Questioning the Balance FAQ

Link to Hero Balancing FAQ, here…

My primary question is about the Buff section.
This really only references "Old Heroes"
Thank you for showing love to "old heroes" from time to time. You have long-term customers and that is a good business decision if you intend to retain them.

I don’t see anything in the Balancing FAQ that details why you buff new heroes. Such as…

👈 After the release of S3

And Multiple times this year, from March:

And not long after:

My question is…
Do you think the Balancing FAQ should be updated to include this more common motivation?

If the idea is to have "metrics" where new content pushes out all the old content
and gets more “playtime”
then…
Doesn’t that contradict with why you Nerf heroes?!?

Speaking of nerfs, this isn’t a question. More of an observation:

WE NOTICE…!
before the hero is even released…

How is it that you can’t notice, until AFTER the money is made?

I’m sure I missed some questions.
Do any of you E&Peeps wonder about this FAQ?

13 Likes

They literally nerfed 50% skill damage for goseck and then rebuffed him back the 50% damage after some time. Do they think we have short termed memory or something?

5 Likes

goseck is a different case, they did two nerfs on him in the beta when he only needed one nerf (the class change).
reverting the damage was a good call dispite the negative look on the community on him being OP.

regarding balancing weaker heroes, i do believe SG know who needs buffs but for some reason aren’t doing it as often as they should.
those weak heroes are still featured in portals so it isn’t a “profit” concern.

we need more heroes to get the same treatment jade and vela got. they went from useless to useful even when they aren’t powerful in today’s standard.

Dont you see it crystal clear that they only care about money?
I dont know why people keep questioning SG about buffing the new big hitters and ignoring the old heroes…isnt it obvious?
The word “balance” means $$$
Its all about bait and switch

To me the word balance means variety.
And variety is fun.
Which would lead to more engagement.
Which… would also make money.

And… to me… this:

Means underwhelming revenue gains.

While this:

Means less variety.

But the Balancing FAQ continues to be referenced throughout all these "Buff New Hero" updates.
And I just don’t understand why.

What does that FAQ have to do with making these strong new releases, even stronger?

Maybe they should just delete the FAQ at this point?

Maybe you’ve missed my post here’s the link

The one reason why goseck didn’t get a bigger outcry over this matter is because he is harder to get than heroes like khufu.
They also probably figured there is no difference between 650% and 700% damage so they rebuff him back.

It’s always about revenue, revenue, revenue.

When Zynga/SGG used the term, “game economy”, in the Spring 2021 QnA, that pretty much explains their main concern: revenue, revenue, revenue.

Therefore, “balance” is from the viewpoint of “game economy”.

When game economy is faltering, rebalancing is needed to get game economy back on track, where Zynga has intended it to be. Hence the buffs to newer heroes just before their portals go live.

When revenue is on track, then Zynga/SGG focuses on player retention with game economy in mind. Retaining a stable player base is crucial to game survival, which also keeps the money train chugging along nicely.

Hence the S1 family bonus, super talent buff and secondary costumes. Zynga gives a little but takes back more, to keep game economy buoyant.

Zynga has never defined the metrics used in determining balance updates or explained more.

Player base = DAU, MAU
Win/Loss ratio = 70/30 ???
Hero card sales = ???
Hero card usage = ???

As for that Balance FAQ, that’s just a PC move for their public image. Disgruntled players, who send in tix to CS, will be directed to that link, saving CS heaps of time in answering their (probably) ranting tix.

That Balance FAQ has to stay, and in that form, since it’s mandated by their PR department. It would be nice if that FAQ relates more to the actual motives behind their Balance updates, but that will never happen because Zynga is a business first and foremost, and that FAQ is protection in some way.

We would need to have actual first hand evidence to disprove their announcements. Unless someone within whistleblows with irrefutable proof (video preferred), or someone does the dirty digitally, Zynga can say whatever they want to say, as vetted by their Legal/PR departments.

If a player doesn’t like this situation, then they can vote with their wallet or their feet.

4 Likes

And how much have you spent on this game?

If they’re going to to tag this list of
Frequently Asked Questions
With every update…Maybe they should also update their answers?

The first 2 questions aren’t the same, but the answers both detail nerfs so… they may as well be the same question…

The 2nd to last one, touches on:

When they answered:

So basically, if they’re more honest these answers will simply admit that there is going to be a degree of imbalance!
That would be less insulting.

So would stop bringing up “metrics.”
Treevil was crushing it…in Legendary tournies and WAR… for over a year! In 3* tournaments there were defenses of 5 Treevils.
Where were their “metrics” all that time?

1 Like

Metrics mean different things to different parties.

From your perspective, a relevant metric is hero usage, the higher the usage, the greater the need to rebalance that hero to diffuse concentration, “uniformity”.

From their perspective, that “hero usage” metric indicates something else to them.

You brought up TreeVil. He was released in the first round of CF1, intended as a “must-have”. He was a 3* and much easier to obtain, leading to widespread usage.

Why didn’t they nerf him straight away?

Well, those, who didn’t get TreeVil, tried again in Round 2. The almost immediate usage of TreeVil in 5* Rush Wars sparked demand. Demand leads to increased summons. Increased summons leads to increased revenue.

From their perspective, metrics are tied to revenue first and foremost, not player experience.

2 Likes

Cool! Can you name some of these tools?

Is one of them a banana?

6 Likes

Gotta compare to Quintus with secondary costume. Max stats. Not classic S1.

Players cried out for S1 to be buffed beyond primary costume.

Zynga/SGG heard and listened. Hence the secondary costumes. Available via summon or from HA10 (only 1 costume possible at 5% chance)

And the S1 FB. And Super Talents.

Players win some. For free.
Zynga/SGG win more.

Can’t fault them for being business savvy.

Players can always walk away if they are that unhappy, frustrated etc. Regardless of game friendships, “time/money investment”, or other ties that bind them to this game.

Or go f2p. Play some. Enjoy some. Spend none.

I don’t have to. Because I don’t have either costume.

They are new cards… not buffs

Also… @BlackZed
read the FAQ. I quoted it just before the comparison. They’re comparing… new heroes to OLD ones with all their balance tools

Isn’t that C Panther ? Or is that original Panther ? I wouldn’t know. I have neither.

Are you comparing a costumed hero to a non costumed hero ? Is that comparable ?

As for activation speed, that “imbalance” is common between older and newer heroes, as the game meta developed with time.

That’s why costumes were released.

I am not disagreeing with you on the points you raised.

I am not venting along with you because Zynga/SGG has now released secondary costumes.

The writing on the wall is now in Bold, no longer faint or just barely legible.

I have been down this road before with another Zynga-acquired game. Deja vu time.

I exited that game when secondary costumes were released. It wasn’t a game where I could dial down like it is with this game.

With secondary costumes now released, it’s time to dial down even more with an aim to exit.

If you intend to stay on, happy gaming!

1 Like

Why not?
When Quintus second costume is released. That will be a new card that many will spend money to get. At which point I will compare the second costume to non-costume Quintus. Which will still be the same old card that most of us have…!

Not according the FAQ…
Which is all that I’m addressing right now.
How relevant it is, and why it is continually tagged for every Balance update.

Every player has their "theories" about SG’s business modeling. I don’t care about that, although you are likely spot on. I’m just applying these old answers to this modern creep era and scratching my head. So if it is all… "revenue revenue revenue" then… would it hurt to say that? Would that garner a smidge more respect when the circumstances have transformed this old document to something in between the obituaries and the funny pages…?

Probably not…

You don’t have to vent if that’s what this is.
One of the likes in the FAQ. Came from me!
In a different time. Under a different pace.

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@Pompitous is right and the emperor is naked.

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The business model manifests itself in all aspects of this game. That FAQ is another manisfestation.

If honesty is what you are after, then you will be constantly disappointed, if you continue to play this game.

That FAQ is a PC document released as part of that entity’s public persona. If you believe that the FAQ could do with more honesty, what does that tell you about the entity that issued it ?

Do you still want to play this game? Why ?
Why don’t you look elsewhere for a replacement like I did ?

1 Like

And playing the kazoo

Let’s re-write the FAQ.
Wait…maybe use gif’s to answer.
That would make the read more enjoyable:

How do you make sure that new Heroes are not too strong versus old Heroes?

image

2 Likes

September Balance Update:
And look…There it is again!

Attached to every Update…
How many of you read this FAQ?

I think this sentence could be expanded upon:

Could it be that they just have no more wiggle room in the Legendary Camp, in order to fulfill that sentence without wreaking havoc throughout the game’s ecosystem?

Never before have nerfs been so rampant.
One after the other… could it be that this Balance FAQ, which is referenced in every single update this year, is not referenced in Beta before the…
"exciting and desirable" are released?

Or could it be… that this FAQ should be updated to expand how “metrics” are somehow ignored for well over a year, until players are “finished” with roster demands, which then limits them from pulling in new portals?
Then…
“metrics” suddenly reveal issues?