1.7.1 Content Update (57237)

[lilbyrdie]

Keep in mind that your pro team at Swamps/Sewers/anywhere else is an extremely small minority; I'd bet that nearly 95% of low-leveled characters at higher-leveled campaigns are first-time players that shouldn't be there, or don't even know where to go so they decide to just pick a random campaign to join. I for one think the minimum level to join campaigns is a great idea since it does push players into playing areas that they're supposed to.

The other option to combat power-levelers and/or "noobs without direction" is to only restrict XP in each campaign to a certain level limit but keep the campaign open for everyone (like if the recommended level was 35-40, then levels 33 to 43 would receive XP). I can see this as a viable option to those who want to experience a challenge like yourself, and also to combat power-leveling and leading noobs to the right area to level.

Agreed. This is actually one change I think I've mentioned in other posts. I'm happy for it. Should improve the game for everyone, whether they realize it or not yet.

As for those looking for a challenge of seeing if their Lvl 1 twink can solo the sewers... well, a simple enough change would be to check the max level on the account rather than the player. That way we'd also know that if we saw a level 30 in a 50 zone that they also had a 50+ around and might actually know how to play.

Disabling XP on the lower end in combination of that would keep the [players] skill level somewhat in line with the zone while still preventing power leveling in the high areas. (Though, there is nothing stopping power leveling on lower levels. High levels can still join low level areas and race folks through. Doing that, the low level might even get items suited to their level!)

[lilbyrdie]

Also appears the Founders Helm is now available to people who joined 6months ago...

Is there a join date in game anywhere? No idea when I joined. Forum join came long after I started playing casually.

[MaxxSteele]

I purchased the "main spine" content and I didn't recieve a shield. I checked my stash and the inventory of both of my characters. Please help

[xantor]

Ok first i wad just ticked off but now i am totally pissed off!!!!...the ones that bought the campaigns in the last 3 days get their plat back but those of us that have bought them long ago get a crappy no good shield!!!!!! I went out on a limb with this game buying stages and wut not with real money and this is the thanks i get or should i say we get !!!! Good job on looking out for the ones that made your game what it is!!!!!!!!!......space time studios u can take ur sorry shield of gratitude and shove it!!!! Or better yet why not give it for free to new players too!!!!!!!

[kallima]

oops, already done it earlier.....

Also appears the Founders Helm is now available to people who joined 6months ago... see http://www.spacetimestudios.com/show...Founder-s-Helm

LOL, and AWESOME about the helms!!!! ****backflip and blows kisses to the devs***

[Kalielle]

Keep in mind that your pro team at Swamps/Sewers/anywhere else is an extremely small minority; I'd bet that nearly 95% of low-leveled characters at higher-leveled campaigns are first-time players that shouldn't be there, or don't even know where to go so they decide to just pick a random campaign to join. I for one think the minimum level to join campaigns is a great idea since it does push players into playing areas that they're supposed to.

I see what you mean but I'm going to disagree on this one. I think the game is very easy right now and for new players who are nevertheless reasonably good, moving on to campaigns a bit above their level is a good learning experience. A game that's too easy can also lead to bad players, and sometimes I think that's why some new tanks in BS have no idea to spam pots or gather mobs - they've never had to because the lower level maps are such a breeze.

For instance, I saw a random group of mostly <40ish people run into the Sobek room in AO2 with no particular strategy in mind and just rambo through him and the 2 djinns without much difficulty. That's a prime example of how a map that's too easy can fail to teach you anything. That boss used to wipe whole teams of 45s. You had to know exactly where to stand to pull him out and away from the djins, and then the tank had to do his best to keep his attention and even then he would often kill mages with his aoe. I was on my tank and would have known how to pull him perfectly, since I had practiced it so many times at the 45 cap - but as it stood my services were not needed and probably never will be in that map again. Then you wonder why some bears in BS can't tank...

Anyway, point is as the game stands now, I see nothing wrong if people go a few campaigns above their level. And I wish they'd leave the earn XP option in place too. Even for me, yes I do it for the challenge but gaining XP gives me a progress bar to look at, even if it's on a twink that I'm not really planning to do anything with. Makes no sense but that's how the human brain works.

Also, I wish they would at least test the theory that making the maps free would lead people to choose wildly inappropriate areas. Some people are saying that's what would happen, others are saying there's no incentive for people to skip campaigns now so we'd see less rather than more power leveling. So how about removing the level requirement for now and seeing what happens?

And if it does become a problem, there could be ways of dealing with it that don't take that much freedom away, like implementing vote booting for public map instances, or just giving a random level-appropriate player in the group the boot power, etc.

[cynic]

it is a bit unfair to the new players yes lol give them the shield as well or give me the change to give mine
can some one tell me what to do with that shield? i cant use it and its not that good looking!

it seems a bit unfair all these changes, giving away maps for free, elixers thats cost to much man i thought this ended with the gcd.
this is a bit to much changes in one game.

[azulflame]

NOTE: As a special thank you to players who have been with us from the very beginning (accounts started from April through June), look for an exclusive “Founders Helm” coming later today. We know we couldn’t have made it so far without the help of our early adopters!

NOT FAIR! I DIDN'T GET MY PHONE TILL CHRISTMAS! even though I downloaded the game less than two hours after i got my phone (connection issues and no wifi), I still don't get the crown?!?!? NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!

and plat for elixers? no offence, but ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!? you just lost pretty much all elixer use.

but other than that, I agree with the rest of the changes

[Moogerfooger]

Ok first i wad just ticked off but now i am totally pissed off!!!!...the ones that bought the campaigns in the last 3 days get their plat back but those of us that have bought them long ago get a crappy no good shield!!!!!! I went out on a limb with this game buying stages and wut not with real money and this is the thanks i get or should i say we get !!!! Good job on looking out for the ones that made your game what it is!!!!!!!!!......space time studios u can take ur sorry shield of gratitude and shove it!!!! Or better yet why not give it for free to new players too!!!!!!!

Nice rant dude. There is a way to voice feedback without throwing a temper tantrum. You didn't even know that shield existed until today, they didn't have to give it to you at all. It was just an added FREE bonus as a 'thanks'. You paid for the levels and probably used them anyway, they never promised you a bonus shield for buying all the levels in the first place. Most game companies would have give you NADA to begin with.

[cynic]

I purchased the "main spine" content and I didn't recieve a shield. I checked my stash and the inventory of both of my characters. Please help

i give u mine if i could

[pwnpear]

DEVS! I bought all of the maps except Fathom Crypt, and now youre saying not only do i not get the shield, but i also dont get a refund for any of it?? you should let the players like me at least buy the last campagn! I spent lots of money on those campaigns and now youre giving it away for free! i dont feel any gratitude right now...GIMME SOMETHING AT LEAST

[Genes]

2 thumbs down for exlixirs with plats ONLY. Sorry devs, Big boo for this.

Players will get bored with their mains and move on to their alternate an want to level up with the least fuss possible. This move will probably deter people from playing their alternates which should have been another source of your platinums income (inventory slots, face change, auction slots, emotes etc). This game is becoming expensive to be enjoyable.

[xantor]

Yes i know they give a shield as a thx...a crappy thx...i know they didn't promise a bonus shield for buying them but they also didn't promise to give levels away for free either so now i'm left with a crappy back handed thank u and new players get to keep or not even need plat...yea thx again for the 45 plat shield sps u can shove it!!!!!!

[Genes]

Omg, I can't run CTK with my friends on my lv30-40ish bear now? Even if they invited me? Wow, sorry devs, you've got a double BOO from me. Please make this do-able regardless of lv and restrict it to invites only through friends. If anyone thinks the low level players are a pest in your runs, the lv cap check box is sufficient to remove them from your games.

My lady and I have went through without power leveling on our main to 56, now we can't complement each other anymore... Sad day for me and wifey... Guess the plats that We were preparing to buy for new inventory slots and emotes will be put on reserves. As working adults, we just do not have time to slowly go through the levels again on our alternates.

I hope you can find a compromise to kids who have all the time in the world to play PL as well as working professionals that needs to work for bread and butter. Angry birds would be a good case study.

[choco]

this update wasn't such a good idea guys. despite all the childish rants that have preceded this post, i understand all the animosity. within the last few weeks, u have completely revamped the gameplay as well as turn over ur profit model.....much to the chagrin of ur players.

if i find an app i like, i donate to the devs so they continue making it better....which normally occurs after updates. if at any point in time i do not like the direction the app has moved, i stop donating and move on to another. sorry to say that this just put a big halt on my next plat purchase. being that it is now only useful for vanity items and elixirs (which are not required), i see no reason to purchase plat anymore.

u need to find the happy medium between managing ur veteran players and pleasing the new players. wholesale changes to the pricing structure at this point are a bit misguided....

[Raazesk]

Xantor: Wow, calm done, man. I can understand your sorrows, but try to be mature about it. No need to be nasty.

Pocket Legends: Happy birthday! Great update, although I am a bit upset that all of the campaigns are free now. But that doesn't matter because I'm just happy to have helped a good cause! Keep up the good work STS!

[giayuan]

Everything is awesome! Though for elixirs.. please PLEASE make them gold again.. T__T horrible...

[Vallist]

what's with the weird post format?

[kiitz]

I'll mention a little bit of what I said in chat,

There are people out there who will be willing to spend plat on elixirs, but it will solely depend on how it is packaged.

As an example, imagine running SC with a group that all has a persistant dumpster elixir that lasts for one or two hours.

This, except BS maps instead of SC maps, so the drops actually matter and chain clearing them for an extended period of time will result in better results.

This would actually make STS a fair amount of money from the hardcore players I think. I don't know about you, but I assume most of you guys who play multiple hours a day end up finding yourself in a good group with friends that chain "rmk" for dozens of runs. Imagine getting your core group and everyone agreeing to full or damage pot and play hard for the entire duration of the elixirs. If the "platinum spent to reward/bonus" ratio were worth it, I am sure I would go out and buy another large pack of platinum just to do those runs.

Like Drew mentioned, I think it really depends on the package. If its a good reward to cost ratio, like 2 hours of elixir for like 20 plat, then you will see a LOT of people running with it. If its more expensive like 2 hours for 50 plat, or perhaps 30 minutes for 20 plat, then you won't see nearly as many people with it on.

From a money making perspective, if they made it like 20 plat for 2 hours (or less) I think they will start raking in money from people who consistently run elixirs. Imagine a group of 5 who burn 20 plat every 2 hours at least a few times a week when they set up these "sewer marathons". They'd make a lot more than the maybe 200 plat I've spent on unlocking the maps and a name change (those are freakin' expensive btw), and a few luxury items or low level item packs.

The tough part would be balancing just how "OP" the people using the elixirs would be when compared to those who don't want to or have the money to spend. If they create too big of a divide between the "haves" and "have nots" then the "have nots" will all just quit and the whole game will deteriorate.

I think there is a lot of potential here, it really just comes down to how they implement it!

[RueMorgue]

Ok. Aliens oasis used to be an oasis to get away from noobs.....not anymore, I can live with it though. The elixer for plat= not good. Love the trinkits like grat shield and antenna I got today. REALLY REALLY IN LOVE WITH MEGA COMBOS!!! Not mad about main spine being free now. Decorations are ok, but reminds me of a USED CAR DEALERSHIP! Lol. Jk. Hope elixer controversy gets resolved. Appreciate all efforts....

RueMorgue: warrior 55
Furyfeathers: archer 55