To be an contender is it too expensive?

[White Avenger]

Is this game getting too expensive to stay a contender? Is there enough to do?

In other games I can get that 5 star monster, armor or card for 30 bucks guaranteed. Or I can buy a pack of 11 with only 3 stars and up monsters, armor, guns, cards, etc with at least 3 or 4 (4 star) items in the group with a 30% - 50% to get the 5 star item.

[busteroaf]

Define being "a contender" first.

What perspective are you looking at. From Top 100? Top 10? Top 1? 1 looking down at 2-10?

I think your answers will vary based on what place you're in and how much you generally spend, and if you can keep up said spending. The moment you can't, its too expensive.

Also, in these other games... when you get that 5 star item, are you considered in the upper echelon of players? Do you have to level/enhance/whatever this item or is it like having the highest dps weapon in the game and you just have to equip it and boom, instant badass? Different games have different mechanics.

[ppownage]

nah i think you can get very far without spending money im about to max my 2nd epic and only need to upgrade 5 more TF's and my base is done

[Meepo]

Buster, what do you define as the upper echelon? Does having a 5-star item, all maxed out, place somebody there in this game?

[busteroaf]

Buster, what do you define as the upper echelon? Does having a 5-star item, all maxed out, place somebody there in this game?

It depends. Do you only have one, or multiple? From the question, I'm taking it as, does an (a singular) epic make you upper tier. Are you max level, or close to it? Will you be able (will you have the gold/ability to farm enough mats) to max out an epic if your level 20 toon gets it out of a chest after saving up a few gems, vs a level 100 player with a maxed out castle setup? Sure, you can beat up on people your same level, based just off the starting stat boost of some of the armors, but if you were to get into a guild full of level 20's, you'd be unable to go anywhere in wars, or weekly boss. So it depends on different aspects of the game, but most likely, no. It helps to bridge the gap, and make some aspects easier, like the weekly boss, which means more rewards, more enhancement fodder armors, more keys to get gems/fusion stones/boost... it helps, but you still need the complete package.

Upper echelon to me? Any guild who easily fights for Top 10 in Guild Wars, or anyone who regularly is in top... say... top 250 in Arena. Maybe Top 50 of weekly boss kills. Depends on the situation.

Also, efficient gem usage. As I've said before, just because you buy gems or spend gems doesn't give you an insta-win button in this game. You have to play. You still have to work at it. You have to level your armors, farm the right people in Arena/GW. And for those that spend tons of gems, you have to devote solid chunks of time to be able to spend all those gems. People scoff at the gem minimums. Most people likely aren't even factoring in the time investment to use said gems. Same with weekly boss. You need the right friends for weekly boss to do it efficiently. Otherwise, in every situation, you're throwing away your gems. And if you're blindly throwing away gems, you're not upper echelon no matter how many gems you use.

[firefly333]

None of the above. Option C

I think its too expensive to be a contender. Not searching for a replacement game.

Upper echelon to me? Any guild who easily fights for Top 10 in Guild Wars, - YES

or anyone who regularly is in top... say... top 250 in Arena. - NO, 300s still

Maybe Top 50 of weekly boss kills. Depends on the situation. Not sure what this means

Im reading thru this ..not sure what it means to be upper 50 of boss hits, damage?

It goes to show everyone's idea of upper echelon is different. I use all my gems during war now. But Im among the top 5 and top 10 in last two wars in my upper ten team, points wise.

[Sakino]

I would think that actually being the top contender or "finishing the game"consist in
1) beating the dark prince
2)main knight in maxed beastmaster battolghiar, earth knight in maxed tectonic+, water knight in maxed soulshard+, fire knight in maxed sky majesty+, air knight in maxed maelstrom+, and spirit knight in maxed scorchstone+.

The first costing a bit of play time, and the second some millenniums of play time or atleast €25.000

In other games you can archive the two options for pure play time or max some 100€....

[Meepo]

It depends. Are you max level, or close to it? Will you be able (will you have the gold/ability to farm enough mats) to max out an epic if your level 20 toon gets it out of a chest after saving up a few gems, vs a level 100 player with a maxed out castle setup? Sure, you can beat up on people your same level, based just off the starting stat boost of some of the armors, but if you were to get into a guild full of level 20's, you'd be unable to go anywhere in wars, or weekly boss. So it depends on different aspects of the game.

Upper echelon to me? Any guild who easily fights for Top 10 in Guild Wars, or anyone who regularly is in top... say... top 250 in Arena. Maybe Top 50 of weekly boss kills. Depends on the situation.

Also, efficient gem usage. As I've said before, just because you buy gems or spend gems doesn't give you an insta-win button in this game. You have to play. You still have to work at it. You have to level your armors, farm the right people in Arena/GW. And for those that spend tons of gems, you have to devote solid chunks of time to be able to spend all those gems. People scoff at the gem minimums. Most people likely aren't even factoring in the time investment to use said gems. Same with weekly boss. You need the right friends for weekly boss to do it efficiently. Otherwise, in every situation, you're throwing away your gems. And if you're blindly throwing away gems, you're not upper echelon no matter how many gems you use.

Yep, you need to use your gems efficiently, put in the time and effort to spend those gems and fight the right people. However, the question that White Avenger is asking is, "is it too expensive?".

The gem minimums still exist. You still need to spend tons of gems. You can't really spend thousands of gems efficiently if you don't have thousands of gems in the first place. While it may not be too expensive for some, it is for most people.

I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, just that competing is too expensive. For those who don't spend a ton, all that's left to do is the weekly epic boss runs, arena, and getting whatever rank you can outside of top ten. While the epic boss is a great part of the game, what is the point of getting to top 100 in the arena when the rewards are only 6 brawlers armours and a few stones/gems? What is the point of being rank 11 in guild wars when the stats of the rewards are worse than what you can get from doing your usual routine of fighting the epic boss every week?

Btw, I would choose option C as well, but that doesn't exist. I love this game, but it's about time they added some more options for the light spenders/free players. The LTQs were great and I would certainly like to see more of them, maybe even as often as guild wars. Bosses for the entire guild to fight. Anything challenging, where the rewards reflect the effort taken, for the masses to do on the sidelines while watching the top guilds compete for the number one spot.

[White Avenger]

Define being "a contender" first.

What perspective are you looking at. From Top 100? Top 10? Top 1? 1 looking down at 2-10?

I think your answers will vary based on what place you're in and how much you generally spend, and if you can keep up said spending. The moment you can't, its too expensive.

Also, in these other games... when you get that 5 star item, are you considered in the upper echelon of players? Do you have to level/enhance/whatever this item or is it like having the highest dps weapon in the game and you just have to equip it and boom, instant badass? Different games have different mechanics.

No - each individual needs to define what being a contender is.... I can give you what a contender is for me but it may not apply to you. As long as you think you are a contender in your mind and your happy playing this game that is all that matters...

[busteroaf]

No - each individual needs to define what being a contender is.... I can give you what a contender is for me but it may not apply to you. As long as you think you are a contender in your mind and your happy playing this game that is all that matters...

I didn't mean "you" specifically define it. That is why I said what perspective is it coming from. Each person will have their own idea.

And to the bold part... "if you think you're a contender, then you are one." Okay. Everyone decides what their win is. Its a very open ended game with multiple facets and areas to "contend." I can go along with that, but don't call it "contender" because my idea is different than your idea, is different then Eun's idea, is different than Mr. Spocks...

But in the end, it simply comes down to "being too expensive" simply meaning when you can no longer afford it to maintain the level you are at, or want to be at, plain and simple.

[Tachy]

It's cost exactly what I want it to.

I don't understand all the whining about the cost to play.
There IS no cost unless you want one.

[Eunuchorn]

That being said, RR is always looking for permanent dedicated spenders.

[Starwulf]

or anyone who regularly is in top... say... top 250 in Arena.

I wouldn't say that would be a "top contender", I can finish top 250 without spending a single gem, I don't have any epics, my highest armor is a maxed Storm sorc +(though I do have 3 + Epic boss armors, none are leveled higher then 10 at the moment). All that requires is using your arena energy regularly, doubling down till 5, and doing all your friends(yes, all 129) every night.