[Raid Boss] To Jump or Not to Jump...

[Dipstik]

Gameplay arguments from a flavor perspective are a waste of time. Everyone can come up with a plot scenario that supports whatever they want to believe.

OMG you'd never see [insert real life gang A] working with [insert real life gang B]!

[Weasel]

Jumping is simple.
Syndicate needs help in a criminal enterprise.
They hire a skilled individual to help them get the job accomplished.
Individual gets paid for the work.

It surely is not:
Lets go rob a bank.
Nope can't do it because a few of our crew are not equipped to pull off the job.
Well lets just rob Lemonade stands until we they can pull off a bigger heist.

There might be a very specific response to this that wouldn't result in an infraction, but I have neither the time nor desire to think of it. Have a gif:

[Sandukan]

There might be a very specific response to this that wouldn't result in an infraction, but I have neither the time nor desire to think of it. Have a gif:

Why? Because you cannot concisely articulate the communist manifesto?
Wars are locked.
SA is locked.
RB not locked.

You can hit a boss in RB and go back to a syndicate later to collect.
Is that an accident or loophole? No other event you can get a prize while not in a syndicate when prize was distributed. Sounds like somebody coded that in don't you think?
Based on those factors alone I can only presume that GREE did not only INTEND for this to happen they wrote it directly into the code.

Ahh but you and your ilk are too busy/lazy or such game purist that you can't seem to bring yourself to do what does not make sense to you.
Understandable. Not enough people making principled stances in the world.
But to openly and vociferously undermine the practice while claiming not to care either way is a bit disingenuous don't you think?

[Weasel]

Why? Because you cannot concisely articulate the communist manifesto?
Wars are locked.
SA is locked.
RB not locked.

You can hit a boss in RB and go back to a syndicate later to collect.
Is that an accident or loophole? No other event you can get a prize while not in a syndicate when prize was distributed. Sounds like somebody coded that in don't you think?
Based on those factors alone I can only presume that GREE did not only INTEND for this to happen they wrote it directly into the code.

Ahh but you and your ilk are too busy/lazy or such game purist that you can't seem to bring yourself to do what does not make sense to you.
Understandable. Not enough people making principled stances in the world.
But to openly and vociferously undermine the practice while claiming not to care either way is a bit disingenuous don't you think?

At this point it is safest for me to just assume you are trolling. Some of your statements are incorrect and your borderline ad hominem arguments are indicative of a troll post, so I will just say this:

Post read. Bait not taken.

[Sandukan]

At this point it is safest for me to just assume you are trolling. Some of your statements are incorrect and your borderline ad hominem arguments are indicative of a troll post, so I will just say this:

Post read. Bait not taken.

I will take your lack of response as tacit acknowledgement that I am indeed correct.

[Weasel]

Now you're just trying too hard. Troll someone else, you've now emptied my bag of troll food.

[Sandukan]

Now you're just trying too hard. Troll someone else, you've now emptied my bag of troll food.

I don't roll.
I try not to insult.
I've played this game at ever level possible.
From free play to being in the number 1 syndicate.

Hey, I just thought you enjoyed discussing game mechanics and GREE intentions.

If GREE didn't want people to jump why did they make it so that you can go back to a syndicate to collect a prize after boss is down and you weren't there?
It's a simple question.

Stone me with reason......

[Vile Lynn]

You know..... In the little RB intro, GREE says, 'With the help of your syndicate, kill RB.'

(or something like that. I'm sure somebody knows the exact phrase.)

[Dipstik]

I don't roll.
I try not to insult.
I've played this game at ever level possible.
From free play to being in the number 1 syndicate.

Hey, I just thought you enjoyed discussing game mechanics and GREE intentions.

If GREE didn't want people to jump why did they make it so that you can go back to a syndicate to collect a prize after boss is down and you weren't there?
It's a simple question.

Stone me with reason......

I notice you ignored me when I addressed your argument on the merits. That makes me tend toward agreeing with weasel.

[Sandukan]

I notice you ignored me when I addressed your argument on the merits. That makes me tend toward agreeing with weasel.

Missed it. I sometimes start a response and work interrupts. By the time I get back I may miss a post or two.
Going back to read now.

[Sandukan]

It's pretty safe to assume that gree has at least two goals: 1) Design a good game and 2) Make money.

At least when I make arguments based on basic game theory, I'm working from the assumption that good game design goes under goal #1. If your game is literally just a matter of performing repetitive actions in order to watch a number on your screen grow, you don't have a good game. Syndicates add an element of teamwork. In order for that element to be used to its fullest, you have to provide an incentive to work within your team. In the last raid boss event, you gained more stats by working on your own than you did by staying with your team and actually finishing the goals. Another problem is that you don't actually have to work within your team to finish the goals if any number of outside players can jump in and finish the goals for you.

Another problem is game balance. Legendary prizes are really good. As such, you can only get them from beating high level bosses that have a lot of health. Under ordinary game design, those bosses would be difficult to beat for a 60 person team, and they would require a lot of health and/or gold from each player in order to get them. They are essentially limited because only 60 people could get a reward from each boss, and each player has to invest a lot of time into earning one. Jumping threw the balance out of whack because not only could [BossHealth/MinimumContribution] players get the prize from each boss, but each player only had to contribute 25 health. This led to far more boss kill prizes being awarded than there should have been.

I assumed based upon Assumed Gree Goal #1 that they considered this a problem. I suggested that the syndicates should be locked, but it looks like they found a more elegant solution... they increased the minimum contribution. You can still jump, but the total number of prizes awarded will be far lower, and people will have less of an incentive to work outside their syndicate.

1. I agree with your two fundamental assumptions that GREE wants a good product and to make money.
2. I agree that the creation of syndicates added a nice layer to the game.
3. I disagree that because syndicates are good forcing everyone to work in syndicates is always good.

Jumping does not negatively affect game balance. All the weapons I earned last month from farming RB are pretty much obsolete now - I must keep farming. All I achieved from farming each cycle is a momentary advantage. So we can agree that jumpers don't really gain anything that isn't negated very quickly.

What about the syndicate that got help? By your logic GREE didn't intend for them to finish. In fact based on the last RB only a handful of teams could finish. Does GREE intend for the majority of their patrons to be frustrated and cater to only a few that can complete the events? What would happen if the same teams continue to be the only ones able to complete the RB event ? Wouldn't GREE then have to basically create two games since one set of obstacles would be too easy for some(the heavy senders) but too onerous for rest ( moderate to light spenders)? Wouldn't that be worst for balance?

Heavy gold spenders by default would rather trade gold for time. They usually don't farm on the industrial level of a light to moderate spender. Allowing farming prevents a giant gulf from being created between the heavy spenders and the rest of the players. GREE needs this. People don't usually run unless they feel someone is chasing them.

[Dipstik]

Yes. I have said many times that if you're not willing to spend gold and your syndicate isn't strong enough, YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO FINISH ELITE MODE! if you assume otherwise, we'll never agree.

And the top syndicates really don't care about middling level syndicates who don't spend gold. They spend to play against eachother. People farming free items off raid bosses aren't even a blip on the radar.

[Sandukan]

Yes. I have said many times that if you're not willing to spend gold and your syndicate isn't strong enough, YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO FINISH ELITE MODE! if you assume otherwise, we'll never agree.

And the top syndicates really don't care about middling level syndicates who don't spend gold. They spend to play against eachother. People farming free items off raid bosses aren't even a blip on the radar.

We can agree to disagree on what makes a good game in terms of completing events.
GREE has always made syndicate events doable until lately. It rewards participation/teamwork and not necessarily spending.

By the way, middling level syndicates aren't the ones profiting most from farming. Its the players trying to maintain top 10 or top 20 team stats. Mostly moderate gold spenders. The top teams have to complete a roster and not everyone can spend at that level consistently or indefinitely.