Luminara, Yoda, Ahsoka, Eeth

What level/gear/ability level are you characters??? On another note, I'd try to steer clear of all Jedi teams because on my shard they get targeted and beaten on. What I would do is replace Ahsoka and Eeth with GS, Rey, RG, IG86, Initiate or someone else

dreamer05

I'm not having trouble winning, any more so than usual, but what I have noticed is that I get taken down a lot faster. I used to hover between 115-230 or so with my Nightsister team, which I am fine with. But all of the sudden I'm back down to 330 or so and seem to go back down almost as soon as I'm getting up. Not sure if it's luck or if the new level cap may be changing something.

RAYRAY

dreamer05 wrote: »

I'm not having trouble winning, any more so than usual, but what I have noticed is that I get taken down a lot faster. I used to hover between 115-230 or so with my Nightsister team, which I am fine with. But all of the sudden I'm back down to 330 or so and seem to go back down almost as soon as I'm getting up. Not sure if it's luck or if the new level cap may be changing something.

It is probably because more people are playing again because of the level cap increase. Caring about arena is important when you need crystals for refreshes to level faster.

ioniancat21

dreamer05 wrote: »

I'm not having trouble winning, any more so than usual, but what I have noticed is that I get taken down a lot faster. I used to hover between 115-230 or so with my Nightsister team, which I am fine with. But all of the sudden I'm back down to 330 or so and seem to go back down almost as soon as I'm getting up. Not sure if it's luck or if the new level cap may be changing something.

I will say in my experience, doing well in Arena requires the following

• You need to keep your Arena team leveled to your current level, hopefully, that is above Level 70 if you are on an older competitive shard. Letting players on your team get behind in level will make you a target. You also need to ensure that all your characters are 7*, Level 7 or higher Gear and Abilities minimum as well. Your team power total should be at least 27K or higher.
• Use the current meta teams only. Doing unique teams is fun but it will be trouble holding position overnight. Use a Dooku or QGJ Leader for the best results.

NOTE: This will probably all shift this week when the update for the meta change gets added so these rules will maybe only apply for a few more days..

RAYRAY

ioniancat21 wrote: »

dreamer05 wrote: »

I'm not having trouble winning, any more so than usual, but what I have noticed is that I get taken down a lot faster. I used to hover between 115-230 or so with my Nightsister team, which I am fine with. But all of the sudden I'm back down to 330 or so and seem to go back down almost as soon as I'm getting up. Not sure if it's luck or if the new level cap may be changing something.

NOTE: This will probably all shift this week when the update for the meta change gets added so these rules will maybe only apply for a few more days..

God, I hope so.

dreamer05

RAYRAY wrote: »

dreamer05 wrote: »

I'm not having trouble winning, any more so than usual, but what I have noticed is that I get taken down a lot faster. I used to hover between 115-230 or so with my Nightsister team, which I am fine with. But all of the sudden I'm back down to 330 or so and seem to go back down almost as soon as I'm getting up. Not sure if it's luck or if the new level cap may be changing something.

It is probably because more people are playing again because of the level cap increase. Caring about arena is important when you need crystals for refreshes to level faster.

That is probably a big reason, I didn't think of that.

I don't care about arena because I'm not going to force myself to use the meta build just to get rank. I play a team I like and have fun with it.

I do keep them all leveled up, at 73 now, and they are all gear level 8 and 7*.

I bet the influx of people returning is probably having a huge effect on arena.