Frustrated players?
I've been playing this game quite literally since the beginning. As with any game, I've seen features I've liked and disliked and I've seen aspects that were blatant money grabs. I expect things like that to happen with any game. But the one thing that has kept me playing for 10 years is that there seemed to still be a good balance of game play for free-to-play folks. Lately that is not the case.
This new Eras feature is such a blatant money grab. Most players in my guild (which I've been a member of and officer in since guilds came into existence) either rarely spend money or are free-to-play and the chat has been consistently full of frustrated members talking about how the game seems to be fundamentally changing and moving towards a sincere focus on those who spend money. Nobody is enjoying this new Eras gameplay in general and everyone hates that it has become the central focus of the game. We can gear up toons but not earn shards? The only way this could be any more blatant a cash grab is if you actually said “This is a cash grab.” We can't even play the third tier of the new Eras marquee event without spending money or crystals to get the toon to 4 stars. Seriously? The event isn’t even worth it at that point. And right now, if we want to actually use the toons we just spent weeks working on in the last Eras event, where are we supposed to get shards? They aren’t even available anymore. And frankly, the coliseum is boring and the mechanics seem to be constantly changing.
I’ve seen a lot of things come and go in this game, but this has to absolutely be the most disappointing feature I’ve seen in 10 years and the most obvious shift of focus to players that spend money and basically middle finger to those of us that spend little to no money. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of folks mocking me and telling me I’m just whining. I’ve never complained on these forums in the 10 years I’ve been playing. I’ve always loved this game. Say whatever you want, I’m just sad that a game that I have loved so much for so long has become so much less enjoyable because of money. In the end I’m sure I’m shouting into the ether but it would be nice to know if my guild and I are not alone in our feelings about this.
