Returning Players Should just auto-quit

I had been gone for four years. I paid a lot of money into the game when I first played--too much probably which I own and take responsibility for.

I came back to see what the game is like, and enjoy it in a different way, however, in my opinion, the game is more hostile to returning players than to any other sort of player--which makes zero sense to me. If CG/EA want account buying to remain against EULA, and not the de facto best way to enter into their game, they really should look at the returning player experience very closely.

Here is a list of absurd challenges that has me thinking quit immediately:

--GAC. Returning from a pre-GL period of the game, makes GAC literally hopeless. GLs are a year away, maybe more for an f2p or dolphin type. Having an old roster puts you at a high enough GP level where you will face GL characters every single match. Broken, not fun, time to quit.

--Fleet Arena. Zero crystal income possible. Sure, sure, i get it, you should not be allowed to climb right back to the top. Fine, fine, allow returning players to join a new fleet arena or something. Why stick around if I can't make any crystals daily? Broken, not fun, time to quit

--No way to get to Relic 8. With an older roster, no guilds doing any endgame content want you at all. Without the ability to get to Relic 8 and 9 for GL or top fleets, this is a multi-year grind to rejoin the game. (Even more broken when it comes to Conquest and the bonkers buffs the teams have. You really need Relic 8 and 9 here) Broken, not fun, time to quit

--While away, many new characters were released--duh, of course. However, the way the relic system is setup, it's a choice for players to farm EITHER, gear to relic, OR, shards for characters. For a returning player, this is a terrible choice to force upon them. For players who have persisted, it's a fine/great choice. Returning player, Broken, not fun, time to quit.

--Access to the g12+ pieces is been nerfed into the ground so hard it's insane (I used to get so much out of Sith Raid in the old days it was insane.. Again, see above, can't get into guild doing Krayt, so you have no access to the t3 tokens, AND, you need to use some of those tokens for shards. Again, I see how this system works well for the persisting players, but for returning players: Broken, not fun, time to quit.

--Kyrotech--Similar to the choice/no-choice above for other items. If you've been with the game for ages, the choice to Relic a character vs. gear up a new toon at g9 using Kyro is a meaningful choice, for a returning player, it's misery on top of misery. The overall access to kyro is so low it's broken stupid. Perhaps this is better if you have the T3 currency, or, you know, can actually get currency from GAC (see above, GAC is busted as crap for returning players), so again, Broken, not fun, time to quit.

I don't know if CG/EA really care about returning players at all, but the Hyrperspeed Bundle really only seems good for new players, and those recent light speed bundles were ok for returning players, I got a few relic toons out of those, but Raddus and Finalizer? pfft, months, AND, they will help me not at all in my fleet shard from years ago which all have Leviathan and Profundity.

The current model looks like: Old players? Cool, we love you guys, game is designed for you mostly. New Players? Eh, sure, here are some catchup mechanisms. Returning players? just delete and go away.

Sad really. Still enjoy the game overall, but the systems are still punishing and the on-ramps aren't there.

feedback

Scruminator
Seasoned Newcomer
2 years ago
The game has moved on and evolved since you last were playing. Any game like this will be the exact same way. But let me touch on a few things you brought up.

GAC is no longer bound by GP based matchmaking. Yes of course you’re not going to be anywhere close to the top of fleet arena since the arrival of a lot more strong fleets. Farming characters and having to choose between that or gear isn’t anything new. The new raid reward system is actually a lot better for people to acquire G12+ pieces since you can now choose the ones you actually need.

If you really don’t feel like building your old roster up, maybe start from scratch?
SnuggeSnuggles
Rising Novice
2 years ago
Returning players are probably such a small part of the total player base that it isn’t worth it for CG to cater to those needs.
I would say that the most flawed part is the fleet shard lock-in given the significant crystal income from that part. It’s arbitrarily unfair to be stuck in a shard where you need to grind each day just to get 100 crystals or just needing to fight one battle and still get 500 crystals.
So your assessment that returning players should just quit is probably correct. Or start a new account.
RagingMonkey057
2 years ago
I won't argue that it's easy - but I would argue that it's easier than it used to be. On the whole, I think you're right. The game punishes you for taking a break. Most progression games do though to some degree.

How long have you been back?
Alydnix
2 years ago
Tbh I had the same problem my fleet shard is super old.

But meh whatever, I just get on with it.

Would be nice if say you don’t login for x months you get out into new arena/fleet shard. Or better yet just don’t give such enormous rewards to one single game type to the point where it makes everything else irrelevant. Spread those rewards across all game modes.
RagingMonkey057
2 years ago
You can purchase droid brains and aeromagnifiers from the weekly shipment store for crystals. That's how I acquired them before my guild was earning them elsewhere. They aren't cheap, but it's a way forward. Point being - no one is locked out of them.
Blubcop
Seasoned Newcomer
2 years ago
R8 isn't needed to be competitive in PvP, only for requirements and later RotE phases(which are completely out of your range anyway). The few R8 you need for GLs and capital ships can be bought in weekly shipments for crystals. I did the same back when my guild wasn't able to beat the cpit yet. It takes time, but not longer than you need to get all the other requirements.
RagingMonkey057
2 years ago
I mean, if you are enjoying the game then play it. If you don't - then quit. No sense in doing something you don't enjoy. If the only way you feel like you can enjoy it is by being on the bleeding edge of the tip of the spear - that's going to take a lot of money or a lot of time. If you're like me and just enjoy building your roster and ticking things off of a list of goals - the game is still quite fun. I don't need to win everything. I just need to feel like I'm progressing. The game gives me that.
ac2fc96b3dedf72f
New Spectator
2 years ago
"herd_nerfer;c-2445081" wrote:
I won't argue that it's easy - but I would argue that it's easier than it used to be. On the whole, I think you're right. The game punishes you for taking a break. Most progression games do though to some degree.

How long have you been back?

Since Mid-August, but honestly I'll probably just roll it up soon. I see no path forward to Galactic Legends that isn't a year long, or hundreds of dollars.

Incidentally, i have been doing GAC since I came back in Mid-August (I was kyber before I left, but missed GAS due to the lie at the time by CG when they promised no more meta teams would be released in guild event currency, then surprise! GAS was released in that currency.) I have lost all but two rounds since I came back. I've dropped 4 ranks already into I don't recall what division. Look, that's all fine, I'm not entitled about being in kyber with a shit roster, and I don't need to be on the bleeding edge. BUT, here's the thing. That currency from GAC is one of the major ways to get some of the gear pieces, AND a major source of crystals if you can win a couple of the matches. Everyone keeps saying just wait, you'll get dropped to your level. Two months later, that is not true. Again, returning player experience sucks so badly. I'll give it until xmas for the freebies and probably drop in January unless I see any pulse out of CG that they want to help returning players in some way. Hence the point of posting this. Please see that most returning players are just buying accounts and do something if you want your own EULA to mean anything.

Returning players need to get a new fleet shard with people at their same level at the least to allow any sort of reasonable crystal flow, otherwise it's pointless to use a zombie account that is old.
RagingMonkey057
2 years ago
"Author;c-2445167" wrote:
"herd_nerfer;c-2445081" wrote:
I won't argue that it's easy - but I would argue that it's easier than it used to be. On the whole, I think you're right. The game punishes you for taking a break. Most progression games do though to some degree.

How long have you been back?

Since Mid-August, but honestly I'll probably just roll it up soon. I see no path forward to Galactic Legends that isn't a year long, or hundreds of dollars.

Incidentally, i have been doing GAC since I came back in Mid-August (I was kyber before I left, but missed GAS due to the lie at the time by CG when they promised no more meta teams would be released in guild event currency, then surprise! GAS was released in that currency.) I have lost all but two rounds since I came back. I've dropped 4 ranks already into I don't recall what division. Look, that's all fine, I'm not entitled about being in kyber with a **** roster, and I don't need to be on the bleeding edge. BUT, here's the thing. That currency from GAC is one of the major ways to get some of the gear pieces, AND a major source of crystals if you can win a couple of the matches. Everyone keeps saying just wait, you'll get dropped to your level. Two months later, that is not true. Again, returning player experience sucks so badly. I'll give it until xmas for the freebies and probably drop in January unless I see any pulse out of CG that they want to help returning players in some way. Hence the point of posting this. Please see that most returning players are just buying accounts and do something if you want your own EULA to mean anything.

Returning players need to get a new fleet shard with people at their same level at the least to allow any sort of reasonable crystal flow, otherwise it's pointless to use a zombie account that is old.

Have you seen the light speed bundles? You can get into 2 GLs (nearly) for something like $40 total (I think?) - that would be a pretty quick catch-up for an insanely good price (by comparison) for someone in your situation. I get that you may not want to drop more money on the game but these bundles are by far the best value CG has ever offered on anything and they may or may not do this again. If they do it will almost surely cost more next time.
winterwolves
Rising Scout
2 years ago
"Author;c-2445167" wrote:
"herd_nerfer;c-2445081" wrote:
I won't argue that it's easy - but I would argue that it's easier than it used to be. On the whole, I think you're right. The game punishes you for taking a break. Most progression games do though to some degree.

How long have you been back?

Returning players need to get a new fleet shard with people at their same level at the least to allow any sort of reasonable crystal flow, otherwise it's pointless to use a zombie account that is old.

Where would you find this fleet shard to put them in? Any shard with new players you will either dominate just because you have hounds tooth already (would that be fair in them?), or you will be in the same problem because it has spenders. To get the certain crystal income you will have to build one of the top fleets anyway.

You only have to build one new fleet to get back up there.

There are plenty of GLs any player can get in less than a year.