Solo Arena - Feedback

[Terrasque]

Greetings all,

After much anticipation on my part, Solo Arena has launched. However to my chagrin there is a LVL 30 requirement to participate on S2.

One of my favorite things about Nodiatis has always been freedom of choice when building a character, particularly the over skilling mechanic. To some extent the only thing that prevents you from getting as strong as you want to be at any given thing is patience. I like that.

When I returned to Nodiatis on S2 a couple months ago it was with the goal of getting as strong as possible at as low a level as possible while still being able to PK (you all know its so much fun). I wanted to make it nearly impossible for anyone else to go PK within range of me (I get off on withholding, sue me). Last I played PK minimums were 5, now they're 20. Easy to get over, no big deal.

With Solo Arena minimums at 30 (70 I understand on S1) it seems that more and more there is a push to be at endgame. There is nothing wrong with that, its probably the preference of much of the population but it is a move away from how I remember Nod, the freedom of participation within the game mechanics while playing your Toon however you want is disappearing.

Maybe some of you guys have opinions regarding this? I know mine, I want to stay LVL 20, I want to over skill to LG's, I want to participate in as much as possible.

What do you guys think? Is the system great the way it is? Would lowering the requirement take something away from the rest of the players or would it add to the game?

[Sadoul]

I think lvl 20 would be good

[Glitchless]

It'll probably be 20 soon.

[malc]

Glitch, please consider some sort of alternative for those under level 70 on s1 (30 on s2). While low levels may not be as concerned with Tempers and such, the double exp bonus is quite helpful, and it is unfair to take that away as well as arena itself. My team last season was in top 100, despite all 3 of us being in the low 30s. And the rewards would make every team on s2 automatically get at least 1 TC, which now is not possible, if the minimum is 30.

Maybe a second arena for those under the current required level with no minimum, or at least a level 10-20 min.?

Or, alternatively, some sort of boost to compensate or replicate the double boost.

[Terrasque]

Multiple arena tiers would be neat, potentially with different rewards. The higher more competitive with more valuable rewards seems logical to me as well.

If this is a direction is possible I would love to see the option of participating in any tier regardless of level, incentive for those of us that like to stay low level to try and be competitive with the capped players.

[Darklords]

ok i support and like some aspects of the new system... however i find it that people with limited playing times are going to suffer due to the bonus being stackable till reset and the lack of farming while arening you cannot do them together... which i find a bad idea if i have only 3 hours to nod daily how the hell am i going to rank high enough to even come first within the arenas current setup... if on the other hand i can play 23.59 mins and sleep for 1 min. there is no chance on suppasing me on the rankings... but my main concern is having to choice between arena and farming which sucks

[Davross]

if decay of bonus is small (say 1%), then the time to arena before farming should not be too long (provided arena stays busy). If it is something like 50%, then there will be problems. Took me a couple of hours to get 10%, but that is with a very busy arena. I dont expect it will be like normally though. Hoping rating decay will be small.

Really enjoying what you have done here Glitch. Random faces would be nice though instead of the same ones there. I think lowering the damage bonus time and making 5 min draws has made it more enjoyable as well. Also not losing rating and a fixed win amount, means you reward those that do arena all season and minimize the impact of rush week (those coming in and undoing all the work of the regulars).

[Huggles]

Problems-

You're better off losing quickly and getting in queue again to get wins against easy teams than winning a drawn out fight. This is slightly unfair. (You end up with more rating and more bonus by winning/losing quickly than you do by surviving).

No reward for a draw. If you're going to stick us with 3 level 85s on the other team and level 50s on ours, give us credit for managing to stay alive.

Having level 50s on your team. They have no chance of having a positive impact for the team. Essentially if you have a low level on your team you end up starting 3v2 or 3v1.

Decay- it will take hours of fighting just to get a 10% bonus, especially when queue slows down as we know it will.

Communication- hide the names but at least let us talk to our teammates to say which enemy to attack or basic strategy. And just ban anyone who is being an ass in /g chat during arena.

Good things-

Fast queue. We spend more time fighting than waiting.
Rating system (aside from tanks getting screwed). Nice that people who arena all season benefit.

[Enduir]

I'm happy enough to receive no rating from a draw but at least count it towards the drop chance calcs. As is, draws don't compile into win/lose stats therefore don't count as a fight, even though a 5-min combat is the most fighting a plarper can do. This seems unfair to me.

[Blaze]

top tanks draw a lot. billy and aesonicus got dozens of draws

[yerg]

Im being queued for over 1.5h and still not drawed to arena fight. But that prolly has something in common with people online. Pain is that my double drop chance bonus stays at place by that time. Also:

* double drop chance is not rounded. Should be rounded to at most 3rd place after colon, just for esthetic reasons

* dun kno if fixed, but yesterday chat was schowing names of those teammates, that dies before me - maybe its not the way it should work: it was supposed to be fully anonymous

* dun kno if fixed, but info about PK status is sometimes appearing on chat, that may be used - with those names appearing - to predict whose PK, especially at Newgrouds where are not much players

* Another esthetic thing - "Anonymouspvp" is name out of game atmosphere ("nie klimatyczny" in Polish) and quite destroys feeling of playing Nod, saving the princess. Would really enjoy name more like "The Arena Gladiator" or smth.

I really enjoyed yesterdays rage-fast-queues. It was insane! Both with bonus staying till reset, it's great to start game by mantaining arena for few matches and than team for group farm. But im concerned about ppl getting most from Acc+DblAcc - those playing a little daily or per few days. If sb has not much time for game and visits it from time to time, hes automatically out of arena if he wants to burn his rrt at first place. Maybe that double drop chance should grow a little bit quicker at first few fights...


Whats MAX dbl drop chance?


PS: Thumb UP for saving Terrasques arena ability.

[Pearllife]

My major issue with this new arena is i cannot have my arena bonus on my all my toons and have time to actually farm. This maybe okay for people with 1 or 2 toons and no job but I have a Job and a real life. I want to come home after work and play the game i like with all the bonus I can and it not feel like another job.

[jadedsoul]

great fast fights total randomness....however.... the winner will be whoever has the most time to play in arena with a decent toon. due to the fact of no rating lost.
But my bigger problem is the 100 fights it takes to get the 10% bonus old arena offered. you must spend several hours in solo arena when you first start playing to get this, then go farming. i have limited hours which i can play the game and 5 prem toons it does not allow me the time to get my 10% and farm off my rrt so i have lost out on the arena bonus . just my 2 cents thanks for listening.

[Enduir]

Some of us with jobs and lives are enjoying it just fine. This format actually suits me much better since my job and real life aren't preventing my team from queuing. I guarantee this will be my most active season ever. Just my 2 farthings.

[Pearllife]

Enduir how many paid toons you play? that is the difference... it is not that i do not like the solo arena, my issue is with the amount of decay to the bonus everyday.

[Enduir]

I play two premmy toons in my limited RL time. If you're running five you probably have more free time than I do. That said, I remember back when a tank toon was literally unable to farm and arena at the same time because runes had to be changed manually, so I know how frustrating it can be.

Personally I think the rating decay is too much also, but I don't arena for the bonus so it's not an issue for me. I think Glitch is pushing for a very active season so I'd be surprised if it was changed much if at all.

Still no harm in asking, I support bonus decay nerf.

[Ballrog]

Limited real life playing time + can not open two or more Nod. windows = can not participate in Arena.

Limited activity on S2 = longer queue waits then server 1 = not enough real life time to queue.

Too many fights needed to get the old formats 10% chance of double drops = too much irl time needed to get what we had before (and should have every Arena season).

My post from another thread:
Feb. 1st, 2015:

Originally Posted by Ballrog

Two Arena queues to enter: One, as before, with your group, and a second as an individual.

gl

I think it is great, Glitch, that you wanted to try something different for Arena. Unfortunately, you mostly ignored all the suggestions over the years and came up with this format.

More feedback to come when i have more time.

ty

[Blaze]

Caps get stuck with two low levels vs 3 caps a lot. An average level system for matches so it would instead be 2 caps and 1 low level on each team would be nice so there is a small amount of balance