My Frustration with the Wonderverse Episode

I wanted to wait and see how the new bounty system actually played out before I posted this. I play this game basically every day 1 to 2 hours on average, and only run a main. The one hour days are complete dailies and seasonals days, and the 2 hours are reset or feat hunting days (hey, I have kids and a job).
That said, I've easily been able to complete all non-elite feats and goals for every dlc in about an 8 week time period, usually only spending about 300 replay badges (4 raids) during the double marks week. The only outlier is the OP gear the last few episodes; it usually takes me about 10-12 weeks to farm that. But this episode was different:
- I tried to cycle through 2 sets of bounties daily to reasonably keep up. This took my average up from 1-2 hours to 2-3 hours.
- Skyland marks for the OP piece. What gives? I'v been getting about a 50% drop rate on these, and I still need all 8 for the final step. So that means if I don't use more replays (which I never did before), I can count on getting my OP piece in like 16 weeks?
- Goofy replay-centric feats like kill the bug 25 times (get you don't need replays for that, but still)

So I see a step change with this DLC in both time and $ investment (assuming you have to buy replays) and I don't like it at all. Are they trying to keep me online longer for $? Maybe. . .but time never equaled spent money to me; I've spent plenty to level my artifacts and it had nothing to do with my time online. I guess my point is, I always thought DC had a reasonable amount of workload so a semi-serious end-player like myself could keep up and enjoy him or herself. Get the DLC complete in the 8ish weeks, spend the 4-6 week in between grinding the dailies (for the OP piece) and feats (or taking some time off) and come back refreshed for the next episode. I'm definitely against the more time / more money trend. Just curious if I'm on my own island here.

My specific solutions:
-Bounties were fine but make them closed 8-man instances where your team can move right to the next boss immediately. Sitting there reading a book between pew-pew-pewing was seriously boring and terrible (and time consuming). Please just make them the open world missions themselves or put the tasks in the instance so they can be completed at the same time like the bounties.
-Syland marks - easy one here - just drop one per raid run. Done. (that's still like 15 runs (weeks without replays).
- Drop the raid counting feats unless reasonable (I'd say no more than 12)

If you're getting 50% on Skylanders, you're a lot more lucky than I've been.

I've got 3 extra alts into that 300+ range to just run the raid for OP components. That's 4 runs per week, every week.

I am currently at 2/5 on level 2 of the OP item. In my experience, the drop rate is closer to 15-20%.

I mean, OP items and elite are all about farming to be the best, if you cant afford them (with cash or replays and in this case with bounty farming time), probably not for you. Because you can get both of them within the relevancy window without spending 1 real world penny just by buying catalysts with cash (they arent so expensive anymore and prices drop with bonus weeks).
Its just that you want over the top tier in a 4 month episode (and OP relevancy is 8-10 months) by playing a little, this kind of gameplay (being able to max out in few days) always hurt the game (I dont like the solution that much, but in ny opnion the direction is the right one)
I know not eveybody has 8 hours to spend in a game, but keeping players online longer is better for the game overall (although I find the bounties way too boring for a 4 month window)

My bounty runs were more about getting the feats vs the Elite items (although the fact they tied feats to those meant I was compelled to get them ) I got the feats like a week ago, and will finish my farming in the next day or so (getting all 3 OP catalysts, 12 mods, and 5 Elite pieces (4 for my DPS and the weapon for my heal). I can't wait to be done with that nonsense. Tied to the time thing, I'm not Mr. "play-the-market / farming guy" so I don't have the hundreds of millions to buy the catalysts (that they cost today). I have 9 of the other marks now, so I figure I'll farm those at regular pace, and if I'm still short on the skyland, hopefully at that point they are at a significantly lower price point. As for alts, I do have a villain I've kept barely leveled up, but that side has been so dead I can never find a raid group to run with. But that said, I think it's total crp that you need to run alts to keep 1 character leveled. That should never be the case.

As an alternative opinion specifically about The bounties heres my take.
1) i like the open world concept because u dont have to waste alot Of time per bounty as u just get i an “OP phase” and seconds later bounty is dead. This WOULD make it farm friendly except they have set spawn times.
My suggestion:
For any bounty n any DLC, they should respawn or next one in In line should spawn just 1 min after death of previous one. Theres literally nothing gained for the game or the player by making us stand around and wait.
2) not being loot locked or at least being partially unloot locked is great and adds a TON of replay value potentially
My suggestion:
There should be a style feat attainable only with the special bounty currency. Also, seems like there should be collection options, auras, styles, materials, etc all With respective 1-2 star feats and all available for purchase with special bounty currency ONLY. This would add a TON of replay value to bountys as well. Lack of these things is why dlc’s in their open world areas become ghost towns so fast. If there were more to achieve then we would be enticed to run it more.
3) the format in wonderverse of having essentially 7 bosses to take out in one “cycle” is awesome. No adds, no BS, nothing special. Just get in an OP spam an beast mode it. Its great for farming (if there were any reason to farm an unless they do suggestion 2 theres not lol). Its perfect for NTH detector use. And for alot of ppl, its ideal because theres NOT a Q time, no shouting for specific groups/roles, no delay in waiting on anything (except the spawn time so see suggestion 1).

Overall i think its the best bounty format so far as theres alot to kill and its meaningful in that its bosses an not adds to get to the bosses. Fix rewards an give us a reason to go enjoy it. Fix the spawn time an give us a reason to stick to doing it. Do NOT make it a limited 8-man raid style fight because then we r restricted to who is on to run it etc. open world one after another IS the way to go.

My issue with these bounties is overall time (I think this was the OPs main complaint too about the whole DLC). Yeah, right now when people are spamming, it's not terrible (well...I'd debate that 50+ hours of bounties IS terrible), assuming you can get an OP phase (not that tough...now) AND assuming you are getting the bonuses for 2 level 3 (better if 17) augments. but let's look at your 3 points.

1) So how is this different than any other OW bounty? It's always best to find an OP phase and get it done quick. Only now you HAVE to do it more than one time a week, where if you wanted to before you could just do your one. You also now NEED to be with a group (even if not OP) as soloing in under 4 min will probably not happen for a LOOONG time. On the other OW bounties, you can pound away for 20 min if you so choose and have a good loadout to sustain it. We require the Aethers to get items for feats...which we all know are not really optional. That's not even including the fact that you need to do all bosses 100x(also for the feat) at 30 min a cycle...that's excessive. You also lose the ability to phase hop as A) the phases are limited to X number and B) the bosses are time-synced...so miss one...wait 30 min. And if you are not in a group...or in a packed phase....you can't do anything else while you wait. In Starro (for example...also a 5 min respawn), when farming that, I'd leave the zone and run to base, or zip over to Chaos Gotham or Atlantis and knock out dailies for 4 min....then zip back for the next Starro...do that here and you might get locked out of your phase.

2)Them not being loot locked is only on Aethers and other crap that's worthless quick. Aethers we are forced to get to pay for the excessive prices on the things you buy with them. There would be no "whoopie" for no loot locks if they didn't invent an issue for that loot to solve. Assuming things we done like previous episodes, we'd get the mods from drops as well as the enhanced gear style(also could buy in broker). The Elite pieces are still available for straight marks on the Elite vendor, so that pretty much eliminates the Aether vendor...hence it would eliminate the need for no loot lock and the 'win' for that. And there is a style feat for Aethers...the enhance version of the 262 gear. Also the mods have a feat....As does completing the OP gear which requires Aethers to buy the components. All 3 only serve to prop up the new currency need and make the no loot lock a benefit. It's artificial. Your argument for more stuff needed to buy for the currency only means you are looking for more reasons to do the bounties just to get the free loot to then buy the things you asked for. So....busy work.

3)Farming what? Oh...yeah, the Aethers they invented so that this system makes any kind of sense....Creating a problem just so that you can implement a solution to it is kind of a false win. And i'm not sure that it's great for Nth detectors either....unless you are killing the adds, which you are giving a plus for 'No adds'...so if you are not doing adds you are not getting kills between the bosses...and therefore the Nth detectors will not be hitting at the optimal time more than likely.

All that leads to an eventual nightmare for getting this done once the DLC is not current and just generates a LOT of busy work that was not needed. Now I know some people want the busy work, but forcing it on everyone to make those kooks happy is where the objection comes in.

Now...I can't say you are 'wrong' about it being the best bounty format. I disagree, but it's your opinion. I do agree on the fact that one boss should spawn after the other dies..meaning 2 phases could be out of sync and they could remove the 4 min kill timer to allow for a longer battle. The no loot lock is nice, but other than the fact it props up the new currency we had foisted on us, and you get a few pieces of salvage gear...the loot is worthless after a few dozen passes. If this will be the 'new' bounty method going forward they need to pair down the prices on whatever the currency is and drop the feats down to a reasonable level.

BTW...you are welcome to enjoy the grind. Not saying you can't love the new system. Just that the points you are giving as benefits are not really benefits if you look closer at them. Some people play the game mainly to play dress up and decorate their bases...and that's great. However doing that is a choice as is people's choice to grind things out. This new bounty set with the prices and feats attached have made it not be a choice...again...we all know feats are NOT optional for most, meaning this excessive grind is not either.

2nd BTW...we had another conversation(I believe) where you cited your reason for getting the 100 count done quick was planning ahead. However, as your #2 seems to call for MORE bounty runs, assumingly because you are still running them and have nothing left to spend the Aethers on, that plan was not so forward thinking. Side note, if you are at 999 Aethers, you can buy the Enhanced 262, leave unopened and donate for prestige. Problem solved.

and just when 2020 couldnt get any worse... there is a complaint about around a 50% drop rate on skylanders.

goodness gracious. heavens t'betsy.

Are you shocked though?

Got to give developers a break, this is their 1st attempt at this kind of bounty setup. In future DLC' it will be much better for everyone.

50% would be awesome, im seeing about 15% myself lol same for the darn seeds

Are you really comparing a pandemic, riots, and wildfires with...someone complaining on the forums? Goodness gracious indeed.

Wonderverse has plenty of good. For example, Fractured God Sphere has some of the most cool and visually striking room design I've seen in a long time. While many pieces are clipped from existing content resources, they are assembled in such a way, and coupled with just enough exciting new stuff, that the whole thing looks very striking. I love it.

The puzzle at the beginning of the Alert is also a great example of something that is different than having random hallways of trash as a time sink. It's just involved enough that I always feel like I need to pay attention, but it's not so obnoxiously difficult that it's always going to get messed up, like the old Artifacts raid or navigating the Minotaur maze. Another example of creative new content that feels different and engaging. Big thumbs up there.

As silly as it is, even the fact that the identical Solo Challenges are actually slightly difference in appearance and theme keeps them a little more fresh for me. The fight with Minotaur is a little different from the fight with Parademon or Silent School guy. Overall, I like a lot of what Wonderverse tried to do. It's got a whole lot of good.

But to be fair, there are some shortcomings as well.

The World Bosses are poorly executed. A 30 minute hard timer on them is just bad. They would have been better off with something like BoP Bounties (where they spawn and stay up until defeated) or Metal II Bounties (where they alternate spawns, so you have to kill one to spawn the next, but they stay up until defeated). The timers are poorly implemented. When a large group is rolling through, it just amounts to a whole lot of waiting for spawns. When a small group is trying, we get failures instead of success at a slower speed. Both of those results are undesirable. I mean, seriously, we can beat the Hydra to 99% dead, and because it takes 5 minutes, the thing then falls asleep and we're forced not to finish it off? The variable scaling seems entirely broken. Small groups still seem incapable of winning this DPS check, and the world bosses are probably going to utterly dry up the second that the Episode leaves relevancy, because there is no chance of getting those 20+ player groups to farm a zone that isn't opened for CR scaling.

They would have been best served as an Oan Science-cells or Happiness Home style raid where we take up position in front of the Temple and fight off the 4 waves and bosses, followed by Hydra awakening beneath us and fighting as a final boss, actually properly balanced for 8 man groups. The open world nature did not improve it. But failing that, it should have just been flatly balanced around 8 man groups, like previous bounties, and they should spawn and stay up until defeated instead of having a 30 minute wait timer, with the next boss spawning when the previous one is defeated. Less waiting; more playing.

The double currency had so much potential. Some form of content with infinite potential to play it, for an alternative run of rewards. But that too seemed to fail in it's mission. Aethyr is flatly useless for the most part, because the prices all involve Splintered Coins as well. We end up capped at Aethyr without anything meaningful to do with it (and the cap is way too low), but the things we need to spend it on also involve spending the Splintered Coins that we will need for our gear. I like the Elite Weapons/Neck/Rings, and their attainability. But for the most part, Aethyr does not seem to have a significant useful purpose.

Elephant in the room: the Enhanced Purple set is a travesty. The Legendary Subscriber boxes were removed for completing content, taking another of the Subscriber Only perks away. Now the Subscribers do not receive anything extra for running content. No more box. No more random piece of furniture, or extra Source Mark, or rare chance at a tradable style piece. Subscribers got further pushed down to be equal to Premiums in this regard, and everybody has to spend their Splintered Coins on buying a set of downgrade gear just for a style feat. It's a waste of coins. And it's a real insult to subscribers to take away their perk, offer it to everybody else, and then cause it to also be another drain on Episode Currency. That was decidedly uncool.

The OP item follows the same pattern we saw in BoP: crafted with rare Catalysts that require multiple characters (or tons of Replays) if you want to get the item before it is out of the relevant stat range. Which is a very poor design. I am flatly becoming sick of having a bank that is rapidly filling up with partially completed OP items and their Catalysts. Every Episode seems to require 4 more slots permanently be devoted to it, because it's going to take way too long to attain. Either make the drop rates good enough that one character can complete the item during the lifespan of the Episode, like how Justice League Dark did, or put it back to being Collections so at least when it's in it's partial state it doesn't occupy a bunch of inventory, or (and this is the ideal) put the OP Catalysts on the Episode Vendor as purchasable with Currency. This was the perfect chance: Have Aethyr able to buy that stuff and make these items attainable through farming rather than through luck. 1000 Aethyr = 1 Spark of Skylands. Instantly, I guarunteed the OP Head was something that every non-Switch player could complete just based on time invested.

There's good and bad. Where Wonderverse did well, it did really well. Where it failed, it failed spectacularly, not just managing to miss the mark on what it needed to do, but actually making it worse in several places.

We live and learn. I can only hope that the next Episode was still in it's design phase when this went live, so that we can learn from the mistakes here instead of repeating them.

My gripe with episode is having to do 120 tasks for dailies for me to do that for all 7 characters is 840 tasks per day leaving no time for any othere activities ,At late night there barely any on so maybe 2 characters would be able to form a group to speed it up tasks ,The effort is just a chore.
Maybe drop missions from 30 to 20 to lower it to 80 tasks per character .

Just a quick note on the 50% skyland drops - yes, I'm complaining, because I believe it's the first drop I've seen you that theoretically can't get enough to complete the episode before the next one releases without using replays (I forget what the first level requirement was, I'm just using 2 here) so 15 marks = 30 weeks of play until I get my OP piece. At which point it would be half useless because we are mostly through the next episode. If what other are saying is true (that I'm lucky to get 50% drops), it's even worse. I almost feel like they used the same drop rate from a 2-raid episode, and forgot to adjust for the 1 raid episode.

And one more quick note - the drops (even this state) are still much better than the collections, please no more of that broker playing nonsense.

I am pissed of about the ww i can ' t do the bosses bountis there aren't any players when i play . they are in other phase. 2 days ago i was lucky to do the bountis from the other face because the player with i was doing party has a diferent phase .i barely i can do the bountis.

I run FOUR characters through the raid weekly.

Today, I finished Step 2. I need 8 more Skylanders.

The drop rates mandate that you either run multiple characters, or you will not get the item until it is no longer an upgrade for stats. I am not defending this. I don't think that it's a good design. But I'm telling you like it is, so you can be prepared and make decisions accordingly.

At least the Skylanders come from the raid. The past two Episodes made the bad drop be the Canary Cry and the Monitor Energy, which came from daily content. Running an Alert and solo/duo daily for 4 characters is just too much of a time sink for one item. Running the raid a few extra times per week is barely 2 hours. In BoP and Metal II, I had to put 2-3 extra hours into running alts DAILY if there was going to be any chance at the OP item.

Most of what you have here I agree with strongly. I only want to zoom in on a couple points for discussion rather than any notable disagreement.

The reason for this structure is because they do drop gear every time unless you're at recommended CR (I guess that's the point) so they have them at set cycles to prevent us from phasing and farming them piecemeal for those drops, or even the feat counts (and not doing them all is implied in that).

I very much agree it should be balanced around an 8 person group. I prefer the open world format though. I believe this is intended to be a way of catching up new or returning players though, so I can't see them (and hope they don't) instance this content. I suspect instead, they'll just rebalance it again for 8 people (or even 4!!) when it's not the bleeding edge newest content in the game anymore.

This is where I am too. Full set, all OP mats, all generators, elite weapons etc. But this is easily fixed by adding in the extra bonus rewards that are coming. I'm afraid they'll cost splintered and aether but I'm hoping they realize it's better to make them exclusively cost aether.

Is why I gave up on the OP item chase 4 DLC' ago, this making the 5th DLC I skipped a op item. The fact you need alts to finish 1 op item for 1 character is ridiculous, that or be a multi billionaire in game, which I'm not because I'm premium by choice.

Been deleting OP items and selling everything for OP items, well having a friend sale them so I can get emblems and gear sets from capsules.

Before this episode, I would do the daily open world missions on at least 3 characters, everyday. But now I'm really not bothering with it anymore, I just do them on my main.