Small Giant’s strategy is unfathomable to me.
The only way they should be able to get away with this stuff is by satisfying every strata of player. Elite players (those competing for top100 spots, spending real cash heavily) is their main strata, of course, and all lower strata should work towards recruiting for the Elite strata. But Small Giant’s additions are so bad for the F2P/C2P level players, that I don’t understand how they don’t see what this will eventually do. Even if it reaps immediate short-term benefit, the long-term will suffer, because the elite is losing its recruiting grounds as players have such a ridiculous gulf to climb to even compete.
If they truly want to make LB2 the new Elite level standard, make the previous stuff more accessible. Honestly, triple to quadruple the amount of emblems from the emblem quest. Make LB1 Aether quest yield at least double the amounts they currently do. Unlock ways to access older heroes for F2P accounts. No whale is going to want a random S2 hero, but F2P players could very much appreciate a better way to unlock the older heroes. This means that elite players get better, yes, but so do the weaker/F2P/newer players. Everyone is satisfied to some extent; the elite still enjoy their broken LB2 heroes, but the rest of us peasants at least start fighting them with Kageburado-level snipers instead of being stuck on Sartana ad infinitum. I’m not asking for Dark Lord to be available from TC20, just give us -something-. And I mean something reliable, not the trash of the Hero Academy.
Their current strategy specifically caters to the top end and leaves every other tier of player in the dust. It’s incredible how it hasn’t flopped to death already.
