Special Challenge Event Preview - 'Ultimate Challenge' Event

NG_Sam

Hey everyone!

The end of the year is a busy time for everyone, and the walkers of the post-post-apocalypse are no exception. They are coming at you tougher and tougher all the time, and they're not going to give you a second to rest. Cut out some of that winter grind and step up to what could be the most challenging Challenge ever!

Here’s what we’re planning:
The tough missions will start sooner in this Challenge. Instead of playing 3 rounds per difficulty, you will advance after 2 completed rounds. The second round in each difficulty will be a little trickier than before.

Starting difficulty will be slightly higher; for example, players who usually start the Challenge at difficulty 14 will start instead at difficulty 17.

In this special event, you will find yourself hitting the higher difficulties sooner than ever. However, we’re adjusting the rewards to match the faster progress:

Round passes are earned for completing 3 rounds instead of 5.

The amount of stars needed to earn Personal and Guild Star rewards are all reduced.

To celebrate the event Token Crates will contain up to 50% more tokens and you'll find better chances of Legendary gear in Challenge and Deluxe Challenge crates!

The event will run for the entire length of the Farmlands Challenge which begins this coming Wednesday (November 29), and to make things even more exciting it will be accompanied by a Double Guild Rewards event. Details of the weekend event to come later (presumably with an accompanying cat video).

During and after the event we’ll be keen to hear your feedback on what impact the event had on your own Challenge, and also the Challenges of your guild-mates.

JayZ

This sounds awesome! I'm looking forward to the reduced grind and better rewards! Anyone want to take bets on how long it takes @DLich to come up with a new star tracking spreadsheet with a comparison of before and after rewards?

Troublemaker

Less grind! I'm happy.

Putchuco

This sounds very promising! Thx for listening to our input, much appreciated already!

WellyLuga

Thank you for acknowledging our incessant whining

Conan1976

Hope this is as good as it sounds :-)

Love this game, but it takes too much time ATM. Thank you for looing for a solution NG

avelardez

Sounds good to go.

paintbeast

Sounds like NG is testing to find a solution to a long time problem. Glad to see it!

Pain Walker

Every change NG does is for the better...

Loving this one too

dgraminho

Nice to know. I believe it will be a sucess.

Movado

@Fearofabotplanet - what about rsl 30 onwards, still only 2 rounds? (30+ has been 4 rounds, so just wondering whether that’s being reduced/affected too), Thanks

crambert_nec

NG stepping it up lately! 3 for 3 with the past 3 events. Thank you!

Bill_ZRT

This looks phenomenal... I appreciate that NG has listened to player feedback on the amount of time required to grind out lower level, inconsequential rounds in the challenge and I love how rewards have been re-kajiggered so that players will get more rewards even if the star totals are lower due to this adjustment.

Can't wait to check this out and see if I can actually play a challenge until I hit the wall instead of running out of time.

TJS

@Fearofabotplanet
I agree this is a great idea.

Just one question.
Will this be announced 'in game news'?
It's easy enough for me to pass this on to my members who use alternative chat options but for those who don't it will be difficult to explain all this within game chat.

Thanks,
TJS

NG_Sam

@TJS yes it will. Tomorrow most likely.

NG_Sam

@Movado Those will be as normal.

capibara

Awesome! 3 rounds is not too much to reduce grind but it's a starting point.
I insist on the chance i posted (Rodent Fix)...to have two ways to play. A grind challenge (with all rewards) and a short challenge (...with less rewards, but fun "hard" game)... So everyone will choose his way as for The Distance.

PR0DJ

Finally

crambert_nec

@Fearofabotplanet This is a great event. Would you consider running it for 2 consecutive challenges, though? That way the players can get an idea of the full extent of the grind reduction by using these extra round passes we will be receiving during the first challenge along with the higher starting level and less repeated rounds.

General_Quatre

@Fearofabotplanet Is this sort of a test-run for possible changes coming in 2.9? Does that mean 2.9 is coming fairly soonish or still a ways down the pipeline?

mimica

@Fearofabotplanet So to be clear from 17 to 29 will be 2 tiers and from 30 will be 4 tiers?

Kick_ass

Very cool!! Sounds like FUN!!! Games = fun!

@Biraju_MAVERICKS

pradi

Really happy with this change. Thank you for this good news

WeekOne

Wow.... thank you!

DLich

I have been running the numbers for the past 30 minutes. I will give my assessment shortly.

It is for the better this much is true as long as no rewards are lessened. I am currently researching that part now.

TransmuteJun

Tentatively, this sounds good. I'm a little concerned about rewards being lessened, but if they are the same or better, then I will be happy!

It does seem like NG is working hard to address the complaints about the challenge. I know it is difficult to please those who complain about the grind and those who complain of reduced stars.rewards (and these are sometimes the same people). I am impressed by how well NG is balancing this!

bun

This definately seems like a big step in the right direction, but @Fearofabotplanet is it just for one week? Its going to be hard having to go back to the low level grind the following week.

xyf80

Less griding time and more fun I am 1000% like the idea!

DLich

I play through 27.1. I earn 6 RP’s and play 24 rounds (30 total). I earn about 27K TG’s playing 24 rounds. Looking at the temp format 27.1 will be round 21 (instead of 30). I will earn 7 skips with the skips being changed so I'll be playing 14 rounds (21 - 7) instead of 24.

Literally I'm going from playing 24 rounds to playing 14 to get to the same RSL. I want to ensure I'll earn the same amount of TG's for round completion as well as the same personal rewards. Also guild rewards need to be scaled.

zbot

Let's see:

1) Start 17 instead of 14 (3 rounds less) less grind, check.

2) For repeat rounds: 2 rounds instead of 3, less grind, check.

3) 2nd round more difficult and trickier than before, more challenging, check.

4) Adjusted rewards to match faster progression, check.

5) Round passes for 3 rounds instead of 5, more challenging so adjusted to account for that, check.

6) Along with adjusted rewards, stars needed for personal and guild rewards reduced, check.

7) 50% more tokens and better chances of leg gear in challenge and deluxe challenge crates, check.

8) Double guild rewards, more rewards, check.

Not sure if I see anything that's not positive but let's try.

1) Less practice rounds.

Not sure if this is valid as the 2nd round will be more difficult and trickier than before (more challenging), so it will be a different challenge, hard to practice for unless you are actually playing the appropriate RSL.

2) Coming off 1 minute gas, I had a personal best score last challenge, I was making 1.4K stars now I'll make less than that with the new way. I like the old ways, it allows for those that want to push themselves a way to push.

Well, while last challenge may have been your personal best, it's a different challenge now. You will need to figure out what your new PB will be under the new challenge. Similarly, when bonus stars were introduced there was star inflation.

It's an event, give it a shot before you make up your mind about it. Like I tell my boy, how do you know you won't like it if you've never tried it?

3) Can't think of anything else but I'm sure I missed something.

To summarize:

During and after the event we’ll be keen to hear your feedback on what impact the event had on your own Challenge, and also the Challenges of your guild-mates.


Bolded for emphasis:

Maybe I've been here too long but I've seen NG listens to player concerns and feedback, while it may not be fast enough for some players the forum exists as a way to communicate those concerns and feedback to NG. Many times real concerns get drowned out by static or other drama. Please use this event and the forum to provide constructive feedback.

Fragzie

It's a one off challenge event, I'll give it a whirl.