4 years of playing as 100% FTP

[D_DI]

No FTP content is off-topic here.

This can become a master thread (just like the one for 2-year-progress), as long as the player has been FTP the entire time.

[Yhc]

@Saros

Unless that titan is blue. Then it relies heavily on having heroes like Miki and Tarlak. Which is also unfair.

Yup, but less than elemental debuffer.
Because Tarlak, Miki and Gazelle have a very accessible substitute in a S1 4* monkey.
He is suboptimal, but not behind a paywall.

Every single elemental defense debuffer is behind a paywall and there is no suboptimal accessible version offered.

@D_DI

For example, I only had crit troops in blue and purple and at one point and started leveling them, but now I wish that I hadn’t worked on them.

Boy, do I feel you…

[D_DI]

@Yhc

Boy, do I feel you…

*Girl.

This happens a lot and I am really curious why everyone assumes I am male, when I literally have a flower as my avatar

[Yhc]

Ehm… I was not assuming anything about your gender.
I always thought that “boy” was some sort of exclamation, irrilevant of the circumstances.
This is not my language

[CCG]

Thanks for posting and sharing your experience.

E&P community has been great for getting connected to lots of wonderful F2P players here and on discord.

I hope it can continue for a long time yet. I have expect there are still lots of other great people to meet.

BTW- love your avatar pic - wheres it from?

[D_DI]

@CCG

BTW- love your avatar pic - wheres it from?

It’s an image I found on the Internet a while ago.

You can Google “blue rose wallpaper HD”, it’s not among the very first results, but it’s still up there.

P.S. “Royal blue flowers hd wallpaper” should also work.

[Rduke77]

@D_DI

the first “Share the Gems” offer - as an alliance leader I really wanted to give something to my teammates, but buying the offer meant going against my principles - it’s quite manipulative. If I had bought it, I would have bought the subsequent share the gems offers, a cheap deal, then another one, and another one and another one… The next moment I’d realise I’ve started spending quite a bit on a mobile game. Just to put things in perspective, if I were spending $50 every month for these 4 years of playing (a monthly amount that is considered low by many), I would have spent $2400 in total on a mobile game…

This was the one that got me. Kudos to you for sticking to the FTP. SG has me now for $15 a month (VIP and POV) with the occasional “share the wealth” offer. I’m pulling the plug soon and returning to FTP because it’s a never ending money dump.

[SamMe]

Congrats on your four year anniversary as fully f2p, and also getting Neith from HA10 @D_DI!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I noticed your 35 mystic rings, and hope your next non-S1 5* is a great red. Fwiw, I had 37 tonics when I got Alby from HA10, so hopefully your next red 5* won’t be too much longer.

May I ask you the following questions:

1. Do you remember what team and battle items you used for your highest titan hit?
2. Have you used HA9 retrain epic troops? I’ve only used ETTs (all “earned” in the game) for troop pulls, and I’m still waiting for my third green mana troop. I’ve been playing for 3.5+ years.
3. Have you always been leader at your current alliance?

[D_DI]

Thank you @SamMe. Btw, I’m really jealous, I have wanted Alby from the moment I first saw him (aka October 2017). Congrats!

1. Wilbur-Falcon-cElena-Miki-Azlar.
   It was a fantastic board so I think I only used 2-3 bear banners and 4 medium mana potions. When you keep getting combos, you don’t really need to use items.
   I was quite surprised by the score since I have scored less when using multiple tornadoes, but it’s really about the tiles you get.

2. No, I haven’t. I am running HA6 and HA10. I have mana troops in each colour so it’s not really worth it for me.

3. The first 3 months I was playing solo. Then, in September 2017 I joined Diamond Infantry (we are currently recruiting, btw: Diamond Infantry is looking for 4 new members (14* titans, no Line/Discord)). When I woke up one morning in February 2018 the leader had made me the leader and left the alliance. So, no, I haven’t always been the leader.

[SamMe]

@D_DI Is it just me, or is it somewhat amusing how the game can suddenly become so generous to players (in terms of hero summons and loot drops)?

Alby was a HOTM before my time. However, I had always wanted a MN since the first Santa’s Challenge. Really happy to get Alby!

As long as you keep running HA10, there’s a small chance to get him every seven days. A small chance is better than none IMHO!

Thanks for the congrats, and for answering my questions.

[Saros]

@D_DI , it is indeed great to have finally pulled something good out of HA 10.

However, concerning starting f2p players right now: Wouldn’t you agree that it’s actually better to constantly train feeder 1* and 2* troops in the Academy instead of running HA 10? First of all, it’s much easier and faster to start training those. Secondly, they provide you with a steady constant supply of feeder troops to upgrade your mana troops faster. Of course, you can run only one of these and also HA 10…but then the experience from troops is cut in half, and thus the leveling up of troops is cut in half…

[Kilted]

So as a non F2P this interests me ( I have been C2P the majority of my time, spent some money but not on P2W levels).

Are there many F2P starting out that would have anywhere near access to HA as a main troop resource? Given cost in recruits number etc I’d have thought wouldve been better placed stockpiling TC’s 1,2,11 and 20? Then if they get a 4 star troop once a week be piling any recruits received from maps etc into it to begin the build up as opposed to waiting the length of time needed to have levelled up buildings to include a HA? Of course if you run multiple alts to get extra VIP etc this can change, but I doubt most players have the time/inclination to do that

[Kilted]

Hmm interesting, I dont map/grind anywhere near that amount and I’ve only ever done 1 ten pull on troops, but from my troop gain from maps / grey tokens/ ETT I’ve still had enough to get my troops in R/G/P to 18 plus secondary getting towards 11. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky.

If you do wait to do the levelling till later how do you find the resource jam at that point instead of the segmented cost along the way?

Btw @D_DI sorry for hijacking this a bit. Really enjoyed your interview on Jekyll’s channel.

[Sarah2]

@Saros

If an aspiring f2p player knows all of this beforehand they can also start stockpiling and farming recruits as early as possible and focus on this as their primary target so they will have a large enough number when HA 4 is finally up and running.

… a new player starting out and trying to build their HA, let alone levelling it to HA4 takes many, many months at least . Now if that player is also F2P there are no shortcuts to upgrading buildings, with just one builder available… I’m not following your timeline and as for stockoiling recruits .

@Saros

At the same time, that player should already have a very solid hero 4* striking force by that time.

@Saros

I believe troops to be more important and more attention-deserving.

You’ve also made some sweeping generalisations. Presenting opinion as fact…

@Kilted

Btw @D_DI sorry for hijacking this a bit.

Guilty too.

[Chein]

First of all, congrats for being such an active player through all these years!

I look up to you since I’m a FTP player as well, and on the end of October/beginning of November it’ll be 2 years for me playing E&P. Sometimes I find it difficult to play because, as you say, I try to gather gems for a 10x pull and it takes 4 months for me to have them.
Last S4 event, I was frustrated, and spent 1400 gems for 4 pulls, trying to get a S4 5*. I ended up finding Griffin and Rokkamush (which I didn’t have), so it wasn’t that bad, but I still felt frustrated and when you realize that you have to wait 4 more months for another 10x pull, you truly feel hopeless and need to overcome that feeling.

Since I don’t have a lot of 5* heroes, I adapted my game style giving 4* heroes a lot of importance and leveling them up constantly. Believe it or not, I played my first 6 months in this game without finding any 5* hero.

My very first 5* hero was Clarissa as bonus draw on May 2020 and my first 5* hero from TC20 was Elena.
I also received Khagan (twice), Lianna, Vivica, Thorne, Isarnia from TC20 in this order. I found Elkanen from a 10x pull and Joon from a single pull.
My non S1 heroes are Ares (ToL around a year ago), Evelyn (Featured Hero in Atlantis), Reuben (bonus draw in December 2020), and I received a few weeks ago my very first 5* from a Season that isn’t the first one, Inari (Featured Hero in Atlantis). I still don’t have any S3-4 5* heroes.

I wanted to share my ‘journey’ , especially with you and all the other FTP players since I think that you all can understand me better. Every pull is important for us and every 5* hero is never taken for granted.

In the end, I must thank you for having shared your experience and encouraged me to share mine.

[D_DI]

@Saros

However, concerning starting f2p players right now: Wouldn’t you agree that it’s actually better to constantly train feeder 1* and 2* troops in the Academy instead of running HA 10?

No, for me HA10 is too valuable for FTP players. At some point every FTP is stuck with only S1 5* heroes to level up so this 5% chance for legendaries (which is the highest in the game) is absolutely worth it. Yes, it may take a year to get something useful, but also you may get something valuable very soon after you start running HA10.

Also, I have never done the friendly invites so I’m not sure how long it would take to get to HA (with or without them). But once you’re there, it’s better to maximize your chances of getting a non-S1 5* hero rather than hope to gain a few levels on your troops. The chances of the former are much lower otherwise, while the latter would happen organically by you playing the game.

And as @Sarah2 and @Kilted have pointed out, the time it takes to get to HA10 is too long, so the player may already have troops that are at decent levels. I don’t really know how this would work today - everything was quite different for me.

So yes, the best option, in my opinion, is to run HA10 and HA6. In this way, you have the best chance of getting 5* heroes while you are also getting feeder troops.

[D_DI]

@Chein

First of all, congrats for being such an active player through all these years!

Thank you! It looks like you’re doing great yourself.

@Chein

Sometimes I find it difficult to play because, as you say, I try to gather gems for a 10x pull and it takes 4 months for me to have them.
Last S4 event, I was frustrated, and spent 1400 gems for 4 pulls, trying to get a S4 5*. I ended up finding Griffin and Rokkamush (which I didn’t have),

I know it’s really hard to resist, but I have learnt that we need to be patient. There will be many S4 coins you’re going to get in the upcoming months so unless there is a 3*/4* S4 hero who would make a massive difference to your roster (for now there is no such, hero, imo, while in S3 we had Almur), it’s better to save your gems. Also, bear in mind that the Devs will release more S4 3* and 4* heroes so if you do pulls later on, you’ll have a better chance of getting different heroes.

@Chein

Believe it or not, I played my first 6 months in this game without finding any 5* hero.

I believe it - it was 9 months for me

@Chein

I wanted to share my ‘journey’ , especially with you and all the other FTP players since I think that you all can understand me better. Every pull is important for us and every 5* hero is never taken for granted.

Again, well done! It’s really nice to learn more about different FTP journeys.

[Saros]

@D_DI

So yes, the best option, in my opinion, is to run HA10 and HA6. In this way, you have the best chance of getting 5* heroes while are also getting feeder troops.

Thank you for answering. I have actually thought a lot on this matter, this is why I bring it up here and ask you. Here is some math for example:

HA 2 gives you 4.444(4) xp per hour
HA 4 gives you 4.2857 xp per hour
HA 6 gives you…3.3333(3) xp per hour

I agree that the costs of the first two options are higher, especially in recruits. But if you combine them, the xp given will be approximately 3 times more compared to the HA 6 only option.

[Liamallica]

I don’t want anyone to read this and be under any allusions to think that it is going to get better than at the start of the game/first year.

If you have bad luck at the start, you’re a fair bit worse off. (The gems come in slower after the first levels of missions finish). Everything else can be gotten with patience, non season 1 heroes have to be bought, or if you’re extremely lucky to get 1 with free gems pulls every 4 months.

I gave up after 3 years after having good success in my first couple of years, I stopped being able to win raids from 1800/1900 players, and the only common factor? Bought teams.

I wasted a lot of time, with energy very rarely being full in the 3 years I was playing. The pay to win aspect was very obvious at the end. Keep in mind I went the first year without being able to even get a 4* hero. I did it the patient way, but it doesn’t work without extreme luck or deep pockets

[SamMe]

@Liamallica Would you care to elaborate on “I stopped being able to win raids from 1800/1900 players”? I am not sure that I understand that part.

I am also surprised to read that you “went the first year without being able to even get a 4* hero”.

Just like some players appear to be incredibly lucky, the opposite also applies. It is unfortunate, but that is the reality of RNG.

In case you don’t answer, I hope you are enjoying your free time, and peace.

@D_DI I do apologise if this is going too much off-topic. Please let me know in case it may bother you.