While I can say "nothing is forever", I, like others am just done with this game for now. The only way I feel I can protest what is happening to it is to stop paying my monthly 3.99 $US and uninstall the game. The Beta changed so much that it is simply not enjoyable anymore.
I have played casually for the past two years and nine months across two different accounts (lost my first one when I changed phones), grinded out some 800 combined Champion Levels and spent exactly 102.83 $US on the game in that time, not including ads watched to support MakingFun. Yes, I feel I got my money worth on it, but I none the less feel cheated about it.
The Controversial
Experience Boosters - Boosting 50%, 100% and 200% Experience for 30 minutes is considered "Pay to Win" aka P2W by many. While I understand that sentiment, I am more upset over the fact that I spent years to get where I am at only to realize I could have started "today" and get to exactly where I am at in a month. That's being conservative too.
Gem/Gold Boosters - Boosting 50%, 100% and 200% Gems and up to 400% gold production for 30 minutes is more broken than the experience boosters. Why? Because it was the one and only way people who played this game could get better gear and become better. Now, these boosters allot the player an ability to bypass much of that grinding and be just as good as anyone in the top tiers much faster.
The Frustrating
Increased Trial Experience - While I was timid to the idea of increased experience in trials from the onset of the Beta for similar reasons to Experience boosters, the frustrating part is that ANYONE can level a character to lvl 70 without even finishing the first Act of story mode. I know, I did it on my 5th character just to see if I could. What's the big deal about that? It changes the mechanics of the game such that story mode has been rendered irrelevant. Literally making it a different game altogether.
Increased Drop Rates - I was happy at first that I was getting a plethora of named item and set piece drops, I really refined my gear and got some great sets. However, the constant barrage of them resulted in a filled up inventory and honestly, a feeling that it was no longer a big deal to get them. Thus, the "reward" of spending grind time to get new, better pieces was lost. I suddenly felt angry that all my years of time grinding for something better was absolutely negated in three short weeks.
The Good
Changed Mechanics - I feel the balancing of classes and the attention to mobs/bosses was great. It really did make the game more challenging in the long run, but still feel it is difficult to move around bosses like Magroth and TBD on a small mobile screen (It is virtually impossible to move "UP" to avoid them when Magroth is enraged and just as equally difficult on any boss when in an alcove/cul-da-sac or corner).
Added content - The advent of soon to be released new bosses, the trial ladders and reworked mobs are a great thing. Coupling those with ACT IV, PvP and hometown will be great. Sadly, even those will not be enough to bring back veteran players who feel cheated or turned off by the P2W prospects of the game.
The Great
Attention - This game stagnated for some time, not because they did not care, but because they did not have the resources at MakingFun to do what they are doing now. It is fantastic that the company is finally capable of hiring people to enhance this game and others into something more. I fully expect there to be a lot more people playing this game in the coming year or so as a result of that attention. Again though, it's not the type of game for many of us from the original community.
Summary
Over the past two years I've made a lot of friends in this community, I've enjoyed the heck out of this game through that time, but I simply find no appeal to the game after several of the recent Beta additions. I am burned out from testing things, submitting bug reports, providing feedback, helping out the community and am left ultimately feeling like we, the original community of Mage & Minions got screwed at the end of the day.
This game, like others invented by MakingFun's CEO John Welch was built on the idea that people can go as casually or as dedicated as they want to and still feel rewarded by those efforts. This is no longer the case and as far as I am concerned, is no longer a John Welch title either.
I'll be lingering on Discord, playing other games and chatting in communities that share a common interest, but I will not be playing Eternium while several of the current items remain. It is simply not in my best interest anymore.
I have played casually for the past two years and nine months across two different accounts (lost my first one when I changed phones), grinded out some 800 combined Champion Levels and spent exactly 102.83 $US on the game in that time, not including ads watched to support MakingFun. Yes, I feel I got my money worth on it, but I none the less feel cheated about it.
The Controversial
Experience Boosters - Boosting 50%, 100% and 200% Experience for 30 minutes is considered "Pay to Win" aka P2W by many. While I understand that sentiment, I am more upset over the fact that I spent years to get where I am at only to realize I could have started "today" and get to exactly where I am at in a month. That's being conservative too.
Gem/Gold Boosters - Boosting 50%, 100% and 200% Gems and up to 400% gold production for 30 minutes is more broken than the experience boosters. Why? Because it was the one and only way people who played this game could get better gear and become better. Now, these boosters allot the player an ability to bypass much of that grinding and be just as good as anyone in the top tiers much faster.
The Frustrating
Increased Trial Experience - While I was timid to the idea of increased experience in trials from the onset of the Beta for similar reasons to Experience boosters, the frustrating part is that ANYONE can level a character to lvl 70 without even finishing the first Act of story mode. I know, I did it on my 5th character just to see if I could. What's the big deal about that? It changes the mechanics of the game such that story mode has been rendered irrelevant. Literally making it a different game altogether.
Increased Drop Rates - I was happy at first that I was getting a plethora of named item and set piece drops, I really refined my gear and got some great sets. However, the constant barrage of them resulted in a filled up inventory and honestly, a feeling that it was no longer a big deal to get them. Thus, the "reward" of spending grind time to get new, better pieces was lost. I suddenly felt angry that all my years of time grinding for something better was absolutely negated in three short weeks.
The Good
Changed Mechanics - I feel the balancing of classes and the attention to mobs/bosses was great. It really did make the game more challenging in the long run, but still feel it is difficult to move around bosses like Magroth and TBD on a small mobile screen (It is virtually impossible to move "UP" to avoid them when Magroth is enraged and just as equally difficult on any boss when in an alcove/cul-da-sac or corner).
Added content - The advent of soon to be released new bosses, the trial ladders and reworked mobs are a great thing. Coupling those with ACT IV, PvP and hometown will be great. Sadly, even those will not be enough to bring back veteran players who feel cheated or turned off by the P2W prospects of the game.
The Great
Attention - This game stagnated for some time, not because they did not care, but because they did not have the resources at MakingFun to do what they are doing now. It is fantastic that the company is finally capable of hiring people to enhance this game and others into something more. I fully expect there to be a lot more people playing this game in the coming year or so as a result of that attention. Again though, it's not the type of game for many of us from the original community.
Summary
Over the past two years I've made a lot of friends in this community, I've enjoyed the heck out of this game through that time, but I simply find no appeal to the game after several of the recent Beta additions. I am burned out from testing things, submitting bug reports, providing feedback, helping out the community and am left ultimately feeling like we, the original community of Mage & Minions got screwed at the end of the day.
This game, like others invented by MakingFun's CEO John Welch was built on the idea that people can go as casually or as dedicated as they want to and still feel rewarded by those efforts. This is no longer the case and as far as I am concerned, is no longer a John Welch title either.
I'll be lingering on Discord, playing other games and chatting in communities that share a common interest, but I will not be playing Eternium while several of the current items remain. It is simply not in my best interest anymore.
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