General Feedback: Datacrons and Playtime

I think datacrons are becoming a waste of resources. They are a temporary buff vs I can use my resources such as hoarding crystals for improving/farming new teams. Datacrons are also random stats and the buffs for certain ones are waaayyyyy better. I just gave up a match bc I have nothing that can counter this current round and I'm tired of the luck draw on them is like gambling. I will still farm them when conquest is around but only until feats are completed and I can save at the very least 300 crystals to improve my roster permanently.

My radical suggestion is to merge both TBs into one 2-week long event, and run it when Conquest isn't running. Simply double the time limit of phases (48h phases instead of 24h), double the loot payout (combine loot from 2 TBs into 1) and have TB run for 2 weeks of the month, while the other 2 weeks would be Conquest. 

Decoupling TB and Conquest from each other would eliminate Hell Week and on any day of the month players have either TB or Conquest + one or more of other events (GCs, raids, GAC, TW). 

There are more than 2 TBs.

Different guilds operate at different powers. Merging the TBs would take away smaller guilds’ ability to compete in them.

Edit: unless you’re just talking about the light/dark variants for Hoth and Geonosis separately, in which case disregard this

I agree with everything that you said.   I will just add a different way of looking at over powered data crons.    These things are a time savings / quality of life improvement.   You fight one battle and if you lose, it is over, and there is no reason to proceed.   If you win, you keep going.    For times, that you and your opponent both win / lose, then it is kind of a normal situation of back and forth.   Those are pretty rare though.   I know it feels really weird and it is a shame that CG designed the game this way.

wyldemanuofm wrote:

DATACRONS

Observations:

I'm unsure it's the 'stats' as such that you dislike.  Seems to me that you're happy with offensive datacrons, but not happy when a defensive datacron is unbeatable.

I'm unsure that's fair, but I can relate to that.   The feeling of full clearing (in GAC), but losing is a lot better than facing a team you can do nothing about.  I'd go as far to say as, I sometimes feel a lot better with a full clear loss, than a scrapping around for points in a messy win.

wyldemanuofm wrote:

Reduce the stats, but bake more overall power into the level 3, 6, 9, etc.

I guess this would produce a lot less 'random' and would remove a lot of the 're-rolling', which is associated with 'P2W'.  However, with that in mind, that sounds like you'd remove some income for CG.  I'm still unsure though as to whether this would yield the results you're looking to get.

wyldemanuofm wrote:

The Hoda cron obviously meant for JML should give the most benefit with JML, not with JMK

Well, hopefully this sort of cron is a thing of the past.  The newest FDC batch doesn't have anything as horrid as the hodo or fangy rey cron.  Maybe CG learnt a lesson there?   Hopefully, we won't see anymore of these FDCs that buff any GLs considerably.  Especially, when it means taking a GL like SLKR an offensive stalwart and put him on defence, because it maybe unbeatable.  

That current trend you've hinted at the very high end of Kyber is really depressing.  Thankfully, we're nearing the end of 3v3, where these crons have the most effect.

wyldemanuofm wrote:

PLAYTIME

Observations:

Overall, I think this is a fair suggestion.  I think there are definitely some considerations already.  E.g. separating GAC/Conquest time (on the most part).   The TB that starts at the same time as Conquest......... and repeating all those PvE battles...........really burns me out.  I'm unsure having more time to do TB (TB being an example where stages could go to 3 days) would really help me.

pjtqhkzyb0a2 wrote:

I think datacrons are becoming a waste of resources.

This is an interesting comment.  I wonder if you're 'hyperbolling?'    If anything, datcrons have become less of a waste of resources.  You can now farm materials for datacrons on the extra nodes of Conquest and FDCs have decreased in costs.

That said, I do worry about how much of my resources (crystals) I waste on farming datacrons.  It's extremely difficult to know whether they're in anyway worth the investment, not just in what you get back, but in the game's fun factor.   Would I enjoy the game less, if I was lower in GAC?

I guess, a waste of resources is personal to each of us.  It's always on my mind.  I know I spend too many crystals on them.

pjtqhkzyb0a2 wrote:

I can save at the very least 300 crystals to improve my roster permanently.

Hmmm, one issue is that we're finding is GAC isn't growing but our rosters are getting very large.  It seems like a crazy idea a few years ago that you'd finish a GAC and have so many powerful teams left.  I guess there are uses for them and CG is pushing us more and more to collect the new and shiny stuff.  I still think though, especially if PvP is important to you, that there isn't a clear line in farming datacrons being a waste and improving your roster being better for your account, in the long run.  It's tricky.

ZanirN7S wrote:

My radical suggestion is to merge both TBs into one 2-week long event, and run it when Conquest isn't running. Simply double the time limit of phases (48h phases instead of 24h), double the loot payout (combine loot from 2 TBs into 1) and have TB run for 2 weeks of the month, while the other 2 weeks would be Conquest. 

That's an interesting idea.  I do much prefer the TB that doesn't run at the same time as Conquest.  There's a lot of PvE burnout.  On the other hand though, we do look forward to new events starting and the rewards.

If you asked a child whether they'd be OK combining their birthday and Christmas gift into 1, but it being double (or more) in value.  They'd of course be OK with it, but when their birthday came around and they got nothing.............would they really be OK with it?

I think it comes down to whether or not you find TB a chore or fun.  I'm really done with repeating what I do every 2 weeks.  So, I'm in your camp.  I would miss the new events starting and having 2 rewards per month.  Also, if somebody really likes TBs and tweaking what they do, they'd really miss out.

OutrunWhistle wrote:

There are more than 2 TBs.

They're talking about the monthly calendar cycle.  In that cycle there are 2 TBs; it's not about the different 'types' of TB. 1 is during GAC time, where there isn't much PvE action.  The other starts on the last day of GAC.  This is the same day and almost the same time as Conquest starts.  That first day especially, there's a ridiculous amount of PvE battles to do.  

I basically start battle when TB starts and go to bed when I've had enough, then continue when I wake up.  

OutrunWhistle wrote:

Edit: unless you’re just talking about the light/dark variants for Hoth and Geonosis separately, in which case disregard this

Actually that's a good point.  Clearly they (and me to) are only considering higher end players doing ROTE, which is exactly the same both times per month.  Hoth, I can't remember the differences.   Geonosis though is significantly harder in Light Side.  

I guess, if they used Zanir's idea, that if you're doing Hoth or Geo TBs, you're not needing to invest as much time as if you're a higher end player doing ROTE.  Your GACs have less teams, your roster is smaller and therefore characters run out of energy in Conquest and a few other things too.  You won't need to invest anywhere near the amount of time battling in TB.  

You could possibly run them both at the same time or back to back?

Presaria71 wrote:

You fight one battle and if you lose, it is over, and there is no reason to proceed. 

This is in GAC?  Definitely no to this.  Some counters (though not super common) require you to throw in a team to soak up the cool downs.  Also, there are times that I want to make a decision on running a 'super team' or whether I go more standard and keep the other part as a clean up.  

To be clearer; I'm facing GL Rey.  I look at the composition of the Rey team and then I decide whether to run Cere with StarKiller and Malicos or whether to keep StarKiller in reserve and use him with a Palp/Mara team as a clean up or another battle.  If had to stop after my first loss, I'd need to put Maul in that team too. 

You're removing a lot of the strategy of GAC.  You'd see a lot of combining of teams on offence and defence and less teams uses.  I feel you're approaching GAC as if it's a chore, not the cherry on the cake a lot of us feel it is.  If they removed GAC now, I don't know what would keep me playing.

You aren't forced into anything. Gosh imagine that a game has constant things to do.

If time or timing is an issue for you then don't play these modes and find a casual guild. Yes, your rewards will be less but you can then choose what to do.

Oh but you don't want that of course, you just want it to suit you. How very entitled.

I'm working on reframing how I think about them to something like you've described, but it's difficult transitioning from very competitive to more casual 😂

I think you missed the point of the feedback. The reason I'm giving feedback in the first place is precisely because I enjoy playing the game and want to play it. I am surfacing my personal observations and pain points in this forums so that the developers have more information and can make well informed decisions to improve the game. You tell them what's fun for you and I'll tell them what's fun for me. They decide if/how to balance those things and hopefully it's enough for both of us to continue enjoying the game.

I will admit I don't know exactly what can/should be done to "fix" datacrons and you bring up some good points. Hopefully CG can continue to develop them in a direction that is more stable and fun feeling while retaining/growing their revenue stream.

Yes, I was referring to ROTE only, but you make a good point. Previous TBs are so far back in the past that I honestly didn't consider them at all.