I will start by admitting that while I've been aware of this upcoming update I haven't been reading details or watching any related YouTube videos. There is every likelihood that I'm missing something (or several things) and it's not like I expect the best way forward to be that obvious immediately so that everyone rushes towards EL95.
However, I agree with the sentiment that in game there is just no sense of a way forward leaving me genuinely wondering if I'm not better off essentially all but skipping the eras (but for the non era rewards on the episode reward tracks) and just settling down for the long wait until the new toons become legacy. So much has come out with so little in game guidance or tutorial.
For me, I had some play store credit and a stash of crystals so as a free trial I threw in for episode pass and mats/currency to get to EL15. I now need some tier II ability mats. Ignoring the option to spend real money the suggestion of where to get the materials are:
All in all I'm struggling to see it being anything other than a painful crawl from here, level by excruciating level. Which leads me back to me wondering if I am genuinely better off avoiding the era (other than farming the legacy rewards from the episode track) and waiting until they finally go legacy to bump to max level. Even gearing them will surely be much less time consuming, thinking about the crystals I've already wasted just to reach EL15. Compare this to what could be achieved with a couple of targeted purchases bearing in mind how much gear I've hoarded as a long term player, excepting only a few classic bottlenecks.
I acknowledge that the new eras don't use the same energy so there's no direct impact on carrying on the rest of the game as normal and playing the eras too. However, at first blush the level of reward for the time spent feels discouragingly miniscule compared with any legacy game mode. I will keep giving it a chance and seeing what I've missed but the biggest let down for me so far is the in game user experience which as per OP falls short of leading people through even very early stages of levelling the new toons.
I have a huge stockpile of gear and credits. Other marquees I've taken immediately to r1 with no trouble.
I gain nothing from playing the colosseum.
Now, if it were fun, and if I had the chance to learn the kits for the toons one toon at a time (focussing only on Luke right now, focussing only on someone else 2 weeks from now) then even though the in-game rewards would be effectively zero, I could at least say I learned something about the toon and how it plays.
But --- not only does it summon all the other toons, but we're stuck playing toons at ability levels we will never use them at in the rest of the game. Learning how to play Stormtrooper Luke at EL5 is like learning to play him at Character Level 20, gear tier 2 or 3, Ability levels 1-2. I mean, that's just laughable. I'm never going to use a toon in the rest of the game like that. So anything I do learn about playing the toon won't transfer.
I agree with you. There's no reason to play this game mode. Even the Relic 10 mats are no reason to play this mode, since a few ppl who spend a lot will monopolize the top 30 spaces, with dolphins taking up at least twice as many more. FtP players will get either 50 or 100 r10 mats, and when someone else is getting 1000, whether you're 900 behind or 950 behind is very little difference.
Sorry, CG, I already hate r10 mats and am already determined not to farm or spend them. Competing against spenders in a nonsensical colosseum that's already no fun isn't my bag. And I'm obviously never going to have enough of them to spend them unless absolutely required for a GL.
So... that's it. No r10 for me. We'll see how long the game remains viable with the spenders getting 20 times or more the r10 mats that devoted but FtP fans of the game can accumulate.
Capital Games TeamCapital Games Team
