28 replies to this topic

[CaptC]

Please use this note to discuss the changes deployed on Jan. 9, 2018.

 

The following changes were deployed today (2018-01-09):
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New Features
General
• We're clearing out stock from Wanda's Secret Store to make room for new sexy item sets! If you want to get your Superhero item set, please be aware that this item set will be discontinued on January 14th, 2018 11:59 PM. A new and particularly hot winter item set will be available in it's place from January 15th, 2018!
• The new movie set "Greek Bath", including a fitting item set, is now available for members of fully expanded studios.
• The item pattern collection "Movie Star, Movie Star!" has been expanded.
• In the duel tooltip, the difference of the combined attributes is now displayed.

 

Parties
• After a successfully completed party mission, the next mission can now be started without waiting time. After a lost party mission, a 5 minute cooldown starts, before the next mission can be started.
• You can now get more items on parties.

 

Maintenance
General
• It was possible, that only the first 50 films were displayed in the film history. This problem has been fixed and now all films will be loaded.
• In some cases it was possible, that film covers weren't displayed on mobile devices. This issue has been fixed.

[Eileendover]

• After a successfully completed party mission, the next mission can now be started without waiting time. After a lost party mission, a 5 minute cooldown starts, before the next mission can be started.

 

This part seems extreme to me on both ends. It was already a short wait after a skill mission and since I need to change gear anyway, I usually had no wait at all by the time I was ready to go. And 5 minutes seems very long on a fail. 1 or 2 of those in a party could foil the whole thing. I wonder if we couldn't lobby for something in between? like 30 seconds on a win and 3 minutes on a loss? I ran Burning Bernie on one star and did it with no fails. It seemed like maybe the fight missions were not quite as tough. I would normally fail at least one or two of those with my normal combat gear on. If they've been tweaked to be more reasonable in my regular gear set and only the skill missions require a change, then I'm okay with it. Or maybe it was just a lucky run? lol

 

My thing with parties is this. They stress me out. A party should be fun! Make them fun please. And if you label it 'simple' make sure it is. Simple means everyone in the game should win it 100% of the time even if they are completely naked.  I guess unless you somehow had a negative number on a stat which I don't believe is possible

[CaptC]

I haven't had a chance to log in and try a party, so take this with a grain of salt. My first reaction might be wrong, but for me this seems positive. Going through a party, I generally have 12 successes and (roughly) two failures. 

 

Old delays, using no batteries resulted in 15 minutes of delay:

  11 one minute delays between missions (no delay for the 12th success, you are done)

  2 two minute delays for failures

 

Under the new system, I only have 10 minutes of delay:

  11 zero minute delays between missions

  2 five minute delays for failures

 

Now let's suppose I use batteries, though. I get NO DELAY!!!!!!!

  11 zero minute delays between missions

  2 zero minute delays, burning 2 batteries on each failure

 

CONCLUSION

I am pleased as punch with this change.

 

YMMV, of course. If you regularly fail more than two missions going through a party, you are going to see big delays, even using batteries. But frankly, if you are failing that many missions, I suggest you need to improve your build. It's not the delay structure that is making you fail the missions.

[CaptC]

My biggest complaint is that I just got the last piece for the Movie Star, Movie Star set two days ago.  LOL

[Eileendover]

Battery cuts the 5 minutes to zero? Is that what you're saying? Otherwise, you have 5 minutes of total delay in you 2nd (new) scenario. That would still be doable but I almost never have only 2 or less. It's more likely that one fight or another will fail multiple times. I'm using the build , or as close to it as I can stay recommended to me by my studio. Generally works nice for most things. I use it on all 4 of my stars Parties give me fits though.

 

But I still say if it's s party, it should be fun, not frustration. Where's the music? Where's the drinks! Where's the food! I guess some people go to parties to pick a fight. I never have. I'm more likely to be calling the cops if someone starts one

 

okay read that wrong. Didn't realize you were doing 2 batteries on each. I don't since I need time to change gear anyway

 

still

 

Make them fun!

[CaptC]

Parties are designed as tests of your character. Beating the challenge is the part that is supposed to be fun. 

In particular, they require good combat oriented refines for the fights. Depending upon your ratio, you may or may not need specific gear for some of the skill tests.

 

It is hard for lower level avatars to have the required ratio to just breeze through the parties. Just pay attention to adding skills, and as you gain higher levels, your ratio will improve and parties will generally get easier.

[Eileendover]

Not my idea of fun, sorry. Big bundle of stress hat I do not need. But enjoy, I guess, if you do. I'm likely done with parties now for all practical purposes.

[Amberson]

Not a fan of the new party rules... I think it actually makes the completion of a party harder. Well, maybe not Bernie and even Flaming Wheels, but at least Whiplash.

Already had the opportunity to test it and the experience only confirmed my feelings. I failed numerous missions, particularly the fights in the last stage of the party and didn’t make it to the last boss mission. Now, it’s possible that I would hove not completed the party even under the old system. Whiplash can sometimes get very tough and unlucky. In the last weeks I was doing only Bernie, because I still missed one item from the new collection and wanted to finally complete it before I move to another party destination. Bernie is easy and I’m not afraid about not being able to get through it regardless of the rules. The rare fail would give me enough time to do a regular mission outside the party environment, so under such conditions the new rules can be seen as something positive.

However, once you’ve collected all the items from the two easier parties, you don’t have any reason to continue visiting them. Whiplash offers the best rewards, so it makes the most sense to party only there. But it is also harder to complete. Over time, I was able to get better at it and finish it regularly. Not sure, though, if it will stay this way with the 5 minute waiting time... Today, I failed maybe 6 times. There are ways how to increase your success rate, but they all favor diamond spenders.

Skill missions of course require appropriate wardrobe. You need lots of extra storage space for that. Now, we haven’t had an item selling Temple for some time now, so I have half of my available slots occupied by useless epics with a golden frame. The other slots are taken by wardrobe that I want to use for future film covers and/or like and don't want to sell. If you have all the storage tabs unlocked, this might sound like a non-issue, but most players have 3 tabs unlocked at most the free one and two that dosť 200 and 500 diamonds to unlock).

Fight missions require refinements. And again, if you don’t use diamonds to get them, it can take forever to secure a certain epic refinement. I used to have all my preferred refinements in the epic variant not that long ago, but now I only have them in the rare variant after goin through a long-needed wardrobe change. Even those took me a lot of time to get. Besides, the opponents at parties base their strength and refinements from you. At Whiplash, they have somewhat better stats then you and somewhat worse refinements. This means the fights are often pretty close and can end in any way, regardless of how upgraded your character is.

I would say that an average player tends to fail more then twice at Whiplash. You do save some time between missions now, but it might not be enough if you fail multiple times. Especially since you have to change your wardrobe between missions either way, so you're not really saving a full minute within the new system every time you sucesfully pass a party mission. And the 5 minute penalty is just devastating if you fail numerous times. Batteries can certainly help (they didn’t enough in my case today), but I remember being able to go through Whiplash without any batteries which could thus be saved for a more effective use. If you’ll now have to rely on them too often, then the systém is not really better or easier than it used to be. In the end, this would only favor the players who don't care about throwing diamonds at the game whenever needed to finish a party.

[Amberson]

On a more positive note, I do like the new Olympus wardrobe collection and look forward to use it in a cover for the BBAs.

[CaptC]

I have now tried whiplash on each of my avatars. One succeeded, one failed. No diamonds were used.

 

The one that succeeded was super-fast. I ripped through it in less time than I normally take. I failed missions three times, but with five minutes in between, I completed a normal mission as well.

 

The one that failed was unexpected to me. The last run of fight missions had my number, and I couldn't make it past the enema nurse. Again, I could do normal missions in the five minutes in between failures, though  where I never bothered trying to find a 2 minute mission before. I even had time to realize that my build was the problem. I had been betrayed by the washing machine, and my stamina was too low for whiplash.  I am looking forward to the return match, after getting my stamina fixed up.

[BigBadWolf]

My 2 cents...

 

I am of the opinion that since the changes to the party system, it has become noticeably more common for failing a party mission.

I failed whiplash 22 times before passing it yesterday.

and my stat ratio to level is over 100 with full epic refines on equipment.

Admittedly that was a really bad run and i'd usually average 5 or 6 fails before completion

but as one of the players who puts daily effort into development of player, I'd imaging it is significantly worse for the more casual player group...

Before the changes here were announced I was considering suggesting that the wait between a successful mission be scrapped so i am happy to see this in place.

There was no need to increase the mission fail wait time. especially not by such a dramatic increase! 2 minutes to 3 would have been a balanced change, 2 minutes to 4 would have been a little unreasonable, 2 minutes to 5 is a blatant way of making failed parties becoming more likely than successful ones, unless you spend diamonds (which is why its been made to be this way)

 

Cap ran an example where there was 2 failures... that is a good run for me, and hardly ever happens.

 

heres my example with 6 failure

 

Old delays, using no batteries resulted in 15 minutes of delay:

  11 one minute delays between missions (no delay for the 12th success, you are done)

  6 two minute delays for failures

All Finished with 8 Minutes to spare

 

Under the new system, I have 30 minutes of delay:

  11 zero minute delays between missions

  6 five minute delays for failures

All Finished with 0 Minutes to spare - reality is you fail party at the last fight because you cant click in 0 seconds

 

Now let's suppose I use batteries, though. 

  11 zero minute delays between missions

  2 zero minute delays, burning 2 batteries on each failure

4 five minute delays because I'm all out of batteries 

Party succeeds with 10 Minutes to spare

 

CONCLUSION

If I don't get an average run, or attempt to complete a party without full batteries, there is no way in hell it will be a success

I'm not very impressed with the change - its possible to still succeed with careful use of batteries, but I never had to use batteries on a party to pass it before and preferred to use them for the ridiculously long missions so i didn't have to look at my screen for 12 minutes doing nothing.  If its become a requirement to use batteries on a new game element, I want more batteries available for use in the game.

[Eileendover]

Want to sell diamonds and add a fun element? Put a bar in parties. like 3-5 diamonds for a drink or food item that boosts a certain stat. Maybe you get a free one coming in the door that's plus some low % to all stats for the amount of time you're at the party. Low enough to still require some gear change for most skill missions and a solid gearset for fights. But make the bar accessible throughout. Leave it still doable with gear only if you remain sober but easier and funner if you get sh!t-faced

 

This suggestion submitted free of charge. $2999.95 value. Yours today FREE!! (limited time only, while supplies last. Certain restrictions apply)

Edited by Eileendover, 10 January 2018 - 06:47 AM.

[CaptC]

Lol, Eileen. But an interesting suggestion.

 

BigBad - I see. Well, my ratio is more like 145 to 150 on my avatars. I am an extreme skill freak. Perhaps that explains my different expectations.

[BigBadWolf]

One thing that changes the game play a little here - parties used to be a source for missiles if you'd run out.

 

I just went into one without missiles in search of some, and without batteries since i'd used them before they implemented changes already, and without diamonds because i used all mine yesterday on stuff...( I use my diamonds the day I get them and then run without them till i get more again a week later).

Passed all the skill missions no problem.

Failed fight missions 5 times along the way (4 of the fights were to on the mission to win the missiles)

when i finally won the missiles I had 22 seconds left to finish the party.... 

I still view it as a success - since i got the stupid missiles, but in the past it would have been simple to move on and finish the party from that... just one example of how this change impacts on the game in a negative way.

 

The other problem I find with this change is that, as a player with little patience, I absolutely cannot stand sitting in front of a computer looking at a timer counting down until I can do anything, one of the reasons I require diamonds to play this game is to skip stupid waiting I was irritated by a 2 minute wait, but was able to see its justification - after all I failed so i was penalised. But 5 minutes simply did my head in. especially knowing it was likely to reoccur after the 5 minutes waiting. In total I spent 20 minutes looking at one party mission instead of 8 before the change. This has made parties shift from mundane, to downright painful experiences in the game... 

 

When you add to this the fact that parties are one of the temple challenge options....

I want to want to play this game not want to not play it - cant we get some kinda break here!

[Analis]

Well, my ratio is more like 145 to 150 on my avatars. I am an extreme skill freak. Perhaps that explains my different expectations.

 

That's 180 here and I finished Whiplash yesterday without diamonds,

but still had to use 2 batteries, a commercial and only 5min left on the clock.

One day it will surely go like a breeze, but on another it will be some major suckage.

I don't think it's going to be particularly "easier" or "harder".

Just more down to luck than before.

[Amberson]

Well, my ratio is more like 145 to 150 on my avatars. I am an extreme skill freak. Perhaps that explains my different expectations.

And that's exactly why you’re not a good representative of an average player, Cap. Hell, even I'm not, even though I'm not a diamond spender and don't play as effectively as you do.

Anyway, I think a better way to change things up would be to decrease the waiting time after a succesful mission to 30 seconds (or get rid of it altogether) and increase the waiting time after a failed mission to 3 minutes. 3 minutes is reasonable and even gives you enough time to do a normal mission outside the ongoing party, whereas the 30 seconds is just enough for you to change your wardrobe.

Of course, this would actually enhance the parties and not turn them into diamond grabs, which was most likely the motivation behind the actual changes.

[Eileendover]

Anyway, I think a better way to change things up would be to decrease the waiting time after a succesful mission to 30 seconds (or get rid of it altogether) and increase the waiting time after a failed mission to 3 minutes. 3 minutes is reasonable and even gives you enough time to do a normal mission outside the ongoing party, whereas the 30 seconds is just enough for you to change your wardrobe.

 

 

 

Pretty much what I said coming in the door of this thread, I think. Yesterday, on this star, I did Bernie and did it flawless I think for the 1st time ever. So that had me thinking at 1st that maybe they toned down the fights a bit. If that were the case, I'd be fine with the rest. FFWD to my star on NU, I tried Flaming wheels. I didn't count the fails but it was a lot. (this party always gives me trouble. Nearly s much as whiplash. Took forever to complete set 1 there) Ran into time's up after about the 3rd try of the 1st fight on the third wave. Needless to say by that time I was ready to breath fire. I have such health issues that I need to not be getting that upset over some game. That means for my own good that this is an element of the game I will need to avoid most of the time now

[DildoKing]

I love not having to wait to start the next mission. And if I miss and have to wait 5 minutes, that's fine. I can do a regular mission instead. 

 

I've very pleased with this update.

[CaptC]

The other problem I find with this change is that, as a player with little patience, I absolutely cannot stand sitting in front of a computer looking at a timer counting down until I can do anything, one of the reasons I require diamonds to play this game is to skip stupid waiting I was irritated by a 2 minute wait, but was able to see its justification - after all I failed so i was penalised. But 5 minutes simply did my head in. especially knowing it was likely to reoccur after the 5 minutes waiting. In total I spent 20 minutes looking at one party mission instead of 8 before the change. This has made parties shift from mundane, to downright painful experiences in the game... 

 

Be like DildoKing.  Run a normal mission in between, instead of staring at the clock.

[Amberson]

So, I did another try at Whiplash an it was a total disaster. The very first finesse mission was a fail, then I got my ass kicked twice by the chef, once again by Claire after which I got stuck at the 8th stamina mission that I failed three times and then it was over.

Now, I don’t have the best wardrobe for skill missions right now, because I sold some of those items, so that I could keep the epics in a golden frame for the selling Temple. I actually didn’t need them to complete the missions at Bernie or other missions outside parties. Once I get rid of all the garbage that’s filling my storage and unlock another tab (I’m only missing few more diamonds), my performance at skill missions should get much better. Still, the fights aren’t going good either...

I really don’t like using three batteries and one TV ad (for which I have to start the game on a PC where I usually almost never play it nowadays) only to end at the 8th mission. I don’t think I ever ended that bad at Whiplash. So if this happens again, I think I’ll reluctantly just start to do the other parties more frequently. Way to go, devs...