I realize that the point of adding crystals to the arena payout likely has to do with "encouraging" people to participate in a game mode that many dislike or find too time consuming (I actually enjoy ships - and realize I am an oddity).
However, the scale is pretty awful. One of the elegant things about fleet arena was that the payout scale was more linear. 1,800 fleet tokens for 1st versus 1,200 for top 200. That allowed players to try different lineups, participate as needed in a node that takes a little longer, etc.
Not only were crystals introduced, but the scaling is actually far WORSE in ship arena versus squad arena, once you move outside the top 10.
At 20 in squad arena, you earn 200 crystals (or 40% of the top payout). In fleet arena you earn only 100 at 20 (or 25% of the top payout). And beyond 20, no crystal reward at all. Even as far down as 100 in squad arena, players could still earn 20% of the top payout.
With this seemingly "small" addition, fleet rewards have been drastically altered from a linear scale, which was fair to all players, to an extremely top heavy (again, even far worse than squad arena) model, which favors only the elite (i.e. whales).
Sadly, for many f2p, guppies and even dolphins, many don't realize how this seemingly small addition only makes it worse for players at those level, making the rich richer over time. A very poor design choice. Extremely disappointing change.
I realize the need to keep the whales happy - but many were just handed 20k crystals. C'mon man.
In game name: Lucas Gregory FORMER PLAYER - - - -"Whale blah grump poooop." - Ouchie
In game guild: TNR Uprising
I beat the REAL T7 Yoda (not the nerfed one) and did so before mods were there to help
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You do, of course, realize that the same "kiss the ring" mentality will/is already happening in fleet, now that there are crystals involved, right?
My fleet arena shard already has a chat, and is basically doing the same thing in fleet arena as is common practice in squad arena. That is, respect players payouts, work together and if you don't, you'll get "knocked and locked". It will be no different in a few weeks. Especially if people feel the need to focus more on ships - which the recent change and addition of capital ship power will do.
In game guild: TNR Uprising
I beat the REAL T7 Yoda (not the nerfed one) and did so before mods were there to help
*This space left intentionally blank*
Never happens on my fleet arena and I'm tens of thousands of power above everyone else. I don't try and make anyone bend the knee or spend considerable crystal for refreshes just to move me, and the second strongest fleet has admitted needing to use crystal refreshes on me. I have spent this entire time with a squad arena ruined by collusion and I'm not about to make everything horrible for everyone else when they try to get their payout. So, no... unless your shard is full of colluding terrible players, no.
I finally agree with you, look at that!
This was an object of my concern as well as soon as I heard the news - good luck being in the top 20 or better. I hang around in 40s20s but never broke rank 20 and I am quite the avid fleet arena player too.
I feel this is going to put emphasis on fleet arena, together with the release of Chimaera (which of course is not coincidental by any stretch), but I agree with the OP - the rewards suck - very disappointing.
All this means is the lucky players that are able to unlock Chimaera (usually p2p) will once again dominate the leader boards and any farming of zetas or any other shard or blueprint for the f2p player will decline drastically.
Just watch and await the threads upon threads of complaints in the future.
@CG_Kozispoon please hear this post. This is a big concern to the f2p community of this game.
Many thanks
Boooo
On my shard, I have the strongest fleet by far. Yet I don't sit there and collude and try and make other players bend the knee or anything. We are respectful and not trying to mess each other up for the most part and it's good fun. Some of us have different payouts and it is a competition, no waiting in line. So those of us stuck on squad arena cartel boss shards are glad to finally have a way to get some crystal at a payout and have a chance to spend on parts we need or refreshes or whatever else. This was a fantastic addition! Well done! The colluding only contributed to an ever widening gap between players so thankfully, we have at least some chance to catch up now.
I *like* ships. I want to do as much with ships as possible. But even I don't want to be bothered doing those extra couple attacks a day for that little increase in payout...
Sounds to me that you don't really *like* ships if you don't want to be bothered doing 3 extra attacks for what you feel is a paltry increase in reward payout. It's ok to not like something that CG puts out, you're allowed to say it.
If rewards are necessary to compel someone to fully participate in the provided content, maybe someone needs to take a look at how to make the content compelling on its own.
Same here. As a now f2p, I have hit top 20 only 3 times since crystals have been introduced. And I've had 7* Executrix for several weeks.
Somehow they have managed to take a game mode that was only marginally playable as it was and make it even less enjoyable.
I actually enjoyed ships when it was first released, but they have done basically nothing to improve it in a year. The only additional ships are locked behind a paywall. The Thrawn Capital ship event hasn't been repeated and the "whales only" top-heavy crystal pay out structure have made it a bore. I honestly don't understand why you would release a game mode only to let it die on the vine and then sabotage it with a poor payout structure.
Hey, but ship hardware is coming "soon".
In game guild: TNR Uprising
I beat the REAL T7 Yoda (not the nerfed one) and did so before mods were there to help
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Since then and not surprisingly, almost 400k power teams have flooded upwards so those days are rare for me now. I'm cool with that.
The payout system would be better if they had crystals, whatever EA/CG seem fit, down to around the 100-200 mark minimum. So many are now taking this aspect seriously so it would be nice if they spread the crystals lower.
Great topic
No, I like ships--But I also like going outside and I like talking to people and I like cooking my own dinner. I don't need to do 5 attacks a day to get my reward, so I don't do all of them and that leaves me with enough time to go have a life.
I think therin less the difference. I'm a launch player. Top 20are almost all 425k+. Most were 7* Chimera the day it dropped. Several have switched to 7* whatever their preference.
In game guild: TNR Uprising
I beat the REAL T7 Yoda (not the nerfed one) and did so before mods were there to help
*This space left intentionally blank*