I didnt mind them until the stuff we got back from dismantled ones has dropped off. Now I barely bother, seems many around my level are the same so not having them isn't exactly bad.
They have transformed swgoh into quite a p2w fest at the higher ranks.
---
To answer OPs question from a top end players perspective:
I don't like them in their current design state (stats often scaling way too high; weighted odds of getting stats/mechanics) but they're a neccessary thing to farm and build up to stay competetive, at least in TW. The good thing about them is that they're changing up the meta with each set.
Honestly, I hated them at first but I'm coming around now. They really bring some change to established patterns and their economy is mostly self-contained (with boosts available if you really want it fast) so they don't take away from the rest of the game. Of course, that might be mostly because I'm doing well in conquest, someone who can't reach red crate and have some energy left for datacron farming might have a different experience.
I very much didn't care for them at first - I've warmed to them in the last 6ish months. When they dropped the relic requirements down it made them much more accessible. It never felt like a reasonable proposition to bring certain characters to R5/R7 just to use them - R3/R5 is much more palatable and I don't mind that quite so much. Since the benefits are more accessible, I've actually started farming datacron mats in conquest to try to get specific L6/L9 rolls. I don't mind engaging with them at this point. I appreciate that they bring some characters into relevancy that otherwise might not get a chance to shine. I still only end up with two or three L9s from each set but generally that's all I feel like I need. If mats and re-roll mats were more abundant I would definitely engage more but I've already got enough resources to manage that I don't want to go out of my way.
So sure - I like them - mostly. Insane defense/health/dodge numbers really just generate frustration and make battles less fun so I'm not a huge fan of that. I'd be perfectly happy if they slashed all the possible stat rolls in half on every set. The transient nature of datacrons is both the best and worst thing about them. I would still love to see some new permanent boosts come along - not a new relic level - those invariably come with guild GP gates which I hate, but something new to work towards that moves the needle for my roster. Datacrons don't give me any satisfaction with regard to that due to their limited usability. The game mode specific stuff like omicrons and datacrons is fine but in the big picture it feels like so little return for so much investment.
F2P since the last time I bought Kyros, Crystals, or the Conquest Pass.
Hate them. They're temporary. No mercy system on re-rolls, so even with substantial resources investment, you may get useless trash. Tangential complaint, but no sandbox to test, so they're often gone by the time I really get the hang of them.
Others may like how it shakes up the meta. I do not. I like refining and perfecting counters. DCs make the landscape too volatile for that.
On the bright side, I spend way less time on the game as a result.
I dont mind them, and if other players hate them to the point where they won’t use them then I’m glad for the boost to me in comparison.
Biggest thing for me was when they dropped the reqs by two relic levels. That made them massively more accessible. I’ve taken a few toons to r5, or teams to at least r3, in order to get the best from them in the last few months.
Account started June 2020. 100% FTP. 8.2m GP. JMK, JML, SLKR, and SEE. Exe and Levi. Ally code 117-269-921. Swgoh.gg
I like them. Initially liked the concept, but wasn't a huge fan at first. Since making it easier to get them and lowering the relic requirements though, I quite enjoy them.
Like others I find them much better with the drop to r3/r5 requirements. I often didn't find it worth it to L6 or L9 a datacron before. now I have 6 or 7 L9s.
On the other hand, I think it was silly to split out PhysAcc from SpecAcc. Accuracy just isn't a good enough stat to halve its value. The Phys and Spec penetration stats also probably shouldn't be split out, though that bothers me less than the Acc.
Like others I find them much better with the drop to r3/r5 requirements. I often didn't find it worth it to L6 or L9 a datacron before. now I have 6 or 7 L9s.
On the other hand, I think it was silly to split out PhysAcc from SpecAcc. Accuracy just isn't a good enough stat to halve its value. The Phys and Spec penetration stats also probably shouldn't be split out, though that bothers me less than the Acc.
I actually prefer these sets: good, meaningful character/faction bonuses with barely noticeable stats. The opposite is much more annoying.
This is no longer Galaxy of Heroes, it is Galaxy of Datacrons. CG's priority is to pump out new datacrons for us to RENT for four months at a time that destroy, or overpower our rosters. They don't understand balance, so they just throw some stuff together on a datacron and release it. If it is bugged, "ah well, it'll be gone in four months." If it is useless, "ah well, it'll be gone in four months." If it is overpowered, "ah well, it'll be gone in four months."
Not that they say that anymore because they have an apparent gag order to not discuss datacrons other than, "here's your next rental! shut up and spend money!"
And I'm guessing the next set will be for Mandalorians to make the new crews obscene so you'll want to spend time, money, and resources to get the new mandalorians. ("Hey everyone! Here's a new character that we're releasing to go with the new set of datacrons we're releasing! This character will be awesome for four whole months! Don't miss out!)
There's nothing wrong with theorycrafting, but datacrons don't help theorycrafting, they just help with impenetrable walls or false hope. "Oh look at that, I should be able to beat that team with my Galactic Legend! Wait, why did my GL just die and I didn't take out one character from that other team?" "Oh, they have a datacron that makes them invincible to everything but a countering datacron. Yay...."
I actually prefer these sets: good, meaningful character/faction bonuses with barely noticeable stats. The opposite is much more annoying.
I can see why the opposite would be much more annoying, but just for curiosity's sake, do you think that a single accuracy stat instead of splitting that stat into two would have unbalanced the crons enough to make them annoying again?
I don't I think they created a balance problem in the game which is quite funny when I think back to the prior year which was the "great nerf year" where their reasoning for nerfing a bunch of top tier characters was to "keep the game balanced" then a year later drop the most unbalanced thing the game saw. Seriously funny how that works out ay 🤣
I actually prefer these sets: good, meaningful character/faction bonuses with barely noticeable stats. The opposite is much more annoying.
I can see why the opposite would be much more annoying, but just for curiosity's sake, do you think that a single accuracy stat instead of splitting that stat into two would have unbalanced the crons enough to make them annoying again?
Stat boost should never be sperated out like that, heck the stats themselves should be seperated out since they mostly went away from what looks like the orginial intention of having them seperate.
I appreciate seasonality they may provide, but I don’t think the developers are competent enough to balance them properly, unfortunately. Minor shifts in the meta because a squad is marginally stronger is one thing, but the way some datacrons and stats are so very impactful while others are virtually worthless is a bummer.
For large accounts I like them since they rotate the pvp meta.
As your acount grows, the pvp meta in gac and tw is constantly changing because each opponent has a differnt set of GLs and geared teams. This guy has Rey, SLKR, LV while this gal has Jabba, Leia, JMK, and JML. And your own counters and defense change as you add and improve teams.
Once your account is big enough to have all the teams, then every PvP match plays out 90+% the same. Rey is always countered with SK, Jabba by JMK, LV by SLKR, and so on. DCs change that each month, which is keeping PvP fresh for people with big accounts who enjoy PvP.
I appreciate seasonality they may provide, but I don’t think the developers are competent enough to balance them properly, unfortunately. Minor shifts in the meta because a squad is marginally stronger is one thing, but the way some datacrons and stats are so very impactful while others are virtually worthless is a bummer.
They're not SUPPOSED to be balanced. That's literally the whole point of them - to unbalance the meta temporarily. That's not incompetence - that's very deliberate and intentional, and they perform that function very well. Nearly every one of your posts calls the devs incompetent - one has to wonder why you stick around if you think they're so bad at making a game. Actions speak louder than words - and considering you're still here, that tells me that they must be at least good enough at their jobs to keep even extremely cynycal players such as yourself coming back for more.
F2P since the last time I bought Kyros, Crystals, or the Conquest Pass.
For large accounts I like them since they rotate the pvp meta.
As your acount grows, the pvp meta in gac and tw is constantly changing because each opponent has a differnt set of GLs and geared teams. This guy has Rey, SLKR, LV while this gal has Jabba, Leia, JMK, and JML. And your own counters and defense change as you add and improve teams.
Once your account is big enough to have all the teams, then every PvP match plays out 90+% the same. Rey is always countered with SK, Jabba by JMK, LV by SLKR, and so on. DCs change that each month, which is keeping PvP fresh for people with big accounts who enjoy PvP.
You're entitled to your opinion, but on behalf of myself and many other K1 players in my guild, no, DCs are not "keeping PvP fresh" for us.
This game was exceptionally stale prior to datacrons coming out. In GAC the fights were the same, week in and week out. There was no variance, no changes, just "do you have this team" then "are your mods good enough to do what it should?" That was it. Every board was the same, every fight was the same, nothing changed. New units might mix it up slightly, but with that method you would merely shift one team out and add one new team with the other 12 fights remaining the exact same
With datacrons that all changed drastically. Suddenly with a high defense cron or a good level 9 a team that you would leave on the bench usually could become a defensive or offensive powerhouse. The gameplay shook up very drastically when datacrons were factored into the equation
So if you were a person who liked theory crafting or were really into trying different things, datacrons were a godsend. If on the other hand you were a "going through the motions" player, as in you just liked doing the same thing over and over again like an MMO player, then you likely didn't like datacrons at all. Also if you were more of a mid or early game player then datacrons might throw a massive wrench in to your gameplay. In that case you might not be high enough to farm them appropriately or at all, which means if you're facing someone who could then you were at a bigger disadvantage than without them
Overall I think for those of us at the top who have been playing for years and years datacrons were a great addition to the game which reinvigorated it in a lot of ways. You can complain about how long they are active or how they are farmed, but ultimately overall I think they are great. I really don't spend much money in this game but I get plenty of datacrons thanks to the way Conquest is designed now. Early on it wasn't that easy, and the people who spent had a much easier time getting them. I believe they've definitely fixed that now as like I said, I get plenty of them without spending cash
I actually prefer these sets: good, meaningful character/faction bonuses with barely noticeable stats. The opposite is much more annoying.
I can see why the opposite would be much more annoying, but just for curiosity's sake, do you think that a single accuracy stat instead of splitting that stat into two would have unbalanced the crons enough to make them annoying again?
Stat boost should never be sperated out like that, heck the stats themselves should be seperated out since they mostly went away from what looks like the orginial intention of having them seperate.
Please clarify. I have no idea what you just said.
I appreciate seasonality they may provide, but I don’t think the developers are competent enough to balance them properly, unfortunately. Minor shifts in the meta because a squad is marginally stronger is one thing, but the way some datacrons and stats are so very impactful while others are virtually worthless is a bummer.
They're not SUPPOSED to be balanced. That's literally the whole point of them - to unbalance the meta temporarily. That's not incompetence - that's very deliberate and intentional, and they perform that function very well. Nearly every one of your posts calls the devs incompetent - one has to wonder why you stick around if you think they're so bad at making a game. Actions speak louder than words - and considering you're still here, that tells me that they must be at least good enough at their jobs to keep even extremely cynycal players such as yourself coming back for more.
I call developers incompetent because they are. I play the game because I enjoy it enough to play it. The two aren’t remotely mutually exclusive, and I’ve no idea why you’re insinuating that they are.
Is anyone else seriously annoyed with the seemingly arbitrary ordering of the in the inventory, and the complete lack of left/right arrows once you select one? Possibly the worst piece of UI design in the game.
As for the use of them, I like the idea of them (that you temporarily switch up the meta to keep things feeling fresh), but it the grind needed by those who really push for them is terrible. At my level (~8M) they are essentially irrelevant and I've basically never seen anyone chase through to L9 for any of them
Replies
They have transformed swgoh into quite a p2w fest at the higher ranks.
---
To answer OPs question from a top end players perspective:
I don't like them in their current design state (stats often scaling way too high; weighted odds of getting stats/mechanics) but they're a neccessary thing to farm and build up to stay competetive, at least in TW. The good thing about them is that they're changing up the meta with each set.
So sure - I like them - mostly. Insane defense/health/dodge numbers really just generate frustration and make battles less fun so I'm not a huge fan of that. I'd be perfectly happy if they slashed all the possible stat rolls in half on every set. The transient nature of datacrons is both the best and worst thing about them. I would still love to see some new permanent boosts come along - not a new relic level - those invariably come with guild GP gates which I hate, but something new to work towards that moves the needle for my roster. Datacrons don't give me any satisfaction with regard to that due to their limited usability. The game mode specific stuff like omicrons and datacrons is fine but in the big picture it feels like so little return for so much investment.
Others may like how it shakes up the meta. I do not. I like refining and perfecting counters. DCs make the landscape too volatile for that.
On the bright side, I spend way less time on the game as a result.
Biggest thing for me was when they dropped the reqs by two relic levels. That made them massively more accessible. I’ve taken a few toons to r5, or teams to at least r3, in order to get the best from them in the last few months.
On the other hand, I think it was silly to split out PhysAcc from SpecAcc. Accuracy just isn't a good enough stat to halve its value. The Phys and Spec penetration stats also probably shouldn't be split out, though that bothers me less than the Acc.
I actually prefer these sets: good, meaningful character/faction bonuses with barely noticeable stats. The opposite is much more annoying.
Not that they say that anymore because they have an apparent gag order to not discuss datacrons other than, "here's your next rental! shut up and spend money!"
And I'm guessing the next set will be for Mandalorians to make the new crews obscene so you'll want to spend time, money, and resources to get the new mandalorians. ("Hey everyone! Here's a new character that we're releasing to go with the new set of datacrons we're releasing! This character will be awesome for four whole months! Don't miss out!)
There's nothing wrong with theorycrafting, but datacrons don't help theorycrafting, they just help with impenetrable walls or false hope. "Oh look at that, I should be able to beat that team with my Galactic Legend! Wait, why did my GL just die and I didn't take out one character from that other team?" "Oh, they have a datacron that makes them invincible to everything but a countering datacron. Yay...."
I can see why the opposite would be much more annoying, but just for curiosity's sake, do you think that a single accuracy stat instead of splitting that stat into two would have unbalanced the crons enough to make them annoying again?
Stat boost should never be sperated out like that, heck the stats themselves should be seperated out since they mostly went away from what looks like the orginial intention of having them seperate.
As your acount grows, the pvp meta in gac and tw is constantly changing because each opponent has a differnt set of GLs and geared teams. This guy has Rey, SLKR, LV while this gal has Jabba, Leia, JMK, and JML. And your own counters and defense change as you add and improve teams.
Once your account is big enough to have all the teams, then every PvP match plays out 90+% the same. Rey is always countered with SK, Jabba by JMK, LV by SLKR, and so on. DCs change that each month, which is keeping PvP fresh for people with big accounts who enjoy PvP.
They're not SUPPOSED to be balanced. That's literally the whole point of them - to unbalance the meta temporarily. That's not incompetence - that's very deliberate and intentional, and they perform that function very well. Nearly every one of your posts calls the devs incompetent - one has to wonder why you stick around if you think they're so bad at making a game. Actions speak louder than words - and considering you're still here, that tells me that they must be at least good enough at their jobs to keep even extremely cynycal players such as yourself coming back for more.
You're entitled to your opinion, but on behalf of myself and many other K1 players in my guild, no, DCs are not "keeping PvP fresh" for us.
the game is no longer about having a great roster, it's swgoh 2 and dcs are the main attraction.
With datacrons that all changed drastically. Suddenly with a high defense cron or a good level 9 a team that you would leave on the bench usually could become a defensive or offensive powerhouse. The gameplay shook up very drastically when datacrons were factored into the equation
So if you were a person who liked theory crafting or were really into trying different things, datacrons were a godsend. If on the other hand you were a "going through the motions" player, as in you just liked doing the same thing over and over again like an MMO player, then you likely didn't like datacrons at all. Also if you were more of a mid or early game player then datacrons might throw a massive wrench in to your gameplay. In that case you might not be high enough to farm them appropriately or at all, which means if you're facing someone who could then you were at a bigger disadvantage than without them
Overall I think for those of us at the top who have been playing for years and years datacrons were a great addition to the game which reinvigorated it in a lot of ways. You can complain about how long they are active or how they are farmed, but ultimately overall I think they are great. I really don't spend much money in this game but I get plenty of datacrons thanks to the way Conquest is designed now. Early on it wasn't that easy, and the people who spent had a much easier time getting them. I believe they've definitely fixed that now as like I said, I get plenty of them without spending cash
Please clarify. I have no idea what you just said.
I call developers incompetent because they are. I play the game because I enjoy it enough to play it. The two aren’t remotely mutually exclusive, and I’ve no idea why you’re insinuating that they are.
As for the use of them, I like the idea of them (that you temporarily switch up the meta to keep things feeling fresh), but it the grind needed by those who really push for them is terrible. At my level (~8M) they are essentially irrelevant and I've basically never seen anyone chase through to L9 for any of them